The UK’s rail network is testing technology that will allow engineers to check structures within seconds of a vehicle strike.
Incidents in which a vehicle hits a bridge cause hundreds of hours of delays on rail and road networks in the UK and worldwide. Network Rail says that bridge strikes cost the nation’s rail industry US$24.7 million a year in delays, cancellations and repairs.
So Network Rail is using a camera and sensor system to remotely monitor Harlaxton Road Bridge in Grantham on the East Coast Mainline. This structure is the UK’s fifth most struck bridge and has been affected eleven times in the last nine months.
After a bridge strike is reported, engineers must visit the structure and check that it is safe for trains to use. The system being tried will provide real-time alerts, and generate data about the structure and tracks, as well as video footage.
Nine out of ten bridge strikes in the UK involve high-sided vehicles and Network Rail has a long-running campaign to raise awareness among hauliers (link opens in new tab).