Britain's 'most bashed bridge' is hit by two lorries in two days

Published: 23:03, 17 August 2026 | Updated: 23:08, 17 August 2026 A railway bridge that has earned the nickname of being the UK's most bashed bridge has been hit by two lorries in two days. The first collided with the railway bridge over the A5 Watling Street, near Hinckley in Leicestershire, at 5.52am on Sunday, causing the road to close. Leicestershire Police then reported on Monday afternoon that the road had been closed again due to a 'road traffic collision' with the bridge. Drivers were forced to find alternative routes to get home, while rail services were delayed by 16 minutes. Network Rail told the BBC the bridge wasn't damaged, however added 'bridge strikes remain one of the biggest causes of disruption on the railway'. Footage shows the aftermath of Monday's collision, with debris from the lorry's roof, which had been ripped off by the bridge, strewn across the road. Two police cars can be seen parked up on either side to block incoming traffic from both directions.  Drivers are said to regularly misjudge the 4.6m (15ft) tall bridge, with some lorries measuring up to 4.95m (16.2ft) in height and colliding with the structure.  Leicestershire Police reported on Monday afternoon that the road was closed due to a 'road traffic collision' with the railway bridge over the A5 Watling Street, near Hinckley in Leicestershire (pictured) The roof of the lorry had been ripped off after colliding with the bridge Last year, the bridge was heralded by Network Rail as the most bashed in Britain.  The title came after it was struck 22 times between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.  Each strike costs around £13,000 per hit, costing the UK taxpayer around £23million a year, according to Network Rail.   Plans had been put in place to lower the road that runs under the bridge, however the infrastructure manager announced last month the plans had been stalled again. Developer Mountpark agreed to lower the road when it was granted planning permission to build a large logistics park close by in June 2023 – with plans to start work in May.  Network Rail, however, said in July, or more than three years later, it had not approved the proposal to lower the road under the bridge by 51cm (1.67ft) to provide extra room for tall vehicles.   Truck drivers jumped to social media to discuss this week's crashes. One wrote on Reddit: 'Toughest bridge in Britain, wins every time.' Another said: 'Find it hard to believe you can't see the signs, there's plenty. Guessing he didn't check his trailer height? Police blocked incoming traffic from both directions of the road after the lorry struck the bridge on Sunday 'It's quite a nice road to go east/west but a lot of the time it's more reliable using the M6...which says a lot.' A spokesman for Network Rail said: 'A lorry struck the railway bridge on Watling Street, Hinckley, at 1.48pm [on Monday]. 'The bridge was examined within 30 minutes of the incident and no damage was found, allowing train services to continue operating safely. The incident caused a total of 16 minutes of delay to rail services. 'Bridge strikes remain one of the biggest causes of disruption on the railway. 'We continue to urge drivers to Wise Up, Size Up, external by knowing the height of their vehicle, planning their route carefully and always obeying road signs and warning systems at low bridges.' Some 1,666 bridge strikes were reported nationally to Network Rail last year, marking a 9 per cent increase on the previous year. Drivers have blamed sat-navs for taking them on routes with bridges too low for their vehicles. But rail bosses have little sympathy for drivers, arguing it is their responsibility to know the height of their HGVs.  Network Rail has been contacted for comment.