MP urges action after lorry strikes rail bridge

An MP has called for "urgent action" to prevent vehicles striking a railway bridge after an incident brought traffic in Hull to a standstill.

Police closed Stoneferry on Monday after a lorry hit a bridge and blocked the road.

Karl Turner, who represents Hull East, said there had been many similar incidents in recent years, which put pressure on businesses because "the whole city comes to a grinding halt".

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: "This bridge has high-profile signs, chevrons and protective beams in place. When incidents happen, we look to recover the repair and delay costs from operators and drivers."

Thirteen incidents were reported at the Stoneferry bridge between 2020 and February 2023, Network Rail said.

Now, Mr Turner has written to Hull City Council requesting action to reduce accidents.

"I think there's lots of things that could be done to ensure collisions like these are avoided," he said. "In some cities framing is put around the bridge and collisions go into the framing rather than the bridge.

"This is a major route into the docks of the city and freight trains can be delayed for hours on end which causes a major impact to those businesses on the docks."

A spokesperson from Hull City Council said: "There is signage currently in place from all directions to warn drivers of the upcoming bridge."

Humberside Police said no one was hurt during Monday's incident, but the road was closed while the lorry was recovered.

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