Lorry wedged under Langley railway bridge causes Elizabeth line delays

A lorry became wedged under the railway bridge on Station Road in Langley on the morning of Tuesday 20 October, causing severe delays to Elizabeth line and Great Western Railway passengers.

Footage shared with UB1UB2 shows a white lorry stuck under the low bridge next to Langley station just after 8.30am, with the top of its trailer crushed against the beam. Several police vehicles were at the scene and officers in high-visibility clothing were standing around the lorry.

Thames Valley Police closed the road while the vehicle was dealt with. It is understood British Transport Police were first called to the bridge strike shortly after 7.20am, and trains were briefly stopped until the lorry could be cleared from under the bridge.

Disruption across the line

After a vehicle hit a bridge in the Langley area, trains were made to run at reduced speed on all lines between London Paddington and Reading, causing severe delays to Elizabeth line and GWR services through the morning rush hour.

A track fault was also reportedly found on the railway near the scene, which added to the disruption. Elizabeth line passengers reportedly faced delays across the route between Abbey Wood and Maidenhead and Reading.

Police have not said whether anyone was hurt, or whether the driver will face any action.

One of Britain's most-struck bridges

The Station Road bridge has a long record of strikes. In November 2022, Network Rail named it the eighth most-struck railway bridge in the UK. It was hit 12 times in the year to the end of March 2022.

Network Rail said those strikes cost a total of £181,000. They also caused more than 34 hours of disruption, the longest delays of any bridge in that year's top 10. The number of strikes at the bridge rose by 200 per cent on the year before, when it was hit four times.

Network Rail said at the time that it was concerning to see such a big rise at the Langley bridge. It said that where a bridge's headroom may be below the modern minimum, the clearance is signed at the bridge and well in advance to warn drivers.

The rail operator works with National Highways, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and haulage firms to cut the number of bridge strikes. It runs campaigns urging lorry drivers to know the height of their vehicle and to plan routes that avoid low bridges before they set off.

Why bridge strikes cause delays

When a bridge is hit, trains over it are usually stopped or slowed until engineers have checked that the structure and the track are safe. Even a short strike can therefore cause hours of delays on a busy route such as the Great Western main line, which carries Elizabeth line, GWR and Heathrow services through Slough and Langley.

Drivers are urged to check the height signs on the approach to low bridges. Passengers are advised to check National Rail Enquiries or the Transport for London website before they travel when disruption is reported.