Railway bridge collapses after lorry crash causing major travel disruption

A lorry crash has caused a train bridge to collapse, causing major disruption for passengers in the Midlands.

A large chunk of the bridge crashed onto the road in Bedworth, between Nuneaton and Rugby on the West Coast Main Line, after a collision with a tall lorry on Thursday.

The bridge was seriously damaged and is currently closed to trains, while there were no injuries as a result of the crash.

Services continue to be impacted and may be delayed or cancelled until midday on Friday, with lines operating at a reduced speed.

On Thursday, services were forced to divert via Birmingham with delays at London Euston as a result.

Martin Ball, infrastructure director for Network Rail's West Coast South route, said: "This collision has caused significant damage to the bridge and our teams are working hard to understand the extent. There will be ongoing disruption to train services through this area while we assess the bridge.

"We are working closely with our partners to keep passengers on the move wherever possible but anyone travelling should check on train operator websites or the National Rail Enquiries for the latest information."

The affected lines include Avanti West Coast between Glasgow Central, Blackpool North, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly and Euston, as well as the London Northwestern Railway between Crewe and Rugby to Northampton and London Euston.

Lumo trains between Stirling and London Euston have also been impacted.

In a statement, National Rail said vehicle bridge strikes have the potential to be “very dangerous and disruptive”, but they can be avoided.

“Drivers should know the height and size of their vehicles - including any loads they are carrying - and carefully plan their routes so that infrastructure isn’t put at risk in this way,” they added.

Passengers are advised to check before they travel and allow extra time for journeys.