My Lib Dem colleague, Cllr. Jack Davies, had registered a question for the full meeting of Hampshire County Council last week about the hazard of lorries hitting the rail bridge at Ampress, Lymington.

Disappointingly, he wasn’t allowed to ask his question because the meagre 30 minutes given on the agenda for Councillor questions had expired, at which point the Reform Group of Councillors raised objection to the Chairman’s suggestion that they allow a little longer for the question to be asked.

I think Cllr. Davies was absolutely right to raise this issue. Shockingly, in 2024 / 25 a bus or a lorry hit a rail bridge in the UK every five hours (not the same bridge or vehicle !). A grand total of 1,666 strikes.

The cost is substantial: Network Rail estimates the 2024/25 strikes cost the rail industry about £12 million in delays and cancellations, while its broader estimate puts the cost at around £23 million a year when other costs are included.

When you consider the impact it has on train passengers, within a system that already has plenty of other reasons for delays and cancellations, I am amazed this is still considered acceptable and a “low priority”.

These days it should surely be possible to fit sensors on approach to a bridge which are linked to large flashing warning lights, to alert the driver of the bus or lorry not to proceed ?

The cost of doing so would surely be a lot less than the cost of just accepting this happens ?

Maybe it is the familiar story… the Council does not have the budget to do anything about it and so wider society pays the much higher true price on inaction ?