Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average cost to Network Rail of a bridge strike by a truck; how many instances of bridge strikes have been recorded in each of the past five years; and whether they encourage Network Rail to claim from the drivers of the trucks involved (1) a reimbursement of repair costs, (2) Schedule 8 payments to train operators, and (3) other related costs.

The number of bridge strikes recorded in each of the past five years are given below:

2012/13 – 1645

2013/14 – 1809

2014/15 – 1810

2015/16 – 1742

2016/17 - 1774

On average each bridge strike costs the taxpayer £13,500, adding up to £23m a year in damages and delays.

Recent precedents in legal cases mean that Network Rail can now claim back the schedule 8 costs when a bridge is struck and delays are caused.

Network Rail recovered £6m in the last financial year from insurers for compensation for bridge strikes, in previous years the recovery rate was typically between £3-5m.

The rate of recovery is rising following legal precedents that allow the recovery of the costs for compensating train operators for delays. This includes recovery of schedule 8 costs, which make up the vast majority of costs, repair costs and other related costs.