TAUNTON'S railway bridge on Station Road has claimed the roofs of several double-decker buses over the years.
The bridge, near the turning for Station Approach North, has a sign stating that it is 4.3m or 13ft 9ins high, and a standard double-decker bus is 4 to 4.3m or 13 to 14ft high — so it's a tight squeeze at the best of times.
In March 2008, we reported on the scene when a double-decker bus became stuck under the Station Road railway bridge, causing a queue of cars.
Reader Nicola Cooper, who was walking on Station Road with 20-month-old Evie at the time, said that engineers let the vehicle's tyres down to try and back it out from under the bridge.
Unfortunately, another bus met a similar fate seven years later in February 2015, with the Buses of Somerset number 21 getting wedged under the bridge.
According to reports from passersby, the driver managed to free the vehicle a short time later.
On November 5, 2020, a Berrys coach became stuck under the same railway bridge.
Staff from the Norton Fitzwarren-based travel firm attended, along with British Transport Police and staff from First.
The vehicle hit the underside of the bridge in Station Road outside the train station after 8.30am.
Staff let down the tyres to remove the double-decker coach from under the bridge.
Scott Berry, of Berry Coaches, said at the time: "There were no passengers on board at the time of the incident.
"We have been cooperating with the railway authorities and will conduct a full investigation into the incident ourselves.
"My understanding is that it has been removed from under the bridge. No one was injured."
History repeated itself in September 2022 when the bridge claimed another double-decker, a First Bus Excel.
Avon and Somerset Police attended the scene, and the bus tyres were deflated to allow it to be freed.
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