Skip to main content

Swarco matrix signs help reduce bridge strikes at London hotspot

Six full colour full matrix electronic warning signs from Swarco Traffic have helped Network Rail and Transport for London (TfL) to reduce the number of oversized lorries hitting a railway bridge on London’s South Circular road by more than a third since being installed last summer. In the six-month period from January to July 2016 before the signs were introduced there were 11 crashes at the Thurlow Park Bridge in Tulse Hill. In the six months since their installation, there have only been seven inciden
March 7, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Six full colour full matrix electronic warning signs from 129 Swarco Traffic have helped Network Rail and 1466 Transport for London (TfL) to reduce the number of oversized lorries hitting a railway bridge on London’s South Circular road by more than a third since being installed last summer.

In the six-month period from January to July 2016 before the signs were introduced there were 11 crashes at the Thurlow Park Bridge in Tulse Hill. In the six months since their installation, there have only been seven incidents, and only one in the last four months. At one point the bridge was being hit on average almost twice a month, causing more than 218 hours of delays to rail passengers between July 2015 and July 2016.

The signs are installed either side of the bridge, detecting vehicles that are too high and prompting an electronic warning to be displayed. They use energy-efficient LEDs for enhanced visual impact and to give early and clear information, particularly for non-English speaking drivers. The signs are integrated with TfL’s London Streets and Traffic Control Centre for full monitoring and control and, being variable, can be used to provide traffic information to road users.

Swarco’s optical solution reduces power consumption of the LEDs, which also means that the service life of other electrical and electronic components is extended and the LEDs do not suffer from any decrease in light intensity or colour change throughout their life cycle.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • TfL awards cycling grants
    October 30, 2015
    Transport for London (TfL) has awarded grants of up to US£15,300 to 31 community groups and not-for-profit organisations to help encourage more people to cycle, as part of Cycling Grants London (CGL). CGL is a new programme funded by TfL and managed by the environmental regeneration charity, Groundwork, to offer funding to community groups for cycling projects. Community groups from across London will use the funding to promote pedal power through initiatives such as cycle training, bike maintenance and gui
  • Two wheels good
    June 25, 2018
    As cycling becomes an increasingly popular method for commuting and recreation, what moves are afoot to keep the growing numbers of cyclists safe on ever-more-busy roads? Alan Dron puts on his helmet and pedals off to look. It would have seemed incredible just a decade ago, but cycling in London has become almost unfeasibly popular. The Transport for London (TfL) June 2017 Strategic Cycling Analysis document noted there were now 670,000 cycle trips a day in the UK capital, an increase of 130% since 2000.
  • HGV blind spot technology tested to improve road safety
    April 24, 2014
    A new project funded by the UK’s Transport for London (TfL) will independently test blind spot safety technology, which can be fitted to Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) to help reduce the risk of collisions between HGVs, pedestrians and cyclists. One of TfL's top priorities is to reduce by 40 per cent the number of people killed or seriously injured on London's roads by 2020. Recently, the Mayor and TfL published six commitments which, working with a range of partners, are guiding initiatives to deliver thi
  • Highways England pilots project to reduce congestion along M62
    November 13, 2017
    Highways England (HE) has begun piloting a £7 million ($9 million) project to reduce congestion at the Croft Interchange – where junction 21a of the M6 meets junction 10 of the M62, near Warrington, Cheshire. The project aims to provide drivers with smoother and more reliable journey times.