Rail passengers faced delays today after a lorry driver crashed their vehicle into a bridge.

The incident happened about midday in Langwathby, near Penrith, and meant people travelling on the Carlisle to Leeds service today had an extra 25 minutes added to their journeys while engineers carried out safety tests.

No major damage was caused to the bridge but Network Rail bosses have urged HGV drivers to take more care when driving under bridges. The plea comes as two other similar incidents have taken place in the last 48 hours.

The organisation, which is in charge of the country's rail network, has called for "an end to the entirely avoidable stupidity of lorry drivers who crash into bridges because they don’t know the height of their vehicles".

The other "bridge strike" incidents took place in the West Midlands yesterday and in West London today. Both caused problems for passengers.

Mark Killick, of Network Rail, said: “There’s no excuse for this. Lorry drivers should know their vehicle's height and width - not guess and hope for the best.

"Despite being very clearly marked, these bridges were driven into by irresponsible drivers causing unnecessary disruption to railway and road-users.

"We will be doing all we can to reclaim the costs we incurred from the haulage companies responsible.”

When a lorry "bridge strike" happens, Network Rail’s structural engineers always need to check the bridge is safe before train services can resume.

The latest bridge strikes come despite Network Rail’s recently launched ‘What the Truck’ campaign, aimed at getting lorry drivers to know their vehicles’ heights and choose road routes accordingly.