A Cheltenham woman has shared her harrowing experience during a collision when the double-decker bus she was on crashed into a low railway bridge.
Margaret Luck considers herself fortunate to have been seated downstairs, narrowly avoiding serious injury—or worse—when the bus struck the bridge on Hyde Lane. The impact she describes as “terrifying” left the upper deck of the bus torn off, with debris and glass scattered across the road.
The incident occurred on Thursday, March 19, when the Pulhams bus, carrying five passengers and a driver—all seated downstairs—got lodged underneath the railway line. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
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Margaret recalled, “When we approached the bridge beneath the railway, the driver drove straight into it. The entire top of the bus was sheared off, and I saw parts hanging dangerously close to my seat.”
She admitted that she often chooses to sit upstairs but vowed never to do so again after the frightening accident, emphasizing, “If we had been upstairs, we would have been killed.”
What should have been a 50-minute journey home to Woodmancote turned into a three-hour ordeal as passengers awaited a replacement bus. Margaret expressed concern over the driver’s choice of route, pointing out that the bridge clearly displays height restriction signs.
“The driver should not have been operating a double-decker on this route,” she said. “The height limits were clearly marked, and the bus was significantly taller.”
Passengers reportedly left the vehicle shaken, with Margaret herself admitting she struggled to sleep following the crash.
Pulhams, the bus operator, confirmed an internal investigation is underway. A spokesperson stated: “We apologise for any concern and inconvenience caused to passengers and others affected by the delays. Incidents like this are extremely rare, and we pride ourselves on our excellent safety record.”
Gloucestershire Police confirmed emergency services responded promptly to the collision at approximately 11:45 am. They assisted with road closures, noting that no injuries were reported.
The railway bridge, with a posted height limit of 3.9 metres, has been the site of similar accidents in the past, including a near-identical crash involving another double-decker bus twelve years ago on March 17, 2014.