A delivery truck was crushed against a rail bridge in Woolloongabba after the driver misjudged the vehicle’s height, one of dozens of similar crashes that have made the suburb a focus in a major transport safety campaign.
A Suburb in the Spotlight
A delivery truck crash on Annerley Road in Woolloongabba earlier this year, caught on CCTV, has become a key warning in Queensland Rail’s new bridge strike prevention blitz. Launched in June, the campaign is a joint effort by Queensland Rail, the Queensland Police Service and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.
Woolloongabba is now one of the state’s top hotspots, with 38 bridge strikes recorded at that location in 2024 alone. The crash peeled the truck’s roof open on impact, forcing rail services to pause while safety checks were carried out.
No one was injured, but the disruption affected both traffic and train schedules. Queensland Rail released the footage to raise awareness about the risks for drivers and the wider community.
A Statewide Problem with Local Consequences
Across Queensland, there were 397 bridge strike incidents in 2024. By April 2025, more than 120 had already been recorded. In most cases, the driver either didn’t know their truck’s height or took a route that hadn’t been properly planned.
Every time a truck hits a bridge, train services are stopped, often for hours, until safety checks are complete. Some crashes have even sent debris flying onto nearby footpaths or roads, putting pedestrians and cyclists at risk. These delays also add costs to freight operators and inconvenience to rail passengers.
Education, Enforcement, and a New Message
The prevention blitz combines education and enforcement to reduce bridge strikes. Police and transport officers are stationed at sites like Woolloongabba to check vehicle heights and speak with drivers.
They’re handing out items with the message: “Know your truck, know your height, know your route.” Real crash footage is also being used in videos and posters to highlight the risks. Queensland Rail hopes the campaign will lower incident numbers in hotspots like Woolloongabba.
Safety for a Growing Suburb
With the Cross River Rail project bringing more transport infrastructure and increased traffic to Woolloongabba, keeping rail bridges safe has become even more urgent. The new Woolloongabba underground station is expected to open in 2026, and local roads are already under pressure from construction activity and regular traffic.
As the suburb continues to grow, authorities say preventing bridge strikes is not just about protecting trucks and trains, it’s also about making sure everyone on the road stays safe.
Published 24-June-2025
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