Unsafe train station bridge now to be reinforced


No date has been set for the reopening of the footbridge at South Bank station

An unsafe railway footbridge will now be strengthened, rather than demolished.

Trains and passengers have been unable to access platform two at South Bank train station, near Middlesbrough, for 18 months after safety concerns were raised at an inspection.

The plan had been to demolish the footbridge and construct a temporary replacement, ahead of a wider transport project involving redeveloping the station. However, it has now been confirmed the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) will finance an alternative temporary solution to "strengthen" the existing structure to bring it back into use.

Network Rail is said to be working with TVCA and other stakeholders to get the project moved forward, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. Although, neither were willing to put a date on when the bridge and platform two could be reopened, following the last self-imposed target of August 2025 for a solution being missed.


Eastbound trains have not stopped at South Bank for a year-and-a-half

The footbridge provided sole access to eastbound platform two, transporting passengers to Redcar and Saltburn.

When it was open, the footbridge also provided access to the north of the station to Teesworks.

Trains that previously called at South Bank on the way to Redcar now pass through the station non-stop, while westbound services to Middlesbrough, Darlington and Bishop Auckland remain unaffected.

Network Rail said ownership of the footbridge was being transferred to it from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. A spokesperson said: "This will help move the project forward as we work with the local authority to finalise funding for the work needed to strengthen the structure. Once the necessary agreements are in place, we will move forward with appointing a contractor."

The council are looking to procure an operator to provide an annual passenger ferry service between Fleetwood and Knott End. The Operator is required to provide the ferry vessel, staff and be responsible for day to day operation. The anticipated vessel size would carry twelve passengers per journey with an estimate of 30,000 - 40,000 passengers per annum. The council own the ferry dock and slipway which will be used to facilitate the service. The operator will retain all fares including slipway launch fees and currently a contribution is provided by Wyre Borough Council and Lancashire County Council for the day to day running costs.

No Value Specified          Duration 5 years

10:18 Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford due 11:27

10:18 Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford due 11:27 will be reinstated.

This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 5. First class not available. Catering is not available. There are no reservations on this service.

I've just stumbled across this topic - as usual, while I was actually looking for something else - and I noted that only three locations were identified originally.

2.  Salisbury.

CfN.

10:18 Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford due 11:27
12:02 Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads due 13:13

12:02 Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads due 13:13 will be reinstated and will now run as scheduled.
Last Updated:11/04/2026 08:23

West Coast Railways (WCR) has said it has reached an agreement with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to install central door locking on its heritage carriages on its entire fleet of Mark 1 carriages used on the Fort William to Mallaig route.

The train previously relied on stewards manually locking doors but the regulator demanded an automated system.

'Vital' 180-year-old ferry crossing to end


The Knott End Ferry service will stop operating on 15 April

A ten-minute ferry crossing that spares passengers a half-hour commute is to end.

Wyre Council said the Fleetwod-Knott End ferry service, which connects the two towns either side of the River Wyre estuary and carries up to 35 people, was due to end on 15 April because no "compliant tenders" to run it had been received.

The service has been running since the 1840s.

Reacting to the authority's Facebook post announcing the end of the service, some people described the ferry as a "national treasure", the loss of which would be "devastating" to the local economy.

The council said: "If the service does not continue past 15 April 2026, the Council remains committed to exploring alternative options, including discussions with potential future operators and reviewing how existing Council assets could help support any future service."


The ferry provides a link between Fleetwood and Knott End

There has been a three-year campaign to save the ferry, which campaigners described as a "vital service" and a "solid piece of heritage".

By car, the journey of about 11 miles - which requires driving south and taking the Shard Bridge - takes about 25 minutes.

The council said it had been working with Lancashire County Council, which jointly subsidises the service, to try to "secure the long term future of the ferry".

"This has included early market engagement, a formal open tender process in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023, and detailed discussions with organisations that expressed an interest in operating the service," it said. But, the council said there was not currently a "financially viable and deliverable proposal that would allow the service to continue beyond the current contract".

"We recognise the ferry is an important part of daily life for many residents, businesses and visitors," it added.

Wyre Marine Services has been contacted for comment.

Apologies for the duplication: grahame and I were posting simultaneously.

Firefighters are battling a blaze at the derelict Mechanics’ Institute in Swindon.

Emergency services were called to the scene in Emlyn Square, in the historic Railway Village, earlier this morning (Friday).

It comes after reports of smoke issuing from a window. Due to the building’s status, it is unsafe to enter and work to extinguish the flames is ongoing from the outside.

An aerial ladder platform appliance is being utilised to reach the source of the fire – which is being described as “small and under control”.

Speaking to Swindon 24, council leader Jim Robbins said: “The Mechanics’ Institute is one of Swindon’s most important historic buildings, so any incident like this is naturally a concern.

“I want to thank our fire crews for their swift response in attending the scene and ensuring the area is safe.

“We are in contact with the relevant teams and will continue to monitor the situation closely as more information becomes available.”

Arson suspected after fire at listed building


Emlyn Square has been closed as firefighters work to tackle the blaze

A fire at a listed building is being investigated as arson, police have said.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to the Mechanics' Institute in Emlyn Square, Swindon, at 06:17 BST after reports of a fire.

The building, which was once used as a self-contained community for railway workers, has been empty since 1986 and has been on The Theatre Trust's at risk register since the list began in 2006.

Wiltshire Police has said it was investigating a case of suspected arson at the derelict building after "a number of youths" were seen nearby. "Extensive searches have been carried out of the premises and nobody was located inside and no injuries have been reported," a police spokesperson added.

Police have appealed for dashcam footage from the area and asked for "anyone who saw or heard any suspicious behaviour" between 19:00 BST on Thursday and 07:00 to reach out.

The building was owned by the workers of the GWR, then owned by British Rail. When it closed in 1986, it was put up for sale and bought by Forefront Estates in 2003.

The company was dissolved in 2012, owing Swindon Borough Council an estimated £1.2m.

In 2020, Swindon Borough Council said it would start work on a compulsory purchase order to acquire the building, but that is yet to happen.

A spokesperson from Swindon Borough Council said: "We will be sending a team out to secure the building as soon as the fire service say it is safe to do so and will then seek to recover the costs of this work from the owner."

The Mechanics' Institute, built in 1855, is also on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.


The building has been on the The Theatre Trust's at risk register since the list began in 2006

At the scene, Swindon Heritage Preservation chairman Bob Wright said he had been alerted to the fire by a member of his team. "It's just not a safe building. It's been totally ignored," he said.

Jason Spickett, a drone operator from Freshbrook, had driven into Swindon and noticed the commotion. "[There were] three fire engines on site," he said. "I saw one aerial platform dousing water onto the side of the building. It's a case now where they're monitoring the situation. I think it's been a close call."

17:34 London Paddington to Hereford due 20:25 has been cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

19:53 London Paddington to Hereford due 22:56 will be terminated at Oxford.
It will no longer call at Hanborough, Charlbury, Kingham, Moreton-In-Marsh, Honeybourne, Evesham, Pershore, Worcestershire Parkway Hl, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link, Great Malvern, Colwall, Ledbury and Hereford.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

21:53 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 00:01 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

22:00 Hereford to London Paddington due 01:23 will be reinstated.
It will be started from Oxford.
It will no longer call at Hereford, Ledbury, Colwall, Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcestershire Parkway Hl, Pershore, Evesham, Honeybourne, Moreton-In-Marsh, Kingham, Charlbury and Hanborough.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

11/04/26 06:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 09:23 will be started from Oxford.
It will no longer call at Hereford, Ledbury, Colwall, Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcestershire Parkway Hl, Pershore, Evesham, Honeybourne, Moreton-In-Marsh, Kingham, Shipton, Charlbury and Hanborough.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

One dead after bus carrying British tourists crashes in Canary Islands, officials say


The bus pictured after falling down a ravine in San Sebastián de La Gomera

A man has died and 27 others have been injured after a bus carrying British tourists in La Gomera, in the Canary Islands, crashed into a ravine, local emergency services have said.

The vehicle fell from a height of 10m near the San Sebastián de La Gomera, according to Spanish news outlet El Mundo.

There were 28 people on board, emergency services 112 Canarias said in a post on X, including 27 British tourists and one driver.

It said the injured people have been taken to hospital, with three in a serious condition.

Most have been taken to Hospital Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, on the east of the island, while two seriously injured people have been helicoptered to hospitals in neighbouring Tenerife, 112 Canarias said.

A medical helicopter and five ambulances were deployed to the scene, it added.

The bus was travelling on the GM-2 road before crashing in to the ravine.

It's a mountainous road with sharp turns, and an image shared by the emergency services appears to show it crashing near a hairpin bend.





Head of emergency operations in La Gomera Héctor Cabrera told public broadcaster TVE the bus passengers "were staying at a resort" on the island.

President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, offered his "support to the victims and their families".

13:42 Chippenham to Westbury due 14:25

An additional bus service has been planned to operate as shown 13:42 Chippenham to Westbury due 14:25.

New initiative to 'transform' canal towpath access


The River Kennet in Newbury

A new initiative is set to improve access to a waterside and the surrounding areas, says a council.

West Berkshire Council, Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, the Canal and River Trust and Greenham Trust are working in partnership to develop and deliver access improvements to the Kennet and Avon Canal.

The long-term initiative, called "Reimagining the Kennet & Avon Waterside", will aim to create "a safe, traffic free, high-quality walking and cycling route" along the canal.

The council says the initial phase will see "significant" investment between Newbury Football Ground and Goldwell Park, with planned improvements including an upgrade to a 220-metre section of existing Nation Cycle Network path.

Other improvements include remedial works to the towpath and bank between Town Bridge and Victoria Park, as well as signing, lining and related works on Northcroft Lane between the town centre and Goldwell Park.

The proposed improvements will add to schemes already delivered in the district, according to the council.

The partnership also aims to upgrade other waterside sections in Newbury, Thatcham, and Calcot.

Justin Pemberton, West Berkshire Council's executive member for community engagement, economic development and regeneration, devolution and local government reorganisation, said: "Our canals are an important part of Newbury's identity. They bring people together, support wildlife, and create valuable green spaces for everyone to enjoy. The work we are carrying out along the canal is helping to protect this historic environment, improve access, and keep the area safe and welcoming."

The Greenham Trust says the "ambitious" project aims to transform how people experience the canal and ensure its free access "to all for many years to come".