I've read Spain's train drivers are going on strike

Spanish train drivers call three-day strike after deadly derailments

MADRID, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Spain's biggest train drivers' union on Wednesday called a three-day nationwide strike for February 9-11 to demand measures to guarantee railway safety after three derailments in 48 hours caused crashes that left dozens dead, including two drivers.

A commuter train derailed on Tuesday after a retaining wall collapsed onto the track during heavy rains in Gelida, near Barcelona, killing the driver and seriously injuring four passengers.

It came after two trains collided on Sunday near Adamuz in the southern province of Cordoba, in one of Europe's worst train accidents. A train driver was among the 43 people who died.

A large piece of machinery found near the Adamuz crash site may be the missing chunk of undercarriage that investigators have been searching for to determine why the accident happened, a source and experts said on Wednesday.

Transport Minister Oscar Puente told reporters that investigators had analysed and taken pictures of that piece, adding that it appeared logical to believe the piece flew out into a stream after the two trains collided.

Puente said authorities are working towards resuming the Madrid-Andalucia rail link, which has been suspended since Sunday's accident, on February 2.

A third derailment of a train on Barcelona's regional network on Tuesday, which left no injuries, was caused by a rock falling on the line during the same storm, rail network operator Adif said.

"The serious accidents in Adamuz and Gelida, both with fatalities, are a turning point in demanding all necessary actions to guarantee the safety of railway operations," the train operators' union SEMAF said in a statement.

It added that it would demand criminal liability from "those responsible for ensuring safety in the railway infrastructure".

UNION HAD WARNED OF WEAR AND TEAR

SEMAF had warned Adif in a letter last August of severe wear and tear to the railway track where the two trains crashed, according to a copy of the letter seen by Reuters, saying potholes, bumps, and imbalances in overhead power lines were causing frequent breakdowns and damaging the trains on several of the network's high-speed lines.

"We do not share (the view) that a general strike is the best approach," Puente told reporters, adding that he would meet with unions.

He ruled out the Adamuz accident being triggered by a human factor but said the technical cause has not been yet determined and appeared to be very complex.

He said small marks were found on the front bogies of the derailed train and some earlier trains, but said it would be premature to link them directly to infrastructure defects.

PRISING APART THE CARRIAGE

Rescuers at the Adamuz crash site found another body, increasing the death toll to 43, as they prised apart the second carriage of the train belonging to state operator Renfe, which contained its cafeteria, the Andalusian regional government said in a statement.

Overnight they had used cranes to remove one of the final carriages of the derailed train run by private consortium Iryo from the scene.

Puente said the time between the derailment and the collision was just nine seconds, giving the trains no time to brake. Authorities had previously said the gap was 20 seconds.

Recordings of the phone calls between the driver of the Iryo train and the control centre in Madrid suggest he and passengers travelling in the front five carriages hadn't initially realised there had been a crash with another train, Puente said.

It was only after climbing down from the train to inspect it and seeing the damage to the rear carriages that he made another call to ask for ambulances to be sent.

Adif said on Wednesday it had introduced a further speed limit on the Madrid-Barcelona line after a driver had reported poor conditions on the track in a 78-kilometre stretch.

On Tuesday, it had ordered drivers to limit their speed because of concerns about the state of the track. Its maintenance team had worked overnight to inspect the line and found four points that needed to be repaired, Adif said in a statement. 

Trains travelling between Madrid and the eastern city of Valencia have also been ordered to cap their speed on a 1.8-km stretch of the line, Adif said on Wednesday.     

Regional trains across Catalonia were suspended on Wednesday to allow for track inspections after recent storms.

Renfe posted a photo of its President Alvaro Fernandez Heredia using a replacement bus service as he travelled back to Madrid from Adamuz.

It happened yesterday and I think Monday too.   High tide at Teignmouth this morning was 08:03 at nearly 15ft coupled with strong southerly winds.   

If you look *very* carefully, you'll note the cheeky tongue  [Image from here is not available to guests]....no. [Image from here is not available to guests]

see above my post...there's work needed... [Image from here is not available to guests]

175001 (paired with 009), the only unit that can run in public traffic, was terminated on its training run at Liskeard as the windscreen spontaneously cracked in 2 places.

Escaped emu rescued from East Yorkshire railway line

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The emu was spotted by a train driver on a railway line in East Yorkshire

An emu has been removed from a railway line in East Yorkshire, Network Rail has confirmed.

The driver of a Hull to Liverpool service reported that the bird was on the line near Oxmardyke level crossing, near Gilberdyke, at about 08:00 GMT.

The rail operator said it was able to "locate and safely remove" the emu from the area.

Network Rail said: "Normal service resumed at 10.14am but there were some changes to services and we're sorry to anyone whose journey was affected."

It added: "Contact has been made with the owners, who confirmed the animal was missing from their field."

Perhaps it's time for the Spanish Government to suspend all rail operations until such time as they can ascertain if there is a systemic problem causing these frequent major incidents.

I used to play rugby with Ryan Doyle, he's certainly risen through the ranks!

An update, from the BBC:

Could North Somerset finally 'tie the knot' with Weca?

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North Somerset Council is seeking to join Weca with government backing

Will they, won't they? It's been the on-off politics relationship in the West of England that has bubbling along for years.

We are, of course, talking about North Somerset Council potentially joining the West of England Combined Authority - or Weca. They didn't join when Weca was formed, they couldn't join in 2020, but now 2026 looks like the pair could get "engaged". But when might there be wedding bells? And why does this matter? We explain all.

Time for a - complicated - local politics history lesson. Ready?

Weca, led by mayor Helen Godwin, was set up in 2017, involving Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset councils. They, along with North Somerset, used to form one county council - the County of Avon.

That controversial merger was created in 1974, creating a "greater Bristol" by breaking off southern parts of Gloucestershire and northern parts of Somerset. It was dissolved in 1996, creating four unitary authorities, before three of them got back together again to form Weca in 2017, with North Somerset voting against joining.

North Somerset did not join back then, but is now seeking to do so with government backing. The council already works closely with Weca, especially on transport, housing and economic growth.

In 2020, the question was popped. Unfortunately for North Somerset, the answer was no. But why was the 'marriage proposal' rebuffed?

The answer was then-Bristol mayor Marvin Rees, who said he would only support the move if there was a "clear financial offer". Rees vetoed the move and it all fell apart.

That brought a wave of criticism towards the now Labour peer with the leaders of North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils.

Tim Bowles was the West of England mayor at the time and joined in the criticism. "We are bitterly disappointed that residents right across the region are being refused the chance to potentially see hundreds of millions of pounds of additional investment brought to the west of England because the mayor of Bristol is putting party politics before doing the right thing for the region," Bowles and the three councils said. "Despite early agreements among all of the west of England's leaders that it is the right thing to do for the region, we regret that party politics has got in the way."

Rees said: "This was an ongoing internal debate and should have remained so. I support the expansion of Weca to include North Somerset but only when there is a clear financial offer that benefits Bristol and the West of England economy."

North Somerset Council has cited a number of reasons behind its move to join. But the most pressing one is that the government has asked all councils to become part of regional authorities. Council leaders say the move will "create further economic growth, reduce inequality for our residents, access new sources of funding and gain more local control".

And this time - importantly - the move is backed by the other three councils, and the West of England mayor Helen Godwin. She said: "During the election I was clear – with cross-party support across the West – that the door was open for North Somerset to join our regional authority."

At a full council meeting last September, members backed making a formal application to join.

Mike Bell, the Liberal Democrat leader of North Somerset, said he hoped it would "reduce inequality for our residents, access new sources of funding and gain more local control".

It is not yet clear when North Somerset will formally join Weca. It may have to wait until the next mayoral election in 2029.

And the latest step will happen on Tuesday when papers are due to be published - in advance of a Weca meeting at the end of January - about the government offer if North Somerset were to join.

A new commuter hotspot could be on the cards with plans to build 600 new homes by Hanborough station – just nine minutes’ journey time from Oxford. An early-stage application would see the area south of the station, currently arable fields, developed for housing and open green space.

The plans envisage “vehicular (all modes) access from Lower Road and Regent Drive”, suggesting that the existing Regent Drive estate to the north could become part of a through route from Eynsham to Hanborough – avoiding a dangerous T-junction and two narrow bridges.

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The plans would also provide a cycle link from the new cycleway planned for Lower Road, connecting Hanborough to Salt Cross Garden Village and Eynsham. An EIA Screening Opinion Request, the first stage in the planning process, has been lodged with West Oxfordshire District Council.

We wrote about building new houses next to railway stations in a long read last August:
https://oxfordclarion.uk/oxfords-commuter-future/

Off-duty officer saves man's life at rail station

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Ch Insp Mike Parker was off-duty when he saw a man had collapsed at a railway station in Salford

An off-duty police officer has told how he saved a man's life by giving him CPR at a railway station.

Ch Insp Michael Parker said he was waiting for a train at Salford Crescent station in Greater Manchester on 6 June last year when he saw a man had collapsed on the floor and was not breathing. He said adrenaline kicked in and he "just did what any member of the public would have done", giving him CPR for 45 minutes until he was "shocked" to hear he had regained a pulse.

Parker said he did not consider himself "a hero" and the "most important thing" was the man "would be able to see his family again". He had performed CPR for 10 minutes on his own before paramedics arrived.

Parker, who works in Greater Manchester Police's roads policing unit, continued the chest compressions for a further 35 minutes to allow medical staff to continue with other life-saving treatment. A GMP spokesperson said that when the air ambulance arrived a medic confirmed that the man had regained a pulse thanks to Parker's actions.

Parker said: "Ultimately, I don't see myself as a hero - I just did what any member of the public would have done, it is just a coincidence I was there at that time as an off-duty police officer." He said he had drawn on his training and experience and "just focused on giving him the best chance of survival possible until further help arrived".

"I was shocked to hear that he had regained a pulse as I have done CPR several times earlier on in my career and sadly, they have never made it," he said. "So, to hear that this man would be able to see his family again, was the most important thing."

Parker's actions have been commended at GMP's long service awards, where he was presented with a Chief Constable's commendation.

More wet and windy weather on the way for some

On Friday, while rain will continue for eastern and central parts of Scotland, a slow-moving area of low pressure to the southwest brings wet and windy weather, with a rain and wind warning issued.

“An area of low pressure, named Storm Ingrid by the Portuguese national weather service, will bring spells of heavy rain and strong winds across much of southwest England on Friday before easing on Saturday morning,” said Neil.

“The system is slow-moving but will bring more than 20mm of rain for some which is falling on saturated ground, increasing the chances of impacts. In addition to rain, large waves and gusty winds are likely, especially along southern coasts, with 60mph peaks possible, with 45-50mph inland.”