07:13 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 09:42 will be terminated at Reading.
It has been delayed between Great Malvern and Charlbury and is now 38 minutes late.
This is due to a speed restriction over defective track.
Last Updated:14/11/2025 09:12

The Devon Live article above seems slightly at odds with DCC's website, which states:

Source: Devon County Council

So is it £1.5 million, or £3 million?

Followers of the Portishead saga may find reference to the DCO process rather triggering! Is this massively cumbersome process really appropriate to a scheme such as this? Is this really a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project? Reopening the whole route might qualify for this, but surely not a short local railway?

05:03 Penzance to London Paddington due 09:54
Facilities on the 05:03 Penzance to London Paddington due 09:54.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 10. There are no reservations on this service.

5 all the way to Paddington (again).

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading

Due to a points failure between London Paddington and Reading some lines are closed.

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised. Disruption is expected until 10:15 14/11.

Could express coach/s be supplied at Tiverton Parkway,with a non stop service to Barnstaple?

Southampton City Council wants to replace the single-lane Northam Rail Bridge

A city council has proposed building two new replacements for a 117-year-old road bridge in Southampton.

The authority wants to remove the single-lane Northam Rail Bridge, which currently carries the A3024 and is nearing the end of its operational life. It said the £100m project would resolve ongoing maintenance challenges and improve connections in the city.

Christie Lambert, deputy council leader and member responsible for transport, called on the public to share their views.

The plan would see three years of construction, with hopes for completion by winter 2030.

The bridge is a key route in and out of the east side of the city centre, but creates a bottleneck at peak times, with two lanes of traffic in each direction merging to go over the railway line.

The council has proposed a new bridge be built to the north of the current one, while the existing road remains in use. Traffic would then switch to the new bridge to allow the ageing structure to be removed and replaced. Once both new bridges are installed, the northern one could carry two lanes of eastbound traffic, while the southern one could include two lanes of westbound traffic and a dedicated bus lane. The plans include segregated paths for pedestrians and cyclists, alongside improvements to the Brinton's Road and Britannia Road junctions.

Ms Lambert said: "This project will not only address long-standing maintenance issues but also create new opportunities for growth and development. We are committed to working closely with the community to make this vision a reality and urge everyone to get involved, share their views, and help us secure government support."


The plan would see three years of construction, with hopes for completion by winter 2030

The plan aims to ensure vehicles can continue to travel on the route throughout construction.

The local authority has launched an online survey for views to be shared and to strengthen the case for funding. A series of engagement events have been organised this month to see details about the project, ask questions and provide feedback.

The council is looking to submit its outline business case for funding to the Department for Transport (DfT) in spring 2026, with a planning application to and any refinements to the business case to follow. A decision from DfT ministers would be expected in 2027.

Police officer sentenced over teen headlock

A police officer who put a 15-year-old girl in a headlock while arresting her for pushing through a ticket barrier has been given a community order.

PC Adrian Young was convicted of assault by beating last month following a trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court. The 48-year-old, of Spalding, Lincolnshire, has been sentenced to a 12-month community order, including a rehabilitation activity requirement of 10 days, and 150 hours' unpaid work.

British Transport Police (BTP) described Young's actions as "appalling", adding that he had demonstrated "a completely unnecessary and unacceptable use of force against a child". He remains suspended from duty.

BTP officers responded to a request for assistance from railway staff on 22 September 2024 after the girl pushed her way through ticket barriers at Camden Road Overground station.

CCTV footage played to the court showed Young restraining the girl by placing her in a headlock. She remained in the headlock for about 30 seconds before the constable pushed her back through the ticket barrier and placed his hand around her throat while pushing her up against a ticket machine.

Young, who has served in the police for more than 19 years, handcuffed and arrested the child. She was later de-arrested at the scene.

District Judge Nina Tempia said the incident would have caused the girl "psychological distress".

Prosecutor Barto De Lotbiniere told the court: "There's clear evidence to say this is a victim who was vulnerable due to her age and also the circumstances of the time."

Defending Young, Kevin Baumber said the officer had used "excessive force in a lawful detention" and there was "no choking and no strangulation". Mr Baumber added: "The mistakes Mr Young made were all in flow of an active incident that was made more difficult by an act of physical resistance by the complainant. In a situation where there was grounds for lawful detention, there was also active verbal and physical interference by her friend that made the job the defendant was trying to do more difficult."

BTP Assistant Chief Constable Sean O'Callaghan said: "I'd like to be absolutely clear that the actions of PC Young during this incident were appalling, demonstrating a completely unnecessary and unacceptable use of force against a child. Police officers are rightly expected to maintain control of any situation and by not doing so, PC Young has undermined public confidence in BTP and the high standards we hold our officers to every day. We thank the IOPC for their investigation and will be looking to progress with internal disciplinary proceedings as soon as possible."

The road layouts will be changed around Barnstaple Station to make it easier for passengers moving between buses and trains

Facilities for bus users are set to be improved in two towns after receiving council funding.

Devon County Council approved spending of £850,000 on moving and improving bus shelters and changing the road layout around Barnstaple railway station.

It will also spend £550,000 on replacing bus shelters and improving information displays at the main bus interchange in Newton Abbot on Sherborne Road.

The council said it was also providing £1.4m on supporting bus companies to buy zero emission buses with all of the funding coming from the Department for Transport.

The plans for Barnstaple include expanding the station forecourt with improved facilities, changing road layouts, safer crossings and changes to car parking spaces.

The council said the Sherborne Road bus stops in Newton Abbot were the third busiest location for buses in Devon after Exeter and Barnstaple.

Improvements there will include replacing the existing bus shelters, improving real-time passenger information displays and upgrading lighting in the area.

Family-run Clifton tapas restaurant fights to keep outdoor seating structure



An independent restaurant's bid to keep its outdoor seating has suffered a setback after council planning officers recommended its refusal.

The officers said the structure outside Bravas, on Cotham Hill in Clifton, Bristol, does not leave enough room for a fire engine in an emergency, causing a "severe safety concern".

The restaurant's planning application is one of the most popular ever in the city, with support from local councillors and more than 1,000 people.

Cotham councillor Mohamed Makawi said: "These businesses have been operating like this for years without issue. There are no problems here that cannot be easily solved."

"It's frustrating to find obstacles being needlessly thrown in the way of hardworking local businesses who need our support," added Mr Makawi.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a similar planning application from Bravas was rejected earlier this year, but the owners decided to try again because of the large public support.

Louis Foss-Clark, 25, a supervisor at the family-run restaurant, said: "The latest I've heard is that the appeal process has now been postponed, temporarily." He said the structure "brings the street a lot of character", adding: "The street was pedestrianised for a reason. The fact that it's gone to the top of [the council's] list of priorities is a bit of a shame," said Mr Foss-Clark.

The report said the space left on the road, which was pedestrianised in 2021, was too narrow and would "cause conflict between cyclists and pedestrians".

Officers noted other issues the structure could cause, such as restricting access for sweeping, flooding problems, an inability to access underground utilities and possible overcrowding if other restaurants follow suit. They added: "To clarify, this objection is to the structure, not the principle of outdoor dining. Even if planning permission is granted for this application, the Highway Authority would be unable to grant a licence for it on the grounds of health and safety."

Bristol City Council's planning committee will decide whether to grant permission to Bravas at a meeting on 19 November.

Quote from: WSW Frome on Today at 15:55:22
Many of the end sections of 165/166 stock still contain the former first class sections as used in the Thames Valley. They have undergone very little modification apart from re-trimming and removal of the reading lights! A few still display first class signs.

Does Salisbury still have a engine shortage issue?

I wonder if, complementing the hourly Newquay-Falmouth service, extending the Newquay-Par trains to a couple of Newquay-Plymouth runs at peak times might prove popular, particularly in summer.

Volunteers said the closure of the David Clarke Model Railway was "deeply flawed", while charity trustees said they had not taken the decision "lightly"

Volunteers who care for a 40ft-long (12.2m) model railway have said they are devastated and bewildered at plans to close the attraction.

The David Clarke Model Railway - a replica of the signalling practices of the Great Western Railway from the 1930s - has been in operation at Ulverscroft Grange, near Markfield in Leicestershire, since 2000.

Trustees from the Shuttlewood Clarke Foundation (SCF) announced the decision to shut the railway at the beginning of October - citing increased employment and energy costs - and said finding a new home for it "is a priority".

It is set to close to the public on 19 December - but a petition is calling for the plans to be withdrawn.


Three signalmen control the signals and each driver drives their train around the layout observing the signals

The 20-ft wide (6.1m) railway was a passion project for the foundation's founder David Clarke, whose uncle was a signaller on the real-world railway.

It is a recreation of the signalling practices of the Great Western Railway from the 1930s, where controllers operate from a signal box as if they were driving an actual locomotive around the layout. The railway is unique in how it is controlled. It was operated by radio when it was first built in the 1970s but is now also wi-fi controlled.

Alan Godber, a representative of the volunteers who run and maintain the railway, said the model weighed close to eight tonnes and would need to be chopped up to be removed. He called the proposed closure a "bewildering" and "deeply flawed" decision and said fellow volunteers were devastated by the decision. "David's founding mission, continued by the charity, is to support the elderly and young through activities supporting their wellbeing," he said.

"We bring together young and old to talk and share interests which enriches their lives. Closing the railway is the ultimate snub to David's memory, even though it was he who established the charity in the first place."


The fourth wall of the building was added after the railway was moved inside due to its size

The railway is open during the day on Wednesdays and Fridays and has operated at a "neutral cost" to the foundation because of donations of visitors, Mr Godber said. However, the trustees said the railway was "running at a loss and not at a neutral cost."

"The facility would allow us to expand our ever growing and successful retail business, whilst at the same time improving other facilities at the grange," a statement said. They added that they would assist volunteers to help "preserve David Clarke's legacy".

Trustees of SCF said the adapted barn that houses the railway needed repairs that were "extensive". It said on its website: "Whilst acknowledging that it will upset and disappoint many of you, and particularly the volunteers whose time and commitment has made it such a feature, economic reality affects us all."

"Increased costs of employment, energy and maintenance mean that the foundation must look towards increasing revenue to maintain and extend its services in the areas of well-being and education, which is the heart and soul of the foundation."