A local authority has expanded a trial which supports blind and partially-sighted Surrey residents to travel independently.

Surrey County Council has been piloting the Aira app which allows people to call a trained visual interpreter who can guide them between the bus stop and nearby railway stations.

The trial is already being offered at bus stations in Guildford, Staines, Redhill and Woking. The council said it was now available for residents in Caterham, Dorking, Oxted, Leatherhead, Epsom Station and Clocktower, Reigate and Horley.

Matt Furniss, the council's lead for highways, transport and economic growth, said: "We've expanded this trial to cover more bus stops and rail interchanges to create better and joined-up journeys for people who are visually impaired."

Carl Martin, accessibility lead at Govia Thameslink Railway, said he was "pleased" to see the expansion of Aira. "Many of our stations interlink with local bus routes and this development means passengers can travel with greater confidence between rail and bus services, knowing accessible, real-time support is available."

Clare Burgess, chief executive for charity Sensory Services by Sight for Surrey, said travelling alone when you have a sensory impairment could be a "daunting prospect".

"But having the Aira Explorer App makes independent travel so much easier and less stressful," she said.

The council said all app usage at the available locations would be free of charge.

19:44 Swindon to Westbury due 20:29
19:44 Swindon to Westbury due 20:29 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

If you are at Swindon or Chippenham travelling to Trowbridge or Westbury you should travel on
the 19:56 Bristol Temple Meads service from Swindon (20:08 from Chippenham) and change at
Bath Spa for the 20:35 Warminster service which calls at Trowbridge (20:53) and
Westbury (21:00). However, if you are at Swindon or Chippenham earlier, you may take the first
available service via Bath Spa, via Melksham tickets will be accepted via Bath spa.
-
If you are travelling to Melksham you should change at Chippenham for the rail replacement taxis which will depart for Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury.
-
If you are at Melksham we will provide road transport to Trowbridge and Westbury from the
station car park.

Ferry toll road plans shelved after inquiry



Plans to introduce a toll on the approach road to a ferry have been shelved following a public inquiry.

Operators of Sandbanks Ferry in Dorset had sought permission to charge drivers to use Ferry Road in Studland to reduce congestion.

Following an inquiry in January, the Secretary of State followed an inspector's recommendation and said the toll "should not go ahead at this stage".

The ferry firm, which owns the section of road, said it was "reviewing this decision in conjunction with the inspector's report in detail and assessing next steps".

The Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company, which operates the service between Sandbanks and Studland, had also sought permission to increase crossing charges for pedestrians, cyclists and motorbikes from £1 to £1.75 but, in its decision notice, the government amended the new charge to £1.18. Bulk-buying discounts, which it also sought to reduce, have been retained.

The ferry firm said the Secretary of State had approved its application to increase ferry tolls "subject to a small number of modifications". A spokesperson said: "The positive decision... regarding the ferry tolls is essential for securing the future of the ferry. We are committed to listening to people and working collaboratively to help our local communities thrive." It said there would be no increases before 1 April 2026.

In a joint statement, Dorset Council, BCP Council, Swanage Town Council and parish councils in Studland, Worth Matravers, Langton Matravers and Corfe Castle said they welcomed the decision which would allow residents and visitors to "continue to access the Studland peninsula without extra charges".

Dorset councillor for South East Purbeck, Ben Wilson, said: "While we are disappointed that car tolls will rise at all, we are pleased that the bulk ticket discounts we pushed for have been kept in the order. We expect the ferry company to be open about its plans, keep its promises, and replace the existing vessel on time to secure the long-term future of this vital transport link."

"Hopefully this could also bring the long-awaited and much-needed accessibility changes we need made to Stroud Railway Station, as otherwise those with mobility issues will find that whilst the journey could be made, their experience accessing the town will be less than positive."

The plans are part of the £1.75 billion Midlands Rail Hub scheme, which aims to boost rail services across the region by adding up to 260 additional weekly services through Stroud and Stonehouse.

A new hourly direct route between Swindon and Birmingham - through Stroud and Stonehouse - could be introduced, re-establishing a connection last served in the early 2000s.

The final route will connect Cheltenham and Bishop's Cleeve via the Racecourse roundabout

Cyclists have hailed a new multi-million pound cycle route as a "gamechanger" as construction nears completion.

The Gloucestershire Cycle Spine, a segregated cycle lane linking Gloucester, Cheltenham and Bishop's Cleeve, has caused months of disruption but is now due to be finished in March 2026.

A cycling campaign group has hailed the ambitious scheme, which in future could end stretching 26 miles (42km) and all the way to Stroud.

Gloucestershire County Council said the scheme was already causing a boost to the number of people cycling.

The £48m scheme has been criticised after roadworks caused disruption in both Gloucester and Cheltenham.

Work still needs to be completed to finish the route in Gloucester, which will involve changing the road layout around London Road, Northgate Street and Black Dog Way.

Construction works will also continue into early 2026 along the A435 between Cheltenham and Bishop's Cleeve.


Works are still to be completed in Gloucester city centre


(BBC article continues)

Former Top Gear presenter Quentin Willson has died aged 68 after a short illness.

Willson was a co-host on the BBC motoring show between 1991 and 2001 - working alongside the likes of Jeremy Clarkson - before going on to present Fifth Gear on Channel 5.

He later worked as a campaigner, fronting the FairFuel campaign to lower the cost of fuel duty, and became an early advocate of electric vehicles.

The Leicester-born father-of-three was described as a "true national treasure" and "true consumer champion" in a statement from his family, who said he had been diagnosed with lung cancer and died on Saturday.

"Quentin brought the joy of motoring, from combustion to electric, into our living rooms," they said. "The void he has left can never be filled. His knowledge was not just learned but lived; a library of experience now beyond our reach... Quentin will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all who knew him personally and professionally."

The family statement also highlighted his championing of General Motors' EV1 electric car in the 1990s, saying it proved he was "always ahead of the curve". They added: "More recently he had worked tirelessly to make EVs affordable for all."

On Top Gear, Willson was known for his wry delivery and scathing reviews. He also presented The Car's the Star for the BBC, the Classic Car Show on Channel 5 and worked as a motoring journalist.

Willson appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, where his eight-point total for one routine still stands as the lowest score given by judges on the show.

Appeal after man dies in Supertram collision


The incident involved a Supertram on the Sheffield network (file image)

A man has died after being struck by a tram, police have said.

Officers were called to Birley Lane tram stop in Sheffield at 18:20 GMT on Friday to reports of a man in his 50s or 60s colliding with the Supertram vehicle.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, South Yorkshire Police confirmed.

A force spokesperson said: "Enquiries are ongoing into the tragic collision on Friday night and we are urging anyone who saw the pedestrian walking in the area prior to the collision to please get in touch with us."

The man has also been described as being white and wearing a dark jacket with light trousers.

A road closure was implemented at the junction of Birley Moor Road, Sheffield Road and Moor Valley, but has since been lifted.

Sgt Brandon Brown, from South Yorkshire Police, added: "We are also keen to speak to passengers who were on board the tram at the time as many had left the scene before we arrived."

I hope you're enjoying your walk in the Cotswolds - you've picked a beautiful day for it.  I was out in the northern Cotswolds this morning and it's dry and sunny with a temperature that's good for walking, there are still some colours on the trees, and any early winter mud is still thin.

Not the best of starts from Bath as the 07:43 was cancelled at 15 minutes notice -trespassers on the line at... Chippenham. Predictions for the 8:13 are a bit rocky... 

Mark

Air travel will be cut by up to 10% at 40 major airports, resulting in thousands of cancelled flights, in the coming days if the US government shutdown continues, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has announced.

The decision, which will impact domestic flights only, was made because air traffic controllers had been reporting fatigue, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

Some 1.4 million federal workers, from air traffic controllers to park wardens, are working without pay - or are on forced leave - because the US Congress has not agreed to a funding budget.

Major airports in Atlanta, New York and Washington DC will be affected by the reduction in service.

"Our number one job is safety. This isn't about politics – it's about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as controllers continue to work without pay," Duffy said in a statement.

Unions say many employees are becoming ill with stress or are being forced into taking second jobs.

On Wednesday, the federal government funding impasse became the longest shutdown in US history.

"It is unusual," said FAA chief Bryan Bedford of the planned flight reductions, "just as the shutdown is unusual, just as the fact that our controllers haven't been paid for a month is unusual."

The flight reductions will be gradual, starting at 4% of domestic flights on Friday. It will rise to 6% by 11 November and 8% by 13 November, before hitting a full 10% by 14 November.

... If I make Stroud on that quick connection, I'm planning to take a brief look around the town there too - part of my "in an hour" photo series.

Many years ago, my wife bought me a DVD from the W C & P Railway Group, as a Christmas present: "Somerset's Lost Railway - the story of the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway".  It's 90 minutes of fascinating material, much of it in colour.

You're welcome to borrow it: I'll post it to you. CfN.

Regional airline Eastern Airways goes into administration



UK regional airline Eastern Airways has entered administration after the majority of its 330 staff were made redundant last week.

The airline had operated across the UK, Ireland and Europe, and ran services supported by the Scottish government for people in the northernmost point of mainland UK. However, after a contract to operate services for Dutch airline KLM was ended, the carrier had been left with a cost base that was "too high to be sustainable", the administrators said.

Jamie Miller from RSM UK Restructuring Advisory, who has been appointed joint administrator, said sufficient staff had been retained to maintain the fleet while they sought to rescue some or all of Eastern's operations. He added: "We would welcome any interest from potential alternative operators, or those who may have an interest in the underlying assets."

RSM said Eastern Airways had been operating four aircraft for KLM Cityhopper in Europe, but, when this contract was terminated, it had left Eastern with "high fixed overheads and a staff base that has ultimately proved too high to be sustainable".

The company had filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator on 27 October after the Civil Aviation Authority announced all of its flights had been cancelled.

Launched in 1997, Eastern is one of the UK's last remaining regional airlines and is based at Humberside Airport in North Lincolnshire. But the airline has faced financial challenges since the Covid pandemic, in part due to falling passenger numbers.

It also operates out of East Midlands, Jersey, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay and Southampton, as well as Esbjerg in Denmark. It has been an operator in the North Sea offshore oil and gas industry, flying between UK cities with a significant presence in the sector such as Aberdeen, Humberside, Teesside and Wick. It has run a weekday service between Wick John O'Groats Airport and Aberdeen, which is seen as vital for people living in the most northerly point on mainland UK.

The busiest railway station in the north-west of England is set to close for nine days for a "major overhaul" which aims to "significantly reduce disruption" on trains.

Manchester Piccadilly will shut on 14 February next year for upgrades to tracks, points and signalling systems, with work due for completion on 22 February. During the works, services normally running to and from the station will terminate at other stations, including Stockport.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said investment in rail infrastructure was crucial to deliver a "reliable and resilient railway" for passengers.

TfGM's Simon Elliott, said: "While unfortunately there will be some short-term disruption, we're committed to working with rail industry colleagues to ensure people can still move easily across Greater Manchester while these essential upgrades take place."

No trains from the south and east of the city will run into Manchester Piccadilly. Some trains from across the north of the city will also be affected, as well as direct connections to Manchester Airport.

Network Rail, who are investing £7.9m in the upgrade, said it was a "critical stretch of the track", adding: "Any issues with the ageing infrastructure can disrupt all trains running in and out of Manchester."

Julien Dehornoy from Network Rail said the "long-awaited" work would "significantly reduce" disruption. "Once the job is done, we will have a better, more reliable railway," he said. "The major overhaul over six railway lines can only take place during a full railway closure and we are working closely with train operators, TfGM and Manchester City Council on alternative travel plans to keep people on the move, the full details on which will be published in mid-November."

And as sure as eggs follow chickens

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.