Homeworking has increased considerably since COVID too, which may have changed commuter patterns.

Hmmmm, well I remember it used to be fairly popular, and flexi-time working has on course increased since Covid.  And it would take a bit of pressure of what is, I agree, the actual 'perfect' commuter train half an hour before. 

Trams museum shuts as building deemed unsafe


The Rigby Road building is set for demolition - Image © LDRS

A museum which houses heritage trams is being forced to close after the building was found to be unsafe.

The public entrance to Blackpool's Tramtown museum on Rigby Road was deemed unsafe after a structural engineer's survey, Blackpool Council leader Lynn Williams said.

"We can't gamble with the safety of volunteers and visitors by opening an unsafe building," she said.

Williams insisted it was "not the end for heritage trams" but said there was no safe or affordable alternative other than demolition of the site.

She said her and Blackpool Transport's new managing director Lea Harrison were looking at "every possible solution to find a pop-up site for it to reopen as soon as possible".

It comes after the attraction had been forced to shut due to an issue with an electric cable.

Councillor Paul Galley, who is also leader of Blackpool's Conservative opposition group and a Tramtown volunteer, said he was "gutted it was the end of the line". He added his fellow volunteers at the museum had been "amazing".


Tramtown volunteer and councillor Paul Galley says he is "gutted" it will close - Image © LDRS

Galley has previously said the resort's fleet of heritage trams were "fundamental to the DNA of Blackpool".

Williams said: "While the work was ongoing fixing the electrics at Tramtown, an independent structural engineer carried out a survey of the building. That independent report has come back saying the building is unsafe. The only public entrance is unsafe and we can't gamble with the safety of volunteers and visitors by opening an unsafe building."

She said strong winds last month had also ripped "even more panels off the roof which has led to it leaking again".

Williams said everything had been removed from the building and was being stored elsewhere. She said Blackpool Transport's team updated Tramtown's volunteers at the weekend and "discussed the shared vision for the future of Tramtown".

"I want to make very clear that this is not the end of heritage trams in Blackpool. The news will double our resolve to set up a joint steering group to create a better future for Tramtown and our historic trams," she said.

She said Harrison was working on getting our heritage trams back out for people to enjoy "this summer", and she was "determined" to "build back a better Tramtown visitor attraction".

Boy names UK's first electric quarry locomotive


Battery Bill is the first electric locomotive to operate at a UK quarry - Image © Neil Phillips

A schoolboy has named the UK's first electric quarry locomotive Battery Bill.

Five-year-old Cillian Gallagher, from Bishop Henderson Primary School in Radstock, Somerset, won a competition among local schools to pick a name.

The machine will be used at Whatley Quarry, in Frome, which has been in operation since the 1930s and supplies limestone aggregate for rail construction projects.

Cillian's mother Sherree said: "We are so proud of Cillian and his chosen name for the locomotive at Whatley Quarry." She explained that the name Battery Bill came to Cillian's mind "straightaway".

She said: "He chose the name Bill to give the train its own identity and a friendly personality. Perhaps one day there might be a second locomotive to join Bill on the tracks, maybe Battery Ben - a catchy pair, like Bill and Ben the Flower Pot Men."

The Class 08e electric locomotive was converted from diesel by Positive Traction and runs on six battery packs.

The quarry's rail logistics manager Daniel Welch said: "Commissioning the first electric shunting locomotive to operate at a UK quarry is a significant milestone for the industry."

Welch said converting the locomotive was a sustainable solution which supported "decarbonisation goals and demonstrates that zero-emission rail operations are achievable".

During the machine's naming ceremony, Cillian was able to go inside the locomotive.

Director of Positive Traction Polly Bycroft Gregory said: "We are delighted to provide Heidelberg Materials with its first zero-emission shunting locomotive which will contribute to reducing both noise and emissions from rail-related operations at Whatley Quarry."

'It's a symbol of our village' - Victorian bridge reinstalled after public fight


The footbridge has been reinstalled in County Londonderry years after it was removed for repair work which cost £730,000

A Victorian footbridge, described as "the heart of the village", has been reinstalled in Castlerock years after it was removed for repair work.

The bridge, which has spanned the train tracks since the 19th century, was removed for repair work and placed in storage in 2017 at a cost of £730,000. Nine years later it has been returned to its rightful home following a campaign by local people.

Kurt Leege said residents are "delighted" it has returned. "When it was taken away people were very upset," he said. "The community fought hard for its return and it's great to see it back. Castlerock just wouldn't be the same without it. It's a symbol of our village."


Castlerock resident Kurt Leege says the community has fought hard for the bridge's return

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council told BBC News NI work over the past nine years cost a total of £730,000 plus VAT, but declined to comment on why the process took so long.

...

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Oliver McMullan, told BBC News NI "council has worked hard in its investment to bring this important piece of history back".

"It's going to be a big tourist draw," said McMullan. "There aren't many bridges like this left. Council will optimise everything here and from the investment they put into it they will certainly draw out of it."



The wrought iron structure was replaced temporarily by a rusty bridge which was described by local people and tourists as an "awful eyesore".

Resident and local historian Geoff Warke said: "I remember the old steam trains operating and have vivid memories of the trains going below this beautiful Victorian bridge. Children always waved from the bridge and it pleases me immensely that the same thing will be able to happen again. I know it's likely to have cost a substantial amount of money but what I would say is it is valued a lot by the people of Castlerock. It's great to be getting rid of the temporary bridge which was an awful eyesore."

(BBC article continues)

Hmmmm......Very few offices/workplaces can be reached from the station in 20mins....pushing it. It can take 5mins to get off the platform & out of the station to Park End Street. Most would stick with the arrival at 0815 as they do now.

Those that start after 0900 or are on flexi-time might avail themselves however.

And the 'perfect' commuter train that reaches Oxford at 08:39 from Leamington would be a particularly useful service from Banbury, but it will sail through at 08:20!

'Thomas the Tank Engine was written for me'


Christopher Awdry was two years old when his father wrote Thomas the Tank Engine

The boy who inspired his father to write Thomas the Tank Engine eight decades ago has recalled his earliest memories of the books being written.

Christopher Awdry, who is now 85 and lives in Poole, Dorset, was two and grappling with a bout of measles when Rev Wilbert Awdry made up the first tale of the long-running series.

He was of course too young to remember the characters' inceptions. "My first memory of The Railway series? I suppose it was when I was in prep school," he tells BBC Radio Solent.

"Father sent me a copy of his first book when it was published and the other kids were all going around and saying 'Awdry's family writes stories'. I was a 10-day wonder and after about 10 days it all calmed down."

That first book was published in 1945. Thomas himself turned up in the second book a year later, and over the following decades another 40 books appeared.

Christopher started writing them in the 1980s, the same decade the beloved TV series, narrated by Ringo Starr, aired for the first time.

In 2025, 3.6 million Thomas toys were sold worldwide, or about one every minute in the UK.

"I think father hit the absolute right note because he made the characters of the engines into children," Christopher says, talking about Thomas's enduring popularity. "They do silly things like kids do, and they get reproved or punished by the Fat Controller."

Last year, events were held for the 80th anniversary of the publication of the first book, including the unveiling of a blue plaque at the family's former home in Gloucestershire, but health issues prevented Christopher from attending.

So in June, he is participating in an onstage event at the Hammersmith Apollo with famous train aficionado Pete Waterman.

"The stories got to me," the record producer says. "There's this little tank engine that can get up a hill. If he can do it I can do it. It must have been the late '40s or early '50s when my dad read me this Thomas the Tank Engine book, and it's stuck with me all my life. Those books had a moral because it was the reverend that was writing them, and he was teaching his children moral stories."

Apart from a very occasional public appearance - he drew a crowd of hundreds to a Swanage Model Railway Gala in April - Christopher has been retired for 15 years.

Is there a chance then that appearing in front of an audience of thousands in London might ruin his anonymity? "Like father I'm quite pleased that people don't stop me in the street," he says. "They don't do that thank goodness, but who knows? Maybe my face will get a bit more familiar after June, I don't know, I hope not!"

Why some trains will not be stopping at Banbury


New services between Oxford and Leamington will not stop at Banbury

An MP has written to a train company asking them to reconsider plans for new train services that will skip the town he represents.

Train operator CrossCountry announced a new timetable from 17 May, which includes new services running directly between Oxford and Leamington Spa - without stopping at Banbury.

The town's MP, Sean Woodcock, has questioned the decision, saying that overcrowding issues were "already a source of frustration" for commuters, and that having services skip the station could "only make things worse".

CrossCountry defended its new timetable, saying that its customers would "see no change" in the number of services from Banbury. It said the trains concerned were four extra long-distance services that would "provide more seats for people travelling long distances."

The rail company's service delivery director, Nick Westcott, said that having services skip Banbury would encourage "people travelling locally to use other trains. He added that Chiltern Railways was currently planning a "significant increase" to services between Banbury and Birmingham.

But Woodcock said the new trains were "plugging the gap" left by train services cut during the Covid-19 pandemic, which once contributed to a half-hourly fast service between Banbury and Oxford. The decision to skip Banbury means there will still be an hour's gap in services between the two Oxfordshire stations at certain times of the day.

"Passengers in Banbury will not see the same improvements in frequency and connectivity as those at other stations along the route," the MP said, in a letter to Cross Country's managing director Shiona Rolfe. "I would urge you to reconsider this approach and explore options to ensure that Banbury can share in the benefits of the revised timetable."

In response, the operator said that it "will continue to monitor passenger demand" at Banbury, and "welcome feedback on the changes".

A £16m pound scheme to improve access to Banbury Station was completed last year.

I usually buy my rail tickets from my local station but if I am making a longer journey with multiple split tickets and/or advance tickets, I use the GWR website.

However, it seems that following the GWR website update earlier this year, you are now limited to purchasing only one journey (single or return) per transaction. To book multiple journeys, you must complete them as separate purchases as the "add another journey" feature is no longer available.

This is a real nuisance, especially when trying to book a long journey using split tickets! 

Swarm of 10,000 bees settles on bike outside Louvre in Paris


The bees settled under the saddle of the bicycle - Image © @ma_pauvre_lucette

A swarm of at least 10,000 bees has been removed from under the saddle of a bicycle parked outside a metro station in front of the Louvre museum in Paris.

The swarm settled on the bike shortly after it was locked to the railings of the Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre metro on Saturday afternoon.

Paris transport officials then closed the metro entrance while a local Parisian beekeeper was called in to collect the insects.

"It was certainly in an unusual place, right next to the entrance to a metro," said Volkan Tanaci, who reached the scene by bike.

"It was a real cluster of bees, and probably there was a queen bee right in the middle," the urban beekeeper told France Info.

The bike's owner posted the whole scene on the @ma_pauvre_lucette Instagram account, saying that "granddad's old bicycle" had barely been parked for half an hour when the swarm arrived.

(BBC article continues)

Gritters costing £2.3m announced amid sunny weather


Somerset Council will spend up to £2.3m on new gritters - Image © Somerset Council

Many minds in Somerset might be on the sunshine and beach - but the council has announced up to £2.3m will be spent 14 new gritter lorries.

Somerset Council currently has a fleet of 23 gritters, which are used primarily in winter to spread salt and grit on roads to melt snow and ice. Two new gritters entered service last winter, which were named Basil Salty and Gritney Spears by local schools South Somerset Partnership School and Bucklers Mead Academy in Yeovil.

Ten of the existing vehicles are reaching the end of their active service life, with much of the fleet suffering "significant deterioration" and costing the council increasing amounts of ongoing maintenance.

Jeremy Fry, the council's infrastructure and transport officer for highways operations, explained in his written report: "These assets suffer significant deterioration due to excessive abrasive corrosion resulting from the salting operations. The oldest gritters in our fleet are now experiencing significant maintenance and repair attention, and next year these will be subjected to higher maintenance rates. Furthermore, the risk to service delivery due to ageing of the fleet is a significant concern due to time off road for repairs and maintenance."

The council currently spends around £200,000 on servicing and maintaining its fleet of winter service vehicles, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Up to £2.3m has been committed to purchasing the new vehicles over the next four years as part of the council's capital programme.

The council has entered a contract with Romaquip to buy the vehicles, which includes an option to buy an additional five vehicles in the third year of the agreement, though this will require additional funding.

Mr Fry said it was not possible to simply hire in vehicles on an annual basis, stating this would put additional pressure on the council's revenue budget. It would cost the council more than £218,000 to hire out seven vehicles over the coming winter to cover for getting vehicles which are unusable or undergoing maintenance.

The council has not indicated how soon the new vehicles will enter service.

Also now I think about it, I was on the curve round from Old Oak Common to North Pole Junction that the old Brighton Cross-countries used to take. Short but sweet.

Oh, and does the original connection between HS1 and the Southern third-rail network (when Waterloo was international) count?

I usually buy my rail tickets from my local station but if I am making a longer journey with multiple split tickets and/or advance tickets, I use the GWR website.

However, it seems that following the GWR website update earlier this year, you are now limited to purchasing only one journey (single or return) per transaction. To book multiple journeys, you must complete them as separate purchases as the "add another journey" feature is no longer available.

This is a real nuisance, especially when trying to book a long journey using split tickets! 

Somerset Council to launch new bus service to Castle Cary station


The new 667X bus service will run throughout the week, including Sundays

A council has set a date for when a new bus service to a train station will start running.

Somerset Council will launch the 667X bus service, linking Glastonbury and Street with Castle Cary railway station, in June 2026.

It is due to run throughout the week, including Sundays, alongside the 667 service, which already runs from Street to Castle Cary station.

Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council's lead member for transport and waste services, said: "Hopefully it will prove popular, as it gives people the choice to leave their car at home and save money."

The 667X will connect specifically with trains to and from London, Exeter, Plymouth, Paignton, Salisbury, Weymouth and Gloucester, the council has said.

Wilkins said: "We are delighted to be able to provide this trial service linking Glastonbury and Street to train services at Castle Cary. The aim is to ensure the route is sustainable in the long term and well used, so we need people to make the most of it. We have taken care to tailor the timings so the buses link up with the trains."

The council is also planning to offer a service from Somerton and Langport to link with trains at peak times.

During off-peak hours, passengers will be able to book the Somerton Slinky to connect with the 667X at Keinton Mandeville for travel to and from Castle Cary station.