Keeping the memory alive of five rail workers killed by train


The new memorial features a train image and original track from the Derry Road Line

A memorial to five men killed by a train in Omagh, County Tyrone, has been upgraded ahead of the 75th anniversary of their deaths.

The railway workers died after being struck by a passenger train as they carried out routine maintenance work on the Derry Road line.

John Cassidy, John Cleary, John McCrory, Dan McCrory and Charles (Charlie) Flanagan were permanent way men, responsible for maintaining the track.

A remembrance service will be held later on Monday at the newly improved memorial garden, funded by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

"It's just lovely to keep their memory alive," Mr Flanagan's granddaughter told BBC News NI.

Heavy fog had descended over Omagh that morning and the noise of the Enniskillen train idling in the station meant that the men weren't aware of the oncoming train bound for Belfast.

Two died instantly, two more succumbed to their injuries later that day and Mr Flanagan died the following morning.

Their deaths left 19 children without fathers.


(BBC article continues)

....the other factor to aid the case will the be decarbonising fright 

The second one is lot less than average because about third of the mast bases are already installed, and some masts already up.

Also there are closures planned (and budgeted for) in Oxford area where gantries spanning all the tracks could be installed (even if the detail of what needs to be bolted to them is not yet finalised).  Much cheaper to come along overnight with a road railer attaching brackets and wires than do extra full closure/blockade

He wants to addres the ridiculous amounts of rain/climate change then, not the railway....

08:35 Barnstaple to Exeter Central due 09:47
and all trains until mid afternoon

08:35 Barnstaple to Exeter Central due 09:47 has been cancelled.
This is due to flooding.

Re-reading this again-


..two questions occur to me-

1 - That's a huge proportion of the East-West fund for a short stretch of line that does not even connect directly to the actual Oxford to Cambridge line, and

2 - What would it cost to complete the OHL from Didcot to Oxford?

The government has pledged £120m in funding, part of a £500m investment in infrastructure to link up Oxford and Cambridge and turn the region into the "European Silicon Valley".

Anyone find the RAIB report on this? I can't seem to locate it.

Overspeed across points I Understand from professional twitter/X

First Skybus Cornwall to Gatwick flight takes off



The first flight between Cornwall and London operated by airline Skybus has taken place on Sunday.

The airline agreed a short-term deal to run the service between Cornwall Airport Newquay and London Gatwick following the collapse of Easter Airways last month.

The daily year-round route is subsidised by the Government and Cornwall Council due to its economic importance, and is covered by a Public Service Obligation (PSO).

Councillor Leigh Frost, leader of Cornwall Council, said he was "delighted" to find a replacement operator so quickly and "even more so to see a Cornish company stepping in".

Skybus currently runs services to the Isles of Scilly, with flights from Newquay, Land's End and Exeter, and is owned by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company (ISSC) which also runs boat services to the islands.

Frost said: "It has been a difficult time, with disruption for many people who use the service and had already booked flights, so I am pleased this announcement will help end the uncertainty around this vital connection to the capital."

Councillor Tim Dwelly, portfolio holder for economic regeneration and investment, added: "Our priority was to get the service back up and running as quickly as possible to minimise disruption for passengers. Restoring this route helps maintain the confidence of business and tourism sectors, and it's welcome that a Cornish company has the capability to step in and deliver during this interim period."

The 12 passengers booked on the first Gatwick Skybus flight had room to spare on the 180 seat Boeing 737 which took off from Newquay at about 15:40 GMT.

Skybus said it would transition to a 78 seater turboprop Q400 aircraft early next month, and services would increase to twice daily from mid-February.

Jonathan Hinkles, managing director of Skybus, said: "We are thrilled to launch this new service between Cornwall and London Gatwick. It is not just about making travel easier for passengers; it's about creating opportunities – for businesses, for tourism, and for the local communities we serve."

Cornwall Council owns the airport site and oversees the process of finding a new operator for the PSO route. The council said last month the tendering process to find an operator for the next four years was underway.

There's your answer, in the article
- basing it on pence per minute.

More than 1,110 minutes of train delays and temporary closures of the A470 have been caused by the crashes

A bridge that has been hit 12 times by drivers over nearly two years in "avoidable" incidents has cost taxpayers £50,000 in repairs, Network Rail has said.

The Abergavenny Road railway bridge, in Caersws, Powys, has been struck a dozen times since January 2024 - seven times in 2025 alone.

Network Rail said over-height vehicles crashed into the bridge over the Cambrian railway line despite numerous warning signs, causing more than 1,110 minutes of train delays and the A470 to temporarily close. The rail operator said it planned to install new signs in the coming months and urged drivers to know the height and width of their vehicles before starting their journey.


Network Rail says drivers are crashing into the bridge despite numerous warning signs

Rebecca Watling, head of performance at Network Rail Wales and Borders, said "incidents like this are entirely avoidable".

"When a vehicle hits a bridge, it creates a serious safety risk and causes major disruption to the railway, with trains stopped for essential inspections and repairs - meaning people miss important appointments or connections," she said. "These incidents also carry a significant cost to the public purse - money that could be far better spent on upgrading and maintaining our rail network." She urged drivers to "check the height and width of their vehicles".

Deb Justice, Cambrian Railway Partnership's community rail development officer, said: "This affects not only local journeys on our trains but rail travel across the whole of Wales and Borders."

She also urged drivers to "take a moment" to check the size of their vehicles before setting out. "It's a small action, but one that can make a huge difference to the safety and reliability of travel for both rail passengers and road users."

Sarah Forrester, 55, died in her home in Swindon on Friday

A woman who died inside her home has been named by police after a 13-year-old girl arrested on suspicion of her murder was released on bail.

The woman who died in Swindon on Friday was 55-year-old Sarah Forrester, Wiltshire Police have confirmed. They said she had not been breathing when officers arrived at her house in Baydon Close, Moredon, at about 19:00 GMT after being called to a disorder. She died at the scene.

The 13-year-old girl was later arrested on suspicion of murder and taken into custody for questioning. She has since been bailed while enquiries continue.

Ms Forrester worked as a counsellor at The Kelly Foundation, a Swindon charity which supports individuals with severe anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

The foundation was set up in memory of Kelly Jobanputra, a BBC Radio 6 Music producer and former BBC Radio Wiltshire presenter who took her own life in 2019.

In a statement, The Kelly Foundation said it was "heartbroken at the sudden loss of our lovely Sarah".

"She was completely committed to the charity and devoted to her two young children," the statement continued. "Sarah was pivotal in the work that we do here at The Kelly Foundation and her loss is a hugely traumatic event, not just for us and her colleagues but more especially for her children and family. Sarah was an incredible person, kind, thoughtful, considerate, caring and funny and she embodied everything that we hope our charity is and can be. She enjoyed her role with us and we all loved working with her, she will be truly, truly missed."

From the Swindon Advertiser:

During the day, the bus would also serve as a base for community health campaigns, student outreach, and city events.

The bus will be fitted with a medical area, benches, charging points and solar panels

An appeal to raise £70,000 for a Safe Bus - a mobile welfare and first aid hub - has been launched in Nottingham.

It's In Nottingham, the city's business promotion group, wants to convert a donated vehicle into a fully equipped space where trained welfare officers, volunteers, and medical staff can offer first aid, support, and a safe place to rest.

It would operate in the city centre during weekends and major events, giving practical help for those who are injured, lost, or vulnerable, organisers said. As well as benefiting those enjoying a night out, it could also ease pressure on local emergency services and hospitals.

It's In Nottingham said that while the city's night time economy of bars, clubs, and restaurants brought many benefits, it created challenges for police and welfare teams.

A seven-day pilot project with St John Ambulance last Christmas supported 102 people, with 73 managed on location without needing hospital treatment. The estimated £30,000 – £50,000 in savings to the NHS could translate into £1.6 –£2.7m annually if a similar facility was made permanent, it said.

Nottingham City Transport has already donated the bus but the initiative also has the backing of Nottingham City Council, trentbarton, Nottingham Street Pastors and both the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University.

During the day, the bus would also serve as a base for community health campaigns, student outreach, and city events.

The team is now asking for public and business support through a crowdfunding campaign for the refit, which includes an on-board medical area with sink, bed, and running water. It would also include solar panels and accessibility improvements, along with heating, lighting, and welfare seating.

Rich Lane, head of operations and business crime at It's In Nottingham, said: "It's quite a simple idea. It's just a normal bus. All the seats are removed. We've got a medical provision that will be in the back but then some nice long benches down the interior of the bus where you can charge your mobile phone or you can sit and just have a few moments to contemplate your thoughts.

"And it's just a safe space where we've got medical provision that's there. We've got street pastors that will be working. We'll have welfare units from universities that will be on board and assisting. Ultimately it's just somewhere that you can go and sit."

Simon Calder, writing on the fares changes and some possible consequences in the Independent. Also, his article makes some play on Didcot - Swindon being the most expensive main line leg in the UK, not sure if that's the cost with respect to time on the train perhaps.

a boggling £2.20 per minute, making it the most expensive main line train trip in Britain

Mick Whelan, general secretary of train drivers’ union Aslef, said: ‘We are pleased that after 14 years of the Tories pricing people off our railways, this Labour government is helping people to commute to work and travel for pleasure.”

from what is, in effect, a decision to make long-suffering taxpayers pay even more to keep the trains running – even though many of them never go near a train.

The unusual method of trans-paw-tation is named after Laura Mohan's dog Billy

You wait for one bus and then 15 dogs come along at once - if Billy's Bus drives past. According to founder Laura Mohan, the dog bus – which takes pets on day adventures in the community - is the first of its kind in the UK.

Ms Mohan had the idea when she was struggling to find care for her own pup, Billy. "We found with dog walkers one hour wasn't enough. And full-day care was too much for him," she says. "We took inspiration from an American lady called Canine Convoy and then we went to town with the idea. Everyone loves seeing dogs on a bus."

Ms Mohan, who runs the coach as part of her dog walking business, and driver Ray Welderend travel around parts of Bradford and Leeds picking up paw-sengers. The four-legged fare payers are then secured and can pay special visits before getting to walkies later on.

"We're half dog service, half community based. We do as much as we can in the community," says Ms Mohan. "We do drive-bys to old people's homes, nursing homes, schools and nurseries, everyone can come on board, say hi to the dogs, and then we just ask for a donation to a local dog charity that we're associated with called Aireworth Kennels."


The dogs are secured as they are transported

Ms Mohan says after setting up the business five weeks ago, demand had been brisk. "I thought we'd probably get 20 enrolments in a week or two, but we woke up the second day and we had 68. Now we've got just over 340 dogs enrolled so it's a second bus time," she explains.

The dogs, who spend three to four hours with Ms Mohan and the team, can even be followed on a live stream from the bus. "It's a bit like running a children's nursery – the key is lots of engagement and lots of love and that keeps everybody in a good mood," she says.

Millions of homes in the UK welcomed new pets during the coronavirus pandemic as people sought companionship. The RSPCA previously said that some dogs have had behaviour problems - particularly after being left alone for the first time when their owners returned to work.

Catherine Taylor is a support worker at Outside the Box, a community café in Ilkley that supports adults and young people with learning disabilities. She says the young people loved having the dogs to visit.

"We work with adults with learning challenges who need diversity. So we help them to complete a shift in the café, and then we run workshops. It's such a treat to have the dogs. It's tactile, it's caring. They've been so excited preparing for them, preparing all their drinks, putting signs out to make sure they have space for the bus."

Georgie Grove sends her dog Coco on the bus. "I'm working all the time. I've got a new baby and I want him to go on as many walks as possible, that's what you always want when you get a dog. So this is just perfect," she says.

Issey Giltrow says the service allows her dog Alfie to play with other dogs and get socialised. "I work from home and he's become very needy with me. We saw it when we were walking through Ilkley and we thought this would be perfect for him – get him out with other dogs," she says.

Driver Ray Welderend describes being behind the wheel of the canine coach as the perfect job. "When I saw this advertised I thought, 'I've got nothing better to do with my time' and if I'm out and about playing with dogs, and helping out with dogs, it's win-win for me," he smiles.

Before driving dogs, he was more used to transporting goods up and down the motorway in his role as an HGV driver. "This is a dream job compared to lorry driving," he says.

Visitors could take the M3 bus service (pictured) into the North York Moors after travelling on the M1 Moorsbus from Hull

A bus service between Hull and the North York Moors could be operated again next year after it proved to be popular during this summer, Hull City Council has said.

The M1 Moorsbus service operated between Hull, Pickering and the moors every Sunday and bank holiday Monday from May to September this year.

A total of 2,249 passengers boarded the M1 in 2025, with 1,317 of these originating from Hull and the East Riding, according to Hull City Council figures.

Councillor Mark Ieronimo, Hull City Council's portfolio holder for transport, said: "There is a customer demand for this service and we will be looking at what can be done to deliver this again next year."

The M1 service departed from Hull Paragon Interchange, picking up from Cottingham, Beverley Bus Station, Driffield and Malton Railway Station before arriving in Pickering. Passengers could then change for the M3 service, from Pickering to the North York Moors.

The council said over 3,800 people rode both the M1 service and the M3 service during this year's summer season.

The M1 service was brought back this year with funding from Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, through their respective bus service improvement plans, with cash allocated from the Department for Transport.

Nick Coultish, cabinet member for culture, leisure and tourism at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "I'm very pleased the Moorsbus was a big hit once again with passengers from our areas, enabling them to experience the beauty spots of North Yorkshire."