Ideal conditions to see peak of Lyrid meteor shower in UK



With lots of clear skies over the coming nights there is a good chance of seeing the Lyrid meteor shower.

While it has been ongoing since the 16 April, the peak is expected on Wednesday night.

Expect to see around 10 to 15 meteors an hour with surges of activity that could bring up to 100 an hour.

The Lyrid meteor shower is an annual event as a result of the Earth passing through dust left behind Comet Thatcher.

Cable theft costs passengers 213 hours in delays


Trains between Doncaster and Sheffield have been hit by 50 incidents of cable theft in the past five years

Cable thefts on railway lines between Doncaster and Sheffield have delayed passengers by more than 213 hours in the past year, figures show.

Passengers on services between the two South Yorkshire cities, which also passes through Rotherham, often see services cancelled or severely delayed as a result of the thefts.

Network Rail is publicly funded, meaning each theft is an additional cost to the taxpayer to repair.

The company said thefts had rise in line with an increase in copper prices, and that it was "working closely" with British Transport Police to catch and prosecute offenders.

According to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, there had been 50 incidents of railway cable theft between Doncaster and Sheffield in the last five years, including 16 in 2025/26 alone.

The total delay in the 12 months to February 2026, linked directly to cable thefts, reached 12,809 minutes – or roughly 213.5 hours, the Local Democracy Service reports.

A Network Rail spokesperson said in 2025 alone, crime incidents on the North and East route cost the company over £1.3 million.

It said it was employing a range of strategies to catch offenders, including the use of drones and security cameras, and by forensically marking assets.

As long as you also ensure that you post a map of both stops locations ...

Angry bus passengers were "left stranded and made late for work or college" after Stagecoach failed to put up new bus timetables in some areas of Swindon.

Some had important journeys delayed or interrupted due to the bus schedule issue.

Stagecoach delayed putting the new timetables for revised number 7 services on stops around town, including Flint Hill in Toothill.

Cllr Sean Wilson, representing Lydiard and Freshbrook, said on Monday: "Once again Stagecoach have let down their passengers by not posting their new schedules on bus stops and shelters around Swindon.

“The same issue happened two years ago which reveals a lack of planning.

“People have been left stranded and made late for work or college as a result."

Train wi-fi upgrades will 'transform' businesses


The government said £12m of its £57m investment in rail wi-fi nationally would be on services in the west and south west of England and Wales

Having reliable and high-speed wi-fi on trains could be "transformative" for businesses, an expert on rural branch lines in Cornwall says.

A UK-first pilot scheme for faster internet connections on trains, using technology originally developed for Formula 1 cars, was launched on Great Western Railway (GWR) services in the South West in November 2025.

The government said it would invest £57m in rail wi-fi nationally as part of its scheme Project Reach, with £12m of that being spent in the west and south west of England and Wales.

Deputy editor of Modern Railways magazine Andy Bowes-Roden said businesses currently faced a "time penalty" due to "patchy" internet connections on trains. "Getting anywhere up-country takes a long time and, while you can do some work with the existing internet system, it relies on mobile phone data, and that can be very patchy in plenty of areas of Cornwall and beyond where there's not a signal," Bowes-Roden said.


Deputy editor of Modern Railways magazine Andy Bowes-Roden said having fast and reliable wi-fi on trains would be a "game changer" for Cornwall

"Having high-speed reliable broadband on the trains effectively eliminates almost all of that time penalty for businesses because you can do all of the things you can do in an office." He said for him personally, having fast connectivity on the train would be a "game changer".

The government said Project Reach was a multi-year scheme, with the first installation of mobile infrastructure expected to begin in 2026 and be fully rolled out by 2028. It said: "The project's innovative commercial model brings together public and private sector investment and infrastructure and is expected to save taxpayers around £300m while creating a high-performing digital connectivity backbone for businesses, supporting the UK's digital ambitions."

Bowes-Roden said instead of the government viewing it as an investment in rail network, it would be a "clearer case" if its focus was on businesses. "It hits so many of the government's objectives in terms of regional growth, regional inequality and boosting businesses," he said. "For a relatively small investment from government, the returns look like they'll be absolutely fantastic."

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said it continued to work with transport bosses and GWR to assess the success of the pilot scheme and how wi-fi could be improved on the network. "We understand connectivity on trains can be patchy, which is why we're working to harness cutting-edge satellite technology to ensure passengers can enjoy fast, reliable internet on our mainline trains," they added. "Great British Railways will deliver a railway fit for the 21st Century, with more comfortable and convenient trains for passengers."

Cumbria Nature Festival mixed up with event for nudists


Red squirrels can be seen at several sites in Cumbria

Wildlife enthusiasts are urging visitors to "dress appropriately" after a mix-up saw their event for naturalists confused with one aimed at nudists.

Cumbria Nature Festival issued what it called an important clarification and offered a refund to anyone who had "booked in error".

The event is being staged from 8-10 May at a site in Workington and will feature a range of guest speakers and activities for all ages.

Sam Griffin, a member of the organising committee, said the announcement followed a "misunderstanding" and that "we haven't ultimately had to refund anyone so we're hopeful our offering has been sufficient to retain their interest, despite imposing a dress code".

In a Facebook post, the event said: "After a recent enquiry we need to clarify - Cumbria Nature Festival is primarily aimed at NATURALISTS… not NATURISTS. Whilst we aim to be as inclusive as possible, and certainly do not judge anyone, we are aiming the event at wildlife enthusiasts. Please do dress appropriately."

(BBC article continues)

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  Disruption is expected until 10:30 BST on Wednesday for rail passengers after a deer was hit by a train in Devon, resulting in a diesel spillage on tracks.
Great Western Railway (GWR) said the crash happened between Okehampton and Crediton on Tuesday evening, leaving the line blocked and services "cancelled, delayed or revised".
The Environment Agency was called to investigate the level of pollution after the train's diesel cap was knocked off during the collision, resulting in the 500-litre (110-gallon) spill.

  Following overnight work to clean-up a fuel spill following a train hitting an obstruction on the line between Crediton and Okehampton, train services are resuming with the first service departing Exeter St Davids at 0935.

The site has been made safe and will reopen shortly, however, there maybe some disruption later today in order to finish the clean-up operation.

I would venture to suggest that this article is, at least partially, complete nonsense.

Has the author never heard of https://www.seat61.com/index.html?

A railway line is blocked after a train hit a deer, resulting in 500 litres of diesel being spilled on the track.

Great Western Railway (GWR) said the crash happened between Okehampton and Crediton in Devon on Tuesday, leaving the line blocked and services delayed or cancelled.

It said the fuel was spilt at Okehampton station after a diesel cap was knocked off during the collision.

The line cannot be reopened until the Environment Agency has investigated the level of pollution, the railway operator added.

GWR said replacements buses had been organised and warned disruption was expected until the end of the day.

The line between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton remains closed after a train hit a deer, resulting in fuel leaking onto the track.

Does anyone else find these non operating company specific National Adverts condescending at best, irritating also? If they're a precursor of the future it's grim.

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You create your portable office with all the essentials, maintain routines, and balance work with relaxation so you can feel rewarded and free of tasks when you reach your destination. You know how to make every journey count while managing your workload effectively, just like almost a quarter (23%) of train users who use their train time productively.

ROG also confirmed that tentative talks have been held with Great Western Railway, with a view to testing the Class 93s on the ‘Night Riviera’ Sleeper between Paddington and Penzance.

However, given this would need two locomotives which would have to run off the 1,070hp of battery and 1,205hp of diesel power west of Wootton Bassett or Bristol Parkway, as well as being expected to lift the seven- or eight-coach trains over Dainton, Rattery and Hemerdon banks, it’s hard to see how a ‘93’ could be a realistic cost-effective alternative to the Class 57/6s.