As someone who used the former routes to Sweden and Denmark on three occasions between 1979 and 1988, I miss this as a means of getting to Scandinavia. I guess that cheaper air fares killed these services, as they were not cheap. Back in those days, Sweden advertised itself as a place to take your car and family for a holiday, taking advantage of uncrowded roads, rural and coastal areas. There was also a scheme whereby you could buy a pass (Bilturlogi pass) that gave discounts on B&B accommodation throughout the country listed in the accompanying booklet. Now it's much cheaper to take a cheap flight and pick up a hire car.

There is still a freight ferry between Immingham and Brevik in Norway, but to quote DFDS's website


Ridiculous, isn't it? Are they worried we might get a Viking invasion?

GWR trains cancelled in Wiltshire amid travel chaos

A freight train has broken down at Melksham, blocking the line between Swindon and Westbury and forcing GWR to cancel services between the two towns.

Disruption on the line is expected until at least midday on Wednesday, January 14, with customers being advised to take alternative routes during that time.

This comes after a train broke down on the line between Westbury and Reading on Wednesday morning.

Ah, yes.  Thanks, grahame.  Image not available to guests

"Pioneering ... 1804", anyone?

CfN. Image not available to guests

The Middleton Railway is the world's oldest continuously working railway, situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1758 and is now a heritage railway, run by volunteers from The Middleton Railway Trust Ltd. since 1960.

Originally built under an act of Parliament, the Oystermouth Railway or Tramroad Act 1804, to move limestone from the quarries of Mumbles to Swansea and to the markets beyond, it carried the world's first fare-paying railway passengers under an agreement effective from 25 March 1807

Building a model railway - could you run a Dukedog hauling a load of dogfish and a toad?  How about a Western Diesel on the front of a rake of Mk 5 carriages?   Could a class 101 unit be seen at the same time as class 195?

'England's canals are not valued by government', says chairman of Shropshire trust

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Michael Limbrey is chairman of the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust

England's canals are not valued enough by the government and need more funding support, the chair of a waterways trust says.

Michael Limbrey has spoken out after the collapse of the Llangollen canal in Shropshire that left narrowboat owners stranded, just before Christmas. "[Canals are] part of the history and the landscape of our country," said Limbrey, chair of Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust (MWRT), in north Shropshire. "A whole network of waterways spreading across our country don't seem to be valued."

But, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) says it is investing more than £480m into infrastructure maintenance by the Canal and River Trust (CRT). Defra stressed the waterways are much-valued by the government, especially because of the wide range of benefits they provide.

Several boaters were left without their homes when the canal collapsed, just outside Whitchurch on 22 December, and repairs could cost millions. On Tuesday Paul Stowe, whose family owns a boat left hanging over a huge hole when the collapse happened in the early hours, saw it refloated after a salvage operation.

MWRT is currently reviving the Montgomery Canal, which branches off the Llangollen Canal.

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Limbrey described as "shocking" the breach of the Llangollen Canal, which is expected to cost millions of pounds to restore

"The government contribution to the maintenance to the canals is not as much as it should be," said Limbrey. "They're part of the history and the landscape of our country, we have stately homes, we have castles, we have many historic structures, Roman remains... that are valued. Yet these thousands of miles of canal... a whole network of waterways spreading across our country don't seem to be valued in the same way as these individual spots are."

Limbrey said following the collapse, which he described as "shocking" and "devastating", he saw a lot of commentary about money online. "The comments that came through were, 'Why bother with canals, why should money be spent on the canals?'"

"The canal network is such an asset right across the country. It's got access for so many people for recreation, for wellbeing, it's got the canalside businesses, it's got an amazing range of structures, locks and weirs and bridges - all built on the canal 200 years ago. All of these things add up to this amazing resource... people can just walk onto the towpath and get on it and enjoy for free, at any time."

The CRT was set up in 2012 to replace the publicly-owned British Waterways. Back then, the government agreed to provide a grant to the charity across the first 15 years, amounting to about £740m in total.

Defra said this was primarily to support its infrastructure maintenance programme, to ensure navigability and public safety, while the CRT became established and developed alternative sources of funding.

The government also provided a permanent endowment fund, now worth about £1bn, that generates a further quarter of its income. The CRT and Defra signed a memorandum of understanding in 2012 that said the CRT would move towards greater self-sufficiency over time, reducing its reliance on public funding.

Defra said the grant agreement was clear that there was no obligation for the government to fund the charity beyond 2027. However, following a review it has agreed a further 10-year grant funding package of £480m, from 2027. This, it said, was because it recognised the CRT was providing good value for money and delivering a wide range of public benefits.

Could be localised ... for Melksham I'm seeing

165136 on the 06:30 to Southampton (called at 06:42)
166201 on the 07:21 to Worcester Forgate Street (called 08:15)
08:20 to Swindon - Cancelled
09:09 to Westbury - Cancelled
10:02 to Swindon - Cancelled
11:31 to Westbury - Cancelled
158767 planned for the 12:33 to Swindon

First-ever UK Town of Culture competition launched

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Thousands of towns across the country have a chance to become the UK's first-ever Town of Culture as part of a new competition aimed at boosting local pride.

The contest will run alongside the existing UK City of Culture contest, which was won by Bradford in 2025.

Three finalists will be chosen by an expert panel, with the winner awarded a £3m prize and two runners-up receiving £250,000 each. It has been launched as part of efforts to "restore pride in communities" with applicants encouraged to showcase their "unique stories", the government said.

Towns can start applying now and the strongest candidates will progress to a shortlist, with each shortlisted town receiving £60,000 in funding towards their final bid.

The first title will be awarded for 2028 when the winning town will start a year-long programme of cultural celebrations.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the competition was a chance for towns to "make a real difference to their local community".

"Great culture is not confined to our largest metropolitan centres; it is everywhere, rooted in communities across the country," she said. Her Wigan constituency is "fiercely proud" of its contribution to UK culture, she added, "from brass bands to Northern Soul".

Chairing the panel which will choose the UK Town of Culture for 2028 is Sir Phil Redmond, the television producer who created Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks. "Town of Culture is all about celebration, and that means actually telling us why your town is great," he told BBC Breakfast. He said the panel wants to hear "passionate, authentic voices", with pitches focused on the "unique story" of each place.

Isla Telford, co-founder of Urban Wilderness CIC, is working on a pitch for the town of Longton in Staffordshire. The town has a "really proud history of ceramics" and a "giant carnival" each year that tells the story of a pig, she told Breakfast. "It's a town that is very kind, we look after each other. We have creativity and talent running through our veins," she said.

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People are "at the heart of everything" in Ledbury, community project leader Nic Sims said

Community project leader Nic Sims, pitching the town of Ledbury in Herefordshire, said the local art gallery and poetry festival are highlights. "It's about bringing the rural element of what we've got around us that really makes these areas unique," he told Breakfast.

Another town planning to enter is Grimsby in Lincolnshire, which one resident told the BBC has been "overlooked" in the past.

In Scotland, Paisley and Perth are both potential bidders for the prize, the Scotsman newspaper reported.

Sir Phil said the impact of the prize for the winning town could be hugely significant, based on what has happened in the places that won the UK City of Culture title. He said about a decade later you see a "second wave" when young people who grew up in the area enter local positions of power and say "why can't we do it again?".

In Bradford, which has just finished its year as City of Culture, the impact has been felt "massively", said Richard Dunbar, who led audience engagement for the city's programme. "It renewed our pride on a scale we couldn't imagine," he told the BBC.

Millions more people visited the city during 2025 and the investment helped fund thousands of events and training for young people, Dunbar said. "It gives you that pride, but what it also does is gives the place and the people an opportunity to realise how good their place is, how good the arts is, how good they can tell their story," he added.

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Northampton, with a population larger than some cities, could still apply

Towns of all sizes across the UK are being encouraged to apply for the title. Towns like Reading, Luton and Northampton have populations larger than some cities, but they would still be eligible for UK Town of Culture because they do not have city status. The only towns that cannot apply are those which are part of Greater London.

To ensure towns of all sizes are represented, the competition's three finalists will include one small town (with under 20,000 population), one medium town (20,000 to 75,000) and one large town (over 75,000).

The government aims to announce a shortlist in the spring, with the winner chosen by early 2027. The government said the plan is part of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's "ambition to restore pride in every part of Britain". It follows the government's Pride in Place strategy launched in November 2025, which involves up to £10bn in funding to 244 towns across the country.

Officials to decide on CCTV for 'Wild West' path

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About 22 cameras could be installed between the Staple Hill tunnel and Warmley on the Bristol and Bath Railway Path

A decision on whether to install CCTV on part of a cycle path described as the "Wild West" by one robbery victim is set to be made in the coming weeks, a council has said.

South Gloucestershire Council wants to install 20 cameras on the Bristol and Bath Railway Path between the Staple Hill tunnel and the old Mangotsfield railway station, with two more at Warmley Waiting Room.

It comes after nine incidents along the South Gloucestershire section of the path were reported to Avon and Somerset Police in 2025. The force said issues were not always reported.

Following a consultation, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority is expected to make a decision on the proposals by 29 January.

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There were nine reports of anti-social and suspicious behaviour on the South Gloucestershire section of the path in 2025

Maths tutor Rowan Brunswick, 35, was robbed at knifepoint in 2024 and said the path is like the "Wild West" at night. Brunswick, whose bike was stolen during the incident, previously welcomed the council's plans.

According to police, there were nine reports of anti-social and suspicious behaviour along the section which runs through South Gloucestershire in 2025. These included:
- One report of youths with a suspected stolen motorbike
- One report of a bicycle being stolen
- One assault between schoolchildren
- One report of youths riding at speed on an e-bike
- One report of drug use
- One report of stolen property damaged and abandoned
- Three reports of suspicious behaviour

A police spokesperson said the force was aware of concerns about safety "especially during the darker evenings".

"South Gloucestershire neighbourhood police carry out routine patrols of the Bristol and Bath Railway Path," they added. "We'd encourage anyone who uses the path to report any incidents of crime or anti-social behaviour as soon as possible."

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A police spokesperson said issues on the cycle path were not always reported

A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council said the 2025 consultation on an improvement project for the path "generated a strong level of interest".

"We would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond and attend our drop-in events," they added. "After carefully reviewing all the responses, we submitted a full business case to the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority just before Christmas. We expect a decision on funding for these improvements in the coming weeks."

Free visitor parking could end in restricted zones

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Bristol City Council could scrap free visitor permits in residents-only parking zones

Free parking for people visiting those living within residents' parking zones in Bristol could be scrapped.

People living in areas impacted by the schemes currently get between 50 and 70 free visitor passes a year and can purchase the same number as they get for free for £1.30 per permit.

Bristol City Council is proposing an end to the free allocation of visitor permits, saying it will reduce short car journeys, encourage people to use public transport, and prioritise parking for residents.

The council also hopes to make visitor permits available only in batches of 10 at a cost of between £20 and £25 per batch. A consultation on the proposals will end on Wednesday.


(BBC article continues)

RAIL understands that the DfT still holds the land between Birmingham and Crewe with HS2’s compulsory purchase order powers for the now-cancelled Phase 2 expire on February 11. It’s thought discussions are under way to decide how to proceed.

High-speed mobile to be across Tube by end of year

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Mobile phone coverage is expected to be across the entire network by the end of 2026

More stations and underground sections of the Tube network across London now have high-speed mobile coverage, Transport for London (TfL) has said, including the first sections of the Circle and District lines.

The entire Elizabeth line is covered, as are Euston Square, Cannon Street and Battersea Power Station.

King's Cross St Pancras, Gloucester Road, Warwick Avenue and Vauxhall are due to go live in the next few months.

TfL said it also expected the vast majority of the Northern and Metropolitan lines to have coverage in the tunnels by the end of summer 2026.

The coverage will also host the new Emergency Services Network, which, when fully operational, will be able to give first responders immediate access to data.

Work will continue throughout 2026, with installation work along sections outside central London, and where smaller tunnelled sections need to be treated individually.

About 400 engineers are regularly working on the project overnight.

It is part of the mayor's manifesto to improve digital connectivity in London to increase innovation, productivity and growth.

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Engineers work overnight to install equipment

More information and coverage details are available at tfl.gov.uk/get-online.

GWR not showing the stock number or formations today.  Cross Country still there. Is the stock situation so bad??

As the present platforms at Manchester Picc are already at high level (The Metrolink trams in the undercroft are at ground level), I would be interested to see how that would work.