Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Dawlish - permanent resilience work - ongoing discussions In "London to the West" [371483/22771/12] Posted by ChrisB at 15:05, 24th January 2026 |      |
....and
Great Western Railway (GWR) said the sea wall at Dawlish would be inspected once the storm had passed and services would be suspended until at least 18:00 GMT.
Rail services have also been cancelled between Par and Newquay and Liskeard and Looe due to flooding.
GWR spokesman James Davis said: "There's been a significant amount of debris that the sea has thrown onto the track that will need to be cleared before we can run trains safely.
"The line remains closed and we have a limited bus replacement service operating.
"Clearly, if the same number of people choose to travel as normal you're going to find yourself waiting quite some time."
Rail services have also been cancelled between Par and Newquay and Liskeard and Looe due to flooding.
GWR spokesman James Davis said: "There's been a significant amount of debris that the sea has thrown onto the track that will need to be cleared before we can run trains safely.
"The line remains closed and we have a limited bus replacement service operating.
"Clearly, if the same number of people choose to travel as normal you're going to find yourself waiting quite some time."
| Re: Dawlish - permanent resilience work - ongoing discussions In "London to the West" [371482/22771/12] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 14:49, 24th January 2026 | |
The BBC news article has now been updated again.
With my thanks to the BBC, I will quote here a few items:
Video clip of Teignmouth Grand Pier being washed away - click on the link here to view;
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| Re: Copyright on the Coffee Shop [reference thread] In "News, Help and Assistance" [371481/31486/29] Posted by grahame at 14:27, 24th January 2026 | |
From my inbox - "I really don't want to claim copyright - they're just snaps I took and people can use them if they wish".
Tough - You get copyright protection automatically - you do not have to apply or pay a fee. There is not a register of copyright works in the UK. You automatically get copyright protection when you create: original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work, including illustration and photography. If you don't state under what copyright you publish works, I believe there's an implication that people need to ask to find out if they want to re-use the protected item. The [CN] tag documented in this thread lets you have the work seen in public but without a statement. I do NOT recommend you use it!
Your choices:
[CC] - People may use my picture, but I need credit (Creative Common)
[CR] - People may not use my picture (unless they have cleared it with me)
[PD] - Do what you like - I am putting it in the public domain
You coud also use
[C0] - Something else - please ask.
My original pictures are all Creative Commons (actually CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) as explained at https://www.wellho.info/pix/ - version 4 of the license and I allow you to copy and share. However
* Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
* NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
* NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
| Re: OTD - 23rd January (1947) - Start of the big freeze In "Railway History and related topics" [371480/25922/55] Posted by Clan Line at 14:00, 24th January 2026 | |
Winter 62/63. B390 between Knook Camp and Chitterne - after it had been "cleared". That bush is still there !!!
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| Re: North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2026 In "London to the Cotswolds" [371479/31371/14] Posted by Fourbee at 13:59, 24th January 2026 | |
A friend suggested going to Worcester yesterday. I wasn't enthusiastic as my first thought was the unreliability of the service and my second thought was sitting on a metal bar. Seems I should also have considered being left behind on a platform as well. I wonder how many discretionary travellers are put off by the current state of affairs (not just on this line).
| Re: North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2026 In "London to the Cotswolds" [371477/31371/14] Posted by Richard Fairhurst at 13:10, 24th January 2026 | |
3-coach Turbo on a Cotswold Line diagram today. Full and standing after Charlbury and it looked like fitting everyone on at Oxford was going to be entertaining…
| Re: Spain - recent railway incidents (merged posts) In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [371476/31475/52] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 13:08, 24th January 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Tragic chapter on the trains sends rail superpower Spain into crisis
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"Since the high-speed line was built, 30-something years ago, we never had any problems, it worked perfectly and was fantastic," says Alberto Montavez Montes, a shop-owner opposite Córdoba city hall, where the Spanish and Andalusian flags have been hanging at half-mast.
Now, though things feel different: "It's not that there's psychosis, but it does make you just a bit reluctant to get on a train, without a doubt."
In just a few tragic days since two high-speed trains collided in this southern region of Spain, with the loss of 45 lives, it has felt that Spain's much-vaunted rail system has been thrown into a sudden, deep crisis.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Spaniards observed three days of mourning this week as they reflected on the Adamuz disaster
Second only to China in scale, Spain has 3,900 km (2,400 miles) of high-speed (AVE) rail and until now its national network has been admired for its efficiency and safety.
In 2009, then-US president Barack Obama singled out Spain for praise when he outlined a vision for the creation of a high-speed rail network across America. The line connecting Madrid and Seville "is so successful that more people travel between those cities by rail than by car and airplane combined", he said.
At the time a Spanish-led consortium had just begun work on a high-speed link across the Saudi Arabian desert, confirming the country's status as a rail superpower. That reputation has been humbled this week.
Last Sunday, the back three carriages of a train run by private Italian operator Iryo derailed at high speed, along a straight stretch of track, into the path of an oncoming train run by national rail operator Renfe which bore the brunt of the crash.
Two days later, a trainee driver was killed when a wall collapsed on to a suburban rail line near Barcelona in the north-east after heavy rainfall, derailing a train.
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The same day another local train in Catalonia hit a rock, although nobody was injured. And on Thursday, several passengers on a narrow-gauge train suffered minor injuries when a crane struck a carriage.
Train drivers in Catalonia refused to work in the wake of the accident near Barcelona, demanding safety guarantees and contributing to two days without local rail services in the region.
Separately, train drivers' union Semaf has called a nationwide strike for three days in February over what it has described as "the constant deterioration of the rail network".
[Image from here is not available to guests]
A trainee driver was killed when a wall crashed on to his cab in Catalonia in heavy rain
In addition, several high-speed lines have had their speed limits temporarily reduced, due to safety concerns.
Throughout the week, delays, stoppages and other incidents affecting the rail system over recent months have been pored over in the media, while members of the public have aired grievances on social media about uncomfortable or alarming travel experiences.
...
A long delay between the high-speed crash and the rail and rescue services' realisation that two trains – rather than just one – had been involved has created doubts about the emergency response to such tragedies.
The government, the civil guard and an independent commission all continue to investigate the Andalusia crash, although sabotage and human error appear to have been ruled out.
Meanwhile politicians, commentators, and ordinary Spaniards have been debating the possible cause as well as highlighting weaknesses in Spain's overall rail system.
The amount of investment the rail network receives has come under particular scrutiny. The Socialist-led government has sought to dismiss such queries, pointing out, for example, that €700m (£605m) has been invested in updating the Madrid-Andalusia line in recent years, with the stretch of track where the accident took place included in that renovation.
"We're not looking at a problem of lack of maintenance, we're not looking at a problem of obsolete [infrastructure], and we're not looking at a problem of lack of investment," said the transport minister Óscar Puente.
A preliminary report by rail accident investigation commission CIAF has found that grooves found on the wheels of the derailed Iryo train and three earlier trains suggests that a fracture in the track occurred before the Iryo train went over it. Urging caution, Puente said he suspected "a problem that we have never seen on our network before."
Figures released by his ministry show a sharp increase in maintenance spending on the rail system since Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took office in 2018. However, other data tells a different story: Spain was bottom of an index published by German railway association Allianz pro Schiene of spending per capita on rail infrastructure by 14 European countries in 2024.
Salvador García-Ayllón, head of the civil engineering department at Cartagena's University-Polytechnic, described the high-speed network as being "the jewel in the crown of Spanish infrastructure".
However, the liberalisation of the rail sector in 2020, allowing France's Ouigo and Italy's Iryo to provide high-speed services, may have increased competitivity and reduced ticket prices, but it has also put more pressure on the system.
Around 22 million travellers currently use Spain's high-speed trains each year, around double the number prior to the liberalisation, and 17 times the number of users in 1992, the year the Madrid-Seville line was inaugurated.
Salvador García-Ayllón also points to new lines which have been built over recent years – including the north-western region of Galicia and the northern city of Burgos, with a new route along the Mediterranean under construction – whose upkeep presents a challenge. All of this, he said, has left Spanish rail "bursting at the seams".
"The challenge is not just to buy a Ferrari, you have to take the Ferrari to the garage," he said. "You have to invest in maintaining the infrastructure you have."
The high-speed rail system's reliability has dropped noticeably in recent years. In July of 2025, its trains were 19 minutes late on average, according to data provided by Renfe. Local rail has also seen a rise in incidences, such as delays, cancellations and technical problems, which have more than tripled since 2019 on the Madrid local Cercanías network.
Catalonia, which suffered the double accident on Tuesday, has had longstanding and well-documented deficiencies in its suburban Rodalies network, which have fed into its political tensions with Madrid over the last decade.
Perhaps inevitably, the recent tragedies have already spilled into the deeply divided political arena.
Far-right party Vox has said that "travelling in Spain [by train] is no longer safe", a claim that fits into its repeated insistence that the country is akin to a failed state. The main opposition People's Party (PP), meanwhile, has accused the government of hiding information about the high-speed crash.
The prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has acknowledged that the accident in southern Spain caused "irreparable" damage. Yet he also insisted that the high-speed network "is the cause of pride for the country". Not so long ago, few Spaniards would have queried that assertion. Now, many will find it hard to agree.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
"Since the high-speed line was built, 30-something years ago, we never had any problems, it worked perfectly and was fantastic," says Alberto Montavez Montes, a shop-owner opposite Córdoba city hall, where the Spanish and Andalusian flags have been hanging at half-mast.
Now, though things feel different: "It's not that there's psychosis, but it does make you just a bit reluctant to get on a train, without a doubt."
In just a few tragic days since two high-speed trains collided in this southern region of Spain, with the loss of 45 lives, it has felt that Spain's much-vaunted rail system has been thrown into a sudden, deep crisis.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Spaniards observed three days of mourning this week as they reflected on the Adamuz disaster
Second only to China in scale, Spain has 3,900 km (2,400 miles) of high-speed (AVE) rail and until now its national network has been admired for its efficiency and safety.
In 2009, then-US president Barack Obama singled out Spain for praise when he outlined a vision for the creation of a high-speed rail network across America. The line connecting Madrid and Seville "is so successful that more people travel between those cities by rail than by car and airplane combined", he said.
At the time a Spanish-led consortium had just begun work on a high-speed link across the Saudi Arabian desert, confirming the country's status as a rail superpower. That reputation has been humbled this week.
Last Sunday, the back three carriages of a train run by private Italian operator Iryo derailed at high speed, along a straight stretch of track, into the path of an oncoming train run by national rail operator Renfe which bore the brunt of the crash.
Two days later, a trainee driver was killed when a wall collapsed on to a suburban rail line near Barcelona in the north-east after heavy rainfall, derailing a train.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
The same day another local train in Catalonia hit a rock, although nobody was injured. And on Thursday, several passengers on a narrow-gauge train suffered minor injuries when a crane struck a carriage.
Train drivers in Catalonia refused to work in the wake of the accident near Barcelona, demanding safety guarantees and contributing to two days without local rail services in the region.
Separately, train drivers' union Semaf has called a nationwide strike for three days in February over what it has described as "the constant deterioration of the rail network".
[Image from here is not available to guests]
A trainee driver was killed when a wall crashed on to his cab in Catalonia in heavy rain
In addition, several high-speed lines have had their speed limits temporarily reduced, due to safety concerns.
Throughout the week, delays, stoppages and other incidents affecting the rail system over recent months have been pored over in the media, while members of the public have aired grievances on social media about uncomfortable or alarming travel experiences.
...
A long delay between the high-speed crash and the rail and rescue services' realisation that two trains – rather than just one – had been involved has created doubts about the emergency response to such tragedies.
The government, the civil guard and an independent commission all continue to investigate the Andalusia crash, although sabotage and human error appear to have been ruled out.
Meanwhile politicians, commentators, and ordinary Spaniards have been debating the possible cause as well as highlighting weaknesses in Spain's overall rail system.
The amount of investment the rail network receives has come under particular scrutiny. The Socialist-led government has sought to dismiss such queries, pointing out, for example, that €700m (£605m) has been invested in updating the Madrid-Andalusia line in recent years, with the stretch of track where the accident took place included in that renovation.
"We're not looking at a problem of lack of maintenance, we're not looking at a problem of obsolete [infrastructure], and we're not looking at a problem of lack of investment," said the transport minister Óscar Puente.
A preliminary report by rail accident investigation commission CIAF has found that grooves found on the wheels of the derailed Iryo train and three earlier trains suggests that a fracture in the track occurred before the Iryo train went over it. Urging caution, Puente said he suspected "a problem that we have never seen on our network before."
Figures released by his ministry show a sharp increase in maintenance spending on the rail system since Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took office in 2018. However, other data tells a different story: Spain was bottom of an index published by German railway association Allianz pro Schiene of spending per capita on rail infrastructure by 14 European countries in 2024.
Salvador García-Ayllón, head of the civil engineering department at Cartagena's University-Polytechnic, described the high-speed network as being "the jewel in the crown of Spanish infrastructure".
However, the liberalisation of the rail sector in 2020, allowing France's Ouigo and Italy's Iryo to provide high-speed services, may have increased competitivity and reduced ticket prices, but it has also put more pressure on the system.
Around 22 million travellers currently use Spain's high-speed trains each year, around double the number prior to the liberalisation, and 17 times the number of users in 1992, the year the Madrid-Seville line was inaugurated.
Salvador García-Ayllón also points to new lines which have been built over recent years – including the north-western region of Galicia and the northern city of Burgos, with a new route along the Mediterranean under construction – whose upkeep presents a challenge. All of this, he said, has left Spanish rail "bursting at the seams".
"The challenge is not just to buy a Ferrari, you have to take the Ferrari to the garage," he said. "You have to invest in maintaining the infrastructure you have."
The high-speed rail system's reliability has dropped noticeably in recent years. In July of 2025, its trains were 19 minutes late on average, according to data provided by Renfe. Local rail has also seen a rise in incidences, such as delays, cancellations and technical problems, which have more than tripled since 2019 on the Madrid local Cercanías network.
Catalonia, which suffered the double accident on Tuesday, has had longstanding and well-documented deficiencies in its suburban Rodalies network, which have fed into its political tensions with Madrid over the last decade.
Perhaps inevitably, the recent tragedies have already spilled into the deeply divided political arena.
Far-right party Vox has said that "travelling in Spain [by train] is no longer safe", a claim that fits into its repeated insistence that the country is akin to a failed state. The main opposition People's Party (PP), meanwhile, has accused the government of hiding information about the high-speed crash.
The prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has acknowledged that the accident in southern Spain caused "irreparable" damage. Yet he also insisted that the high-speed network "is the cause of pride for the country". Not so long ago, few Spaniards would have queried that assertion. Now, many will find it hard to agree.
| Re: Dawlish - permanent resilience work - ongoing discussions In "London to the West" [371475/22771/12] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 12:38, 24th January 2026 | |
The BBC news item has been updated to include this image:
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Thanks for that, Ingrid. [Image from here is not available to guests]
| Re: Dawlish - permanent resilience work - ongoing discussions In "London to the West" [371474/22771/12] Posted by IndustryInsider at 12:21, 24th January 2026 Already liked by Chris from Nailsea, Oxonhutch | |
Blimey! [Image from here is not available to guests] [Image from here is not available to guests]
Sometimes you just have to admit that mother nature has won this battle.
I wonder if we'd have been talking about 2014 levels of damage had the resiliance works not been undertaken?
| Re: Number of police forces in England and Wales to be cut in major shake-up In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371473/31503/31] Posted by Electric train at 12:12, 24th January 2026 | |
As one of the smallest (if not the smallest) forces in the UK I suspect that Wiltshire will be one of those forced to merge.
I am assuming since the fire service was merged with Dorset, that that will be the likely outcome. Given the proximity of Salisbury to the Dorset border I suppose this makes sense.
However, our health services cooperate to the west where there is also a large centre of population on the border so that would also make sense.
Remembering the proposals for a Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset combined authority I wonder if a much larger force covering Wilts Dorset and Avon and Somerset will be the outcome.
I am assuming since the fire service was merged with Dorset, that that will be the likely outcome. Given the proximity of Salisbury to the Dorset border I suppose this makes sense.
However, our health services cooperate to the west where there is also a large centre of population on the border so that would also make sense.
Remembering the proposals for a Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset combined authority I wonder if a much larger force covering Wilts Dorset and Avon and Somerset will be the outcome.
City of London is the smallest - would imagine that may merge with the Met?
Not sure about that, City of London Police is funded mostly by the Corporation of London ie the City.
I can see TVP being merged with Hampshire, possibly Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire as well; TVP is already the largest non-metropolitan Police force in England
| Re: Number of police forces in England and Wales to be cut in major shake-up In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371472/31503/31] Posted by eightonedee at 11:59, 24th January 2026 Already liked by rogerw, GBM | |
From the local press, it is clear that the Thames Valley and Hampshire forces now share a lot of resources, so a merger of these seems likely.
There is anecdotal evidence from the merger of ambulance services that while costs might be saved, the loss of more detailed local knowledge can cause problems, for example in getting help speedily to a specific address. The control structure and training of front line staff will be important.
As to Bob's point about "non-crime hate incidents", I suspect this might be driven by Home Office directed guidance and policy, backed up by unconscious bias training and similar innovations of recent decades. We have to remember that Police work goes well beyond detecting crime, to generally trying to ensure safety and public order, right down to such difficult jobs like dealing with informing relatives of accidental deaths and attending suicides and serious accidents.
I do though agree that the non-crime hate business went too far, particularly as it gives the impression that some hate is permitted, and other hate is not. We should just be grateful that we don't have trigger-happy armed state organisations roaming our streets - here's looking at you (again) Donald Trump.
| 'Platform slip shows issues for blind rail users' In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [371471/31504/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 11:50, 24th January 2026 Already liked by Bryony | |
From the BBC:
'Platform slip shows issues for blind rail users'
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Terri Ballon, seen with her guide dog Cinnamon, wants better passenger assistance for railway users
A blind woman who slipped on an icy platform after stepping off a train has joined calls to increase accessibility on the public transport network.
Terri Ballon, from Leigh in Greater Manchester, said she nearly fell when no support staff were available to help her when her train arrived at London Euston earlier this month, despite her having booked passenger assistance, external.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) campaign officer said other commuters had also reported "unreliable and inconsistent" passenger assistance services.
The Department for Transport has been asked to comment.
In a recent report, the RNIB said more than 60% of 1,200 respondents had revealed they had not been consistently met by staff at stations, despite booking passenger assistance in advance.
Terri, 64, said she the passenger assistance support on her recent journey to London during railworks over the new year had gone "extremely well" until the train's arrival. "When I alighted at Euston, the member of staff wasn't there initially and because it was icy on the platform, as I stepped off of the train, my foot slipped and I almost fell. If I'd have fallen, I would have hit my head backwards on the step of the train." She added that her personal experience of rail transport overall was "very mixed".
"There are some areas and places that are absolutely brilliant. Some of that is due perhaps to being a regular customer and known, and then there are some other situations which are really, really, very distressing."
She said there was no accessible toilet on the train to London earlier this month, meaning she "had to use the small cubicle ones with the door slightly open with my guide dog's lead". Terri continued: "So my dog had to stand through the open doorway. Now that's OK for myself - it's not great - but for other disabled people, that's obviously a very serious issue indeed."
Nearly 80% of respondents to the RNIB survey also reported challenges finding their carriage and an appropriate seat. Poor quality audio on rail announcements was also a problem for about 55% of respondents, while two thirds said they had experienced problems opening train doors.
Terri said the majority believed said they would benefit from "tactile wayfinding, which is a tactile-coloured path on the floor that would direct a person to important station facilities such as platforms". However she described the government's recent announcement that they would not improve accessibility at 19 stations as a "concern for us as well as obviously many other disabled people". She also said the "retention of a ticket office is vital, not only as a key point for passengers being able to locate where they can get assistance, but also in the purchase of the ticket".
Erik Matthies, RNIB's policy lead for travel and transport, said: "With the government's new Railways Bill, working towards the establishment of Great British Railways, now is a perfect opportunity to address these issues."
A spokeswoman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operating companies, said improving accessibility was "essential to making sure passengers can travel independently". She added: "We know sometimes we don't get it right, but the whole rail industry is working hard to improve how we support passengers with accessibility needs."
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Terri Ballon, seen with her guide dog Cinnamon, wants better passenger assistance for railway users
A blind woman who slipped on an icy platform after stepping off a train has joined calls to increase accessibility on the public transport network.
Terri Ballon, from Leigh in Greater Manchester, said she nearly fell when no support staff were available to help her when her train arrived at London Euston earlier this month, despite her having booked passenger assistance, external.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) campaign officer said other commuters had also reported "unreliable and inconsistent" passenger assistance services.
The Department for Transport has been asked to comment.
In a recent report, the RNIB said more than 60% of 1,200 respondents had revealed they had not been consistently met by staff at stations, despite booking passenger assistance in advance.
Terri, 64, said she the passenger assistance support on her recent journey to London during railworks over the new year had gone "extremely well" until the train's arrival. "When I alighted at Euston, the member of staff wasn't there initially and because it was icy on the platform, as I stepped off of the train, my foot slipped and I almost fell. If I'd have fallen, I would have hit my head backwards on the step of the train." She added that her personal experience of rail transport overall was "very mixed".
"There are some areas and places that are absolutely brilliant. Some of that is due perhaps to being a regular customer and known, and then there are some other situations which are really, really, very distressing."
She said there was no accessible toilet on the train to London earlier this month, meaning she "had to use the small cubicle ones with the door slightly open with my guide dog's lead". Terri continued: "So my dog had to stand through the open doorway. Now that's OK for myself - it's not great - but for other disabled people, that's obviously a very serious issue indeed."
Nearly 80% of respondents to the RNIB survey also reported challenges finding their carriage and an appropriate seat. Poor quality audio on rail announcements was also a problem for about 55% of respondents, while two thirds said they had experienced problems opening train doors.
Terri said the majority believed said they would benefit from "tactile wayfinding, which is a tactile-coloured path on the floor that would direct a person to important station facilities such as platforms". However she described the government's recent announcement that they would not improve accessibility at 19 stations as a "concern for us as well as obviously many other disabled people". She also said the "retention of a ticket office is vital, not only as a key point for passengers being able to locate where they can get assistance, but also in the purchase of the ticket".
Erik Matthies, RNIB's policy lead for travel and transport, said: "With the government's new Railways Bill, working towards the establishment of Great British Railways, now is a perfect opportunity to address these issues."
A spokeswoman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operating companies, said improving accessibility was "essential to making sure passengers can travel independently". She added: "We know sometimes we don't get it right, but the whole rail industry is working hard to improve how we support passengers with accessibility needs."
| Re: OTD - 24th January (2007&8) - Unrest at First's franchise performance In "Railway History and related topics" [371470/25928/55] Posted by eightonedee at 11:42, 24th January 2026 Already liked by Bryony | |
Hypothetical, but those figures would have been even higher had it not been for the reset enforced by covid.
...or indeed the reputation for unreliability that some of their services now have (see our own boards for Swindon-Westbury and the North Cotswolds line) and also in our part of the world, the loss of direct trains to Oxford from all stations between Tilehurst and Cholsey.
| Re: Dawlish - permanent resilience work - ongoing discussions In "London to the West" [371468/22771/12] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 10:41, 24th January 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Storm Ingrid: Part of historic Teignmouth pier washes away in 'wild' storm
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Part of Teignmouth Grand Pier has washed away in the storm
Part of a historic pier has washed away as Storm Ingrid brings heavy rain and strong winds to Devon and Cornwall.
Teignmouth mayor Cate Williams said the town had "taken a real battering" overnight into Saturday with "just wild" waves damaging part of the Teignmouth Grand Pier.
A Met Office yellow warning for rain is in place until 22:00 GMT and the Environment Agency said flood warnings were in place across the south Devon and south Cornwall coasts.
Great Western Railway said the line between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth would remain shut until at least 14:00 because a "significant amount of debris" was on the track at Dawlish due to waves breaching the sea wall.
Teignmouth's mayor said it was "sad" to see part of the resort's pier, which opened in 1867, washed away. "It has lost part of the pier structure itself, that has dissolved and gone away into the sea," she said. "It's an old pier and it was needing some attention and I suppose age and wear and tear has taken its toll. It has survived many weather conditions as well as world wars. It's sad when you look at it now to see some of it now missing."
[Image from here is not available to guests]
A tree fell down in Heavitree Park in Exeter during high winds
Trees have also come down across the region, with one blocking both lanes of the A377 near Lapford, Devon County Council said.
Cornwall Council warned trees might still be weak or unstable following Storm Goretti.
Meanwhile, Network Rail issued a black alert, its highest warning, as 12ft (4m) waves hit the sea wall at Dawlish. It is only the second time a black alert has been issued since a storm destroyed sections of the track around Dawlish in February 2014.
Rail services have also been cancelled between Par and Newquay and Liskeard and Looe due to flooding.
GWR said the sea wall at Dawlish would be inspected once the storm had passed. The firm advised passengers to avoid rail travel until later with tickets remaining valid on Sunday.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Waves overtopped the sea wall at Penzance on Friday
GWR spokesman James Davis said: "There's been a significant amount of debris that the sea has thrown onto the track that will need to be cleared before we can run trains safely. The line remains closed and we have a limited bus replacement service operating. Clearly, if the same number of people choose to travel as normal you're going to find yourself waiting quite some time."
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Part of Teignmouth Grand Pier has washed away in the storm
Part of a historic pier has washed away as Storm Ingrid brings heavy rain and strong winds to Devon and Cornwall.
Teignmouth mayor Cate Williams said the town had "taken a real battering" overnight into Saturday with "just wild" waves damaging part of the Teignmouth Grand Pier.
A Met Office yellow warning for rain is in place until 22:00 GMT and the Environment Agency said flood warnings were in place across the south Devon and south Cornwall coasts.
Great Western Railway said the line between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth would remain shut until at least 14:00 because a "significant amount of debris" was on the track at Dawlish due to waves breaching the sea wall.
Teignmouth's mayor said it was "sad" to see part of the resort's pier, which opened in 1867, washed away. "It has lost part of the pier structure itself, that has dissolved and gone away into the sea," she said. "It's an old pier and it was needing some attention and I suppose age and wear and tear has taken its toll. It has survived many weather conditions as well as world wars. It's sad when you look at it now to see some of it now missing."
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A tree fell down in Heavitree Park in Exeter during high winds
Trees have also come down across the region, with one blocking both lanes of the A377 near Lapford, Devon County Council said.
Cornwall Council warned trees might still be weak or unstable following Storm Goretti.
Meanwhile, Network Rail issued a black alert, its highest warning, as 12ft (4m) waves hit the sea wall at Dawlish. It is only the second time a black alert has been issued since a storm destroyed sections of the track around Dawlish in February 2014.
Rail services have also been cancelled between Par and Newquay and Liskeard and Looe due to flooding.
GWR said the sea wall at Dawlish would be inspected once the storm had passed. The firm advised passengers to avoid rail travel until later with tickets remaining valid on Sunday.
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Waves overtopped the sea wall at Penzance on Friday
GWR spokesman James Davis said: "There's been a significant amount of debris that the sea has thrown onto the track that will need to be cleared before we can run trains safely. The line remains closed and we have a limited bus replacement service operating. Clearly, if the same number of people choose to travel as normal you're going to find yourself waiting quite some time."
| Re: Dawlish - permanent resilience work - ongoing discussions In "London to the West" [371467/22771/12] Posted by JayMac at 10:35, 24th January 2026 Already liked by Chris from Nailsea, GBM | |
Many less informed people on social media complain that it's modern trains' inability to cope with a spray of seawater being the reason trains are on stop. That is a concern, but the main reason is passenger (and staff) safety.
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Oh, and spare a thought for this Network Rail worker:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HASxXofpJ/
| Re: Dawlish - permanent resilience work - ongoing discussions In "London to the West" [371465/22771/12] Posted by a-driver at 10:33, 24th January 2026 | |
Reading elsewhere suggestions that it's the line-side wall separating the railway from the coast path rather than the sea wall itself but yes, I would imagine it will slow the reopening somewhat?
The picture shows which part of the wall has been damaged. I only define it as part of the seawall purely because without it the track bed would continually be washed away or flooded.
| Re: Hampshire County Council plans charges for roadwork lane closures In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [371464/31487/51] Posted by Richard Fairhurst at 10:29, 24th January 2026 | |
Oxfordshire is implementing one of these too:
https://oxfordclarion.uk/the-clarion-11-november-2025/
Lane Rental Schemes in other areas have exempted Network Rail from charges, which is perhaps just as well, as the Botley Road railway bridge closure would have been charged at £3m for 1,239 days.
| Re: Number of police forces in England and Wales to be cut in major shake-up In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371463/31503/31] Posted by TaplowGreen at 10:26, 24th January 2026 | |
As one of the smallest (if not the smallest) forces in the UK I suspect that Wiltshire will be one of those forced to merge.
I am assuming since the fire service was merged with Dorset, that that will be the likely outcome. Given the proximity of Salisbury to the Dorset border I suppose this makes sense.
However, our health services cooperate to the west where there is also a large centre of population on the border so that would also make sense.
Remembering the proposals for a Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset combined authority I wonder if a much larger force covering Wilts Dorset and Avon and Somerset will be the outcome.
I am assuming since the fire service was merged with Dorset, that that will be the likely outcome. Given the proximity of Salisbury to the Dorset border I suppose this makes sense.
However, our health services cooperate to the west where there is also a large centre of population on the border so that would also make sense.
Remembering the proposals for a Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset combined authority I wonder if a much larger force covering Wilts Dorset and Avon and Somerset will be the outcome.
City of London is the smallest - would imagine that may merge with the Met?
| Re: Dawlish - permanent resilience work - ongoing discussions In "London to the West" [371462/22771/12] Posted by TaplowGreen at 10:21, 24th January 2026 | |
Reading elsewhere suggestions that it's the line-side wall separating the railway from the coast path rather than the sea wall itself but yes, I would imagine it will slow the reopening somewhat?
| Re: Dawlish - permanent resilience work - ongoing discussions In "London to the West" [371461/22771/12] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 10:17, 24th January 2026 | |
Blimey! [Image from here is not available to guests] [Image from here is not available to guests]
| Re: Dawlish - permanent resilience work - ongoing discussions In "London to the West" [371458/22771/12] Posted by a-driver at 09:47, 24th January 2026 | |
Part of the seawall has been knocked over onto the down main.
I can't see it opening today, from Coast Cams there's still waves crashing over and the line through the Dawlish station appears to be flooded
| Re: Number of police forces in England and Wales to be cut in major shake-up In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371457/31503/31] Posted by ellendune at 09:37, 24th January 2026 | |
As one of the smallest (if not the smallest) forces in the UK I suspect that Wiltshire will be one of those forced to merge.
I am assuming since the fire service was merged with Dorset, that that will be the likely outcome. Given the proximity of Salisbury to the Dorset border I suppose this makes sense.
However, our health services cooperate to the west where there is also a large centre of population on the border so that would also make sense.
Remembering the proposals for a Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset combined authority I wonder if a much larger force covering Wilts Dorset and Avon and Somerset will be the outcome.
| Re: Number of police forces in England and Wales to be cut in major shake-up In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371456/31503/31] Posted by grahame at 09:35, 24th January 2026 | |
Police forces and areas date back, don't they, to a far less mobile age? Yet at the same time so much activity is seen to be very local. There is already, I have observed, a mechanism in place to loan police officers across force boundaries in the event of a signifiant need in another force area. I've heard enough to wonder and know the questions and comment that perhaps policing needs to catch up with a more joined up structure, but I don't know enough to suggest how that might best be done.
| Re: OTD - 24th January (2007&8) - Unrest at First's franchise performance In "Railway History and related topics" [371455/25928/55] Posted by grahame at 09:01, 24th January 2026 | |
... and now 19 years ago. [Image from here is not available to guests]
Has nothing been learned, or done, in that time? [Image from here is not available to guests]
Has nothing been learned, or done, in that time? [Image from here is not available to guests]
Some things HAVE been done and learned ... but they have not caught up with demand. Demand has risen from 1.1 billion to 1.6 billion journeys per annum from 2006 to 2026 ... and in 2006 it had already risen from 0.7 billion journey two decades earlier. Hypothetical, but those figures would have been even higher had it not been for the reset enforced by covid.
| Re: Number of police forces in England and Wales to be cut in major shake-up In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371454/31503/31] Posted by Bob_Blakey at 08:48, 24th January 2026 | |
Instead of a wholesale reorganisation how about we get our political 'leaders' (=Home Office, best of luck with that) to instruct the police forces to do their job properly?
The antics of the College of Policing regarding Non-Crime Hate Incidents (NCHI's) prove that at least part of the overall service has 'gone native' and needs to be reined in.
Any UK body which is funded from the public purse should understand that they are required to do as they are bloody well told and that authority can only come from our elected representatives.
