Closure of crossing extended after boy hit by train

The closure of a footpath level crossing has been extended by six months after a 14-year-old boy was fatally struck by a train in Nottinghamshire.

Josh Travis died when he was hit by the train in Burton Joyce on 26 November. His death is not being treated as suspicious, British Transport Police (BTP) said.

Network Rail confirmed on Thursday that the public footpath over Chestnut Grove level crossing had been extended until 26 May.

A consultation on whether to permanently close the footpath level crossing had opened days before Josh's death, after Network Rail had applied to Nottinghamshire County Council to close it on safety grounds in March.

The rail body had warned it posed a "very real risk of serious incident" and reported a 19 near-misses from 2020 until March this year.

As part of the application to "extinguish the public right of way", the county council confirmed it opened the consultation on 20 November.


An emergency closure of the crossing has been in place since the day after Josh died

An emergency closure was agreed the day after Josh's death. This closure, which was initially in place for 21 days, has now been extended.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) added it was conducting a preliminary examination.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "A temporary traffic regulation order (TTRO) for the public footpath over Chestnut Grove level crossing has been approved by the local authority. This will come into effect on 18 December, immediately following the emergency closure period, and lasts until 26 May 2026. Our application for the crossing to be permanently closed will continue to follow the local authority's process in the meantime."

The county council added "further investigations will be undertaken by Network Rail and other stakeholders into long-term solutions".

To be fair, it wasn't the train crew who caused the problem: that was due to a security guard from a third-party contractor who locked up without checking the last train had arrived.

I suspect Northern will be having some stern words with their third party contractor. 

The latest Oxford Clarion newsletter reports that GWR have applied to the ORR to introduce a full Oxford–Bristol service. Every two hours from May 2026, increasing to every hour from May 2027.

To be fair, it wasn't the train crew who caused the problem: that was due to a security guard from a third-party contractor who locked up without checking the last train had arrived.

I suspect Northern will be having some stern words with their third party contractor. 

Always good to be able to pluck a diamond from a turd! 

Both reinstated at 06:49.

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00
14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew

Building work was carried out between July 2024 and May 2025

Work to restore Oswestry's Cambrian Railway building has been recognised with a national award.

The work on the building, headed by Shropshire Council, was done between July 2024 and May 2025. Improvements included fixing the building's exterior, removing asbestos tiles, painting and installing nest boxes for swifts in the eaves and bat roosting tiles along the roof.

The project won the BAM Nuttall Partnership Award at the National Railway Heritage Awards on Wednesday. The works were funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Shropshire Council, with the work carried out by local building conservation specialists Phillips and Curry Ltd.

The building, which is Grade II listed, opened in 1866, and has multiple uses since it ceased operating as a railway station in 1966, Shropshire Council said. It served as the local railway station and the Cambrian Railway headquarters, key in connecting Oswestry and north Wales.

The authority took possession of the building in 2023 after years of neglect, and storm damage the year prior. Now, the building is let to local railway charity Cambrian Heritage Railways.

"This building holds significant cultural value for our community, and these essential repairs will ensure it remains safe and usable for future generations," said Roger Evans, cabinet member for finance.

"Shropshire Council took possession of this historic building, to help secure a viable long term use for it. We're committed to maintaining the heritage and integrity of this important site and we look forward to finding a suitable use for it so that it can continue to serve the community for many years to come."

That's the sequence I found, but stop Y was not in those maps and lists, no doubt because they were produced by Swindon Bus Company. Route 9 is a Stagecoach one, so it only appears in maps made by the council. So you need a bit of local knowledge ...

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09

Facilities on the 05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09.
Toilet facilities are reduced.

Additional Facilities Information
No accessible toilet available.