Train firms warned over ‘best price’ claims after watchdog bans ads
Advertising regulator said operators and a ticket seller could not prove bookings were cheapest

Train companies have been warned over price claims made on their ticketing websites after the advertising watchdog banned ads run by three sellers.

The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that claims made for fares booked via ScotRail and Greater Anglia’s website, as well as by a third-party ticketing site, My Train Ticket, were misleading.

In all three cases, the ASA said, it found the companies could not provide evidence to show that people would get the lowest available price by booking train tickets through them.

[....continues]

Boat stranded on canal hole edge pulled to safety


The Pacemaker was left perilously close to tipping into the large hole

A narrowboat that was left teetering on the edge of a giant hole after part of a canal in Shropshire collapsed has been pulled to safety.

Paul Stowe's boat, the Pacemaker, was perilously close to falling into the hole on the Llangollen Canal in Whitchurch, which opened up on Monday after an "embankment failure". Mr Stowe, originally from Solihull, escaped barefoot with his wife, son, and two cats at about 04:10 GMT after he woke and heard rushing water "equivalent to the Niagara Falls".

Shropshire Council said the boat, which the family live on, was rescued at about 22:00 on Tuesday using a specialist winch operation. Once in location, the winch was able to haul the boat along the drained canal away from the breach hole," the authority said in a statement. "The boat is now safely located next to the lift bridge," the council said, adding that it would be refloated in the new year, when a dam would be constructed beyond the boat.

Overnight, water was pumped into dammed sections created by the Canal and River Trust on Tuesday, and as of 06:00 on Wednesday, water levels were recovering. "This means that one of the boats near to the breach site, plus six further up the canal, are now beginning to refloat," it said. "They are expected to be fully afloat by later today."

Mr Stowe previously told the BBC that all of his and his family's possessions were on the boat, and that they had escaped with only the clothes on their backs. He said they had no phones or credit cards, and added his birthday was on Christmas Day. "I'm not sure I'll ever moor in this area again, I'm not sure I'll ever moor on an embankment again," he said. "I'll be honest with you, it's very debatable [that] I'll ever want to go on a boat again."

The authority added that investigations had begun into what caused the collapse. "This will continue after the new year together with the initial plans to recover the two boats in the breach hole and the long and costly process of rebuilding and reinstating the canal."

"Now the initial emergency response, including the concern for boaters' immediate safety, has passed, our teams have been working hard to refill the Llangollen Canal around the site of the breach," said Campbell Robb, chief executive of the Canal and River Trust. "This will mean the boats in the immediate area are refloating, and navigation along other affected areas will be restored."

He said the trust would be providing regular updates and assurance to the local community and boating community in the coming weeks. "Thankfully, breaches of this scale are relatively rare, but, when they do occur, they're expensive and complicated to fix," he said.

The trust previously told the BBC that repairs could take months.

Is Portishead 3 years away ?

Yesterday DfT published a WECA update which on page 21 shows competition as October 2027 (just under 2 years time)

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/693c0aedcfacd5e888491ed1/weca-crsts-annual-monitoring-report-24-25.pdf

ScotRail's 'cheapest tickets' claim is misleading, watchdog rules



ScotRail has been ordered to withdraw claims that it offers the "cheapest tickets" on its website after a watchdog ruled this was misleading.

In August, adverts on its journey planner claimed it was "unbeatable on price" and customers should "book direct for the best price".

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint from long-time campaigner George Eckerton in finding that ScotRail had no evidence to back up those claims.

The rail operator said it has changed the wording on the website, and remains committed to offering great value for money.

Following the ruling, Mr Eckerton told BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live programme he hoped it would "set a precedent for how we market rail travel in Scotland and across the UK" from now on. He said: "If you say you sell the cheapest possible fare, it actually needs to be cheaper than anywhere else, and that wasn't case. It's an inherently complex system – I get that. But that doesn't mean that we can't make it clearer through marketing and sell people the best fare for their circumstances. Hopefully ScotRail and others can reflect on how we sell train tickets across the UK, because I think we should be honest with passengers."

His complaint to the ASA referred to an advert which appeared on the ScotRail website's journey planner section in August. It featured statements such as "get cheapest tickets" and "book direct for our best price".‎‎ Another page titled "find the right ticket" featured a tab labelled "buy tickets". That tab could be clicked on to reveal a drop-down box with a journey planner, under which text stated "unbeatable on price".

ScotRail said the claim "book direct for our best price" referred to the fact that consumers who booked directly with ScotRail always paid the lowest price it offered. A spokesperson said the rail industry operated under regulated fares with a centrally-controlled fares database from which all accredited retailers sourced their ticket prices. They said they applied no additional booking fees to those standard fares, unlike some third-party retailers and competitors, which meant they could guarantee their best price when a consumer booked with them directly.

The ASA ruling said: "As stated, we considered the overall impression of the ad was that consumers would be able to find the cheapest ticket for a particular journey on the ScotRail website. As such, we considered that the claims 'get cheapest tickets', 'book direct for our best price', and 'unbeatable on price' discouraged consumers from searching elsewhere for cheaper tickets. However, they provided no evidence that, through purchasing tickets separately on the ScotRail website, they would always beat competitors' prices."

The ASA said that the ad must not appear again and told ScotRail to ensure they do not mislead consumers by claiming they could offer the lowest price available if that was not the case. The ruling came as part of a wider piece of work related to online ads in the rail industry concerning "lowest" or "cheapest" price claims, with ruling against Abellio Greater Anglia and mytrainticket.co.uk also published.

George Eckerton had also complained to the UK government about price claims made by the rail operator Northern, which were subsequently changed without the need for ASA involvement. Mr Eckerton, who has spent the past 10 years campaigning for cheaper rail travel in Scotland, said: "I complained to ScotRail but didn't get much more of a response (other) than, 'we'll consider it'.  I just hope that going forward, and in the spirt of Christmas, we can all learn and move forward."

Claire Dickie, ScotRail's commercial director, said: "Our aim is always to provide clear, accurate information to customers, and we regret that the website messages did not fully reflect the ASA's requirements. We take great care to ensure all promotional material meets advertising standards and expectations and will further review our processes to make sure we maintain the highest standards of compliance."

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00 will no longer call at Melksham.
This is due to a late running freight train.

No7. Bradford On Avon I think.
And while I'm here
Wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year .

WWII bridge to be demolished amid £11m project



A historic bridge which played a vital role in a town's war effort will be demolished when the railway tracks fall quiet on Christmas Day.

Winterstoke Road Bridge in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, was built in 1941 to provide access to the RAF's aeroplane production factory in Oldmixon.

North Somerset Council said due to its age, "it is now approaching a condition where, if not replaced, it would have to permanently close within five to 10 years".

It is being replaced with an £11m new bridge, external, which will stretch over a mainline railway between Bristol and Taunton, and is scheduled to open in spring 2027.

Winterstoke Road Bridge closed to traffic at the end of November, with pedestrians able to use a replacement bridge.

The old bridge is demolished on Christmas Day to coincide with seasonal railway closures.


The 31m by 12m (101 x 31ft) structure was originally built to help support the country's aviation industry

Councillor Mike Bell, council leader, described the road and foot crossing as a "mainstay" for communities. "In recent years the bridge has enabled around 20,000 journeys each day, testament to the part it plays in our local transport network," he added. "It is a crucial route, which is why it's important that the ageing bridge is replaced with one built to last for the next 120 years."


A temporary footbridge has been installed over the railway, ensuring safe non-vehicle access during the main works

The new bridge will include improved pedestrian and cycle access, and support heavier traffic by removing the current 7.5 tonne weight restriction - allowing buses, emergency vehicles, and larger goods vehicles to use the route again.

Octavius Infrastructure and the council are delivering the £11m replacement project, which is mainly funded by the Ministry of Defence.

Councillor John Crockford-Hawley, the authority's heritage champion, added: "The wartime stories of Winterstoke Road, the factories and the iconic Bristol Beaufighter will live on in the pages of our rich local history."

During World War Two, Oldmixon was chosen as one of three locations in Weston to expand aeroplane production, and in 1941 the factory's first Bristol Beaufighter aircraft took to the air. The bridge opened to public traffic after the war.

May I post here, to the effect that I have probably only continued to quote such ongoing 'news' updates from the BBC, as they enable me to add yet more fresh images of ferries on this forum.

I love ferries. CfN.

06:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 09:29 will be reinstated.
It will be terminated at Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:24/12/2025 02:59

09:56 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 12:23 will be reinstated.
It will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:24/12/2025 03:00

11:52 London Paddington to Hereford due 14:44 will be terminated at Great Malvern.
It has been delayed at London Paddington and is now 26 minutes late.
This is due to this train being late from the depot.
Last Updated:24/12/2025 12:56

15:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 18:29 will be started from Great Malvern.
This is due to this train being late from the depot.
Last Updated:24/12/2025 12:56

14:53 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street due 17:04 will be terminated at Worcester Shrub Hill.
It is being delayed at London Paddington.
This is due to this train being late from the depot.
Last Updated:24/12/2025 15:16

17:26 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 19:53 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to this train being late from the depot.
Last Updated:24/12/2025 15:16