I don’t believe turbos are allowed to cross the Tamar.

'Intolerable' construction noise caused by overnight rail works at Botley Road, Oxford



People living near a railway station say they are being kept awake by noisy overnight works.

Botley Road in Oxford has been closed since April 2023 as part of a £161m scheme to upgrade Oxford railway station and is expected to reopen in August 2026.

Network Rail said the recent noise was partly caused by the removal of an obstruction so it could build the foundations for a new bridge and keep the project on track.

Councillor Lois Muddiman said local residents were finding the noise pollution "intolerable".

Botley Road was closed as part of Network Rail's project to expand the station and improve connectivity.

When the rail operator first outlined its plans it was expected to be shut over two six-month periods, with a six-month break in-between. But in September 2023 it announced there would be no break because works ran behind schedule. Then, last July, it said it would not reopen in October as planned.

Resident Catherine Byrne told the BBC: "I've sat on Sunday with a cup of tea in front of me and watched the liquid shaking. It's truly awful and it's worrying. We have no idea what this kind of work is doing to our houses. I am definitely, as soon as this work is finished, going to get a structural engineer round to have a look at my house."  She said she felt "absolutely furious and completely helpless".

"We complain, we argue, we get furious, we fire off emails, we complain at meetings, and nothing ever changes," she added.

The Green Party's Muddiman, representing Osney & St Thomas, said: "Anyone around the Mill Street area or the Abbey and Cripley Road area who are right up against it, the noise is just intolerable. So I've had many, many messages yesterday from residents who are just struggling to deal with it and not able to go out into their gardens because it's so loud."

Network Rail apologised for the disruption but said the work had to take place when trains were not running. It described the obstruction as a large 4m-deep (13.1ft) brick structure which was not mentioned in its records and ground surveys.

It had to be removed "as quickly as possible" so scheduled work to install new foundations into the ground could continue, it said. More of this so-called "piling work" is scheduled over the next two weekends, from 23:05 on Saturdays until 04:40 on Mondays.

Oxford City Council confirmed it had received a number of complaints from residents and that it had "requested further information on the level of noise and vibration monitored" from the work. It described it as "complex engineering" which could "only be carried out during shut-down periods agreed by Network Rail - not the council - due to the impact on national rail infrastructure".

It *is* on that ticket, but then so is Cardiff!

The final two have been identified - Keynsham and Marsh Barton.   I would agree that 5 does look somewhat like Liskeard  and I did a double take to check that.  Confirmed Keynsham and as a double check I have not heard of any turbos straying into Cornwall.

Bus driver strikes at start of October suspended

Planned strike action which was to affect bus users from 1-5 October has been suspended.

Members of the Unite union who work as drivers for First Bus in Bristol had planned to walk out from 1 to 14 October in an ongoing row about pay. But after negotiation through Acas, the industrial action has been suspended.

Any strike action after this date is subject to a ballot being voted on, after a revised pay offer from First Bus. Results are due next week.

Managing Director of First West of England, Doug Claringbold said: "We welcome today's announcement from Unite the Union that planned strike action in Bristol has been suspended while union members are balloted on our offer. We recognise the frustration and inconvenience that strikes cause our customers and we want to avoid further action. We continue to urge the union to work with us to deliver a resolution acceptable to all parties."

The strikes in September saw 600 drivers walk out for four days. Negotiations have been going on for six months.

Unite said its members were spending half of their wages on rent and had not been able to save money at the same time First had made an operating profit of £204.3m.

"First Bus is a very profitable firm, but its hard-working workers are struggling to pay the bills," said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.

I was at number 1 last week. Not the Southwest in my opinion, but isn’t the freedom of the SW ticket valid there?

I was going the long way around sampling some different cheap options

(Apologies if there's an existing thread on this; I'm on my phone, couldn't spot one.)

The first trains of a new fleet connecting Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield with London are set to come into service after their introduction was initially delayed.

East Midlands Railway (EMR) received the first two trains from the Class 810 Aurora fleet in August, which allowed drivers and crew to begin training.

The fleet was originally expected in 2022 but faced teething problems during testing, with EMR then hoping to run the new trains from May 2025.

Some trains from the new Class 810 Aurora fleet are now set to be put into use on services in the coming weeks and will complete a phased rollout through 2026.

A "small number" of EMR services will run with fewer carriages during the transition and some services will not have seat reservations, EMR said.

A spokesperson added "key services" would be prioritised during the transition phase to minimise disruption.

Interior of a first class carriage of a new train featuring purple and grey seats
Image source,East Midlands Railway
Image caption,
East Midlands Railway says the new trains will improve facilities and comfort for passengers

The Intercity fleet of 33 five-carriage trains is being built by Hitachi Rail in County Durham.

They were ordered to replace diesel trains introduced in 2004 and will run off electric power from overhead lines between London St Pancras and a junction to the south of Leicester.

Diesel engines will power the trains elsewhere on the network.

The Class 810 units are similar to existing trains running on the East Coast and Great Western main lines.

As well as new-look interiors, they feature extra seating, air conditioning, free wi-fi, plug sockets and improved information screens.

From the BBC:

15:18 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 17:29 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a speed restriction over defective track.
Last Updated:26/09/2025 15:05

15:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 18:29 will be started from Great Malvern.
This is due to congestion.
Last Updated:26/09/2025 14:20

"I have an important meeting to attend in the Council House in Bristol: please fly me to College Green." 

Three Kent councils push to bring Eurostar services back to Kent



Three local authorities are making another appeal for international rail services to be brought back to Kent.

Eurostar services have not stopped at Ashford International and Ebbsfleet international stations since 2020, when passenger numbers fell during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Friday leaders of Kent County Council and Ashford and Dartford borough councils gathered at Ashford to sign a memorandum of understanding, agreeing to fight for them to be restored.

Eurostar said the situation will be reviewed in 2026.

The three councils will also back proposals to allow operators other than Eurostar to run passenger services through the Channel Tunnel.

Other companies who have expressed an interest in running international services are Virgin, TrenItalia and a partnership between Gemini and Uber, with Kent and Sussex MPs backing the idea earlier in September.

To do so they would need to be allowed access to the Temple Mills International Depot in Leyton, London, the only facility where Channel Tunnel trains can be serviced, and currently run by Eurostar. The Office of Road and Rail is due to take a decision in October on whether to allow other operators to use the depot.

KCC leader Linden Kemkaran said: "Kent's residents and businesses have waited long enough. The infrastructure is here, the demand is real, and the benefits are huge - thousands of jobs, stronger trade, and hundreds of millions for our economy."

Ashford Borough Council leader Noel Ovenden said: "Over 25 years of significant investment has ensured Ashford International remains ready, keeping alive the opportunity to support European travel. Delivering on international services by re-opening this gateway to Europe holds the key to unlocking the benefits of that investment, not just in Ashford, but for the whole of Kent, wider South East region and the UK economy."

Jeremy Kite, leader of Dartford Borough Council added: "We're absolutely convinced that the return of services represents a major commercial opportunity, as demand for international rail travel grows. Ebbsfleet has all the potential to play a key role in the European rail network and stimulate further regeneration in the area."

And Vince Maple, who leads Medway Council, said: "Restoring international services to two already established railway stations in Kent would support a critical sector in our economy as well as thousands of jobs and provide climate-friendly travel for Kent and Medway residents to venture into Europe."

A 75,000-signature petition calling for the return of international services has also been collected.

Rail minister Lord Peter Hendy, who was at the event, said: "It is clear that demand for international rail services has bounced back since the pandemic and is now at record levels, reflecting the growing demand for sustainable connections to Europe. We know there is potential for much more and I want to see major changes over the coming years that mark a new chapter for international travel which we are committed to unlocking. It will take some time to get here, but this Government is doing everything it can to make sure these stations are served."

The bid is also being supported by French politicians and business leaders.

(BBC article continues)

News about the Huddersfield station work, from the BBC:

'My profits are down 40% since station closed'



The owner of a family-run restaurant in Huddersfield has said profits are down 40% since the nearby railway station closed for a major upgrade a month ago.

Huddersfield Station is set to reopen on Monday after being shut for 30 days so three platforms could be rebuilt and extended as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU).

But local businesses have been adversely affected by the project as commuters coming and going from cities like Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and York have been far fewer.

Ersim Altitarmak, owner of Meson La Pepa restaurant, told the BBC: "The closure has had a chain effect on everyone - from reducing my staff to the amount I buy in the shops."

There have been no services since 30 August and customers have had to use rail replacement buses or diversionary routes.

Mr Altitarmak, 42, said: "A lot of our regulars are from places like Marsden and Mirfield and call up to order lunch or dinner - but they have to keep cancelling due to the trains. It's disappointing for a business - we are down about 40% in the last month. It's as quiet as it is in January straight after Christmas."

Ahead of the reopening, Network Rail said the station now has three rebuilt and extended platforms. However, stage two of the upgrade is still ongoing and stations including Cottingley, Morley, Batley, Ravensthorpe, Brighouse, Halifax, Low Moor and Bradford Interchange still do not have direct trains to Huddersfield.

Some services will continue as rail replacement buses and customers may need to change trains as part of their journey, Network Rail also said.

Mr Altitarmak has been forced to cut down his staff hours, which they "are not happy about", he said. "I have to reduce my staff - because I obviously cannot turn off my electricity, my bills are the same. The price of everything has gone up."

(BBC article continues)

From the BBC:

Gloucestershire, South Worcestershire, Wiltshire, West Hampshire, South Herefordshire all count as definitely Not "Up North", in my book.  And neither are they in the East or South East.

By elimination, they must be in the South West

5. Is in the north eastern (B&NES) part of the south west - Keynsham.

8 Marsh Barton in the South West

Gloucestershire, South Worcestershire, Wiltshire, West Hampshire, South Herefordshire all count as definitely Not "Up North", in my book.  And neither are they in the East or South East.

By elimination, they must be in the South West

 ...........Salisbury pointed out as being in the South West by virtue of it being an LSWR station.......