Road reopens following fatal school coach crash



A road has partially reopened at the scene of a coach crash in which a 10-year-old child was killed.

Oliver Price died when the coach carrying Minehead Middle School pupils left the road near Wheddon Cross in Somerset, and slid down a 6m (20ft) slope on 17 July.

The children and teachers on board had been returning from an end-of-year trip to Exmoor Zoo. In total, 21 people were taken to hospital to be treated.

One lane on the A396 between Wheddon Cross and Timberscombe remains closed with temporary barriers in place until permanent repairs can be made.



In a statement Somerset Council said there would be temporary traffic signals in place, and a 20mph speed limit until further notice.

Avon and Somerset Police has asked people not to leave flowers and tributes by the roadside.

The coach involved in the accident was recovered from the scene on 19 July and is now being forensically examined.

The Samaritans are planning to close more than 100 branches across the UK and Ireland, the BBC has learned.

In a presentation to staff, the suicide prevention charity's chief executive said "at least half" of their branches will close.

Dozens of branches have voiced concerns, some fearing the proposals will lead to an exodus of volunteers: "They're dismantling something that has worked for 70 years," said one volunteer.

The Samaritans said having more than 200 branches "is not sustainable and hinders us" from providing the best service.

Founded in 1953, the Samaritans focus on preventing suicides by connecting trained volunteers with people who are struggling. The charity estimates it answers a call for help every 10 seconds.

The proposals were revealed in a video message sent by the leadership of the charity to volunteers last week.

Chief executive Julie Bentley, said while there wasn't "a definitive view" on how many branches the charity needed: "It's likely that within the next seven to 10 years our branch network will have reduced by at least half. With less branches, we'll look to move to fewer but bigger regions," she added.

If the charity's board agrees to the plans at a meeting in September, the changes will begin in April in the UK and 2027 in Ireland. The list of branches which could close has not been decided.

If the plans go ahead, most users' interaction with the Samaritans will be done on the phone so people might not be aware of its branch structure and the charity's leaders say users won't notice a difference.

The Samaritans, considered the fourth emergency service by its staff and volunteers, play a key role in suicide prevention, offering round the clock telephone support to people in distress.

Volunteers who answer the calls are based in offices around the country, many of which will now close. The BBC has been told more than 50 branches, over a quarter of the total, have been raising concerns on an internal forum since the proposals were announced.

Plans for "virtual volunteering" where people answer calls from home, have sparked fears volunteers could leave the charity due to the pressures of dealing with calls about suicide alone. Others only decided to help out due to feeling isolated at home. Female volunteers have also said they would be uncomfortable with remote working due to the number of abusive and sexual calls the charity receives.

In her message to staff, Ms Bentley said some offices were failing to retain enough volunteers and "don't support the effective delivery of our services to callers".

She also expressed concern that too much of the Samaritans' income is spent on "maintaining bricks and mortars, rather than being used to improve our services".

But it is the loss of the intimacy and support the offices provide that worries many volunteers. They fear the charity's proposals will create large, impersonal call-centres in big towns and cities, reducing the likelihood of people from rural areas being able to volunteer and undermining the meaning of being a Samaritans volunteer.

In its latest accounts, for 2023-24, almost two thirds (£15.3m) of the charity's £24.6m income was spent on staff costs and less than 4% on land and buildings.

"We're not against change," one volunteer told the BBC, "but they've not provided any evidence these changes will improve the charity. It feels more like the professionalisation of the Samaritans."

The proposals, if enacted, would also see the charity withdraw from some current activities, including talks in schools and providing the Veterans Emotional Support Line.

In a statement to BBC News, the Samaritans emphasised that their services would continue to be available every minute of every day, so people should always be able to contact them.

"Samaritans provides a life-saving service, day and night, 365 days a year but the changing needs of our callers and volunteers mean thinking differently about the way our services need to work," said Ms Bentley. "We are engaging with our volunteers on proposed improvements that will mean we are able to answer more calls, have more volunteers on duty and be there for more people in their darkest moments."

"Samaritans volunteers are hugely dedicated to being there for our callers and they remain at the heart of our service, but it has become increasingly clear that having over 200 branches, varying in size from 10 to 300 volunteers, is not sustainable and hinders us providing the best possible service to people who need us," she added.

Flying Scotsman helps Bridgnorth get back on track



The world-famous Flying Scotsman steamed into Shropshire on Friday, marking the full reopening of one of the county's top tourist attractions.

The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) heritage line, which runs for 16 miles from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster in Worcestershire, had been blocked since January after a major landslip.

It had meant trains could only run from Kidderminster to Hampton Loade, leaving Bridgnorth without the financial boost that thousands of railway passengers bring to the town each year.

Tickets to travel on board Flying Scotsman sold out within minutes and the locomotive was then booked for an extra day - with trips now happening from Friday to Monday.



Bridgnorth's mayor David Cooper said there was a "strong identity" between the town and the railway. "It does draw a lot of people into the town and it's very much valued by businesses in the town, so we're very grateful that the services are back up and running," he said.

Bridgnorth station master Chris Thomas said: "Everyone here has been waiting for this day, and it's marvellous to welcome our first full-line train this season. During the long months of isolation we've worked hard to keep people coming here and carried out a lot of maintenance and improvement work to keep the station looking good. But of course, nothing beats a fully joined up railway, and that's what we're celebrating today."





SVR managing director Jonathan Dunster said: "Securing the iconic Flying Scotsman to haul our reopening train was the absolute icing on the cake. This is about championing the SVR's spirit of survival, and the many remarkable people associated with it that have helped to bring us to the point of reunifying our line."

Because of the current high risk of lineside fires, a Class 20 diesel locomotive provided assistance to Flying Scotsman. "The vegetation alongside our line is still very dry, and the last thing we want on this very special day is a spark from Flying Scotsman inadvertently starting a fire," said Mr Dunster. "Placing the diesel directly behind the steam loco gives the best level of assistance, which is so important when the train is tackling the infamous incline of Eardington Bank."

Those very cost conscious have the option of travelling in the seated coaches of course.

There is a contract out to tender for "Laira Depot Enhancements as part of the Class 175 introduction". This is very briefly described as:

Submissions have closed, and the award date is set as 30th September 2025, so you can't even see the more detailed documents now. How much space there is at Laira before, during, or after this programme I have no idea, but it must make some difference!

(I thought I'd seen this posted already, but can't find it.)

Laira Depot Enhancements -

The purpose of the project is to increase operational capacity by modifying and enhancing existing facilities to support the introduction of Class 175 rolling stock following the withdrawal of the HST fleet.

The successful contractor will be responsible for carrying out the following upgrades at Laira Depot:

• Design and installation of infrastructure enhancements as detailed below.

• Design to be split into two sections Phase 1 (Road 2-4) and Phase 2 (Road 5-6) to reduce design approval delays due to complexity.

• Phase 1 Works to start following Phase 1 design AFC

• Phase 2 Works anticipated to start July 2026.
Total value (estimated)

    £3,000,000 including VAT

Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)

    20 October 2025 to 31 July 2026
    9 months, 12 days

Personally, I don't have a spare £199 lying around. 

Bit to late improving connectivity to Slough town centre .....................
Slough High Street and Queensmere Observatory shopping centre are dire possibly the worst town centre in the UK, its dire

A three-phase charger is typically 22kW, but a typical three-phase supply has 100 Amps on each phase, so if it was totally dedicated to charging it could deliver around 65 kW. In the right location I am sure more current could be provided. 

Broken down freight train.

05:16 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington due 07:24
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9.
Last Updated:25/07/2025 04:46

05:53 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 08:38 will be delayed at Oxford and is expected to be 30 minutes late.
This is due to train crew being delayed.
Last Updated:25/07/2025 04:04

08:56 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 11:27 will be started from Worcester Foregate Street.
This is due to train crew being delayed by service disruption.
Last Updated:25/07/2025 07:53

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09

Facilities on the 05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2.

Further Information

If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay

More than £900,000 has been approved by a council to improve a town's bus services.

It is part of a £2.2m investment in Slough where the borough council was previously awarded £1.3m by the Department for Transport (DfT).

The authority said the full investment would fund better access to the town centre and a bus interchange service to Wexham Park Hospital and Heathrow Airport.

A report to the council's cabinet recommended councillors approve the capital spending, saying it would lead to "a borough for children and young people to thrive" and "a town where residents can live happier, safer and more independent lives".

The funding would also be used to upgrade traffic signals, improve services at two bus stops where bus arrivals are poor and shorten journey times, the council - which investing a further £63,000 in the scheme - said.

There would also be reduced ticket prices for passengers who take multiple bus services for their journey, with more evening and Sunday services introduced.

Councillor Paul Kelly, cabinet member for highways and transport, told Monday's meeting: "These combined measures represent a forward-thinking and exciting programme of investment and public transport in Slough. Working with our colleagues as well as our vital key stakeholders such as Heathrow Airport, Great Western Railway (GWR) and neighbouring local authorities we hope to make a significant improvement for those who need sustainable transport in our borough."

Zero-emission buses might be purchased using the capital funding, as set out in the report, but the council has not yet committed to the plans.

From the Dorset Echo:

Rail travellers are being warned of disruption on Sunday because of crew availability. 

Great Western services between Weymouth and Westbury are due to be impacted.

A spokesperson for the company said:"We are likely to have to make changes to published services along the following routes and customers should check their journeys before travelling between:
•    Bristol Temple Meads and Gloucester
•    Bristol Temple Meads and Taunton
•    Westbury and Portsmouth/Weymouth
•    Reading and Gatwick
•    Reading and Basingstoke

"On these routes fewer trains will run, and those that do will be busier. With some service cancellations expected, please allow extra time for your journey. 

"Where possible, limited rail replacement services will operate to support train services running along these routes. We're sorry for the impact this will have on your journey.

"Because of the late-notice changes, and the complexity of updating timetable systems, journey planners will not show changes correctly before Sunday morning.

"If you have already bought tickets and choose not to travel you can claim a full refund at GWR.com/refunds (subject to the terms and conditions of the ticket type)."

Plans to increase capacity of new Bristol Arena



The group behind a massive new music venue planned for Bristol says it is now planning for a maximum capacity of 20,000.

The YTL Arena is being created inside a hangar on the old Filton Airfield, with the latest estimates saying it could open in 2028.

Original plans suggested it would be able to hold 17,000 fans, with that later increased to 19,000.

In a statement YTL Arena Chief Executive Andrew Billingham said increasing the capacity beyond even those numbers is "really important".

Plans for the arena in Filton were first announced in 2018, with it set to be the centre point of the Brabazon development, which will also include 6,500 homes.

The huge scheme has been much delayed, with the developers - Malaysian-owned YTL - initially saying it could be open by 2022. The expected opening has already been pushed back by six years, and the idea to increase capacity will now require new planning permission from South Gloucestershire Council.

Andrew Billingham, Chief Executive of YTL Arena, said: "We want to attract the biggest artists and events to Bristol, so increasing the capacity to 20,000 is really important to us. We'll achieved this by maximising the size of the floor of what will be our standing area, where concertgoers will be stood on the very same concrete where Concorde was built."

The Filton arena was promoted as a more affordable alternative to a previously council-backed scheme next to Bristol Temple Meads railway station. That was first proposed in 2003, but building work never started, and while the plan was resurrected in the 2010s, former city mayor Marvin Rees scrapped the plan.

While construction is yet to begin on the Filton arena, work on a railway station to bring concert-goers to the venue is under way. The brand new station, North Filton, is set open as an unstaffed station in late 2026, though this is set to be enlarged later when the arena nears completion.

Elsewhere, hundreds of people have already bought and moved into new homes as part of the development, and there are plans for schools, student accommodation and sports facilities.

Ferry passengers are continuing to face disruption as repair work is carried out to a vessel that broke down mid-crossing.

Red Funnel said its Red Eagle vehicle ferry, sailing between between East Cowes and Southampton, suffered a technical issue with its aft main engine on Wednesday afternoon. It broke down on Southampton Water and needed assistance from a tug boat to make it to port in Southampton. Some crossings on Wednesday evening and Thursday were cancelled as a result.

Services were also disrupted in April when the same vessel broke down at sea, having just returned to service.

Following Wednesday's breakdown, Red Funnel's operations director Neil Chapman said: "While everyone on board was safe, we know this caused a longer journey than our passengers expected, and we're truly sorry for that. Our technical teams have been working hard through the night to complete the repairs, and we're doing everything we can to get Red Eagle back into service as soon as possible."

The company's website is showing the cancellation of the 12:30 BST and 15:30 services from East Cowes, as well as the 14:00 and 17:00 sailings from Southampton.

It is the latest in a series of problems to affect Red Eagle, with Red Funnel extending its winter timetable due to its delayed return from its annual refit. It then suffered a "technical issue" at sea on 5 April after it returned to service.