Thanks for your post, johnneyw. 

What struck me about that announcement was the sheer number of words in it: why sum it up briefly in five words when you can add another twenty and hide the meaning completely?

CfN.

Rail compensation 'set to be scrapped' for some passengers in major shake-up

Rail passengers will no longer qualify for train compensation unless their journey is 30 minutes delayed, under new proposals reportedly being considered by the government.

Most train companies currently refund 25% of your ticket price if your journey is between 15 and 29 minutes delayed.

If your train is between 30 and 59 minutes delayed, you normally qualify for 50% compensation - this rises to 100% of your ticket price back if you are over one hour delayed.

But under the new rules, rail passengers would only get compensation if their journey is more than 30 minutes delayed.

Any refund due would be awarded automatically - removing the need for passengers to have to fill out “delay repay” forms online, with proof of their ticket.

The Times reports that the proposals are being considered as part of plans to replace “delay repay” schemes with a single system.

UK rail companies are being nationalised as private contracts expire, with a goal to bring all major operators into public ownership by October 2027.

The cost of compensation will be funded by taxpayer money once all the rail compensations are nationalised, as opposed to be paid by private operators.

Around £138million was paid out to rail passengers in the 2023-24 financial year. A Department for Transport spokesperson told The Mirror : “We do not comment on speculation.

“This Government is overhauling our railways and building back public trust so that passengers can rely on trains that run on time.

“Our reforms are making ticketing simpler throughout passengers’ journeys – from rolling out more contactless tech at stations and trialling pay-as-you-go fares, to making it easier to claim delay repay, including through our upcoming GBR app.”

It comes after Trainline revealed rail passengers are missing out on more than £80million a year in compensation for delayed journeys.

Trainline has launched a petition calling on the Government to enable “one click” claims to be made by all online ticket buyers.

Trainline chief executive Jody Ford said: “Six minutes of form-filling after a delayed train is unacceptable.

“With years of innovation and industry cooperation, we’ve made huge progress in simplifying ticket buying, but compensation must be just as easy when journeys are disrupted.

“Passengers want rail reform that focuses on what matters to them, and ‘one-click’ delay repay is a practical change the industry and Government can do together.”

So, is this announcement a lot of management speak ... ?

Gritter driver's 40 years of being a 'winter hero'


Gary Lawson's bosses said he had rescued people, livestock and emergency vehicles in 40 years

Missed Christmasses and abandoned shopping are all part of the job, a man who has driven gritters for 40 years has said.

Gary Lawson, from Crook, said he had "seen it all" when working on the roads with Durham County Council since 1986, but said he went home "knowing my friends and family are safe".

The 62-year-old has been presented with an award for his dedication by gritter manufacturer Econ, who said Lawson had "never been late in 40 years of service and had rescued people, livestock and emergency vehicles in freezing temperatures".

He said: "When the weather turns, it's about getting to the yard as quickly as you can." He added "many a Christmas" had been put on hold, along with him being known for abandoning his grocery shopping to get to work.

Lawson was nominated by four of his managers to win the award on Tuesday for his "unrivalled knowledge of the vehicles and problem-solving abilities". The ceremony heard how he could "manoeuvre his gritter in ways others would never attempt".

Lawson said: "There's been many a Christmas morning when my wife, son and now grandchildren have held off opening presents until I get back from work. It's not easy, but my family is incredibly supportive of my job and understand that it's something I've just got to do."


Gary Lawson has rescued people, livestock and emergency vehicles in freezing temperatures

Lawson also recalled a call-out on April Fool's Day, with a request to go and rescue three cars on the Teesdale border. "Obviously, I thought he was joking but sure enough, 100m up, the weather changed and I ended up with a cab full of stranded drivers and passengers. Honestly, I've seen it all and sometimes, our experiences make Ice Road Truckers look like toddlers."

Econ Engineering said it wanted to celebrate "winter heroes", adding drivers had to get up in the middle of the night and had an "incredible amount of skill to handle the vehicles, often in dangerous conditions".

Jonathan Lupton, managing director at Econ, said Lawson's "kindness, commitment and dedication to his community and our industry really came across".

I was wondering where it might be ...

I noted their logo has a certain similarity to a certain local station.

Oxford train station platform cordoned off amid bad smell



Part of Oxford railway station has been cordoned off due to overflowing sewage causing a stink for commuters.

There is a "whiff" in the air at city centre's train station, according to one commuter, with what appears to be toilet paper spilling out from the pipes.

Images sent in show shredded up wet paper coming from a cover on the platform with liquid surrounding it on the ground.

A commuter told us: "There’s a little whiff, not much. Pretty grim sight when you’re trying to have a tasty Taylors sandwich for lunch though."

The area has been cordoned off with yellow and black tape by workers at the station ahead of it being fixed.

Thames Water, Network Rail and Great Western Railway have all been approached for further information.

The project team is currently assessing a number of strategically significant UK locations with strong infrastructure and national connectivity. Model Britain is also actively engaging with strategic partners across the technology, heritage, travel, and education sectors who share a vision for celebrating British innovation at scale. A formal opening timeline will be confirmed following site acquisition and planning approval.

Size: 100,000 sq ft immersive miniature world
Visitors Forecast: 700,000+ annually
Investment: £50 million
Location: Central England
Economic Impact: Hundreds of jobs created during and after construction

Model Britain announces the Establishment of Its New Advisory Board - 20 February 2026

Model Britain has formally transitioned from concept to structured delivery with the convening of its inaugural Advisory Board. This milestone establishes the governance framework for a project set to become one of the UK’s most ambitious cultural and educational attractions.

Model Britain’s vision is to Explore, Imagine, Inspire. The project will be a large-scale, permanent indoor miniature attraction celebrating British history, innovation, and landscapes. Developed at substantial national scale, it is designed to operate at significant visitor capacity and to offer an immersive experience that blends excitement with deep educational value for children and adults alike.

The attraction will include a structured education programme aligned to national curriculum themes, supporting history, geography, design and technology, and STEM learning for school groups nationwide. The project enters development at a time of renewed national focus on the UK’s experience economy and regional tourism growth, positioning Model Britain to contribute meaningfully to both cultural and economic priorities.

And the number is.......? 

How to contact us. You can call The Sarah Hope Line on 0343 222 5678, Monday-Friday 08:00-18:00 (call charges may apply). A voicemail service operates outside of these times. You can also reach us by email at SHL @ tfl.gov.uk

Surely if you'd purchased an advance single for (for example) London to Penzance from the GWR website and the train was cancelled, there's no reason for GWR not to automatically pay delay/repay as there is no way you could have got to your destination without incurring at least an hour's delay?

Sarah Hope helpline for TfL injured into 10th year


Sarah Hope set up the service to support people 'on the hardest days of their lives'

A helpline for people injured in or affected by incidents on Transport for London (TfL) services has marked its 10th anniversary.

Sarah Hope set up the support service following a bus crash in 2007 in Richmond, south-west London, which killed her mother Elizabeth Panton, 65, and injured her and her daughter Pollyanna.

More than 600 individuals and families have used the Sarah Hope line over the past decade, according to TfL.

"I just wanted there to be kindness, because for us in the system, there was no kindness," Hope said.

Hope has said previously that the first time she received an apology over the crash that killed her mother was in 2014, seven years on. She said: "The Sarah Hope Line has stood beside people on the hardest days of their lives...every call reminds us that behind every incident is a real person and a family who deserve to be heard."

Nevgul Bicakci, a Sarah Hope Line user whose daughter was killed in a bus crash in 2024, said: "I think for victims it's a huge thing because basically you are a number…but you just want to be heard. You want to feel like someone is there to [say]…don't worry, your daughter is not a number for us and we understand what you are going through. And I felt it with Sarah Hope Line."

The Sarah Hope Line involves a team of nine providing tailored emotional and practical support, such as financial help or trauma counselling.

To mark the anniversary, TfL, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Sarah Hope attended a commemorative event on 16 February. Khan said: "The Sarah Hope Line has provided vital support to Londoners affected by serious incidents on our transport network over the past decade, and I want to thank Sarah for her strong campaigning which made this service a reality."

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:05
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:18

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:18 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Additional Information
Customers are advised to travel to Chippenham on the 17:46 service to Bristol Temple Meads, and change at Chippenham for road transport.

Well, that all went horribly wrong: England 21-42 Ireland. 

Bearing in mind the way things are going at Twickenham (7-22 at half time, and still going downhill), they may be asking themselves whether it was worth getting there. 

Chris from England.

No reason ... other than that I started putting the OTD data set together with the slightly unusual, then searched on the dates that were missing to see what I could dig out in the more conventional.   Guess Charlie came out tops!

I will add Trevithick to my data set ...

I understand that that is the idea eventually, yes - in that payment will be automatic eventually, eventually - which says to me that you'll book yourself onto a train before boarding so they know the train(s) you have caught. That's the only way I can see in order to be auto-payout.

Lines have now re-opened but passengers from Reading for the Six Nations were being advised to go to London Paddington, cross to London Waterloo and get to Twickenham that way.