So what is planned for the next phase?..

Friday 10October 2025:



The protestations that we hear from time to time by GWR that there really are enough staff to run the scheduled service are wearing a bit thin, now

Multiple cancellations occur on a daily basis because there are insufficient staff

Network Rail has agreed to clear up an area of its land after councillors raised concerns about "consistent" fly-tipping.

Boothferry ward councillors Maria Coward, Jack Haines and Alison Collinson wrote to company bosses about the rubbish, on land adjacent to Roslyn Road, Meadow Bank Road and Cardigan Road in Hull. They said the "heavily littered" land was causing serious environmental and public health concerns for nearby residents.

A Network Rail spokesperson said they would clear up the "eyesore" as quickly as possible, adding leaving rubbish costs them money, which could have been invested in improving the railway for passengers.

In the letter, the councillors said: "This has been a problem for years without proper resolution, which has allowed further dumping and anti-social behaviour."

Haines added: "It was shocking to see the amount of rubbish that had been pilled up on Network Rail's land. We have been calling on Network Rail to fix this for years, they need to listen to us and local people and get this sorted."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Haines said the railway track had become "a real issue".

Local resident John Dennison, 38, said he had seen everything from doors, screws and nappies in the rubbish. "I have had about 20 punctures in four months," he said, adding that it would be a "relief" when it was fixed.

In their letter, the councillors also asked Network Rail to "implement preventative measures" to reduce future fly-tipping and to provide a contact officer who they can work with for "future co-ordination".

Saturday and Sunday - All weekend, trains between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads (and beyond) will be revised. Some trains will not run at all. Trains that would normally run beyond Bristol Temple Meads to / from Weston-super-Mare and Taunton (or beyond) will only run between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads. Replacement buses will run between Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare.

Track renewal work will affect all train services via Bedminster.

Replacement buses are planned between Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare.

These rail replacement services will not stop at Bedminster or Parson Street – valid rail tickets will be accepted on local bus services instead.

GWR trains will still run between London Paddington and the south west via Taunton, plus between Weston-super-Mare and Exeter St Davids.

CrossCountry trains will use an alternative route between Bristol Temple Meads and Taunton – extending journey times by up to an hour.

Engineering Works

Saturday 18 to Sunday 19 October 2025

Buses Replace Trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare

No trains from Nailsea & Backwell Station

Rail replacement buses depart from the bus stop on Station Road

Valid rail tickets also accepted on the followingbus routes: X1, X1S, X5, X7, X7A, X8, X9, M2

Dear Mr Ellis,

Your Senior Railcard has expired!

You need to act fast to keep saving 1/3 on rail travel.

27-30 October suspended Bristol - Bath (with service reductions via Chippenham and via Bradford on Avon) for replacement of over 1km of track and 5000t of stone in St Anne's tunnel, and with other work on closed section.

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/autumn-track-work-to-affect-trains-between-bath-bristol-and-weston-super-mare

A great railway career and hopefully you’ll stay as engaged on here as ever.

I think the term is 'energised'.

A tortoise which had made its way onto the tracks at a busy train station has been rescued and returned home.

The runaway reptile, called Mr T, was spotted at Bicester North Station on Tuesday by passengers - who then alerted nearby staff.

Chiltern Railways and Network Rail staff retrieved the tortoise and looked after him while waiting for his owner to come forward.

Following a post on a local social media group Mr T was then reunited with his owner.

The tortoise was unharmed and there was no disruption to services, Chiltern Railways said.



Network Rail's Steve Gill, who retrieved the Mr T, said: "In my 30 plus years on the railway, this is the first time I've ever had to save a tortoise. I'm glad we managed to get the pet safely away from the tracks and reunited with its owner."

Giles Conway, Chiltern's Oxfordshire area manager, added: "I don't think anyone could quite believe it when we were alerted by customers at the station that there was a tortoise on the tracks. I am grateful to our station staff who located the tortoise and worked with Network Rail to safely retrieve it from the tracks unharmed."

Chiltern Railways said passengers should never attempt to retrieve or look for animals themselves around train tracks and should instead contact Network Rail.

with a slope then up to the platform - loose surface for sure, and with a tiny lip,

I have engaged and had a very useful conversation on transport with Jon, and got to know him much better than I did; Tom is very welcome to respond to my multiple invites to engage should he wish to do so.

15:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 18:26 will be terminated at Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:10/10/2025 12:03

17:57 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street due 20:11 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.
Last Updated:10/10/2025 14:05

19:02 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 21:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:10/10/2025 12:03

20:56 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 23:29 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.
Last Updated:10/10/2025 14:06

... Freshford is a curious case ... in terms of both county and accessibility.The station in indeed in Somerset (BaNES) but can only be reached by rail from Wiltshire - the red and blue line on this map shows the county boundary...

Minor point regarding the map.   Isn't Freshford just over the border into Bath & North East Somerset rather than Wiltshire?