Mark, I'm leaving it is as it is for now - all things weather-wise are moving a bit fast at the moment. Image not available to guests

Image not available to guests

ScotRail has confirmed it has launched an internal investigation following allegations that some staff were given gifts in exchange for contracts.

Scotland's nationalised rail operator has allegedly suspended staff members from the property services management team while inquiries take place.

According to a report in the Scotsman, a car may have been one of the gifts accepted.

A ScotRail spokesman confirmed an investigation was being carried out but said he could not divulge any details about it.

ScotRail was taken into public ownership by the SNP government in April 2022, having previously been operated by Dutch company Abellio, and before that National Express and First Group.

A ScotRail spokesman told BBC Scotland: "We can confirm that an independent investigation is ongoing. We wouldn't comment on individuals. We are unable to make any further comment until the investigation process has been completed."

... Mods please move this post if needed, this may be celtic fringe but Cornwall it ain't)

Followed GWR's advice and came home early; Bristol-Chippenham-Melksham not due to be (directly) affected but no point in risking it.

Our plan to fix the UK’s traffic problem

It’s no secret that the UK has a traffic problem. Transport costs are pushing people into poverty, roads are dangerous, and congestion is costing us dearly.

In fact, nearly half of us in the UK say that transport issues are limiting our lives, and almost all of us want less traffic on our roads.

But did you know it’s getting even worse?

If we don’t act now, traffic in the UK could increase by up to 54% by 2060.

The UK can’t take this rise in traffic.

Ever-rising traffic comes at the expense of people and planet. Motor vehicles are important for many people’s mobility, but sky-high levels of car dependency and a lack of alternatives in many parts of the country is holding us back.

So how do we get politicians to take this seriously, and build fairer, safer and greener ways of getting around for everyone?

We have a plan.

The best way to cut traffic is to combine policies that ensure everyone has affordable, accessible and safe alternatives, with policies that make driving less attractive. Here’s how we make it happen:

Turning the tide on traffic means prioritising accessible and affordable public transport, making walking, wheeling and cycling safe and easy, and getting electric vehicles (and the lower running costs these can bring) to those who need them. This isn’t just how we tackle the biggest chunk of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions: taking action on traffic can boost our health, save us money, create safer neighbourhoods and make more space for nature too.

Alterations to services on all routes
Due to forecasted severe weather:
Train services running across the whole Great Western Railway network will be revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 09/01/26.
Customer Advice
Storm Goretti is forecast to hit the UK later this afternoon, bringing strong winds and heavy rain/snow. This is likely to bring disruption to the GWR network.
***
Based on the forecast for the areas expected to be worst-affected, the following alterations will apply:

[...]

- No GWR services will run between Great Malvern and Hereford after 15:00. From 19:00, no services will run between Worcester and Great Malvern.

[...]

Please note the final services to run will depart stations earlier than these times; please check journey planners for details of individual journeys.

[...]

Last Updated:08/01/2026 12:45

Ashford International is marking the 30th anniversary of its opening, despite international rail services not having stopped at the station for years.

The UK's second Eurostar station opened on 8 January 1996 following an 18-month, £80million construction project, heralding a new era in travel for passengers across Ashford and east Kent.

However, Eurostar services have not called there, or at Ebbsfleet, since 2020, when passenger numbers fell during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The landmark birthday has sparked renewed calls for international rail services to be brought back to the station.

Just the Okehampton and Gunnislake branches, unless they’ve changed their minds

Service suspensions from 6pm today
Devon: Services between Exeter and Okehampton, and Exeter and Barnstaple, will stop after the final services return to Exeter before 6pm.

Dear Graham,

We’re warning our customers that Storm Goretti is expected to have an impact on rail services over the next few days, particularly in the South West.

The Met Office has issued multiple weather warnings for the storm, which is forecast to bring strong winds and snowfall. Storm Goretti is being described as a multi-hazard event due to its potential impact on travel, infrastructure and public safety. On the railway, high winds increase the risk of falling trees and debris, while snowfall and icy conditions can affect the safe operation of trains.

Service suspensions from 6pm today

Due to an amber weather warning for strong winds, the following services will be suspended from 6pm this evening:

Cornwall: All train services will be suspended from 6pm this evening until Friday morning, with all trains stopping after reaching their final destination before 6pm.
Devon: Services between Exeter and Okehampton, and Exeter and Barnstaple, will stop after the final services return to Exeter before 6pm.
Passengers planning to travel on these routes are strongly advised to travel earlier in the day and not to attempt travel late this afternoon or into the evening. Replacement road transport will not be available, as road conditions are also expected to be hazardous.

Ongoing disruption and advice

Services on the affected routes are expected to remain disrupted on Friday morning, with short-notice cancellations possible.
While we will continue to operate as many trains as possible on all other routes, the severe weather may lead to short-notice changes and cancellations.
All other routes are currently expected to operate as normal, but customers are advised to check before travelling this evening and on Friday morning.
Customers with tickets for the affected routes may use them to travel earlier today or on Friday.
Network Rail engineers will be on standby in key locations to clear fallen trees and debris as quickly as possible. Station teams are preparing by gritting platforms, ensuring trains are ready for icy conditions, and adapting service patterns as the situation develops. Customers are advised to take extra care at stations, as platforms, steps and car parks may be slippery.

We strongly encourage customers to check their journey before travelling and throughout the day, and to allow extra time where possible. The latest travel information is available at https://www.gwr.com/storm-goretti. You can also read our media release here.

Any help you can give to make your networks aware would be much appreciated, and as ever, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Best wishes,

Olivia and Heledd

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Metro mayor Steve Rotheram says lessons have been learned from when snow hit in January 2025

The mayor of the Liverpool city region has defended the performance of the Merseyrail network after icy conditions caused some delays and cancellations earlier this week.

Steve Rotheram said problems lay with the rail infrastructure, rather than the fleet of trains. One rail commuter said repeated cancelled services had turned going to work into "Russian roulette" in the winter months.

Operator Merseyrail said the issues were caused by ice on the tracks, with trains struggling to draw power from the third rail, which is the power source on the ground for the network.

Merseyrail said that despite Network Rail treating all lines with anti-ice solution throughout the night and during the morning's peak period – and implementing a "full range of preventative measures" – trains had struggled to take power in several locations.

On Tuesday, the Ellesmere Port and Chester lines were suspended from Rock Ferry. Services on the Ormskirk line and Hunts Cross line were also suspended during the morning.

One commuter told the BBC that using Merseyrail to travel to work was inconsistent in the winter months.

David Fairclough, who travels every day from Moreton in Wirral to Waterloo in south Sefton, said he liked the new trains and they were a "great investment" but added: "In winter you can't 100% rely on the network".

He said: "If we have a network that is unable to operate efficiently with a little bit of frost on the line then we've got something wrong."

"I don't remember this being as bad with the old trains," he added.

"The new trains are great, fantastic, you can plug your phone in, you can charge them, which is really handy. But we need to sort out the current trains, the current network, ahead of any other grandiose schemes that the metro mayor has."

Speaking on BBC Radio Merseyside's hot seat phone-in, Rotheram said the fleet of £500m trains had performed "really well", although this was not the experience of many of the listeners who rang in.

Rotheram said lessons had been learned from January 2025, when icy conditions caused the rail network to grind to a halt. In April, he commissioned transport expert Vernon Everitt to investigate what had gone wrong.

Rotheram said some infrastructure improvements had been made, but that it was not just the rail company's responsibility. He said: "We're having to foot the cost because we want the improvements for passengers, but this is something that national infrastructure should be paying for."

He added: "The problem that we have, consistently, are issues around infrastructure and that's because previous governments of all persuasions have not invested in the infrastructure, in the tracks and the signals. We've got analogue signals, but digital trains."

Rotheram said lessons would be learned from the events that impacted Tuesday's services and vowed to improve the passenger experience. "From last year, we've improved by more than 50% and we'll get better and better and better because we'll learn".

The Metro Mayor added that he travels by train "every day" and said he was committed to making Merseyrail "the best operating system in the country with targets of 97% for performance".

Update: arrived in good order, after the service picked up an entire school full of children at Harlech.

Mark

How much would it cost?