No surprise that LNER is worst - what with their fares 'simplification'/rises

I know that I am showing my age, but I believe that programmers today assume that connectivity, processor power and storage will always be available and concentrate instead on the 'prettys'.

A proposed plan to trial free bus passes for under-22s in England will not go ahead as it is "unaffordable" at the moment, the government has said.

The trial was one of a number of recommendations put forward by the Transport Committee, a cross-party group of backbench MPs, in a report this August - with the suggestion it would boost access to jobs and education.

In its response, published on Friday, the government said no money was available for such a scheme during the current spending review period, which runs until 2028/2029.

Responding to the government's decision, committee chair Ruth Cadbury accused the Department for Transport of "lacking in ambition".

"Throughout our inquiry we heard about the consequences of poor connectivity," Labour MP Cadbury said. "Young people unable to get their first jobs or taking exhausting journeys to reach school or college. Older and disabled people feeling isolated and depressed, and high streets starved of customers. It is hard to shake the feeling that an opportunity may be missed, particularly to improve services in rural and underserved communities."

Since January 2022, everyone in Scotland aged between five and 22 has been entitled to free bus travel.

Gracie Moore is 22 and lives in Slough. She spends £120 a month to get the bus to and from work every day. Gracie said the government's decision was "disappointing".

"It would have been so beneficial, considering that under 22s are so negatively impacted by inflation," she said. "Things like buying our first house or affording bills are already difficult, so this would have taken the pressure off for us."

Gracie previously lived in Madrid, where she enjoyed unlimited travel on bus, train, tube, and tram for only €8 (£6.90) a month with a young person's travel card. England, she said, "seems to be one of the only countries who cannot effectively subsidise travel costs".

The announcement of the government's plans on under-22 bus travel in England comes in the week when the Bus Services Act has become law.

Welcomed by the committee, it will place tougher requirements on operators that wish to cancel certain services and give local authorities more control, including through franchising.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the new law would make it "easier for local leaders to take control of their buses" and was "putting passengers first".

Cadbury said while the new law is "positive and necessary" it cannot be "the last word".

Of the other recommendations put forward by the committee, some were received positively.

These included a suggestion that funding should be laid out over a longer period, and should be weighted to take account of rural needs. However, along with free travel for under-22s, other points of action were rejected - including a call for minimum service levels for buses.

The government argued that "significant differences in demographics, need and geography" would make minimum levels of service "very challenging to implement at a national level, whilst also ensuring value for money".

The number of bus journeys taken in England has dropped in recent years, while fares have risen faster than inflation. The committee found that this was a barrier to opportunity and growth in some areas.

Bus passengers spend £39.1bn in local businesses every year, according to research from KPMG. But experts told the Transport Committee that the bus sector's contribution to the economy declined by around £8.9bn between 2011 and 2023.

The committee's report said: "The current deregulated nature of the bus sector can encourage commercial operators to "deprioritise" less profitable routes, often leaving vulnerable communities without a service."

Demolition under way at Victorian Wadworth Brewery site in Devizes


The listed section of the site will remain standing but the old industrial buildings have been demolished

A large, historic brewery site remembered for its shire horses and the smell of hops has been mostly demolished.

Wadworth in Devizes has moved production to the edge of the Wiltshire town, selling off a large chunk to developer Backhouse.

The iconic red brick Victorian building is listed and will stay standing, with plans yet to be confirmed on its future use. The rest of the site was mostly industrial buildings, now pulled down for Backhouse to build housing on the site.

Gordon Snook worked at the brewery for almost 20 years, starting in the bottling hall and eventually becoming head horseman. He said it was "one of the best jobs I've ever had".

"It's quite sad. Part of my life is still entrapped in there I think. Lots of memories."

Mr Snook remembers the famous horses fondly. The brewery had used them to deliver to pubs since the 1800s, but decided to retire them for good earlier this year. Mr Snook remembered also taking them out for weddings, funerals and even as far as the houses of Parliament. "Everyone used to say how nice they looked. I don't know they appreciated how much work goes on behind the scenes before you got out on the road," he said, adding it was "jolly hard work".

"It is sad to see it go," said Helen Cross, who grew up in the area. She is pleased, however, the iconic Victorian building will still be there. Ms Cross remembers the smell of the brewery and the horses and the carts passing by with the barrels on. "A good memory from when I was younger."

Matt Bishop, head of construction at Backhouse, explained the scheme would create more than 100 new homes, including 60 apartments. "We commenced demolition back in early September. The demolition process is well underway. The site is looking quite flat," he said.

Next, the developers will start testing the ground and working out what needs to be done to make it safe for house building. The developer wants to start construction in spring next year, with the first people moving into homes in 2027, and the project finished by 2029.

David Abraham said he was shut inside a bus by a driver in Hackney

An Orthodox Jewish man said he faced antisemitic abuse from a London bus driver who shut him inside the vehicle for about an hour.

David Abraham, 52, said he boarded the 149 bus in Stoke Newington Road, Hackney, at 13:35 GMT on Monday when he dropped his bank card inside the driver's cab. He said the bus driver then refused to give it back to him and told him "you look like a Mossad agent", before calling the Metropolitan Police.

Transport for London (TfL) said the driver's behaviour was "unacceptable" and he had been suspended while an investigation takes place. The Met Police said the incident had been reported as a hate crime.

A spokesperson for the Met confirmed that officers attended the incident. They added: "No crime was reported at the scene, but the following day a 52-year-old man reported the incident to police as a hate crime."

Mr Abraham said the incident left him feeling "scared" to go out again. He told BBC London: "I went to the driver and ask 'please can I have my bank card?'

"He said 'get out, I don't like Jewish people you look like a Mossad agent'. I said 'why you say that?' So I was shocked."

Mr Abraham said when the police arrived, the driver initially refused to open his cab to allow officers to retrieve his card. He said: "The driver said, 'no, no, no. I don't want to give you the card. If you want to take that card, open this door, take that card. But me, I will not give you the card.' So the officer opened the door. They (the police officer) just take the card."

TfL said: "We take a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of abuse and work closely with the police to pursue anyone who is abusive to our customers or staff. We are supporting the police and the bus operator, Arriva, while they investigate and take appropriate formal action," their spokesperson added.

A spokesperson for Arriva London Bus confirmed that an investigation was launched as soon as the incident was reported, and the driver was suspended pending the investigation's outcome. "We are taking it extremely seriously and we will take all appropriate action once our investigation has concluded," they said. "We are a responsible employer, and we expect the highest standards from our drivers. We never tolerate abuse in any of its forms and we will always deal with any incidents swiftly and robustly."

The Met Police said: "On Monday, 27 October at 14:03 police were called to reports of a verbal dispute between two men on a bus travelling in Stamford Hill, Hackney. No arrests have been made. An investigation is under way and anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 3847/27OCT25."

Newquay Land Train is heading to north Wales under new ownership

A land train service has reached the end of the line before it moves to a new home.

Newquay Land Train's last day of operation is on Friday before it heads to north Wales under new ownership after no local buyers came forward.

Father and son duo Mark and Harrison Haddrell, who have run the train since June 2018, said the final day in Newquay would be used to raise funds for the Royal British Legion's poppy appeal.

Mark Haddrell, whose retirement prompted the sale, said the outpouring of support towards the train had been "amazing". He said: "We've had it advertised for probably two years now and unfortunately the only people that came up with an offer were the company that's taken over up in Wales.

"People have been fantastic sending us great wishes for the future but sad that the train is leaving. It's overwhelming to see the support we've had, there's so many families, children waving and I'd just like to thank everybody for coming."


Mark Haddrell has run the land train alongside his son Harrison since June 2018

It is thought there has been a land train in Newquay for more than 20 years.

Mr Haddrell said there were "always second thoughts in life" after seeing the support for the attraction, but he was going to stick to his decision to retire. "Maybe a phoenix from the grave, you never know what might come along with other people if they're interested in taking another train or bringing another train into town," he added.

Mr Haddrell said his lasting memory of running the train was the joy it brought local children. "To see them on board and to see their their faces when they see the train coming, it's amazing, and that'll always stick with me to see how wonderful the reaction is to that," he said.

This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time

Sunderland MP condemns 'unacceptable' issues at £27m station

An MP has publicly criticised Network Rail over "unacceptable" problems at a station that has undergone a £27m redevelopment.

A new southern entrance to Sunderland station was opened in December 2023 with Network Rail saying at the time that "finishing touches" would be applied in the next few months. But Labour MP Lewis Atkinson said the new entrance had experienced prolonged periods where escalators, lifts, doors and toilets "were not functional".

Network Rail said it was aware of the concerns and it was working with local partners to address the issues.

The station is managed by the train company Northern but Atkinson said many of the maintenance problems affecting the entrance had been the responsibility of Network Rail.

In a letter, he said it had taken Network Rail 21 months to make lift repairs and put in a working escalator at the station. "The people of Sunderland [have] endured unacceptable and prolonged periods where escalators, lifts, doors, toilets in the station were not functional," he said. He added that there was a "lack of care" shown in completing the redevelopment scheme.

Atkinson called on the head of Network Rail to make to make a public apology to Sunderland residents and commit to an internal review. He said this would "demonstrate accountability and a commitment that such failures" would not be repeated.

Network Rail declined to comment on these specific calls.

The station was branded an "embarrassment" earlier this month by the city council's opposition leader, Liberal Democrat Paul Edgeworth.

Only one business, a coffee shop, has opened at the southern entrance since its redevelopment.

The work will strengthen the bridge to support faster and more frequent trains

Rail passengers are advised to allow more time for their journeys as work to refurbish a railway bridge continues.

Portway Overbridge in Frome, Somerset, has been undergoing work since 19 September.

As a result, trains will not call at Frome station on Saturday or Sunday, with trains from London Paddington heading towards Taunton and from Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth using an alternative route.

Vaheesan Maheswaran, Network Rail's lead portfolio manager, said: "This weekend of work is a crucial time in the project to make sure we can reopen the road on time."

"We're sorry for the disruption but it's vital that we have a bridge that's safe for trains long into the future," he added.

The railway bridge is one of several built in the 1970s which now needs to be strengthened to carry faster and more frequent trains. New anti-collision markings will also be installed and it will be repainted.

A replacement bus service will be in operation for rail passengers travelling between Westbury and Frome.

The A362, which runs under the bridge, is also closed to traffic until 24 November but pedestrians are still able to walk underneath.

Frome Independent Market, which attracts thousands of people to its monthly events, has told visitors to expect increased traffic and to follow diversions.

Those travelling to the town from West Shepton and Bruton are being told to follow the A361 and then the clear diversion signs to the Park and Ride.

I still have a news alert set for 'Bath Waterloo train' and it's just flagged an article on the Bath Christmas market in an online publication called 'Town and Country'. Very optimistic travel times quoted 'Just over an hour from London'.

A total of 451 million journeys were made by rail passengers in Great Britain in the latest quarter (April to June 2025). This is a 7% increase on the 420 million journeys in the same quarter in the previous year (April to June 2024).

Total passenger revenue was £3.1 billion in the latest quarter. This is 6% more than the £2.9 billion generated in the same quarter in the previous year (when adjusted for inflation).

There were 17.1 billion passenger kilometres travelled in total in Great Britain. This is a 7% increase compared with the 15.9 billion travelled in the same quarter in the previous year.

A few years ago you would rarely see this issue outside of BBQ Sundays, now it's virtually a daily occurrence, especially during half term/school holidays.

When recruitment was in GWR's gift, they made choices about where to allocate resources and the issues where put on the "too difficult" pile and kicked down the road repeatedly.

Now we are told that nothing can be done without the consent of the DfT, and there is nothing to suggest that Hopwood et al are applying any upward pressure to obtain that consent. I suspect that many of that ilk are looking at future, similarly well upholstered future employment opportunities rather than rocking the boat.

On top of that, GWR are a zombie franchise with very little motivation to change anything.

Perhaps, Graham, an FOI request asking for details of representations made to the DfT in respect of increasing staffing levels etc may prove instructive, otherwise, I fear you're on a wing and a prayer.

19:53 London Paddington to Hereford due 22:57 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:31/10/2025 10:12