For completeness, continuity and clarity, I have expanded the heading of this topic, and now offer a link to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch report, at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/report-082024-member-of-staff-struck-by-a-train-at-st-philips-marsh-depot .

CfN.

 
I use this crossing very occasionally as one of a class of users termed 'Encumbered pedestrian'. (It's on a useful portage route between the canal and the river.) Every time I've encountered it, it's very trim and well maintained. Many people don't treat these as though they're stepping across one blade of a pair of scissors though. And then there's the issue of the 'Second train on the other line' as well. Thinking back to school, I can't recall the sort of safety talks about this that hopefully happen now.

Oh, and when I passed the driving test back in the day, one of the oral questions from the examiner concerned the approach flags for a level crossing - the 'Three stripe/two stripe/one stripe' sequence. They must have been feeling merciful as despite passing these many times on a road I used regularly on a bike, I replied that I had no idea, but they were obviously a count down to some severe hazard or other...

Mark

 
Significant. Google Streetview from 2024 shows damage to the fence at a similar position: there's possibly a recipe here: vehicle driver heads uphill too fast, overcooks the bend, becomes airborne at least enough to lose adhesion/steering and... lo!

Off-topic: there was a length of rail carrying one of those diamond bridge signs (the sign itself long missing). The post itself was present in 2015 but gone by 2024.

Mark

 
Whilst it may be 'dangerous misuse' (although I'm not sure Network Rail would use such language) there still remains a duty of care to the public who use the crossing.

 
2. Is indeed Italy (Cagliari) and 5. is Maastricht in the Netherlands

 

That is definitely a picture taken at Bristol Temple Meads.  The houses in the distance are the rather famously differently coloured terraced properties on Bellevue Terrace and Richmond Street.  Gosh, how I used to enjoy delivering groceries in those narrow streets up there! 

CfN. 

 

This is correct. The temporary fence was erected by Network Rail; the car was eventually removed by a road-rail vehicle

View from a different angle

 
From the BBC:

 
Google Streetview has the location from April this year and no sign then of the chain link fence - it might have been put in today as part of the work to make the line safe for use. It appears the vehicle driver has come up the hill from the beach, overcooked the turn  on to the bridge, probably more or less become airborne so no steering, dived under the palisade fence (though you'd expect the vehicle to be more scrawped) and... ended up foul of the track. A couple of photos from one Craig Munday on Facebook.

Mark

https://www.facebook.com/groups/384010423010289/user/683839768/

 
This photo on BBC News is more baffling

appears to be a chain link / mesh fence adjacent to a track with gate across it, which is still standing, then a demolished green metal palisade fence.

So unless the car entered from left of the picture, it appears to have jumped one fence, but knocked over second fence (and why 2 parallel fences unless prone to be damaged)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgd0g9y7yqo

 
From yesterday - where/how is the Community Rail Network looking ahead - my notes

 
How about this one?
https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/hits-radio/cornwall/news/train-services-in-cornwall-suspended-after-car-falls-onto-tracks-near-carbis-bay

The houses in the background look like Bristol, but that's not Temple Meads, is it - too curved? And the roof looks wrong.

 
2.  Italy.

By somewhat of a process of elimination of possible countries, all the others in Europe have been identified, so it has to be Italy.  With the coastline and foliage, it has to be somewhere Mediterranean.

CfN. 

 
Just to confirm she left last week.  Her replacement, Bill Freeman, starts on 1st August. 

 
On this day, 15 years ago, the TransWilts team I was part of sponsored and marketed the first of Seven through trains via Melksham to Weymouth that summer (2011) for seaside days out.  I will be travelling from Melksham to Weymouth tomorrow - 4th July 2026 - on what is now the regular Summer Saturday through train at 09:09, getting to Weymouth at 11:08.   Return train from Weymouth leaves at 19:38, into Melksham at 21:33. 

My return fare for tomorrow is £13.95 - if you don't have a railcard it's £21.00 return. The £13.95 also applies per person to groups of 3 or more adults.  Buy tickets from the machine on the platform, or from the train manager if you're paying in cash.

 
While doing some of my housekeeping / tidying up, here on the Coffee Shop forum, I found there were various topics, on different boards, all relating specifically to these Cotswold Canals.

I have therefore moved and merged the posts here, in the interests of continuity, clarity - and hopefully increasing reader awareness of the excellent work being done towards their restoration / reopening.

CfN. 

 
From Cornwall Live:


The 'illustration' for their news item specific to the St Ives Branch line is, almost inevitably, that stock picture of an IET at Bristol Temple Meads. 

 
Hmm. Carbis Bay Station's car park's a candidate for that, and the vehicle would also need to cross the station platform.

Mark

 
Due to a road vehicle blocking the railway between St Erth and St Ives the line is blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations have been suspended. Disruption is expected until 14:30 03/07.
Customer Advice
-
We are sorry for the disruption to your journey today.
-
What has happened?
-
A car has fallen onto the track in the Carbis Bay area.

And.
Cancellations to services between Plymouth and Penzance
Due to a fault with the signalling system between St Germans and Liskeard the line towards Penzance is disrupted. Disruption is expected until 12:15 03/07.
Train services between Plymouth and Penzance may be cancelled or delayed.
Customer Advice
-
We are sorry for the disruption to your journey today.
-
What has happened?
-
There is a problem with the signalling between St Germans and Liskeard. Trains are having to stop at the affected signals so that the Driver can speak to the Signaller to confirm if the track ahead is clear.

And.
10:16 Par to Newquay due 11:06
10:16 Par to Newquay due 11:06 has been cancelled.
This is due to a fire next to the track.

Apart from those...........

 

Not necessarily; the attached image is of the only 'footpath' across the railway anywhere near Warleigh Weir - it is towards the end of Ferry Lane - and if it is being subjected to dangerous misuse then the fault lies entirely with the general public and not the railway (unless of course if the crossing has been significantly downgraded since 2012 which is the date on Google Maps).



 

 
Yesterday, I attended Great Western Railway's Community and Stakeholder Conference in Swindon, along with perhaps 200 others.   These are / have been incredibly worthwhile events - to hear an learn what the GWR and Network Rail Western ROute teams are thinking, to be introduced to a number of projects they are highlighting, and to network with long established friends - catching up with a few words in person is so valuable - and making new ones.

By its nature, this is designed as being a positive event to motivate the room full of advocates for rail; very serious issues are raised / commented on / acknowldeged, but that's not the overall gloss of the day.  Unpaid volunteers / advocates do so much for rail - mention was made of £18 of benefit for every £1 spent on us - we are cheap support and marketing for the rail industry.

During the day at these conference, I type notes on my laptop and take photo.  I have published those at https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=32194 which is a "frequent poster" topic on our forum.  Nothing inhetently secret in there (and you may quote bits of it) but roughly written and I may have missed some key points and got soem wrong.

Some big take-aways
* There is a lot to do, and lots of good intent and lots of analysis
* How that good intent will be followed into action is unclear/unknown
* There are massive advocates of rail and passenger transport is still very important
* There are so many really good people trying to do jobs hamstrung byb controls and circumances
* There are many things we in the community may not consider / understand
* We need to look after and adovacate for our own stations, towns, regions
* We can too easily loose the wider plot if we argue over differences of how to achieve results
* We can't do / have done everything we want - lack of resource
* There are quick wins to be had, but sometimes hard to convince people
* I think we have/had excellent leads with some frustations from GWR when part of First
* With short term contract extensitons since 2013 - looking long term has been difficult
* I look forward with some trepidation to the nationalised operator future









I / we are promised a slide set from the day and I will share that for Coffee Shop members as it becomes available.    If you are not a Coffee Shop member,  please note that we are free and independent forum (run as a hobby thing by a fabulous team of moderators, admins and members, and we would welcome you to join and contribute if you wish.  Once you have made a few posts and established that you are legit, you'll automatically become a member of "frequent posters" and able to see and comment on things like my full notes mentioned earlier in this thread.    Register at this link

 

Yes, I do.

That apparent BTP response to the specific issue raised completely misses the point.

Near Nailsea, for example, there is a public footpath / right of way, which crosses the main line from Bristol to Exeter. The line speed here is 100 mph, there is no third rail / electrification and no question of 'trespassing' by those pedestrians using it.

The BTP need to focus more on specific issues, not give a generic answer to any raised concern (if that is what they did).

CfN. 

 
BBC has article saying how popular wild swimming spot Warleigh weir (south of Bathampton) requires footpath crossing railway and it is being misused


Then British Transport Police have a statement (bear in mind this is a non-electrified line operated by noisy diesel 158, 165, 166 units and freight locos, and has relatively low speed limit in area

Whilst I am all for improving safety at rural footpath crossings, I don't think the BTP statement which appears to have been cut and paste from an urban mainline crossing, was most helpful way to remind how to use a foot crossing either.  Does anyone else think BTP issued less than ideal statement here

 

The ownership will depend on who owns the land as it is a heritage railway it is possible the Council are the land owners and lease / licence / wayleave use to the railway.
Another possibility because the road is a by-pass it is the railway that owns the land and the Council has lease / licence / wayleave to cross the railway and maintain the road, this happens with NR the Highway owner pays NR to maintain the crossing surface.

 
4. Netherlands.

The Netherlands has been suggested as a country location before, and discounted, but I'm sure that's the church in Maastricht.

 

Looks like a lovely day and had I not been otherwise engaged, I would have come along.  Yesterday was one of those days with not just a two way but a five way (at least) clash, and I only managed two of the five things ... the outright winner for my attention was the GWR Community and Stakeholder conference in Swindon; the timing was such that I was also able to attend the Melksham Environment Group in the evening.

 
Update: bridge 88 from the water.

Mark