Oh, and, come to think of it, Carmarthen at the start of this year, though perhaps that doesn't quite count as a barrow crossing.

Pasewalk. Not the most obvious place to be catching an international train - but I'm sure there was a reason for choosing a station that is so ... unimproved. Perhaps just that?

And to get there from Wernigerode/Vienenburg you'd almost have to go via Berlin, explaining why 7 is Berlin HBF. As well as the fact that little else is just so ... big! (Vertically, most strikingly.)

Maybe Chris B can transfer them to here.

They're vermin frankly, and I am don't have a problem - although plenty do in the comments to that article.

So I ask the question - why do many see shooting them as an inhumane way of killing when no one has any problem with Halal killing of any animal??

No. 8 isn't even in Poland - though we were waiting for an international train to Poland at that station. 

How do steam railways tackle lineside fire risks?


The Watercress Line is operating its Canadian Pacific loco to reduce the risk of fires - Image © Peter Trimming

Prolonged dry weather has led to a temporary ban on steam trains on the national rail network but the rules do not apply to independent heritage lines.

Swanage Railway in Dorset and the Watercress Line in Hampshire are among the attractions still running steam locomotives when it is deemed safe to do so.

So how do operators decide when it is safe, and how do they mitigate the risk?

Safety measures include devices that prevent embers from escaping, choosing bigger locomotives to pull the trains, and assessing the strength and direction of the wind.

Watercress Line chief executive Rebecca Dalley said: "We do have to be very careful but there are lots of things we can do.  There is a wonderful device called a spark arrester.  They've got very fine mesh so almost nothing can escape, so you are only getting smoke coming out of the top and a bit of steam."

Dalley said screens were also fitted to the dampers that let the air in beneath the fire so there is "no means of escape".

"We check the condition of our ash pans that collect the embers from the firebox and we fit water sprays to dampen everything down," she said.

(BBC article continues)

2,000 pigeons shot with rifles at railway stations

More than 2,000 pigeons have been shot at railway stations and depots across the UK in 16 months, the BBC has found.

Professionals with air rifles shoot the pigeons at night in an effort to prevent droppings becoming slip hazards or causing illness, but critics say the method is inhumane.

Of the stations managed by state-owned companies, York Station recorded 608 birds shot between January 2025 and April of this year - 152 of them on a single day.

The data was sourced under the Freedom of Information Act which does not apply to private companies, so it is possible other stations have culled more and the total is higher than the current figure of 2,019.

LNER was the most prolific train operator with more than 800 birds shot at its stations in the year and four months to March 2026 - three-quarters of those at York Station. "We do implement a number of deterrents and any other measures are as a last resort only," the operator said. "The safety of our customers and colleagues is our number one priority."

It said its higher totals on individual days – 152 on 26 January last year, and 97 on 21 February this year – were a result of large gaps between cullings.

Network Rail had 600 pigeons killed across Bristol Temple Meads, London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley stations.

South Western Railway ordered the shooting of 250, Transport for London had 147, and Northern had 143.

Scotrail and c2c did not kill pigeons at any of their stations.

(BBC article continues)

I've uploaded some photos from today here because it's easier.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/paignton-station-footbridge-on-fire-21-07-26.304899/page-4

Re pictures 5 & 6. Why can't we treat rail passengers as adults in this country and let them cross the track?

Do they have higher railway accident rates in Europe?

GWR/NR are aiming for a re-opening of Tuesday.  Initially was Monday but pushed back a day so aspirations are more realistic. 
Considerations are a temporary entrance via the car park needs to be made, train formations need to be restricted to prevent any part being under the damaged structures and there'd be no direct access between platforms 1 and 2.

   Arrival and departure times at Castle Cary Station to and from London have been set to ensure there is a sufficient gap between bus and train arrivals and departures to support reliable connections.