No end in sight for railway tunnel repairs


Bransty Tunnel has previously been affected by flooding

Repairs to a railway tunnel have been delayed with no reopening date set, Network Rail has said.

Bransty tunnel, between Whitehaven and Corkickle on the Cumbrian Coast Line, shut in the summer after engineers found its floor needed "significant reinforcement". Bosses initially expected it to remain closed until Easter.

Passengers on the line, which serves two major employers in the county, Sellafield and BAE, have been using replacement buses for almost a year.

A permanent repair solution had been agreed, but Network Rail said it was waiting on permits to be agreed with partners the Mining Remediation Authority and the Environment Agency for work to begin.

"This is to align the necessary environmental consents so that water contamination issues can be addressed alongside the repairs," a Network Rail spokesperson said.

The tunnel was connected with orange water at Whitehaven Harbour and works were planned to tackle issues. However, tests to assess weight limits for the heavy machinery needed revealed issues with the floor strength, prompting the months-long closure.

Network Rail said it had completed "detailed inspections and a permanent repair solution has been independently verified". It plans to use specialist grout to stabilise the tunnel and pressure relief wells to reduce groundwater pressure and manage the volume of water entering the tunnel. Track and drainage renewal work is also planned.

It added that in the interest of saving taxpayer costs, it would take a "minimal viable product approach" which included using smaller drilling, grouting and treatment areas and fewer relief wells within the tunnel.

A spokesperson said: "We're sorry for the delay in reopening the Bransty tunnel for passengers who rely on this important route."  They also said a further update would be provided when it could "be clear on the timeline of what happens next".

Railway station to become a 'canvas' for artwork



A new arts programme will see artists, communities and schools transform a city's railway station with their creative vision for the public transport hub.

Arts charity HOME and Network Rail have teamed up for an 18-month project which will see the busy commuter station Oxford Road in Manchester double up as a creative workshop.

Our City & Beyond: Manchester Oxford Road Edition invites participants to "reimagine" the station "as a canvas for collective storytelling". The programme "explores what becomes possible when rail, culture and the city come together to shape station environments and experiences that are welcoming, reflective of their communities and connected to the life of the city".

Louise Harney, head of creative engagement, HOME, said she was excited "to engage with a Manchester landmark as a canvas for collective storytelling, co-creating a public artwork rooted in the city's past and present". She added: "We are thrilled to be a part of this project that celebrates creativity in place."

Rebecca Foy, regeneration & placemaking specialist at Network Rail, added: "Art is powerful - it shapes people, places and stories, and our stations are no different. We are beginning to explore what becomes possible when rail works creatively with the city and its communities to shape places that feel welcoming, human and truly reflective of the people they serve."

An early example of the kind of projects envisaged is the announcement of a new artwork across the Whitworth Street railway arches beneath Manchester Oxford Road Station.

The work by artist Venessa Scott will draw inspiration from the creative work already produced by participating school children and will transform the currently neglected arch frontages into a "vibrant and evolving canvas for the programme", the organisers have said.

The artwork will be submitted for planning soon with work expected start in summer. Throughout the project, filmmakers and photographers will document the creative process, with resulting films shared online.

I is confused; I am pretty sure that 'Dual Nationals' are by definition citizens of, and therefore passport holders of, two sovereign countries.

So why would a UK (or RoI) + 1 other passport holder be affected in any way by this immigration process change?

Looks like a coach to me

intense competition from the railways

The former rope factory at modern-day Rope Walk is also featured in the book ...

So are there any echoes of the canals' presence left in Melksham? Williams said there were a number of clues people could still find. The first is a hump in Spa Road where the Wharf Court residential home is - marking where a bridge once was.

One thing can do, and media doesn't seem to highlight this is previous week, look up arrivals at airport travelling to and see how many non Schengen flights arrive just before yours.  Gives you good indication if they will still be processing arrivals from previous flights.   (note flight times can vary by day of week so best to check same time previous week)

Two taken to hospital after bus crashes down A9 embankment


Heavy lift recovery trucks were later brought in to recover the crashed bus

Two people have been taken to hospital after a bus crashed down an embankment on the A9 north of Aviemore in the Highlands.

A major emergency response involving firefighters, ambulance crews and police was triggered after it left the road near the Granish Junction at about 9:40 on Sunday.

Police Scotland said two people were taken to hospital for treatment but no details were given about the extent of their injuries.

The bus was an electric vehicle heading to Edinburgh from Inverness, operated by Ember. The A9 was closed for about two hours but has now reopened.

Images from the scene show the large green and black bus halfway down a grassy slope at the side of the road with around 20 emergency service personnel attending.

George Rennie was travelling home to Inverness from Glasgow on another Ember service which arrived at the scene to pick up casualties from the crashed bus. He said they spent nearly two hours at the scene and around seven shaken up passengers boarded before being dropped off at Aviemore Train Station to travel on to the capital.

He told BBC Scotland News "Just as we were approaching the junction we had to turn back. Our bus driver received a message and told him to turn back. Then we heard anyone who was not injured would be coming on board so the company could take them away from the scene. Around nine people got on - most of them just had cuts and bruises from the impact."

The passengers reported that the coach tipped while turning at a junction and they had no idea something was wrong until they heard a loud bang.

Rennie continued: "When the passengers got on they told us only half of them were wearing seatbelts. One guy was thrown to the floor and another smacked his face on the seat which cut his lip. The others said they were just relaxing before they heard a huge crash and saw the front window smash inwards. A lot of people flew forward and banged their heads on seats."

A spokesperson for Ember confirmed one of their fleet was involved in a single vehicle collision on 12 April. He continued: "We would like to offer our thanks to the emergency services for their support, and we are of course fully supporting the police with their investigations."

Easyjet leaves 100 behind at Milan in border check queues

About 100 people have been left stranded in Milan after a flight to Manchester left without them.

They were due to depart on an Easyjet flight on Sunday but faced queues of up to three hours at Milan's Linate airport because of border control checks.

Marooned passengers told the BBC people had been vomiting and passing out in the heat and now did not know how they would get home.

Easyjet said it was trying to support passengers but that the situation was "outside of our control".

One passenger, Kiera, 17, from Oldham, told the BBC she and her boyfriend faced a 20-hour wait in the airport until they could get another flight tomorrow. She said it had cost her mother about £520 for new flights, but that they would be going to Gatwick, not Manchester.

She added: "We got here at seven-thirty for our flight at eleven so were super early. We got to Border Control and it was a massive queue of people. I wasn't feeling great anyway because I think I'd got food poisoning. At about ten-fifty they brought some water over for people, and when we got to the front of the queue someone asked us if we were going to Manchester, and told us our flight had just gone. There were only about 30 people got on the plane, and about 100 people didn't."

(BBC article continues)

Two versions of the same story is fine - I'm puzzled as to why I wasn't flagged on duplicating by the software

A step back in time at Gloucestershire vintage vehicle event


The team behind the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway put on a whole weekend of transport delights

Vintage vehicle lovers were treated to a behind-the-scenes view of a heritage railway this weekend.

Stations along the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) put on a full timetable of train services during its annual vintage event and visitors got a close-up view of more than 100 cars, motorbikes and buses.

GWSR is a volunteer-led heritage railway line which runs between Cheltenham and Broadway.

Here are some highlights from some of the stations on the circuit.



Back in time: Visitors could take a trip on a classic Great Western Railway railcar.



Time for tea: Gotherington Station looked like something straight out of the Railway Children, with visitors able to enjoy a nice cup of tea and a cake in the April sunshine.

The hidden history of a town's lost waterways


The canals were abandoned and largely filled in more than 100 years ago

For more than a century, narrowboats pulled by horses and donkeys walking alongside Wiltshire's canals transported items like stone, timber, salt, beer, flour, beans and oil.

But if you take a look around Melksham now, there is little evidence of the town's watery history.

The canal between Semington and Lacock in Wiltshire stopped being used more than 100 years ago, largely due to intense competition from the railways. It was abandoned and largely filled in following its final closure in 1914.

Writer Peter Williams is now hoping to shed light on the lost history of the waterways in and around Melksham, which were once so important to the area. The music teacher from Chippenham has spent 30 years gathering maps, letters, receipts, newspaper articles and dozens of archive images and sketches for his free book The Lost Waterway of Melksham.

He told BBC Radio Wiltshire he was "amazed" by the amount of information he managed to uncover. "It's fascinating to think that narrowboats were travelling where homes and gardens stand today," Williams said.

He said locals described memories of skating to Chippenham when the canal froze over in winter and coal barges being cleaned out for groups to enjoy annual outings to the town in the summer.


Peter Williams has been researching the topic for 30 years

The route of the canal stretched from the Semington junction, where there was a toll collector's house, and past Berryfields. It then carried on to Melksham Wharf, where there was once a wharf keeper's cottage, cranes and warehouses - now home to a development of flats called Wharf Court.

The former rope factory at modern-day Rope Walk is also featured in the book, as well as a list of names of local boatmen, boatbuilders and lockkeepers.

So are there any echoes of the canals' presence left in Melksham? Williams said there were a number of clues people could still find. The first is a hump in Spa Road where the Wharf Court residential home is - marking where a bridge once was. He also pointed to the bridge parapet at the junction of Lowbourne Road and Forest Road. He added some small parts of the towpath were now public rights of way between houses.

"There was also a big embankment over Clackers Brook, which is just off Ruskin Avenue. It would have been huge in 1795 when it was constructed. It was like the M4 of its time. The people of Melksham must have been quite amazed by this huge engineering feature which came through the town," Williams said.

He was inspired to start the project after volunteering with the Melksham, Chippenham and Calne branch of the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust.

The charity is hoping to receive planning permission for a "Melksham Link", which would uncover and reconnect the town's waterways with the nearby Kennet & Avon Canal. The plans are currently being discussed by Wiltshire Council and the Environment Agency.

Mike Gibbin, CEO of Wilts & Berks Canal Trust, said: "Peter has produced an excellent book, and we are delighted he has kindly offered to share it with everyone free of charge. We hope it encourages people to learn about the amazing story of this wonderful waterway and our ambitious plans to bring it back to life."

Travel warning as works take place on railway line


The railway line in Gloucestershire is temporarily closed for the next two weekends

Railway passengers travelling through Gloucestershire over the next two weekends are urged to plan ahead as engineering works are taking place.

Network Rail said the railway will be temporarily closed while new rails and track equipment are installed, and drainage works to improve the resilience of the railway are completed.

Work will also continue on the construction of Charfield Station, whilst further improvements will be made at Cheltenham Spa and Kemble.

Mark Parker, Network Rail lead portfolio manager, said: "Make sure to plan ahead as some journeys will be altered with bus replacement services on some routes."

On Saturday and Sunday, buses will replace some Great Western Railway (GWR) trains between Gloucester and Bristol Parkway, Gloucester and Stroud (Saturdays) and Gloucester and Swindon (Sundays), repeating next weekend.

CrossCountry trains will still run between Cheltenham Spa and Bristol Parkway using an alternative route. These trains will also call at Gloucester and Newport. Trains will also run between Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa.

"We'll be working non-stop over the next two weekends to complete this essential work to improve journeys for passengers throughout Gloucestershire," said Mr Parker.

Chloe Coglan, GWR's station manager for Cheltenham and Gloucester, said: "We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause, but the work planned will help to maintain train services across Gloucestershire for years to come. Trains between Cheltenham Spa or Gloucester and London Paddington will start or terminate at Stroud on Saturdays, but these won't run on Sundays. To help customer to complete their journeys, replacement road transport will be provided for those stations affected on both weekends. It's important customers are aware these alternative travel arrangements may make journey times much longer, so please plan ahead."

Cornwall vintage railway targeted in two burglaries


A spokesperson said visitors had been unable to get "the full experience"

A vintage railway has said staff and visitors are feeling the impact after two break-ins.

Bodmin & Wenford Railway has been targeted twice in recent weeks, with access to the carriage forced and alcohol and food stolen.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the break-ins. They said the most recent incident happened overnight between 26 and 27 March, a week after the first incident.

A spokesperson for Bodmin & Wenford Railway said they believed £800 to £1,000 worth of goods were stolen.

The spokesperson said: "We've had to keep our little bar that we have on the train closed for a week over the Easter holidays - so obviously there's a loss of earnings - but there's damage to the carriage and obviously all the stuff that he actually stole as well."

"The thief broke into the donation box as well and took all the money out that people have donated so quite a big impact for a little charity heritage railway." They added visitors had also been impacted because they weren't able to get the "full experience" as they were unable to go to the bar on board.

The spokesperson said the crew had fixed the damage so the attraction was now open but were having to empty the train every evening in case the thief returns. "It makes it really unnerving actually because sometimes we work until late and it goes dark on the station and it's actually made us feel quite insecure about being here by ourselves in the dark," the spokesperson said.

Free veteran bus travel scheme launches

Veterans and people currently serving in the armed forces from Worcestershire can travel for free on local buses.

The new scheme means former and current members of the military without a concessionary bus pass can use both the county's commercial network and the Worcestershire on-demand service.

On-demand routes were made available for free on 1 April, while commercial routes will be opened up to veterans and those currently serving from 13 April.

It comes after councillors voted on the proposal to introduce the scheme in November.

To travel for free, those eligible must show their veteran card or present their military ID.

According to the council, Worcestershire is home to more than 21,000 veterans and more than 500 regular armed forces personnel.

Dual national Londoner stranded in Spain by new border rule


Natasha Cochrane De La Rosa is staying with family in Spain until the issues are resolved

A London-born woman has been left stranded in Spain and "petrified" for her career after being caught out by a recent overhaul of UK border rules.

Natasha Cochrane De La Rosa, a 26-year-old British-Spanish dual national, was born and raised in Islington and has lived in the UK her entire life. However, she was denied boarding on a return flight from Amsterdam on 2 April using her Spanish passport.

Under rules introduced on 25 February, dual nationals can no longer enter the UK using a foreign passport alone. They must now present either a British or Irish passport, or possess a digital certificate of entitlement. The Home Office said the move brings the UK in line with international standards.

Cochrane De La Rosa said it was an "utter surprise" and she had no idea the rules had changed for dual nationals, when she booked the trip to Amsterdam with friends. She had previously travelled back and forth from the UK on her Spanish passport without issue before the rule change.

After being denied boarding on the Amsterdam to Luton Airport flight, she spent a night in the Dutch capital before travelling to Spain to stay with family. "I have a career, family and friends in the UK. My whole life is in the UK," she said. She told BBC London her case was "nuanced" due to historical nationality laws because her parents were unmarried when she was born in 1999, which meant her British father could not automatically pass on his citizenship.

Despite paying taxes and voting in the UK, she said immigration lawyers had told her the situation put her in a legal "grey area". Cochrane De La Rosanow faces the difficult choice of applying for a British passport, which could take about six weeks and risks rejection due to her birth circumstances, or paying £589 for a digital certificate of entitlement.

"It's terrifying and I'm petrified," she said, pointing to the risks to her employment if she is forced to remain outside country for a long period. "The country has a duty of care. I am 100% a dual national," she said. "[The government] has all the relevant information, how has this been missed."

Cochrane De La Rosa criticised the Home Office's communication of the new rules and how they would impact dual nationals. She said the changes were "not amplified" and if she had known she would not have travelled and "sorted out my paperwork from the comfort of my home".

"No one has slept. My family have been up all night. My sisters and parents are distraught," the Londoner added. "This isn't just about my story but the effect these changes will have on others. Others who don't have the same resources, connections, maybe even literacy, [and] financial security to be able to cope with these changes."

The Home Office said the move brings the UK in line with countries like the US and Australia, which require citizens to travel on national documents. A spokesperson said: "Since 25 February 2026, all dual British citizens need to present either a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement when travelling to the UK." They defended the government's communication of the changes, stating that a "substantive" campaign had been running since 2023, with specific guidance for dual nationals available since October 2024.

While overseas passport applications can be processed in as little as four weeks, those without one can apply for a digital certificate of entitlement, which the Home Office says now only needs to be applied for once, the spokesperson added.

  West Coast Railways has reached an agreement with the Office of Rail and Road that will see Central Door Locking installed across the fleet of Mark 1 carriages that they use on the mainline.

These carriages have been used on charter services, including the ever-popular Jacobite, for 25 years, and WCRC says that they understand how much passengers value this as part of their experience.

Last year, The Jacobite used Mark 2 carriages, but following feedback and an evaluation of the costs associated with this coaching stock, the operator has approached the Office of Rail and Road to bring back Mark 1 coaches into use.

The charter operator is working with the ORR to finalise a timeline of CDL fitment so that the 2026 Jacobite season can start.

The start of the 2026 season has been delayed but a start date is not yet known but will be shared as soon as possible. West Coast says it is working with the ORR to come up with a plan that “balances the technical requirements of the installation with the goal of commencing the 2026 Jacobite season”.

Media seems "full" of this ... did we have a coffee shop thread wider than just Eurostar?

Two in hospital after bus crashes down embankment on A9


The bus left the A9 just north of Aviemore

Two people have been taken to hospital after a bus crashed down an embankment on the A9 north of Aviemore.

A large emergency response involving firefighters, ambulance crews and police was triggered after it left the road near the Granish Junction at about 9:40 on Sunday.

Police Scotland said two people were taken to hospital for treatment but no details were given about the extent of their injuries.

The bus is believed to be an electric vehicle operated by Ember. The A9 was closed for about two hours but has now reopened.