Next they'll be asking passengers to drive the trains!

Might help with regular driver shortages.

Westbury: Staffing
Westbury station will be single staffed from now until the end of the day.
Additional Information
Please be prepared to assist with dispatch or self dispatch if necessary.
Last Updated:23/11/2024 11:00

Charring Cross

Closure of line from Pilning to Severn Beach to.....in 1964 and (which) has been covered by houses and motorways and won't be back in our lifetime.....

Hmm. 
 


... seems to me to be entirely inconsistent. 

Most struck railway bridges in Britain 2023/24:

1. Stuntney Road, Ely - 18 strikes
2. Stonea Road, Stonea - 17 strikes
3. Lower Downs Road, Wimbledon - 17 strikes
4. Watling Street A5, Hinckley - 15 strikes
5. Harlaxton Road, Grantham - 14 strikes
6. Doncaster Road (A638), Ackworth, Ferrybridge - 13 strikes
7. Warminster Road Bridge, Wilton - 11 strikes
8. Abbey Farm, Thetford - 11 strikes
9. Kenworthy Road Bridge, Homerton - 11 strikes
10. Jews Lane, Twerton - 10 strikes

Outrage as disabled Dundee man, 27, told to remove stationmaster costume at Angus train event



Gareth Bell is a huge trains fan and has his own 'station' in his back garden. Picture: Paul Reid.

A Tayside family has hit out after a disabled “gentle giant” was asked to remove his fancy dress costume at a Thomas the Tank Engine event on health and safety grounds.

Mum Laurie Alexander said her 27-year-old son Gareth Bell – who has a rare neurogenetic disorder called Angelman Syndrome – dressed up as a station master to attend the event at Brechin’s Caledonian Railway on Saturday.

She said the family were shocked when they were told Gareth, who has a mental age of four, would have to remove his hat, jacket and tie because he was “impersonating a member of staff”.


Gareth Bell in his back garden.

Mrs Alexander, from Dundee, said her train enthusiast son was also told to sit away from all the other visitors before boarding for fear of mistaken identity.

“I’m totally broken and can’t stop crying about what happened,” she said. “Gareth has Angelman Syndrome and he’s a gentle giant. He is a toddler in a big man’s body.  The man asked if Gareth could remove his hat, jacket and tie because he was impersonating a member of staff. I was also told he had to sit further along the platform away from all the other visitors.  They blamed health and safety.”


Gareth in his shed.

Gareth eventually travelled on Thomas with his uniform left behind on the station bench.

Mrs Alexander said the experience was hugely upsetting.  “Gareth has always loved trains and he adores Thomas,” she said.  “I just wanted the ground to swallow me up and I thought I was going to start crying. But I kept my emotions in check because Gareth was unaware of what was happening.  When I asked him to take off his costume he told me: ‘Bad mummy’.”


The Caley railway is extremely popular with families.

Dad Robert said his son recently went to Perth to see the Flying Scotsman while dressed as “Station Master Gareth”, without any difficulties.

“The staff there did everything they could to accommodate him and he even got to wave the train off from the station,” he said. “Gareth is six foot three and doesn’t look like he has learning difficulties but not everybody that is disabled is in a wheelchair.  The situation could have been handled totally differently and it’s a real shame that it has come to this.”

The couple turned the shed in their garden into a station for Gareth who is a well-known figure in the Fintry community.

A spokesman for the volunteer-run Caledonian Railway apologised and has now invited Gareth back to Brechin to make amends.  He said: “We would apologise for any upset that was caused which was never our intention.  We are not here to single anybody out and this was a case of miscommunication between the two parties.  We would like to clear the air and invite Gareth to join us next weekend at the station for a look around and a train ride.”

Angelman syndrome (AS) affects about one in 15,000 people, or about 500,000 individuals worldwide. Symptoms include severe intellectual disability, developmental disability, speaking problems, balance and movement problems, seizures, and sleep problems.

I don't understand why there isn't a gantry before these bridges with something dangling on a rope that would hit the top of the vehicle alerting the driver before they hit the bridge.

I've been there twice and not seen them, although it didn't go dark at all on my first visit.

There have been plans for a light rail link ...

There was a slightly different message at 07:31
This is due to a late running train being in front of this one.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:22/11/2024 07:36

Hinckley railway bridge sits in top ten of Network Rail’s most bashed bridges

Watling Bridge in Hinckley sits at number four of the list of Network Rail’s most frequently hit bridges.

New figures released by Network Rail reveal Watling Bridge was struck 15 times in the last year, up from 12 the year before.

The new figures come as Network Rail urges haulage operators and their lorry drivers to ‘Wise Up, Size Up’ and take better care on the roads.

Network Rail works closely with industry partners to tackle bridge strikes. Its ongoing ‘Wise Up, Size Up’ campaign reminds lorry drivers to check the height of their vehicles and plan their route in advance to avoid low bridges.

Network Rail also has a team of bridge strike champions covering each route across Britain, who raise awareness by visiting local haulage companies. This is proving effective in many parts of the country with a reduction in the total number of incidents recorded on the network over the last two years, including a 4% reduction in the last year alone.

Lei Wang, principal route engineer for West Coast South, said: “The number of collisions with Watling Street Bridge remains a concern, there have been 68 incidents since 2019. To prevent delays on the railway when hit, we have collision protection beams in place. This means the beams get hit instead of the bridge itself.  Although this has meant less disruption to passengers, the number is still too high so I want to urge drivers to know the size of their vehicle and take more care when approaching the bridge.”

07:45 Westbury to Swindon due 08:34 will be starting late from Westbury.

This is due to a late running train being in front of this one.