Not sure what happened here: police removed driver for 'Reasons', after which passengers in a stationary coach on the motorway hard shoulder, hopefully with a hi-viz police vehicle as protection.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/sep/22/flixbus-left-us-stranded-m23-after-a-police-swoop

We had boarded the Cambridge to Brighton Flixbus service at Gatwick. The coach was an hour late, was visibly damaged on the outside and the driver set off without closing the luggage hatch.

Other passengers observed him driving with his eyes closed, and police pulled him over on the M23 because of erratic driving. He was tested at the roadside and detained on suspicion of driving while under the influence.

The police asked Flixbus to source an alternative driver, but to no avail. The 90-minute wait was terrifying with lorries swerving past. Eventually, the police drove us to a service station on the outskirts of Brighton and we had to make our own way into the city.

You reported the incident as it unfolded via Flixbus’s live chat, which is evidently not programmed to address alleged driving offences, as it kept reassuring you that the company aims to offer a safe and reliable experience. Its reasoning was that since you had boarded the bus there was no case for compensation.

When you complained by email, Flixbus referred to the incident as “disruption”, as though the issue was heavy traffic.

A diet of pickled eggs is better than starving.
I would prefer a diet that consists largely of tinned tuna, tined fruit, lifeboat rations and chocolate.
"Doomfood" with a 20+ year shelf life another possibility, though it requires extra water, and means of boiling same.
A paraffin primus stove is safer than LPG in a bunker.

Those travelling between Reading and London can use GWR trains between Reading and Guildford – change at Guildford for train services to/from London Waterloo.

To support this, an enhanced train service will be provided by GWR with additional trains running non-stop between Reading and Guildford in around 30 minutes. When planning your journey, search for journeys between Reading and London Waterloo via Guildford instead.

GWR will operate special trains between London Euston and Bristol Temple Meads, plus between London Euston and Swansea or Carmarthen.

These hourly train services will not be able to pick-up or drop-off customers between London Euston and Swindon, including at Oxford or Didcot Parkway.

Please find attached my response to the Wiltshire Strategic Freight Strategy Consultation.  I am a former Town Councillor and was heavily involved with the Melksham Neighbourhood Plan, and I am also Chair of the Melksham Transport Users Group (MTUG), as well as having wider connections across the county and indeed the South West, so perhaps I have a better insight into the traffic (freight and private and public) transport flow, and how they may develop and the area changes, becomes more populous and at the same time more needing of efficient and environmentally better travel for goods and people.

I found the questions asked on your public survey to be very "light" for me.  Not a surprise, and that lightness probably makes sense because that'll be appropriate for most respondents who won't have studied the subject in detail. So please find attached my written comments - made in public on my blog - for your consideration.  The URL in includes within the .pdf, and a QR code will take you quickly there.

As a very quick summary, Melksham in on the only North-South trunk road artery, and the only north-south railway line, for many miles.  Tonnage wise at present, I guestimate that 35% goes by rail and 65% by rail, though looking at the consultation may, which leaves out the railway, you would think it was closed.  I find myself wondering why this is - perhaps it's because the passage of 1,000 lorries per day through Benacre, the narrow section of Melksham near McDonalds, and close to the homes at the edge of the Hazelwood Road estate is already intrusive and exercises councillors, whereas the railway quietly passes freight without causing the public outrage, noise and fumes of score of lorries.

Both current road and rail are perilously close to running at full capacity, and further traffic - both long distance and regional as the Wiltshire population rises - will push them over the tipping point to through congestion that is economy-damaging towards (and perhaps to) gridlock in coming years.  And both rail and road need significant capacity improvements. It is not a case of either/or.   Both are needed, and both sets of improvements need to consider and plan for both the freight and the people aspects of infrastructure improvements.

Please feel free to share the above, and the attachment, and to keep me informed of progress, and I am happy to make further comment and to explain to and via MTUG members some of the reasons behind what are likely to be some locally less than popular works that are needed.

As predicted: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/26569009.botley-road-drivers-face-queues-day-reopening/

The situation is on going.  There is a 300 metre exclusion zone but police say this is likely to be extended.

Turns out it is an American missile from World War Two.   I wonder if they'd like it back?

I've included a few photos of the Platform 6 bridge, which is currently a pedestrian footbridge.

The link to Google Photos was just that a link - rather than an image file itself (.jpg, .bmp etc). 

I have taken a copy and hosted them and they are now visible.

Politicians including Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla MP described the handling of the project as "a disaster".

I have just realised, that I have had what I know as a "whoosh" moment 

 

At last the good folk of Oxford can get back to moaning about gridlock on the Botley Road!