Distance related fares are something that I have supported for quite some time; the price of any service, particularly one partially funded by the tax payer, should to some extent reflect the cost of providing it. I fully understand that this is not a simple calculation, and there are a myriad of things (potential variations) to be considered before settling on an appropriate £/mile metric.

14:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 17:14 will no longer call at Hanborough, Kingham, Honeybourne, Pershore and Worcestershire Parkway Hl.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Last Updated:23/11/2024 15:14

A man who tried to send 500 bikes to a charity in Africa had them refused at a Scottish port after they were classed as waste.

Nigel Carter, 64, had been gathering bicycles across Scotland to be shipped to Sudan, to help people who need access to cheap transport.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said the shipment could not leave the country as an inspector had deemed them unfit for purpose because some of them needed repairs.

The bikes were shipped back to Mr Carter in Comrie, Perthshire, which he said meant they risked being scrapped.

Mr Carter told BBC Scotland's Drivetime on Thursday that he had gathered the bikes from Scottish recycling centres to offer to Scottish charities - and those not taken were given to a charity in Sudan.  The current civil war in the north east African country means there is a lack of resources such as oil and fuel, so bikes have become more sought after.

The bikes were shipped in a container to a Scottish port, where it was stopped for an inspection by environment officials.

Gary Walker, a waste manager at Sepa, said some of the bikes needed repairs before they could be reused.

The container was sent back to Mr Carter.  He told the BBC he thought it was "ludicrous" that his container had not met the shipping requirements.

Mr Carter said he did not think there was a set standard that the bicycles were marked against and the inspector's decision was arbitrary.  "It's as whimsical as if someone were to have a bad day, they could refuse the container," he said.

Mr Walker from Sepa said the repairs necessary to the bikes meant they were considered waste.  He said he had a duty to ensure that Scotland’s waste was not simply dumped in another country.

In a statement, Sepa told BBC Scotland they had contacted Mr Carter about the bicycle repairs before shipment and they were disappointed in their condition by the time they were shipped.  They said they were not confident that the bikes would be reused as bikes.

Mr Carter said he suspected some of the bikes would need work when they arrived in Africa but did not understand what else they would have been used for.  According to Mr Carter the repairs raised by Sepa were only minor and easily fixed, including oil on chains, rusted frames and broken brake cables.  He said that these repairs would be more cost effective if carried out in Sudan rather than in Scotland.

The Sudanese charity receiving the bikes had picked them out and were happy with their condition, Mr Carter said.  He added that the bikes were also approved by qualified bicycle mechanics.

The bikes would have been used across Sudan for children to get to school or to help people run their businesses.  He told the BBC it was costing the Sudanese charity for the shipping container to be sitting in "limbo" and puts them at risk of closing.

Mr Carter said the bikes will now most likely be scrapped or taken back to the recycling centre, where they were picked from.

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.