... after which, normal service resumed, until around 8:30 this morning when the line appears to have closed once more.

Where will we get the bags from, now that they are no longer supplied readily by supermarkets at checkouts, and all responsible suppliers of food and goods are phasing out plastic wrappers?

Cancellations to services between Reading and London Paddington

Due to a person hit by a train between Reading and London Paddington the line is blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 09:30 11/11.

I'm stuck between Southall & Hanwell (where the person was hit), not looking like I'm moving far for a while.

Incidentally, if/when Filton Bank finally gets electrified, perhaps the 387s from Paddington to Parkway could reverse at Brabazon, giving it a direct London service?

Be careful on trains in Europe!

My husband and I were on the train from Verona to Venice when someone jumped on during a stop and tried to steal one of our suitcases! I was watching from a few aisles away but they are FAST! Luckily the ticket taker employee stopped him and kicked him off the train. He informed me it happens ALL THE TIME! A thief will jump on and grab a bag so fast, then the train will keep going and you CAN’T DO ANYTHING! Guard your bags at each stop!!!

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 was terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham, Swindon, Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse, Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street.
This is due to a problem currently under investigation.

Sales of tinned food and bottled water jump after 'Be Ready' campaign launch

Sales of essential goods such as bottled water and canned food soared in the 10 days following the launch of the government's "Be Ready" emergency preparedness campaign on 22 October, research indicates.

Hand sanitiser sales were up 83%, sales of bottled water rose 67% and tinned and jarred goods climbed 37%, according to data from retail research firm Worldpanel by Numerator.

The government's public awareness campaign encouraged people to stock up in case of disruption to essential services by severe weather or cyberattacks.

However, Worldpanel said that while households were stockpiling essentials, they were not panic buying.

The government campaign encouraged people to keep three days-worth of food and water in their homes.  Wet wipes, a torch and cash were also recommended.

After the campaign launch, the equivalent of an extra 400,000 people per day bought tinned meat, Worldpanel said, although the typical amount remained at 500g, which suggests a gradual stocking-up.

"Shoppers clearly took notice of the 'Be Ready' campaign, but this wasn't panic buying, with less than a third of households buying bottled water in October," said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel by Numerator.

"Growth came from more people adding the recommended items on the government's checklist to their weekly shop, not from shoppers piling their trolleys high, which is very much in line with what the government wanted households to do," he said.

Sales of tinned and jarred goods rose from £58.2m in the 10 days to 2 November 2025 to £79.5m over the same period in 2026.

Bottled water sales jumped from £13.6m to £22.8m compared with a year earlier and hand sanitiser sales climbed from £497,000 to £908,000.

Further evidence of stockpiling came from food firm Princes on Tuesday, which said demand for tinned tuna, meat and vegetables had risen following the government's campaign.

Princes interim chief executive Giuseppe Mastrolia said the jump in demand "further reinforces the relevance of our core categories in providing affordable, nutritious and convenient food solutions".

The "Be Ready" campaign warns that severe weather and cyber attacks could disrupt essential services, and British households need to make sure they have what they need - for example, bottled water, and long-life food that doesn't need to be kept in the fridge such as dried fruit and nuts.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said everyone should have "those supplies in the house to get you through those moments".

Disaster recovery expert Lucy Easthope previously told the BBC that the UK was playing "massive catch up" to other European nations in terms of preparedness.  These include France, Germany Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

A number of experts have been calling for the UK to put more emphasis on food security, with some arguing that the government itself should take responsibility for food stockpiling, rather than individual households.

In October, a group of more than 180 experts signed an open letter to Burnham and first secretary of state Louise Haigh calling for local authorities to have a duty to prevent and respond to food supply emergencies.

They pointed out that a government survey found that 29% of people in the UK could not afford to keep a few days worth of food in the house.

Train attack driver's '10 seconds' to change line


Andrew Johnson was driving the train that made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon - Image © Steve Lammiman/BBC

The driver of a high-speed train where a mass stabbing took place said he had "probably about 10 seconds" to decide to switch to the slow line before making an unscheduled stop.

Andrew Johnson was driving the London-bound LNER service on 1 November last year when the train stopped at Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.

Giving evidence, Johnson told jurors at Cambridge Crown Court he heard someone on the intercom "screaming 'there's a knifeman stabbing people'".

Anthony Williams, 33, of Peterborough, denies 10 counts of attempted murder on the train.  He is also charged with four other attempted murders following earlier incidents in Peterborough and London.

Johnson told jurors the train was running "bang on time" as it travelled at about 122mph (196km/h) in the Abbots Ripton area of Cambridgeshire.  He said there was an unusual alarm "which indicated someone was trying to open one of the passenger doors".

"I have five seconds to override or the train will stop immediately," he explained.  He said if the train stopped it would take about a mile or 30 seconds to come to a standstill.

Johnson said he picked up the intercom to that door but received no response and thought "Saturday night, someone's messing around".

He said while he was speaking to the train manager to ask her to investigate "someone over-spoke us" and he heard someone "screaming 'there's a knifeman stabbing people'".  He thought the "best thing to do was to get to a platform" and the voice of the individual "really drove that home".

Johnson said he had "probably about 10 seconds" to switch to the slow line, adding: "I just knew that was the right option, it just came instinctively."  He pressed the urgent button and told a signaller "get me to Huntingdon and get me the police".

Jurors heard Johnson "could hear banging and screaming" on the cab door, and he said: "It was incredibly loud, and people were begging for me to open the door as well."  Johnson explained that he had to remain in his seat, adding: "My mind was completely focused on one thing and that was to get the train to Huntingdon."

When the train pulled into Huntingdon at 19:44 GMT, the court heard he had to override the system to open the doors because it was "not a programmed stop for us", taking about 15 seconds.  He said he saw passengers on the platform and "they didn't just run, they sprinted like I'd never seen before".

(BBC article continues)

Amazon driver's death 'could have been avoided'


Brandon Hatcher, 23, died at the scene in Teynham - Image © Family Handout/British Transport Police

The death of an Amazon delivery driver at a level crossing in Kent could have been avoided with better signage and crossing design, a rail accident investigation has said.

Brandon Hatcher, 23, was killed at the scene when the van he was driving was struck at a level crossing on Lower Road, in Teynham, on 13 July 2025.

The train was travelling from Ramsgate to London Victoria at about 70mph (114km/h).

Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) investigators said the driver was likely to have been misled by a green light into believing it was safe to enter the crossing before the exit gate had been opened.

The RAIB said the crossing's signs and lack of road markings did not effectively guide users through the correct procedure.

The user-operated crossing has gates and a miniature stop-light system which displays a green light when no trains are approaching and a red light with an audible warning when one is detected.

Users are instructed to check for a green light before opening the gates, crossing and closing them.

The report found crossings with miniature stop lights were unlikely to receive further safety upgrades, relying instead on drivers following the signs.

David Davidson, chief operating officer for South Eastern Railway said: "We accept the findings outlined in the Rail Accident Investigation Branch report published on Monday.  We will study the recommendations closely and are committed to learning every possible lesson from this tragic incident."

Davidson said the company had since changed the site's layout and published guidance for professional drivers using this type of crossing.

A spokesperson for Amazon said: "We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident, and our thoughts remain with Brandon's family and loved ones.  We supported the Rail Accident Investigation Branch throughout its work and will consider its findings carefully."

Investigators said training and guidance provided to the delivery driver, who was working on behalf of a logistics company, GG Logistix, had not prepared him to use the crossing safely.  GG Logistix has been approached for comment.

RAIB chief inspector Andrew Hall said private user-operated crossings were "a 19th Century concept operating in a 21st Century world".

"Most road users are unfamiliar with this type of crossing and with how to use them safely," he said.  Hall noted another delivery van driver was killed at a user-operated crossing in Lancashire in August.

The RAIB made several recommendations, including calls for Network Rail to review the design of user-operated crossings and for the Health and Safety Executive to review guidance for organisations employing drivers.

An Office of Rail and Road spokesperson said: "User-worked level crossings present particular safety risks, especially when people may be unfamiliar with how to use them.  We expect Network Rail to manage these risks, introducing safety measures or closures where needed."

They added they welcomed the RAIB's report and would "carefully consider" its findings and recommendations.  "We will continue working with Network Rail and others to improve safety for crossing users and passengers," they added.

A DfT spokesperson said: "Safety on the railway is our number one priority.  We are studying the RAIB report in detail and will work with the industry to take forward any recommendations to ensure it is safe for everyone."

1W33 1658 London Paddington to Great Malvern cancelled between Oxford and Great Malvern due to unknown cause (ZW)

19:45 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 22:24 will be started from Oxford.
It will no longer call at Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcestershire Parkway Hl, Pershore, Evesham, Honeybourne, Moreton-In-Marsh, Kingham, Charlbury and Hanborough.
This is due to congestion.

Quote
You will not be able to flush the toilet. Do not try to in any way as the sewage system will not be working. You should collect your poo in plastic bags, which should be sealed and disposed of with normal household waste, ideally in an outside bin.

Yup. Using Clifton Down Station the other week I looked for a step free access. Checking the map, I can see why I didn't find it. The signage isn't briliant either.

*snip* Clifton Down should be better than it is - the station could be a showpiece transport hub, but is instead barely accessible and hidden behind an awful 1970s oversite block.  *snip*

I had no problem whatever (apart from lugging the sheer weight of the thing).