That can happen if another follow up has been posted while you are writing - you press "post" and can (I sometimes do) don't notice that rather than posting, it alerts you to another contribution and asks if you want to post anyway.

More council control of Cornish buses to be considered

Cornwall Council has said it will look into how it could take more control over local bus services in future.

The authority said it would be doing more research into potential models for operating buses - including a greater say over timetables and routes.  It currently spends more than £12m a year to subsidise about half of all services - but private company Go Cornwall operates the routes.

The announcement came as villagers complained services for people living in rural areas of Cornwall are too infrequent and unreliable.

Diana Miller, 84, from Upton Cross, near Callington, said she now relied on the 78 and 78A bus services through her village after hurting her shoulder and being unable to drive.  "The bus service here is absolutely appalling. They're virtually every two hours and it sometimes just leaves you stranded. We've had to get cabs back from Launceston and it's cost us £30," she said.

She said she had missed medical appointments because the bus had been late - and it left both old and young people isolated.  "The last bus back from Liskeard in the afternoon is at 4.30pm, so the young people have to rely on their parents - hopefully they can pick them up.  "I can't go out in the evening because there's no bus. I don't understand why the Cornish have put up with bad rural services," she added.

Go Cornwall, which operate the services, said roadworks in the area were to blame for current unreliability.

(BBC article continues)

Exmouth Post Office closure sparks fears for residents


The Post Office said it hoped to open a replacement branch as soon as possible

People in Exmouth have spoken of their dismay as the town's post office prepares to close, with some warning vulnerable residents could be left struggling to access essential services.

The branch, which operates inside the town's TGJones store - formerly WHSmith, is shutting on Monday as part of a wider closure programme affecting about 150 stores across the UK.

The Post Office said it hoped to open a replacement branch as soon as possible, although the process could take about six months.  It said in the meantime customers would be directed to branches at Littleham Cross and Budleigh Salterton.

Kate Wilcox, who campaigned against moving the post office into WHSmith several years ago, said residents had long feared the arrangement would leave the town without a permanent service.  She said: "Exmouth has a population of 36,000 and rising and it's an elderly demographic and quite honestly people need the post office services."

Wilcox said the loss of banks and building societies in recent years had increased the importance of the post office, particularly for people who relied on face-to-face banking and government services.  She said: "The town has been hollowed out by the closure of banks and building societies, the closure of the post office."

Wilcox also warned the closure would be particularly difficult for older and disabled residents who may struggle to travel to alternative branches.  She said: "These are the people that actually need a friendly face to say, all right my love, what can I do?"

(BBC article continues)

Pressure group calls to reopen rail link


BTRA's plan of the proposed revived rail route - Image © BTRA

A rail pressure group is calling on Herefordshire and other authorities to work together on making the case for a reopened Hereford/Ross-on-Wye/Gloucester railway link.

The British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) claim the link, which closed in the 1960s, is "strategic and brimming with potential".  They believe it offers wider connections northwards to Shrewsbury, and connections to Reading and London to the east.  As well as enabling people to get to work or college and to travel more, it would also cut traffic congestion and free up parking spaces, the group says.

BRTA chief executive, Richard Pill, said: "There is growing demand for rail services again and for that to happen meaningfully, you need the tracks for more trains."

Pill said recently reopened rail lines elsewhere in the country "have far exceeded usage expectation in both urban and rural locations.  If the government can find millions of pounds for new roads, it is about priorities to switch some of that funding to the rail alternative," he added.

The chief executive urged residents to ask their local MPs "to seek all tiers of government support" for the scheme.

The proposal was given local impetus earlier this year when Ross ward members Louis Stark and Ed O'Driscoll asked fellow councillors to back a feasibility study into the idea.  Having passed narrowly, the motion calls on officers to report back with a study in 12 months.

Stark confirmed that a December meeting of the council's environment and sustainability committee, which he chairs, will look at the county's wider rail strategy, currently under development.  "Part of our intention will be to explore what is happening on the feasibility study and to ensure it is included in the rail strategy going forward," he said.

Meanwhile in late July, a BTRA meeting in Gloucester heard that "some relocation packages may be needed and engineering solutions found" for the proposed Hereford line.

It also discussed the viability of revived rail connections to Cirencester and between Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon, and the doubling of all the Hereford-Worcester-Oxford line.

Ah, Nailsea has a post office. Good.

Laira's saltwater.

Sandbanks chain ferry to close for seven-week major refit


The last crossing will be at 23:10 on 1 November before the seven-week shut-down - Image © Malc McDonald

A chain ferry will be out of action for seven weeks while it undergoes a major refit.

Sandbanks Ferry, which links Poole and Studland, in Dorset, will be shut from Monday 2 November.  The final service will leave Shell Bay for Sandbanks at 23:10 GMT on 1 November.

The refit works will be carried out at Poole Quay and in Falmouth, Cornwall, with the seven-week schedule subject to weather and sea conditions.

The scheduled maintenance works take place every two years, alternating between major and minor refits. The last major refit took place in 2022.


Parts are ordered a year in advance to minimise the ferry's time out of service - Image © David Martin

General manager Wayne Row thanked passengers for their understanding, adding: "Our team works exceptionally hard to prepare for refit years.  The team makes any repairs that are possible to do while the ferry is on the water, while out-of-water refit works tackle more complex processes around long-term structural integrity and regulatory compliance.

"Parts for the refit are also ordered at least a year in advance, with sections and systems prefabricated, helping reduce the overall time the ferry needs to be out of service.  We appreciate the ferry is part of the critical transport network. We're doing everything we can to ensure works are both thorough and efficient, so we can be back on the chains quickly."

Sandbanks Ferry crosses the mouth of Poole Harbour in about four minutes, saving passengers a journey of up to 25-miles (40km) by road.

Train staff strike over East West Rail train door row

The first trains on a £7bn new railway which will eventually connect Oxford and Cambridge could be further delayed due to industrial action.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), which represents train guards, said on Tuesday that its Chiltern Railways members had agreed to take 24-hour strike action.

It comes following a lengthy dispute over plans for drivers to control the opening and closing of carriage doors on services along the first section of the new East West Rail (EWR) route.

The BBC has contacted the Department for Transport for a comment, but a spokesperson told The Telegraph that the proposals were a "model approved by the independent rail regulator".

The RMT said the planned strike action would last for 24 hours on 10 and 17 October on Chiltern Railways services.

This decision came after Chiltern "refused to provide guarantees over the safety critical role of the second person" on board EWR services, the union said.

(BBC article continues)

Ah, Nailsea has a post office. Good. Bath: your move.

Major railway line to close for a month as work is carried out


Network Rail has acknowledged that the "once-in-a-generation investment" will cause temporary disruption to passengers - Image © Network Rail

A major stretch of railway line will close for a month with passengers warned to expect disruption.

Engineers will work between Chester and Holyhead on Anglesey, renewing track and other infrastructure.  To allow the work to be completed, the North Wales Coast line will close for four weeks from Saturday 9 January until Saturday 6 February 2027.

Network Rail's Emma Osborn called the £25m being spent a "once-in-a-generation investment", admitting it would cause "temporary disruption" to passengers.  But some passengers said it would be a "pain" for commuters and other rail users.

Osborn said "years' worth of complex work" would be brought together into one intensive programme.  This would mean it could be delivered more efficiently without a prolonged series of disruptive weekend closures.

"The long-term benefits for passengers and freight customers will far outweigh this temporary disruption, with a safer, more reliable railway that is better equipped to support the increased number of services now running across North Wales," she added.


The North Wales Coast line will close for four weeks from Saturday 9 January until Saturday 6 February 2027

The line will be closed for three weeks from Saturday 9 January, between Chester and Holyhead, including the Conwy Valley line and Llandudno Junction to Llandudno.

During the fourth week of the improvement works, it will just be the stretch between Llandudno Junction and Holyhead that will be closed.

Rail replacement services will operate during the closure, with details expected to be confirmed in autumn 2026.

(BBC article continues, with further details of the work planned)

Featherstone crossing upgrade after youths play 'chicken'


Network Rail says it plans to add more safety features to Sportsfield level crossing in Featherstone - Image © Network Rail

A level crossing that was shut due to children "playing chicken" with oncoming trains will reopen after a major upgrade, Network Rail has confirmed.

Sportsfield level crossing in Featherstone, Wakefield, was closed temporarily in April due to "repeated dangerous misuse", but Network Rail said it planned to add more safety features and relocate it to a safer location.

Work was expected to begin on 5 October to move the crossing 130ft (40m) to the east and install mini traffic lights and CCTV to deter trespassers and better monitor the area, a spokesperson said.  They added: "These changes will allow the crossing to reopen with significantly improved safety measures in place."  It was expected the upgrade would be completed before the end of 2026, they stated.

The rail company previously said there had been four instances of dangerous misuse within a fortnight, including children "playing chicken" and a two-year-old child wandering onto the tracks.

(BBC article continues)

I wrote a post earlier this afternoon that seems to have gone AWOL. So, briefly, thanks for the ideas so far, and don't stop yet!

My request was (and still is) genuinely for ideas for a day trip for two in the near future. However, the search and follow-up raises a number of interesting points, some relevant to the concurrent thread on town centres.

That's Swindon off the list then!

Slight bias involved?  .  I have visited Nailsea, as friends live there. Would like to visit Tyntesfield again, but there doesn't seem to be a safe walking route between N&B station and the NT site?

2E14 1704 Didcot Parkway to Evesham
This service was cancelled due to unknown cause (ZW).

2E16 1851 Evesham to Oxford
This service was cancelled due to unknown cause (ZW).

There's no need: Donald Trump is apparently dealing with it personally.  From the BBC:


CfN.

Standard 30 minute frequency, 5 car train, Swindon to Weymouth anyone, or just 2 through trains a week, 3 in summer, of 2 or 3 carriages each as it is at present?   That improvement in frequency and capacity would sure as heck make it attractive to increase revenue.   And it might be attractive enough to allow fares to rise. Even with higher fares, I doubt the extra cost would reduce subsidy needs.