Access to platforms from a footbridge at Nottingham railway station will be stopped at weekends in a bid to reduce crime and reduce fare dodging.

East Midlands Railway (EMR) said passengers will not be able to use the bridge to enter platforms on Saturdays and Sundays from 6 February.

The rail company said new safety data, which showed a 45% drop in assaults and abuse on staff and customers, had reinforced an earlier decision to limit use of the bridge overnight.

Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at EMR, said the move would "improve safety both on our trains and at our stations".

In August, EMR restricted access to platforms via the footbridge from 19:00 to 06:00 each day in a bid to reduce crime as well as slips and falls.

Cresswell said data collected during the previous closure found that crime at the station fell, as did the number of trips, which dropped by 38%.

The new move will see access to platforms stopped from 19:00 on Fridays to 06:00 on Mondays.

"Our primary responsibility is to ensure Nottingham station remains a safe, accessible and welcoming place for all customers," Cresswell said.

"Restricting access at these times will improve safety both on our trains and at our stations. It will also protect against fare evasion – which is effectively taxpayers' money."

During the closures, the bridge will remain a public right of way between Station Street and Queen's Road.

EMR will also still be able to open the gates during major events, periods of crowding, or in response to emergencies.

The company said it had also improved signage and guidance for those accessing nearby taxi ranks and services.

Downstairs at The Three Guineas, Reading Station
Tuesday (next) Jan 20 from 6pm to 8pm GMT

Overview
An update on Great Western Railways Developments 2025-2026 as GBR approaches
When: 20 January 2026

In-Person to start: 18:00 - 20:00 - Refreshments to be served 18:00 - 18:30PM
Online to start at: 18:30 - 20:00
Where: Firefly Lounge, Reading Station, Station Approach, RG1 1LY and Online

Speaker: Barry Milsom, Programme Director, GWR

The Thames Valley Group is privileged to welcome Barry Milson - Programme Director and previously Performance and Train Service Delivery Director for GWR.

A Business update will be provided including, Operational Performance, our approach and next steps aligned to the public ownership transfer. How we will work even closer with Network Rail as we move closer to Great British Railway. An update will also be provided on our fleet strategy (replacing our old regional trains - class 150’s, 158s and 165’s). The update including an update on our work to improve our Intercity Express Trains with Hitachi Rail.

Barry Milsom is Programme Director for Great Western Railway and has several decades of railway experience, working for Network Rail and several train operators. Barry has a broad range of experience including Operations, Train Service Delivery and Performance. Within his career, Barry has been involved in major transformation schemes across rail. He has overseen programmes and projects that have included complete reconstruction of stations, introduction of rolling stock along with transformation strategies that have improved train service reliability and experience for customers.

Booking for Members - Free & Non-Members -£5.00 inc. VAT

Note: If you are not a current Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, please be aware our membership team may be in touch with you using your email address provided regards membership opportunities. If you do not wish to be contacted please email and let us know at regions@ciltuk.org.uk

Freedom Pass saved! Councils block threat to over-65s' free travel

Labour council leaders in London have blocked a proposed review of the Freedom Pass that could have restricted the free travel benefits currently enjoyed by 1.2m older Londoners.

The sensational development comes a week after The Standard revealed that a review of the scheme had been requested by councillors concerned at its soaring cost - set to reach £372m in the year from April.

In a statement issued on Wednesday evening that was backed by London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, the Labour council leaders effectively detonated a bomb under the plans to limit access to, or the benefits provided by, the Freedom Pass.

Cllr Claire Holland, leader of London Councils’ Labour Group, said: “The previous Conservative government slashed funding for the Freedom Pass scheme, leaving councils to foot the bill.

“It’s clear that we need to ensure the Freedom Pass is funded sustainably, but this cannot be done at the expense of older Londoners.

“We know the Freedom Pass is a vital lifeline for our older residents and we must defend it. Labour councils will oppose any changes that would see restrictions placed on who can use it and which modes of transport it applies to.”

Sir Sadiq said: “The Freedom Pass is crucial for older Londoners, enabling them to travel around the city and stay connected to friends and family.

“While I have no control over the 66+ pass, Labour councils have my full support in committing to keep it.

“As Mayor, I am ensuring hundreds of thousands of older Londoners are also able to enjoy free travel by continuing to provide the 60+ Oyster card alongside other concessions for Londoners.

“The previous Tory government wanted to get rid of the 60+ Oyster card. It’s clear that only Labour can be trusted to protect concessionary travel for Londoners.”

The Standard first revealed the threat to the Freedom Pass last week.

Councillors on London Councils’ transport committee asked for officials to establish the impact on Londoners of changing the rules on who qualifies for a Freedom Pass - currently all London residents aged 66 or older and disabled Londoners.

There was also a plan to consider whether the Freedom Pass could be limited to providing only free bus travel, rather than also Tube and train travel (other than during the morning peak) across Greater London.

On Tuesday The Standard revealed that more than 50,000 people had signed a petition opposing the review.

Police have released dramatic video of the moment they arrested a man in an investigation into more than £250,000 worth of graffiti damage on the London Underground.

The arrest follows an investigation into around 245 offences of criminal damage to Northern Line trains between February 2022 and January 2026.

The man was arrested on Friday in an early-morning raid at an address in Barnet, north London, on suspicion of criminal damage.

He was taken to police custody for questioning and has since been released on conditional bail while inquiries continue, the force said.

BTP Superintendent John Loveless said: “This arrest is a significant moment in our ongoing investigation into the vandalism of a huge number of trains, with the cost of repairing the damage running into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

“We are committed to working with our rail partners to stamp out this destruction of rail property which has huge financial implications for the rail industry.

“Far from being a victimless crime, graffiti damage has a knock-on effect for rail users and commuters causing frustrating delays and inconvenience while trains are taken out of service to be cleaned. It is also extremely dangerous to access a live railway and can result in serious injury or, in some cases, death.

“Our officers carry out proactive patrols and specialised operations to target and arrest offenders, including the use of wide-reaching CCTV across the network to identify suspects.

“Investigations like this are at the forefront of BTP’s mission to tackle graffiti across the network.”

In December, Transport for London (TfL) boss Andy Lord revealed up to £11 million is being spent annually on cracking down on graffiti on Tube trains.

He said a “spike” in tagging Tube carriages – especially on the Bakerloo and Central Lines – was costing TfL “between £10m and £11m”.

Buying a first-class train ticket in Britain feels increasingly extortionate - but standard-class passengers can actually access that premium experience for a modest £40 fee.

On some routes, many will find the cost of a first-class ticket isn't justified by what is actually offered on board.

Those travelling last minute on a first-class fare from London Paddington to Plymouth may pay around £230 for a comfortable seat, a snack and a drink - a far cry from what many would expect at that price point.

However, there's a little-known hack passengers in any carriage can utilise to enjoy a full restaurant experience in first-class surroundings.

Travellers on select Great Western Railway services who hold a standard ticket can pay £40 to upgrade to Pullman Dining - one of the few remaining dining cars on Britain's mainline trains.

The dining experience includes table service, linen-covered tables and meals cooked by an onboard chef.

Rather than pre-packaged or reheated food, diners can enjoy fresh, seasonal food from a menu that changes each month.

A three-course meal costs £49, while a two-course option will set diners back £40.

Recent menu options have included dishes such as Thai-spiced pumpkin and coconut soup, poached hake with burnt caper butter, and chocolate and cherry delice with vanilla cream and toasted almonds, as reported by The Telegraph.

Access is not limited to first-class ticket holders, making it a rare opportunity to enjoy a fine dining experience on today's notoriously costly rail network.

When combined with a standard ticket - which can cost as little as £74 on the London to Plymouth route - the total cost for travel and dining is nearly half the price of a first-class ticket.

However, there is one downside to the service - it's not something passengers will stumble across on most trains.

Pullman Dining is available on just six trains a day. Services operate from London Paddington to Plymouth at 13.03 and 19.04, and to Swansea at 17.48.

In the opposite direction, dining is offered on the 12.22 from Swansea and the 13.15 and 18.16 from Plymouth.

Passengers can use the restaurant on journeys lasting more than 50 minutes, though guaranteed reservations are only available to those who book first class more than an hour before departure. Others must enquire on board - and hope there is space.

You can shunt a 5-car IET over via the North crossover, and it is permitted to do so.  You could even shunt a 9-car but it is apparently very tight.   

How to encourage and discourage passengers - As learnt over the years

By CILT(UK) Events

Online event
Mar 10 from 5:30pm to 7pm GMT

Overview
CILT(UK)How to (a) encourage and (b) discourage passengers - As learnt from the last 13 years of intense bus travelling around Britain
Overview

What: How to (a) encourage and (b) discourage passengers - as learnt from the last 13 years of intense bus travelling around Britain.

When: 10 March 2026 - 17:30 - 19:00

Where: Zoom

Speaker: Roger French OBE DL MA FCILT

Roger French has spent his retirement years post Brighton & Hove Bus Company travelling around Britain by bus and train and relating his experiences, views and commentary on his popular online blog BusAndTrainUser.com and in this presentation he will identify ten areas where he believes passengers are being successfully encouraged to travel by bus and ten areas where they’re sadly being discouraged.

Slough bus station, which has been derelict since it was gutted by fire in October 2022, is to be sold-off by the council.

The local authority reached a settlement with insurers last September but received significantly less money than it had been hoped for.

The borough council said it would cost more than £14m to return the distinctive building to its former state, money it says it simply does not have.

It will now be sold off to developers, leaving councillors with far less say on what it might be turned into.

The station was opened nearly 15 years ago as part of the £450m Heart of Slough regeneration programme.

The curved aluminium structure was designed with a nod to one of the town's most famous sons, the scientist William Herschel, and was inspired by wavelengths of light from one of his experiments.

Keeping the now derelict building safe and secure was costing the cash-strapped council £19,000 a month, a figure it said was unsustainable.

Trainline closed for repairs after landslip

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The track near Battramsley suffered a minor landslip

A trainline will be closed for emergency engineer works after the route suffered a minor landslip following Storm Goretti.

Passengers travelling between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier will need to use a replacement bus service, while Network Rail engineers repair the track near Battramsley.

The rail firm said buses will run every 30 minutes on Saturday and every 60 minutes on Sunday adding that any further service changes for the start of next week will be confirmed in due course. Travellers have been advised to check their journey before they travel and allow extra time.

Image not available to guests
Experts will install a steel wall deep into the ground to support the embankment

Speaking on behalf of Network Rail and South Western Railway, Tom McNamee, infrastructure director, said: "We're very sorry for the additional disruption and the short notice of this line closure. We understand that closing the Lymington branch line will be frustrating for passengers and it's not a decision we've taken lightly." He added that they are doing everything they can to get the railway back open as soon as possible.

Network Rail said engineers spotted movement under the track over the festive period and had planned to conduct permanent repairs at the end of February. Strong winds and heavy rain from Storm Goretti led to a landslip which forced it to bring the works forward.

Experts will install a steel wall deep into the ground to support the embankment that the railway is built on. These sheet piles will act as a solid barrier, holding the slope in place and stopping the earth from moving.

Once the repair is complete, one train per hour will run between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier at a reduced speed. Engineers will monitor the area of the landslip before returning to the normal service of two trains per hour.

The government has said which stations shortlisted for funding in the Access for All (AfA) programme will be progressed.

Out of 50 applications where feasibility work had been announced, eight are moving directly to delivery and 23 are progressing to detailed design.

That leaves 19 which won’t be moved forward at present.

Those moving to delivery are: Ash Vale, Colchester, Port Sunlight, Thirsk, Walton (Merseyside), Bellgrove, Aigburth and Rock Ferry.

The 23 moving to detailed design are: Battle, Bodmin Parkway, Bredbury, Castle Cary, Dalston Kingsland, Dorchester South, Esher, Falkirk Grahamston, Flowery Field, Gunnersbury, Hedge End, High Brooms, Kew Bridge, Kidbrooke, Marden, Newton for Hyde, Raynes Park, Ruabon, Shotton, Swanwick, Ulverston, Wymondham and Yeovil Junction.

The 19 which have failed to receive further funding are: Bushey, Chinley, Church and Oswaldtwistle, Dudley Port, Dumbarton Central, Inverurie, Leagrave, Ledbury, Maidstone West, Neath, Sileby, Sleaford, Small Heath, South Croydon, Stamford, Stroud, Upminster, Whitchurch (Shropshire) and Wivelsfield.

Hendy also said five legacy projects at Beaconsfield, Brondesbury, Cricklewood, Ockenden and Palmers Green are also being deferred, the first two to Control Period 8 and 2028/29 respectively and the others indefinitely.

/.....continues

Green Party calls for under-22s to get free bus passes

The Green Party is calling for free bus passes for everyone under the age of 22 in England to make it easier for them to travel for work and education.

The party said the policy would be self-financing because increased use of buses benefitted the economy.

However, the government rejected the idea last year, saying it was currently unaffordable without diverting funding away from maintaining current service levels.

Bus travel has been free for under-22s in Scotland since 2022, while in London children can travel for free on buses, with discounted rates for some 18-25-year-olds. Some bus companies in England also offer discounted rates for young people.

As well as helping young people access education, training and jobs, the Green Party said free bus travel would also improve access to services in rural areas, reduce car congestion and carbon emissions.

The party pointed to research by consultancy KPMG estimating that bus passengers spend £39.1bn annually in local businesses and that over 2.2 million commuters rely on buses to get to work, generating £72bn in collective income each year.

The analysis suggested that every £1 invested in bus services would yield an economic benefit ranging from £4.55 to £5.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski said: "Young people are increasingly shut out of employment and training by the cost-of-living crisis, which often hits the youngest the hardest."

He added: "Green councillors elected in May will be using their influence to implement this scheme in their areas and we will be applying political pressure at a national level for a scheme recommended by the transport select committee last year to be made real. Free bus travel for the young is part of our mission to make hope normal again."

The party is also promising to abolish the current time restrictions on the disabled person's bus pass, making it valid 24 hours a day, and guaranteeing to keep free travel for older people with extended hours.

Buses are the most commonly used form of public transport in England, but the number of journeys has fallen over the last 10 years and has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. In the year to March 2025, there were 3.7 billion local bus journeys in England, down from more than four billion pre-Covid. Those aged 17 to 20 made the highest number of local bus trips per person.

Last year, MPs on the Commons Transport Committee also called for under-22s in England to get free bus passes.

Might be rationalisation of back office?

31 of 50 previously promised Access for All schemes to progress while others mothballed

Anonymous donor's £200,000 to restore famous loco

Image not available to guests
The locomotive during filming of The Railway Children film which took place in various locations, including Haworth

An anonymous donor has given £200,000 towards the restoration of a famous locomotive that appeared in The Railway Children.

The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (KWVR) will rebuild steam engine No 5775 after receiving the financial gift.

It is best known for its appearance in the classic 1970 film, which starred Jenny Agutter, Bernard Cribbins and Lionel Jeffries. The locomotive was built in 1929 at the Great Western Railway's Swindon Works but has been out of service for around 25 years.

Fran Hartley, KWVR's co-leader of the restoration project, said the donation had transformed the timetable for the work. She said: "We are incredibly grateful for this generosity. It has allowed us to begin restoring a locomotive that means so much to the railway and to the public. Our volunteers are now making steady progress and bringing this remarkable engine back to life."

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Fran Hartley is co-leader of the KWVR restoration project

No 5775, a six-wheeled pannier tank engine, operated across south Wales on Great Western Railway routes before being withdrawn by British Railways in 1963.

It was sold to London Transport where it became L89 and worked on engineering and maintenance trains across the capital. In 1970 the engine was saved for preservation and moved to the KWVR.

Image not available to guests
The No 5775 steam engine has not steamed since 1999 and is now in parts

It was repainted in the fictional livery of the Great Northern and Southern Railway for its film role. The locomotive was withdrawn from service in 1999 in need of a major overhaul and spent many years in storage before returning to the charity's Haworth base for assessment.

Earlier this week the first tranche of a £5m pot of government money to upgrade the KWVR was released by Bradford Council, which administers the funding. The original funding was announced as part of a £19.8m Levelling Up deal for Keighley in 2023.

The charity's chairman, Matt Stroh, said: "We've worked closely with the team at Bradford Council and this is a great way to start the new year. We are delighted to be moving forward with these transformative plans. It will serve as the foundation for securing further investment, driving tourism, creating local jobs, and enhancing community pride."

The £50,000 released will pay for a feasibility study, including the appointment of a project manager, covering infrastructure upgrades, signalling improvements, track restoration, and facility enhancements.

It was posted elsewhere last night by somebody inside GWR that Max 4 car trains can visit Paignton due to signalling constraints following the derailment.
Cross country only use 4 car to Paignton, that is why GWR Iet are the only ones that don’t use the north crossover. They’re the only booked trains longer than 4 car.

Thanks to this thread I discover I'm hazy about where the national rail system ends in that part of the world and where the heritage rail begins.

Also, not entirely convinced that the national rail system should reconcile to having Paignton as the terminus of that line - there should at the least be an appropriate scale park and ride at Churston. Oh, & shared use for the Brixham branch trackbed as far as the edge of Brixham deserves priority funds at a national level.

Mark

PS Ah, something stirs: https://brixhamrailwaytrail.org.uk/

It was posted elsewhere last night by somebody inside GWR that Max 4 car trains can visit Paignton due to signalling constraints following the derailment.
Cross country only use 4 car to Paignton, that is why GWR Iet are the only ones that don’t use the north crossover. They’re the only booked trains longer than 4 car.

175007 out in public use today on 2C49 12.42 Plymouth - Penzance and 2P24 15.15 Penzance - Plymouth

Thanks to this thread I discover I'm hazy about where the national rail system ends in that part of the world and where the heritage rail begins.

If it's south of Sands Road level crossing then it should not affect the length of train to four cars. Except for GWR IET's most trains including Cross Country use  a shunt move via the north crossover to get from platform 1 to 2.

If is a problem for 9 car trains they would probably be diverted to Plymouth to reverse or kept at Newton Abbot for a an hour and half. Been done before.

(TfL are blaming an OLHE problem, could quite conceivably be both I guess given the state of the infrastructure)

If it's south of Sands Road level crossing then it should not affect the length of train to four cars. Except for GWR IET's most trains including Cross Country use  a shunt move via the north crossover to get from platform 1 to 2.

If is a problem for 9 car trains they would probably be diverted to Plymouth to reverse or kept at Newton Abbot for a an hour and half. Been done before.

So long will it take to sort that out?