Our engineering teams at Bournemouth Depot have begun a major overhaul of our Class 158 and 159 diesel fleet, which run on the parts of our network which aren’t electrified such as the West of England line and on the Romsey Rounder services.

The work, known as a C6, involves overhauling all the customer facing elements of the train, with the entire interior stripped out and either refurbished or replaced if needed. Apart from a few components such as air conditioning, CET/toilet tanks, and door valves, all the work is being carried out by the Bournemouth depot team.

During the works the team will be the removing and repainting interior panelling, refitting windows with new rubber seals and replacing any damaged windows, fitting new seat covers, installing new flooring, including Axminster carpets, and overhauling the toilets, including inspection for corrosion. The exterior of the train will also be repainted by the team, including a lighter roof colour to deflect heat in the summer and improve the reliability of the air conditioning system.

The fleet last had an overhaul in 2015, and this programme of works is expected to last until 2030, with each train taking up to six weeks to be completed.

Our engineering teams at Bournemouth Depot have begun a major overhaul of our Class 158 and 159 diesel fleet, which run on the parts of our network which aren’t electrified such as the West of England line and on the Romsey Rounder services.

The work, known as a C6, involves overhauling all the customer facing elements of the train, with the entire interior stripped out and either refurbished or replaced if needed. Apart from a few components such as air conditioning, CET/toilet tanks, and door valves, all the work is being carried out by the Bournemouth depot team.

During the works the team will be the removing and repainting interior panelling, refitting windows with new rubber seals and replacing any damaged windows, fitting new seat covers, installing new flooring, including Axminster carpets, and overhauling the toilets, including inspection for corrosion. The exterior of the train will also be repainted by the team, including a lighter roof colour to deflect heat in the summer and improve the reliability of the air conditioning system.

I'm informed that these additional staff are NOT safety-critical (I thought they were?) and Bletchley-MKC is not DOO compliant, which I did know.

Dry Weather and Low Flow Restrictions -
St Johns Lock to Osney Lock: Restricted to one upstream and one downstream movement every 30 minutes, with overnight lock closures from 6:00 PM to 9:30 AM starting July 25 until further notice.
Goring Lock to Culham Lock: Prolonged dry weather restrictions took effect on Monday, August 3, with specific timing rules listed on local notices.
Penton Hook Lock to Shepperton Lock: Dry weather restrictions also began on Monday, August 3.

From Will Foster, MP for Woking


Has he heard something we have not?

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2539177199864931

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterloo_%26_City_line

The Waterloo and City Railway opened to the public at 8 a.m. on Monday 8 August 1898, with a train leaving each terminal simultaneously. The fares were 2d one class only, payable at a turnstile, but returns and season tickets, and add-ons to surface tickets were available. From 1900, the turnstiles were removed and conductors travelled on the trains, carrying Bell Punch ticket machines.

Well, we now know where you were yesterday because you told us - Chemnitz!

Perhaps "congestion" was passengers at Bath Spa and they needed an extra train from there to Bristol?

That's a different answer to a different question.

I've noted on some of the videos that were recorded that the platform information signs were still indicating no services on opening day.

Hmm...

The only thing I can see that might be termed "congestion" is that trains between Paddington and South Wales are running via Chippenham today (and are also a bit off booked times due to yesterday's fire west of Newport).

Update: Incident due to a fire next to the track between Newport (South Wales) (NWP) and Cardiff Central (CDF) until 20:00.

Due to a fire next to the track between Newport (South Wales) (NWP) and Cardiff Central (CDF):

Services will be delayed by up to 60 minutes.

Services will be cancelled in both directions between Cardiff Central (CDF) and Newport (South Wales) (NWP).

We expect the incident to last until 20:00 and disruption to services is expected from 14:00 on 01/08/2026 until 00:00 on 03/08/2026.

What's Happened?

Following a lineside fire in the Marshfield area between Cardiff Central and Newport.
Fewer services are able to run, but residual delays of around 60 minutes are to be expected.
We apologise for the disruption caused to your journey.

Your ticket can be used on the following alternative routes to help you complete your journey, with the Train Operating Companies listed below at no extra cost:

    Great Western Railway by any reasonable route
    CrossCountry between Cardiff Central and Cheltenham Spa

These arrangements are in place on services until the end of the day.

If you decide to travel from a different station due to this disruption and need to return to that station later, you will also be able to use your existing ticket to do this at no extra cost.

You can use the following local bus services to help you complete your journey, at no extra cost:
X24 / 23 provided by Stagecoach South Wales between Newport and Pontypool via Cwmbran.
Route 30 provided by Cardiff Bus between Cardiff and Newport.
Route X30 provided by Newport Bus between Newport and Cardiff.
You may use your ticket on the following alternative dates at no extra cost:
    02/08/2026
    03/08/2026

In a series of updates this morning, August 2, Transport for Wales Rail said the incident “is expected to last until further notice and disruption to services is expected until further notice”, confirming that trains between Cardiff Central (CDF) and Newport (NWP) are cancelled in both directions and that fewer services are able to run across the wider network.

Congestion

Boaters race against clock as drained canals close


Repair work is under way at a lock on the Hatton flight near Warwick - Image © Nici Griffin

Boaters are racing against the clock to beat canal closures as waterways run dry due to extreme heat.

Some channels connecting large parts of the Midlands and the North of England have lost several inches of water, leaving narrowboats stuck and those already on the canals facing being stranded miles from home for weeks on end.

Campaigner George Seward said he was getting up at 05:00 BST and cruising until dark to get his narrowboat through the Atherstone flight of locks, after a sudden closure was announced.  "They're unlikely to be open again for many weeks and I want to make sure I get through that flight so I can get my boat safely home," he said.

The locks on the Coventry Canal in Warwickshire are due to shut on Tuesday morning, with last entry on Monday afternoon, as the Canal and River Trust (CRT) tries to conserve dwindling supplies.

For Seward, who is Midlands regional chair of the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs, the deadline is the difference between getting his boat home to Hinckley in Leicestershire and being potentially marooned for an unspecified period.

(BBC article continues)

14:04 Frome to Swindon due 14:57
14:04 Frome to Swindon due 14:57 will be cancelled.
This is due to congestion.

15:44 Swindon to Frome due 16:38
15:44 Swindon to Frome due 16:38 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.
This is due to congestion.

I found it interesting that the minister (?) replying on behalf of the government did not point out that his claim was wrong, but pointed out that electric trains will bring efficiencies ... which (he hoped) would include the minister's consituency.   I find myself wondering if GBR|SW in their timetable recast is considering terminating diesel trains from west of Basingstoke at Basingstoke, with connections from there onwards into London?

Amanda Martin
(Portsmouth North) (Lab)

10. What steps she is taking to help decarbonise the transport sector. (900360)

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
(Keir Mather)

Decarbonising transport is vital for our energy security and to make the network fit for the future. We are turbocharging the roll-out of electric vehicles, overhauling public transport, supporting low carbon fuel uptake in aviation, and funding technology innovation for maritime through the multimillion-pound UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions research programme.

Mr Will Forster
(Woking) (LD)

Can the Minister assure me that when the diesel trains that operate on the South Western Railway network are replaced with electric trains to decarbonise the network, there will be no reduction in service for my commuting constituents in Woking?

Keir Mather

We believe that the benefits of having electric rolling stock for our train services actually allow us to improve efficiency on the railway, and I hope that those improvements can be realised for the hon. Gentleman’s constituents.

Five dead, 41 missing, after Indonesia ferry catches fire


KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry with thick plumes of smoke billowing from behind - Image © Basarnas

Five people have been found dead and 41 are missing after an Indonesian ferry carrying at least 250 people caught fire while at sea, officials say.

The captain of the ship reported the fire - off Madura island - as the vessel sailed from the country's second-largest city, Surabaya in East Java, to Makassar in South Sulawesi, according to Basarnas, the National Search and Rescue Agency.

Footage played by local Indonesian news outlet iNews shows large numbers of people in life jackets on what appears to be a lifeboat.

Other clips show people climbing down from the ferry that has flames and plumes of smoke coming from the top of the vessel.

Basarnas posted a video to its TikTok, with a statement saying at 08:24 (02:24 GMT) the Surabaya Search and Rescue office received information that passenger ship KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2 was on fire.

"Based on information from the shipping company, the fire occurred at around 06:00-07:00 (00:00-01:00 GMT)."

Later, Basarnas said it got confirmation the ferry "was almost entirely engulfed in flames" as "passengers held on in the ship's bridge and bow while awaiting rescue".

In some of the footage, can be seen jumping into the sea, with crowds of people in life jackets gathering and lifebuoys being thrown to some before they are carried into a rescue ship.

(BBC article continues, and is being updated)