An engineering cutaway of the current bridge and associated works would be good to see. That surprise brick invert... in the end was it simply retained... and also, it being a sump, how is the drainage organised now - and where to?

Mark

Thanks for the photos. 4.4 metres... is 5.2 metres the figure below which a bridge needs to have its height indicated on a roundel?

Mark

7.3.3. All bridges and other structures with a headroom of less than 16’‑6” (5.03 m) should be
clearly signed. The Regulations require heights on new signs to be shown in both imperial and
metric units. Imperial and metric heights should be calculated separately (see 7.4 & 7.5).
7.3.4. The bridge height should be re‑measured when works on the road or to the bridge
might have affected the available headroom. [...]
7.3.5. Care should be taken to ensure that vehicles of the maximum length permitted by
the Construction and Use Regulations will be able to pass safely under the bridge. This is
particularly important where the road dips or hogs sharply or is on a curving alignment under
the bridge. Changes in gradient might affect the headroom, e.g. the effective clearance will
be reduced for a long wheel base vehicle spanning a dip. Where the road passing under a
structure is on a sag curve, the headroom should be measured along the carriageway over a
25 m chord.

7.4 Imperial height
7.4.1. The imperial figure shown on signs to indicate the available headroom should be at least
3 inches less than the measured height to allow a safety margin. If the resulting figure is not a
multiple of 3 inches, it should be rounded down to the nearest lower multiple of 3 inches.
Example 1: measured height 15’‑2”:
Step 1 subtract 3” to create a safety margin 14’‑11”
Step 2 round down to nearest multiple of 3”
Step 3 sign as 14’‑9”.
Example 2: measured height 14’‑6”:
Step 1 subtract 3” to create a safety margin 14’‑3”
Step 2 sign as 14’‑3” (rounding down not required as already a multiple of 3”)
Thus, the maximum headroom that will normally appear on a sign is 16’‑0”.

7.5 Metric height
7.5.1. To obtain the metric figure shown on signs, the bridge height should be measured to two
decimal places, rounding down to the nearest 0.01 m. The following method is then used to
calculate the appropriate signed height:
a) if the second decimal digit is 8 or 9, delete it and sign the bridge with the remaining whole
number and the first decimal digit;
b) Example 1: measured height 4.19 m:
c) Step 1 remove the final 9 (subtract 0.09 m)
d) Step 2 sign as 4.1 m
e) if the second decimal digit is 7 or less, delete it and reduce the first decimal digit by 1. Sign
the bridge with the remaining whole number and first decimal digit, as reduced;
f) Example 2: measured height 4.17 m
g) Step 1 remove the final 7 (subtract 0.07 m)
h) Step 2 reduce first decimal digit by 1 (subtract 0.1 m)
i) Step 3 sign as 4.0 m
7.5.2. The height shown on the sign must be to only one decimal place. The maximum
headroom that will normally appear on a sign is 4.9 m

That's certainly a step up from a BBQ 

(I'll get my coat!)

Does more funding mean countryside buses are coming back into business?


Wiltshire Connect is a demand responsive service - one of the ways some councils are tackling a lack of transport in rural areas

Council-funded rural buses described as a "lifeline" by some are enjoying a resurgence after years of decline and new laws are giving authorities more power. Does this mean buses are back in business?

Government data shows council support for local buses is rising. With the exception of London, 17% of bus miles travelled across England were supported financially by government.

That's down from almost a quarter in 2010, with bigger drops in rural areas, but it is up from a pre-pandemic low of 13% in 2019-20.

However, fewer of us have been catching the bus.  Journeys per person in England stood at 88 in 2010 and that number was down to 63 by 2024-25.  Numbers dropped sharply during the pandemic and a recent rise has not returned them to pre-Covid levels.

Figures for 2024-25 show the councils providing the most support to their bus networks tended to be in rural areas.

The charity Bus Users UK described supported bus services as "fundamental to social inclusion" and "a lifeline, not a choice" for many.  "Without them, people can become isolated and less able to participate fully in their communities," a spokesperson said.

Wiltshire is one of those rural areas.  The council is one of those across the country attempting to tackle this using DRT - demand responsive transport.

(BBC article continues, with more detail and interactive option)

Is it something that has to be said/understood these days, I wonder.
No, volunteers are not connected with or to the railway, so don't have that (insider?) knowledge.
That said, could it come down to a traveller looking for compensation because train connections fell apart during disruption? "The person on the platform told me........"

Hmm.  The Limit of Liability is already putting me off before I ask anything else 

1P10 0523 Hereford to London Paddington cancelled due to the emergency alarm having been called (VH)

**snip** and the headroom has been increased by six inches. **snip**

The Flying Scotsman

There *was* a steam engine coming though.  I hadn't known about that ahead of time, but got a clue from platform ends decorated with enthusiasts as we arrived.  Apparently quite a famous loco, but I didn't stop around to see. 

Paddle Steamer Preservation Society - special outing from Southampton on Saturday
https://paddlesteamers.org

PSPS?

Let's just say "moderator team aware" of this thread.   

.....seems to be an awful lot of these happening at the moment.......

What has happened?
-
A person has been struck by a train, leading to all lines being blocked. It is necessary to bring all trains in the affected area to an immediate stop.

Young people aren't snowflakes - mental distress is rising, says head of official review

Accusations that the young are a snowflake generation are wrong, the head of an independent review into mental health, ADHD and autism has told the BBC.

Prof Peter Fonagy said in an exclusive interview that there had been a real rise in mental distress among children and young people, with anxiety, depression, self-harm and eating disorders the most common.

He said it was "harder to be young" now given the economic and employment uncertainty young people face, coupled with the challenges presented by social media.

Strange at it might seem, UK-born are far more likely to be rapists. Now let's keep right-wing politics OFF this board please?