Always a very telling sign of the state of the U.K. coach industry and how difficult it is to source coaches for any rail replacement work, there’s coaches operating between Plymouth and Tiverton that are based as far away as Walsall!!

Apparently, the Royal Hotel in Bath does have a lift - a very small one, not suitable for modern disabled access - as an alternative to the spiral staircase:

I don't know if the hotel has a lift ...

Wheelchair Accessibility
Regretfully our bedrooms are not suitable for wheelchair users, and our lift is not large enough to accommodate both a wheelchair and a passenger. This is due to the fact that the property was built in 1846, and is also Grade Two listed, which restricts us from making major structural alterations.

Where is the Ludo Sports Bar??

A reminder if you are coming back through Bath Spa.   The lift from Platform 2 is out of use until next month.

https://transwilts.org/2026/02/04/lift-works-at-bath-spa/

Bath Spa: Lifts out of order

The lifts will be out of order between platform 2 and the subway from now until 13/03/2026 at Bath Spa station.

Additional Information

Until Friday 13th March, the lift on platform 2 at Bath Spa will be closed for essential upgrade work. Before 09:00, please speak to staff, use a station help point or call us on 0800 197 1329. After 09:00, the station will have staff to help with luggage and another lift will be available to/ from platform 2 via the Ludo Sports Bar.

Near miss involving child closes level crossing


An emergency order has closed Frogmire Lane level crossing for at least 21 days

An emergency order has closed a railway level crossing following a "near miss" incident involving a child.

Network Rail said it had a "number of serious safety concerns" about Frogmire Lane level crossing in Knaresborough and had already starting gauging public opinion about closing it permanently.

The crossing, which is used by school-aged children, has long-standing problems with misuse and vandalism. There are also concerns about visibility for pedestrians, which is limited by the curved railway alignment and vegetation growth on a steep embankment. Network Rail added that trains would coast along this section of the line, making them harder to hear when approaching.

The emergency closure order would see the crossing shut for 21 days, with option to extend it by six months while long-term options are explored.

Dave Smith, Network Rail route level crossing manager, apologised for the inconvenience caused to crossing users. "Our view is that Frogmire Lane level crossing presents an unacceptable level of risk, and our application for an emergency closure on safety grounds has been accepted by the local authority," he said. "Decisions like this are not taken lightly, but our priority is always to keep the public safe, and the combination of poor sight lines, high levels of misuse and the number of vulnerable users means urgent action was needed."

Baby alpacas who 'look like ET' need naming


Baylham House Rare Breeds Farm manager Kate Ockleton said a lot of people had commented on the babies' appearance

Two baby alpacas and a set of goat triplets have all been born at the same time at a Suffolk farm, creating a bit of a naming dilemma.

The newborn crias are only the third and fourth baby alpacas to be born at Baylham House Rare Breeds Farm near Ipswich.

Farm manager Kate Ockleton said it was hard to think of enough new names for them all, although there had been a lot of comments from visitors which may provide some inspiration. "Any suggestions for names would be very welcome," she said. "But a lot of people have been saying they look like [the fictional extraterrestrial] ET!"

The two crias - a boy and a girl - were born to their mothers Iris and Alina this week. "They have very long legs and are very sweet," said Ockleton.

"Alina is very protective - there has been a little bit of spitting and headbutting going on to keep us away from her baby, which is totally fine! Iris used to be a little bit nervous of us but after I wrapped her baby in my coat to keep her warm, we have bonded a little."


Alina gave birth to a brown-furred male

Ockleton said it had been a bit difficult to get the crias to feed at first so they were given a bottle provided by some of the farm's ewes.

The babies will stay with their mum for about seven months until weaning happens naturally.

All the animals born on the farm will remain there, Ockleton added.

Well, that's all water under the bridge now. 

Following up "Midwinter Lull" On This Day - I have noted on our disruption map "nothing to report" a couple of times in recent days, and JourneyCheck reporting merely 7 lifts out of action.   This morning, all we have is a three car diagram on the Reading to Basingstoke reduced to two cars - hardly the end of the earth. Nothing on the Looe line, I note - back in action, or gone so long it doesn't even make JourneyCheck?

Man in court after bus driver taken to hospital


The incident happened at Aberdeen Bus Station on Wednesday

A man has appeared in court charged after a Stagecoach bus driver was taken to hospital following an incident at Aberdeen Bus Station.

Police Scotland said officers were called to reports of an assault on a bus at the station on Wednesday morning.

Robert Whyte, aged 45 of Aberdeen, faces charges including assault to injury and permanent disfigurement and threatening or abusing behaviour.

He made no plea at the city's sheriff court, was committed for further examination and remanded in custody.

Flooding causes disruption at Glasgow Central Station



Glasgow Central Station's low-level platform is likely to remain closed for the rest of the day due to flooding.

Pictures from the scene show several inches of water in the corridor with the automatic ticket gates, sandbags next to doorways and flooding on Argyle Street.

Network Rail Scotland said trains can still run through platforms 16 and 17 at the station, but they are not stopping.

Trains are still calling at Anderston and Argyle Street as normal and anyone travelling is urged to use those stations instead.


The low-level line is likely to remain closed for the rest of Thursday


There is also flooding outside the station on Argyle Street

In a post on social media, Network Rail Scotland said: "Glasgow Central low-level is likely to remain closed for the rest of the day, though trains are still running on the Argyle Line, calling at other stations. We're on site with Scottish Water and other partners to establish the cause.

A spokesperson for the water company said they were responding to a burst water main at Argyle Street which is causing a loss of water supply for some customers in the area. "Our teams are on-site to isolate the damaged section of main and assess the required repair," the spokesperson added.

They are liaising with Network Rail to restore the station to "normal conditions" as soon as possible.

Hoarwithy family 'lucky' to be out when landslip hit


The landslip happened on Friday evening, one of the property owners said

A homeowner whose house was partially destroyed by a landslip said she felt lucky her family were out when it happened.

The slip in Hoarwithy, Hereford, at about 21:00 GMT last Friday, damaged two properties in total.

One of the affected owners, Suzanne, said she was still trying to make sense of what had happened. "Every time I come out here I end up crying," she said.

Herefordshire Council said it was awaiting the results of a survey of a nearby rock face to see whether the road adjacent to the properties could safely reopen. "In the meantime, we ask all motorists and residents to respect the road closure and follow the diversions that have been put in place," a spokesperson said.

Suzanne said a lorry driver was the first to notice an electrical cable was down and alert their neighbours, who called emergency services. But the end wall of her house was taken out, leaving her in shock.

"They secured the property as best they could to keep things safe and that's been it really since Friday," she said. "We're just trying to make sense of a new normal for us as a family and where we go from here, because obviously it's going to be a really long time to put this right."

The second property, Withy Cottage, has been undergoing building work, said ward councillor David Davis, who has visited the site to speak to those affected. He explained a previous landslip further up the road just over a year ago had caused the route to shut for months.

(BBC article continues)

Delivery driver who hit Cumbria train spared jail

(Click on the above link to view this 12 seconds BBC video news clip)

No-one was injured in the crash, which happened at a level crossing in September

A delivery driver who crashed into a train at a level crossing has been spared jail.

William Backhouse had previously admitted dangerous driving and endangering the safety of people travelling on a railway.

The 30-year-old was delivering parcels in Braystones, near Egremont, Cumbria, on 13 September when he crossed the railway without following the right protocol. He was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months.

CCTV footage shows the front of his van being struck by a train travelling southbound at 49mph (79kph). No-one was injured but the line was closed for several hours.

Backhouse, who lived in Carlisle at the time but later moved to Bury St Edmunds, must comply with a mental health treatment requirement for 12 months and pay £1,500 compensation.


The level crossing crash in Braystones caused delays for hours

A plea hearing in January heard Backhouse had opened the level crossing gates by hand without ringing the signaller to seek permission to cross.

The train was carrying 10 passengers at the time and the driver managed to hit the emergency brakes.

Sentencing was moved to Ipswich Magistrates' Court because Backhouse had moved from Cumbria.

PC Stewart Simpson, of British Transport Police, said there was "never an excuse for ignoring safety protocols" at crossings. "Backhouse's careless actions and wanton disregard for safety put his own life and the lives of everyone on the train at risk," Stewart said. "We will continue to take action against those who try to beat the system or wilfully misuse level crossings."

Network Rail, which manages the railway, said the crash had cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds.

Clare Waller, the company's route director for the North West, said: "Everyone involved was lucky to escape injury. We will continue to work with our partners to manage level crossings as safely as possible."

... and, from a plaque on the wall at another of my delivery addresses:

                     Here, on 14 October 1782

                           nothing happened


 

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58 will be delayed between Trowbridge and Westbury and is expected to be 10 minutes late.
This is due to a fault on this train.

Westmorland and Furness Council say 'Keep sorting recycling' despite bin lorry mixing


Residents in parts of Cumbria are concerned their sorted recycling is being mixed into bin lorries

Residents hitting out at their council for mixing separated waste into bin lorries have been told to keep recycling.

Westmorland and Furness Council is urging people to continue to separate their rubbish, despite people reporting bins being mixed into the same wagon when collected.

Angela Jones, director for thriving places at the Liberal Democrat-led authority, admitted some older lorries had a single compartment, meaning recycling is thrown in together. She said: "I just want to give reassurance that all of that recycling is sorted, it goes to be separated from general waste and what we do ask people to do, is to please continue to separate it, because it does reduce the contamination."

Jones said the council was in the process of changing how it deals with waste and insisted there were only "a small number" of bin lorries with a single compartment. Most of them had two sections to keep paper separated from plastic, glass and aluminium, she added.

The issue was highlighted as part of a day of coverage across the BBC in England, which is taking a closer look at what happens to the rubbish we all create.

According to government figures, recycling rates across the Westmorland and Furness area are at 53% - above the England average of 42%. "In terms of what you put out on your doorstep, in terms of the recycling materials, most of that is fully recycled," Jones told BBC Radio Cumbria. "There is some small amount of wastage because of contamination."

However, the area has the eighth highest amount of household waste thrown away per person. The most recent figures available show people living in the local authority area threw away 460.2kg in a year. The highest figure was 592.8kg in the Isles of Scilly.

The council said people putting recycling materials into non-recycling waste was to blame.

Jones said the authority spent £30m a year in dealing with bin collections. She added non-recyclable household waste was diverted away from landfill and made into fuel. "We do pretty well here in Cumbria for recycling," she added.