Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: New Oxford - Bristol direct service, ongoing developments and discussion In "Oxford, Didcot and Reading from the West" [375118/28355/22] Posted by IndustryInsider at 19:00, 14th May 2026 |      |
It’s the UWC (User Worked Crossings), that are the issue, not road crossings.
| Re: RAF Spitfire aircraft - original and replica - various incidents In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [375117/30240/31] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 18:31, 14th May 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Spitfire crash death was accident, Oxfordshire coroner rules
The Spitfire was attempting to take off from Enstone Airfield near Chipping Norton - Image © AAIB
A former commercial pilot died after losing control of a replica Spitfire during takeoff, an inquest has found.
Peter Hughes, 71, died when the plane crashed and caught fire at Enstone Airfield near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire on 28 July 2024.
At an inquest earlier this week, a jury inquest at Oxford Coroner's Court ruled Hughes' death had been an accident caused by the ensuing fire. The hearing found that the plane had crashed after losing control soon after it had taken off, with the reason for this not being ascertained.
Hughes had been the only passenger in the model Spitfire, and no one else was injured in the incident.
The replica of the Second World War fighter plane had been built in 2013.
An investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) concluded last year that the plane had pivoted to the left during takeoff, before flipping over and crashing. It found no technical defects which would have affected the controllability of the aircraft.
The AAIB report said CCTV and witness reports showed the aircraft "pitched up sharply and then rolled rapidly to the left" towards the edge of the runway. The left wingtip struck the the ground and the plane flipped over and caught fire, fatally injuring Hughes. The report said "no definitive cause" was established for the loss of control.
In a statement released after his crash, Hughes' family said they were "devastated" by his death. "Pete was an extremely good man who was deeply generous in so many ways; his love, his time, energy and spirit, and was an integral part of the numerous communities that he held dear," the family added.
The crash was the second involving a replica Spitfire from the airfield within 10 months. In 2023 Trevor Bailey, 68, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, died flying a replica Spitfire near Enstone.
The Spitfire was attempting to take off from Enstone Airfield near Chipping Norton - Image © AAIB
A former commercial pilot died after losing control of a replica Spitfire during takeoff, an inquest has found.
Peter Hughes, 71, died when the plane crashed and caught fire at Enstone Airfield near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire on 28 July 2024.
At an inquest earlier this week, a jury inquest at Oxford Coroner's Court ruled Hughes' death had been an accident caused by the ensuing fire. The hearing found that the plane had crashed after losing control soon after it had taken off, with the reason for this not being ascertained.
Hughes had been the only passenger in the model Spitfire, and no one else was injured in the incident.
The replica of the Second World War fighter plane had been built in 2013.
An investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) concluded last year that the plane had pivoted to the left during takeoff, before flipping over and crashing. It found no technical defects which would have affected the controllability of the aircraft.
The AAIB report said CCTV and witness reports showed the aircraft "pitched up sharply and then rolled rapidly to the left" towards the edge of the runway. The left wingtip struck the the ground and the plane flipped over and caught fire, fatally injuring Hughes. The report said "no definitive cause" was established for the loss of control.
In a statement released after his crash, Hughes' family said they were "devastated" by his death. "Pete was an extremely good man who was deeply generous in so many ways; his love, his time, energy and spirit, and was an integral part of the numerous communities that he held dear," the family added.
The crash was the second involving a replica Spitfire from the airfield within 10 months. In 2023 Trevor Bailey, 68, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, died flying a replica Spitfire near Enstone.
| Re: Bristol Temple Meads - station, facilities, incidents and events (merged posts) In "Bristol and Bath (WECA, now WEMCA)" [375116/10737/21] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 17:31, 14th May 2026 | |
Who designed a round room with two great pillars in the middle of the presentation area
An architect with brutalist tendencies.
| Re: C2C Nationalised - 20th July 2025 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [375115/30469/51] Posted by Electric train at 16:07, 14th May 2026 | |
Alexander also clarified on the BBC that nationalisation won't bring lower fares, given the amount of taxpayer subsidy still being ploughed into the railways.
What will stop is tax payers money paying the bubbly and canopies at the share holders meeting
| Re: Manvers Street, Bath, disrupted for reconstruction works for 6 months from May. In "Buses and other ways to travel" [375114/31887/5] Posted by Mark A at 15:13, 14th May 2026 | |
More on the city's buses May - November from First Bus now: with the Manvers Street closure there will be far less provision across the city centre, also, will some locations used as temporary terminuses possibly be standing room only, but for buses? Also to be factored in: buses routed via several of the city's traffic pinch points.
https://www.firstbus.co.uk/bristol-bath-and-west/news-and-service-updates/updates/manvers-street-bridge-street-bath-road
I can't find anything on Stagecoach's site about the closure yet. Ditto the big lemon. A couple of weeks ago I dropped CT coaches an email to ask about their plans for this but no response yet. (CT coaches run a minibus or two covering several local authority supported routes).
Mark
| Re: Motability - merged posts, ongoing developments and discussion In "Buses and other ways to travel" [375113/21006/5] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 14:25, 14th May 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
From the BBC:
Motability withdraws compulsory black boxes after criticism from drivers
Motability drivers will no longer need to have a black box fitted to their vehicles following criticism from users affected by the rule changes.
The Motability scheme - where certain disability benefits can be exchanged for a lease on a vehicle - had made the black boxes compulsory for new leaseholders, and all drivers aged under 30, in April.
Motability boss Andrew Miller said the "Drive Smart" programme was introduced to help reduce accidents and manage insurance costs, but had been paused amid concerns and "anxiety" from users. He said drivers reported the app was inconsistent, did not understand their driving adaptations and that the rules and guidelines were confusing and restrictive.
The black boxes were designed to track and regularly rate a user's driving habits, such as speed and braking, where repeated poor ratings could have seen drivers removed from the Motability scheme altogether.
Now those who were enrolled with the Drive Smart programme will be taken off it from 22 May, Motability said.
The changes had been criticised by actor and disability rights campaigner Keron Day, who thanked Motability bosses for "recognising the seriousness of the issues for disabled people's lives."
Day, who appeared in the hit Netflix show Sex Education, has cerebral palsy and uses a specially adapted wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV). The car has a steering aid and indicators on the floor, as well as buttons for lights, wipers, gears and the handbrake.
He campaigned alongside West Cornwall MP Andrew George to reverse the decision for compulsory black boxes. The pair met Motability bosses to discuss the issue last week.
Motability CEO Andrew Miller said: "Drive Smart was introduced to help reduce accidents, improve driving and, in turn, manage insurance costs, while keeping all the scheme's insurance features in place. But we have listened carefully to customer feedback and recognise that the experience was not where it needed to be. That is why we have decided to pause Drive Smart while we work with customers to understand how it can be improved."
Black boxes monitor driving habits and can provide a weekly rating graded using a traffic light colour scheme. A green rating could mean cheaper insurance, but more than four red ratings over a period of 12 months could see drivers removed from the Motability scheme.
George and Day had criticised Motability for imposing an "invasive telematics tracking technology" without proper consultation or adequate safeguards in place. George said: "I must congratulate Motability CEOs for listening and being prepared to change policy when confronted with the impact this scheme has had on thousands of disabled people. Keron and I are keen that they make some major changes before deciding how they will better manage the difficult insurance challenges faced by the scheme."
Motability said it would continue to review the programme and was also creating a new customer panel to allow users to help shape how Drive Smart develops.
Motability drivers will no longer need to have a black box fitted to their vehicles following criticism from users affected by the rule changes.
The Motability scheme - where certain disability benefits can be exchanged for a lease on a vehicle - had made the black boxes compulsory for new leaseholders, and all drivers aged under 30, in April.
Motability boss Andrew Miller said the "Drive Smart" programme was introduced to help reduce accidents and manage insurance costs, but had been paused amid concerns and "anxiety" from users. He said drivers reported the app was inconsistent, did not understand their driving adaptations and that the rules and guidelines were confusing and restrictive.
The black boxes were designed to track and regularly rate a user's driving habits, such as speed and braking, where repeated poor ratings could have seen drivers removed from the Motability scheme altogether.
Now those who were enrolled with the Drive Smart programme will be taken off it from 22 May, Motability said.
The changes had been criticised by actor and disability rights campaigner Keron Day, who thanked Motability bosses for "recognising the seriousness of the issues for disabled people's lives."
Day, who appeared in the hit Netflix show Sex Education, has cerebral palsy and uses a specially adapted wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV). The car has a steering aid and indicators on the floor, as well as buttons for lights, wipers, gears and the handbrake.
He campaigned alongside West Cornwall MP Andrew George to reverse the decision for compulsory black boxes. The pair met Motability bosses to discuss the issue last week.
Motability CEO Andrew Miller said: "Drive Smart was introduced to help reduce accidents, improve driving and, in turn, manage insurance costs, while keeping all the scheme's insurance features in place. But we have listened carefully to customer feedback and recognise that the experience was not where it needed to be. That is why we have decided to pause Drive Smart while we work with customers to understand how it can be improved."
Black boxes monitor driving habits and can provide a weekly rating graded using a traffic light colour scheme. A green rating could mean cheaper insurance, but more than four red ratings over a period of 12 months could see drivers removed from the Motability scheme.
George and Day had criticised Motability for imposing an "invasive telematics tracking technology" without proper consultation or adequate safeguards in place. George said: "I must congratulate Motability CEOs for listening and being prepared to change policy when confronted with the impact this scheme has had on thousands of disabled people. Keron and I are keen that they make some major changes before deciding how they will better manage the difficult insurance challenges faced by the scheme."
Motability said it would continue to review the programme and was also creating a new customer panel to allow users to help shape how Drive Smart develops.
| Re: Bristol Temple Meads - station, facilities, incidents and events (merged posts) In "Bristol and Bath (WECA, now WEMCA)" [375112/10737/21] Posted by Phantom at 14:03, 14th May 2026 | |
Who designed a round room with two great pillars in the middle of the presentation area
| Re: New Oxford - Bristol direct service, ongoing developments and discussion In "Oxford, Didcot and Reading from the West" [375111/28355/22] Posted by Mark A at 13:52, 14th May 2026 | |
In terms of road crossings, on the GWML there's the terrible twosome at Steventon, and on the line to Oxford there's an 'Authorised user only one with a not-particularly-helpful road arrangement at either side - recorded on a Google Streetview from 2011 with a sort of vehicular dance in progress and which can't fill anyone that sees the image with much reassurance. c. 2016 it received a pair of gantries at either side but I don't know what those were for. (Streetview link below shows the most recent image...)
Mark
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qna9Cq2HHiaDtV9E8
| Re: New Oxford - Bristol direct service, ongoing developments and discussion In "Oxford, Didcot and Reading from the West" [375110/28355/22] Posted by Oxonhutch at 13:07, 14th May 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
Is it me or does this conflate two separate issues?
Indeed, I don't recall any level crossings on the Didcot west curve ...
| Re: Scottish Borders Railway - rebuilt Waverley Route link to Edinburgh In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [375109/5604/51] Posted by Mark A at 11:40, 14th May 2026 | |
Electrification works on the Borders Railway across the viaduct crossing the Tweed requiring a slight tweak to late evening weekday train services.
Mark
https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/borders/news/borders-railway-electrification-services-temporarily-withdrawn
| Re: Crossing from country to country In "The Lighter Side" [375108/32025/30] Posted by grahame at 11:23, 14th May 2026 | |
I guess it's good not having to label and - yes - search engines find up.
The pictures are
Kiel Hbf
Hengelo
Zutphen
Breda
Osnabroek (but not easily recognised)
Antwerp Centraal
Hamburg Hbf
Restaurant in Kiel
| TfW proposed services into Bristol In "Bristol and Bath (WECA, now WEMCA)" [375107/32031/21] Posted by Mark A at 11:21, 14th May 2026 | |
I can see why GWR would object to TfW making a bid to run services into Bristol but it's a bit naughty that they state they already provide three trains an hour on that axis as that's not the case when I've returned that way from Cardiff or Newport of an evening, when the service is hourly (and, as I've twice, recently, unluckily hit a short-notice cancellation which has turned things into a one and three quarter hour wait followed by a change at Bristol and a half hour wait there too.)
That aside, perhaps TfW's proposal wouldn't sort services during the thinner parts of the day too. I'd also be well in favour of either GWR, or GBR, or TfW, strengthening provision on the Bristol - Hereford - Shrewsbury - Chester axis. When Regional Railways put just a few services into that, in terms of passenger loadings, between Bristol and Hereford in particular, they promptly started to run hot.
Mark
| Re: New Oxford - Bristol direct service, ongoing developments and discussion In "Oxford, Didcot and Reading from the West" [375106/28355/22] Posted by Mark A at 11:06, 14th May 2026 | |
Is it me or does this conflate two separate issues?
Mark
| Re: Crossing from country to country In "The Lighter Side" [375105/32025/30] Posted by stuving at 11:02, 14th May 2026 | |
No. 6 is even more up-front about telling you where it’s at: Antwerp. And 2 and 3 are Hengelo and Zutphen. As to the two others … wot no Osnabrück this year?
For Zutphen I was able to search for what’s written on the train – “Witte Wieven”. That turns out to be the individual train’s name, one of seven suggested by the public for that route’s fleet.
Having found the operator’s site explaining that, I switched Google search to show images and was a bit surprised to see one of the hits was that picture of Graham’s! That can only mean that Google had read the words in the image and put them into searchable textual metadata for the image. Not a surprise that that’s possible, but I’d never seen it before.
According to Google they started offering search on text in images (and identified content in images too) last year, However, they only talk about searching your own pictures locally, and I can find no announcement about adding that to web search.
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance - ongoing discussion In "London to the West" [375104/31911/12] Posted by broadgage at 10:39, 14th May 2026 Already liked by GBM | |
With the current sleeper stock nearing the end of a refurbishment programme I doubt they would want to start re-wiring them at this point.
Surely it is not beyond the wit of man to produce a conversion lead to convert the electrical supply wiring from an HST power car to that at the other end to match the electrical supply wiring from a class 57.
I am old enough to remember when "square" pin plugs were introduced. My dad produced conversion leads with a round pin plug at one end and a "square" plug at the other when we moved from a council prefab to a new house.
I hope that you mean "a square pin plug at one end and round pin SOCKET at the other end" or possibly the other way around. A lead with a PLUG at each end is very dangerous and known with good reason as a suicide lead.
| Re: C2C Nationalised - 20th July 2025 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [375103/30469/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 09:42, 14th May 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Rail firms brought under single leadership team
c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia will have a single leadership team - Image © c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia
Railway firms in the East of England have been aligned under one leadership team as part of the government's nationalisation project.
Greater Anglia, c2c and Network Rail Anglia said the new structure would help deliver more reliable rail journeys for passengers.
The two operators serve passengers in London, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, while Network Rail Anglia looks after the infrastructure.
"This is all part of our mission to build a passenger-focused railway that supports jobs, growth and homes," said Rail Minister Lord Hendy.
Greater Anglia managing director Jamie Burles said the leadership team meant his firm could "plan better, respond faster".
"Over time, that means better co-ordination during disruption, more effective planning of engineering work and a more consistent experience for customers and communities across the region," said Burles.
The government said the move mirrored the approach taken by publicly-owned South Eastern Railway and South Western Railway. There would be no immediate changes to services, branding or the way customers travelled, a spokesperson said.
The government has promised to take ownership of all rail operators by October 2027, under the umbrella of Great British Railways. Greater Anglia and c2c were among the first to be brought under its control.
c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia will have a single leadership team - Image © c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia
Railway firms in the East of England have been aligned under one leadership team as part of the government's nationalisation project.
Greater Anglia, c2c and Network Rail Anglia said the new structure would help deliver more reliable rail journeys for passengers.
The two operators serve passengers in London, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, while Network Rail Anglia looks after the infrastructure.
"This is all part of our mission to build a passenger-focused railway that supports jobs, growth and homes," said Rail Minister Lord Hendy.
Greater Anglia managing director Jamie Burles said the leadership team meant his firm could "plan better, respond faster".
"Over time, that means better co-ordination during disruption, more effective planning of engineering work and a more consistent experience for customers and communities across the region," said Burles.
The government said the move mirrored the approach taken by publicly-owned South Eastern Railway and South Western Railway. There would be no immediate changes to services, branding or the way customers travelled, a spokesperson said.
The government has promised to take ownership of all rail operators by October 2027, under the umbrella of Great British Railways. Greater Anglia and c2c were among the first to be brought under its control.
| Re: Reopening former rail line between Hythe and Totton - ongoing discussion, merged topic In "Campaigns for new and improved services" [375102/10308/28] Posted by ray951 at 09:05, 14th May 2026 Already liked by Mark A | |
The Cowley branch is set to reopen as a result of the multi-billion-pound EIT facility being developed at Oxford Science Park. The project is expected to create up to 7,000 jobs, and EIT has also helped fund the reopening.
Interestingly, the push for the scheme came from the Treasury rather than the Department for Transport. The DfT had previously stated that there was no further funding available for rail improvements, so the announcement of the reopening came as a surprise to many industry observers. I suspect there was a conversation between Ellison and the Government regarding transport links to Oxford Science Park, given the scale of the investment being made there and whether those investments would continue.
But I agree that the line to Marchwood line should be an ideal candidate to reopen given the housing growth in that area and the difficult of traveling by car/bus to Southampton.
| Re: Cornwall - Trelawney, Trevithick, the miners and many others - Will Keating In "The Lighter Side" [375101/32030/30] Posted by GBM at 07:59, 14th May 2026 | |
Chris from Cornwall (well, nearly: I was born in Devonport).
Unless Ancestry has shown a 51% or more Cornish genes (as it did in my case, much to my suprise).
| Re: 'Final push' on multi-million pound York Station Gateway access scheme In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [375100/32024/51] Posted by infoman at 04:33, 14th May 2026 | |
Not been to York for a very long time
What is the current situation with ticket gates/barriers
were they never installed,or installed and then taken out because the heritage groups did not like them?
or are their plans to install ticket gates/barriers
| Cornwall - Trelawney, Trevithick, the miners and many others - Will Keating In "The Lighter Side" [375099/32030/30] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 02:45, 14th May 2026 | |
From YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ATKNWwX4Ig&list=RDMM&index=24 - 3:37 minutes of musical celebration.
Chris from Cornwall (well, nearly: I was born in Devonport).
| Re: New Oxford - Bristol direct service, ongoing developments and discussion In "Oxford, Didcot and Reading from the West" [375098/28355/22] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 23:09, 13th May 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Direct trains to run from Swindon to Oxford if line is made safer
The GWR service would mean passengers would no longer need to change at Didcot Parkway - Image © Aled Thomas
A direct daily rail service between Swindon and Oxford has been given the green light as long as some level crossings on the line are made safer.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved an application from Great Western Railway (GWR) to run a two-hourly service between Bristol, Swindon and Oxford on weekdays and Saturdays from 17 May. An ORR spokesman said the service has been approved provided Network Rail brings in "reasonably practicable level crossing safety measures" on the route.
A GWR spokesman, said it understands customers will be "disappointed" the service has not been "fully" reinstated but it will continue to work with Network Rail to "understand what more can be done".
Currently there are no direct services between Swindon and Oxford, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Passengers have to change at Didcot Parkway or Reading to travel between the two stations. A direct service would shave more than 10 minutes off the current fastest weekday journey time to under 30 minutes.
The ORR said after analysing the "impact on punctuality and reliability" as well as level crossing safety, it had approved the service "subject" to certain conditions. "Network Rail will undertake a performance review of the two-hourly service before deciding on a long-term view on GWR's proposal to run hourly services," it said.
A GWR spokesman said customers will be disappointed the ORR "has not been able to approve proposals to fully reinstate services - at this stage as hoped. We will continue working closely with Network Rail and industry partners to understand what more can be done to introduce additional services as quickly and safely as possible," he said.
The proposals came after a trial saw limited weekend services run between Swindon and Oxford in 2024.
Jim Robbins, leader of Swindon Borough Council, said it was "outstanding news for Swindon".
"Shortening the time needed to get to Oxford will be massive for people who regularly travel and take pressure off the A420," he said. "This will help us attract even more jobs and growth to the town."
Conservative leader Gary Sumner, said it was "positive news" for the town. "I will be very interested to see the take-up of the service," he said. "Anything that adds to connectivity is to be welcomed, but as usual, it's having reasonably priced fares which are the key to the service being sustainable."
The GWR service would mean passengers would no longer need to change at Didcot Parkway - Image © Aled Thomas
A direct daily rail service between Swindon and Oxford has been given the green light as long as some level crossings on the line are made safer.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved an application from Great Western Railway (GWR) to run a two-hourly service between Bristol, Swindon and Oxford on weekdays and Saturdays from 17 May. An ORR spokesman said the service has been approved provided Network Rail brings in "reasonably practicable level crossing safety measures" on the route.
A GWR spokesman, said it understands customers will be "disappointed" the service has not been "fully" reinstated but it will continue to work with Network Rail to "understand what more can be done".
Currently there are no direct services between Swindon and Oxford, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Passengers have to change at Didcot Parkway or Reading to travel between the two stations. A direct service would shave more than 10 minutes off the current fastest weekday journey time to under 30 minutes.
The ORR said after analysing the "impact on punctuality and reliability" as well as level crossing safety, it had approved the service "subject" to certain conditions. "Network Rail will undertake a performance review of the two-hourly service before deciding on a long-term view on GWR's proposal to run hourly services," it said.
A GWR spokesman said customers will be disappointed the ORR "has not been able to approve proposals to fully reinstate services - at this stage as hoped. We will continue working closely with Network Rail and industry partners to understand what more can be done to introduce additional services as quickly and safely as possible," he said.
The proposals came after a trial saw limited weekend services run between Swindon and Oxford in 2024.
Jim Robbins, leader of Swindon Borough Council, said it was "outstanding news for Swindon".
"Shortening the time needed to get to Oxford will be massive for people who regularly travel and take pressure off the A420," he said. "This will help us attract even more jobs and growth to the town."
Conservative leader Gary Sumner, said it was "positive news" for the town. "I will be very interested to see the take-up of the service," he said. "Anything that adds to connectivity is to be welcomed, but as usual, it's having reasonably priced fares which are the key to the service being sustainable."
| Re: Crossing from country to country In "The Lighter Side" [375097/32025/30] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 22:42, 13th May 2026 | |
That is very bad.
Personally, I have never been a fan of mushy peas: I ask for 'fresh garden peas' instead - which are obviously frozen ones, but still better.
| Re: New Oxford - Bristol direct service, ongoing developments and discussion In "Oxford, Didcot and Reading from the West" [375096/28355/22] Posted by anthony215 at 22:13, 13th May 2026 | |
Heard its been given the green light by the ORR
| Re: Crossing from country to country In "The Lighter Side" [375094/32025/30] Posted by JayMac at 22:07, 13th May 2026 | |
Is the fish dish on a ferry? Baltic Sea?
I hope it's better than the undercooked fish I had on Stena Estrid coming back from Ireland. Finn had a bit of it and later threw it up in the car. I have a bit of tummy trouble too. And the mushy peas were cold - served on paper which disintegrated under them. Peas and paper is NOT a taste sensation. Horrible meal.
| Re: Bristol Temple Meads - station, facilities, incidents and events (merged posts) In "Bristol and Bath (WECA, now WEMCA)" [375093/10737/21] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:15, 13th May 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Construction of flagship University of Bristol campus complete
The building will open to students in September - Image © TQEC
The final phase of construction of a £500m new university campus has been completed ahead of it being opened to students in September.
The University of Bristol's Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus has been built next to Temple Meads station and will house 4,600 students, 650 members of staff and a hub for start-ups.
The university bought the site from Bristol City Council in 2017 and the derelict Royal Mail sorting office on the site was demolished in 2019 to make way for the new building.
Furniture and equipment are due to be moved into the building in the next four months. The campus is part of the 135-hectare transformation of Bristol Temple Quarter, the UK's largest regeneration project.
The campus will be connected by an eastern entrance to Temple Meads via a new public space called University Square.
There will also be a new harbour walkway, funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, connecting University Square to Temple Quay with new walking and cycling routes.
More than half of the workforce that constructed the building came from the local region.
Drone footage of the new building shows a six-storey atrium, a ground floor Exchange Hall that will be open to the public and internal gardens for students and staff. There is also a 300-seat lecture theatre in the round to to increase participation.
The university's deputy vice chancellor said the building was a "major milestone" - Image © TQEC
Professor Judith Squires, Bristol University's deputy vice chancellor, said: "Today marks a major milestone in our drive to create a vibrant new connected campus in the heart of the city. It's inspiring to see our new building come to life and I'm hugely grateful to everyone who has worked so hard to get us to this point. I look forward to welcoming students, innovation and community partners and staff to join us in our new campus in September."
The atrium has a view of the city - Image © TQEC
Mayor of the West of England Helen Godwin, said: "Today's completion is a big step towards unlocking the wider potential of Bristol Temple Quarter and thousands more new jobs and new homes for our region. The old Royal Mail building that stood on this site was once called the chipped tooth in the city's smile. In this new chapter, I'm happy to say that derelict site is now a distant memory as we look forward to opening Bristol Temple Meads' new eastern entrance, walkways along the harbour and the new campus in September."
The building will open to students in September - Image © TQEC
The final phase of construction of a £500m new university campus has been completed ahead of it being opened to students in September.
The University of Bristol's Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus has been built next to Temple Meads station and will house 4,600 students, 650 members of staff and a hub for start-ups.
The university bought the site from Bristol City Council in 2017 and the derelict Royal Mail sorting office on the site was demolished in 2019 to make way for the new building.
Furniture and equipment are due to be moved into the building in the next four months. The campus is part of the 135-hectare transformation of Bristol Temple Quarter, the UK's largest regeneration project.
The campus will be connected by an eastern entrance to Temple Meads via a new public space called University Square.
There will also be a new harbour walkway, funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, connecting University Square to Temple Quay with new walking and cycling routes.
More than half of the workforce that constructed the building came from the local region.
Drone footage of the new building shows a six-storey atrium, a ground floor Exchange Hall that will be open to the public and internal gardens for students and staff. There is also a 300-seat lecture theatre in the round to to increase participation.
The university's deputy vice chancellor said the building was a "major milestone" - Image © TQEC
Professor Judith Squires, Bristol University's deputy vice chancellor, said: "Today marks a major milestone in our drive to create a vibrant new connected campus in the heart of the city. It's inspiring to see our new building come to life and I'm hugely grateful to everyone who has worked so hard to get us to this point. I look forward to welcoming students, innovation and community partners and staff to join us in our new campus in September."
The atrium has a view of the city - Image © TQEC
Mayor of the West of England Helen Godwin, said: "Today's completion is a big step towards unlocking the wider potential of Bristol Temple Quarter and thousands more new jobs and new homes for our region. The old Royal Mail building that stood on this site was once called the chipped tooth in the city's smile. In this new chapter, I'm happy to say that derelict site is now a distant memory as we look forward to opening Bristol Temple Meads' new eastern entrance, walkways along the harbour and the new campus in September."
| Re: Kernow Connect - a new Okehampton to Bodmin line In "Campaigns for new and improved services" [375092/32014/28] Posted by RailCornwall at 20:49, 13th May 2026 | |
Work Starts late 2028, opening 2034, based on the equally ludicrous in some people's minds Mid Cornwall Metro. I'd love to see the discussions for the despoiling of sections of Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor. I must admit the idea of a main railway skirting Bodmin to the north, north west and west has never crossed my mind before.
| Re: Bus roof torn off on impact under railway bridge incidents - merged topics In "Buses and other ways to travel" [375091/6748/5] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 20:25, 13th May 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Double decker's roof torn off by low bridge in Coventry
Network Rail were called after the collision on Wednesday morning
A double decker's roof was completely torn off when it was driven under low bridge.
The roof was left lying in the street following the collision in Woodshires Road, Coventry, on Wednesday morning. The road had to be closed for it to be cleared.
British Transport Police said it received a report the bus struck the bridge, which carries a railway line. The bus had been returning to a depot at the time and had no passengers on board.
The train line above had been checked and, as a safety precaution, trains were travelling slowly over the bridge, police said. One witness said he was having coffee when he heard the crash, adding had he spotted the bus approaching he would have tried to stop it.
A National Express Coventry spokesperson said one of their vehicles was involved. They said the bus was not in service, adding: "We are supporting the emergency services in their immediate response and will work closely with them to understand the exact circumstances that led to this incident."
Witnesses described hearing the roof of the bus make contact with the bridge
Network Rail were called after the collision on Wednesday morning
A double decker's roof was completely torn off when it was driven under low bridge.
The roof was left lying in the street following the collision in Woodshires Road, Coventry, on Wednesday morning. The road had to be closed for it to be cleared.
British Transport Police said it received a report the bus struck the bridge, which carries a railway line. The bus had been returning to a depot at the time and had no passengers on board.
The train line above had been checked and, as a safety precaution, trains were travelling slowly over the bridge, police said. One witness said he was having coffee when he heard the crash, adding had he spotted the bus approaching he would have tried to stop it.
A National Express Coventry spokesperson said one of their vehicles was involved. They said the bus was not in service, adding: "We are supporting the emergency services in their immediate response and will work closely with them to understand the exact circumstances that led to this incident."
Witnesses described hearing the roof of the bus make contact with the bridge
| Re: Difficulty of booking international rail tickets In "Fare's Fair" [375090/31906/4] Posted by eightonedee at 20:24, 13th May 2026 | |
Maybe I have struck lucky booking with SNCB (Belgian national railways), but my wife and I are off back to Aachen early in June, and they provided all the tickets for the return journey as three attachments to one email, covering Eurostar, SNCB and DB services to and from St Pancras. No more difficult than buying our tickets from Goring & Streatley to Perth and back last month!
It did occur to me that 40 years ago, we (collectively as forum members) would probably have gone into a local travel agent who would have done everything for us by phone, telex and post (possibly fax if they were forward-looking, but not to produce tickets on those "wet" faxes that faded almost as fast as they printed out!).
| Re: Reopening former rail line between Hythe and Totton - ongoing discussion, merged topic In "Campaigns for new and improved services" [375089/10308/28] Posted by eightonedee at 20:13, 13th May 2026 | |
Immediately, CfN's recent post on Winnersh Triangle came to mind-
Those were the days [referring to the mid-1980s]when a new railway station could be built for just £375,000
With the closure of the Hythe ferry, and all the congestion problems where the A35 crosses the Test at Eling and meets the M271 (never mind further on as traffic stacks back on the Avenue and A35 going into central Southampton), all the housing built in the last 60 years along Waterside from Fawley to Marchwood and Ed Miliband wittering on interminably about the Government's commitment to reducing carbon emissions, I find this inexplicable. This must have a much better net impact than the re-opening of the Cowley branch, where there already seems to be 6 or 7 bus routes to Oxford city centre and no substantial river estuary impeding access to the local regional centre.
