King Charles III is becoming a proficient barman ...

At around 08:48 on 25 June 2026, the 07:51 Northern passenger service from Colne to Preston struck a car on Hoghton automatic half-barrier level crossing, which is situated between Preston and Blackburn. The driver of the car was fatally injured in the accident and a child who was a passenger in the car was also seriously injured. No injuries were caused to anyone on the train.

Hoghton level crossing is equipped with road traffic lights and an audible alarm for pedestrians, both of which are designed to activate automatically as trains approach. A short time after the lights and alarm activate, half- barriers at both sides of the crossing will automatically lower, to block the left-hand side of the road. 

The evidence available to RAIB shows that the train had passed a green (proceed) signal as it approached the crossing. RAIB’s preliminary examination also found that the road traffic lights and audible alarm at the crossing had not been activated, and that the half-barriers were raised.

Our investigation will determine the sequence of events that led to the accident and will include consideration of:

    the actions of those involved and any factors that may have influenced them
    any previous incidents at Hoghton level crossing
    the management of risk at this crossing
    any relevant underlying factors.

Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.

We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.

I could - members know me - have written a chapter on each enquiry.

Andy Burnham planning summer tour of UK in early weeks as PM

Andy Burnham will undertake a summer tour across the UK during the early weeks of his premiership.

Described as a "listening tour of the UK", Burnham will travel across the country in August while Parliament is in recess.

Among the areas understood to be on his itinerary is Port Talbot in south Wales, a town which saw the closure of its last steel-making blast furnace in September 2024.

The former Greater Manchester mayor will become prime minister on Monday but will not face MPs until September when the Commons returns from its six-week recess, unless he decides to recall Parliament.

Several Welsh Labour MPs have told BBC Wales that they understand Burnham intends to visit Port Talbot, once home to the UK's largest steelworks which has seen 2,800 job losses as it transitions to greener steel-making.

Some Welsh politicians have accused Labour of double standards, after it stepped in to save the British Steel plant in Scunthorpe in 2025 but did not do the same for Tata Steel's Port Talbot plant.

There are few details as to what policies Burnham will look to implement once in No 10, but a key part of his message thus far has been about devolving power away from Westminster towards local communities.

In a speech in Manchester at the end of June, the Makerfield MP made the case for more "powers to areas undergoing industrial transition, like Port Talbot, Scunthorpe and Aberdeen".

The Welsh Government has raised concerns that this might mean undermining devolution to Wales, with Plaid Cymru First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth saying there were "signs" Burnham might want to bypass the Senedd and the Welsh government.

Some Welsh MPs have also requested that Burnham makes stops in their constituencies.

Tonia Antoniazzi, Labour MP for Gower, a peninsula in south Wales, said: "I'd love him to visit for a pint and a dip [in the sea] and hear first hand from my constituents what matters to them."

There are reports that Burnham will also visit Aberdeen, a city at the heart of the debate around the UK's energy future and home of GB Energy - the government's fledgling publicly-owned energy company.

The Conservatives won the recent by-election for Aberdeen South, held on the same day as the Makerfield election which Burnham won.

Burnham will become the leader of the Labour Party on Friday, having received support from the overwhelming majority of his party's MPs. He will replace Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister on Monday.

With Burnham entering No 10 without a general election or a leadership contest, his immediate priority will be to shore up support across the country as he sets out his vision for government.  He is also facing calls to connect to voters outside of London and the north-west of England.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who has dubbed Burnham "Avanti Andy" after the rail franchise that serves Manchester, said: ""From the Devon coast to Swansea's streets and Shetland's shores, people are utterly fed up with being overlooked.  Andy Burnham has a very short window to turn this government around, end the chaos and build trust with communities the whole length and breadth of the UK."

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle can recall Parliament during the summer recess if asked to do so by the government, once deciding whether it is in the public interest.

The Conservatives had planned to use their scheduled opposition day debate on Wednesday to force a vote on adding one sitting day, so that MPs could question Burnham about his plans for government.  But the debate was ditched by the government so MPs could debate the ongoing crisis in the Middle East instead.

Burnham has faced calls from some within Labour to offer more details on policies he will look to implement in government.

He has also faced accusations of avoiding media scrutiny since becoming an MP and announcing his intention to stand. He has so far given interviews to LBC and Gary Lineker, while he has also hosted an online Q and A session on Reddit.

During that Q and A, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch challenged Burnham to "come out from hiding, face a proper press conference and submit yourself to scrutiny and some tough questions".

Burnham replied: Fair challenge Kemi - but don't forget it's only two weeks since I faced questions from 74,000 members of the public of Makerfield."

Investigation into parking tickets for drivers queuing at petrol stations

One of the UK's largest private parking providers is being investigated by the competition regulator over whether parking tickets for drivers queuing at petrol forecourts are fair.

Euro Car Parks' broader appeals process relating to petrol stations and car parks is also being looked into, to determine if it breaches consumer protection law.

The investigation forms part of a wider crackdown by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into potentially unfair practices by private parking operators.

Research by the RAC has suggested the number of tickets issued in places like gyms, supermarkets, restaurants and retail parks more than doubled in six years, to 14.4 million.

Motorists have complained about these parking issues, the CMA said, highlighting problems including unclear signage, faulty apps and broken ticket machines.

The regulator said it wanted to make sure drivers are being treated fairly following complaints from motorists who feel they've been unjustly issued with parking tickets.

The CMA says it has its own concerns about the way some operators are handling appeals, or attempting to make motorists pay additional fees on top of parking charges.  It has written to the sector as a whole, and issued warnings to some individual operators about their practices.

The CMA's executive director of consumer protection Emma Cochrane said receiving a parking ticket could be a stressful experience.  "Costs are high and often unexpected which is difficult when people are budgeting carefully," she said.

"Parking companies must treat motorists fairly at all stages – and a clear and consistent appeals process must be at the heart of this.  It's time for all private parking operators to comply with consumer law or risk action from the CMA."

In the open letter to private parking operators, the CMA warned they should review their terms and conditions and make changes if necessary to ensure they are complying with consumer law.

The CMA's investigation into Euro Car Parks is focusing on whether it is fair for drivers to receive parking charges while queuing for, or using, petrol pumps and other forecourt services such as car washes, plus its wider appeals process.

It is in the evidence gathering stage, and is set to run until Spring 2027.

Motorists on social media have expressed bafflement and frustration at receiving parking tickets for overstaying at petrol stations.

Some described receiving fines when they had been doing things including charging their electric vehicles. Others said they had received a ticket for apparently overstaying while putting air in their tyres and getting fuel. And some complained there was no signage obvious to them with the facility's rules.

Euro Car Parks has more than 3,000 facilities across the UK and Ireland, according to the company's website, with more than two million cars parking in their spots every day. The BBC has contacted Euro Car Parks for comment.

Which? consumer law expert Lisa Webb said it was positive to see the CMA launch its investigation.  "We often hear from people who feel frustrated and confused as they fight unfair charges and tickets issued by private parking operators, including for absurd reasons like queuing for a petrol pump or car wash," she said.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at The AA, said forecourts and parking operators need to allow motorists to get the fuel they need without being penalised "for simply waiting their turn".

"Drivers are already feeling the pinch with rising pump prices, so the last thing they'd want or expect is to be hit for a parking charge just for sitting in the queue," he said.

(BBC article continues)

Italian officials handed jail terms for Genoa bridge disaster that killed 43

The former head of Italy's motorway operator has been given a 12-year prison sentence over the collapse of Genoa's Morandi bridge in August 2018.

Prosecutors had asked for a far longer jail term for Giovanni Castellucci, ex-chief executive of Autostrade per l'Italia (Aspi).

Forty-three people died when the motorway bridge running through the city came down in a rain storm at the height of the holiday season, sending cars and lorries plummeting to the ground.

Castellucci, who is already serving a six-year jail term for a 2013 road disaster, was one of 57 defendants on trial in Genoa. Another top motorway official, Michele Donferri Mitelli, has been given 11 years in jail.

Emmanuel Diaz, whose brother Henry died in the bridge collapse told Italian TV he was "very satisfied" with the verdict, while Egle Possetti, whose sister and her family were all killed, said she thought the 12-year term handed to Castellucci was "acceptable".

Castelucci was not in court to hear the verdicts, read out by Judge Paolo Lepri. The former number two at the motorway operator, Paolo Berti, was handed a five-and-a half-year jail term, seven years less than prosecutors had sought.

In total, prosecutors had asked for the 57 defendants to be given 400 years in jail for failing to maintain the viaduct, which was built by Riccardo Morandi in 1967.

All the defendants had denied doing anything wrong.

While prosecutors had argued that maintenance of the ageing structure had been repeatedly delayed and that warning signs had been ignored, defence lawyers blamed the disaster on a design flaw, and the fact that a specific cable was encased in concrete.

(BBC article continues)

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Whether it’s the ease of booking, the comfort of your seat, the confidence in your journey, or even what happens after you step off the train — we want to hear about it. We’re running a short survey (just a couple of minutes!) to better understand what really matters to you when you travel with us. Your feedback will guide us to focus on areas where we can improve how we support you, every step of the way.

GWR have reduced some trains on Portsmouth - Cardiff to just 2car today

[snip]

If a 2car train can't get on is better than a cancelled one is debatable (you get delay repay if cancelled, system says no if it runs)

Thursday might bbe 'interesting', as might next Monday....along with Sunday pm

If anyone commutes 5 days we're week (2 return journeys) then statistically going to have about 1 of their 10 journeys cancelled (1 in 9 for EF13).   
Nowhere near good enough in my opinion.

Train services through Melksham are being increasingly disrupted by over height road vehicles hitting a rail bridge at Limpley Stoke.

Although the bridge is not on the TransWilts line, when the line over it has to close for an inspection services from Cardiff to Portsmouth have to divert over the route at the expense of the local service.

Faced with seven strikes since March this year Network Rail is working with the highway authorities to reduce the occurrences. It is thought the extension of the weight limit over the Cleveland bridge in Bath and the city’s Clean Air Zone has led to affected vehicles diverting along the B3108.

Among the measures being looked at are

• Upgraded road signage on approaches to the bridge
• Flashing over height vehicle detection lights, similar to those at White House Road bridge in Swindon
• Exploring funding for collision protection beams
• Updated briefing on the bridge’s structural condition, reinforcing why it remains safe despite its appearance
• Reviewing the late reported bridge strike process within Network Rail’s Route Control
• Updating local instructions and publications to reflect revised response requirements
• Briefing staff on the updated approach to ensure consistency on site
• Pursuing insurance claims when vehicle registration details are available.
In conjunction with GWR, Network Rail is also looking at contingency plans to use when the bridge is closed for inspections.

.....Planning permission was granted 10 years ago but as in the ad for the property a start was made within 3 years (the windows). This is a tactic many developers have used in Torbay, probably elsewhere, .....

The Parish Council and our Unitary Councillor Nigel White continue to be frustrated about the increase in overheight vehicles hitting the railway bridge. Over the past few months Nigel has been talking with Network Rail, Wiltshire Highways and National Highways about this issue. All are in support of introducing measures to reduce the likelihood of overheight vehicles attempting to drive under the bridge. Following recent meetings with these organisations, Nigel will provide a more detailed update by the end of this week.

"Direct flows": what a revealing way to present the gains - and stands the argument "This is a duplicate service between Bristol / Bath and London" on its head, lays it on a stretcher, and carries it out of the room.

Mark