
Sydenham Bypass: Belfast roadworks completed
In a post on social media, the Department for Infrastructure announced that the £3.8m resurfacing work had been completed.It stated: "Thank you for your patience as we carried out this improvement work which has significantly enhanced one of our busiest and most strategic routes."
The department said that than 13,000 tonnes of bituminous material was used to provide a smoother surface.Work began in October but was paused over the Christmas period.

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Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Glasgow Times
£5.9m Bowling bridge work to close train line for Christmas
Work is already underway by Network Rail to install the new structure at the Exxon site in Bowling. However, during Christmas and New Year's Eve, the schedule will intensify, shutting a line from Glasgow city centre. There will be no trains between Dalmuir and Balloch/Helensburgh Central, or between Glasgow Queen Street and Crianlarich, from the end of service on December 24, 2025, until the start of service on January 2, 2026. This will also affect Caledonian Sleeper services to Fort William. This is when part of the railway embankment will be removed to make space for the new bridge, then rolling the bridge into place and reinstating the track, overhead lines and signalling infrastructure. So far, approximately 80,000 tonnes of earth material have been cleared from the site in preparation for broader work across the summer, including casting the new 2500-tonne bridge structure, which begins this month. £5.9m bridge work to close Glasgow train line for Christmas (Image: Colin Mearns) READ NEXT: Inside the plans for major Buchanan Galleries refurbishment The new railway bridge will open up direct access to the area, roughly the size of 85 football pitches. Its installation is part of the Glasgow City Region City Deal, aimed at improving transport links, supporting economic growth, and encouraging more sustainable development. Developers hope the work will transform the brownfield into a hub with space for industrial units, storage facilities, distribution centres and office space. Laura Craig, scheme project manager at Network Rail Scotland, said: 'This bridge will play such an important role in the wider project to bring new life to the former Exxon site. "It's taken a lot of careful planning and collaboration to get to this point, and we're excited to see it start to take shape. 'We're always mindful of the communities we operate in and will be doing everything we can to keep people informed, carrying out this vital work safely and with as little disruption as possible.'


The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Victorian station reveals huge step forward with new train platforms, footbridge & multi-storey car park in £140m revamp
DARLINGTON station is getting a massive £140million makeover – and it's already underway. Two brand new platforms are being built, as well as a shiny new multi-storey car park, and passengers have been promised fewer delays. 6 The revamp is being led by Tees Valley Combined Authority, Darlington Borough Council, and LNER. As well as new platforms, there will be a fully enclosed footbridge to link them to the current building. It will be completely step-free and accessible for everyone. But that's not all. Cyclists are being catered for too, with new bike lanes and shelters on the way. In the car park, there'll be room for over 600 cars, electric vehicle chargers, and plenty of accessible parking bays. Work inside the existing Grade II listed station is in full swing, with teams cracking on behind hoardings on Platform 1 to install new lifts, staircases, and the future footbridge. The shortcut between Platforms 1 and 4 is shut for now, so passengers will need to follow signs around the back near Platforms 2 and 3 – and that's the way it'll stay until Autumn 2025. But don't worry – the trains are still running as usual. Engineers have been rebuilding the railway bridge to help more trains get through the station in future. It's taken longer than expected, but the road is now set to reopen on 7 November 2025. Over on the Eastern Gateway, work has started on a striking new pedestrian bridge that'll link the old and new parts of the station. Foundations are being laid, and in a bold move, a hole will be cut in the Victorian station roof over Christmas – between 24 and 27 December – to slide the new bridge into place while trains are off. Meanwhile, the new Platforms 5 and 6 are starting to take shape, with work on the track layout kicking off this autumn. Fresh ballast will be laid and new track going down and all the complicated kit that lets trains switch lines will be installed near where the line heads off towards Bishop Auckland. Once it's all done – by the end of 2025 – the upgrade will give passengers more choice, fewer delays and a much better station experience. This comes after a series of satellite images of the development of a new £15million train station were revealed. The station, which will be the newest addition to the Dartmoor Line, connecting West Devon, Torridge and North Cornwall with Exeter and beyond, will also benefit education and leisure services in the region. GWR Regional Growth Manager David Whiteway said the project would provide "valuable support for the community and local economies". Satellite images show the rapid development of the £15million scheme, which is being funded by the Department for Transport with contributions from Devon County Council and West Devon Borough Council. Since work began in January, major progress has been made to create the new station on the edge of Okehampton, two minutes from the A30. In March, 300 metres of the single-line track was moved 90cm north to allow a new platform to be built alongside it. The previous track layout didn't allow for a platform to be built that meets regulations for new stations. New track and 20 concrete sleepers were installed in the new alignment and 1,000 tonnes of ballast (track stone) laid and compacted. Drainage work also took place with two new chambers built under the track and 300 tonnes of stone laid to allow water to flow away from the railway. Work is also ongoing to build a 200-space car park and station platform. Network Rail lead portfolio manager Alex Phillips said the past six months had seen "strong momentum on this important project, with several significant milestones reached". 6 6 6 6 6


Metro
3 days ago
- Metro
TUI announces extreme day trips to Lapland from major UK airport
Summer isn't over yet, but TUI is already looking ahead to the festive season with the launch of its 'ultimate Christmas day trip'. Announced as part of the 2026 winter schedule, the travel company's 'Search for Santa' package is back, and this year, travellers from Cardiff Airport can get in on the fun too. The 'extreme' day trip — which costs £750pp and runs from 11 airports across the UK and Ireland — offers families the chance to jet off to Lapland, meet Santa Claus, and be back in their bed by evening. Travellers land in Kittila in Finland around midday before heading to the Snow Village, with its ice hotel, which features igloo-like rooms and an icebar. Then its time to hop on a sleigh ride, led, of course, by Rudolph. There'll be husky rides, snowmobiling, and storytelling ahead of the main event: meeting Santa and his elves in the snowy woodland. Flights depart from London Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle, Bristol, East Midlands, Cardiff, Glasgow, Birmingham, Stansted and Dublin. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. A route from Bournemouth Airport to Lapland will also resume in Winter 2026 after it was suspended in 2019. It's a whirlwind winter adventure, but these day trips aren't without criticism. While a quick jaunt might be a chance to squeeze in a holiday without knocking your annual leave balance, there are environmental consequences to consider. A Facebook group called 'Extreme Day Trips', which boasts over 240,000 members, is a hub for advice on flights and itineraries, and whether making it there and back in 24 hours is even possible. Some UK travellers have made it as far as Dubai and New York in under 48 hours, while others have dashed to Cairo to see the pyramids in less than a day. Many more have taken advantage of Britain's proximity to Europe for a quick getaway. But Matt Phillis, travel expert at Polarsteps, previously told Metro that th trend is not without risk. 'A flight generates 100 times more carbon dioxide per hour compared to a train or bus ride,' he said. 'But short-haul flights, covering less than 1000 miles, contribute disproportionately more to carbon emissions. This is because take-off and landing are so energy-intensive.' For a more sustainable approach, Matt suggested taking the train or bus instead of flying. 'Taking the train from London to Paris instead of flying cuts your CO2 emissions by a whopping 90%,' he said. 'You'd be surprised by how easy it is to do a day trip to Brussels or Amsterdam if you catch an early Eurostar out of London. If you are flying, however, he recommends doing your research and using a sustainable airline. He said: 'British Airways is the highest-ranking UK-based airline due to its roadmap to net zero. 'When it comes to short-haul airlines, Easyjet ranks top with its emissions intensity being almost 18% lower than the global average.' Metro previously spoke to extreme day trippers about their fast flight turnarounds and jam-packed itineraries. Lauren Brogan became an accidental extreme day tripper after she calculated that a quick trip to Geneva would be cheaper than staying overnight at a hotel in Glasgow, near where she lives. Lauren found cheap flight tickets to the Swiss city on Skyscanner and paid just £52 for a return from Edinburgh, staying at a hotel by the lakefront in Versoix. She said she loved the 'spontaneity' of the trip, adding: 'It was a city I'd never thought about visiting before, but there were loads to see and do and it's absolutely stunning.' More Trending She organised a full itinerary, which included visiting the United Nations Building, Botanical Gardens, The Flower Clock, Favarger Chocolate Factory, the Broken Chair monument, Mont Blanc Bridge and Lake Geneva. Lauren said she would recommend an extreme day trip to anyone. She said: 'It's a great way to maximise annual leave and visit more places around the world on a budget.' However, there are some downsides, the most obvious one being time. Lauren said it was 'difficult' trying to fit everything into the trip, admitting that there wasn't enough time to see anything and that she 'still needs to go back to see more of the city'. Eloise Skinner, author and psychotherapist, warns that with extreme trips, 'people might be less concerned about the quality of the experience, and more about the ability to display the trip online'. She added: 'Another factor could be the sense of achievement or adrenaline as a whole – quick trips can feel thrilling, exciting and non-stop – all emotions that we can crave, especially if our daily lives start to feel routine and predictable.' These trips, she says, could result in negative health effects. She said: 'Exhaustion and a sense of being drained might be a result of extreme day trips. 'We might feel and bit disorientated since we don't spend long enough in a particular place to get our bearings or a sense of comfort within the environment.' Eloise advises that spending time researching may help 'reduce feelings of overwhelm and exhaustion'. She also advises 'finding ways to stay grounded during fast-paced trips' – such as scheduling moments to rest or 'move to a slower pace'. Do you have a story to share? 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