
Bus link to West Somerset Railway withdrawn after 20 years
The 28 and 28A will continue to serve Bishop's Lydeard by stopping outside the Lethbridge Arms, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.The Somerset Bus Partnership said: "By removing the stop at Bishops Lydeard Station and relocating it over 500m away, without proper accessibility infrastructure or a full equalities impact assessment, the company is potentially denying access to disabled passengers in violation of their rights."This mirrors the damaging impact of recent changes to Service 2 in Lyngford, Taunton, where the withdrawal of stops left many elderly and vulnerable passengers struggling to access their daily needs, including GP appointments and essential shopping."
Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, said the changes would be reviewed ahead of the 2026 summer timetable."There will still be a bus stop close by the Lethbridge Arms in Bishop's Lydeard, which will require customers to walk to the railway – but this route is short and safe, using the underpass under the A358."This change is not a cost-cutting measure, as First is looking to redistribute the time taken to serve these stops, providing greater reliability for passengers."James Eustace, commercial director for First Bus in Somerset, said: "These changes are about making sure our services run more reliably and reflect the needs of our passengers."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Storm Floris to cause travel disruption as wind warnings upgraded
Amber warnings have been issued for much of Scotland, lasting from 10am to 10pm. A yellow warning for wind had already been issued for northern parts of the UK from 6am on Monday to 6am on Tuesday. Stormy weather can severely impact the railway, with journey delays and cancellations, National Rail warned. ⚠️⚠️ Amber weather warning issued ⚠️⚠️#StormFloris to bring unseasonably strong winds across parts of Scotland Monday 1000 – 2200 Latest info 👉 Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ — Met Office (@metoffice) August 3, 2025 'It is likely that speed restrictions will be in place and your journey may take longer,' it said. Strong winds can bring down trees that block tracks and damage power lines. The weather could also disrupt road, air and ferry services, and close bridges, it is feared. Many inland parts of the warning area will see westerly gusts of 40-50mph and exposed coasts and high ground could see them reach 70mph, the Met Office said. There is a chance that winds could even reach 85mph on Scottish coastlines and hills. Scottish ferry operator CalMac has issued a series of cancellation warnings ahead of the storm. 'Disruption to sailings is expected across our network on Monday August 4 due to forecasted strong winds across parts of Scotland's west coast,' it posted on X. Elsewhere, motorists have been urged to slow down in poor weather and avoid exposed Highland and coastal routes. Rod Dennis, of the RAC breakdown service, said: 'This unseasonable bout of stormy weather will mean drivers in the north and west of the UK need to take extra care at the start of next week. 'It's the height of the holiday season, so those towing trailers and caravans, as well as those with roof and tent boxes, must ensure their loads are properly secured.' Shaun Jones, of the AA, said: 'If you're planning a journey – especially through exposed or rural areas – it's worth checking the latest forecast, allow extra time, and be prepared for the unexpected. 'Keep both hands on the wheel, especially on open roads and motorways, and be mindful of high-sided vehicles and cyclists who may be more affected by gusts. 'Watch out for fallen branches or debris, particularly in rural areas – this could be telltale signs of a fallen tree ahead.' Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: 'Across the warning area, many inland areas are likely to see gusts of 40-50mph, with 60-70mph more likely at higher elevations and around exposed coasts in Scotland. 'There is a small chance that some locations here could even record gusts of 85mph.' The strongest winds will most likely affect Scotland on Monday afternoon and night but 'there remains some uncertainty in the depth and track of Floris', a spokesperson added. 'Winds will first ease in the west during later Monday but remaining very strong overnight until early Tuesday in the east. 'Heavy rain may also contribute to the disruption in places.' The warning zone covers Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland, north Wales and the north of England. Storm Floris is the sixth named storm of the 2024-25 naming season, which runs from early September to late August, and January's Storm Eowyn was the most recent.


BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Off-peak Southeastern train services reduced for maintenance work
Off-peak rail services on the Southeastern mainline will be reduced from Monday to Friday to allow for extra maintenance inspections during daylight to take 09:40 BST to 15:00, only one train per hour will run between Tonbridge and Ashford at Paddock Wood, Marden, Staplehurst and Headcorn will all see one train per hour instead of two, heading towards both the Kent coast and the said that Westenhanger, Sandling, Folkestone West, Folkestone Central and Dover Priory stations would maintain their hourly service, although timings will differ by approximately 30 minutes. Southeastern, which owns the sections of track, said the closures would give workers more time in-between trains to carry out a greater number of maintenance inspections in daylight added that it helped to improve efficiency and supported better performance, and that cost saved from reducing overnight work could be reinvested into further improvements across the network. 'Check before you travel' It is the first of three weekly reductions in trains on the Southeastern mainline over the next six other routes (Maidstone East - Ashford International, Sheerness-on-Sea - Sittingbourne and Strood - Tonbridge) will also see reduced services at off-peak times during the next six months to allow for daytime maintenance to take place on different sections of Brightwell, Southeastern's safety, planning and performance director, said: "I want to thank our customers for bearing with us while we carry out this essential work to deliver better journeys."A small number of changes have been made to our timetable in the quieter, off-peak periods, so please plan ahead and check before you travel."


South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Storm Floris to cause travel disruption as wind warnings upgraded
Amber warnings have been issued for much of Scotland, lasting from 10am to 10pm. A yellow warning for wind had already been issued for northern parts of the UK from 6am on Monday to 6am on Tuesday. Stormy weather can severely impact the railway, with journey delays and cancellations, National Rail warned. ⚠️⚠️ Amber weather warning issued ⚠️⚠️#StormFloris to bring unseasonably strong winds across parts of Scotland Monday 1000 – 2200 Latest info 👉 Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ — Met Office (@metoffice) August 3, 2025 'It is likely that speed restrictions will be in place and your journey may take longer,' it said. Strong winds can bring down trees that block tracks and damage power lines. The weather could also disrupt road, air and ferry services, and close bridges, it is feared. Many inland parts of the warning area will see westerly gusts of 40-50mph and exposed coasts and high ground could see them reach 70mph, the Met Office said. There is a chance that winds could even reach 85mph on Scottish coastlines and hills. Scottish ferry operator CalMac has issued a series of cancellation warnings ahead of the storm. 'Disruption to sailings is expected across our network on Monday August 4 due to forecasted strong winds across parts of Scotland's west coast,' it posted on X. Elsewhere, motorists have been urged to slow down in poor weather and avoid exposed Highland and coastal routes. Rod Dennis, of the RAC breakdown service, said: 'This unseasonable bout of stormy weather will mean drivers in the north and west of the UK need to take extra care at the start of next week. 'It's the height of the holiday season, so those towing trailers and caravans, as well as those with roof and tent boxes, must ensure their loads are properly secured.' Shaun Jones, of the AA, said: 'If you're planning a journey – especially through exposed or rural areas – it's worth checking the latest forecast, allow extra time, and be prepared for the unexpected. 'Keep both hands on the wheel, especially on open roads and motorways, and be mindful of high-sided vehicles and cyclists who may be more affected by gusts. 'Watch out for fallen branches or debris, particularly in rural areas – this could be telltale signs of a fallen tree ahead.' Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: 'Across the warning area, many inland areas are likely to see gusts of 40-50mph, with 60-70mph more likely at higher elevations and around exposed coasts in Scotland. 'There is a small chance that some locations here could even record gusts of 85mph.' The strongest winds will most likely affect Scotland on Monday afternoon and night but 'there remains some uncertainty in the depth and track of Floris', a spokesperson added. 'Winds will first ease in the west during later Monday but remaining very strong overnight until early Tuesday in the east. 'Heavy rain may also contribute to the disruption in places.' The warning zone covers Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland, north Wales and the north of England. Storm Floris is the sixth named storm of the 2024-25 naming season, which runs from early September to late August, and January's Storm Eowyn was the most recent.