The new train fleet set to make your journey much easier
Eight additional Arterio trains have been launched in the past two months, bringing the total in operation to 14 across over 160 weekday services.
Labour MP Fleur Anderson campaigned on the issue, highlighting 'extreme overcrowding' on lines approaching Waterloo, particularly in areas like Wandsworth Town.
The new trains, described as 'platform hoovers', are designed to carry over 50 per cent more passengers and offer modern amenities like Wi-Fi and charging points.
The full rollout of the £1 billion Arterio fleet was significantly delayed, with the first trains only carrying passengers in January 2024, reportedly due to driver training issues.
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Scottish Sun
28 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
New £1billion ‘hoover' trains rolled out across major city – they will prevent overcrowding & have powerful air con
COMMUTING in the summer heat can be an almost unbearable experience for Brits. While our temperatures may not reach the scorching highs of other countries, it can feel just as bad on a crowded train car with no air conditioning. 2 A new fleet of trains will serve commuters at one of the country's busiest stations (stock image) Credit: Alamy Certain commutes in London can feel particularly unpleasant during the summer months. Most notably, any route which takes you through Waterloo Station, the capital's busiest train station. This bustling south London hub has been plagued with overcrowding for years. And now steps are being taken to tackle this issue, with dozens of new trains set to roll out soon. This new fleet, which has been dubbed "platform hoovers", will serve routes through Waterloo and across London. The 10-carriage trains, which total to £1 billion, will be able to carry about 50% more passengers than the current ones in service. This fleet was first promised in 2019 by South Western Railway (SWR), but currently only 14 of the proposed 90 Arterio trains are in service. These ambitious new locomotives will be air-conditioned and fully walk-through. They will also be equipped with wi-fi, charging points at every seat, real-time information, and accessible toilets. SWR hasn't confirmed when the full fleet will come into service, however it has promised that "more" trains would be rolled out "over the coming weeks". 'Do not travel' warning as London's Waterloo hit by 'major signalling failure' with trains unable to use 14 platforms This comes after Labour MP Fleur Anderson raised concerns about platforms at Putney and Wandsworth Town stations becoming overcrowded. It was reported that the station was so busy that people were unable to board trains, which the MP referred to as "extreme overcrowding". "These new trains, which are great, have been announced several times. They're coming," Anderson previously told the Standard. "The rollout has been really, really slow... But I've met with the chief executive and he is now going to consistently roll out more every week. "It is really, really late but it is finally good to have them coming." New fleet facts There has been a £1 billion investment in a fleet of up to 90 new Arterio trains. There are currently 14 of the new trains in service, running on over 160 weekday services. They were originally slated to enter service in 2019, but first passenger operations didn't begin until January 2024. The fleet can hold up to 50% more passengers than the current trains. They will feature air‑conditioning, walk‑through carriages, Wi‑Fi, charging points at every seat, real‑time passenger information, and accessible toilets. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for SWR shared a statement on the new fleet. "We've introduced eight more trains in the past two months and, as of today, we are running 14 Arterios on more than 160 services every weekday, on routes to Dorking, Guildford, Hampton Court, Kingston, Reading, Shepperton, Twickenham, and Windsor & Eton Riverside. "We're looking forward to many more customers enjoying the increased capacity and comfort the Arterios bring to journeys as we introduce more trains into service over the coming weeks." More on trains Meanwhile, a new £3 billion fleet of more than 90 air-conditioned underground trains has been delayed for another year. And a small English town is set to open a new £42 million train station that will reopen key link shut for over 60 years. Britain's busiest railway will be shutting down for three weeks next month for a £20 million demolition. Plus, a new £15 million train station linking tiny town to three major destinations has been unveiled in a new satellite photo. And an English train station is set to shut for two years ahead of a major £11.5 million revamp.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
One-pot wonders: the secret to campsite cooking
I am limited to one pan and a burner when I camp. What would chefs recommend making?Maxwell, by email Happy campers need supplies, and Ryan Cole, executive chef and co-owner of Salsify at The Roundhouse in Camps Bay, South Africa, doesn't mess about. 'We have three square boxes: one dedicated to dry goods, one to oil, salt, pepper and utensils, and the third to camping toiletries; we also have a dual compartment fridge-freezer.' Whatever your set-up, a considered mobile store-cupboard of spices, stock cubes, good oil, grains, pasta, tins of coconut milk and the like will really come into its own. Got tinned tomatoes? Make shakshuka for a campside breakfast. 'We always take a lightly spiced onion relish and add that to tinned tomatoes for the base,' Cole says. Otherwise, he'll use long-life or nut milk to whip up some breakfast pancakes: 'That's super-simple.' Mitch Tonks, founder and CEO of Rockfish, is no stranger to confined cooking arrangements: 'I live on a boat, so I'm used to limited space. That's why I love one-pot dishes.' Pasta, he says, really suits this way of cooking. Ditalini, or other small, short tubes, with pancetta and peas, for example, will have you eating very well in the great outdoors – scout's honour. 'Put 75g pasta in a wide pan with a teaspoon of chicken powder or a quarter of a crumbled stock cube. Add cured smoked pancetta, tinned or frozen peas and a chopped tomato, then pour in 225ml water.' Simmer the lot for 10-15 minutes, until the pasta is cooked and the water has evaporated, then grate in some parmesan or stir in a tablespoon of mascarpone and eat. Wholesome, hearty meals are a balm when you're camping, Cole says. A favourite starts by dusting bony cuts of meat (lamb neck or oxtail, say) with flour, then caramelising them in oil: 'Take them out, add onion, garlic and carrot, and sweat until soft. Return the meat to the pan, and cook for half an hour with some stock, water, wine, beer or whatever liquid you have floating around the campsite.' Tip in some new potatoes, then leave to bubble away gently for two or three hours while you shoot the breeze: 'You can make that to feed one, two or 10, and there's nothing better on a summer's night. Or any night, really.' It's worth having snacks in your arsenal, too, says George Husband, co-founder of Gorka, the London-based pop-up: 'Bring a zip-lock bag of 750g flour, two teaspoons of instant yeast [or even a premix bread flour from the supermarket] and a pinch of salt, then add water the night before you want to cook it, or even when you crawl out of your sleeping bag in the morning. You now have a flatbread dough that's ready to fry.' Once cooked, slather the bread with butter and honey, and 'that's a great snack for hiking trips'. And if your idea of a good time includes something sweeter, keep things simple with s'mores or thin millet pancakes, Cole says: 'Do this in a pan that's almost too hot, so the edges caramelise, then put in a couple of marshies and a bit of maple syrup.' Roll them up, squeeze over some lemon juice and job's a good'un. But remember, he adds, less really is more when you're in the countryside: 'The more you take with you, the more you have to bring back!' Got a culinary dilemma? Email feast@
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales leaves Australia during eight-month deployment
The fleet flagship has now set off for Japan in the next stop of its eight-month Indo-Pacific deployment. The £3 billion warship sailed from Portsmouth in April for the mission which involves visits with 40 countries across the Mediterranean, Middle East, south-east Asia, Japan and Australia. As the sun sets on HMS Prince of Wales, we bid farewell to @COMUKCSG after an incredible visit. The Carrier Strike Group's first return since 1997 has strengthened our partnership and deepened UK-Australia ties. Until we meet again 🇬🇧🇦🇺#UKAustralia #CSG25 @SarahMacFCDO — UK in Australia 🇬🇧🇦🇺 (@ukinaustralia) July 29, 2025 A Royal Navy spokesman said that the carrier had sailed from Darwin having taken part in the Talisman Sabre exercise as well as acting as a host for diplomatic visits, including from representatives of the indigenous Larrakia people. He said: 'The flagship hosted a string of senior British and Australian politicians, including Defence Secretary John Healey and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, his Australian counterpart Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. 'The aircraft carrier has also served as the impressive setting for a business and industry event, discussing the growing importance of defence links between London and Canberra. 'And the 2,500-plus personnel in the task group have enjoyed down time to explore the largest city in Australia's Northern Territory.' Able Seaman Owen Altoft, an 18-year-old chef from Newcastle who is on his first deployment, said: 'It's an experience being out in Australia. 📸.@HMSPWLS in Darwin, Australia 🇦🇺#CSG25 | @COMUKCSG — Royal Navy (@RoyalNavy) July 28, 2025 'This deployment has been great – seeing what the world's like, seeing different places, cultures and food. It's what I signed up for. 'I tried kangaroo at the local food market and would try it again in a restaurant.' The Royal Navy spokesman said that the next stage of the deployment would involve combined air exercises with the carrier's F-35 jets and the Japanese navy. The Hon Pat Conroy MP visited @HMSPWLS while in Darwin. A great opportunity to demonstrate our joint capabilities, discuss partnerships and working together in the Indo-Pacific 🇦🇺🤝🇬🇧 #CSG25 #AUKUS — UK Carrier Strike Group (@COMUKCSG) July 29, 2025 He said: 'Both nations operate the same short take-off/vertical landing version of the stealth jet, the B variant, although Japan has not flown the fifth-generation strike fighter for quite as long as the UK.' Earlier in the deployment one of the stealth fighter jets was stranded at an airport in Kerala, India, after suffering mechanical issues. After the week-long exercise with Japan, the carrier will continue with its visit to the country while some vessels from the UK task group will head to South Korea.
