Mull road closed until August after landslip
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Times
3 hours ago
- Times
Pupils face three-mile walk to school after bus cancellation
Pupils have been told they should walk for two hours a day to attend school after the council cut their bus service. The almost three-mile route to Cumbernauld Academy had been deemed unsuitable in April, but parents were notified in June that after the summer break pupils who live on the fringes of the catchment area would be advised to make the journey on foot. Previously, pupils in the Carrickstone area were allocated seats on the school transport service provided by North Lanarkshire council. Emma Ross, whose son Nathan, 12, is due to join the school in August filmed herself walking the route, which she said took 69 minutes each way and included poorly maintained paths through forested areas with overgrown bushes. Nathan is one of 183 pupils affected by the cancellation of three school bus links. Of these pupils, 13 will still be allowed free transport when term starts in less than a fortnight, while the other 170 must make their own way.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Scotland to be battered by hurricane-force summer storm as rail network shuts down ahead of 90mph winds
Scotland is set to be battered by hurricane-force winds today as Storm Floris brings 12 hours of 'unseasonally disruptive' conditions and torrential downpours. Travel chaos, power cuts, mobile outages, and a risk of 'injuries and danger to life' from flying debris and coastal waves are expected as the second named storm of the year makes landfall. Forecasters have upgraded the weather warning for central and northern Scotland to amber as 90mph gusts are predicted to hit coastal and more exposed areas. Rail services on some lines will also end early. Even inland winds are now expected to reach up to 70mph for 'many parts', with the weather alert in place until 10pm. More than two weeks-worth of rain (60mm) is also predicted to fall in some parts, with Scots warned to 'stay inside as much as possible' to avoid 'dangerous' driving conditions. The original yellow warning that was issued on Friday covering the entire country, as well as parts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, remains in place until midnight (23.59 Monday), when gusts could reach up to 85mph. The Beaufort wind force scale which is used in the UK states that speeds of more than 73mph fall within the hurricane category. Chief Meteorologist Dan Suri said: 'Much of Scotland is likely to see gusts of 50-70mph with more than 80mph on some exposed coasts, hills and bridges.. Western coastal areas will see the highest gusts late morning, with the strongest winds transferring to northeastern Scotland by late afternoon. 'Across the wider Yellow warning area, many inland areas are likely to see gusts of 40-50mph, with 60mph likely at higher elevations and around some exposed coasts.' The Met Office is also expecting 'relatively high accumulations' of rainfall with the Western Isles, Highlands and Grampian areas expected to bear the brunt, where more than an inch [20-30mm] will fall 'quite widely', with more than two inches [40-60cm] likely on higher ground. Holidaymakers have been urged to take extra care while camping, especially along coastal areas, during the 'unseasonally disruptive storm' that has resulted from an 'incredibly strong jetstream' sweeping across the Atlantic. The Met Office said: 'It is advisable to stay inside as much as possible within the amber warning area' as it warned those in affects areas to expect 'injuries and danger to life from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties'. The forecaster also warned of falling trees, damage to buildings, as well as power cuts, disruption to mobile phone coverage, and bridge and road closures. CalMac ferries has cancelled some of its sailings, while Network Rail confirmed it had stepped up inspections over the weekend and said additional teams will be on standby 'including chainsaw-trained staff ready to respond quickly to any trees or debris blown onto the tracks'. Lines which will close from noon will be Edinburgh to Fife/Perth/Dundee, Perth to Dundee/Aberdeen/Inverness, Dunblane to Perth, Inverness to Aberdeen/Wick/Thurso/Kyle of Lochalsh and the West Highland Line. The railway operator added that speed restrictions may also be introduced to reduce the risk of trains striking obstructions and 'ensure the safety of passengers and staff'. ScotRail said it was working closely with Network Rail but Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said: 'With strong winds and heavy rain expected to impact parts of the country, we're encouraging customers to check their journey before travelling.' Ross Moran, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: 'With the severity of Storm Floris becoming clear, our priority is the safety of our passengers and colleagues. That is why we've taken the decision to close some parts of Scotland's Railway early on Monday as the worst of the conditions hit the country. 'Our engineers will also need to thoroughly inspect the network for any damage before we reopen the lines and restart train services on Tuesday morning. 'Weather specialists, based in our control room, will monitor conditions closely throughout the storm, and our teams on the ground will be ready to deal with any issues caused by the weather as quickly as possible. We appreciate passengers' patience while we get through this unprecedented summer storm.' Scotland's Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: 'This is a slightly unusual situation for August, however the message is the same as winter - plan ahead, check your journey in advance, allow extra time, and don't take any unnecessary risks. 'Officials will be monitoring the situation and are ready to stand up the Multi Agency Response Team, if required.' Floris is the first named storm since Eowyn in January and the sixth since the start of the 2024/25 Storm Naming Season.
Times
4 hours ago
- Times
Rail & Sail ferry service to Belfast ‘set up to fail'
The number of passengers using a flagship rail and ferry service between Scotland and Northern Ireland has tumbled to 12 a day. Freedom of Information figures obtained by The Times reveal the 'Rail & Sail' service carried 4,400 passengers in the year to 2025, compared with 15,000 passengers five years previously. A drastic cut in service levels has been blamed for the 71 per cent drop in annual passenger numbers since 2019. Services were curtailed during the Covid-19 lockdowns, with tickets valid only on a single train, coach and ferry combination each day. This system remains in place. Before the pandemic, several options were available daily. Colin Smyth, Labour's MSP for South Scotland, accused SNP ministers of allowing the service to be 'set up to fail' and called for a direct rail link to Cairnryan port, which replaced Stranraer as Scotland's ferry gateway to Belfast. Currently, passengers must take a coach from Ayr to the port, a transfer that a rail expert says is the root of the problem. 'The rot set in when Stena Line moved operations from Stranraer, where the port directly adjoined the railway station, to the remote Cairnryan,' said Mark Smith, who founded the travel website The Man in Seat 61. He said the service 'appears to have reneged on the promise to provide a bus connection, reducing service to one per day'. Colin Smyth said the once-popular 'boat train' was no longer viable for most travellers owing to its inflexibility. 'By cutting the connection back to a single daily coach, the journey has been made so awkward and inflexible that it's no longer a viable option for most travellers,' he said. He believes the service is being intentionally run down so it can be written off due to 'lack of demand', a move that he says goes against the Scottish government's commitment to promote public transport and reduce transport emissions. Despite the low usage, some travellers have complained that the service was often sold out when they try to book online, with some opting for direct coach transfers from Glasgow instead. The low numbers have also led to instances of the bus leaving Cairnryan with a single passenger onboard. Transport Scotland said that a rail link to the port had been considered in 2022 as part of a strategic transport review but the idea was rejected because it 'was not expected to provide value for money'. Campaigners argue that the current situation goes against Scotland's national transport strategy, which prioritises public transport over cars. Ellie Harrison, a transport campaigner, said this strategy needs to be 'reflected in the cost of the different transport modes, so that the lower-carbon journeys are always cheaper.' She added that with ScotRail now in public ownership, it should be a priority for the government to promote the service and help reduce short-haul flights. In response, ScotRail's commercial director, Claire Dickie, said the company was 'committed to supporting the Rail & Sail route and encouraging sustainable travel options'. She said that ScotRail was working with Stena Line to make the service more 'appealing and reliable for customers' and that ticket sales to Belfast via Cairnryan were 'up 35 per cent so far in 2025'. Stena Line echoed this sentiment, calling the Rail & Sail service 'a key part of the Stena Line travel offer' and stating that the company 'would welcome improvements in rail services and products'. A Transport Scotland spokesman said any commercial decisions related to ticket initiatives would be for Stena Line to decide, in liaison with other operators such as ScotRail.
