British woman stranded in Israel remains in dark about evacuation flights
She said she had also been told that British nationals have had phone calls from the Foreign Office as late as 3am in the morning, asking them to be at the airfield just six hours later at 9am, only for their flight to be delayed until 1pm.
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Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
End of dodgy phone signal on trains with major fibre optic boost for rail
'Sorry, I'm on a train at the moment so the call might just cut out.' It's a familiar start to a phone conversation for rail passengers up and down the UK. But a massive upgrade to connectivity on British tracks announced today could spell the end of awkward chats that ultimately need to wait until you've reached your destination. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told Metro the move would 'bring the experience of rail travel in the UK into the 21st century'. She said: 'I think we've all been there, haven't we? It's so frustrating to be sat on a train with your phone or your iPad, dropping out every time you go through a tunnel, or one of those railway cuttings. 'And I think we need to get on and tackle this problem with mobile connectivity, black spots on the trains.' The plans will mean ultra-fast fibre optic cable is deployed across 1,000km of the East Coast Main Line, parts of the West Coast Main Line and the Great Western Main Line. Ultimately, that network could stretch across 5,000km of railway, according to the Department for Transport. A total of 57 tunnels will also get access to signal, including the 4km Chipping Sodbury tunnel near Bristol. Provider Freshwave will be behind improvements to mobile signal on the railway and 4G and 5G connectivity in stations as well as in tunnels, while Neos Networks will be responsible for the fibre optic cable rollout. Alexander said: 'One of the things that people talk to me about a lot is that decent mobile connectivity on the train, if they're working, would massively improve their productivity, and would clearly be good for the economy. 'But it also improves leisure experience, doesn't it? If families are having days out, kids are watching favorite TV shows or whatever on their phone, it improves the experience all round.' The rollout is currently expected to begin next year and be completed by 2028. Alexander's announcement comes days after another boost for notoriously terribly train WiFi was included in the government's industrial strategy plans. They included a pledge of £41 million towards introducing low-earth-orbit satellite connectivity for all mainline trains, which would 'significantly improve both the availability and internet connection speeds for WiFi-connected passengers'. The Transport Secretary also recently revealed the massively over-budget HS2 rail project would be delayed yet again, with the first trains now not expected to run until after 2033. More Trending She said the same would not happen again for the big infrastructure changes she has announced. Alexander said: 'I think the lesson that we've learned from HS2 is that you need to have good people working in the organisation that is letting the contract, to start off with the appropriate skills, the appropriate technical understanding, commercial acumen. 'And I think that what we've got in Network Rail to manage this project, and we'll constantly keep it under review, is the right step for people to ensure that over the next couple of years we can get this first phase properly rolled out, and people can start to enjoy better quality journeys.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: One of London Underground's top lines is running vintage 1930s trains this summer MORE: 'Ambitious' new sleeper train will connect 100 European cities — with private rooms from £67 MORE: New train to span 745 miles linking five European countries — and tickets are £40
Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
British woman stranded in Israel remains in dark about evacuation flights
A British woman stranded in Israel said she has still not heard from the Government about chartered evacuation flights – despite registering and paying hundreds of pounds last week. The first RAF flight set off from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon carrying 63 British passengers, who landed in Cyprus and were then flown back to Birmingham Airport, where they arrived in the early hours of Tuesday. In the days since, more Britons have made the journey home as part of the Government's evacuation strategy. It comes as Israeli airspace reopened on Monday after being closed for 10 days following the start of the conflict between Israel and Iran on June 13. British-Israeli Mali Smith, 66, said she has not heard from the Foreign Office since registering for the repatriation flights on Wednesday June 18, leading her to book a flight home to London for 600 US dollars (£439) as she 'can't bear the stress anymore'. Mrs Smith, a solicitor born in Tel Aviv but who now lives in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, with her husband, had arrived in Israel on June 11 to see her mother and friends. The mother-of-two has twice booked flights to Luton Airport, one with Wizz Air and one with Israir, which were both cancelled. She said: 'After my flights were cancelled, the Foreign Office sent many of us an email saying that they were planning on sending an RAF plane to rescue us and take us back to the UK. 'But it's been days now and I'm still waiting for a response – even though we had to pay them £350 for the pleasure. 'They have been in touch with some Brits but many of us are still waiting and I don't understand why they are sending such a small aeroplane with only 63 seats, while there are thousands who have applied for the flights. 'I sent them emails and I called them, but they couldn't give me an answer – I have been in touch with my MP and she has tried hard to help some of us here, but we've had no success. 'It's nerve-wracking and it's really hard to sit around and wait for them to do something. 'Now the war has a ceasefire, so I don't know what's going to happen – they might cancel it all even before they have rescued us.' Mrs Smith says that the lack of information about the flights has left those who remain in the country feeling stranded waiting for more support. She said she had also been told that British nationals have had phone calls from the Foreign Office as late as 3am in the morning, asking them to be at the airfield just six hours later at 9am, only for their flight to be delayed until 1pm. Mrs Smith said: 'The organisation of the evacuation has not been good enough. 'I'm in Tel Aviv, right next to the Iron Dome, and the noise is really loud and scary, and it means you can't sleep properly. 'The community has been great, they've been so supportive and there's a lot of warmth from everyone. 'But the UK Government has been so slow to respond and I'm just disappointed that it's taken them that long and that the communication is that bad. 'I don't know whether to book another flight and forget about the evacuation flight, and whether I can claim the money back. 'The situation has improved here with the ceasefire which seems like it's holding, but the Foreign Office needs to be so much better.' An FCDO spokesperson said: 'The safety and security of British nationals is our top priority. The Foreign Office is working around the clock to respond to the crisis and support British nationals affected. 'The UK has organised multiple flights evacuating British nationals and their dependants from Tel Aviv, prioritising the most vulnerable. 'We have also deployed specialist staff near the borders in Jordan and in Egypt to help provide support and advice on onward travel to British nationals crossing.'
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
British mother, 66, says she is 'stranded' in Israel despite signing up for Government evacuation flights and forking out £100s
A British woman stranded in Israel said she has still not heard from the Government about chartered evacuation flights - despite registering and paying hundreds of pounds last week. The first RAF flight set off from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon carrying 63 British passengers, who landed in Cyprus and were then flown back to Birmingham Airport, where they arrived in the early hours of Tuesday. In the days since, more Britons have made the journey home as part of the Government's evacuation strategy. It comes as Israeli airspace reopened on Monday after being closed for 10 days following the start of the conflict between Israel and Iran on June 13. British-Israeli Mali Smith, 66, said she has not heard from the Foreign Office since registering for the repatriation flights on Wednesday June 18, leading her to book a flight home to London for 600 US dollars (£439) as she 'can't bear the stress anymore'. Mrs Smith, a solicitor born in Tel Aviv but who now lives in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, with her husband, had arrived in Israel on June 11 to see her mother and friends. The mother-of-two has twice booked flights to Luton Airport, one with Wizz Air and one with Israir, which were both cancelled. She said: 'After my flights were cancelled, the Foreign Office sent many of us an email saying that they were planning on sending an RAF plane to rescue us and take us back to the UK. 'But it's been days now and I'm still waiting for a response - even though we had to pay them £350 for the pleasure. 'They have been in touch with some Brits but many of us are still waiting and I don't understand why they are sending such a small aeroplane with only 63 seats, while there are thousands who have applied for the flights. 'I sent them emails and I called them, but they couldn't give me an answer - I have been in touch with my MP and she has tried hard to help some of us here, but we've had no success. 'It's nerve-wracking and it's really hard to sit around and wait for them to do something. 'Now the war has a ceasefire, so I don't know what's going to happen - they might cancel it all even before they have rescued us.' Mrs Smith says that the lack of information about the flights has left those who remain in the country feeling stranded waiting for more support. She said she had also been told that British nationals have had phone calls from the Foreign Office as late as 3am in the morning, asking them to be at the airfield just six hours later at 9am, only for their flight to be delayed until 1pm. Mrs Smith said: 'The organisation of the evacuation has not been good enough. 'I'm in Tel Aviv, right next to the Iron Dome, and the noise is really loud and scary, and it means you can't sleep properly. 'The community has been great, they've been so supportive and there's a lot of warmth from everyone. 'But the UK Government has been so slow to respond and I'm just disappointed that it's taken them that long and that the communication is that bad. 'I don't know whether to book another flight and forget about the evacuation flight, and whether I can claim the money back. 'The situation has improved here with the ceasefire which seems like it's holding, but the Foreign Office needs to be so much better.'
