Rail users warned of delays as Chipping Sodbury flood work begins
The Chipping Sodbury tunnel, to the north of Bristol, was built in 1901 and is prone to flooding during wet weather.A lagoon was installed in 2018 as part of a flood alleviation scheme designed to improve the resilience of the railway line.Network Rail is working alongside the Environment Agency, South Gloucestershire Council, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group and Wessex Water to find long-term solutions to flooding.The project will see 200m (656ft) of track raised by 20cm (7.8in) at the western end of the tunnel with overhead cables adjusted accordingly.Drainage channels will also be dredged throughout the tunnel to allow more water to be collected.Two water removal pumps are being replaced at the western end of the tunnel, and surveys and design work carried out for future replacement of two pumps at the eastern end of the tunnel.GWR station manager for Bristol Parkway Marcus Deegan said the work is the latest in a wider scheme to "ease the effect of flooding on the railway and in the surrounding area".During the work, there will be fewer services between south Wales and London, with that route also affected by longer journey times on Sunday 20 July due to follow up work.Between the 7 - 13 July, additional peak-time trains will run between London Paddington and Swindon.During the works, passengers should check journeys in advance, Mr Barratt said.
An ongoing battle
The current work should enable trains to continue operating for longer during periods of heavy rain and will shorten the length of any closures that do need to take place.Services across the GWR network have been significantly disrupted by flooding in recent years and is an issue that the company believes will continue reoccurring."This is definitely a project to make the line more future-proof," said Mr Barratt."We're not necessarily trying to stop flooding, we're trying to keep passengers and freight moving more often.It's safe to say that this is an effect of climate change - we are experiencing wetter winters and drier and wetter summers.It's an ongoing battle that we have to face and we're working not just on this section of railway but thinking how we can keep passengers moving between major stations," he added.Mr Barratt also says that GWR are also working with the Environment Agency, local authorities and wildlife groups to limit the impact of flooding in the wider area.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Do I need an Esta to travel to the US? Everything you need to know
The Esta, which was introduced in August 2008, is a pre-authorisation for travel to the US. Citizens from 42 countries — including the UK — must apply for one before travel, unless a proper visa is required. It's important to note that the Esta is not a visa, rather a visa waiver; an authorised application does not necessarily permit entry when you arrive in the US. Google 'Esta application' and you'll find there are many copycat sites willing to apply for one on your behalf; make sure you always use the official site ( Here's what you need to know. Broadly, if you're a Brit travelling to the US for holiday, to see friends and family or for short-term work for fewer than 90 days, then yes. The 42 countries that must apply for an Esta include most of Europe, plus nations including Singapore, New Zealand and South Korea. All children must have an Esta, regardless of their age or whether they're accompanied by their parent or guardian. The exceptions are if you've travelled to a country on the US' so-called 'red list', which includes Yemen and Syria after 2011, or Cuba after 2021. In this case, you'll need to apply for a proper visa, which will involve a visit to the US embassy in London, or the consulates in Belfast and Edinburgh. Note that you will need an Esta even if your flight just transits through an American airport — all connecting passengers are required to go through immigration and recheck their bags. • Discover our full guide to the US Yes, even if you don't get off the ship. The cruise company will check all documents are correct before you board, so apply for an Esta in advance of your departure date — do not wait until the date your ship will eventually call at the US. • The best US cruise lines Typically applications are approved in a few hours, but the official guidance is to apply at least three days before you're due to depart. Airline staff in the country you're leaving will check for a valid Esta before you're due to board, so make sure it's in place before you fly (or cross the land border). Two years, or when you get a new passport — whichever is sooner — and you can make as many trips during that time as you like, as long as no one visit lasts for more than 90 days. You can check the expiry date by logging into the official Esta site and clicking 'check individual status'. • Best places to visit in the US An Esta is $21 (£15) through official channels. However, there are also plenty of unofficial websites that will happily charge an inflated price to apply for one on your behalf; an easy way to tell is to check the price you're quoted. One of the recommendations of President Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' is to raise the price of the Esta to $40 (£30), but it's not yet known when this might come into effect. The Esta form will ask you for a 'point of contact' in the US. This could either be a friend or family member you're visiting, or the name and number of the hotel/apartment you've booked. Myriad reasons — but a large number are turned down due to incorrect information being entered, so take extra care when filling in your passport number and personal information. Other reasons could include having a criminal record, previously overstaying a visa or lying on the application about your travel history. If your Esta is rejected, you will likely need to apply for a proper visa. • New York v Toronto: which is better?• Best time to visit the US: when to go and what to do
Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Telegraph
Airport liquids rule lifted ... depending on where you fly from
The 100ml liquid rule has been lifted at two airports ahead of the summer holidays. Holidaymakers at Birmingham and Edinburgh airports will no longer be banned from packing liquids measuring more than 100ml into their hand luggage. The airports have installed next-generation scanners, meaning passengers may now carry up to two litres of liquids. The 100ml limit was first introduced in 2006 after a plot to blow up transatlantic airliners with liquid explosives was uncovered. The rules were set to be removed at every airport last year, but the plans were scrapped after a number of airports failed to install the scanners in time. The change meant Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, London City, Aberdeen, Southend and Teesside airports had to make an about-turn on their introduction of the new scanners. Now the Department for Transport has given the go-ahead for airports to start rolling them out one by one. However, there are fears that the piecemeal introduction of the new scanners could lead to confusion among holidaymakers uncertain of whether the airport they are travelling from allows larger amounts of liquids. Passengers will also no longer be required to take liquids out of their bags when they go through the scanner. The first to introduce the new scanners was Birmingham airport last Wednesday. A spokesman for the airport said it would 'enable a faster and more efficient processing of hand luggage'. 'We are pleased passengers can now benefit from this change in ruling, made by the Government in time for the summer peak,' he added. On Monday, Edinburgh airport followed suit. 'A whole generation of travellers have only known the 100ml rule to be the case, so it really is a momentous day as we become the first airport in Scotland to lift the rule since it was introduced in 2006,' said Gordon Dewar, its chief executive. 'The change allows more flexibility for passengers to take liquids through security, all while maintaining and improving our high safety levels through the use of 3D technology.' Lifting the 100ml liquids restriction was seen as one of the key post-pandemic improvements tempting families back to air travel. Amsterdam Schiphol, Helsinki, Frankfurt, Rome Fiumicino, Milan (both Linate and Malpensa), Cork and Shannon are among the European airports to have rolled out the new technology.
Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Telegraph
The best places for cream tea in Devon
In the home of cream teas, you're never far away from a good scone. But how to tell the good from the bad? The perfect scone is crumbly, feather-light, warm, and served with fruity jam and clotted cream so thick it sticks to your spoon. Stay clear of anywhere that serves scones with butter, or toppings in tiny packets – they know not what they do. So important is this Devonshire tea-time ritual that science has dedicated itself to working out the perfect formula. The 'hedonic breakpoint' – the optimum level of sweetness – is a 4:3:3 ratio of scone, cream and jam, with cream applied first to ensure an even spread of toppings. For further Devon inspiration, see our guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants, pubs, beaches and things to do. Hotel Endsleigh, Milton Abbot For all-out decadence, nothing beats Hotel Endsleigh, an ever-so-English Elizabethan mansion house on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. Freshly cut finger sandwiches, delicate pastries, just-baked scones, mounds of clotted cream and glass jars of Tiptree fruity jams come with fragrant loose-leaf tea served in bone china cups. Tuck in by the open fire in the wood-panelled lounge, on the sunny terrace or parterre overlooking the River Tamar. Work off the calories with a stroll around the hotel's Grade-I listed gardens. Otterton Mill, Budleigh Salterton The scones at this café-cum-music venue are made daily with organic flour ground in the on-site working water mill, which dates back to 1068. Free tours offer a taste of the flour as it emerges fresh and warm from the chute. The café is set on the banks of the peaceful River Otter, so the keen-eyed might spot kingfishers, otters and beavers, recently reintroduced as part of a rewilding programme. Fingle Bridge Inn, Drewsteignton Cream teas are best enjoyed after a countryside ramble, and few walks work up a better appetite in Devon than Fingle Gorge, in Dartmoor National Park. Perfectly positioned for hungry hikers, family-run Fingle Bridge Inn is set on the banks of the River Teign, with a sunny terrace making the most of the riverside views. It's not gourmet, but is excellent value and the idyllic location by an age-old buttressed bridge more than makes up for it. Dartmoor Llama Walk Devon's quirkiest cream tea is carried by llama and eaten on top of a tor (granite-topped hill) in the wilderness of Dartmoor National Park. Dartmoor Llama Walks run circular guided cream tea walks for groups throughout the summer. Hikes take three hours. Book in advance. Rosemoor Kitchen Garden Set amongst the rose beds, orchards and arboretums of RHS Rosemoor near Torrington, RHS Rosemoor's Wisteria tea room is in the house of Lady Anne Palmer, who donated the house and garden to the RHS in 1988. Jams are made from fruits picked in the award-winning kitchen garden, scones and cakes are baked on-site and the tea is Cornish-grown Tregothnan. Admission to the restaurant is free. Eat on the Green, Exeter It's a tourist hotspot, and for good reason – this half-timbered Tudor restaurant and tearoom has the best view in town from its terrace and first-floor restaurant, overlooking Exeter Cathedral and green. Traditional scones are baked daily and served warm with Dorset-made clotted cream and fruity strawberry or blackberry jam. Gluten free versions are available, along with vegan and gluten free cakes. Look out for the original bread oven and ship's flooring. Hele Corn Mill Set just 300m away from the stunning Hele Bay Beach, the owners of this mill and tea room must be Devon's most experienced scone makers, with 75,000 under their belt. Everything is baked by the miller's wife daily, often using stone-ground flour from the on-site watermill, which dates back to 1525. Seating is in a pretty covered courtyard looking onto the mill. Gluten free and vegan options are available. How we choose Every restaurant in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighbourhood favourites to Michelin-starred restaurants – to best suit every type of traveller's taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest opening and provide up to date recommendations. About our expert Epic scenery, cosy pubs and a strong community spirit drew Suzy Bennett from East London to a remote village on Dartmoor over a decade ago. She travels everywhere with her dog, Ziggy.
