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BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Kidsgrove Railway Station set to be refurbished, not replaced
A Staffordshire railway station is set to be refurbished rather than rebuilt due to a lack of funds, according to council for a £3.69m overhaul of Kidsgrove's station are set to be scaled back because there is no money to pay for anticipated ground remediation on the site in relation to historical mining say it could cost a further £2m and that additional funding would not be possible to cover council said government had told them spending £680,000 on ground investigation work would not be a good use of public funds. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council leader Simon Tagg, who is also vice-chair of Kidsgrove Town Deal Board, said plans to refurbish the existing station building were now being drawn up."We thought we were going to have a bigger rebuild of Kidsgrove Station," he said."The board was going to take the plunge and do the survey, and find out what the groundwork issues were, but we've been told that now there is no money to do any of the remedial work, so it wouldn't be a good use of Town Deal money to spend it on a survey."He said he disagreed with that view, and that work would now begin on drawing up plans to refurbish the station instead. The original plans included "an improved modern station building", as well as a transport interchange, a 200-space car park and better access to the canal.A report from East Midlands Railway set out the possible costs of 12 different scenarios, covering survey, remediation and construction work, with all but one exceeding the level of Town Deal funding affordable option would have delivered a new station building but left the old one derelict, which the council said "isn't in line with the aspirations of the town deal board". This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Rail works warning as Sheffield United fans plan Wembley trip
Rail companies have issued travel advice to Sheffield United fans ahead of Saturday's Championship play-off final against Sunderland at Wembley,Engineering works on the Midland Main Line, between Sheffield and London, mean the route will be closed south of Bedford over the a result the fastest rail route into the capital will be via Doncaster, according to East Midlands Railway (EMR) and London North Eastern Railway (LNER)Both companies have asked Blades fans, who are hoping for promotion to the Premier League, to be "mindful" and "considerate" of passengers who are not travelling for the football. What have EMR and LNER said? In a joint statement, EMR and LNER said trains across the network are expected to be "extremely busy" on Saturday and asked fans to consider travelling on Friday or Bank Holiday Monday instead, when the direct line will be operators said there may be queuing systems in place over the weekend, so those travelling on the day should arrive at their departure stations also warned that anyone who has booked a ticket without reserving a seat may have to stand for the journey. How can Blades fans get to Wembley by train? The quickest scheduled route from Sheffield to London over the weekend London Kings Cross via has added a total of 600 seats on the 07:58 BST and 10:47 BST departures from Doncaster on said it was also working with Network Rail to add an additional southbound train in the morning. How can fans get home on Saturday night? An extra northbound departure, leaving London Kings Cross at 20:25 BST, has been added to take fans back to Doncaster, LNER regular 20:30 BST departure to Doncaster from London has sold for the final departure from London Kings Cross, at 22:00 BST, are also no longer available, according to extra 23:58 BST Transpennine Express service has also been put on from Doncaster to Sheffield to help get supporters home. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wait goes on for Great British Railways HQ decision
No decision has yet been made on the location of Great British Railways' (GBR) headquarters in Derby, two years after it was confirmed the city would host the site. The publicly-owned body will oversee the rail system across England, Wales and Scotland. Legislation to create the body is expected to be put before Parliament this autumn. Possible sites mooted for its location have included Becketwell, Derby Works, Midland House, Pride Point and RTC Derby. The Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said on a visit to East Midlands Railway's headquarters in Derby that she was "clear" the organisation needs to be "up and running in 2027", after the project was met with delays in the past. However, she could not commit to an announcement on the location in 2025. "We've got to take some legislation through Parliament first," she told the BBC. "The HQ will be in Derby, 100%. We're really excited about it, I think it's a great opportunity for this fantastic city. "The precise location of the HQ hasn't been determined yet but I will work closely with the local councillors, with the local MPs and make sure that we get a perfect base for this fantastic new public sector organisation." Derby is already home to the UK's largest train factory, which employs about 2,000 people. In May 2021, former transport secretary Grant Shapps announced plans for GBR to be set up, saying it would replace an "overcomplicated and fragmented" system. In March 2023, the government announced Derby had beat off competition to host the organisation. It was initially due to be launched in early 2024, but the implementation date was delayed. The leader of Derby Conservatives Steve Hassall said the lack of any news on a location would be of "great frustration for the public, who really got behind the campaign [to house the HQ in Derby]". Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. More on this story
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Wait goes on for Great British Railways HQ decision
Wait goes on for Great British Railways HQ decision 6 minutes ago Share Save Georgia Roberts Political Reporter, BBC Derby Share Save BBC The Transport Secretary was speaking on a visit to East Midlands Railway's headquarters in Derby with East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward (left) No decision has yet been made on the location of Great British Railways' (GBR) headquarters in Derby, two years after it was confirmed the city would host the site. The publicly-owned body will oversee the rail system across England, Wales and Scotland. Legislation to create the body is expected to be put before Parliament this autumn. Possible sites mooted for its location have included Becketwell, Derby Works, Midland House, Pride Point and RTC Derby. The Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said on a visit to East Midlands Railway's headquarters in Derby that she was "clear" the organisation needs to be "up and running in 2027", after the project was met with delays in the past. However, she could not commit to an announcement on the location in 2025. "We've got to take some legislation through Parliament first," she told the BBC. "The HQ will be in Derby, 100%. We're really excited about it, I think it's a great opportunity for this fantastic city. "The precise location of the HQ hasn't been determined yet but I will work closely with the local councillors, with the local MPs and make sure that we get a perfect base for this fantastic new public sector organisation." Derby is already home to the UK's largest train factory, which employs about 2,000 people. In May 2021, former transport secretary Grant Shapps announced plans for GBR to be set up, saying it would replace an "overcomplicated and fragmented" system. In March 2023, the government announced Derby had beat off competition to host the organisation. It was initially due to be launched in early 2024, but the implementation date was delayed. The leader of Derby Conservatives Steve Hassall said the lack of any news on a location would be of "great frustration for the public, who really got behind the campaign [to house the HQ in Derby]".
Metro
26-04-2025
- Metro
Can a £23,000,000 train upgrade save Britain's 'SkegVegas?'
Salty cones of chips, the smell of the sea, children laughing and screaming in the water, the tinny music from the merry-go-round. These are core elements of any trip to a British seaside resort, and the town of Skegness on the Lincolnshire coast is no exception. It's also no exception to the trend of decline over decades, as air travel became more accessible and holidaymakers started going abroad instead of staying at home. More recently, the tourism industry was hit by the coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdowns, followed not long after by the cost of living crisis and rising inflation. Despite that, staycations are having a bit of a moment, and coastal towns like Skegness will no doubt want to make the most of it – but years of decline have taken a toll on Britain's seaside hotspots. Millions of pounds have been pledged to fund various developments in the town, the latest of which is a £23 million project by East Midlands Railway to improve its trains. These new Class 170 trains should provide a more comfortable way to travel to and from Skegness – but will holidaymakers enjoy what they find once they arrive? Justin Tai moved to Skegness not long after the Covid-19 lockdown, and currently works as an entertainer at the town's aquarium. Before that he worked at Disneyland Paris for 20 years, meaning he knows a thing or two about keeping the kids happy while on holiday. While he hasn't lived in the area long enough to have witnessed long-term changes, he said there are 'lots of little projects' on the go right now which are improving the town. A new Travelodge is being built right by the aquarium, and the Embassy Theatre, which has been open since 1926, is getting a major makeover due to be completed this month. Justin, 43, told Metro: 'Skegness definitely needs a lot more trains bringing people in, and the train station is quite small, so we definitely want more people coming in. 'A lot of the accommodation needs to be a bit better. There are some lovely places, the Savoy is very nice, but I think we need nice places for people to stay in.' One of the major drawbacks for Skegness is that it is very seasonal, with most of its businesses and attractions winding down considerably or closing completely outside of the summer months. 'Living here is very difficult off-season, wages go down but rents are going up,' Justin said. 'If only there were enough going on during the rest of the year to keep it open – people here are astonished when I tell them Disneyland Paris doesn't close for winter, it's open every day of the year. 'Maybe the people who have lived here for so long think that's the way to do things and they won't change, but I think more people coming in and more stuff going on would improve things. 'I think it's on the up because they're doing work towards making things better. A lot of places struggled after Covid but there seems to be a positive attitude.' One thing Justin would like to see in Skegness is a gay bar, after the area's first pride event, East Coast Pride, was held last year – and would prefer to see more live entertainment over arcades. It doesn't help that Skegness has a bit of a rubbish reputation, being ranked bottom in Which? Magazine's 2023 poll of Britain's seaside resorts. The town was given low scores for its scenery and noise levels, and two stars for its food and drink, shopping and attractions. But there is now more for families to do along the seafront, with the Fairy Dell paddling pool providing a safe place for young children to explore the water, for example. It's free to visit and was refurbished last year, Justin said. Other free attractions include The Village Church Farm, which is Lincolnshire's only open air museum and takes visitors back in time to see agricultural life through the ages. The water quality at Skegness is classified by the Environment Agency as excellent, the highest possible rating, and has been since 2021 – if you're brave enough to get in the chilly English sea. But what does Justin really think of Skegness – and what would he say to convince someone to visit? More Trending 'I honestly think it's a lovely seaside town,' he said. 'It's got a very lovely sandy beach, there's lots of stuff to do even if it's raining, and there are lots of places to visit like the nature reserve for walks. 'There are plenty of nice drinking holes with live music and entertainment. 'I would say give it a go and have some cocktails in Olivia's with me.' Growing up in the middle of rural Lincolnshire there weren't many options for entertainment, so as soon as I was old enough I would take the rickety train to Skegness with friends. The ticket was cheap, and I've always loved the seaside, even if I'd never swim in the sea – too cold for me! I have fond, sweaty memories of being crammed onto the train, standing room early, on one of the rare British summer days where we actually had sunshine. It would be so busy the ticket inspector couldn't make their rounds through the carriages – let's hope I'm no longer on the hook for fare evasion. But while Skegvegas offered a change of scenery, there wasn't actually all that much to do if you were a skint teenager. We'd hang out on the beach and play tinny music on our phones, yes, spending our meagre cash on dinky doughnuts or a cone of chips. But I never had the money to go to the amusement arcades or theme parks – although I do have fond memories of visiting the seal sanctuary many times. I understand I wasn't the target market for Skeg back then – they were focusing on families with young kids, or older nostalgia-driven day-trippers, with a bit more cash in their pockets. But I could clearly see that the town was looking rough around the edges back in the late 2000s and early 2010s. I fear things haven't got much better since then. Getting people to Skegness on a more pleasant train journey will no doubt be a boost for the local economy – but if cash isn't spent bringing the town up to date, visitors will have no reason to return. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Huge lorry fire forces major motorway to close before weekend rush MORE: Jet2 slashes £100 off trips to European 'paradise' after UK travel company folds MORE: Major UK travel company forced to shut immediately with all future holidays cancelled
