Latest news with #GWR
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Minimum age for train drivers being lowered to 18 to address shortage
"If I could go back and talk to my 18 year old self, I'd force myself into the railway," said Ben Warner, a recently qualified train Warner, who works for Great Western Railway (GWR), is nearly 40 but from December could find himself surrounded by teenagers as the minimum age for train drivers has been lowered from 20 to 18, to help with driver base is Westbury, Wiltshire, and told the BBC: "Look out of the window - best office in the world."With the changes set to come into place later in the year, we take a look at what is involved with training and qualifying to become a train driver. Adam Walding is a driving standards manager with GWR - drivers in training get their final tests with explained training is usually about 10 months, including three to four months of theory - covering what everything in the cab is then another process for a few months of sitting with drivers, who will give you "direct instruction, as you progress, that instruction reduces"."You then have a five-day final driving test with somebody like myself." He said that to get into training at 18, people need to think about their transferable skills: "Start building your CV - what does a train driver do? What do I do?"My first job for example was working in a shop, I used some of the safety examples from that in my interview."Mr Walding said someone's age should not make a difference: "If someone has the right transferable skills, age shouldn't be a barrier."Meanwhile, Mr Warner said he enjoys his work, but admitted it is a "massive responsibility"."The training GWR put us through is so rigorous. My first day as a qualified driver, I felt ready to go, I felt in a really strong position to take the train where it needed to be." Mr Walding explained that young people who previously wanted to learn at 18 would have had to find another role but now the opportunity is there for them."The more colleagues we have available to us the less likelihood your train will be cancelled because of a lack of train crew," he this month, the government said 87% of cancellations made the night before a service runs were down to driver average train driver is aged 48, with 30% due to reach retirement age by 2029, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said lowering the minimum age was about "future-proofing" the railways, adding that it was "bold action to improve train services and unlock thousands of jobs".
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
What! Man breaks 15 Guinness World Records in one day, including an 80-minute chair balance on his chin
In the world of unusual challenges, balance and endurance can make all the difference between breaking a record and just missing it. David Rush, a well-known American author and motivational speaker, has once again shown his unique mix of patience and focus. He recently reclaimed a Guinness World Record by balancing a chair on his chin for more than 80 minutes, beating the previous record holder. Balancing a chair on your chin isn't easy– it takes complete stillness, intense focus, and a lot of physical control. At one point, another competitor broke David's original record, raising the bar even higher. But David didn't give up. Instead, he trained hard to improve his balance and stamina, determined to win back the title. As per the Guinness World Records , David made his successful attempt at a local sports facility in Boise, Idaho. He balanced a lightweight patio chair upside down on his chin, standing still and making small movements to keep it steady. After holding it for an impressive one hour and twenty minutes, he set a new record and officially reclaimed his title. According to the GWR, this was just one of 15 Guinness World Records David Rush set on an amazing day. His records included fast hand movements and juggling apples and ping pong balls. Each challenge showed how well he can focus and control his body and the many skills he has learned. David Rush's success shows how important it is to prepare well and stay mentally strong. It proves that with practice and determination, people can achieve incredible things and inspire others around the world.
The Star
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Chefs set new world record for longest line of tarts in Johor
JOHOR BARU: A seven-year-old Guinness World Record (GWR) has been broken by 115 World Chefs Championships participants for the longest line of tarts. The chefs, coming from 16 countries including from Malaysia, beat the record made in Hong Kong on Dec 9, 2018, by making fruit tarts during the event held at the Persada International Convention Centre here on Thursday (May 29). The group successfully made 4,399 pieces of fruit tarts with a total length of 221.63m to beat the previous record of 2,333 tarts or 186.64m. GWR adjudicator Sonia Ushirogochi declared the attempt a success, much to the delight of the jubilant group of chefs who contributed their efforts to make it into the records book. This is the third time that the event made its way into the GWR as last year, they cooked the largest Johor style fried noodle while in 2023, they set a new world record for the largest serving of char koay teow. Meanwhile, state unity, culture and heritage committee chairman K. Raven Kumar, who represented Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi during the event opening, said this was the third time the World Chefs Championship was held here. 'Organising the World Chefs Championship in Johor is the best opportunity for us to boost the gastronomy tourism sector to a much higher level. 'The competition can also increase the standard among local culinary and exchange ideas with their counterparts coming from all over the world,' he added. Raven said this year's competition saw a total number of 2,128 chefs, including Malaysians, competing with other chefs coming from 17 countries such as Singapore, United States, Australia, China, Taiwan and many others.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
North vs South Devon: Which region is best?
When I lived in Totnes, I went north only twice in the space of seven years. There seemed to be plenty to do on my doorstep. The big green middle of the county functioned as a barrier. But when I did venture to Lynton, it had a very different feel to places like Bigbury or Brixham. If not quite another country, or county, the light and lie of the land were different, towns and countryside had evolved distinctly, and each coast had created its own leisure offering. I decided to go back and explore both sides as a visitor to see what South Devon stalwarts and North Devon devotees are missing by sticking to tried-and-tested annual routines. Which half of the county do you like best? Let us know in the comments section. Transport Winner: South Devon The GWR prefers the south, with green-liveried trains to London Paddington, Wales and Bristol passing through Plymouth and Exeter, as well as quirky cross-country trains from Paignton to Manchester and the back-door route to London Waterloo. But Dartmoor, the wild heart of the south-central region, is not particularly well serviced by bus and many of the quaintest seaside spots are car-only. The Tarka Line from Exeter to Barnstaple, which is single-track in part (with a token handed to the driver), is a pretty pastoral affair, great for slow travellers.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Rail users watching renationalisation 'with interest'
Rail users in the South West say they will be watching "with interest" to see what changes could be delivered after South Western Railway was was brought into public ownership on Sunday and the Department of Transport is now responsible for it until the Great British Railways is created later in the Duncan, chair of the Salisbury to Exeter Rail Users Group (SERUG), said "it's really about is there going to be change".The government has said it plans to renationalise nearly all passenger rail services in England by 2027. The government said seven more companies, including Great Western Railway (GWR) which operates services across Devon, Cornwall and beyond, will be renationalised by 2027 as each of their contracts end – or sooner if their performance is judged to be Reddaway, chair of the Avocet Line Rail Users Group (ALRUG) which represents passengers on the Exmouth to Exeter railway, said the group was "not expecting a lot of change immediately".He said the group would "watch with interest" to see what happens to other renationalised train operators before GWR is taken in by the government said on Sunday it cannot guarantee train tickets will get cheaper under Reddaway said: "The Avocet Line Rail Users Group is not surprised that the government is unable to guarantee cheaper train tickets after renationalisation."There is a great need to simplify the very complex rail ticketing which has been promised for some time." Mr Duncan said plans for developing the Devon Metro were key in which half-hourly trains would travel between Honiton and Exeter."Devon Metro is critical," he said."Exeter is a huge growth city in the UK but to enable that to be done you have to put a bit of double-track back."Everybody's agreed it can be done except the politicians won't find the money for it."
