GWR drafts in fleet to tackle rail chaos
By Adam Postans, Wednesday May 12, 2021
GWR is taking urgent measures and other operators have stepped in to help passengers caught up in rail chaos after cracks were found in high-speed trains.
The company’s managing director Mark Hopwood has written a reply to West of England metro mayor Dan Norris who demanded to know what it was doing to get people onto services amid a raft of cancellations across the region.
Hopwood said the withdrawal of Hitachi’s entire 800 Series trains, including the vast majority of GWR’s Intercity Express fleet, from Saturday morning had a “very significant impact” on long-distance routes, with passengers urged not to travel.
New West of England mayor to launch jobs and skills summit
By Ellie Pipe, Tuesday May 11, 2021
As the new West of England mayor, Dan Norris has promised to raise the region’s profile and be a “more visible” leader than his predecessor.
The Labour politician was victorious at the polls, beating Tory rival Samuel Williams into second place and was officially sworn in on Monday.
It’s now straight down to business for Norris, who has pledged to prioritise a green recovery for the region and plans to hold a jobs and skills summit within his first 100 days in office.
New West of England metro mayor Dan Norris seeks GWR train cracks answers
Rail disruption contines after trains taken out of service
16:42, 11 MAY 2021
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The new West of England metro mayor Dan Norris has been sworn into office – and immediately demanded answers from GWR over the Hitachi high-speed trains fiasco.
Scotland independence vote a matter of when, not if, Sturgeon says
Scotland’s First Minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon in Edinburgh, Scotland.
(Scott Heppell / Associated Press )
LONDON
Scotland’s leader told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday that a second Scottish independence referendum is “a matter of when, not if,” after her party won its fourth straight parliamentary election.
Johnson has invited the leaders of the U.K.’s devolved nations for crisis talks on the union after the regional election results rolled in, saying the U.K. was “best served when we work together” and that the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should cooperate on plans to recover from the pandemic.
Scotland independence vote matter of when, not if, says minister Nicola Sturgeon Associated Press
Scotland s leader told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Sunday that a second Scottish independence referendum is a matter of when, not if, after her party won its fourth straight parliamentary election.
Johnson has invited the leaders of the UK s devolved nations for crisis talks on the union after the regional election results rolled in, saying the UK was best served when we work together and that the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should cooperate on plans to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
But Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland s first minister and leader of the Scottish National Party, told Johnson in a call that while her immediate focus was on steering Scotland to recovery, a new referendum on Scotland s breakup from the rest of the U.K. is inevitable.