At around 22:04 hrs on 1 December 2018, a passenger travelling on a train from Bath to Bristol struck her head on a tree branch near to Twerton, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Bath Spa station. The train was travelling at about 85 mph (137 km/h) and the passenger sustained fatal injuries.
The train was the 20:30 Paddington to Exeter service formed of a GWR High Speed Train (HST). Witness evidence indicates that the passenger was standing at a door on the side facing away from the other track. The door was fitted with an opening droplight window, which is used to access the door handle fitted to the outside of the door. A yellow ‘Caution’ label above the door states ‘Do not lean out of window when train is moving’. The window was reported to have been opened and the passenger had her head out of the window.
Our investigation will encompass examination of the measures in place to control the risks from persons leaning out of train windows, including the threat from vegetation.
Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry, the British Transport Police or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.
We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.
You can subscribe to automated emails notifying you when we publish our reports.
News story: UK business on the menu: The South East set for a record year, says Liz Truss
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss, visits wine and cheesemakers in the South East to highlight the success of home-grown produce and their economic potential
Minister champions local businesses in the South East and urge them to take advantage of global exporting opportunities
Today (11 January 2019), visiting Winterdale Cheesemakers who are whetting local appetites with its award-winning Kentish cheese, and Hush Heath Wine Estate who specialise in sparkling rosé, Liz Truss will champion the success of the UK food and drink industries.
The UK cheese sector is going from strength to strength in terms of export demand, highlighting the economic opportunities available to businesses large and small from new markets.
Latest figures show that cheese exports alone were worth over £600 million to the UK economy, rising by nearly a quarter in 2017 driven by increased demand from Asian markets.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss said:
The South East is leading the way as one of the UK’s strongest exporting regions, offering impressive local-grown produce.
People around the world enjoy the best of British cheese and wine and we want this success to continue, ensuring UK businesses have every opportunity to increase their trade which will lead to more jobs and higher wages.
The South East is the UK’s strongest region for exports, exporting the highest value of goods in of any UK region. Since 2010 employment is higher and unemployment has also fallen faster in the South East than in London, with over 360,000 more people in employment and 140,000 more businesses.
News story: London seminar: Understanding and use of trauma informed practice (13 February, 2019)
seminar audience
featuring
Dr Kieran McCartan │ Professor of Criminology │ University of the West of England
and
Lisa Rowles │ Director of Innovation & Evidence│ Khulisa
(Plus pre-recorded input from a service user discussing their experiences and the role of trauma in their journey)
Please see the attached flyer for further information and how to book
PDF, 348KB, 1 page
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email academy@noms.gsi.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Published 11 January 2019
Press release: Salt – more than just a household ingredient
When snow and ice are forecast, an army of workers descends on to our motorways and major A roads in a fleet of gritters, to keep traffic moving.
Highways England stores around 280,000 tonnes of salt at its 127 depots, spread across the country at strategic locations but salt has already come on a long journey before it leaves the depots to reach its final destination on the road.
Salt (sodium chloride) comes from salt mined hundreds of metres underground. The salt is extracted generally by using a continuous mining machine.
The salt travels along conveyors to a machine where it is crushed and inspected to ensure it is the correct grade to be used on roads.
It is then brought up to ground and transported by lorries to our depots where it is stored until needed. Each lorry can transport 28 tonnes and our purpose built salt barns can hold anything up to 8,000 tonnes.
Salt mining underground
Highways England’s National Winter and Severe Weather Team Leader, Paul Furlong said:
Salt works by lowering the freezing point of moisture on the road surface, so that it has to be colder before it can turn to ice. In order for it to become really effective, dry salt has to form a brine solution on the road surface.
It is this brine that is responsible for lowering the temperature at which water freezes on the road surface to prevent ice from forming. To make this process occur quicker our vehicles spread concentrated brine on to dry salt as it is spread, which helps the salt react more quickly.
The brine we use is much more salty than sea water. Sea water contains about 3.5% salt while our brine contains around 23%.
To decide on the type of salt treatment needed, a range of methods are used, such as weather station and road condition information.
Salt mining machinery
Paul added:
The amount of salt we need to use can vary and no two days will necessarily require the same treatment. However, it is important to realise that salt won’t necessarily stop snow from settling but it will help when it comes to ploughing the snow off the road.
When spreading salt our gritters will have all their amber beacons flashing and will be travelling no faster than 40mph. Our vehicles could be found in any lane although on standard 3-lane motorways they will often be in the middle lane, so we would encourage drivers to give them enough space. When snow ploughing, our vehicles will be found working on our roads at speeds around 20mph, so drivers are urged to drive with particular care during snow conditions.
Highways England gritters
Various advice and information about our winter services will be used on all of our social media channels – Twitter @HighwaysEngland, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, simply search Highways England. We also have regional twitter feeds where you can keep up to date with regional issues.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.
News story: Preparing for EU exit – BEIS update
Delivering the deal negotiated with the EU remains the government’s top priority. This has not changed. However, as a responsible government we are preparing for all scenarios and in December 2018 Cabinet agreed to accelerate the next phase of no deal planning.
What is BEIS doing to prepare businesses?
The government is taking the steps to prepare for the UK leaving the European Union and is working to ensure that businesses have the information they need to prepare. As well as regular and ongoing engagement with research institutes, businesses, and business and trade representative groups to discuss their priorities and concerns, we have taken forward significant preparations including:
recruitment of 700 new staff to work on EU Exit policy using additional funding allocated by HM Treasury for Brexit preparedness
passing of new legislation to lay the groundwork for our future outside the EU with 57 out of 63 required statutory instruments required by Exit day, including new laws for a nuclear safeguards regime that will maintain the UK industry’s ability to trade in the nuclear sector while ensuring the UK remains on track to meet its international obligations on day one of exit
laying of legislation and the putting in place of new measures to ensure a robust and effective product safety and metrology regime post-Exit by the Office for Product Safety and Standards
the publication of 28 technical notices, including oil and gas, climate change, company law and state aid. These will continue to be updated. These notices also include guidance about what actions businesses need to take in order to carry on exporting and importing a range of goods and services
continuing to work closely with the UK research community to maintain collaboration with the EU while laying legislation to ensure laws governing areas like employment rights and renewable energy remain world-leading after we leave
retaining a general system for recognition where UK regulators will be required to recognise EEA and Swiss qualifications which are of an equivalent standard to UK qualifications in scope, content and level
working with Ofgem, the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator and interconnector operators to put in place arrangements that aim to ensure that electricity and gas continue to flow across borders through interconnectors
signing Nuclear Cooperation Agreements (NCA) with Australia, Canada and the United States. The NCAs allow the UK to continue civil nuclear cooperation when current European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) arrangements cease to apply in the UK
protecting our climate ambition by taking steps to ensure that, if we leave the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, on day one companies will still have to report their carbon emissions and there will be a carbon tax of equivalent impact – to make sure that these important emissions don’t increase as a result of a no deal scenario
publishing a package of secondary legislation in December to ensure our energy laws function effectively after exit day, including: European Network Codes, Electricity and Gas Acts, and EU regulations under the Third Energy Package
£92 million of funding work on the development of options for a UK Global Navigation Satellite System; and
working with Cabinet Office, DExEU and other departments to ensure all business sectors are appropriately informed on all major issues
What do businesses need to do now?
If you run a business you can access information on a range of measures you may need to take in order to prepare, including the guidance available in the event of no deal. These notices will be regularly updated with the latest information.
