Published:
6 September 2017
Updated:
7 September 2017
The services affected are:
We cannot say when the services will be available again, but there will be further messages about this as soon as an update can be given.
We apologise for the inconvenience caused.
The services became available again after 12 noon.
The drop-in session will be held on Monday 18 September 2017, 2pm to 6:30pm at:
Callow End Village Hall
Upton Road
Callow End
Worcester
WR2 4TA
The Environment Agency is a partner in a major project – Unlocking the Severn – which aims to significantly increase populations of fish on the rivers Severn and Teme by removing barriers and enabling fish to migrate upstream to their historic breeding grounds. Through work at a number of key sites on both rivers, including Powick weir, the project will reopen 250km of river habitat for all fish species and secure the UK breeding population of the rare twaite shad.
As owners of Powick weir, the Environment Agency investigated options which would maintain and improve fish stocks in the River Teme. When assessing options to improve fish passage, each weir is considered carefully from environmental, navigational, operational and flood risk perspectives. The Environment Agency has fully considered the options available for fish passage and is confident that partial weir removal is the best solution for this location as it will achieve the best long term environmental benefit for the River Teme.
David Clarke, Project Executive from the Environment Agency said:
Weirs are physical barriers to fish migration and great progress has been made in enabling fish to access the upper reaches of rivers again in recent years.
Over the last year we have carried out detailed assessments, habitat and aerial surveys, and modelling work to plan the best solution for the Powick weir site – for improved fish passage and to assist the natural recovery of the river. The upcoming drop-in event is an opportunity to provide an update to interested parties on our plans, ahead of work starting in June 2018.
There will be information displays and representatives from the Environment Agency available at the session to answer questions and to discuss the scheme in greater detail.
Near miss between passenger train and car at Magdalen Road level crossing, Watlington, Norfolk, 9 August 2017.
At around 08.51 hrs on 9 August 2017, a passenger train travelling at low speed when departing from platform 1 at Watlington station, passed over Magdalen Road level crossing with the barriers in the raised position and narrowly missed a moving car.
We have undertaken a preliminary examination into the circumstances surrounding this incident. Having assessed the evidence which has been gathered to date, we have decided to publish a safety digest.
The safety digest will shortly be made available on our website.
Skills Minister John Hayes brought together a team of experts today (6 September 2017) to plot a course to build more transport skills than ever before.
The minister invited specialists in further and higher education to join transport chiefs to explore how best to equip young people to build a successful career in transport.
The Department for Transport works closely with industry to champion vocational skills and training — encouraging young people to gain the skills and experience they need for the challenge of a career in the sector.
Skills Minister John Hayes, who is leading the government’s work to develop infrastructure skills, believes that more needs to be done to work effectively with the higher and further education sectors, and so has invited experts to the Education Advisory Group to work collaboratively.
Minister Hayes said:
As people know, I have been a champion of vocational skills for many years and so I know the importance of engaging young people as early as possible so they can seize every opportunity to craft a career in transport.
We need to look at the role of schools, further education and higher education institutions in inspiring the next generation, and my new Education Advisory Group will, over the coming months, chart how we can work more effectively together.
The group will advise on best practice in promoting transport through education, working closely with the Strategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce (STAT), which aims to get more talented young people into transport apprenticeships.
Mike Brown, Commissioner of Transport for London and Chair of STAT said:
John Hayes has been the leading champion in government of vocational skills, and I warmly welcome his latest initiative to put his vision into practice.
Valerie Todd CBE, Crossrail Talent and Resources Director said:
With the ever increasing number of passengers using our railways and roads, and the unprecedented number of infrastructure projects on the horizon, there are more career opportunities for young people in the transport sector than ever before. By bringing together the transport industry and the education sector we can help the next generation build exciting, meaningful and rewarding careers in transport.
Young people will also be at the centre of the Year of Engineering 2018, which is a year-long, cross-government campaign. The campaign aims to raise the profile of engineering amongst 7 to 16 year-olds and widen the pool of young people that consider engineering as a career, through working in collaboration with a range of partners to give young people direct and inspiring experiences of engineering.
The Education Advisory Group is made up of Deirdre Hughes OBE, Principal Research Fellow at Warwick University, Prof Mohammed Abdel-Has, Director of Finance at Bolton University, Yvonne Baker, Chief Executive of STEM Learning, Nick Chambers, Chief Executive Education and Employment/Inspiring the Future, Proof John Perkins CBE who is the author of The Perkins Review of Engineering, and Valerie Todd CBE, Talent and Resources Director at Crossrail and member of the Strategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce (STAT).