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Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast
December 17th - Storm Darragh's Damage and Disruption
Thousands of Christmas travellers hoping to cross the Irish Sea by ferry face disruption due to Storm Darragh damage. The port of Holyhead – which provides the main ferry connection between Great Britain and Ireland – has been closed since last weekend, with no sailings to or from Dublin. Normally Stena Line and Irish Ferries have four daily ferries each way between the Anglesey and the Irish capital. Hundreds of motorists and foot passengers use the link each day, with “Rail & Sail” fares offered from stations in Wales, England and Scotland to Dublin. Holyhead-Dublin is also the main freight connection between Great Britain and the Republic. The port was damaged during “two separate berthing incidents” during Storm Darragh – the wild weather that swept across Wales on 6 and 7 December. No injuries were reported. Stena Line and Irish Ferries have cancelled all sailings between Dublin and Holyhead until Friday 20 December at the earliest.
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December 18th - How to stay safe on the trains at Christmas
07:06|A week before Christmas, loads of people are going to be travelling by train. I'm at London Blackfriars talking to Samantha Facey, Health, Safety and Security Director at the UK's biggest train operator, GTR, about staying safe.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday.December 16th - The drive behind National Express
07:20|I'm joined by National Express chief executive Alex Jensen.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday.December 13th - Not such an unlucky day for Avanti West Coast passengers
06:21|Lucky for some, in particular passengers on Avanti West Coast who have just been told the train managers' strike for 22, 23 and 29 December has been called off because an improved offer has been made. Plenty of problems remain, however.December 12th - Frantic Friday, Slow Saturday and Messy Monday
05:52|Today's travel podcast is all about Frantic Friday, Slow Saturday and Messy Monday, the unholy trinity of busy days on the motorways of Britain in the build-up to Christmas.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday.December 11th - Dreaming of a train strike free Christmas? Keep dreaming
06:40|Over the past few years, rail strikes have become as synonymous with Christmas as Mariah Carey and Wham! The incoming Labour government vowed to “move fast and fix things” in transport; ministers and officials quickly settled the train drivers’ dispute with a 15 per cent pay award covering three years. But stoppages are back for Christmas 2024 on the intercity network linking London Euston with the West Midlands, northwest England, North Wales and southern Scotland. Train managers belonging to the RMT union and working for Avanti West Coast will walk out on some of the busiest days of the year: Sunday 22, Monday 23 and Sunday 29 December.December 10th - How could UK trains be the most expensive in Europe?
06:30|A recent survey has revealed that the UK has the most expensive domestic trains in Europe. It does not compute for me.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday.December 9th - Planes, Trains, and Travel Pains
06:20|Today I'm looking back at the damage from Storm Darragh and Storm Burt to travel plans, and wondering if aviation and rail could be more resilient.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday.December 6th - System failure brings UK rail services to a halt
05:56|I am at London Paddington station, hub for the Great Western Railway serving the West of England and South Wales. There's disruption to many trains here and elsewhere in the country due to the earlier failure of the Network Rail communications system, known as GSM-R.This is an embarrassment for the government in a week in which ministers have assured the public that train delays can only get better.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered every Friday.