I suspect that the £25m might refer to an earlier scheme limited to Ely North Junction, while the £500m scheme includes a lot more that was added to the scope when somebody found that  North Junction on its own wasn't sufficient to meet the objectives. There seems to  be a lot of level crossing work required, a new bridge and even new sections of road (if I scanned the text correctly).

I'm not sure when the Ely North Junction scheme was first proposed, but its implementation was postponed by the Hendy Review (November 2015) to sometime in 2019-2024 "to allow co-ordination with safety-critical level crossing works nearby".

New Civil Engineer provides some history on the scheme after that postponement:-


HOW MUCH? 
In the long and dreary way of planning infrastructure, an SOBC is an early stage, in which a problem is identified, possible solutions suggested and a rough idea obtained of how the costs and benefits weigh-up. It isn't meant to be super accurate, just good enough to see if its worth developing a scheme in more detail. "Cheap and cheerful" methods of estimating demand (for example) are allowed.

To give some idea of context, local authorities and other groups promoting Restoring Your Railway schemes typically had to make do with funding around £75,000. That could get you sufficient professional consultancy time to provide an SOBC to the required standard.

The wider scheme is a lot more complex than a single new station, but even so, how on earth did it cost over 120 times more to produce an SOBC?

I'm not sure if £13.1m for the next stage (OBC) represents better value-for-money. The detailed reports (SOBC and OBC) don't seem to be online. However an FoI request (not by me!) has provided a remarkably short document claiming to be the OBC (any of you remember being told off by teachers for failing to show your working leading up to an answer?). It's available at:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/eace_ely_area_capacity_enhanceme/response/3035382/attach/html/5/FOI202500537%20EACE%20OBC%20Executive%20Summaries.pdf.html

WHERE RAIL SCHEMES GO TO DIE?
The New Civil Engineer continues the story:

A little more detail can be gleaned from a letter of 12th September 2022 from several MPs and others to government ministers of that time. I will quote only the relevant parts:

This would be the RNEP that was introduced to replace the fixed 5-year enhancement plans of NR, and for which there was supposed to be an annual update plan, which has never appeared.

Of course, most of that history covered the previous, Conservative, government. Nice to see in the BBC article of 2nd December 2025 that the DfT said:


So, schemes can be delayed for years and things cost too much, before even the oft-blamed bats and council planners get a look-in.

----------
In case anyone wishes to follow up, the links are:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgr9rg5r42o
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-51659351
https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/dft-says-ely-junction-upgrade-to-be-considered-for-future-pipeline-as-local-mps-continue-push-31-07-2025/
https://www.elystandard.co.uk/news/20707553.threat-cancel-indefinitely-pause-450m-ely-rail-upgrade/
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23833666.government-confirms-ely-junction-rail-revamp-go-ahead/
https://www.elyeastcambsconservatives.org.uk/news/lucy-frazer-presses-action-ely-north-junction
https://www.flua.org.uk/fenman_pdf/The%20Fenman%202016%20No%201.pdf
https://www.georgefreeman.co.uk/sites/georgefreeman.co.uk/files/2022-09/final-signed-letter-re-ely-and-haughley-junctions-ee-appg.pdf
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/eace_ely_area_capacity_enhanceme/response/3035382/attach/html/5/FOI202500537%20EACE%20OBC%20Executive%20Summaries.pdf.html

 
Yes the growing size of cars is a concern INHO. I consider that road tax should be based on dimensions or weight.
A substantial increase in fuel duty would also help.

 

I'm not sure that the newer Mini's should be described as mini!

 
I'm still using them on my morning commute. The evening return is either a 450 (horrible train - Cramped 3x2 seating)  or the new 701. What's good about the old 455s is that the seat width is slightly wider than the 701 and much wider than the 450. No toilets in the 455, 4 in an 8 carriage 450 and 2 in a 10 carriage 701. In Summer 2026 I will welcome the AC on the newer trains.

 
8 is Sudbury & Harrow Road.  Date-wise, clues are that it's after the houses in the background had their leak-prone flat roofs replaced by pitched ones, but before the rotten wooden platforms were replaced by a central island where the through lines used to be, and I've also spotted the lamp-posts are not yet NSE red.  Some time late 1970s or early 80s, when I passed through on a daily basis?  Is the number of people waiting on the Down platform an indication of a rare event such as a steam special, or one of those bargain NSE "Network Days"?  Most of the low usage was and still is to/from Marylebone though I was an occasional exception back then making convoluted journeys between Acton and Denham.  That would also explain the presence of the photographer on what looks to be a fairly bleak day.

 
1 Crianlarich Lower station

 
Correct so far

2 - Masbury - Masbury, WSW Frome
3 - Melrose - Oxonhutch, mid '70s
5 - St Lawrence, Ramsgate
6 - Denton - Chris from Nailsea - quite recent
9 - Melksham - stuving
10 - Hunstanton - Andy E, circa 1967

Guesses for 1 and 4 are incorrect ... sorry

 
There's a more technical article about it here from Born to Engineer:

It says there that "the consortium plans to use a single tunnel boring machine for both tunnel bores, turning it around and reusing it", and there is more about that later on. I suspect that the final choice of reset method (that one, or take its head off and reverse out) will be for the makers to offer in their tender.

 
I gather that the second one has also sold out!

 
This article, from the BBC, shows parts of the S&DJR as they are today. Masbury station is about halfway down

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78m3vv9d1zo

 
From the BBC:

 

Whoever would do such a thing ?? 

 
From the BBC:

 
It was a regular haunt of my parents when I was a child.  I remember fishing from the end of the pub garden with a makeshift rod.   Never caught anything, but did impale my finger on the hook several times!  Also remember the juke box in the conservatory.  It always seemed to be playing "Tie a Yellow Ribbon".

 

I'm glad to see they are still going strong.

Some 50 years ago, when I was a teenager, our family enjoyed several annual holidays in hired wooden cabin cruisers on the River Thames (based around Bourne End, where my grandparents lived) and we enjoyed several meals in the Beetle and Wedge.

CfN. 

 
From the BBC:

 

Ahem.

I never guess at pictures of Taunton, because I know that they are not ... until I'm usually proved wrong.

 

Of course that one might be a recent colour picture - even as recent as last year - which has had the colours drained away quizmagisterially.

 
From the BBC:

 
It's one of the quoted reasons that the urban bus service route here has been shortened and become less convenient - buses no longer able to keep to time as given that cars have grown, there's less road space for the buses, so, a bit of a doom loop going on there.

Mark

 
From The National


I know some of these lochs as fresh water ones - are the all fresh water?? And yet the ferries to be named are all to sail on salt water.    Would not naming them after salt water lochs be more appropriate?

Imagine the express trains for Paddington to the South West being named after rivers in East Anglia.

 
After the hint, No 2 is Masbury. The picture looks like a postcard and one can only guess at the 1950's.

 
According to RTT, 1W25 1252 Paddington to Foregate Street today has 18 cars.  Formed of two 9-car units, 802112 and 802113

 
Going back to 9, that building looks just like the survivor at the eastern end of Stroud station - and long may that continue as an example of Brunel's work.

 
Cancellations to services between Par and Plymouth
Due to a points failure at Plymouth the line is blocked. Disruption is expected until 15:45 03/12.
Train services between Par and Plymouth may be cancelled or delayed.
Customer Advice
Train services running between Plymouth and the Cornwall are being severely delayed due to a points failure west of Plymouth Station. Engineers from Network Rail are attending, but the fix is likely to take some time. We are currently looking at how best to support customers currently affected, but customers intending to travel may wish to postpone their plans if they are able to.
(Issued 1407 today)

No Gunnislake branch running currently.
2P10 1129 Truro to Plymouth stuck at Albert Road since 1247.
2P13 1229 Truro to Plymouth stuck at Liskeard since 1317.

Liskeard to Looe branch also shut - flooding.

5Z61 1236 Plymouth to Liskeard (175009) parked Up Lostwithiel goods loop

 

Winter-time.  To judge from the salt that's been broadcast on the stairs and platform

 

That sign is for a little park homes estate up there. The driver has done quite well to get in and turn round again, since the roads are very narrow and steep. That entry was by the shallow angle turn off; exiting via the sharp turn looks as if it was never on. The real question is of course "why?"

 

I've seen it on here, probably in another quiz or maybe just 'cos it's Melksham.

Its date? later than you'd guess at first sight. That railway layout was largely the same from the late 1800s (the footbridge the photo was taken off was a bit later) to the 1960s. But the vehicles in the yard at the back are right for about 1960. So late 50s  seems likely.

 
From the BBC: