runs

One tunnel holds the record as the UK’s longest at 17 miles, carrying approximately 900,000 people daily – but another will claim the title in 2030.

The UK’s longest tunnel might not be what you’d expect. It’s tucked away out of sight, yet it’s used by a staggering 900,000 people every single day.

The UK has long been celebrated for its world-class and ambitious infrastructure. Perhaps the most renowned is the London Underground.

This globally recognised network of tunnels links the capital beneath its iconic skyline.

However, one of its lines holds the record for the longest tunnel in the UK. The Northern Line, stretching an impressive 17 miles, has ferried millions of passengers since its inauguration in 1937.

It’s the busiest Tube line in London, transporting approximately 900,000 passengers daily and carrying more people annually than any other underground line, according to the London Assembly, reports the Express.

Its tracks run from Morden in the city’s south to East Finchley in the north, with stops at key locations like Bank, Charing Cross and Leicester Square.

But in just a few years, a new contender is set to snatch the title from the Northern Line. The Woodsmith Mine Line, currently under construction, will be significantly longer when it’s slated to open in 2030.

Spanning 23 miles, it will be used to transport polyhalite, a naturally occurring mineral used as fertiliser, beneath the North York Moors National Park. The line will extend from an underground deposit near Whitby to a processing facility in Wilton, close to Teesside.

In December, the tunnel reached a length of 30km, equivalent to just over 18 miles. The tunnel boring machine (TBM), affectionately named Stella Rose, surpassed the record for the longest continuous drive by a single TBM.

The Woodsmith Mine Line is a project undertaken by contractor Strabag on behalf of Anglo American. Recently, Woodsmith Project director Andrew Johnson expressed his pride at this achievement, stating: “We are incredibly proud of this milestone.

“The Woodsmith Project is one of the most innovative mining developments in the world today and construction is progressing well.

“We currently employ 1,100 people in the area of which 75% are local – something we are incredibly proud of.

“We are also proud to have a small international workforce with the specialist expertise we need for this unique world-class engineering project that will provide employment for hundreds of local people for many many years to come.”

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled a sweeping proposal to overhaul how California’s education system is governed, calling for structural changes that he said would shift oversight of the Department of Education and redefine the role of the state’s elected schools chief.

The proposal, which is part of Newsom’s state budget plan that will be released Friday, would unify the policymaking State Board of Education with the department, which is responsible for carrying out those policies. The governor said the change would better align education efforts from early childhood through college.

“California can no longer postpone reforms that have been recommended regularly for a century,” Newsom said in a statement. “These critical reforms will bring greater accountability, clarity, and coherence to how we serve our students and schools.”

Few details were provided about how the role of the state superintendent of public instruction would change, beyond a greater focus on fostering coordination and aligning education policy.

The changes would require approval from state lawmakers, who will be in the state Capitol on Thursday for Newsom’s last State of the State speech in his final year as governor.

The proposal would implement recommendations from a 2002 report by the state Legislature, titled “California’s Master Plan for Education,” which described the state’s K-12 governance as fragmented and “with overlapping roles that sometimes operate in conflict with one another, to the detriment of the educational services offered to students.” Newsom’s office said similar concerns have been raised repeatedly since 1920 and were echoed again in a December 2025 report by research center Policy Analysis for California Education.

“The sobering reality of California’s education system is that too few schools can now provide the conditions in which the State can fairly ask students to learn to the highest standards, let alone prepare themselves to meet their future learning needs,” the Legislature’s 2002 report stated. Those most harmed are often low-income students and students of color, the report added.

“California’s education governance system is complex and too often creates challenges for school leaders,” Edgar Zazueta, executive director of the Assn. of California School Administrators, said in a statement provided by Newsom’s office. “As responsibilities and demands on schools continue to increase, educators need governance systems that are designed to better support positive student outcomes.”

The current budget allocated $137.6 billion for education from transitional kindergarten through the 12th grade — the highest per-pupil funding level in state history — and Newsom’s office said his proposal is intended to ensure those investments translate into more consistent support and improved outcomes statewide.

“For decades the fragmented and inefficient structure overseeing our public education system has hindered our students’ ability to succeed and thrive,” Ted Lempert, president of advocacy group Children Now, said in a statement provided by the governor’s office. “Major reform is essential, and we’re thrilled that the Governor is tackling this issue to improve our kids’ education.”

WAG Rebekah Vardy has run into trouble with her booze brand less than a year after it was launched.

Vardy, 43, launched SKTL last December with former footballer and I’m A Celebrity campmate Dennis Wise, 58.

The £25 flavoured vodka — inspired by husband Jamie’s love of mixing Skittles sweets into the spirit — appears to still be on sale from the company’s website.

But disappointed fans told The Sun on Sunday they had waited months for bottles ordered in October that never arrived.

Eventually, they received an automated message saying their money would be refunded but were given no explanation for the delay or cancellation of the order.

When one customer tried to contact Sktl, they found the company’s main email address bounced back.

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Another customer said: “I’m furious, it took two months to find out they weren’t going to deliver.”

Pals of Rebekah — whose husband moved from Leicester to Serie A side Cremonese this summer — revealed the mother of five has paused work on the drink brand to settle into life in Italy.

The source said: “There’s no problem with the brand; and it’s still something Rebekah wants to push on with.

“But, just for the moment, she’s had to take a breath – so she can focus on Italy and organising the family moving out and then getting settled in there.

“Once that’s all sorted, vodka will be back as one of her focuses!”