Trains

ONE of Britain’s biggest airports is set to get new overnight trains that’ll provide transport for thousands of passengers a year.

The new service will connect late night arrivals and early morning departures from the airport to stations across the line, meaning more passengers can travel sustainably.

Great Western Railway (GWR) has announced it will be trialling overnight train services between Reading and Gatwick Airport.

Currently, over 20% of Gatwick passengers can’t use rail services from the Thames Valley due to the earliest and latest trains excluding many flight times.

But the trial will enable thousands of passengers to use rail transport on their journey to the airport.

Current services only run between 4:30am and 11:30pm, leaving a big gap for commuters and holidaymakers trying to get to the airport.

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GWR said: “We’re very pleased to announce that through partnering with Gatwick Airport, this summer we will trial overnight services between Reading and the airport along the North Downs Line.

“The trial will involve GWR running overnight services on Friday and Sunday nights from 5 June to 11 September 2026.

“Services will run approximately every 2 hours and will call at Reading, Wokingham, Guildford, Dorking Deepdene, Reigate, Redhill and Gatwick Airport.”

The trial means the rail company can measure passenger numbers and work out whether overnight services work operationally and commercially.

If it is successful, the new service hours will mean late night and early morning flight passengers across the network can travel by rail whilst making it easier for shift workers to commute.

THE North Norfolk Fryer is returning to the tracks this summer.

Onboard, passengers can enjoy chippy tea and ice cream dessert to make it feel like being at the seaside – but on a heritage steam train instead.

The Norfolk Fryer picks passengers up from Sheringham Station in Norfolk and embarks on a 90-minute return journey to Holt.

Onboard, guests will be served up local fish and chips – and to finish, a tub of Ronaldo’s ice cream.

There’s also a bar onboard for anyone wanting to enjoy a tipple.

The trains run from Sheringham to Holt and back with the return journey taking around 90 minutes.

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Diners will get to enjoy their chippy tea and countryside views in either the Gresley Buffet Car, which has been fully restored with a 1930s art deco interior or in one of the 1950s British Railways carriages.

A table for two in First Class starts from £87.50 while a table for two in regular seating is £79.50.

There are also options to sit in tables of three or four if you fancy gong as a group.

Seats are bound to go quickly and you’ll need to book in advance on their website.

The trains set off every Wednesday from April 1, 2026 at 6.30PM.

There are other experiences onboard too from sausage and mash dinners, to brunch, cream tea and even gin trains.

For even more fish and chips, fans of the seaside classic should head up to Whitby.

Here you’ll find Trenchers, which was awarded ‘Restaurant of the Year’ title at the National Fish and Chips Awards 2026.

The awards are considered the ‘Oscars’ of the fish and chip industry and at this spot you can eat in or take away their seaside fish suppers.

You can opt for plaice with chipped potatoes, lemon and homemade tartare sauce for £20.95.

Or try out the cod with chipped potatoes, lemon and homemade tartare sauce in three sizes: small for £15.95; medium for £19.95 and large for £21.95.

Then for takeaway, you could grab cod and chips, haddock and chips or scampi and chips all for £13.50 each.

There’s a children’s menu too.

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With a history of sailors and vampires, a dramatic coastal path, and the very best in pints and scampi, it takes a lot to beat Whitby. Pop in the amusements, eat award-winning fish and chips, and board the all-singing Captain Cook boat tour on the harbour. The Royal Hotel overlooks the harbour with stays from just £68 per room.

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Iran will play two friendly matches in Turkiye as they prepare for the FIFA World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Iran’s men’s football team have been training in southern Turkiye as they ⁠prepare for two ⁠upcoming friendly matches before the FIFA World Cup, where the squad are likely to attract heightened attention against the backdrop of the United States-Israel ⁠war on Iran.

Team Melli held a training session in Belek, a resort area near the Mediterranean city of Antalya, with tightly restricted media access as officials ⁠said they wanted to avoid distractions before the matches described as critical to their World Cup preparations.

Iran’s football federation is in discussions with world governing body FIFA about moving its World Cup matches to Mexico from the US due ‌to concerns over player safety, federation President Mehdi Taj said last week.

Iran’s camp has largely sought to keep a low public profile as the team builds towards the World Cup, where they are expected to face intense political and media scrutiny.

In Belek, no interviews with players or coaches were made available, and a team media representative said the squad were focused entirely ⁠on their immediate competitive programme.

Iran will play two matches ⁠in Antalya, against Nigeria on Friday and Costa Rica on Tuesday.

The friendlies were originally scheduled to take place in Jordan, but were moved to Turkiye following the outbreak of the war on Iran.

The ⁠players appeared relaxed during the session in sunny conditions, with staff and players at times chatting and joking.

Among those ⁠present was forward Mehdi Taremi, who has been ⁠in the spotlight in recent days after swapping shirts with an Israeli opponent while playing for his club Olympiacos in Greece.

Striker Sardar Azmoun was omitted from the squad after posting a picture on ‌his Instagram feed of a meeting with Dubai’s ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Iranian media reported that Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals in 91 internationals, ‌had ‌been expelled from the national team for a perceived act of disloyalty to the government.

TWO towns are back on the railway map for the first time in 60 years after new stations finally opened.

New stops have welcomed passengers again following a massive £185million project to restore long-lost rail links across the West Midlands.

Willenhall and Darlaston stations now sit on the line between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street via Wolverhampton — giving locals a direct route into the city.

The first train pulled in early on Thursday morning, marking the end of decades without rail services.

Both stations were shut in 1965 during the infamous Beeching cuts, when more than 2,000 stations across the UK were shut down.

Services will now run roughly every hour on weekdays and Saturdays, with no trains stopping there on Sundays.

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Commuters can expect to pay around £8.90 for a peak return from Willenhall to Birmingham, or £6.40 off-peak, while Darlaston passengers will pay slightly less.

From Darlaston, a peak return costs £8 and an off-peak ticket is £5.90.

The stations come with lifts, shelters, ticket machines and cycle racks, plus parking for 300 cars at Darlaston and 33 at Willenhall.

Pat McFadden, the MP for Wolverhampton South East which covers Willenhall, used the new trains recently, describing them as “clean, modern and easy to use”.

He added: “This is going to save people a massive amount of time. It’s going to enable people to take up jobs they probably couldn’t have taken up.

“It’s a transport boost, it’s a morale boost and it’s an economic boost to both towns.”

Walsall Council leader Mike Bird said the openings are “a major milestone for communities and a real boost for the borough’s future”.