A STANDOFF between unions and operators means a town’s brand new train station is still closed – two years after being built.
A transformative railway line aiming to link Oxford and Cambridge is continuing to see setbacks, leading to delayed openings of stations.
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The station has been closed since 2024 and currently only has empty trains running through itCredit: Emma Trimble / SWNS
The £7 billion project by East-West Rail (EWR) aims to improve transport links for millions of residents in the region and boost economic growth.
Finished in 2024, the line between Bicester Village and Bletchley, a 36-mile journey, was due to open last year.
Currently, passengers trains are running on the tracks – except they have no passengers on board.
A series of disputes between trade unions and the operator, Chiltern Railways, have meant that the stations remain closed and only empty trains are travelling along the tracks.
The ghost-trains currently running through the station are a combination of freight trains and those used for driver training.
Currently, the only EWR trains on the new line in use are those between Oxford and Bicester Village.
The £5 million station has been closed since 2024Credit: Emma Trimble / SWNS
Winslow is one of the towns located on the Bicester Village to Bletchley line that has been affected by the closures.
The £5 million station was completed back in 2024, but has remained closed amid the rows.
It’s opening has also been delayed by concerns raised over the platform length at the station which are going to have to be extended to accommodate the number of travelers.
Both setbacks have frustrated local residents.
A local told the The Telegraph, that the exasperating delays have caused “difficult and annoying delays” for her daughter who has to travel to Oxford to work.
They said that the delays indicate that Britain “doesn’t work like it used to”, and believe a situation like this would “never” have occurred when they were a youngster.
The cause of the row boils down to who operates the doors.
Chiltern Railways, the operator, beleive that the train line should run as a driver-only operation (DOO) meaning that only the train driver is in charge of opening and closing the doors and no guards are required.
They are in a standoff with the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, who represent train guards.
The back-and-forth between the two parties means that plans to continue with the lines opening have be brought to a standstill.
An action group has been set up on Facebook by upset locals to discuss ongoing updates.
It has also become a place for residents to vent their frustration with the continued delays, with one local calling the lack of passenger trains running “an absolute farce”.
A local action group has been set up to track the ongoing delaysCredit: Emma Trimble / SWNS
BRITS are set to face more disruption to their holidays as 14 airports in Spain begin indefinite strikes.
Major airports across the country will face industrial action starting on April 17, as air traffic controller unions stage a walk-out which will see flights delayed or even cancelled.
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Strike action will affect airports on the Canary Islands and mainland SpainCredit: Alamy Stock Photo
The action has been called by the unions USCA and CCOO which affects air traffic controllers operated by Saerco.
As many as 14 airports across Spain, including those in the Canary Islands, face disruption.
The Spanish authorities have the power to impose minimum service levels as air traffic control is considered essential – so not every flight will be cancelled.
However, there are warnings of potential delays, last-minute schedule changes as well as cancellations and missed connections as a result.
The bad news is that air traffic controller unions have indicated that the strike action will be ‘indefinite’ so it isn’t clear when it will end.
To add to the chaos, there have been reports of hour-long queues at airports waiting to register with EES over the last week.
At Palma Majorca Airport in Spain, there were reports of queues “between two and three hours” at passport control on April 11.
The new requirement was officially rolled out last week which led tohuge queues at border control – some passengers even missed their flight.
Flight compensation rules
A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.
If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.
You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.
So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.
But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.
When am I not entitled to compensation?
The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.
Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.
Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?
If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.
Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.
Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.
If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.
OFFICIALS have warned that there is just weeks of jet fuel supplies left before airlines start running out.
Earlier this week, the head of the International Energy Agency warned that vital supplies remain blocked by conflict in Iran – as a result, many airlines have already started axing routes.
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Certain airlines, like Norse, have started cutting back on flight routesCredit: GC ImagesBritish Airways has axed one route completely from April 24, 2026Credit: Getty
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is holding up major supply chains which has led to a huge hike in fuel costs – and shortages.
ACI Europe, which represents European airports, said the key trade route must open within three weeks or fuel reserves will run drastically low.
In response, a number of major airlines have been cancelling flights in preparation for shortages – with thousands affected.
Here are the major eight airlines that have already cut back on their routes…
With up to 5,000 flights a month – working out to around 4,000 domestic and 800 international routes – this means it affects around 250 flights a month.
United Airlineshas the world’s largest airline fleet with more than 1,075 aircraft.
Chief Executive of Air New Zealand Nikhil Ravishankar said the airline would see roughly a five per cent reduction in its services which would continue until the beginning of May 2026.
This reduction equates to around 1,100 flights which in turn will affect 44,000 passengers out of its 1.9million.
A spokesperson said: “Due to the continued increase in fuel constraint risks, fuel prices, and the resulting impact on our operating costs, we have had to make the difficult decision to suspend our LAX operations this summer, May to October.”
Norse operated a summer route from London Gatwick to LA.
BA said the terminating of the service was due to a shift in demand rather than fuel costs as hasn’t axed any flights because of that so far.
Virgin Airways
Virgin Atlantic announced earlier this month that it would be permanently scrapping its London flight to Riyadh from April 7, 2026.
It said some of the reasons were the “evolving situation in the Middle East” and “operating costs.”
Some airlines have increased prices to offset costs instead…
Rather than axing routes – other airlines have added surcharges or baggage fees…
Air France and KLM have have increased their round-trip fares by €100 (£87) on most of their long-haul flights– with an additional charge of €10 (£8.69) for a round trip in economy.
Virgin Atlantic confirmed it would do the same earlier this week – passengers in economy will pay an extra £50, in premium economy passengers will pay an extra £180 and anyone in business class will see flights cost an extra £360.
JetBlue has increased baggage fees by $4 (£3) for off peak, economy travellers. This will now be $39 (£30) – the cost peak economy travellers will be $49 (£37).
The low-cost Spanish Airline Volotea is adding maximum surcharge of €14 (£12.20) per person to flight bookings.
RISING fuel costs linked to the war in Iran have forced a major airline to slash more than 100 flights – including services to and from London.
Dutch company KLM is axing 160 flights across Europe over the next month as soaring fuel prices pile pressure on the industry ahead of the busy summer period.
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KLM is set to cancel more than 100 flights due to the fuel crisis sparked by the war in IranCredit: AlamyFlight cancellations are coming if the Strait of Hormuz remains closedCredit: Reuters
The cuts will hit routes in and out of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, with departures and arrivals split evenly .
Despite the disruption, the airline insists there is no shortage of jet fuel, saying the move is purely down to spiralling costs.
A KLM spokesperson said: “Passengers affected by these changes will be rebooked onto the next available flight.
“As these are destinations KLM serves multiple times a day, such as London and Düsseldorf, travellers can usually be accommodated quickly.
“In the past there was a group called ‘Dire Straits.’ It’s a dire strait now, and it is going to have major implications for the global economy”, Birol told AP.
Adding: “And the longer it goes, the worse it will be for the economic growth and inflation around the world.”
Birol’s deadline means airports could face critical fuel shortages by May, causing travel chaos for Brits heading abroad during the school May half-term holidays.
Oil prices have soared since the start of March after Iran closed off the Strait in response to US-Israeli forces bombing.
The Persian Gulf chokehold sees around 40 per cent of the world’s jet fuel supply pass through.
It comes after ACI Europe, which represents European airports, said the key trade route must open within three weeks or fuel reserves will run drastically low on Friday.
A number of airports in Italy have already warned that they were running out of fuel.
According to local reports earlier this week, Brindisi-Casale Airport confirmed that Jet A1 fuel was not available for a short period of time.
And British Airways has announced it will permanently axe its service from London Heathrow to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia from April 24.
The airline had been operating a four flights a week service since November 2024.
But a shift in demand, due to the conflict in the Middle East, has led to the airline terminating the service.
KLM stressed the cancellations make up just one per cent of its European schedule.
But the move will still spark concern for Brits planning trips abroad as airlines battle rising operating costs.
It comes as carriers across Europe scramble to balance the books amid the fuel crisis.
Earlier this month, UK airline Skybus pulled the plug on all future flights between London Gatwick and Newquay.
The route, which launched in November 2025, had been backed by Cornwall Council and the Department for Transport under a public service scheme due to run until the end of May.
However, a slump in passenger numbers combined with higher fuel costs forced the airline to ground the service early, with its final flights taking off on April 2.
The latest cuts raise fresh fears of further disruption for holidaymakers as the peak summer season approaches.
Meanwhile other vital UK services could also face shortages if a deal to end the Middle East war is not struck soon.
Medicines UK, which represents companies making 85 per cent of NHS prescriptions, said NHS patients could face prescription shortages within weeks.
This could place “significant pressure for the NHS as early as June”, the organisation warned.
And Brits could even face shortages of supermarket staples such as beer and meat as officials fear the blockade of the Strait could cut vital carbon dioxide supplies.
CO2 is used in food packaging to improve the shelf life of salad, packaged meats and baked goods – and also slaughtering nearly all pigs and most chickens.
Tim Lang, professor of food policy at the University of London, who has been a member of several government bodies including the UK Council of Food Policy Advisors, told The Sun that the UK has “next to no food storage”.
The cuts will hit routes in and out of Amsterdam’s Schiphol AirportCredit: AlamyThe blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is holding up major supply chainsCredit: AFP
A EUROPEAN airline is axing all flights with immediate effect.
Lufthansa‘s subsidiary airline CityLine is to cease operations due to both the Iran war and ongoing strike action.
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European airline Lufthansa has announced that it is cutting capacity across its network due to rising fuel costs and strikesCredit: Getty
The airline – which operates some flights to and from the UK – will be grounding 27 aircraft from April 18.
Flight routes typically connect London to both Frankfurt and Munich.
It isn’t clear how this will affect passengers just yet, as to whether they will offer alternative routes or refunds.
They said in a statement, according to local media: “As a first, immediately effective step, the 27 operational aircraft of Lufthansa CityLine will be permanently removed from the flight programme starting the day after tomorrow, in order to reduce further losses at the loss-making airline.”
CityLine was due to cease operations by 2028, but has since decided to close this month instead.
Sun Travel has contacted Lufthansa for comment.
Lufthansa’s main airline has also announced that it will be grounding four Airbus jets and two Boeing jets for good, by the end of the summer, which are mainly used for longer flights.
Lufthansa will reduce short and medium-haul flights by five aircraft from this winter as well, while long-haul capacity will be reduced by six.
Till Streichert, chief financial officer of Lufthansa Group, also said: “The goal is to focus our short- and medium-haul platforms more clearly and make them more competitive.”
The announcement follows hundreds of flight cancellations this week following pilot strike action.
Union Vereinigung Cockpit called the strike action over pension disputes and yesterday announced that the strike action would be extended by two days.
Pilots first walked out on Monday leading to hundreds of flights being cancelled, including many from the UK.
Around 34 flights were cancelled to and from the UK yesterday and with an average flight usually carrying around 150 passengers each, more than 5,000 Brits could have been impacted.
When further strike action was announced, VC president Andreas Pinheiro said: “The situation remains unchanged; there is absolutely no movement on the employers’ side.
“For us, this is not about political power struggles or egos, but about sustainable solutions.”
In a statement, the airline told passengers earlier this week: “Lufthansa and Eurowings are working intensively to keep the impact on passengers as low as possible.
“We are trying to have as many flights as possible operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and by partner airlines.
A NUMBER of popular holiday destinations in Spain are losing their Ryanair flights this year.
The budget airline confirmed last year they would be cutting 1.2million seats across the country,
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Ryanair is scrapping a number of flights to Spanish destinations including one airport in TenerifeCredit: Getty
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The cancellations are due to the increase in airport fees, which would mean airlines paying an extra 21 per cent from 2027 to 2031.
An initial increase of 6.44 per cent has already been introduced back in March.
At the time of the announcement, the CEO of Ryanair, Eddie Wilson said: “Nextwinter we will make further cuts to regional airport services and I remind you that our total traffic in Spain for this summer will only grow by 0.5 per cent compared to 9 per cent in Italy, 11 per cent in Morocco or 20 per cent in Poland.
“Aena’s proposal to increase fares by 21 per cent is regrettable, but not surprising, as this airport monopoly has a history of applying the highest fares at the expense of traffic development, especially at Spain’s regional airports, which are 70 per cent empty.”
He also commented that if the fees were increased it would “make even the most popular airports in Spain uncompetitive” and that Ryanair would turn to “other places in Europe where rates are more competitive”.
Here are some of the destinations being affected.
Asturias
All Ryanair flights to the coastal region of Asturias in north Spain have been stopped.
If you do want to head to Asturias though, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling all fly to the airport from the UK.
Vigo
All flights to the port city of Vigo in northwest Spain were suspended on January 1.
There are currently no direct flights from the UK with other airlines to Vigo – instead, you would have to book a flight to Madrid then to Vigo.
Alternatively, Porto Airport is less than two hours away.
Instead of Tenerife North, Brits will have to head to Tenerife SouthCredit: Alamy
Tenerife North
All Ryanair flights to Tenerife North were stopped over the winter.
This included a route from London Stansted Airport.
If travellers want to head to Tenerife now, their best bet is to fly to Tenerife South, which Ryanair flies to from a number of UK airports including London Stansted, Bristol and Birmingham.
Valladolid
All flights to Valladolid in northwest Spain have been scrapped with the airline’s base closed at the airport since winter 2024.
If you wish to travel to Valladolid, the best way would be to fly to Madrid which is under two hours away.
Jerez
Ryanair has cancelled all of its direct flights to Jerez in the Andalusia region.
However, if you still want to fly to the destination, you can do so from the UK with Jet2.
Jet2 offers flights to Jerez from Birmingham, Leeds Bradford, London Stansted and Manchester.
Alternatively, you could fly to Seville and then hop on a train that takes less than an hour to Jerez.
Other destinations where flights will be impacted include Santiago de CompostelaCredit: Getty
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela Airport in the Galicia region will no longer have a Ryanair base, which will mean fewer flights to the destination.
While the budget airline does still operate flights to and from the airport, Sun Travel found that these are mainly to destinations within Spain.
There are a number of other airlines that fly to the airport though, including British Airways, Vueling and Iberia.
Santander
Ryanair is set to reduce its capacity from Santander, known for its stunning views of the Bay of Biscay, by 38 per cent.
But the airline is still operating UK flights to the airport, including from Manchester, Birmingham and London Stansted – just a reduced number.
Zaragoza
The airline is also reducing flights from Zaragoza – the capital of Aragon in northeastern Spain – by 45 per cent.
While the airline does still fly to the airport, it is mainly from destinations outside the UK such as Milan in Italy.
Sun Travel found one route from the UK to the airport, which is from London Stansted.
Despite some routes being scrapped completely, there will also be reduced flights to and from a number of other aitportsCredit: Getty
Vitoria
There will be a slight reduction in Ryanair capacity to Vitoria (two per cent), which is the capital of the Basque region.
Despite this, Sun Travel found no routes from the UK to the Spanish airport with that airline.
If you want to head to Vitoria, your best bet is to fly to Bilbao Airport which is about an hour-and-a-half away.
Girona
Routes from Girona in Catalonia are also set to be reduced by 11 per cent over this summer season, according to Euro News.
Sun Travel found that there are currently still flights from UK airports including London Stansted, Bournemouth and Birmingham to the airport.
A MAJOR European airline has announced even more strikes this week, set to impact thousands more Brits.
Lufthansa pilots have been on strike since Monday in a dispute over pensions, and now the Union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has announced a further two days of strikes.
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More Lufthansa flights have been cancelled across EuropeCredit: EPA
Pilots began striking on Monday, with hundreds of flights cancelled including many from the UK.
And now the union has announced that pilots will also be carrying out strikes this Thursday and Friday.
Over 200 flights departing Frankfurt Airport have been cancelled today, including the following flights to the UK:
9:50am to Manchester
2pm to London Heathrow
3:45pm to Glasgow
4pm to London Heathrow
4:10pm to Edinburgh
4:20pm to Newcastle
4:45pm to Manchester
5pm to Birmingham
6pm to London Heathrow
9:10pm to Birmingham
9:30pm to London Heathrow
9:50pm to Edinburgh
10pm to Manchester
As for flights with Lufthansa departing from the UK, the following have been cancelled:
9:30am from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
9:50am from Glasgow to Frankfurt
10:25am from Birmingham to Frankfurt
10:35am from Manchester to Munich
11:25am from Manchester to Frankfurt
12:50pm from Edinburgh to Frankfurt
1:35pm from London Heathrow to Munich
3:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
4:25pm from London Heathrow to Munich
5:10pm from Edinburgh to Munich
5:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
5:30pm from Glasgow to Frankfurt
5:40pm from Newcastle to Frankfurt
5:50pm from Edinburgh to Frankfurt
5:50pm from London Heathrow to Munich
5:55pm from Birmingham to Munich
6:15pm from Birmingham to Frankfurt
6:20pm from Manchester to Frankfurt
7:10pm from London Heathrow to Munich
7:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
8:25pm from London Heathrow to Munich
With 34 flights – often operating around 150 passengers each – this works out to more than 5,000 passengers to and from the UK affected.
Disruption to flights tomorrow currently remains unclear.
Regarding the further strike action, VC president Andreas Pinheiro said: “The situation remains unchanged; there is absolutely no movement on the employers’ side.
“For us, this is not about political power struggles or egos, but about sustainable solutions.”
In a statement, the airline told passengers earlier this week: “Lufthansa and Eurowings are working intensively to keep the impact on passengers as low as possible.
“We are trying to have as many flights as possible operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and by partner airlines.
It means thousands of Brits will be impactedCredit: Reuters
“However, despite these efforts, flight cancellations are unavoidable.
“Travelers who are affected by an irregularity will be informed accordingly, provided their contact details are stored in the booking.
“We ask passengers to check the status of their flight before setting out on their journey.
“We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the disproportionate and very short-notice strike announcement.”
The airline has told passengers that if their flight is cancelled, they will be able to rebook once free of charge or their ticket refunded.
Though, all flights to the Middle East have been excluded from the strike action due to the ongoing Iran conflict.
