Migrants Halt Europe's Longest Rail Motorway

Europe's longest 'rail motorway' service that transports unaccompanied trailers carrying goods from Spain to the UK via France has halted operations.

It comes after migrants at the "Jungle" camp near Calais repeatedly tried to break into them as they attempted to get to Britain, said port authorities.

The VIIA Britanica railway has now stopped its services until September and Calais port workers have staged a go-slow on a highway in protest.

Up to now, the rail motorway, which began operations in March, has allowed road hauliers to cross France in 22 hours, avoiding 745 miles of roads.

Services have been stopped over a "resurgence in migrant intrusions in past weeks," according to authorities.

Antoine Ravisse, who has been protesting against the Calais migrant crisis, said: "The situation keeps getting worse. We don't know what to do anymore to be heard.

"The migrants, some of whom are armed, climb into the trailers, they rip the tarpaulins.

The VIIA Britanica service launched in March

"Our clients lose confidence in us, sometimes their merchandise is destroyed. The cost is enormous."

Trains on the VIIA Britanica have transported trailers from Calais to Le Boulou (at the border between France and Spain) six days a week, with one round trip per day.

At Calais, the trailers can remain unaccompanied as they are loaded onto ferries to cross the English Channel.

The rail motorway terminal in Calais is the first such terminal in a port.

Each train is 680m long and is made up of 20 cars, with enough capacity for 40 trailers.

The service was predicted to shift 40,000 trailers a year from the roads to the rails over the next five years

Around 4,500 migrants, mainly from Afghanistan and Sudan, are believed to live in the Jungle camp.

Migrants Halt Europe's Longest Rail Motorway

Europe's longest 'rail motorway' service that transports unaccompanied trailers carrying goods from Spain to the UK via France has halted operations.

It comes after migrants at the "Jungle" camp near Calais repeatedly tried to break into them as they attempted to get to Britain, said port authorities.

The VIIA Britanica railway has now stopped its services until September and Calais port workers have staged a go-slow on a highway in protest.

Up to now, the rail motorway, which began operations in March, has allowed road hauliers to cross France in 22 hours, avoiding 745 miles of roads.

Services have been stopped over a "resurgence in migrant intrusions in past weeks," according to authorities.

Antoine Ravisse, who has been protesting against the Calais migrant crisis, said: "The situation keeps getting worse. We don't know what to do anymore to be heard.

"The migrants, some of whom are armed, climb into the trailers, they rip the tarpaulins.

The VIIA Britanica service launched in March

"Our clients lose confidence in us, sometimes their merchandise is destroyed. The cost is enormous."

Trains on the VIIA Britanica have transported trailers from Calais to Le Boulou (at the border between France and Spain) six days a week, with one round trip per day.

At Calais, the trailers can remain unaccompanied as they are loaded onto ferries to cross the English Channel.

The rail motorway terminal in Calais is the first such terminal in a port.

Each train is 680m long and is made up of 20 cars, with enough capacity for 40 trailers.

The service was predicted to shift 40,000 trailers a year from the roads to the rails over the next five years

Around 4,500 migrants, mainly from Afghanistan and Sudan, are believed to live in the Jungle camp.

Migrants Halt Europe's Longest Rail Motorway

Europe's longest 'rail motorway' service that transports unaccompanied trailers carrying goods from Spain to the UK via France has halted operations.

It comes after migrants at the "Jungle" camp near Calais repeatedly tried to break into them as they attempted to get to Britain, said port authorities.

The VIIA Britanica railway has now stopped its services until September and Calais port workers have staged a go-slow on a highway in protest.

Up to now, the rail motorway, which began operations in March, has allowed road hauliers to cross France in 22 hours, avoiding 745 miles of roads.

Services have been stopped over a "resurgence in migrant intrusions in past weeks," according to authorities.

Antoine Ravisse, who has been protesting against the Calais migrant crisis, said: "The situation keeps getting worse. We don't know what to do anymore to be heard.

"The migrants, some of whom are armed, climb into the trailers, they rip the tarpaulins.

The VIIA Britanica service launched in March

"Our clients lose confidence in us, sometimes their merchandise is destroyed. The cost is enormous."

Trains on the VIIA Britanica have transported trailers from Calais to Le Boulou (at the border between France and Spain) six days a week, with one round trip per day.

At Calais, the trailers can remain unaccompanied as they are loaded onto ferries to cross the English Channel.

The rail motorway terminal in Calais is the first such terminal in a port.

Each train is 680m long and is made up of 20 cars, with enough capacity for 40 trailers.

The service was predicted to shift 40,000 trailers a year from the roads to the rails over the next five years

Around 4,500 migrants, mainly from Afghanistan and Sudan, are believed to live in the Jungle camp.

Four Cyber Attacks On UK Railways In A Year

Sky News has learned that the UK railway network has suffered at least four major cyber attacks over the last year alone.

And experts have warned that the digital systems controlling trains are vulnerable to hackers, who could cause injury or death in the real world.

Sergey Gordeychik, a security researcher at Kaspersky Lab in Moscow, has discovered several weaknesses in rail infrastructure.

He told Sky News: "Hackers can get access not only to simple things like online information boards or in-train entertainment, but also to computer systems which manage trains by itself, which manage signals, manage points, and in this case, if they have enough knowledge, then they can create real disaster related to train safety."

The four recent attacks on UK rail, discovered by Darktrace, a private security company which guards much of the UK rail network, are thought to be sponsored by nation states.

Although hackers have infiltrated networks - including rail infrastructure itself - these breaches have been exploratory rather than disruptive.

"We see at the moment that state sponsored attackers are already inside critical infrastructure," Mr Gordeychik said.

"So they have access, they monitor, they collect intelligence but they don't try to create a disaster. Why? I believe that they don't have the order at the moment. But in case of any maybe warfare, it can be an option to use cyber weapon against civil infrastructure. And this is scary."

As more devices are connected to the internet,  digital attacks are leading to real world consequences.

In December last year, power stations in Ukraine were taken offline following a hack.

And, according to a report by Verizon, hackers took control of a water treatment plant, changing the chemical make up of the water.

Professor David Stupples, an electronic warfare expert, told Sky News that a deadly attack would remain tricky and so only appeal to those with extreme motivation.

"What we have to worry about is terrorism. Because the terrorist might want to attack the railway or indeed any of our infrastructure to cause death, mayhem, but also to make a name for themselves, make certain their terrorist organisation is known."

Network Rail is introducing the European Rail Traffic Management (ERTMS) system to the UK, as part of its 'digital railway' plan to modernise signalling infrastructure.

"With ERTMS, when it comes in, terrorist organisations will start viewing this as a possible target," Prof Stupples warned.

"As it rolls out across the country, it becomes more of a target."

Network Rail said: "Britain has the safest major railway in Europe and cyber security is a key part of our plan for introducing digital train control technology.

"Safety is our top priority, which is why we work closely with government, the security services, our partners and suppliers in the rail industry and security specialists to combat cyber threats."

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We keep rail security under constant review and we are working with industry to ensure that all risks to the rail network and other infrastructure are minimised."

Spain Summons UK Ambassador Over Gibraltar Spat

Spain has summoned Britain's ambassador to protest what it has described as "reckless behaviour" by a police patrol boat in Gibraltar.

Spain's foreign ministry said the crew of the Royal Gibraltar Police approached a Spanish police boat at high speed on two occasions, only to divert at the last moment to avoid a collision. 

It said the incident, which occurred in waters between Gibraltar and Spain, had put the crews of both vessels at risk.

The dispute is the latest in a long line of diplomatic spats over the disputed British territory, which Madrid has long claimed should be returned to Spanish sovereignty.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said: "The RGP patrol boat, which was sailing at a high speed, diverted course just a few metres (yards) from the Spanish boat, causing a big wave that unsettled the Spanish police vessel.

"Its irresponsible and reckless manoeuvre created a significant, clear and sudden risk for the safety of both official boats and their crew," it said.

A Royal Gibraltar police boat (Pic: File)

It added that the patrol boat had made no effort to contact the Spanish vessel, something the Royal Gibraltar Police has denied.

The RGP insisted its vessel "maintained a safe distance at all times whilst attempting to make contact with the crew (of the Spanish boat) to establish their intentions".

Responding to the incident, a spokesman for Britain's Foreign Office said incursions by Spanish state vessels into British Gibraltar territorial waters "are an unacceptable violation of British sovereignty".

"We will continue to use a range of proportionate diplomatic and naval responses to incidents," he added.

Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain in 1713, but has sought its return ever since.

Last month Spain proposed sharing sovereignty of Gibraltar in the wake of the EU referendum, after the territory voted overwhelmingly in favour of the UK remaining in the EU.

:: Will Brexit Harm Gibraltar And Spanish Expats?

Spain Summons UK Ambassador Over Gibraltar Spat

Spain has summoned Britain's ambassador to protest what it has described as "reckless behaviour" by a police patrol boat in Gibraltar.

Spain's foreign ministry said the crew of the Royal Gibraltar Police approached a Spanish police boat at high speed on two occasions, only to divert at the last moment to avoid a collision. 

It said the incident, which occurred in waters between Gibraltar and Spain, had put the crews of both vessels at risk.

The dispute is the latest in a long line of diplomatic spats over the disputed British territory, which Madrid has long claimed should be returned to Spanish sovereignty.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said: "The RGP patrol boat, which was sailing at a high speed, diverted course just a few metres (yards) from the Spanish boat, causing a big wave that unsettled the Spanish police vessel.

"Its irresponsible and reckless manoeuvre created a significant, clear and sudden risk for the safety of both official boats and their crew," it said.

A Royal Gibraltar police boat (Pic: File)

It added that the patrol boat had made no effort to contact the Spanish vessel, something the Royal Gibraltar Police has denied.

The RGP insisted its vessel "maintained a safe distance at all times whilst attempting to make contact with the crew (of the Spanish boat) to establish their intentions".

Responding to the incident, a spokesman for Britain's Foreign Office said incursions by Spanish state vessels into British Gibraltar territorial waters "are an unacceptable violation of British sovereignty".

"We will continue to use a range of proportionate diplomatic and naval responses to incidents," he added.

Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain in 1713, but has sought its return ever since.

Last month Spain proposed sharing sovereignty of Gibraltar in the wake of the EU referendum, after the territory voted overwhelmingly in favour of the UK remaining in the EU.

:: Will Brexit Harm Gibraltar And Spanish Expats?

Theresa May: My Three Key Pledges For The UK

Theresa May, who will become Britain's next prime minister on Wednesday, has said she has three key pledges for the country.

She was speaking in Birmingham shortly before her only rival in the leadership contest, Andrea Leadsom, quit the race and the Home Secretary was confirmed as party chief.

Mrs May said there were three reasons she was the best candidate to replace David Cameron in Downing Street:

1. "First, we need a bold, new, positive vision for the future of our country - a vision of a country that works for everyone - not just the privileged few."

2. "Second, we need to unite our party and our country.

3. "And third, our country needs strong, proven leadership - to steer us through this time of economic and political uncertainty - and to negotiate the best deal for Britain as we leave the European Union and forge a new role for ourselves in the world."

Mrs May repeated the pledges in Westminster after she was formally announced as the new Conservative leader and again reiterated her vow that "Brexit means Brexit".

Speaking in Birmingham, she insisted there will be "no attempts" to remain in the EU or to rejoin it "by the back door", adding: "As prime minister, I will make sure we leave the European Union."

Mrs May made clear her intention to reach out beyond the comfortable middle-classes who make up the traditional Tory base, saying she wanted to create "a country that works not for the privileged few, but for every one of us".

She said the Conservatives would be "completely, absolutely, unequivocally at the service of ordinary working people" under her leadership.

Mrs May promised to put workers on the boards of major companies and curb excess corporate pay.

She also committed to making shareholder votes on corporate pay binding, rather than merely advisory, insisting that support for enterprise does not mean "anything goes" in the City.

Earlier, Mrs Leadsom had apologised to Mrs May for suggesting that having children made her better qualified to be Prime Minister.