Transportinfo.org.uk - today's transport news in the uk, hand picked for you each morning

Friday, 26 April 2024

BBC News

• Bookable bus service launched for remote areasA bookable bus service has started to help people get to work, plugging a gap where local routes are not available.
• Starmer vows long-term plan for train manufacturingThe Labour leader has warned communities will be hit hard if rail manufacturing sites are lost.
• Station volunteers awarded for biodiversity boostRailway station volunteers have been recognised for their work to improve biodiversity and support nature at the site.
• Wansford station being moved 'brick by brick' to Peterborough museumWork has started to move a former Victorian railway station "brick by brick" to a museum.
• Border Force staff set to go on strike at HeathrowMore than 300 Border Force officers are due to walk out from Monday to Thursday.
• What do disabled voters want from the London Mayor?All public transport to be wheelchair friendly and building accessible homes feature in the wish list.
• The ex-flight attendant who now leads the airlineMitsuko Tottori was named as the first female boss of Japan Airlines earlier this year.
• Will Labour's plan make train tickets cheaper?What impact will Labour's pledge to nationalise the railways have?

Financial Times

• Higher fares and fewer planes: Boeing crisis forces airlines to cut servicesDelivery delays tied to 737 Max safety concerns hit carriers ahead of summer travel season
• Labour plans to retain key private sector role in Britain's nationalised railwaysThe party has no proposals for state involvement in the companies that own the trains

The Guardian

• The Guardian view on Labour and rail renationalisation: a sensible plan that passengers need | EditorialTrain services are essential to the health of the economy, society and environment. These proposals are pragmatic and welcomeFailing train services in Britain have often been the butt of jokes, but the chaos is not funny to those who rely on them. For many in the north of England in particular, frustration has given way to despair. Railways are a public good that the public are turning away from.The pandemic’s long-term impact on working patterns may be the chief culprit for slashed traveller numbers. But it is unsurprising that former passengers are declining to come back. Many are concluding...

The Independent

• May train strikes: How will the next rail drivers’ walk-out affect passengers?In three days of ‘rolling’ walk-outs, most of the train operators involved will cancel all services

The Telegraph

• Why Labour’s plan to revive British Rail won’t bring down ticket prices. [subscription]Sir Keir and his party appear to be looking backwards in their search for solutions

Times Online

• Scottish ferry passengers face ‘summer of chaos’ [subscription]CalMac’s ageing fleet has been facing reliability issues for some time and the MV Caledonian Isles will now be out of service for the tourist season
• What Labour’s rail nationalisation would mean for commuters. [subscription]Keir Starmer’s party has pledged improvements for passengers and savings for the public purse
• Labour’s nationalisation plans rattle railway sector. [subscription]Louise Haigh, the shadow transport secretary, said her party would bring train services into public ownership within five years

City AM

• Trainline and Firstgroup shares tumble as Labour pledges rail nationalisation Trainline and Firstgroup shares fell this morning after Labour announced plans to renationalise Britain's railway network in the next five years.

Belfast Telegraph

• Ex-transport secretaries give warnings on rail nationalisationTwo former Tory transport secretaries have warned over the pitfalls of rail nationalisation as Labour vowed to bring the industry back into public ownership.
• Louise Haigh: MP spearheading Labour rail plans known for hard work and humourShadow transport secretary Louise Haigh has just announced Labour’s plans to renationalise most of the railways.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• New £1.3m cycle path on Anglesey a luxury while roads crumble, critics claimMotorists also see the 2.5-mile scheme as 'anti-car' - but it also had plenty of supporters

Nation. Cymru

• Electrification work on Cardiff-Rhymney railway line to be completed in autumn 2025Transport for Wales (TfW) has confirmed it expects the electrification of the Cardiff-Rhymney railway line to be completed by autumn 2025.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• LNER to scrap daily route from Sunderland to London in 'bitter blow' for cityA Sunderland City Councillor has called for the Government to intervene after LNER confirmed that the service will be withdrawn later this year
• Starmer pledges to avoid repeat of Hitachi jobs scare as Labour unveils sweeping rail reformsLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer visited the under-threat Hitachi plant in County Durham on the day that his party announced plans to renationalise Britain's railways
• Labour refuses to commit to Leamside Line reopening as it promises to 'fix Britain's broken railways'While Labour pledged on Thursday to renationalise Britain's railways, shadow transport secretary Lou Haigh would not commit to restoring the mothballed Leamside Line

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• First completed sections of HS2 Curzon Street station viaduct revealedHS2 has completed the first sections of the landmark viaduct that will bring high speed trains into Birmingham’s new Curzon Street station

Yorkshire Post

• Nationalising the railways isn’t the panacea but passengers will take anything over the current misery they are repeatedly subjected toThe Shadow Transport Secretary is right to say that “today’s broken model simply doesn’t work” when it comes to the nation’s railways.

Cambridge News

• Work begins on moving disused Cambridgeshire railway station to new homeThe station will be moved brick by brick to a new location at the Nene Valley Railway

Sunderland Echo

• LNER's Sunderland-London train service to be scrappedThe service will end in December

Other Regional Press

• Sadiq Khan unveils plan for ’metro-style’ London suburban train systemSadiq Khan has pledged to bring suburban London railway services under TfL's control, creating a 'revolutionary metro-style' system. The mayor - who is seeking another term on May 2 - says he would work with an incoming Labour government, were the British public to elect one. to 'end the misery of failing outer London suburban rail services' if he is re-elected.
• Heathrow's plan to crackdown on nuisance parking in SloughSlough residents have been increasingly plagued by nuisance cars blocking roads and taking up valuable spaces in local car parks.
• New north-east stations should follow rail revolutions in Scotland, says MSPCampaigns to reopen stations in Cove and Newtonhill have called for the areas to be reconnected with the mainline having lost their stations over 50 years ago.

Construction News

• Track Renewal Work To Start Around Slough StationThere will be an amended timetable in place between 27 to 28 April and 11 to 12 May. Over the early May bank holiday weekend, there will be a small reduction in services, with journeys taking longer to complete.

New Civil Engineer

• Labour rail strategy: renationalise services, employ system thinking and empower expertsThe Labour Party has detailed its plans for the UK’s railway network including renationalisation, implementation of a whole-system approach and empowering “rail professionals and experts”, if it comes into power following the next General Election.

Railnews

• Analysis: GBR � is there a common ground?Labour’s detailed proposals for railway reform are ambitious (writes Sim Harris).

Railway Gazette

• Abellio Deutschland sold to BeNEXEUROPE: German regional operator BeNEX is to acquire Abellio’s German subsidiary from Dutch national operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen.

Transportxtra

• West to leave East West RailInterim Chief Executive Officer of East West Rail, Beth West, has announced she will be leaving the organisation at the end of her contract to pursue new opportunities.

Aviation Industry

• The Government's SAF mandate aims to boost the use of alternative fuels, but making jet fuel from waste won't solve the aviation emissions problemThe UK Government has announced the details of its ‘Sustainable Aviation Fuel’ (SAF) mandate, which requires increasing amounts of alternative fuels to be blended with kerosene from the 1st January

Other News Sources

• London Heathrow is officially one of Europe’s most stressful airportsAirports don’t exactly have a rep for being calming, tranquil sorts of places. From cancelled flights and lost baggage to lengthy queues and sky-high prices, airports are often very stressful indeed.
• Caledonian Sleeper moves to newly refurbished 70 Wellington St in GlasgowOn behalf of Clydebuilt Limited Partnership, Ediston is delighted to announce that Caledonian Sleeper, who operates the overnight sleeper train services between London and Scotland, has completed a new lease at 70 Wellington Street in Glasgow City Centre.
• Labour proposals for rail nationalisationThere’s a lot to like about the proposals from the Labour Party. And there’s a lot in common with the current government’s policy, says Professor Paul Plummer.
• East Lancs train cancellation figures revealed in Labour strategyLabour has revealed the scale of train cancellations across the North West as it sets out plans to renationalise Britain's railway system.