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

Friday, 04 October 2024

BBC News

• Plans for all-in-one ticket that works on any busBus passengers could eventually be able to buy one ticket that is valid on any bus run by any company.
• Bus service 'not fit for purpose', says MPA North Yorkshire MP has accused bus company Arriva of being "not fit for purpose", saying the bus network in his constituency is "broken".
• Will new bill really mean better buses?As the new Transport Secretary promises greater local control, Roger Brereton, Head of Sales at Pailton Engineering, examines the proposed reforms and argues that a national bus strategy must have more focus on improving conditions for drivers
• Regional authority boss takes rail reform jobLaura Shoaf will help overhaul the current railway system, the Department for Transport says.
• Dangerous e-bike riders 'putting town under siege'There are fears it is only a matter of time before somebody is killed by reckless e-bike riders.
• Nearly £22bn pledged for carbon capture projects over 25 yearsSir Keir Starmer says carbon capture clusters on Merseyside and Teesside will reignite industrial heartlands.
• Major work to replace banks to protect rail lineMajor work is needed to protect the main rail line through Devon and into Cornwall, the Environment Agency says.
• Lessons from Ladbroke Grove crash 25 years onTwenty five years ago two passenger trains collided at Ladbroke Grove, two miles west of London's Paddington station.
• Imminent decision on new Thames Crossing expectedThe government is expected to make a decision later on whether to proceed with the expected £8.3bn construction of a new lower Thames Crossing.
• First look at new Piccadilly line trainsImages have been released of Piccadilly line trains under construction at a factory in Goole, East Yorkshire.
• Thameslink services disrupted by driver shortageThe route between Bedford and Brighton is expected to be particularly disrupted in both directions.
• No plan to widen Tube platforms despite safety riskTfL says widening platforms at Clapham Common and Clapham North would cost too much time and money.
• US dockworkers suspend ports strike until JanuaryThe walkout threatened to plunge the holiday shopping season into turmoil and become an issue in next month's presidential election.
• Airlines look to cut time spent on the tarmacAirlines are hoping to cut waiting times by using AI to allocate gates at airports.

Financial Times

• US dockworkers suspend strike that threatened to cripple portsWorkers will return under deal to extend contract until January 15 and avert billions in economic damage
• BA flight cancellations and delays double post CovidAirline must do more to improve operations, even at expense of financial returns, say industry executives and analysts

The Guardian

• Carmakers ramp up pressure on chancellor for EV sales subsidiesBosses say cost of complying with zero-emission vehicle mandate is ‘astronomical, and unsustainable’UK electric car sales hit a record high in September, even as bosses from big carmakers told the chancellor that government targets were putting too much pressure on the industry.The British industry sold 56,300 electric cars during the month, the highest on record, according to preliminary data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a lobby group. Continue reading...

The Herald

• ScotRail peak fares criticism of SNP by Labour is ridiculousIt has been difficult this week not to be aghast at Scottish Labour's criticism of the decision by the SNP Government to reintroduce peak fares at its ScotRail operation.

The Independent

• Labour picks trains tsar to drive through railway renationalisationThe transport secretary has picked Laura Shoaf, chief executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority, to run Shadow Great British Railways

Times Online

• 'Cursed' Glen Sannox ferry suffers more problems in sea trial [subscription]Tests halted after anchor issues and a blackout on board vessel that is due to be delivered to Calmac this month
• Ford urges Labour to put electric car targets on pause [subscription]The carmaker says that hitting manufacturers with big fines for failing to meet quotas is counterproductive
• Put the brakes on electric subsidies. [subscription]Money is tight in 'black hole' Britain, what with Rachel Reeves apparently finding herself £22 billion short. So, here's an idea for her budget: how about bunging the car industry billions of quid?
• Cut VAT on electric cars by half, manufacturers say [subscription]The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says the EV share of the market is barely moving

Great British Railways Transition Team

• Why are people travelling by train?Business travel by rail grows 21% year-on-year

Labour List

• A year on from HS2's cancellation, what should Labour learn to Get Britain Building?One year ago today at Tory conference in Manchester, the then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cancelled the northern leg of HS2, putting the UK's flagship rail project out of its misery after a decade of delay and spiralling costs.

Birmingham Post

• Siemens UK chief hails investment in new £200m train factory as 'significant statement'The Munich-based firm is working with Transport for London (TfL) to build vital new trains to replace the Picadilly Line's aging fleet
• Two Northern carbon capture schemes win £22bn backing as Keir Starmer vows to 'reignite our industrial heartlands'Ministers backing Hynet project in North West and East Coast Cluster in Teesside and Humber

Bolton News

• 'Very uncomfortable and packed': Overcrowding frustrations over vital bus servicePassengers who travel on a vital bus route which was close to being axed due to low usage have aired their frustrations over it being overcrowded

Bristol Live

• Ryanair announces major change to check-in policy that could leave some groundedRyanair's online check-in policy is about to change in a big way, with the airline's CEO Michael O'Leary saying he plans to have the check-in desks gone within the next six months

London Evening Standard

• Transport Secretary Haigh opens £200m train manufacturing factory in YorkshireTransport Secretary Louise Haigh has opened a £200 million train manufacturing factory in Yorkshire which will support 700 jobs.

Yorkshire Post

• Transport Secretary Haigh to inaugurate £200m train manufacturing plant in YorkshireTrains for the revamped Piccadilly line on the London underground will be built by the plant in Goole.

Other Regional Press

• Konectbus reassures staff after Norwich park and ride blow"Deeply disappointed" bosses at the bus firm which has lost the contract to run Norwich's park and ride services have reassured staff jobs will not be axed despite the blow.
• Looming bus route changes may not have considered impact on poor, meeting hearsLooming changes to bus routes in the Royal Borough have come under scrutiny over a potentially lacking review of the impact on people with low incomes.
• Full list of roads to be resurfaced in Gloucestershire amid £2.8m HS2 funding boostGloucestershire County Council is forging ahead with the second half of its annual resurfacing scheme. Running from April 2024 to March 2025, this year's revamping agenda benefits from an investment pot of £100m over a four-year period.
• The disused railway line that could transform already bustling Essex townEssex is a haven for commuters thanks to its impressive train connections. But whilst some towns and cities receive regular services, there are others that do not even have an active railway station anymore.
• Edinburgh Trams and Lothian both win at National Transport AwardsBoth of Edinburgh's public transport operators, Edinburgh Trams and Lothian won in their categories at the 21st Annual National Transport Awards in London on Thursday evening.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Bradford takes a step towards a hydrogen futureIndustry leaders, council officials, stakeholders and climate experts have been in Bradford to discuss how the city's landmark hydrogen project can be central to the region's low-carbon future.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Wincanton secures four-year logistics contract with Brompton BicycleWincanton has announced they have won a new four year-contract with bike manufacturers and creators Brompton Bicycle. Under the new contract, Wincanton said they will provide warehousing and transport services for Brompton Bicycle as it continues its growth trajectory in the UK and meets customer demand. The logistics provider will consolidate Brompton’s existing network of warehouses across London into a single facility in Greenford, West London. Located close to Brompton’s manufacturing facility, the site will be operated by Wincanton on behalf of the business. James ...

New Civil Engineer

• National Highways seeks market input on new £6bn scheme delivery frameworkNational Highways is seeking market engagement on a new £6bn framework to deliver renewals and improvements across the strategic road network (SRN).

Railway Gazette

• Research and innovation are not 'optional extras' for rail freight operatorsThe Chief Executive of the Rail Safety & Standards Board has called on the rail freight sector to co-fund research to help achieve the previous government's 'bold' goal of increasing rail freight by 75% by 2050.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Driver CPC reform legislatory process restarted by governmentWork to deliver proposed reform measures for the Driver CPC qualification is expected to advance over the coming months. It comes after after the process for laying the necessary legislation in parliament was restarted by the new government during early autumn.

Sustainable Bus

• Arriva wins zero-emission bus tender in Budapest and will roll out 82 BYD e-buses from end 2025Arriva announces it has been successful in its bid to be the first operator of an electric bus fleet in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, following the award of two new 12-year contracts by the Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) authorities. Contracts were signed at a ceremony on October 3, 2024. Arriva will introduce a completely [?]

Other News Sources

• Lower Thames Crossing estimated to bring "£40 billion to UK economy"Transport Secretary is set to rule on a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the 14.3-mile route today (4 October 2024)