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

Tuesday, 17 May 2022

BBC News

• Rail firm fined after trench collapse near Stafford railway stationA railway construction company has been fined £550,00 for health and safety breaches after an unsupported trench collapsed, burying a worker.
• Wetlands to be created alongside West Midlands road networkSchemes include new habitats near the River Lugg to reduce pollution going into the river.
• ScotRail plans to cut third of services, says RMT unionThe RMT union said the timetable plans could cause
• Translink: Bus strike suspended after new pay offerBus drivers, cleaners and shunters will not take strike action on Tuesday as planned.
• ScotRail train driver shortage triggers wave of cancellationsTrain services remain disrupted after about 300 were cancelled on Sunday in an ongoing pay dispute.

Department for Transport

• Nigel Stevens appointed new Transport Focus ChairNew Chair to champion passengers while overseeing change to ensure Transport Focus works effectively with Great British Railways.

Financial Times

• Boeing’s HQ move revives worries over commercial plane armRelocation to Virginia aimed at boosting defence ties comes amid criticism over jetliner delays
• Ryanair boss claims Boeing ‘not up to the job’Michael O’Leary calls for management changes to fix delivery problems at aerospace group
• Uber adds charter buses to its US transport rosterRide-hailing business seeks new paths to meet rider demand in its ambition to build a ‘superapp’
• HS2 protests set to cost high-speed UK rail line up to £200mnProject heads to seek injunctions to control demos along entire length of route, MPs told
• Qantas says synthetic fuel could power long flights by mid-2030s‘Power-to-liquid’ technology may prove the ‘nirvana’ for sustainable aviation, says Australian airline

The Telegraph

• Heathrow’s charges must be brought back down to earth [subscription]What is the point of Heathrow? Is it to connect Britain to the world, driving economic prosperity and social opportunities across the UK? Or is it a monopoly cash machine run for the benefit of a small number of shareholders at the expense of hard-pressed passengers and businesses?
• BBC's Frank Gardner left on empty plane as Heathrow have 'no staff to remove wheelchair'

Times Online

• Rail strikes would damage industry, warns Grant Shapps [subscription]Rail union leaders risk “damaging their own industry” if widespread strikes go ahead this summer, the transport secretary has warned.

City AM

• Rail could cost £6bn per year without government reformMaintaining the railway sector without government reform could cost up to £6bn of taxpayers’ money a year, warned a report published today. An analysis by UK think tank Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) argued that without a complete makeover, the network will fall into a decline and underinvestment scenario that could force the government to either increase income tax or cut services to revive it.
• The prodigal daughter returns: a love letter to the Northern Line after four long monthsBeing grateful for the Monday morning commute is normally the purview of yoga bloggers or influencers, not journalists. But yesterday was a moment to rejoice as the Bank branch of the Northern Line finally reopened its doors after four long months of stasis. The closure of the Moorgate to Kennington service was announced last year [...] The post The prodigal daughter returns: a love letter to the Northern Line after four long months appeared first on CityAM.

Daily Express

• 'Fleecing motorists!' Tory MP urges Government to set up 'pump-watch regulator'A TORY MP has urged the Government to set up a

Belfast Telegraph

• Edward to mark completion of Crossrail with Elizabeth line journeyThe Earl of Wessex will mark the completion of London’s Crossrail project by travelling on the Elizabeth line.

Birmingham Mail

• New Moseley railway station - plans, pictures, where it will be and when it will openCommunities in Moseley, Stirchley and Kings Heath have been waiting for over a decade - and now it seems the reopening of the Camp Hill line is finally happening

Birmingham Post

• Spaceport Cornwall seeks legal advice ahead of first UK launchLaw firm Foot Anstey has advised the consortium ahead of the launch of the UK's first satellite this summer

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Call for Bradford rail services to be reinstated by the end of the yearTHE Leader of Bradford Council has called for Northern to reinstate rail services as soon as possible after cuts introduced this week.
• Company claims £48m road scheme is 'unlikely to progress'A MEDIA company's claims that a £48 million road scheme is

The York Press

• East Yorkshire Bus firm in York and Beverley ticket shake-upIT'S all change as a well-known bus firm looks set to bring in new tickets and fares.

Wales Online

• Big overspend expected on the £734m South Wales Metro rail projectWales' major rail electrification of project is being hit by soaring inflation

Yorkshire Post

• 'We need more trains not less': Yorkshire commuters react to Northern’s 'more reliable' reduced timetableWith Northern’s reduced timetable coming into effect, cuts to services on several Yorkshire routes have been impacting commuters and passengers alike.
• Oliver Coppard seeking 'ambitious' expansion plan for Sheffield's SupertramMr Coppard, who was elected earlier this month, told The Yorkshire Post he is considering ordering a review of how the system currently operates and what can be done to improve it, similar to one carried out by Sheffield MP Clive Betts in 2020 on the region’s bus system for then-mayor Dan Jarvis.

Bucks Free Press

• Carousel Buses problems leave Bucks passengers in the darkA business owner father criticised Carousel Buses after bus cancellations leave his children stranded.

Leeds Live

• Leeds Bradford Airport warns passengers not to arrive too early as it gives updated delay figures after 'chaos'The airport has been quoted as saying that nearly 400 passengers have missed flights in the last three months

Other Regional Press

• Still no sign of TfW’s new Class 230 trains after three years of delaysThe introduction of brand new trains on the Wrexham – Shotton – Bidston line will not begin this week due to ongoing technical issues, Deeside.com understands.
• Urgent meeting in Senedd to discuss future of Heritage Railways in WalesAN URGENT meeting has been organised in the Senedd tomorrow (Tuesday, May 17) to share concerns about the future of Heritage Railways in Wales.
• Warrington West railway station wins awardWARRINGTON West railway station in Chapelford has won an award. The site, which opened in 2019, won an award for the best kept station in Warrington and Halton.
• Grant Shapps MP: 'We are revolutionising rail travel'To mark the introduction of a new railway timetable, Grant Shapps MP has insisted his plan for a joined-up rail and bus network will "revolutionise" travel throughout the country.
• Why train service from Watford to Euston have been cutThe London Northwestern Railway has explained why there are fewer weekday peak time services between Watford Junction and London Euston.
• Ryanair warns UK holidaymakers over summer holiday price hikes and airport delaysRyanair reported narrowed annual underlying losses of 355 million euros (£302 million) for the year to March 13.

New Civil Engineer

• Green light for another M25 upgrade after planning delaysTransport secretary Grant Shapps has given the green light for another junction upgrade on the M25. Less than a week after granting planning permission for the M25/ A3 junction upgrade, Shapps has now given the go-ahead for work to begin on the M25 junction 28 improvement scheme.
• £200M boost for nationwide walking and cycling schemesThe government has promised a new funding boost of £200M for walking and cycling schemes around the UK. The delivery of 134 new schemes will be overseen by the relatively new government executive agency Active Travel England. It is sharing £161M for new footways, cycle lanes and pedestrian crossings, spread around 46 local authorities outside London.
• Rolls-Royce explains why Wales sites are perfect for UK’s first modular reactorsRolls-Royce SMR chief executive Tom Samson has outlined what makes North Wales sites ideal for small modular reactors (SMRs). Last week Samson joined energy secretary Kwasi Kwarteng minister of state Greg Hands on a visit to Wylfa to discuss the potential for bringing new nuclear to the island of Anglesey.

Railway Gazette

• Next Chair of Transport Focus appointedUK: Nigel Stevens has been appointed as Chair of Transport Focus, the arm’s length body of the Department for Transport which acts as the independent statutory consumer watchdog for rail passengers in Great Britain; bus, coach and tram passengers in England outside London; and all users of the Strategic Road Network in England.

Aviation Industry

• New report finds Government's ˜jet zero techno-optimism puts emissions targets at riskNew report from Element Energy (EE) notes significant risks in the Government’s Jet Zero strategy, including relying too heavily on technological solutions, sustainable aviation fuels and improved system efficiencies,

Other News Sources

• Heathrow Airport looks like 'apocalypse has happened' during pandemic in BBC's The Airport: Back in the SkiesJeremy Spake presented the new series of The Airport