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

Thursday, 21 October 2021

BBC News

• Great British Railways: ‘No better place than Crewe’ for HQThere is "no better place than Crewe" to be home for the headquarters of Great British Railways, councillors have heard.
• Manchester bus strike cancelled after pay deal agreedPlanned industrial action by drivers in Manchester is cancelled as a new pay offer is accepted.
• Covid-19: Thousands prosecuted over London transport mask rulesMore than 215,000 people have been prevented from using London transport unless they wear a mask.
• Morocco bans UK flights due to Covid cases risingSeveral airlines have been told by the Moroccan government that flights will be suspended.

Financial Times

• Tesla bucks global chip shortage with record revenueThird-quarter net profit at electric carmaker hit $1.6bn as it captured growing mainstream market
• The Port of LA has just seen cargoes hit record highsMore evidence of how strong demand for consumer durables is right now.
• Uber Freight: move into trucking leaves rideshare company fighting with even more rivals Group has no more chance of eliminating competitors in haulage than it does in any other sector
• With seaports jammed, cargoes are taking to the skiesCompanies desperate to get hold of parts and goods in the run-up to Christmas are turning to airlines to fulfil orders

The Guardian

• Tesla reports record quarterly earnings despite global supply chain meltdownThe company's car sales are set to overtake last year's figures even as construction of its new Texas factory is underwayTesla saw its biggest quarterly net earnings in history, the company said on Wednesday, propelled by record electric vehicle sales last summer, amid a shortage of computer chips and other materials.

Times Online

• ‘Too few cameras’ for Edinburgh clean-car zone [subscription]Fines of £60 for cars with polluting engines, which are typically diesel cars made before 2015 and petrol cars made before 2002, will apply from June 2024. The fine is halved for drivers who pay within 30 days, but can increase to £480 for repeat offences within 90 days.

The National

• Inverness Airport Station: Work starts on new £14m train stationWORK has begun on a new £14 million train station in the Scottish Highlands. The project will see a new two-platform station at Dalcross, near Inverness Airport.

Birmingham Mail

• Britain's biggest factory to open in the West Midlands in 2025, creating 6,000 jobsThe car battery gigafactory will be built in Coventry and supply vital parts to firms such as Jaguar Land Rover

Birmingham Post

• Prime Minister discusses UK electric car plant in meeting with West of England mayorMetro mayor Dan Norris told BusinessLive he held talks with Boris Johnson and urged him to "act now" to secure a deal

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Jet2 sees surge in winter holiday demand from passengersJET2.com and Jet2holidays have reported demand for winter holidays is returning to pre-pandemic levels as they add even more flights and holidays to the Canary Islands and Turkey for Winter 21/22 from Leeds Bradford Airport, following strong demand from holidaymakers looking to enjoy some winter sunshine.
• Councillors say climate plan needs to acknowledge impact of the expansion of Leeds Bradford AirportSENIOR West Yorkshire politicians have called for a regional transport body to break its silence on air travel and its impact on the environment.

Holyrood

• MPs call on ministers to deliver levelling up pledge by electrifying Hull's main rail linesHull's three MPs have cranked up the pressure on ministers to signal the go-ahead for rail electrification in the city.

London Evening Standard

• New Ulez may not be end of toxic air curbs, Sadiq Khan warnsExclusive: London mayor preparing extra measures to target toxic air
• Anti-HS2 protests cost £80 million, Government saysEnvironmental activists have caused disruption at several sites on Phase One of the line between London and Birmingham.
• London transport workers to die with covid tops 100 in ‘devastating milestone’The number of London transport workers to die with covid has increased to 102, it was revealed today.
• Rail enthusiast Pete Waterman reveals name of HS2 tunnelling machineThe veteran music producer made the announcement during a visit to a construction site in Warwickshire.

Wales Online

• Cheaper fares and electric buses: All the big changes proposed for bus services in CardiffThe public have eight weeks to give their views on the plans, which include introducing cheaper fares as low as £1 and creating new bus priority smart corridors across the city

Cambridge News

• One of UK's first 'CYCLOPS' junctions opens in CambsThe Circulating Cycle Junction on Histon Road in Arbury is just the third of its kind in the UK

Carlisle News & Star

• Negative reactions to commuters being urged to take the trainReaders have been responding to a story following urges for commuters to use the train.

Leeds Live

• Yorkshire councillors believe the northern leg of HS2 is about to be scrappedPoliticians in Wakefield, who have always opposed the scheme, say the Birmingham-Leeds leg won't be going ahead

Other Regional Press

• Yorkshire councillors believe the northern leg of HS2 is about to be scrappedPoliticians in Wakefield, who have always opposed the scheme, say the Birmingham-Leeds leg won't be going ahead

Business Live

• New maps of Welsh Metro project aimed at helping get Wales to net zeroDelivering the £1bn project will be one of the most 'ambitious and complex programmes' Welsh Government has undertaken says minister
• Cardiff Airport on the pandemic the outlook for passenger numbers and climate changePassenger numbers are currently just 10% of pre-pandemic levels but the outlook is encouraging

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government announces £32.7M for new link road in Central BedfordshireRoads Minister Baroness Vere has announced £32.7 million in government funding to provide a vital new link road in Central Bedfordshire.    The project, supported by the Department for Transport and led by Central Bedfordshire Council and South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership, will see the construction of a new 2.75-mile road link between Junction 11a of the M11 and the A6, forming a north-western bypass for Luton.   According to Vere, the scheme will ease the transportation of goods between the M1 and Midlands, and support development of new homes and jobs.&nbs...

New Civil Engineer

• Shapps delays planning decision on restoration of abandoned Portishead lineTransport secretary Grant Shapps has delayed his planning decision on the restoration of the abandoned Portishead branch line due to environmental impact concerns.
• Confirmed: HS2’s Euston station will be scaled backHigh Speed 2 (HS2)'s Euston station will be scaled back from 11 to 10 platforms, it has been confirmed.

Rail Magazine

• Weymouth-Bristol to shut for 16 daysA 16-day closure will be required for what Network Rail describes as “major surgery” for the Weymouth-Bristol line.

Railnews

• Court clears way for overcharge claims on Southeastern and SWR WEDNESDAY BRIEFING: Court clears way for overcharge claims on Southeastern and SWR ++

road.cc

• Parents set up ‘bike train’ for school run after council rips out bike lane (+ video)Parents in Hove, East Sussex, have set up a ‘bike train’ to get their kids to school safely after Brighton & Hove City Council removed a temporary protected cycle lane.

Aviation Industry

• Climate impact costs of airports treble, as airport expansion battles continueUttlesford District Council, which had opposed the expansion of Stansted Airport, has had its application for the Judicial Review (of the Planning Inspectorate’s decision to approve the airport’s expansion plans) … The post Climate impact costs of airports treble, as airport expansion battles continue appeared first on Aviation Environment Federation.

Other News Sources

• ‘Drop expansion plans’ Climate Change Committee chair tells airportsThe UK must drop plans for airport expansion if it is to meet carbon reduction targets, the head of the Climate Change Committee has warned the aviation industry.
• Northern seeks people to 'adopt' Trafford's train stationsNORTHERN is seeking people to 'adopt' almost 40 train stations across Greater Manchester – including several in Trafford.
• Passengers to sue two London rail companies for £93million after cheaper fares loophole was 'hidden' for yearsIt's all to do with a little-publicised ticket called 'boundary fares' and you could get some of the money if successful
• National Highways bridge infill plan contested by Watercress WayTHE proposed infilling of a bridge in a village near Winchester is being contested by a charity who want to keep access along the old railway line.