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

Friday, 14 August 2020

BBC News

• Shapps orders report into fatal Stonehaven train crashThe transport secretary meets emergency services and agencies when visiting the site of Wednesday’s rail crash in Aberdeenshire.
• London bus garage to become world's largest trial power stationNorthumberland Park garage will be converted to allow electric buses to return power to the grid.
• Storm leaves 30m hole in Union CanalAerial images show the extent of the breach which has resulted in the closure of Scotland's busiest railway line.
• National Express to use jobs bonus to cut bus faresThe government's job retention bonus scheme will be used to cut fares in the West Midlands and Dundee.

Financial Times

• Travellers from France added to UK quarantine listArrivals face 14 days of isolation from 4am on Saturday, prompting fears of a rush to get home
• National Express suffers as passengers shun public transportUK bus and rail operator falls to £60m loss after pandemic lockdowns

The Guardian

• Friday briefing: holiday chaos as France taken off safe listHolidaymakers face race to avoid 14-day quarantine on return … 1.3m tests removed from coronavirus data … Trump quizzed on untruthsMorning everyone. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top stories from home and abroad this morning. Continue reading...

Times Online

• Stonehaven derailment: ‘Humbling and extraordinary’ actions of train crash rescuers [subscription]The chaos and heroism of the disaster began unfolding at about 9.30am when one of the two engines and three carriages of the Class 43 Inter7City train plunged down an embankment by a rail bridge over the Carron river.

Mail Online

• 'We just don't have the space for everybody': Eurotunnel boss warns trains are 'fully booked' and warned ticketless travellers to stay away from terminal as scramble to get home from France begins after it was put on quarantine listHundreds of thousands of British tourists are facing a desperate scramble to get home today after France was added to the UK's quarantine list.
• National Express set to use jobs bonus to cut bus fares: Coaches only running a fifth full after lockdown slumpNational Express plans to use £4million in job retention bonuses to slash ticket prices on its local bus services.

Bolton News

• Bolton town centre regeneration still on course despite coronavirus, report saysBolton’s economy is set for a £487million boost on the back of major regeneration plans worth more than £1billion, according to a new report.

Bristol Live

• 'Bold' plans to close 16 busy roads across Bristol revealedSt Mark's Road, Dean Lane and Clifton Village have all been earmarked for closure to general traffic

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Huge landslide shuts Snowdonia road after burst of torrential rainThe road will remain closed until Gwynedd council have carried out an inspection of the site

The York Press

• Half-price travel offer on York buses for familiesBUS operators in York are aiming to help families make the most of the school holidays with half-price family travel.

Wales Online

• Ogmore Valley residents living with a 'curfew' after evening bus route cancelledLocals feel they are "trapped" after it was announced their local bus service will no longer run past 5.30 pm.

Other Regional Press

• North Dorset transport works set to begin in earnestWORKS which are part of a multi-million pound transport overhaul of a north Dorset town will be starting soon.
• First Dorset busses go contactlessFIRST Dorset is now accepting Express Mode for Apple Pay on its buses to offer passengers another contactless method to avoid using cash. Express Mode means there is no need to unlock the device with face ID or touch ID or open an app.
• Weymouth roadworks making more room for cyclistsCYCLISTS will be given more room on a major Weymouth route thanks to resurfacing work by Dorset Council.

Business Live

• Rail union says staff unhappy over move to new Transport for Wales HQ in PontypriddTransport union TSSA has raised concerns over Transport for Wales' new HQ in Pontypridd saying there has been a lack of consultation and it will add considerable commuting time for staff.

Coach and Bus Week

• Government continues support for bus and tram operators with additional £256m in fundingThe Government has extended its coronavirus support package for bus and tram operators, revealing on Saturday 8 August that up to £256 million in additional funding will be made available to help them ramp up services ahead of expected increases in public transport use in September.
• East Yorkshire secures contract to operate new ‘JustGo’ ride sharing service across North LincolnshireGo-Ahead bus company East Yorkshire has won a contract from North Lincolnshire Council to provide demand-responsive buses in the region.
• Go South West formed, comprising Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall BusThe Go-Ahead Group has announced the formation of Go South West, encompassing both Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall Bus.
• Honk for Hope UK hopes to see 1,000 coaches at London protest next weekUK coach operators are preparing to hit the road again next week to continue to put pressure on the government and raise awareness of the plight many operators are in.
• Harrogate Bus and Coastliner offer free evening travel for passengers ‘Eating Out to Help Out’Two Transdev bus operators in Yorkshire – The Harrogate Bus Company and Coastiiner – are offering free journeys to boost the evening economy in Harrogate and York as businesses join the Government-backed ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ promotion.

Rail Advent

• Hitachi, Bombardier and Trenitalia sign £723 million contract for new trains for Italy’s Intermodalidad de LevanteHitachi Rail and Bombardier have announced that they have signed a contract with Trenitalia to supply 23 Frecciarossa 100 very-high-speed trains (VHST) for the new Intermodalidad de Levante.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Bus Emergency Scheme in Wales gets an extra £10mThe Welsh Government has made available a further £10m to the country’s Bus Emergency Scheme that will enable service levels in Wales to be increased.
• UrbanThings partners with Welsh Government on TrawsCymru networkSmart mobility provider UrbanThings has announced that it is partnering with the welsh government to provide its ticketing solution on the TrawsCymru network across Wales.
• Review of CPT structure to mitigate industry pressuresThe Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) is to undertake a review of its structure to take account of the crisis that the coach and bus industry is facing, both currently and into the future.
• Will Aura Air become the new ‘air quality standard’ for coaches in the post-COVID era?Are your coaches purified by Aura Air? Its new product is creating a buzz in the industry by providing improved air quality while ensuring customer peace of mind.
• Stagecoach Manchester MD Elizabeth Tasker retiresThe Managing Director (MD) of Stagecoach’s Manchester operation, Elisabeth Tasker, is to retire after coronavirus COVID-19 caused her to ‘rethink’ priorities surrounding work and family.

Other News Sources

• 'Commuting on the London Underground is so much better than taking the bus’Commuting to work is probably the worst bit of living in London. Nowhere else in the UK would it be seen as acceptable to spend three hours travelling a day, and definitely not on cramped public transport.
• Open top bus protest in Staines town centre over British Airways job cuts Protesters have accused British Airways of having no respect with its restructuring plans, while British Airways say there has been an enormous financial impact on their business