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

Friday, 31 January 2020

Government

• Progress for Oxford-Cambridge Arc as government announces preferred East West Rail central sectionAnnouncing the preferred route, route E, for the Bedford to Cambridge section of the East West Rail line.

BBC News

• East-West rail link: Bedford, St Neots and Cambourne in planThe preferred route has been announced as part of the third and final stage of the East-West rail link.
• HS2: Chancellor Sajid Javid backs project ahead of crucial meetingThe chancellor is expected to tell Boris Johnson he supports the London to Birmingham rail link.
• Landslip at A83 Rest And Be Thankful in ArgyllDrivers are diverted on to the Old Military Road after more than 1,000 tonnes of debris covered the road.
• HS2: Government review 'advises against cancelling' projectThe review, seen by the BBC, advises against cancelling the high speed rail scheme.

ITV News

• Preferred route for Bedford to Cambridge section of East West Rail line announcedThe Government has announced its preferred route for the central section of the East West Rail line.

Financial Times

• Ferrari in legal battle over name of its first SUVCarmaker is suing a tiny charity over trademarking of Italian word for thoroughbred
• Boris Johnson faces backbench rebellion over HS2As crucial meeting looms, MPs against the project make their voices heard

The Guardian

• HS2 decision may be made next week after PM holds final talksTransport secretary tells MPs they ‘won’t have to wait long’ amid continuing opposition
• Rollout of smart motorways put on hold amid safety concernsInvestigation finds 38 people killed on smart motorways in the past five years A national rollout of smart motorways has been put on hold by transport secretary, Grant Shapps, after they were linked with an increase in the number of road deaths.Shapps said there would be no new stretches of smart motorway until the government has completed a review announced last year. Continue reading...

Times Online

• Southeastern in line for first part-devolution [subscription]Powers to run commuter trains will be devolved to big cities under plans to make services more responsive.

i News

• Tory MPs threaten mutiny over Boris Johnson's decision to give HS2 the go-aheadChancellor Sajid Javid throws weight behind the vast rail scheme

Sky News

• Heathrow boss demands 'lifeline routes' as Flybe row deepensJohn Holland-Kaye has called for government action to preserve crucial domestic routes from Heathrow in a letter seen by Sky News.

Birmingham Mail

• Rail privatisation is failing and here's what the government plans to do about itTransport Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'The current model is now struggling to deliver ... a number of franchises are failing to provide the reliable services that passengers require'

Birmingham Post

• Airbus reiterates need for 'regulatory alignment' as ministers make eve of Brexit visit to BroughtonFirst Minister Mark Drakeford and Economy Minister Ken Skates toured the 6,000 worker wing assembly site

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• New £20 fine for train users who buy on board Transpennine Express RAIL users have hit out at a decision by Transpennine Express to introduce a new penalty fare of up to £20 for passengers who do not buy their tickets before a train journey.
• Concern over lack of information in plans to expand Leeds Bradford Airport AIRPORT chiefs of not giving enough information on early plans on Leeds Bradford Airport’s revised £150m renovation.
• Protestors' 'die in' halts Leeds Bradford Airport meeting PROTESTERS opposing plans to expand Leeds Bradford Airport staged a ‘die-in’, causing a Council meeting to be suspended.

Bristol Live

• Why council backs Bristol Airport expansion despite impact on green beltAirport bosses want to extend its seasonal silver zone car park with more than 2,700 spaces for year-round use and build a multi-storey car park

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Billions spent on HS2 'is immoral when there are people on the streets'Gwynedd’s Homelessness Service has seen a rise in the number of applicants

London Evening Standard

• Virgin Atlantic suspends flights between UK and Shanghai for two weeks amid fears over coronavirus spreadingVirgin Atlantic has suspended flights between Britain and China due to fears about the spread of the coronavirus.

Morning Star

• ‘What planet is Tory Rail Minister Heaton-Harris living on?’Rail workers perplexed by minister's claim that train fares, which have risen 40% since 2010, are ‘not bad value’

Northern Echo

• Teesside Airport railway station to see potential £6m investmentPLANS for a £6m investment in the redevelopment of the railway station at Teesside International Airport have been announced as part of plans to invest almost £40 million to improve transport across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.

Sheffield Star

• Sheffield City Region mayor welcomes nationalisation of Northern rail franchiseThe decision to nationalise the ailing Northern rail franchise following years of delays, disruption and passenger anger has been welcomed by Sheffield City Region mayor, Dan Jarvis.

Yorkshire Post

• Doncaster Sheffield Airport announces £10m expansion and its own train station amidst growing pressures to reduce carbon emissionsYorkshire's airports are facing growing scrutiny from climate change activists as more expansions are announced for Leeds Bradford and Doncaster Sheffield.

Cambridge News

• All the stations a new train line from Cambridge to Oxford will stop atThere will likely be new homes built along the Oxford to Cambridge Arc too

East Anglian Daily Times

• East-west rail line route chosen for new track to midlandsProposals for a new rail link between East Anglia and the south midlands have taken a major step forward - 40 years after they were first suggested.
• Northern bypass work officially recommended to ceaseAny further work on pursuing a northern bypass has been recommended to cease altogether, Suffolk County Council’s leader has said – with a lack of support cited for the planned axing of the scheme.

Leeds Live

• 'Not enough detail' in plans for £150M Leeds Bradford Airport expansionResidents also express concerns about impact of expansion on environment
• When work could begin on Leeds inland port - and what it could costThe £3m scheme would shift heavy freight from the roads, back onto the city's waterways

Other Regional Press

• Marie Rimmer MP calls for fresh investment after stripping Northern of franchiseMARIE Rimmer MP has urged the government to put its “money where its mouth is” after announcing it will be renationalising the Northern rail franchise.
• Could any closed East Anglian railway lines be reopened as the government seeks to 'reverse Beeching?'The government has announced it wants to 'reverse Beeching' by reopening long-closed railway lines - and has allocated a £500m to look at possible projects. Two lines in northern England have so far been identified.
• Welwyn Garden City station appoints new station managerWelwyn Garden City's new train station manager is hoping to inspire others to pursue railway careers following his own progression through the ranks.
• Transport minister 'interested' in plans for TfL to take over Southeastern servicesA TRANSPORT minister has said he is “very interested” in proposals to allow Transport for London (TfL) to take over parts of the beleaguered South Eastern rail route.
• Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney urges government to back HS2Tory politician calls for transport chiefs to spend big on rail projects across West Yorkshire
• MP writes to Network Rail with concerns over railway realignment plansAnne Marie Morris, the MP for the area, has now written to Network Rail with a raft of concerns about the proposals, including the loss of the beach, whether they will work, and the ‘cold and featureless’ designs for the iconic section of Brunel’s railway.
• Greenwich could get new rail links with north London New railway lines connecting Greenwich to boroughs across the Thames are among plans now open for public consultation.
• Jaguar Land Rover announces latest quarterly resultsSales have risen in China, which is good news for the Coventry car maker

British Trams Online

• Building work begins on depot for Cardiff tram-trainsThe UK’s second fleet of tram-trains will soon have a home to call their own with work having now commenced on building a depot at Taff’s Well in Cardiff. 36 Citylink tram-trains are on order from Stadler for use on the South Wales Metro with delivery set to begin in 2022.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• West Midlands Trains to recruit more driversA train operator that has seen its passenger satisfaction levels plummet says it is recruiting more drivers to help improve services. West Midlands Trains previously acknowledged a drop in performance since May with passengers experiencing delays and cancellations. Its managing director has said he hopes to recruit 46 drivers and 40 conductors to create a

Coach and Bus Week

• Principles and pragmatismThe council audit which revealed the scale of deficiency in the Accessible Transport Group (ATG) in the West Midlands is a shocker.
• Mayor of London announces grants for coach and bus operatorsThe Mayor of London has announced that he will be taking action later this year to support small businesses operating heavy vehicles.
• Stagecoach marks 40th year with new lookOn 30 January Stagecoach unveiled its long-rumoured brand new look. It says that the new bus design is part of a wider commitment to simplify, modernise and enhance its customer experience, whilst reaffirming its customer-first approach. Stagecoach said it asked thousands of customers to share their thoughts on how the new design could serve them best, and what would encourage them to use public transport more regularly.
• Halton Transport ceases operationsMunicipal bus company Halton Transport has ceased operations due to financial issues Halton Borough Council arms-length bus company, Halton Transport, ceased operations on Friday 24 January. The municipal bus company employed around 150 people.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Norwood Junction station upgrade receives significant support The development of Norwood Junction station has been given the green light by residents, passengers and businesses in the area. With a 94% backing, the upgrade would allow trains to run more dependably and more frequently. The proposals to upgrade the station were presented by Network Rail at...

Railway Gazette

• Faulty Bombardier Subway cars returned to serviceUSA: Bombardier has recalibrated the door mechanisms of 298 New York City Transit R179 Subway cars following two isolated instances of train doors opening between stations.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• London LEZ funding for coach and bus is comingMayor of London Sadiq Khan is to offer coach and non-Transport for London (TfL) bus operators a grant of “around £15,000” per vehicle to help them satisfy the capital’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ), which will require Euro VI emission standards from 26 October.
• Drivers blamed after coach spaces removed in WestminsterCouncil says it issued warnings about 'constant idling' in three prime spaces Three coach parking spots in Westminster are to be replaced with EV charging points, cycling hangers and resident parking after Westminster Council received complaints about coach drivers persistently idling instead of switching off their engines.
• New Managing Director appointment at Stagecoach SWAfter taking on the position of Managing Director for Stagecoach South West (SW) on an interim basis in November, Mike Watson will be taking on the role permanently from 3 February.
• Neil Warman named as new CFO for TicketerTicketer CFO, Neil Warman, will succeed joint company founder Gordon Montgomery who will remain with Ticketer as a non-executive Director to work on projects.
• Ford Transit HVO usage is approvedFord has approved the use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) in its Transit range.
• Cardiff car ban: NAT Group calls for car-free Cardiff to back up busesCongestion charge not enough; Cardiff car ban will free up bus routes and clean air, says MD
• Zipabout expands after record £1.35m investmentTransport technology specialist Zipabout has secured its largest private investment to date.
• Yutong battery electric passes 100,000 markIn December 2019, Chinese coach and bus manufacturer Yutong delivered its 100,000th battery electric vehicle.
• Report identifies ‘high intensity’ bus usersThe bus market in England outside London is becoming focussed on a smaller number of “high intensity” users, according to a report from the Independent Transport Commission (ITC), The shape of changing bus demand in England.

Other News Sources

• Buses from Berkshire to Heathrow Airport to run 21 hours a dayThames Valley Buses will run buses to and from the country's biggest airport
• Heathrow passengers given option to offset flight emissionsA new ‘Flight Footprint Calculator’ on the Heathrow website aims to allow passengers to easily calculate and offset the carbon footprint of their journey
• Electric buses to ecological funerals: 6 ways Epsom and Ewell Borough Council is tackling climate change The council has outlined a 15 year target to help become carbon neutral