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

Saturday, 22 August 2020

BBC News

• Monsal Trail: Plans to turn viaduct into railway opposedNearly 5,000 people have signed a petition to stop a rail route being reinstated over a landmark viaduct.
• Fish rescued after Union canal breached in stormMore than 11,000 fish have been returned to the canal after a 30m section of embankment was washed away.
• Stonehaven derailment: Train had reached 72.8mphInvestigators say the train which derailed near Stonehaven was travelling close to the maximum speed for the line.
• Coronavirus: Airport wants to test travellers on arrivalBelfast International Airport says the move would help to build confidence in the travel industry.
• Coronavirus: Manchester Airport closes Terminal TwoAfter closing when Covid-19 caused air travel demand to plummet, the terminal only reopened in July.
• Road workers abused at Rest and Be Thankful closureHeavy rain led to a shorter diversion around the A83 Rest and Be Thankful being closed overnight.
• Crossrail needs extra £450m and delayed until 2022The project's CEO Mark Wild says the project is in its

Financial Times

• Crossrail costs soar to £19bn and opening is pushed back to mid-2022Pandemic intensifies engineering problems at one of Europe’s largest infrastructure projects

The Guardian

• Welsh planners turn down cycle cafe for lack of car parking spacesPetition launched to support former BA steward who wants to open Torfaen businessA cycle cafe in Wales has been refused planning permission because it doesn’t have enough car parking space.Kelly Eroglu wanted to open a coffee shop by ponds on an industrial estate in Llantarnam in Cwmbran, south-east Wales. In her planning application she said she would provide spaces to park bikes but not cars, and noted that there were four bus stops within 15-yards (14 metres) of her proposed site. Continue reading...
• Crossrail delayed again until 2022 and another £450m over budgetHoldup only partly down to pause in construction because of Covid-19, TfL says

The Independent

• Crossrail delayed to 2022 and needs an extra £1.1bn to completeIt was originally supposed to start carrying passengers from 2018

Times Online

• Strike threat is cloud over British Airways as travel stocks have day in the sun [subscription]orries of more strike action at British Airways meant that International Consolidated Airlines Group, its owner, largely missed out on a rare winning session for travel stocks.
• London Crossrail line delayed to 2022 as the cost rises by £450m [subscription]The new Crossrail line through London is likely to be delayed by up to three and a half years and cost a further £450 million in a fresh blow to the controversial railway.
• Eurostar boss picks up top job at Arriva [subscription]The chief executive of Eurostar has resigned after two and half years running the passenger train operator to take the top job at Arriva.
• Highways England boss Jim O’Sullivan stands down amid smart motorways furore [subscription]The boss of Highways England is to stand down after criticism over the smart motorway policy. Jim O’Sullivan, one of the country’s highest-paid transport officials, will leave the state-funded company responsible for operating England’s motorways early next year.

Mail Online

• Ministers plan SEVEN new smart motorways despite concerns over their safetyThe plans, which were partly released back in March, now include smart motorway upgrades to the M6, M62, M56, the M40 and M42 interchange, the A1(M), the M3 and part of the M25.

Network Rail

• Iconic building at Swindon station has a brighter future as Network Rail takes back controlOne of the most recognisable buildings in Swindon which is right next to the town's station is set to get a new lease of life after Network Rail took its ownership on 10 August. 
• UK’s most operationally challenging railway junction to be unblocked as part of Brighton Main Line proposalsNetwork Rail is asking passengers and the community to help shape its proposals to remove the UK’s most operationally challenging railway junction as a public consultation on the scheme enters its final month.

Birmingham Post

• 650 jobs to go at bus builder Alexander DennisSites in Falkirk, Scarborough and Guildford affected
• Rail Minister's regional investment pledge as he views £80m station developmentChris Heaton-Harris says the Tory Government will continue to pump cash into infrastructure as he tours site of Plymouth's huge railway terminal and medical campus project
• Hull Trains back on track but 'not out of the woods'First service in more than four months caught up in Storm Ellen East Coast Main Line closure

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bus service to stop at Apperley Bridge rail stationTHE diversion of a bus route to Apperley Bridge rail station has been welcomed.

Bristol Live

• Bristol Airport: Hike in parking charges will lead to 'more misery' Campaigners say people will park in narrow lanes and verges surrounding the airport to avoid paying a parking fee

Northern Echo

• Darlington MP hails ’fantastic’ rail news on rail investmentDARLINGTON MP Peter Gibson has welcomed news from the Department for Transport that the town will see it’s share of £4 million investment for track improvements to the mainline.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Could notorious A14 Copdock junction be upgraded in 10 years?Suffolk MP James Cartlidge is hopeful work to upgrade the A14’s notorious Copdock Mill junction could take place in a decade - after it finally made Highways England’s list of future projects.

North Wales Live

• Ryanair and EasyJet slash Portugal prices as country on safe listBut travel advice remains unpredictable

Peterborough Telegraph

• Time capsule buried under new £3m rail freight depot in PeterboroughA time capsule has been buried as part of a £3 million construction project in Peterborough.

Other Regional Press

• Reopening Bristol Road railway station is 'no brainer' as petition gains 600 signaturesThe Stonehouse station was closed as part of the Beeching cuts in the 1960s but more than 600 people want it to re-open as Stroudwater Station
• M25 smart motorway plans to be pushed through despite safety concerns The M25 is among numerous other motorways to have its carriageways converted into all-lane running smart motorway
• Which? calls on BMW, Nissan, Land Rover, Tesla cars to be recalled over fault claims Consumer rights champion Which? has called for seven car models from brands such as BMW, Nissan, Tesla and Land Rover to be recalled over claims of 'prolific' vehicle faults.
• Jaguar Land Rover recycling project could slash carbon emissionsEngineers have formed a new and tested prototype alloy

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Multi-million boost from UK government for Welsh railways to level up infrastructure and improve journeys for passengersMajor progress has been made on ambitious upgrades to Wales’ railways following £343 million of investment to help deliver better journeys for passengers, UK government Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has set out. The raft of schemes to be funded include kickstarting the design of the Cardiff Central station upgrade, advancing plans for cutting-edge digital signalling on the Cambrian line and speeding up journeys between Cardiff and Swansea. Work on a new, modern design for Cardiff Central station will be funded through the release of £5.8 million. It will focus on improvi...
• Transport Secretary launches new Acceleration Unit to speed up transport infrastructure projects and build back better from COVID-19Vital rail and road upgrades that will create jobs, increase connectivity, and boost the economy will be delivered more quickly, thanks to the launch of a new Acceleration Unit announced by the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. The new team of specialists will join the Department for Transport (DfT) in order to tackle delays to infrastructure projects and drive forward progress for passengers. The unit is set to be in place next month and will be directly accountable to the Transport Secretary. It will be led by Darren Shirley, currently Chief Executive of the Campaign for Better Transport a...

New Civil Engineer

• Crossrail needs another £1.1bn as opening date pushed back to 2022Crossrail will need an additional £1.1bn to complete the central section of the London route.

Rail Technology Magazine

• New Acceleration Unit launched by Transport Secretary Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, has today (Aug 21) announced the launch of a new Acceleration Unit to help bring essential rail and road upgrades that will create jobs, rise connectivity, and boost the economy coming out of the Covid-19 outbreak. The new team of specialists will join the...
• Hull Trains return to the track today After five months of services being suspended due to Covid-19, Hull Trains finally make their anticipated return today. The people of Hull and East Riding will see trains between Beverly and London Kings Cross running for the first time since Sunday 29 March. To begin with, the open access rail...
• Welsh railways receive multi-million-pound UK government investment Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced today that momentous progress has been made on moving forward upgrades to Wales’ railways following £343m of funding to help bring better journeys for passengers. The list of schemes to be funded include the start of designing the...

Railnews

• Crossrail delayed until 2022, while costs are set to rise still further The Crossrail board has heard confirmation that the central section of the line will not be opening next summer, and it has now been postponed until the first half of 2022. Costs have also risen again. Crossrail said: ˜The latest cost estimate presented to the Board shows that the cost to complete the Crossrail project could be up to £1.1 billion above the Financing Package agreed in December 2018 (£450 million more than the upper end of the range announced in November 2019).™

Transportxtra

• The DfT was right to reject UTG’s bus grant power grabThe Urban Transport Group’s demand that Covid-19 emergency funding for bus operators should be funnelled through its members (’Covid bus fund: UTG demands a rethink’ LTT 24 Jul), needs to be seen for what it is: a simple power grab and a mechanism to give local authorities control over the assets of private companies. It would lead to a complete halt to investment nationally and the DfT was right to ignore the request (’DfT to confirm fresh round of bus support’ LTT 07 Aug and see page 5).

Other News Sources

• Government funding to see if train journey times can be fasterTrain services from north to south Wales via Hereford and Leominster are set to benefit from a £343 million investment into railways in Wales from the UK Government.
• Transport Committee statement on Crossrail delayResponding to news that Crossrail’s opening will be delayed to the first half of 2022, Dr Alison Moore AM, Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, said:
• Plan to link Hove and Shoreham cycle lanes vetoed by leaderA GRAND plan to build a cycle lane linking Brighton and Shoreham will not be going ahead.
• EasyJet announces expansion of services at Gatwick AirportA BUDGET airline is expanding its services flying from London Gatwick in a boost for the airport.