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

Sunday, 23 August 2020

BBC News

• Petition calls for Stonehouse railway station to be reopenedHundreds of people have signed a petition to reopen a railway station that was closed more than 50 years ago.
• Stonehaven derailment: Widow says train driver 'did all he was told to do'Brett McCullough died along with a conductor and passenger when their train derailed near Stonehaven.

Financial Times

• Virgin Atlantic in last-ditch creditor talks ahead of crunch voteAirline has warned it could run out of money if bailout package is not approved

The Guardian

• Shortage of 6,000 public buses puts UK's school return at riskWith packed transport a thing of the past, ministers warn private coach operators will need to step inMinisters have privately warned of a shortage of 6,000 public buses needed to get children to school in England next week for the autumn term and have urged coach companies to fill the gap.Low passenger numbers during the pandemic have led some bus companies, particularly in rural areas, to reduce services, while social distancing requirements on public transport mean that there will be lower capacity on such services.

Times Online

• Return to school — and to traffic jams? [subscription]On the roads of Britain’s towns and cities, the moment of truth is next week. As parents return to the school run, the roads face their first serious test in the era of social distancing.
• Unfasten your seatbelts — we’ve landed early, thanks to lockdown [subscription]Empty skies have allowed aircraft to fly in a straight line, saving time and fuel

Mail Online

• London's Tower Bridge finally closes after being stuck OPEN for an hourThe historic crossing opened at around 4pm today to allow a ship travelling down the River Thames to pass through. But the bridge's arms failed to close again afterwards.

Sky News

• 'Mechanical fault' leaves Tower Bridge stuck openTower Bridge became stuck in the open position for more than an hour due to a "mechanical fault", causing traffic gridlock in central London.
• Widow of Stonehaven train driver says he 'did everything by the book'The wife of the driver killed in the Stonehaven train derailment has hit out at suggestions he was to blame for the incident and said he "did everything by the book".

Bristol Live

• The man who says an M32 junction is an 'invisible world'“Humans have appropriated this place and filled it with their dreams and nightmares and prejudices. It’s like a weird underbelly of Britain"

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• New Durham bus station planned with ageing building due to be torn downThe new building will increase space for passengers, provide more light and will be a more welcoming environment

Yorkshire Post

• No plans to introduce coronavirus testing for passengers at Doncaster Sheffield Airport as Grant Shapps says it is 'under active review'There are no plans at the moment for Doncaster Sheffield Airport to test passengers for Covid-19 when arriving back into South Yorkshire, as the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps says the issue is “under active review”.

Cambridge News

• 'Building more cycleways in Cambridge will help us all move around the city'Robin Heydon is advocating that building cycling networks will get more people on bikes because it can be quicker to cycle in peak congestion times

Hull Daily Mail

• OPINIONThe uphill battle 'deep cleaning' trains in Hull to beat spread of coronavirusHow long does it take you to properly clean the main rooms in your house?

Leeds Live

• Jet2 flights to Spain from Leeds Bradford Airport to restart next weekPeople will be able to travel to Portugal again - but those wanting to go to nearby Spain have to wait a bit longer

Other Regional Press

• Rail fare hike will make train travel 'unaffordable' warns Hartlepool MPRail travel is becoming unaffordable says Hartlepool's MP Mike Hill as fares are expected to go up again in the New Year.
• Glasgow MP to use several East End train stations for surgeriesA GLASGOW politician will hold his surgeries at train stations this week. David Linden, MP for Glasgow East, said he will be out and about at train stations in his constituency on Monday and Tuesday - and urged commuters to approach him with issues.
• LETTER - Car-less Southampton means less businessAs I was the first to point out through your columns the dangers of Bassett Avenue with the extended cycle lanes, I notice a great number of your readers agree with me, that the city doesn’t seem to know where it’s going.
• Face masks in taxis 'vital' in covid-19 fight, say health chiefsWearing a mask in taxis is important, while recent contract tracing work has found a positive covid-19 tests linked to car sharing, says health chiefs
• JLR digest: Government rescue talks end, a hydrogen SUV and moreA selection of the latest news on Britain's biggest car maker

Transportxtra

• Mayoral loan for electric bus depotThe Mayor of London has provided a loan to Zenobe Energy for the installation of charging infrastructure at a south London bus garage.
• Peterborough pilot for bus fare cappingStagecoach plans to pilot fare capping using contactless tap-in/tap-off ticketing on bus services in Peterborough. People making multiple journeys in a day or week would have their payment capped no matter how many journeys they make. The trial has been held up by Covid-19. “We have developed a technical solution with our technology partner to deliver a customer proposition that was in the final stages of testing [when the Covid-19 restrictions were implemented in March],” says Stagecoach. “When restrictions are sufficiently relaxed and market conditions are appropriate, we will look to progress the scheme.”
• Covid rail spend £2.3bnThe DfT paid train operators £2.28bn between the 1 March and 27 June to keep trains running during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Treasury ‘losing patience with rail’The Treasury may withdraw funding support for many rail services if passenger numbers do not recover soon, a transport commentator has claimed. Writing in the current issue of Rail magazine, Christian Wolmar says: “Infuriated by having to pay out around £700m per month to keep the trains running, the Treasury is on the warpath. Plans have been prepared to cut swathes of the railway in the event of a second lockdown or if numbers fail to return to the railways.

Other News Sources

• Rotala hikes dividend as it focuses on profits amid changing UK bus landscapeThe bus operator's strategy is focused on integrating its new Manchester acquisition
• Bristol Temple Meads – Cyclists need to move their bikesWork will soon be commencing on the £24m refurbishment of the roof at Bristol Temple Meads station and as part of this work a new temporary cycle storage facility is being built.
• First of Norled's Four New Hybrid Ferries Enters ServiceFestøya, the first in a series of four new hybrid ferries due for delivery to Norwegian ferry operator Norled in 2020, entered service in mid-July.The double-ended RoPax ferries are being built at the Remontowa shipyard in Poland. Two of the…
• Will bypass really 'make people's lives easier' as Boris suggests? I WRITE in response to the article (August 13) entitled “Johnson throws support behind Hereford bypassâ€�: