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

Saturday, 23 January 2021

BBC News

• Newport Transporter Bridge: Multimillion-pound boost for historic structureThe world's largest surviving transporter bridge is set to be repaired and restored.
• Essex lorry deaths: Men jailed for killing 39 migrants in trailerThirty-nine Vietnamese migrants suffocated in a sealed container en route to Essex in October 2019.
• Hotel quarantine for UK arrivals to be discussedBoris Johnson has not ruled out further action to secure the borders amid concerns over Covid variants.
• Electric car battery's quick charge and other tech newsBBC Click's Marc Cieslak looks at some of the best technology news stories of the week.
• Rail line in Aberdeenshire closed until FebruaryThe route near Stonehaven has been shut since a bridge wall collapsed, close to the site of last year's fatal derailment.
• Brexit: Can Irish Sea border ‘teething problems’ be salved?Hauliers tell a shadow cabinet meeting that NI and the Republic are
• Brexit: Nissan commits to keep making cars in SunderlandThe Japanese car maker has told the BBC its Sunderland plant is secure for the long term.
• Shipping crisis: I'm being quoted £10,000 for a £1,600 container'A shortage of shipping containers, rising costs, and congestion at ports are holding back imports from China.
• East West and Northumberland rail lines get £794m boostThe government says the funding will connect

Financial Times

• Carnival extends cruise suspensions and cancellationsWorld's largest operator cancels European and Australian sailings and pushes back US restart

The Guardian

• Boeing says it will make planes able to fly on 100% biofuel by 2030Aviation giant already staged the world's first commercial flight using 100% biofuel in 2018Boeing says it will begin delivering commercial airplanes capable of flying on 100% biofuel by the end of the decade, calling reducing environmental damage from fossil fuels the "challenge of our lifetime.'Boeing's goal ' which requires advances to jet systems, raising fuel-blending requirements, and safety certification by global regulators ' is central to a broader industry target of slashing carbon emissions in half by 2050, the US planemaker said. Continue reading...
• Electric vehicles close to ‘tipping point’ of mass adoptionSales increase 43% globally in 2020 as plunging battery costs mean the cars will soon be the cheapest vehicles to buy Electric vehicles are close to the “tipping pointâ€� of rapid mass adoption thanks to the plummeting cost of batteries, experts say.Global sales rose 43% in 2020, but even faster growth is anticipated when continuing falls in battery prices bring the price of electric cars dipping below that of equivalent petrol and diesel models, even without subsidies. The latest analyses forecast that to happen some time between 2023 and 2025. Continue reading...
• Summer holidays cancelled? UK faces big decision on borderStricter controls appear likely, with government's approach in stark contrast to that during first Covid waveCoronavirus - latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSlumped on the sofa after another day of home schooling, many families will have longingly eyed adverts for getaways: sun, sandy beaches and glittering pools, a much-needed reward after a year in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic.But ministers are becoming increasingly concerned they may have to ask the British public to sacrifice their hopes of a break abroad this summer. On Thursday, Priti Patel became the latest cabinet...
• Invest in UK industry to drive switch to electric cars, says LabourParty also says sector needs Covid crisis support similar to that in France and GermanyThe Labour party has called for the government to invest billions of pounds in the UK car industry to help it recover from the coronavirus pandemic and to push forward the transition towards electric cars.The stimulus for motor manufacturers envisaged by Labour would be on a similar scale to the support given by Germany and France, which last year earmarked €5bn (£4.4bn) and €8bn, respectively, for their carmakers. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Falling ice hits roads maintenance truck as sensors fail again to prevent danger on Queensferry CrossingFALLING ice hit a roads maintenance vehicle as newly installed sensors failed to stop danger to motorists on Scotland's showpiece road bridge for the second time in seven weeks, it has emerged.

Times Online

• Boris Johnson hails Nissan Sunderland battery plant boost [Subscription]A commitment by Nissan to expand battery production at its factory in the northeast of England is “a great vote of confidence in the UK”, the prime minister has said.
• Pilotless hydrogen-powered aircraft could transform domestic travel [Subscription]Passengers could soon travel on pilotless hydrogen-powered planes across the UK under government-backed plans to revolutionise domestic flights.

City AM

• Airline, hotel and travel shares slump on summer holiday warnings and UK quarantine rumoursShares in airline, hotel and travel companies have sunk today, after UK Government ministers poured cold water on summer holidays being back to normal this year. The post Airline, hotel and travel shares slump on summer holiday warnings and UK quarantine rumours appeared first on CityAM.

Daily Express

• Covid chaos: Travel restrictions could remain in place for another TWO years expert saysA LEADING epidemiologist has warned that travel restrictions will have to be in place for the next year or two due to the increased transmissibility of the new coronavirus variant.

Mail Online

• London goes to WAR with Sadiq's 'illegal' road schemesResidents in Hackney, Ealing, Hounslow, Lambeth and Croydon have now launched a legal challenge to stop the road closures.
• Tour bus headed to Grand Canyon rolls over after speeding, killing one and critically injuring twoA Las Vegas-based tour bus heading to the Grand Canyon rolled over in northwestern Arizona on Friday, killing one person and critically injuring two others, authorities said.
• Huge crowds wait at Heathrow border control as travellers stream back into the UKHuge crowds of travellers were spotted at Heathrow Airport in London as the UK got set to introduce tougher travel restrictions. Hundreds of travellers including children and the elderly were forced to wait
• Councils face legal challenges against road schemes brought in during pandemicResidents' groups are applying for judicial reviews into measures such as road closures and pop-up cycle lanes at a High Court hearing next month.

Sky News

• 'No ventilation. Super spreading': Crowds at Heathrow Airport spark social distancing concernsCrowds at Heathrow Airport have sparked "super spreader" concerns after pictures emerged of a packed departures hall with limited social distancing.

Birmingham Post

• Cycling safety app sees 870% increase in downloads since start of third lockdownThe team behind the app also used by runners, skaters and motorcyclists is all set for a big 2021
• Prime Minister welcomes Nissan's commitment to Sunderland following Brexit dealLeading Nissan executive said the trade deal with the EU was a positive step for the company's Sunderland plant

Bolton News

• New alerts issued over Royal Mail and DVLA fraud scams The UK's leading fraud prevention organisation has issued a warning about new scams involving Royal Mail deliveries and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Daily Post (North Wales)

• How new 'transport corridor' off A55 could relieve congestionTransport chiefs on both sides of the border are looking at the business case for Broughton Innovation Corridor
• Work to transform empty part of station into 'one stop shop' gets startedTransport for Wales and the Welsh Government are behind the renovation project

London Evening Standard

• Walking and cycling schemes face legal challenges after Sadiq Khan defeated by cabbies in High CourtA series of legal challenges to road schemes promoting cycling and walking are being mounted in the wake of the Mayor of London's High Court defeat by black cabbies.  
• Truckers 'spending 3-5% longer at UK borders' due to post-Brexit red tape, new data revealsStephan Sieber, the CEO of logistics software firm Transporeon, warned this is a 'real problem' for the trucking industry

Northern Echo

• Region could be EV superpower following Nissan's commitment NISSAN’S long-term commitment to the North-East could see the region become an electrical vehicle superpower, according to one industry leader.
• Bus service to launch new app to make travel easier in Weardale AN app designed to make travel easier is coming to a popular County Durham dale.
• Trains: £34m for revival of 50-year-old North-East railway line A £34 MILLION investment to reopen a North-East rail route that closed more than 50 years ago has been announced by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

Wales Online

• Fatal bus crash into bridge happened after driver took shortcutThe crash killed university academic Jessica Jing Ren and injured seven others

Cambridge News

• UK's border could shut entirely to protect against Covid strainsCabinet minister George Eustice confirmed the drastic plan is being 'considered'
• New e-bikes launched in Cambs 'will not be a source of Covid'The electric bikes are for public hire in central Cambridge and Peterborough City centre

Reading Evening Post

• Drivers warned of M4 closure this weekendThe road will be closed in both directions at the M25 junction

Other Regional Press

• E-scooters trial approved to begin in Headington in FebruaryELECTRIC scooters will soon be available to rent on the streets of Headington.
• £760m will lay new track for trains to CambridgeA £760m fund will be spent to break ground on a new railway link between Oxford and Cambridge.
• £4.5m plans unveiled to overhaul Southampton road network MULTI-MILLION pound transport plans set to transform how people move around Southampton city centre have been unveiled.
• New electric car charging points will be rolled out in OxfordELECTRIC vehicle charging points will be placed on streets across Oxford.
• First Oxford Low Traffic Neighbourhoods approved in Cowley AN experiment which could see the number of cars on residential streets around Cowley reduced has been given the go-ahead.
• £760m will lay new track for trains to CambridgeA £760m fund will be spent to break ground on a new railway link between Oxford and Cambridge.
• Eco delivery hubs could soon appear on outskirts of townsParcels could soon be delivered to homes by a fleet of electric vans and bikes operating out of special hubs on the edge of town.
• Carnage as 'tens of cars' damaged by just one Huddersfield potholeA deep hole in the Lindley area has claimed more than a dozen motorists, it is claimed
• Lockdown made our roads quieter - so more people were speedingMotorists have been caught doing speeds of up to 130mph on the county's quieter roads
• Cruise ships return to Weymouth Bay following Storm Christoph CRUISE ships have returned to Weymouth Bay following the wet and windy weather caused by Storm Christoph.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Joint effort to unlock electric vehicle charging for allFive local authorities are joining forces with the UK’s biggest electricity network operator in a bid to end Electric Vehicle (EV) charging blackspots. Charge Collective, a pilot project being launched by UK Power Networks, will see it partner with local councils in Cambridge, Norwich and London to help ensure nobody is left behind in the EV revolution. The aim is to ensure that everyone has the confidence to switch to EVs, regardless of where they live or what parking space they have. By sharing data and expertise, the local authorities will help UK Power Networks to identify charge p...

New Civil Engineer

• £1bn Cardiff Crossrail backed in rail plan to tackle M4 congestionThe Welsh Government has backed a raft of recommendations to tackle congestion on the M4.
• Extra land safeguarded at HS2’s Leeds stationAdditional land has been safeguarded next to Leeds station ahead of construction of High Speed 2 (HS2) and Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Railnews

• French give Eurostar new hope of survival Eurostar is set to receive financial support from the French and British governments, according to French transport secretary Jean-Baptiste Djebbari. He has been involved in talks with British transport secretary Grant Shapps.

Other News Sources

• Governments working on Eurostar dealFrench transport minister makes commitment to struggling operator   Eurostar patronage has slumped by 95%   Reports suggest that the French and UK governments will step in to provide financial support to troubled cross-Channel rail operator Eurostar. Eurostar has seen passenger numbers slump by 95% since the start of the pandemic and it now operates just one train each day between London and Brussels and London and Paris. The situation has been exacerbated by further travel restrictions on both sides of the Channel, including the need for pre-departure Covid testing, that could decim...
• London Underground weekend closures: The tube lines and overground shut on January 23 and 24Weekend number three of the third English national lockdown and millions are still working from home.
• Electric vehicles and heat pumps set for exponential growth on road to net-zero More than 4.5 million electric vehicles (EVs) could be on UK roads, almost 250,000 households could feature solar technology and between 450,000 to more than one million domestic electric heat pumps could be installed by 2030 in order to reach net-zero, new research has found.
• 200 lorries turned back at UK crossings every day due to new paperworkOfficials have admitted that up to 200 lorries a day are being turned back at UK crossings into the European Union because they do not have the right paperwork, but they insist the vast majority are getting through. However, traffic through the UK’s second largest port, Holyhead, has slumped since the start of this year…
• Nissan pledge on Sunderland plant after 'positive' Brexit dealNissan has committed its long-term future to its Sunderland car-making plant and has said the Brexit trade deal put the UK at an advantage.
• Hove cycle lane safety fears after Agy Merta's horror crashA BIKE rider injured by a cyclist who swiftly left the scene says action needs to be taken to improve safety.
• Shoreham could get permanent cycle lane after pop-up lane removed PLANS are being put forward to install a permanent cycle lane in a road where a temporary lane is currently being removed.

EIN News Subscription

• Covid: UK arrivals may be forced to quarantine in airport hotels … ahead, it emerged that EU leaders are discussing plans to … -face check. British and European Union passport holders were funnelled … ; A passenger leaves Heathrow Airport's Terminal Two this … that the Department for Transport directions are not that clear. …