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

Wednesday, 27 January 2021

BBC News

• Covid in Scotland: Train services reduced across countryThe number of trains running in Scotland will be reduced to 65% of pre-pandemic levels from next week. It comes as passenger numbers fell by 90% during the Covid pandemic.
• HS2 protesters dig tunnel to thwart Euston evictionThe tunnel is a danger to public safety, an HS2 spokeswoman told the BBC.

Financial Times

• Why the sharp rise in shipping costs is likely to be temporaryCovid has triggered rampant price growth but global attitudes to trade will be key in long term

The Guardian

• HS2 protesters dig 100ft tunnel under London parkHS2 Rebellion say they are ready to occupy space under Euston Square Gardens to stop it being sold off. Protesters claimed they have dug and are ready to occupy a 100ft tunnel network under a small central London park they claim is at risk from the HS2 line development. HS2 Rebellion, an alliance of groups and individuals campaigning against the planned high-speed railway, claim Euston Square Gardens, a green space outside Euston station, will be built over with a temporary taxi rank before being sold off to developers.
• UK Covid hotel quarantine system to target travellers from high-risk areasPriti Patel to announce plans in House of Commons after ministers reject blanket policy A hotel quarantine system targeted at arrivals from high-risk countries will be announced by the home secretary, Priti Patel, on Wednesday, after ministers met to sign off the more targeted approach.Boris Johnson rejected calls at Tuesday evening's meeting for a blanket policy, opting instead for imposing hotel quarantine on British citizens from a limited number of countries such as South Africa and Brazil.

The Independent

• Covid news live: Hotel quarantine expected for arrivals from 30 high-risk countries as UK deaths top 100,000The government is expected to announce plans for Britons to pay for hotel quarantine when returning from 30 high-risk countries to prevent coronavirus variants from entering the UK.

The Telegraph

• Video: HS2 protesters to occupy 100ft tunnel network under Euston station park
• Ports sound warning over fresh freight delays [subscription]Red tape on imports and shortage of drivers risks freight building up at ports as loads wait to be collected
• Daily commute must evolve to lure back the ’Covid aristocracy’ [subscription]Lockdown has derailed plans for workers to get back to the office, but the commute is not dead – even if some remain reluctant
• Department for Transport considers random roadside breath tests [subscription]Section 6 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 would need to be amended to require anyone driving a motor vehicle to use a breathalyser

Times Online

• A1 works will have ’heartbreaking’ impact on Angel of the North, says Antony GormleySir Antony Gormley fears that road improvements near his Angel of the North sculpture will have a “heartbreaking” impact on views of the landmark.
• Covid-19 in Scotland: Travel rules may be tougher than rest of the UK [subscription]Scotland is poised to bring in tougher quarantine rules for overseas travellers than England after Boris Johnson rejected calls by Priti Patel for the temporary closure of Britain’s borders.
• £1 million wasted on cycle-friendly road zones that councils abandoned [subscription]More than £1 million of public money has been wasted on cycle-friendly road schemes that were subsequently ripped out because of local opposition, an investigation has found.

Daily Record

• ScotRail forced to reduce services as lockdown restricts the people travellingThe company said that the financial pressures of the pandemic has led to a reduction in the services they can offer.

Mail Online

• Smart motorways UK: Roads bosses vow to speed up safety push after coroner's rulingMore CCTV is to be rolled out to improve the alert system used to warn UK drivers about broken-down vehicles ahead via signs on overhead gantries. Pictured, Alexandru Murgeanu died in 2019.

Belfast Telegraph

• HS2 protesters to occupy tunnel network under central London parkProtesters said they have dug and are ready to occupy a 100ft tunnel network under a small central London park they claim is at risk from the HS2 line development.

Birmingham Post

• The first hybrid crew transfer vessels are heading to the HumberBattery-powered boats will hook up to pilot smart buoy feeding off wind farm's electricity
• Nissan set to cut 160 jobs as challenges continue in automotive sectorReductions in office staff comes as Japanese car maker seeks to improve efficiencies at its Sunderland plant

Bolton News

• Winners of Bolton railway station poetry competition revealedA COMPETITION has given some of the town's talented poets a platform for their poetry.
• New bus lanes and junction changes planned under £69m plans to improve transportNEW junctions, bus lanes, and new railway station could be created under £69m plans to transform public transport to get people out of their cars.

Bristol Live

• Flying taxis to be trialled in Bristol in two yearsFlying taxis that are effectively giant people-carrying drones could be taking to the skies over Bristol as soon as 2023, after the project to develop them got Government backing.

London Evening Standard

• Rolls-Royce warns of uncertainty around timing of recovery in air trafficRolls-Royce has admitted it will burn through another £2 billion this year after seeing tighter travel restrictions deepen the crisis facing airline customers.
• CEO of easyJet: Travel restrictions haven't been thought through, it has been tremendously hardJohan Lundgren talks about quarantine, why we need cheaper testing to ensure flying doesn't become something only the rich can afford and sticking to his green goals for the airline - because we will fly again and the next holiday most of us take will be our best ever
• HS2 protesters spend months digging secret 100ft network of tunnels to protect Euston Square Gardens‘It’s like a nature protection version of the Great Escape’ 

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Union demands Metro bailout and warns of 'spiral of decline'The RMT union has joined calls for transport secretary Grant Shapps to pledge a long-term bailout for the struggling rail network

Wales Online

• Cardiff Bus boss says he's had a 'guts full' of staff complainingPaul Dyer made the comments on an internal messaging system

Bucks Free Press

• Monster potholes on A413 and A418 left driver £419 out of pocket CALLS have sounded for monster along two main roads to be fixed after damages costing hundreds of pounds were done to a vehicle.

Cambridge News

• Watch as 11,000 tonne railway tunnel installed near PeterboroughThe curved concrete box tunnel is heavier than the Eiffel Tower

Reading Evening Post

• All the hotels near Heathrow offering 'quarantine packages'The government is expected to make an announcement requiring people to self-isolate for 10 days in hotels upon arrival to the UK

Other Regional Press

• Calls for reduced speed limit on Chafeys Roundabout, WeymouthCALLS have been made for the speed limit to be slashed on a busy road leading to a Weymouth roundabout after two women suffered serious injuries in a crash.

New Civil Engineer

• Atkins to assess plans for electric air taxis in South West EnglandAtkins is to assess plans to introduce electric air taxis in the South West of England. Trials could begin as early as 2023, following a £2.5M grant from government to assess the plans.
• HS2 main civils JV brings in new director to oversee Chilterns TunnelCivil engineering joint venture of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial and BAM (EKFB) - which is responsible for building the central section of High Speed 2 (HS2) - has appointed a new project director.
• Motts’ HS2 viaducts slimmed down to appease environmental concernsArchitects and engineers from Mott MacDonald, Systra and Weston Williamson + Partners have revised their designs for High Speed 2’s Water Orton viaducts to address environmental concerns.
• Podcast | Adding intelligence to road maintenance operationsThe latest episode of The Engineers Collective looks at how artificial intelligence (AI) could transform how highway maintenance work is planned and prioritised.
• Crossrail | TfL boss sets internal target to get line open this year and for less than revised budgetTransport for London (TfL) commissioner Andy Byford has set the Crossrail team ambitious internal targets in a bid to get the line open this year and for less than the revised budget.

Railnews

• Britain could demand a share of revived Eurostar The fate of Eurostar could depend on the willingness of the existing shareholders to surrender a stake in the owning company to the British government. Britain sold its 40 per cent share in Eurostar to two international investment houses in 2015, while the majority stake of 55 per cent has remained with French railways, The other 5 per cent is owned by Belgian railways. But there have been discussions between British and French transport ministers over Britain paying a share of the bailout which Eurostar needs to stay in business, after its timetables were slashed as a result of the pandemic....