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

Thursday, 28 January 2021

BBC News

• West Yorkshire 'transformational' mass transit plan revealedPlans for a "transformational" multi-billion pound mass transit system for West Yorkshire have been announced.
• Rail line in Aberdeenshire closed until 22 FebruaryThe rail line between Stonehaven and Montrose will be closed until 22 February after a bridge wall collapsed, Network Rail has said.
• Hotel quarantine for some travellers entering UKBoris Johnson says the government is strengthening its border measures to protect the country against new variants.
• Euston tunnel protesters: HS2 begins evictionBailiffs move in to remove people who dug a 100ft tunnel to block the high-speed rail line.
• Boeing 737 Max cleared to fly in UK and EU after crashesRegulators say the plane is safe to resume service after two fatal crashes led to its grounding.
• UK car production tumbles to 'worst in a generation'Output tumbled almost 30% last year as Covid forced factory closures and a fall in consumer demand.

Financial Times

• UK carmakers braced for more job losses after worst year since 1984 The 10,000 roles lost in 2020 were tip of ‘iceberg’, trade body warns
• Boeing delays 777X deliveries again as it posts record annual lossAerospace manufacturer takes $6.5bn charge over postponement of wide-body plane
• Yodel boss hails delivery boom as group heads for first profitUK courier to smash revenue records in sector soaring on back of online demand

The Guardian

• UK travellers to be questioned at border on reasons for going abroadPM also confirms British citizens returning from high-risk countries will have to quarantine in hotels at their own expenseCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageUK travellers will be interrogated at the border on their reasons for going abroad, Boris Johnson has said, as he confirmed that British citizens returning from high-risk countries must quarantine in hotels at their own expense.The government is facing criticism from the Scottish and Welsh governments, as well as scientists, for rejecting a more comprehensive hotel quarantine system. They are warning that it could...
• On Swampy ground: a brief history of protest tunnelling in the UKAs HS2 protesters dig down in London, veteran activists explain why the tactic can be so effectiveHS2 protesters hope to occupy Euston tunnel for weeks Protest tunnelling, back in the spotlight thanks to subterranean anti-HS2 demonstrations in London, became a national preoccupation in the 90s when environmental activists dug a complex series of tunnels in the path of an extension to the A30 in Fairmile, Devon, resisting attempts at eviction by police. Swampy, the nickname of the well-known environmental activist Daniel Hooper, was one of a group of protesters demonstrating against rerouting t...
• UK car production in 2020 slumped to lowest level since 1984Covid pandemic resulted in output drop of 29%, the ‘worst in a generation’, say industry expertsUK car production slumped to its lowest level since 1984 last year amid the turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and Nissan overtook Jaguar Land Rover as the biggest British manufacturer.The output of British car factories dropped by 29% compared with the year before – to about 921,000. It was the first time annual production had fallen below 1m since 2009, during the depths of the financial crisis. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Scottish airport owner announces a raft of new appointmentsAGS Airports, the owner of Aberdeen International, Glasgow and Southampton airports, has made a raft of management changes as it prepares for a difficult recovery from the pandemic.

The Independent

• Biden seen likely to keep Space Force, a Trump favoritePresident Joe Biden has been working quickly to undo many initiatives by his predecessor

The Telegraph

• Fresh doubt over HS2 branch to Leeds [subscription]Boris Johnson has insisted that the Government is "getting on" with planning for HS2's £32bn eastern branch from Birmingham to Leeds
• HS2 protesters evicted by police after building 100ft tunnel network under Euston station park

Times Online

• Going abroad for no good reason will be illegal, Priti Patel warns [subscription]Leaving the country without good reason is to become illegal, Priti Patel announced yesterday.
• Urban airport will pave the way for flying cars [subscription]The world’s first urban airport specifically for flying cars and drones will be developed under government-backed plans to cut road congestion and pollution.

City AM

• Arrivals from 30 'high-risk' countries including Portugal and Brazil face hotel quarantineTravellers arriving back in the UK from countries with a known risk of new coronavirus variants will be forced to isolate for 10 days in hotels, it was announced today. The post Arrivals from 30 'high-risk' countries including Portugal and Brazil face hotel quarantine appeared first on CityAM.
• Tesla achieves first-ever $10bn quarterTesla has posted its first-ever $10bn quarter following a successful year that saw its founder, eccentric billionaire Elon Musk, become The post Tesla achieves first-ever $10bn quarter appeared first on CityAM.
• Electric bikes are bucking the work from home trend - and are here to stayThe global pandemic has transformed the way people travel for work – if they are going into the office at The post Electric bikes are bucking the work from home trend - and are here to stay appeared first on CityAM.
• Four charts which show what happened to the car industry in 2020Months of shuttered factories and enforced social distancing due to Covid-19 saw the fewest cars manufactured in the UK since The post Four charts which show what happened to the car industry in 2020 appeared first on CityAM.

Mail Online

• 'A glimpse into the future': Virgin Hyperloop shares walk-through video of its passenger experience - from arriving at the portal to taking off at 670mph on board a levitating podThe idea of hurtling down a vacuum tube in a levitating pod at speeds of over 670 miles an hour may sound like the plot of the latest science fiction blockbuster, but it could soon become a reality.

Birmingham Post

• Bristol project to develop hydrogen-powered plane lands £54mIt is one of three UK programmes to secure cash in a move that could create thousands of jobs in the next decade
• Jobs saved as Manchester aerospace firm buys Liverpool industry specialistsThe move will mean a new investment drive for Manchester-based ASG
• Travel giant creates 100 Manchester jobs after choosing city as new UK HQThe firm is bidding to create a 'thriving commercial and technology hub' in the city
• £50m investment complete - how Humber Container Terminal boxed clever:Associated British Ports investment opens up 'new' gateway to the UK as Kraft Heinz looks to take advantage

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Multi billion pound mass transit system to link up West Yorkshire A MULTI BILLION pound plan to create a new mass transit system linking areas of West Yorkshire could use abandoned rail routes.

London Evening Standard

• Brits facing 10 days of hotel quarantine may be allowed out up to three days early with negative testTravellers will be placed in budget hotels for a flat fee, expected to be around £600
• HS2 tunnel protesters: We will not be coming out any time soonProtesters who have dug tunnels under a central London park in opposition to the HS2 rail development have said they will not be coming out “anytime soon”.

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Airport calls for 'clear plan' to help travel industry as strict new measures announcedIt comes as home secretary Priti Patel outlined a series of new border measures

Sheffield Star

• Rail project collaboration for Sheffield Hallam University researchersResearchers at Sheffield Hallam University have started work on a two-year project to improve the resilience and efficiency of the UK’s national rail network.

The York Press

• LNER's commitment to staff earns 'top employer' statusA YORK-based rail company has been named as a UK top employer for another year.
• 'Prioritise buses after pandemic' - says bus forumBUS services must be prioritised after the pandemic, according to a York organisation.

Cambridge News

• PM announces stricter travel rules including quarantine in hotelsPassengers arriving in the UK will be transported directly from the airport to their quarantine accommodation where they must remain for 10 days

Leeds Live

• Why Leeds doesn't already have a built-in public transport systemLeeds is now the largest city in Western Europe without a built-in mass transit system, such as a tram or underground rail.

Other Regional Press

• Trains between Dorset and Somerset cancelled for five days due to 'vital' repairs COMMUTERS are being warned of train delays when the line between Dorchester West and Castle Cary is shut for five days in February for vital repairs.
• Coventry to get the world’s first airport for flying cars and delivery dronesElectric air taxis and autonomous drones will operate from a site next to the Ricoh Arena
• Speeding measures for 'rat run' in CoventryResidents reported "excessive speeds", a council meeting was told
• Case for Wick airport PSO has become 'a matter of urgency' after Moray East setbackFar north business leader Trudy Morris says a direct subsidy to support Wick air links has become "a matter of urgency" after it emerged that a company working on a massive renewable energy project was pulling out of the town because of the lack of scheduled flights.
• Ambitious plans for a county-wide mass transit system – including what could be a tramway on a former rail route between Huddersfield and Dewsbury – is dependent on accessing billions in government cash.The vision as laid out by West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) – a group of leading councillors and officers from West Yorkshire councils, plus York, that works on major infrastructure projects – includes opportunities for mass transit in Kirklees.
• Fresh call for support to reopen Devon railway stationsTwo Devon MPs are renewing their joint push for the reopening of two railway stations in south Devon.

Train Operators

• Northern continues efforts to make rail network more accessible with mobility scooter schemeNorthern is continuing its efforts to transform the railway in the north by making the network more accessible than ever before. 

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Derby’s Bombardier secures £1.7bn to build Egyptian monorailsDerby’s Bombardier has won a £1.7 billion guarantee from the UK Government so that it can build two big monorail schemes in Egypt. UK Export Finance (UKEF) is backing the huge deal which will support UK exports and protect jobs in the East Midlands. The government body – which provides a safety net to ensure UK exports are not hindered by lack of finance or insurance – said it would be the first export of UK-built trains for over 12 years. It is also the biggest amount of financing UKEF has ever provided for an overseas infrastructure project. UKEF said the UK was b...
• Walsh and The Port of Tilbury announce major investment and expansion of aggregates supply businessLondon’s leading provider of river, road and rail freight solutions, Walsh, has signed a 20-year agreement with the Port of Tilbury to help to meet the capital’s demand for construction materials in the most sustainable way. The deal enables Walsh to create two new freight hubs at the port – the first will be a logistics terminal with aggregates processing plant and the second will be a rail-linked freight facility. Transporting aggregates by river and rail significantly reduces road miles and traffic congestion and represents a fraction of the carbon emissions of road haula...
• Outer London sees 22% rise in cyclingTransport for London (TfL) has published new cycle count data that shows increased levels of cycling in both inner and outer London last autumn, as people across the capital continued to use active travel as a vital way of getting around during the coronavirus pandemic.  Despite a huge drop in the number of journeys being made overall as more people work from home and people only travel for legally permitted reasons, Londoners have been increasingly cycling to make essential trips and for exercise.  Since 2015, TfL has carried out annual cycle counts in both inner and outer London, u...
• Starship Technologies raises an additional $17m in funding as it hits one million autonomous deliveries milestoneStarship Technologies has announced that it has raised an additional $17m and reached the significant milestone of completing one million autonomous deliveries, the first autonomous delivery company in the world to do so. Investors include TDK Ventures and Goodyear Ventures, and the new investment brings Starship’s total funding to $102m to date. The additional funding comes at a time of increasing interest in the autonomous delivery industry. Contactless delivery has proved to be one of the most reliable ways to protect vulnerable populations and enable social distancing during the COVI...

Railnews

• ScotRail axes more services to match falling demand Scotrail will reduce the number of trains it runs from Monday. It said continuing lockdown restrictions have meant that the number of passengers has been ˜severely reduced™, and that it is aiming to reduce the costs paid for the railway by taxpayers.

Other News Sources

• Mission Possible Partnership: Hundreds of transport and industrial businesses form climate coalition Some 400 heavy emitters from the transport and industrial sectors have formed a new collaborative partnership aimed at accelerating the low-carbon transition, with financial backing from Amazon's Jeff Bezos.
• Wealden MP Nus Ghani to host sea shanty quiz for Seafarers UKA SUSSEX MP is set to swap her seat in the House of Commons for a role as (quiz) master of the seven seas.
• 10 questions challenge: Karen Taylor from Gloucestershire AirportThe brand-new MD of Gloucestershire Airport, Karen Taylor, talks Gateways for Growth, runway redevelopment and women in aviation in her jam-packed 10 questions video interview.
• Tory MP accuses Lib Dems of trying to ’scare’ peopleTORY Warrington South MP Andy Carter has accused the Liberal Democrats of trying to ’scare’ people ahead of the all-out elections amid a rail row.
• Rail parapet repair project will keep Montrose to Stonehaven rail line closed for almost a monthEast coast rail passengers face weeks of further disruption in the wake of a bridge wall collapse between Montrose and Stonehaven.
• Bank Quay station set for £3.5m upgradesMP Andy Carter has welcomed funding to upgrade Warrington Bank Quay railway station.