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

Friday, 05 February 2021

BBC News

• Dawlish sea wall on storm-hit track is 'success'A new sea wall is protecting a railway track which was destroyed in a fierce storm say rail chiefs.
• 'No evidence' of fraud in Dumfries and Galloway Council loss-making roads contractA probe rules out corruption in the deal which delivered a multi-million pound deficit for a council.
• How will 'chipageddon' affect you?Carmakers and consumer-gadget companies are struggling to source enough computer chips.

Financial Times

• Ford says chip shortage could knock $2.5bn from earningsProduction cuts to profitable F-150 range are latest disruption to global car industry
• More than 30 UK bidders ready to pursue 10 freeport zonesBrexiters regard low-tax special economic areas as benefit of leaving the EU
• Carmakers consider supply chain overhaul to avert more chip crisesMercedes-Benz and Porsche look at building semiconductor stockpiles to prevent bottlenecks

The Guardian

• Spacewatch: Airbus to build three more moon mission modulesThree more European service modules will be made for use as part of Nasa’s Artemis programme
• Free ports – or sleaze ports? Rishi Sunak's dream of tax-free zones about to become realityfive years ago a young, unknown MP wrote a pamphlet for a Thatcherite thinktank extolling the benefits of free ports. Now that Rishi Sunak is chancellor, his dream for Britain is – for good or ill – fast becoming reality.

Times Online

• Apple on verge of Hyundai car tie-up [subscription]Apple is set to accelerate its plans to develop an electric vehicle by agreeing a partnership with one of the world’s largest carmakers.
• Airport hotel giant ‘kept in the dark’ by government over quarantine policy [subscription]The head of the UK’s biggest chain of airport hotels has said his company has been “kept in the dark” over the government’s plans for hotel quarantine.
• E-scooter rider filmed at 50mph on dual carriageway [subscription]An e-scooter rider has been filmed travelling at about 50pmh while overtaking traffic on a dual carriageway.
• Government plans Covid vaccine passports to allow foreign holidays [subscription]British officials have started work on a “vaccine passport” as Greece prepares to waive quarantine rules for tourists who can prove that they have been inoculated against coronavirus.

Mail Online

• Ministers reserve 28,000 rooms near airports for hotel quarantine schemeThe scheme will see passengers returning into the UK quarantined in hotels for 11 nights at a cost of up to £800 per person.

The Mirror

• New hotel quarantine rules in full - and how they affect 20,000 arrivals per dayPeople arriving in the UK may have to quarantine in a hotel for up to 10 days - here's what we know about how the new rules will work

Sky News

• 'We need time to prepare': Minister defends hotel quarantine delayA minister has blamed hotel quarantine not coming into force for another 10 days in England on needing more "time to prepare", after Labour branded the delay "beyond comprehension".

Birmingham Mail

• Hedgehogs could halt HS2 depot works in Solihull until they are moved 'by hand’Concern "temporary" scheme could operate for 10 year

Birmingham Post

• Brexit causing 'huge distortion' in Irish Sea ferry trade says Stena Line bossIan Davies said hauliers were switching to direct routes to Belfast and only time would tell if this was a blip or long term change
• Huge Hull 'Green Port Two' industrial park application goes before plannersHopes of attracting 6,500 jobs at Associated British Ports scheme to the east of the city

Bolton News

• This Ryanair advert received more than 2,300 complaints The Advertising Standards Authority received complaints in late December 2020 and early January 2021.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Leeds Bradford Airport expansion tipped for approval - despite almost 2,000 objections PLANS for a multi-million pound rebuild of Leeds Bradford Airport should be approved by Council decision-makers, a report by planning experts has recommended.

Bristol Live

• Major improvements to Bristol and Bath railway path announcedSeveral changes are being planned

Sheffield Star

• Sheffield set for boost after 'substantial' improvement to rail services to LondonEast Midlands Trains announced trains would be faster, earlier, later and more frequent following a campaign which united the city.

Burnley Express

• Transdev’s £3.8million investment on Sky Class buses 'will boost coronavirus recovery' A £3.8MILLION investment by Transdev in new upmarket buses has been hailed as ‘hugely significant’ for the region’s recovery beyond the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reading Evening Post

• Heathrow Airport faces fresh round of strikes in pay rowFurther industrial action is also expected to be announced

Other Regional Press

• Major improvements due on scenic Whitby to Middlesbrough rail lineNetwork Rail is upgrading sections of track on the Esk Valley line, which date back to the 1940s, to bring smoother journeys for passengers travelling between Whitby and Middlesbrough.
• 'No need for change to speed limit at Chafeys roundabout' Yet again we have an accident on the roads which prompts an immediate call for a reduction in speed limit.

Train Operators

• Northern’s train refurbishment nears completionNorthern’s path to transforming its network and improving its trains has reached a significant milestone. The final train (158861) to enter the company’s refurbishment programme has arrived at Arriva Train Care in Crewe. And, in just a few weeks, all Northern trains will have been upgraded.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Ricardo E400ER study to explore flexible air quality zonesRicardo is embarking on a study to explore whether flexible emission control zones, dynamically utilising the geofenced engine-off capability of Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400ER extended range diesel-electric hybrids, could further improve air quality.
• March announced as launch for RHA CoachesRHA’s Coaches division will launch on 1 March, said the trade association, as it announced the appointment of Andy Warrender to a major steering role.
• Labour minister urges operator forum before restrictions easedMinisters must hold a forum with transport operators before any lockdown restrictions are eased to ensure the safety of workers, Labour has said, after new figures revealed high numbers of Covid deaths in the sector.

Coach and Bus Week

• £10m boost for Scottish coach operatorsA £10 million fund has been made available to help businesses prepare for 2021 season. Coach operators can apply for a share of the money to help support their businesses through the Covid-19 crisis, as part of a wider £104.3 million fund for tourism and hospitality financial support package available from The Scottish Government.
• East Lancashire leaders welcome Trandev’s £3.8m Witchway investmentFive-star luxury ‘Sky Class’ buses for Witchway express hailed as the key to access skilled jobs and economic recovery
• £93m for road upgrades as Transport Secretary pledges to build back better across the countryVital road upgrades in North Yorkshire, Hampshire and the Midlands have been announced by the Government.
• £10m boost for Scottish coach operatorsCoach operators can apply for a share of the money to help support their businesses through the Covid-19 crisis, as part of a wider £104.3 million fund for tourism and hospitality financial support package available from The Scottish Government.

New Civil Engineer

• Buses, bikes and bridges prioritised as £27M Hereford road scheme ditchedUnaffordable and out of step were phrases used to describe Hereford’s southern link road and western bypass schemes as the council voted to halt work and scrap the plans in favour of a new transport strategy.
• Scaling back Euston exacerbates HS2 eastern leg ‘limitations’, transport group claimsExisting “limitations” of the eastern leg of High Speed 2 (HS2) are “exacerbated” by plans to scale back Euston Station, according to a report by transport thinktank Greengauge 21.
• Northern Powerhouse Rail final route to be agreed this monthTransport for the North (TfN) is nearing a decision on its preferred Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) network, with the final route to be agreed within weeks.

Rail Advent

• £1.4m Merseyside railway upgrade completedWork on a major railway bridge in St Helens, Merseyside has been completed by Network Rail.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Scottish coach support fund doubled to £10m after lobbyingThe amount allocated by the Scottish Government to a support fund for coach operators in Scotland has been doubled to £10m. Applications will be accepted between 1200hrs on 16 February and 1700hrs on 23 February.
• Go-Ahead to train mental health first aiders across all its bus companiesThe mental health first aid training aims to remove stigma and offer colleagues avenues to support
• Coach industry and MPs called upon to support lobbying eventCoach operators and their MPs have been encouraged to attend a virtual parliamentary lobbying event that is being held in support of the industry. It will take place on Wednesday 10 February at 1030hrs. Registration is free.
• Tourismo range gains entry-level, PSVAR compliant modelEvoBus (UK) has added a PSVAR compliant entry-level variant of the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo to its range. The cost-effective model “responds to the new landscape of the coach industry” and it has been created following customer feedback, says the dealership.

Trafnidiaeth Cymru [Transport for Wales]

• Transport for Wales celebrates fleet performanceTransport for Wales is delighted to confirm that it has hit fleet availability targets every day for more than a year.

Other News Sources

• Stena Line Plans to Launch 'Fossil-free' Ships Before 2030Swedish ferry company Stena Line said it plans to put two battery-powered vessels into service by 2030. The new RoPax ferries, which will operate without the use of fossil fuels, are part of the company's wider effort to reduce its environmental…
• Paul Denne to retire from Stagecoach's Winchester depotHE DEDICATED his whole career to bus engineering.
• Brighton taxi drivers could get Covid grant from council STRUGGLING taxi drivers could be handed a £500,000 financial lifeline by Brighton and Hove City Council, if party leaders approve the latest round of Covid grants.
• 'Old Shoreham Road changes will have terrible results'LEAFLETS have been sent to residents of Old Shoreham Road with the new proposed changes to cycle lanes and additions. A relative in that road passed one on to me. I would strongly advise all residents of Knoll Estate to obtain a copy as they have not been sent one. The effects on the estate are horrendous.
• Souther Rail to introduce reduced timetable in weeks SOUTHERN rail has announced a reduced Covid timetable that will impact travellers across the county.