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

Thursday, 25 February 2021

BBC News

• Historic Edinburgh street to get European boulevard feelCars are set to be banned from George Street as part of transformation plans to open up the space.
• Heathrow passenger numbers fall to 1970s' levelsHeathrow Airport has reported a £2bn annual loss after passenger numbers during the coronavirus pandemic dropped to levels last seen in the 1970s.
• Chinese £3,200 budget electric car takes on TeslaThe mini electric vehicle being made by China's biggest carmaker is now outselling Tesla two to one.
• Vauxhall: Crunch talks to save Ellesmere Port plant continueVauxhall's parent company has previously said its fate depends on the government's commitment to the car industry.

ITV News

• Covid: International travel could resume from May 17, Transport Secretary tells PestonTransport Secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed there is a chance foreign travel will go ahead from May 17.

The Telegraph

• Boris Johnson to chair new strategy committee tasked with saving the UnionThe Prime Minister will hold the first meeting of the new body next week as he considers funding plan to demonstrate strength of UK to Scots
• The countries already rolling out vaccine passportsVaccine travel passes could reboot international travel – these are the countries already adopting the technology
• Heathrow takes drastic action on £20bn debt mountainBritain's biggest airport could still default on debts despite restructuring its interest bill under "severe but plausible scenarios"

Times Online

• Greener E10 petrol set to push up prices [subscription]A new greener form of petrol will be available on forecourts this autumn under government plans to cut emissions — though the new fuel will drive up prices and may damage older cars.
• Covid-19 in Scotland: Arrivals ‘are avoiding hotel quarantine’ [subscription]International travellers appear to be dodging Scotland’s quarantine hotels as only one in seven has checked into the country’s “managed isolation” facilities.
• Air traffic reform ‘vital to rural prosperity’ [subscription]Scotland’s transport minister has claimed that rural and island communities would be devastated if plans to reform air traffic control across the Highlands did not proceed.

Daily Record

• Ayrshire train services halted by sea sprayNetwork Rail engineers have arrived on site to carry out an assessment.

Conservative Party

• Chris Loder: Our rail industry is a sleeping giant when it comes to boosting international tradeAs Brexit negotiations have concluded, the Government is working hard to both protect and expand British industry by creating a future of new opportunity through trade negotiations. When developing a new independent trade policy, it is crucial that we prioritise sectors in which we are global leaders and create the best framework possible to help them remain that way in a post-Brexit world.

Belfast Telegraph

• Bus lane fines across Belfast have generated over £500k in revenueMore than 11,000 fines amounting to almost £540,000 were handed out to drivers illegally using bus lanes in Belfast in 2019, new figures have revealed.

Birmingham Mail

• Midlands reveals £400m plan for road, rail and metro servicesThe region is asking Chancellor Rishi Sunak for funding for improvements including a new platform at Snow Hill station and improvements to the A45

Birmingham Post

• Decision on future of huge Vauxhall plant expected imminentlyThere are fears the firm may close the plant - a move described as a 'hammer blow' to the region
• Hundreds of Nissan workers to be furloughed amid global parts crisisThe motor manufacturer has been hit by the worldwide shortage of semiconductors which are vital for car production
• Wrexham, Deeside, Cardiff, Newport and the Valleys identified as key areas for economic growth in WalesSwansea Bay and Llanelli also make up the list on the Future Wales plan for the next 20 years
• Rolls-Royce site could become classic car visitor centreOld Light Alloy Foundry, in Derby, could become a heritage vehicle attraction and workshops for vintage cars and bikes
• Midlands transport chiefs submit £400m wishlist to ChancellorMidlands Connect outlines its funding hopes ahead of the Budget as it seeks to drive economic growth across the region through improved rail and transport infrastructure

Bolton News

• Letter: Electric cars for all is just not viable option Reading the article by James Mutch that Bolton is lagging behind with charging points, the truth is the country as a whole will not have the required charging points to facilitate the move from petrol and diesel in the foreseeable future.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Keighley bus service doubles as vaccinations step up a pace AS the pace of Covid-19 jabs continues to rise, bus operator The Keighley Bus Company has doubled the frequency of a popular route to make travel safe and simple for those heading for a town vaccination centre.

Bristol Live

• Contractors sought in major step to open new Portishead rail lineA formal tender process for the design and build contract for the rail link is due to be completed by end of year

Manchester Evening News

• Calls to ban cars from Manchester city centre as part of council's new transport strategyThe council wants 90 per cent of city centre trips to be made on foot, by bike or public transport by 2040

Metro

• Thousands still refusing to wear face masks on public transport in London Thousands of people in London are still refusing to wear masks or face coverings on public transport, data suggests.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• New images show extensive flooding as Highland train services cancelled for fourth dayAreal images released by Network Rail show the ongoing flooding near the Inver Viaduct area that has forced the closure of the railway line near Perth and Pitlochry.

Yorkshire Post

• Prime Minister denies 40 per cent cut to Transport for the North's budget despite board papers claimPrime Minister Boris Johnson has denied that a northern transport body will be subject to a 40 per cent cut in its budget, despite official documents claiming the opposite.

Kent Online

• Network Rail £3.5 million investment on footbridge and canopy at Dover Priory StationRefurbishment and repair work at Dover Priory, by Network Rail, will increase the lifespan of the bridge while providing an upgraded canopy roof on the platforms to keep passengers dry in the rain.

Other Regional Press

• Plans for rail link between Witney and Oxford to be submittedHOPES of a rail link between Witney and Oxford are back on track, with a proposal set to be submitted to the Government.
• Take a train from 2026 says CllrOfficial optimism about a new station for Wellington is at its highest level, with an overwhelming business case going forward to the government’s New Stations Fund in May. “We’re on target to get on a train at Wellington in 2026,” said Cllr Mike Rigby, the district council portfolio holder for transport who is leading on the scheme.
• Video shows stunning space-age interior of completed Paddington Crossrail stationIt’s one of London’s most famous stations - built by engineering giant Isambard Kingdom Brunel - and even gave its name to one of the most popular bear’s in children’s literature.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Millions invested into West Midlands railway improvementsMore than 6km of railway track is being replaced across the West Midlands as the rail industry works together to build back better after the coronavirus pandemic.

New Civil Engineer

• Cost of patching up London’s ageing bridges and tunnels soars by more than 700%The cost of patching up London's surface transport assets has increased by 762% during the last five years, it can be revealed.
• Making the case for independent travelHearing the news that a fellow visually impaired traveller lost his life after falling off the edge of a train platform makes me shudder. Just 12 months before that accident, I found myself in a similar situation but improved communication and better understanding could prevent others being put at risk.
• Millions shaved off Silvertown Tunnel costTransport for London (TfL) has shaved £3M off the final estimated cost of the Silvertown Tunnel.
• £200M rail plan tabled to link Merseyside and North WalesA £200M plan to upgrade and extend existing rail lines and stations has been tabled to improve links between North Wales and Merseyside.

Railway Technology

• Network Rail to commence £1.2bn upgrade work next weekThe UK’s Network Rail has announced that it will commence the upgrade work, worth £1.2bn, on the East Coast Main Line next week.

Aviation Industry

• Open letter: Government must include aviation and shipping in net zero legislationWe believe that a decision on inclusion of international aviation in the UK’s carbon budgets and net zero legal target is a crucial test of the Government’s confidence in its …

Other News Sources

• No trains to or from London King’s Cross this weekend due to £1.2bn upgrade workThere will be no trains to or from London King’s Cross, Moorgate or St Pancras International via Finsbury Park this weekend while upgrade work is carried out. 
• Cost of railway station upgrade set to double to £7mPlans to upgrade a railway station are now estimated to cost more than double the original estimate of £3.5 million.