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

Friday, 19 March 2021

BBC News

• Lockdown: Learner drivers 'frustrated' as lessons remain parkedCancelled tests, lost lessons and new cars left idle - the aspiring motorists stuck in neutral.
• Preferred new route chosen for Rest and be ThankfulTransport Scotland has been looking at how to improve journeys at the landslip-hit section of the A83.
• Tui: Scots will fly from Newcastle if travel delayedThe boss of Britain's biggest tour firms says people will move between different airports if rules are different.
• British Airways to continue work-from-home plan after CovidThe airline is exploring the sale of its huge Heathrow Airport HQ as part of flexible working plans.

ITV News

• Dartmoor rail service to return after almost 50 years thanks to £40.5m schemeThe railway line between Exeter and Okehampton is to open all year round for the first time in almost 50 years.

Department for Transport

• Oxford to Cambridge expressway project cancelled as Transport Secretary looks to alternative plans for improving transport in the region Construction of the Oxford to Cambridge expressway has been cancelled as analysis shows the benefits the road would deliver are outweighed by its costs.

Financial Times

• National Express targets smaller rivals struggling in pandemicMove by UK’s biggest bus group points to consolidation in sector hit by collapse in passenger numbers
• Airlines tap stock and bond markets as they prepare for surge in bookingsBA parent IAG and US carrier Sun Country raise funds as travel outlook improves
• BA explores sale of headquarters in shift to homeworkingAirline aims to allow staff to split time permanently between home and Heathrow complex after pandemic

The Guardian

• London council ignites safety row as it rejects cycle lane plansCalls for government intervention after Kensington and Chelsea leadership team’s decision
• UK increase in cycling and walking must be nurtured, says ministerTransport minister cites £2bn fund as evidence of commitment to supporting ‘active travel’

The Herald

• Alan Simpson: Nationalising Scotrail is a public cash risk too farANYONE who ever had the pleasure of eating a British Rail pork pie during a long journey on a late and freezing cold train will no doubt have shuddered at the news that ScotRail is going to be nationalised.

Times Online

• The Times Scotland view on rail renationalisation: Changing Trains [subscription]Passengers will expect much when Scotland’s railways are back in public hands
• Road ahead looks clear for National Express [subscription]Travel restrictions during the pandemic knocked National Express to a £444.7 million loss after a year that resulted in some of its services being mothballed for months.
• ScotRail sets up great expectations for nationalised service [subscription]Passengers can expect better catering, more services on the most scenic routes and flexible ticketing products when Scotland’s rail operator is nationalised in April next year, bosses say.
• Dartmoor rail service reopens this year in reversal of Beeching cuts [subscription]A largely redundant Victorian railway line will be reopened this year as part of plans to resurrect routes closed in the infamous Beeching cuts.

The National

• Scotland could have a world class railway system after nationalising ScotRailGOOD news seems hard to come by at the moment. But the Scottish Government’s decision to bring the Scotrail franchise into public ownership is good news indeed.

Belfast Telegraph

• Public transport usage won't be the same even after lockdown is easedDemand for public transport will recover as lockdown restrictions ease but travel patterns will be permanently changed, industry leaders predict.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• New Ilkley cycle hub is a magnet for anti-social behaviour A NEW cycle park and shelter in Ilkley town centre is acting as a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
• Bradford MUST have a Northern Powerhouse Rail stop, leaders urge THE LEADER of the council, candidate for West Yorkshire Mayor and Bradford Labour MP have come together to call for the Government to ensure there is a Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) stop in the city centre.

Bristol Live

• New electric vehicle charging points unveiled, but there's a hitchYou had one job...

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Last 'iconic' Airbus A380 takes off on its maiden flightAirbus chief executive officer Guillaume Faury said it was 'another remarkable day in Toulouse'
• Bid to save Llangollen railway as assets are put up for sale after operator went bustLlangollen Railway PLC announced this year it is not legally able to continue to trade after becoming insolvent

London Evening Standard

• Public transport usage won't be the same even after lockdown is easedLatest Government figures show bus usage outside London is at 46% of pre-pandemic levels after reaching a high of 63% in November 2020.

Northern Echo

• Pictures show how Teesside Airport is becoming unrecognisable in major refit A BEHIND-THE-SCENES look at the refit of Teesside Airport has revealed how parts are becoming almost unrecognisable as work continues.

The York Press

• TransPennine Express hits lockdown milestoneA TRAIN company that operates services through York has delivered their one millionth customer making an essential journey during lockdown safely to their destination.

Yorkshire Post

• Transport Minister insults North with ‘playing games’ jibe – The Yorkshire Post saysTRANSPORT MINISTER Andrew Stephenson did himself no favours with his belligerent and disrespectful tone towards Hull North MP Dame Diana Johnson during the pair’s Commons debate.

Bucks Free Press

• Transport for Bucks slammed over shoddy road repairs in Marlow THE authority has come under fire for shoddy road repairs repeatedly done and which one resident said last no more than a few months

Cambridge News

• Oxford to Cambridge expressway project cancelledThe Department for Transport says it will continue to work on alternative plans to boost connectivity in the Arc

Kent Online

• Isle of Sheppey could get direct line between Sheerness and London Victoria as new rail strategy approvedProposals for the hourly train between the Isle of Sheppey and London Victoria could be approved in the future after Kent County Council adopted a new Kent Rail Strategy for the next decade.

Other Regional Press

• Wakefield's MP wants to build a monorail and conference centre 'the size of a small town' in the heart of the cityWakefield’s MP has revealed plans to build a monorail system and a conference centre ‘the size of a small town’ in the middle of Wakefield.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• InPost partners with TfL to deliver dozens of new parcel collection lockers across capitalInPost, a leading Out-of-Home eCommerce delivery company, has announced the next phase of its partnership with Transport for London (TfL) which will see the rollout of more than sixty new parcel lockers across the TfL network over the next three months. This follows a trial installation of the parcel lockers at six different locations. More than 25 new lockers have already been installed, with plans to double this by the end of the summer.                                            &nb...

Coach and Bus Week

• Merseytravel announces hydrogen bus projectMerseytravel has announced a project that a project to bring 20 hydrogen-powered double-decker buses to the streets of the Liverpool City Region will take an important step forward on 19 March, with the project’s business case and funding set to be approved at a Combined Authority (CA) meeting.
• £3bn National Bus Strategy to end ‘fragmented, commercialised market’Government publishes major new bus strategy, outlining most ambitious reform to the sector in a generation
• On the Wright track?Wrightbus’ new heavy duty single-decker broke cover in late February. Jonathan Welch took it for an exclusive first drive
• Arriving soon?New electric vehicle producer Arrival has impressed with its talk of radical new technology and microfactories, but what drives the company? CBW takes a closer look
• Keolis trials autonomous electric shuttleSince 9 February, Keolis has been testing a new autonomous electric shuttle in Renmark, a city of 10,000 residents 200km from Adelaide in South Australia. Visitors and residents are invited to use the service, which it says is particularly adapted to people with reduced mobility. Running on open roads, the EasyMile EZ10 autonomous shuttle serves the Renmark riverfront and a number of other key locations, including the municipal swimming pool, supermarket and food outlets. The autonomous shuttle is providing a free hop-on hop-off service every 30 minutes on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Saturdays on a six-stop, 2.4 km loop through the city centre.

New Civil Engineer

• Network Rail completes West London station transformation for Elizabeth lineNetwork Rail engineers have completed work at Acton Main Line station.
• HS2 received more than 1,400 construction complaints last yearMore than 1,400 complaints were lodged with HS2 Ltd last year in relation to construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.
• Millions saved and time slashed on West Coast Main Line workWork on 34 projects along the West Coast Main Line will be accelerated and a £13.8M cost saving delivered, as a result of the reduction in passenger numbers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rail Business Daily

• Devon communities to be better connected as railway line set to reopen for first time in 50 yearsCommunities and passengers in Devon are to benefit from the reopening of the railway between Okehampton and Exeter as a result of the Government’s ‘Restoring your Railway’ initiative.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Drivers’ licence mandates renewal due soon: Licence CheckThe need for operators to renew permission from many drivers – both vocational and otherwise – to access their licence details with DVLA has been highlighted by Licence Check as the third anniversary of GDPR’s introduction on 25 May approaches.
• Heavy vehicle testing review lacks change ambition: ATFOAThe Authorised Testing Facility Operators Association (ATFOA) has responded to the heavy vehicle testing review that was recently published by the Department for Transport by claiming that it will do little to quickly address difficulties that surround testing capacity.
• First West Yorkshire orders five ZE buses for new Leeds park and rideFirst West Yorkshire has ordered five BYD Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400EV battery-electric double-deckers for a new park and ride set to launch in Leeds later this year.
• Koller Engineering supports coach PSVAR conversion workKoller Engineering has advised that it is able to supply a variety of wheelchair accessible vehicle products to operators and companies that are engaged in the conversion of existing coaches to comply with PSVAR.
• Liverpool City Region hydrogen buses project set to go aheadThe business case for a project that would see 20 hydrogen fuel cell-electric double-decker buses enter service on Merseyside is set for approval at a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) meeting on 19 March.
• BSOG reform in England: Likely proposals aired in StrategyEarly details of what proposed reform of BSOG in England may consist of have been revealed in the full National Bus Strategy, which was published on 15 March and heralded by the government as “a £3bn bus revolution.”
• National Bus Strategy: Policy fundamentals analysedUndoubtedly key to the National Bus Strategy for England, which was published on 15 March, is collaboration between operators and local transport authorities (LTAs) in return for new sources of government funding. Each section of the Strategy makes clear an expectation for such Enhanced Partnership working, even where franchising may yet enter the equation.
• Consultation on end date for new diesel bus sales in EnglandThe Department for Transport and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles have begun a consultation that aims to set a date for the end of new diesel bus sales in England.
• Cardiff Bus to upgrade 20 vehicles in Clean Bus Retrofit SchemeCardiff Bus is to retrofit 20 Alexander Dennis Enviro200 models to the Euro VI emissions standard after winning funding from Cardiff City Council’s Clean Bus Retrofit Scheme.
• Judicial Review of Manchester franchising consultation soughtStagecoach has submitted a court application for a Judicial Review of Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) second consultation on bus franchising in the region. It says that the move, which was made in February, has come because of a “failure to meet the required standards on proper process, evidence and analysis required by law,” and has accused GMCA of conducting “an unlawful process.”

Aviation Industry

• Proposed Air Passenger Duty cut sends the wrong signalIt was certainly not the kind of aviation policy announcement we’d been hoping for. A draft policy on how to achieve ‘net zero’ aviation in the UK is now more …