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

Tuesday, 01 June 2021

BBC News

• A6 road: Nichola Mallon opens completed dual carriagewayWork was completed on the A6 road between Toomebridge and Castledawson over the weekend.
• Covid-19: Red list arrivals terminal opens at Heathrow AirportThe dedicated location is for passengers arriving in the UK from nations judged to be most at-risk.

Financial Times

• Two Ethiopian projects show railpolitik in action Rail deals offers a chance to compare major pieces of infrastructure backed by Chinese and non-Chinese companies

The Telegraph

• Biden's battle to rebuild America's crumbling infrastructure [subscription]A sweeping modernisation of its energy supply, roads, bridges and airports were on the long shopping list of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ four-yearly infrastructure report card in March. It estimates an extra $2.6 trillion of spending over the next 10 years is needed to boost it up to a solid B grade - a 77pc increase.

Times Online

• Plain-clothes police to wage war on close overtaking of cyclists [subscription]Drivers who overtake cyclists too closely could be pulled over and cautioned for dangerous driving under a new policing operation this summer.
• Train takes strain for China imports as sea container costs rise [subscription]Britain’s largest kitchen supplier has started importing goods from China by train because of the rising cost of using maritime shipping containers.

Daily Express

• Elon Musk announces SpaceX Starship set for Mars will launch from OCEANELON MUSK has shared plans to launch a SpaceX Starship rocket from an

The National

• Drivers face dangerous driving cautions for getting too near cyclistsDRIVERS who overtake cyclists too closely may be pulled over and cautioned for dangerous driving under a new policing operation this summer.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham Clean Air Zone - how to pay the daily chargeAll non-compliant, non-exempt vehicles except motorbikes and scooters will have to pay for travelling into the new Clean Air Zone

Birmingham Post

• Rail chiefs outline proposal which could bring £500m boost to West MidlandsMidlands Connect wants to see direct hourly service between Shrewsbury and London via Birmingham and section of line electrified
• Birmingham's Clean Air Zone charge comes into force todayAfter years of debate, today's the day for drivers coming into Birmingham who are not in compliant vehicles

Edinburgh Evening News

• Edinburgh's lost tunnel was the first ever underground railway line in ScotlandThe St Leonards Tunnel, built between 1827 and 1830, is used today by locals as a thoroughfare for runners and cyclists, but its historic beginnings are sometimes forgotten.

London Evening Standard

• Covid red list arrivals terminal opens at Heathrow AirportA dedicated terminal for UK arrivals from countries with a high coronavirus risk has opened at Heathrow.

Northern Echo

• Region missing out despite £317m Transpennine rail upgradeA NORTH-EAST MP says a Government announcement of an upgrade for the Transpennine rail route is “disappointing for Teesside”.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Faster trains through Wolverhampton planned as line to Shrewsbury electrifiedFaster trains will travel on an upgraded route through the West Midlands under plans unveiled today for a “revolution” in rail travel.

Cambridge News

• South Cambs MP calls for 'pause' on new busway plansThe two busways are estimated to cost around £300 million

Other Regional Press

• Faster trains through Shropshire as Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton line electrifiedFaster trains will travel on an upgraded route through Shropshire under a “revolution” on our railways
• Angry resident claims objectors silenced in rush to deliver £18m rail stationIt took just 57 days for the £18m rail station for Soham to be ‘approved’ by East Cambridgeshire District Council.
• Rail Minister told that Coventry to Leicester rail upgrade must stop at NuneatonNuneaton's voice in Parliament has told the government's Rail Minister that the Coventry to Leicester rail upgrade must stop at Nuneaton.

New Civil Engineer

• Interview | Lee Parker of Surrey County Council on combining planning with major projectsWhen Surrey County Council’s Lee Parker tells you his job title is director of infrastructure, planning and major projects, he says that the comma between infrastructure and planning is important. He says it is this focus on combining infrastructure and planning – as opposed to keeping them separate – that makes his new division different from what has been done before at Surrey, and possibly other councils.
• Network Rail ramps up work at Kings Cross, Leeds, Gatwick and Brent Cross WestNetwork Rail engineers have been busy over the Bank Holiday weekend, carrying out track and station upgrades at Kings Cross, Leeds, Gatwick and in North London in preparation for the new Brent Cross West station.
• Movers and shakers: Biggest construction and engineering appointments in May 2021A round-up of the biggest moves and appointments during May is below.

Rail Magazine

• Prioritise securing Supertram before expansion - mayorPlans to extend the Sheffield Supertram network should be placed on hold, says South Yorkshire Mayor Dan Jarvis.
• First of Class 197s on test for Transport for WalesTesting has begun on the first Transport for Wales Class 197s, which are due to enter service from next year.

Railway Gazette

• Facial recognition payment to be rolled out at Moscow Metro stationsRUSSIA: A facial recognition based payment system is to be offered at all Moscow Metro stations by the end of the year, according to Deputy Mayor and Head of the Department of Transport & Road Infrastructure Development Maxim Liksutov.

Other News Sources

• Going underground: German mobile operators boost connectivity on trainsVodafone, Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica are expanding their coverage to provide more stable and reliable reception on trains.
• Rising sea levels threaten North Wales road and rail links warn university expertsRising sea levels could cut North Wales main A55 road link, wash away railways, swamp holiday resorts and threaten businesses along the coast by the end of this century, according to leading ocean scientists.
• Sale of Ireland's Stobart Air in doubt over financingDoubt has been cast on the planned sale of Aer Lingus Regional operator Stobart Air (RE, Dublin Int'l) to Ettyl Limited, a little-known start-up virtual carrier based on the Isle of Man, a British tax haven, over financing concerns.
• Aviation and tourism synergies key drivers for global economic recoveryMONTREAL – Participating in the opening ceremonies of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Regional Office for the Middle East, ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu drew attention to the fundamental synergies between aviation and tourism, and to how ICAO and UNWTO cooperation has delivered socio-economic benefits to countries all over the world.
• This Dutch startup raises €550K to help aviation sector to manage the surge in travellers after lockdown; here’s howWith the Covid-19 pandemic, contactless travel has become the new normal. In this regard, Utrecht-based aviation security company GRASP Innovations has developed a radar-based solution to automate airport security processes. The company claims it will increase the capacity and shorten waiting times at airports.
• Forgotten Too Soon? The Sud Aviation CaravelleToday, France is a key center in the world of aircraft manufacturing. It is home not only to European juggernaut Airbus, but also the likes of turboprop manufacturer ATR, and business jet and military specialist Dassault. However, if you look a little further back in history, the name Sud Aviation also crops up. It made history in the 1950s by producing the first jetliner specifically for the short to medium-haul market: the SE 210 ‘Caravelle.’
• Dudley's Very Light Rail project opens test track facilityDUDLEY'S Very Light Rail project has now officially opened a test track facility for rail vehicle and infrastructure testing.
• Murphy awarded £56M contract for East West Rail earthworksThe East West Rail Alliance has awarded engineering company Murphy a £56M contract to deliver the main earthworks and drainage package on East West Rail, from Oxford to Bletchley, following two years of early contractor involvement.
• First brand new Transport for Wales trains being put through their pacesTesting has begun on brand new Transport for Wales trains which are due to enter service from next year.