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

Monday, 21 June 2021

BBC News

• Andy Burnham's anger at Manchester-Scotland travel banGreater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has accused the Scottish government of "hypocrisy" after it announced a travel ban to parts of the region.
• New season tickets go on sale for part-time commutersNew flexible season tickets go on sale from Monday aimed at commuters who only travel to work two or three days a week.

Department for Transport

• Flexible season tickets on sale, saving hundreds of pounds for rail passengersNew national rail flexible season tickets and online season ticket calculator launch.

Financial Times

• Dover takes legal action against government over check pointsPort says decision to reject £33.5m funding for new immigration posts was irrational
• Airport expansion plans grounded by Covid and climate change‘Severe investment crunch’ and growing environmental concerns put projects at risk
• HS2 costs rise by a further £1.7bn during pandemicSocial distancing and work suspensions add to bill for high-speed rail project

STV

• ScotRail accused of ‘attacking’ striking staff on social mediaDisruption is expected on Sunday as a result of strike action by the RMT union over rest day payments.

The Independent

• Flexi season tickets for rail travellers: all you need to know‘For many, the idea of travelling five days a week to the office is fast becoming a relic of the past’ – the transport secretary, Grant Shapps

The Scotsman

• Campaigners ‘aghast’ that £20m new Reston station in Borders may be served by just eight trains a dayScotland’s newest station, being built at a cost of £20 million, is likely to be served by only a handful of services a day when it opens next year.

The Telegraph

• Flexible rail season tickets to save passengers up to £350 a yearThe scheme, beginning on Monday, will offer workers commuting into the office two or three days a week savings on routes countrywide

Times Online

• Second e-scooter death in UK after rider, 20, succumbs to injuriesA young man has died after his e-scooter crashed into a car in the second known case of its kind in the UK.

Mail Online

• Season ticket boost for part-time rail commuters to encourage return to train travelThe scheme offers savings on certain routes for passengers travelling two or three days a week. It is the first step in a shake-up announced last month by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

The Mirror

• Flexible rail season tickets available from today in train travel overhaulThe scheme offers savings on certain routes for people who commute two or three days a week and come amid a major switch in working habits triggered by the coronavirus pandemic

Sky News

• COVID-19: Travel restrictions are a 'trade-off' and holidays as normal this summer 'was never going to be the case', says justice secretaryForeign holidays as normal this summer "was never going to be the case", Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has said as he defended the government’s COVID travel policy.

Birmingham Mail

• Bus fares in Brum and Black Country to become 'cheapest in country' The cuts will come into force as soon as restrictions end next month

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• 'The clock is ticking': passengers’ call to scrap bus partnership plansWEST YORKSHIRE residents held a day of action for

Bristol Live

• New Highway Code rules coming in this yearHighways England worked on the new guidance with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

London Evening Standard

• Will I save money with a flexible rail season ticket?Flexi Season tickets go on sale on Monday.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• ‘What the Hell are they playing at?’: Paul Sweeney criticises Scottish Government for not ensuring trains are made in ScotlandMr Sweeney wrote to the government asking if it would commit to assembling half of all new ScotRail trains within Scotland itself, to make sure Scottish people and businesses are used as much as possible.

Other Regional Press

• Northumberland Line to be ready by 2024TRANSPORT chiefs have repeated promises that passengers will be travelling on the Northumberland Line before the end of 2024.
• London Underground: Map shows how far Tube would go if South London had as many stations as NorthThe amount of stations north of the river greatly outnumber those down south
• Communities across Greater Manchester encouraged to find out more about HS2’s journey to the NorthHS2 Ltd, the company designing and delivering Britain’s brand-new high-speed railway, is encouraging communities in Greater Manchester to take part in a series of events and find out more about plans for HS2’s arrival.
• 'Free public transport for everyone!': A look at whether the Paris plan for free travel could happen in LondonIf one Paris candidate wins the vote today she'll get rid of all transport fares - would London ever do the same?
• Pilots issue mayday as data suggests UK aviation ‘worst hit by travel rules’Pilots are calling for urgent action to help aviation because of the “devastating” impact of the pandemic on UK airlines and airports
• Potholes, drivers and badly designed cycling lanes are what makes cycling in Lincolnshire a little trickyCycling is a great way to stay healthy and fit, but it can also be a battle against potholes, cars and badly designed cycle lanes.
• Flexible rail fares coming into force in major overhaulTrain passengers in Shropshire can buy flexible season tickets from today as part of an overhaul of rail travel.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• NHS and CEVA team up to trial a riverboat delivery service on the ThamesAn NHS trust has become the first in the country to pilot a daily riverboat delivery service as part of its plan to reduce its carbon footprint. Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust has teamed up with CEVA Logistics and Livett’s Group to trial the service on the River Thames. If the proof-of-concept pilot is successful, the service will operate on a larger scale, removing trucks from the U.K. capital’s roads, while providing a reliable delivery route into London during the day. The Trust’s three delivery trucks currently travel around 1,500 miles per week. Fo...
• Unipart secures five-year Jaguar Land Rover contractUnipart Logistics has secured a five-year contract to run the new, custom-built Jaguar Land Rover Global Parts Logistics Centre at Appleby Magna in Leicestershire, which will open in 2022. Unipart has been selected by Jaguar Land Rover to provide aftermarket parts logistics for both the Jaguar and Land Rover luxury automotive brands. The operation will be housed at Jaguar Land Rover’s new 2.94m square foot campus, one of the largest UK warehouse developments for a single customer. Unipart Logistics will operate a UK and global aftermarket Distribution Centre, Parts Packing and Branded ...
• Flexible rail season tickets on sale as part of major reformNew national flexible rail tickets, matching modern working habits and saving passengers hundreds of pounds, will be available to commuters across England from next week. The launch of flexible season tickets is the first step in the reform of the railways, as part of the recently launched Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail. The paperless tickets will allow travel on any 8 days in a 28-day period, with passengers able to tap smartcards or scan mobiles at the station with no need to select the days of travel in advance. The change has the potential to save commuters hundreds of pounds, providing gre...

New Civil Engineer

• 171-year-old Swansea station refurb completeSwansea railway station has been given a dramatic transformation with Network Rail and Transport for Wales (TfW) coming together to deliver key improvements.
• Revealed: Consultants fees from drawn-out Williams-Shapps ReviewMore than £4M was spent since by the Department for Transport (DfT) on consultancy fees for the drawn-out Williams-Shapps Review.

Aviation Industry

• BALPA Ups Public Pressure Against UK Over Air Travel DecimationThere were high hopes following the implementation of a Global Travel Taskforce to work on the safe return of air travel in the United Kingdom this spring.

Other News Sources

• Levelling Up Fund – £30 million bid to accelerate three rail schemes in FlintshireBusiness and local authority leaders have endorsed the bid to the UK Levelling Up Fund (LUF) from member authority Flintshire County Council seeking £30 million for investment in the Borderlands railway line between Wrexham and Liverpool via Bidston.
• Investigation after claims new train broke down between Chesterfield and Sheffield because of 'high pollen count’Train operator Northern says an investigation is underway after claims one of its new trains broke down between Chesterfield and Sheffield due to a ‘high pollen count’.
• UK’s first “accredited mobility hub” unveiled in LondonThe hub will feature electric car club bay, EV charging facilities, as well as community spaces and access to the London Underground network nearby.
• Mayor calls for transport settlement to tackle climate changeWEST Midlands Mayor Andy Street has called for further devolution of funding to help cut carbon emissions from transport as part of the region’s plan to become carbon neutral by 2041.