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

Sunday, 27 June 2021

BBC News

• East-West Rail: Explaining the Cambridge to Oxford projectThe East-West rail project is set to be one of the UK's biggest transport schemes.
• Solihull flooding: M42 and homes deluged in thunderstormHomes and roads, including a section of the M42, were hit by flash flooding during the storm.
• 'I spent £70,000 on pilot training but can't get a job'Newly qualified pilots are indebted and jobless as airlines reel from the pandemic, says the industry.

The Guardian

• School meals at risk due to shortage of UK lorry driversLoss of 100,000 hauliers as a result of Covid and Brexit could leave cooks relying on emergency standby ingredientsSchool meals could be disrupted for the remainder of this term by delays and shortages of food supplies across the country as a result of a dearth of lorry drivers in the UK.The warning came as industry representatives told Boris Johnson that the driver shortage – exacerbated by Brexit and the pandemic – was causing a “crisisâ€� in the food supply chain. Continue reading...

The Telegraph

• Toyota’s hydrogen commitment races ahead [subscription]The Japanese giant says its hydrogen-burning racer is a pointer to future road applications, following a successful 24-hour race test
• Tesla's Berlin battery bust-up set to boost Britain [subscription]Progress on the $7bn site has been painfully slow as environmental campaigners and bureaucratic red tape frustrate the Tesla boss

Times Online

• New database will let police return stolen bikes to their owners [subscription]Police are to take the first steps towards the creation of a national bicycle database to combat thefts. An estimated 300,000 bikes are stolen a year, three times the number of cars stolen.
• Infuriating train announcements will terminate here [subscription]Shapps promises to give railway passengers some peace by introducing curbs on tannoy messages

Birmingham Mail

• On the number 50 double decker bus with Mayor Andy StreetOn a bus ride to and from Moseley, Mayor Andy Street sets out his vision for devolution, with much greater financial independence

Birmingham Post

• Stormont backs airlines with £4.5M fund to bolster connectivityThe NI Domestic Aviation Kickstart Scheme is designed to incentivise airlines operating or considering operating flights to Great Britain
• Bristol Airport boss slams government over travel rules and UEFADavid Lees confirmed airlines had seen a "massive" spike in interest for flights to newly green-listed destinations

Bolton News

• e-scooter rules can land you a £300 fine and points on you driving licenceThere have been long-running safety concerns about e-scooters with dozens of e-scooter trials taking place across the UK.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• £2.6 million funding agreed to create jobs, skills and franchising the bus network across West YorkshireAN investment of up to £2.6 million has been agreed to make progress on key mayoral pledges around good work, skilled jobs for young people, supporting West Yorkshire's creative and cultural sector, and bringing the region's bus system back into public control.
• Council urged to install traffic calming on Great Horton Road 'as soon as possible' after 20mph zone is approvedPROPOSALS to implement a 20mph zone in an area of Great Horton Road has been approved by Bradford Council.

Manchester Evening News

• The dark, dingy subway that's been transformed by a child's imaginationDark, dangerous, and a magnet for trouble, the subway was facing closure. But that would have also meant a massive inconvenience for hundreds of local people who still use it every day.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Residents in 'isolated' village back calls for rail line's returnResidents and an MP for an "isolated" village on the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire border have put backing behind plans to reopen a disused rail line.

This Is Local London Network

• MP wants answers over Charlton's Angerstein crossing closureLocal MP Matthew Pennycook has weighed in on the proposed closure of the Angerstein Wharf crossing, dubbed the most dangerous level crossing in south east London, by demanding Network Rail justify their decision.

Yorkshire Post

• Bradford and not York should be Great British Railways HQ – The Yorkshire Post saysTORY MP Kevin Hollinrake’s call for Great British Railways to be based in York is, at face value, an eminently sensible suggestion.

Other Regional Press

• Simon Jupp MP backs multi-million pound bid for ExmouthThe proposals aim to secure over £15 million in funding which would see a much-needed extension to Dinan Way in Exmouth to link up with the A376.

Train Operators

• ScotRail unveils Inter7City high speed train named after MND campaigner, Gordon Aikman BEMThe life and legacy of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Scotland campaigner, Gordon Aikman, has been honored with ScotRail naming one of its iconic high-speed trains in his memory.

British Trams Online

• English Light Rail journeys for 2020/21 see dramatic fallIn possibly not the most shocking news of the year the latest light rail data released for the Department for Transport has shown a drastic fall in passenger journeys with an overall decrease of 69% ranging from 57.4% on London Tramlink to 81.8% on Nottingham Express Transit.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Stagecoach Manchester launches Bus Driver Apprenticeship ProgrammeStagecoach Manchester has launched its Bus Driver Apprenticeship programme, a 14-month programme of training which builds on their initial induction training to provide successful graduates with additional skills and insight into their roles as Stagecoach drivers.  The scheme goes beyond the core competencies of safety, customer service and vehicle operation, equipping drivers with the knowledge to better serve passengers within their local communities.  The scheme involves an initial 3 months off the job training, where apprentices will pass their PCV (bus) licence, complete vehicle...

Rail Advent

• Porterbrook adds Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre to its portfolioPorterbook is a rolling stock owner and asset management company that has worked at the heart of UK rail for more than 25 years, owning around 25% of the national passenger train fleet and has just added The Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre to its portfolio of assets.
• Transport for Wales to fit 200 defibrillators across their network over the next 18 months Transport for Wales has confirmed that they are beginning a scheme to install defibrillator devices across the majority of their stations.

Transportxtra

• Green light for White Rose railway stationLeeds City Council approves start of works

Aviation Industry

• Lufthansa Replaces Its Shortest Route With A Bus ServiceLufthansa is scrapping its shortest route, replacing the service with a bus. The route between Munich and Nuremberg is just 86 miles (138 km) as the crow flies. Lufthansa operates many domestic services across Germany, connecting major cities with its Frankfurt and Munich hubs. These services run alongside a comprehensive rail codeshare network.

Other News Sources

• Dogs that keep North West railways safe celebrated by NorthernTO celebrate Take Your Dog to Work Day, Northern is putting the spotlight on four-legged friends who spend their days at work helping to keep the rail network safe.