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

Tuesday, 27 July 2021

BBC News

• Air travel yet to meaningfully restart, says UK industryBookings have not recovered due to the
• Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata Motors feels chip shortage strainTata Motors sees losses narrow, but warns that a lack of semiconductors could halve car production.
• Tesla profit surge driven by record car deliveriesThe electric carmaker's revenues nearly doubled in the three months to 30 June compared with last year.

Channel 4 News

• Could rail construction delays threaten ‘levelling up’ in north of England?Political leaders in the north of England say the prospect of a lengthy delay to new improved transport links for the region are “completely unacceptable”.

Financial Times

• Let competitive forces fly in the airline recoverySome airlines weakened by Covid or rescued by governments are sitting on landing slots they can’t use, it is claimed
• UK to consider relaxing travel restrictions from EU and USMinisters are also looking at removing France from the ‘amber plus’ list

The Guardian

• Bus privatisation has destroyed a British public service but there is a way back | Bassam KhawajaThe UK and devolved governments should abandon the notion that public transport can be left to the private marketAlmost four decades ago, Margaret Thatcher's government boldly predicted that privatising Britain's bus sector would lead to lower fares, new services, and more passengers�, while removing any potential future liability on the taxpayerâ.Today, those claims seem farcical, with much of the bus sector in crisis. Private operators have profited handsomely, but passengers dependent on buses to get to work, access services and visit loved ones have suffered greatly.

The Telegraph

• Heathrow to welcome fewer passengers in 2021 than in pandemic year [subscription]Airport strikes deal with lenders after The Telegraph reported earlier this month that it was at risk of defaulting on £15bn of debts
• Sadiq Khan pleads for £500m bailout as Londoners face cuts to Tube and bus services [subscription]Londoners face cuts to Tube and bus services as Sadiq Khan demands more money from taxpayers to fill a £500m hole in the budget of the capital's transport authority.

Times Online

• Climate group loses legal bid to block £27bn roads programme [subscription]The government’s £27 billion road building programme cleared a significant hurdle when the High Court ruled that it was compatible with climate change commitments.

City AM

• Watch: Heathrow's recovery falls behind Paris and Amsterdam airportsLondon’s Heathrow Airport urged the UK government to open up travel to vaccinated passengers after its recovery fell behind hubs The post Watch: Heathrow's recovery falls behind Paris and Amsterdam airports

Network Rail

• Public consultation launches for new Tram Train stop and Park & RidePlans are progressing for a new Tram Train stop and Park & Ride in Templeborough, Rotherham.

Birmingham Post

• Hydrogen car manufacturer Riversimple raises £1.5m in latest funding roundA mid-Wales hydrogen car manufacturer raised £1.5m in its latest funding round.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Trains cancelled between Guiseley and Ilkley after bomb findTRAINS are having to be cancelled after a bomb was found near the railway.

London Evening Standard

• Rail disruption as services are cut back thanks to pingdemicRail passengers faced disruption on Monday as “emergencyâ€� timetables were introduced after the “pingdemicâ€� forced several train firms to scale back services.
• TfL faces ‘difficult decisions’ as new budget published, warns Sadiq KhanThe London mayor called on the Government to commit to bridging a £500 million funding shortfall in this financial year.

The York Press

• Sale of historic LNER nameplates raises £12K for charityThe nameplates from three retired InterCity engines which once plied the East Coast Mainline have sold for more than £12,000 at auction.

Bucks Free Press

• 'Tired' Chiltern Railways driver stopped metres from head-on crash at Chalfont and LatimerA fatigued train driver with a history of safety blunders passed a stop signal and narrowly avoided a head-on crash with another train, an investigation has found.

Other Regional Press

• Petition to stop HS2 Chiltern construction to be debated in ParliamentOver 150,000 people signed the petition.
• HS2 fears as Government adviser brands Yorkshire leg 'unachievable'Report gives project's eastern leg the worst possible rating

Train Operators

• Testing begins on new Transport for Wales trainsNew trains being built as part of the transformation of the Wales and Borders network have reached another key milestone as testing gets underway in Europe.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Hauliers report improvements after implementing digital processesMore than half of hauliers have benefitted from digital transformation, according to research conducted by transport management software provider Mandata.   Mandata conducted a survey with logistics and haulage operators to help identify the biggest challenges currently facing the industry.   Ranging from fleet sizes of 30–200, the study found that respondents’ main priority is to help reduce the number of manual processes with the help of digital adoption, but a lack of technical knowledge has become a barrier in adopting this new way of working.   30 per cent of ha...
• Shell to install hundreds of EV charging points at Waitrose storesUp to 800 Shell electric vehicle charging points will be installed in as many as 100 Waitrose shops across the UK by 2025.    Waitrose and Shell have set out ambitious plans to grow their partnership, installing hundreds of electric vehicle charging points in the supermarket’s car parks and more than doubling the number of Shell forecourt shops where Waitrose food is available.   Each site is expected to have six 22kW and two 50kW rapid charging points so customers can charge their vehicles while they shop.   Electric vehicle charging is expected to launch at the firs...

Construction News

• High Court battle to block £27bn Highways England plans dismissedA High Court legal challenge to block Highways England’s £27.4bn RIS2 plans on environmental grounds has been struck down.

New Civil Engineer

• Crossrail 2 importance ‘cannot be overlooked’The importance of Crossrail 2 for the future of the rail network “cannot be overlooked”, according to Network Rail’s South West Main Line (SWML) Strategic Study.
• TfL ‘needs to reassess’ flood risk after stations left underwaterTransport for London (TfL) has been urged to reassess the viability of its flood measures after weekend storms left two of its stations underwater.

Rail Business Daily

• TfL publishes revised budget showing progress towards financial sustainability – but more Government support requiredLatest figures from TfL show a reduction in its funding gap for 2021/22, compared to its last budget published in March, due to higher operational savings, some deferrals of the capital spend into 2022/23 and use of own cash
• New Managing Director for Unipart RailUnipart Rail has announced that Neil McNicholas is the company’s new Managing Director, effective immediately.

Railnews

• Train operators slash timetables as staff self-isolate The timetables of a number of train operators are being reduced from today, because large numbers of staff have been 'pinged' and advised to self-isolate for up to 10 days.

Other News Sources

• Trees lining railway chopped down and residents aren't happyNetwork Rail says the work was needed to make the line safe