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

Tuesday, 07 September 2021

BBC News

• Covid: Tube rush hour busiest since start of pandemicPassenger numbers are rising, but remain below pre-lockdown levels, Transport for London says.
• Chip shortage could last into 2023, says car bossThe car industry needs to learn from the Covid

Financial Times

• Chinese government funds invest in ride-hailing rival to DidiCao Cao Mobility raises $588m as it tries to take advantage of crackdown on larger competitor
• Consumer demand must ease to end supply chain crisis, says Maersk executiveOnly way to end ‘vicious circle’ of shortages is for people to buy less, warns head of port operator

The Guardian

• Climate impact of a transatlantic flight could cost global economy $3,000Economic cost of climate crisis has cut 37% from global GDP this century, say researchers
• Returning London commuters put the rush back into rush hourMorning trips on the tube were up 17% on last week, and buses saw 39% more passengersThe first signs of a commuter revival in the capital appeared on Monday as London Underground recorded its busiest morning since the start of the pandemic – although schools may have played a bigger role than offices in increasing journeys.Rush-hour trips on the tube were up 17% from last Tuesday, to just under a million – their highest since March 2020. Buses also saw 39% more passengers, according to Transport for London figures for the period to 10am on Friday. Continue reading...
• FirstGroup to launch budget London to Edinburgh rail service next monthFirstGroup is to launch a budget direct London-Edinburgh rail service next month, which it hopes will lure air passengers to the train as a cheaper and greener alternative.

The Independent

• Exposure to air pollution linked to greater risk of Covid-19 hospitalisation, report findsMayor of London says findings show dangers of dirty air cannot be underestimated
• Budget trains to take on easyJet planes and LNER on East Coast main line‘Lumo’ will offer almost 400 miles of rail travel between London and Edinburgh for under £15

The Telegraph

• Heathrow third runway clears hurdle despite Johnson’s opposition [subscription]Ministers refuse to change policy document which gives approval to £18bn project

Times Online

• Diesel collapse drags down car sales [subscription]The collapse in both demand and supply of diesel vehicles caused new car sales to slump last month by 22 per cent year-on-year.
• A passenger charter for disabled people means travelling with confidence [subscription]This week our Paralympic heroes return from Tokyo, basking in glory and adorned with medals after a stunning fortnight of gruelling competition and thrilling battles. And yet amid all the cheers as they arrive home, many will also be greeted by the same barriers disabled people face day in, day out.
• Removal of climate change hurdle clears way for third Heathrow runway [subscription]A barrier to the expansion of Heathrow was cleared yesterday when the government refused to review its decision to give the green light to a third runway.
• JCB heir Jo Bamford in driving seat of £1bn green hydrogen fund [subscription]Jo Bamford, the heir to the multibillion-pound JCB diggers empire, has put himself at the centre of the hydrogen revolution by spearheading a £1 billion investment fund to finance projects in what many think is the future of zero-carbon energy.
• Rush hour returns to pre-pandemic levels [Subscription]Rush-hour traffic returned to pre-pandemic levels in parts of the country today as the end of home working and the start of the new school term led to a rise in congestion.

City AM

• September surge: Tube records busiest morning since March 2020This morning saw the busiest start to a day on the London Underground since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, Transport for London (TfL) said this morning.

Network Rail

• Network Rail completes major signalling work near Peterborough ready for freight trains to begin diving under East Coast Main Line this winterNetwork Rail has completed major signalling work on a new section of track north of Peterborough, ready for freight trains to dive underneath the East Coast Main Line, helping to cut congestion and increase capacity.

Birmingham Mail

• Fears over hulking new HS2 viaducts in SolihullFears have been voiced that designs for hulking HS2 viaducts in Solihull will be "a done deal" by the time they're presented to residents.

Birmingham Post

• New rail service to start between North East, London and EdinburghThe Lumo service is part of First Group, and aims to entice air passengers to switch to rail with cheaper prices and a greener service
• Inside new £138m UPS UK air hub at East Midlands Airport1.2m sq ft facility can handle up to 22,500 packages an hour but is almost silent during daytime hours

London Evening Standard

• Air pollution linked to greater risk of Covid-19 hospital admission – studyLondon mayor Sadiq Khan said eradication of toxic air is key to building people’s resilience to viruses.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Fears passengers could be left 'isolated' and 'stranded' by travel centre cutsFears are rising that plans to more than halve the opening hours will hit the most vulnerable travellers to and from the town the hardest

Nottingham Evening Post

• Smart ticketing for public transport in Nottingham set for £700k boostA decision has been made to spend up to £788,000 to continue providing a concessionary fare scheme for older people as well as a smart ticketing service for public transport in Nottingham.

Other Regional Press

• ScotRail slash Glasgow student rail fares with half-price discountSCOTRAIL has announced plans to slash its ticket prices for some passengers for a limited time. 
• Devon MP discovers the key to running a railwaydormakaba took the opportunity to showcase their key systems, which are chosen by many rail industry professionals around the country

New Civil Engineer

• Gamification of Stonehenge Tunnel and Lower Thames Crossing to inspire next generation of engineersA trio of National Highways flagship schemes have been gamified by the team behind Minecraft in a bid to inspire the next generation of engineers.
• Explained: Why 11 platforms are needed at HS2’s Euston terminusHS2’s London Euston terminus, as proposed in the Phase 1 hybrid Bill, would have 11 platforms.
• Inspectors warned of ‘high risk’ to Scottish railway eight months before train collided with treeInspectors warned that rotten lineside trees posed a “high risk” to the railway between Perth and Dundee, some eight months before a train collided with a fallen tree on the tracks.
• Boost for Heathrow expansion plans as DfT rules out policy reviewBackers of Heathrow Airport’s planned third runway have received a boost today, after the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that it will not carry out a review of the policy statement which underpins the airport’s expansion.

Railnews

• FirstGroup unveils details of East Coast open access TUESDAY BRIEFING: FirstGroup unveils details of East Coast open access ++ Network Rail plans five-day blockade in south of England ++ MSP intervenes in ScotRail disputes ++ Signalling upgrades completed for Werrington diveunder ++ Underground passenger numbers continue to recover

Railway Gazette

• Railway to Hell to be electrifiedNORWAY: Infrastructure manager Bane NOR has awarded NRC Norge a NKr760m contract for installation of overhead electrification equipment on the lines around Trondheim

Other News Sources

• Climate consequences of transatlantic flights ‘could cost economy £2,170’A return flight from the UK to New York could cost the global economy more than 3,000 dollars (£2,170) in the long run, due to the effects of climate change, a new report has said.
• FirstGroup to Launch Electric Rail Service Between London and Edinburgh Next MonthFirstGroup PLC has set up a company to run a 100% electric rail service between London and Edinburgh from October.
• £9 million made available for English councils to tackle pollutionThe Air Quality Grant is part of a wider plan to reduce harmful roadside emissions, with zero-emissions transport key to driving down pollution in the UK’s cities.
• Survey on the future of transport in Grantham has gone live onlinePeople are being invited to take part in an online survey for the new Grantham Transport Strategy which is now live.
• Transport for Greater Manchester sign hand sanitizer dealTransport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and LifeBuoy have partnered up to provide Metrolink and bus users with free hand sanitiser at key stops and interchanges across the transport network.
• London’s Tube network sees busiest morning in 18 monthsTfL said that when compared with pre-pandemic figures for September 9 2019, travel was up 45% on the Tube and 64% on the buses up to 10am.
• Rail passengers can park their cars for free at Northumberland Line stationsTransport chiefs have confirmed there will be no parking charges at stations on the planned Northumberland Line for at least two years after it opens.