Breaking News
The Chris Stokes Column
Cogitamus Limited is delighted to bring you the Chris Stokes column, Keeping Track, hosted exclusively as a regular feature on our website. The column can be viewed for free by clicking on this link, or on the article below.
What prospects for rail ridership recovery? - Chris Stokes
The rail industry is still haemorrhaging income. Although passenger numbers have slowly built up to around 60% of pre-pandemic levels, recovery has been uneven. Leisure travel is close to previous levels – helped by staycation holidays – but commuting and business volumes are still right down. Subject to covid levels not shooting up again, some recovery of city-centre office working is likely from September, but there is no prospect of a return to full, pre-pandemic levels of commuting.
Better safety for smart motorways [subscription]
Safety improvements will be introduced to notorious stretches of smart motorway after a series of fatal crashes, it was announced last night.
Wednesday, 08 September 2021
Cogitamus
- The Chris Stokes ColumnCogitamus Limited is delighted to bring you the Chris Stokes column, Keeping Track, hosted exclusively as a regular feature on our website. The column can be viewed for free by clicking on this link, or on the article below.
- What prospects for rail ridership recovery? - Chris StokesThe rail industry is still haemorrhaging income. Although passenger numbers have slowly built up to around 60% of pre-pandemic levels, recovery has been uneven. Leisure travel is close to previous levels – helped by staycation holidays – but commuting and business volumes are still right down. Subject to covid levels not shooting up again, some recovery of city-centre office working is likely from September, but there is no prospect of a return to full, pre-pandemic levels of commuting.
BBC News
- M4 to close for further smart motorway workPart of the M4 will close overnight for ongoing work to turn it into a so-called smart motorway.
- Boeing: Directors to face investor lawsuit over fatal crashesShareholders can sue Boeing over claims it ignored safety warnings about its 737 Max plane, a US judge rules.
Department for Transport
- Draft Legislation: The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2021Amending existing RTFO regulations to increase carbon savings by raising renewable fuel targets, and expanding support to certain renewable fuels in maritime and rail.
Financial Times
- BA warns it could sell Gatwick slots if deal with unions collapsesAirline in ‘advanced negotiations’ over creation of new lower-cost subsidiary at UK’s second-biggest airport
Times Online
- Better safety for smart motorways [subscription]Safety improvements will be introduced to notorious stretches of smart motorway after a series of fatal crashes, it was announced last night.
Mail Online
- Smart motorway upgrade is on its way at last: Accident blackspots on notorious stretches of road are to be made safer, highways bosses announceSafety improvements are to be made to notorious stretches of smart motorway, road chiefs said yesterday.
Birmingham Mail
- Corporation Street's Metro tram rebuild reaches halfway point after six weeksThe scheme to rebuild the tram track through Birmingham city centre is roughly at the halfway point
Bradford Telegraph & Argus
- Plans go in for new rail station in West YorkshireA full planning application has now been submitted to Calderdale Council for Elland’s new £20 million rail station.
- Road closures will mean diversion of some DalesBus servicesROAD closures will mean the diversion of some weekend DalesBus services from Skipton and Embsay during September and October.
Liverpool Echo
- New Merseyrail train with unique features on the tracksA new quicker, safer and more spacious Merseyrail train was unveiled in our region today.
London Evening Standard
- Talking point: Should passengers without masks be removed from London public transport?adiq Khan has slammed a “selfish minority” who refuse to comply with mask wearing on the Tube and buses.
Yorkshire Post
- Government accused of 'patronising' the North with Pacer train schemeThe Government has been accused of treating the North with “patronising contempt” after it announced that retired Pacer trains will be converted into buildings for a hospital, a school and a mental health charity in Yorkshire.
Other Regional Press
- Low pay, long hours and 'Covid rotas' forcing miserable Yorkshire bus drivers to quitBrexit, Covid, pay and conditions all blamed for driver shortage in Yorkshire
- Fears new East Linton train station could be a 'white elephant’Fears that a new railway station will become a white elephant have been raised as councillors gave it the go ahead despite not knowing how many trains would use it.
- Bold plan for new railway lines on East Coast to link up major Lincs townsThe ideas, which include links between Spalding and Boston and Skegness and Louth, have been presented by transport thinktank Greengauge 21, in a report entitled Connecting East Lincolnshire, which believes these links would boost the region.
New Civil Engineer
- How FM Conway slashed carbon on National Highways M3 jobContractor FM Conway has used recycled materials to achieve carbon savings on National Highways’ resurfacing of the M3 motorway in Hampshire.
- Network Rail and HS2 look to fibre optic technology to monitor railwaysBoth Network Rail and HS2 Ltd have announced trials involving fibre optic technology to improve their monitoring systems.
- TfL told to bolster Underground station safety after man crushed to death at WaterlooTransport for London (TfL) has been told to improve safety measures at its London Underground stations after a man was crushed to death at Waterloo.
Rail Business Daily
- Greenbank expansion secures future of Derby factory siteA manufacturing facility in Derby is set for a new lease of life thanks to the expansion of a locally based engineering group.
Other News Sources
- Transport for London ‘failing disabled passengers’, new study claimsLess than a third of London underground stations are fully accessible to disabled passengers, according to a new investigation.
- Transport for London opens rapid EV charging hubTransport for London (TfL) has opened the second of five rapid charging electric vehicle (EV) hubs planned for the UK capital.
- Transport Secretary rejects calls to oppose Heathrow Airport expansion on climate groundsTransport Secretary Grant Shapps has stated that the Government will continue to support a third runway at Heathrow Airport, arguing that it would "not be appropriate" to review airport planning rules over climate concerns.
- Work to remove Old Shoreham Road cycle lane to begin next weekWORK to remove a controversial cycle lane is set to begin next week.
Recent Archives
- Tuesday, 07 September 2021
- Monday, 06 September 2021
- Sunday, 05 September 2021
- Saturday, 04 September 2021
- Friday, 03 September 2021
- Thursday, 02 September 2021
Latest News
Useful Links
Conferences & Expo's
- Adapting Railways for a Sustainable Future: Rebalancing, Resilience, and Realisation - 30 April 2024 - London
- Annual Rail Station Development and Regeneration - 25 June 2024 - London
- Coach and Bus UK - 12-14 November 2024 - Birmingham
- Encouraging Sustainable Transport - 4 June 2024 - Oxford
- Innovation and Technology in Transport Hub 15-16 May 2024 - Farnborough
- Interchange - 4-5 March 2025 - Manchester
- International Transport Forum - 22-24 May - Glasgow
- MaaS Scotland - 6 June 2024 - Glasgow
- Multimodal 2024 - 11-13 June 2024 - Birmingham
- National Cargo Bike Summit 2024 - 10 May 2024 - London
- Rail Industry Forum - 1 May 2024 - London
- Rail Infrastructure Networking - 12 September 2024 - Derby
- Rail Live - 19-20 June 2024 - Long Marston
- Rolling Stock Maintenance & Depot Optimisation Europe - 25-27 June 2024 - London Hybrid
- Smart Transportation - 30 September 2024 - Virtual
- UK Ports - 22-23 May 2024 - London
All Transport
- Department for Transport
- European Commission (Transport)
- Greater London Authority - Transport
- Merseytravel (Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive)
- Metro (West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Exectutive)
- Nexus (Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive)
- Plymouth Transport
- South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
- The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK)
- The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT)
- Transport East
- Transport for All
- Transport for Cornwall
- Transport for Greater Manchester
- Transport for London
- Transport for the North
- Transport for the West Midlands
- Transport for Wales (Trafnidiaeth Cymru)
- Transport Scotland
- Urban Transport Group
Bus and Coach
Campaign Groups
- Airportwatch
- Aviation Environment Federation
- Campaign for Better Transport
- Friends of The Earth
- Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign
- HACAN ClearSkies
- London City Airport Fight the Flights
- Railfuture
- Save Our Buses
- Stop Stansted Expansion
Friends of TransportInfo
Logistics
Passenger Representatives
Trades Unions
- ASLEF (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen)
- BALPA (British Airline Pilots Association)
- RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport Union)
- TSSA (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association)
- Unite
Aviation
Motoring
Rail
- Freight on Rail
- Heathrow Southern Rail
- Network Rail
- Rail Freight Group
- Rail Partners
- Railway Study Association
Shipping & Waterways
- British Ports Association
- Canal & River Trust
- Chamber of Shipping
- Marine Traffic (tracker)
- UKMPG (United Kingdom Major Ports Group)
News Media