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Thursday, 28 October 2021

BBC News

• Yorkshire and Lincolnshire transport upgrades get levelling up fundingA multimillion-pound list of transport improvements and projects across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire has been set out in the chancellor's Budget.
• Budget 2021: North of England rail link omission 'concerning'A failure to mention a promised new rail line to link northern England in the Budget was "worrying", Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has said.
• West Midlands Trains cancellations to continue for monthsTrain delays and cancellations are likely to continue into the new year, an operator has said.
• Electric cars: How practical are they in Wales?While the Welsh government says it will install more chargers, campaigners argue progress is slow.
• Start-up launches £495,000 hoverbike in JapanThe Tokyo-based company hopes the vehicle will rival the popularity of supercars.
• Electric car for Belfast lord mayor for the first timeCouncillors said a greener vehicle would show a commitment to tackling climate change.
• Rail strike action during COP26 called off after pay deal agreedThe RMT accepts a new pay offer which will provide its ScotRail members with a 2.5% pay rise.
• The plumber giving 'white van man' an eco-makeoverPlumber Martin Broer explains why he swapped his van for an electric cargo bike.

Financial Times

• Budget funding for UK truck driver shortage criticised by logistics sectorChancellor pledges new funds and lower fees to help address ‘acute’ crisis that is exacerbating UK’s supply chain woes
• Green campaigners hit out at Sunak’s tax cut on domestic flightsRail industry also critical of decision to halve air passenger duty on journeys within the UK
• Infrastructure package criticised for focus on big-ticket projects Capital spending to increase but there are worries local UK schemes will remain underfunded

The Guardian

• Rail strikes planned during Cop26 climate conference called offIndustrial action abandoned as trade union leaders confirmed pay talks with ScotRail have been settledRail strikes planned for next week’s Cop26 climate conference have been abandoned after trade union leaders confirmed negotiations on a pay rise have been settled.The announcement was made after talks between the RMT union and transport bosses on Wednesday. Continue reading...
• World is failing to make changes needed to avoid climate breakdown, report findsPace of emissions reductions must be increased significantly to keep global heating to 1.5CEvery corner of society is failing to take the “transformational changeâ€� needed to avert the most disastrous consequences of the climate crisis, with trends either too slow or in some cases even regressing, according to a major new global analysis.Across 40 different areas spanning the power sector, heavy industry, agriculture, transportation, finance and technology, not one is changing quickly enough to avoid 1.5C in global heating beyond pre-industrial times, a critical target of the Paris climate agre...

Times Online

• ]Eleventh-hour deal saves Cop26 summit from transport chaos [subscriptionThe RMT union initially ignored a deadline yesterday to accept an enhanced pay deal forcing the rail operator to announce that from Monday it would be prioritising the route between Edinburgh and Glasgow and a shuttle service to the Glasgow campus where the summit is taking place.
• Budget 2021: Rishi Sunak turns on spending taps to ‘level up’ towns in Scotland [subscription]The largest single payout from the “levelling-up” fund is £38.7 million to support the regeneration of Paisley’s town centre and business area as well as upgrading pedestrian, cycling, public transport and road links between the town and the nearby Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland.
• BP and Daimler on the road to hydrogen fuel stops for lorries [subscription]It has signed a partnership with Daimler Truck, one of the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers and part of Daimler, the German owner of Mercedes-Benz, which says it aims to deliver lorries powered by hydrogen fuel cells to British customers from 2025.

City AM

• Budget 2021: Sunak commits £46bn to railwaysThe money is focused predominantly on boosting connectivity across the country.

The Mirror

• UK travel red list 'to be scrapped' due to 'declining' Covid threat from abroadThe UK government is reportedly set to scrap the travel red list which means that people arriving from the seven countries still on it will no longer need to quarantine in hotels

Birmingham Post

• Humber Freeport gets Budget go-ahead with two out of three tax sites set for November launch7,000 jobs anticipated as customs and tax incentives act as magnet to Net Zero and manufacturing investors

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Frustration as Northern Powerhouse Rail is 'glaring omission' from BudgetBRADFORD is still waiting for commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail - with a new station in the city centre - following today's Budget and Spending Review announcement.
• Northern encourages customers to return to rail travelCOMMUTERS are being encouraged to return to rail by Northern.

Manchester Evening News

• Greater Manchester’s new bus network - with £1.50 'hopper fares', 70-minute routes and a re-think on evening and Sunday servicesThe mayor and council leaders have submitted a £1bn bid to government for cheaper fares, ten-minute services and fast ‘super bus’ routes

Yorkshire Post

• Budget 2021: Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2 betrayal fears grow – Tom RichmondRISHI Sunak’s Budget will be widely remembered for the tsunami of Treasury leaks – a contempt of Parliament that forced Hugh Dalton to resign as Chancellor in 1947 and left Ken Clarke red-faced when his 1996 speech was leaked to the Daily Mirror.

Hull Daily Mail

• Direct rail link between Beverley and York takes major step forwardA business case will now be drawn up for ambitious project.

Other Regional Press

• MP welcomes £50,000 grant towards new Corsham railway stationTHE Government has awarded £50,000 towards feasibility studies for a new Corsham railway station.
• Councillor rebuffed after calling for bus lane flexibility to beat traffic jamsA councillor has been rebuffed after calling for bus lanes to be operated more flexibly as part of a smart approach to tackling congestion.

politics.co.uk

• Transport at Budget 2021In response to the 2021 Autumn Budget, Nick Bowes, Chief Executive at Centre for London said: On transport investment

New Civil Engineer

• 8 Budget pledges billed to deliver ‘infrastructure revolution’Chancellor Rishi Sunak told the House of Commons that today’s Budget will deliver the promise of an “infrastructure revolution”.
• Environmental campaigners take case against HS2’s Chilterns tunnel to High CourtThe Misbourne Environmental Protection (MEP) campaign group will appear in the High Court today, October 28, asking for judicial review of the consent given by the Environment Agency for HS2’s twin bore tunnel under the Chiltern hills.
• 13 more abandoned railways and stations backed by DfT for restorationPlans to reopen 13 abandoned railways and disused stations have been accepted for development under the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Restoring Your Railways fund.
• In full: The 105 projects to be financed by £1.7bn ‘Levelling Up Fund’The government has revealed 105 projects that will benefit from its £1.7bn ‘Levelling Up Fund’. While the exact sums to be provided to each project have not been revealed, there are a number of noteworthy inclusions.

Railway Gazette

• Porterbrook appoints Chief Operating OfficerUK: Porterbrook has appointed Ben Ackroyd as its first Chief Operating Officer, with strategic responsibility for all operational aspects of the business.

Other News Sources

• Transport sector gives mixed response to Autumn BudgetThe RHA has welcomed moves to help the transport and logistics sector contained in the government’s Autumn Budget which it said were “campaigning wins for the organisation”.
• Flintshire MP ‘dismayed’ that Arriva Bus Wales drivers vote in favour of industrial actionArriva bus drivers across North Wales have voted “hugely in favour of industrial action” following a ballot.
• DB and Siemens present ‘the first automatic train’Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Siemens Mobility have developed the world’s first train that operates by itself in rail traffic. The train is controlled by digital technology and is fully automated, although the driver remains on the train to supervise the journey with passengers on board.
• New Uber-style bus service and cheaper fares could be coming to SurreyNearly half of households in the county have at least two cars
• The Surrey railway station that will finally have step-free access after years of campaigningOne of seven improvement projects chosen to get a share of over £30million