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

Saturday, 30 October 2021

BBC News

• Bridges collapse as River Annan level hits 50-year highThe Carlisle to Dumfries railway line is shut on safety grounds as heavy rains hit southern Scotland.
• RMT staff stage walkout against own unionGeneral secretary Mick Lynch said he had been left without administrative support at its headquarters.
• Covid: Work train journeys less than half pre-pandemicThe number of commuter journeys by train remain at less than half of pre-pandemic levels, figures show.
• Volvo shares accelerate on stock market debutInvestors snap up shares in the Chinese-owned Swedish carmaker as they go on sale in Stockholm.

Financial Times

• Air France-KLM losses narrow as demand reboundsFranco-Dutch airline ‘back on track’ towards return to pre-pandemic profit levels

The Guardian

• Rail commuting in Great Britain at less than half pre-pandemic levelNumber of commuter trips made in mid-October was just 45% of pre-Covid figure, industry says

The Telegraph

• Glasgow airport 'risks sinking into the sea' [subscription]Experts say airport being used for Cop26 climate conference is threatened by rising sea levels

Times Online

• Electric drone will offer taxi flights to centre of RomeThe over-sized drone with 18 rotor blades was displayed this week at Rome airport to give passengers a glimpse of how they will be able to whizz over the city’s notorious traffic to reach the centre of town in 15 minutes — if they are brave enough to try autonomous flight.
• Cop26: Poor bike facilities ‘go against grain’ [subscription]Thousands of attendees have been told by traffic managers that cycling and walking to the Glasgow venue “may be your best option” and “the ideal way to support our fight against climate change”.

City AM

• Khan urges government to make mask wearing mandatory on public transportLondon mayor Sadiq Khan has urged the government to make mask wearing mandatory on public transport, as Covid-19 cases average at around 40,000 a day.

Birmingham Mail

• City's largest taxi company asks customers for 'patience and understanding' amid driver shortageIt comes after we reported driver shortages - and Christmas delays are expected

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bus and taxi driver shortage impacting public transport in West YorkshireSHORTAGES of bus and taxi drivers are impacting public transport in West Yorkshire – that’s according to regional transport experts.

Liverpool Echo

• Passengers forced to 'stand in the rain' while train driver took breakPeople were forced to wait almost half an hour while the driver had a rest

Nottingham Evening Post

• HS2 Toton plan 'won't be as it was before' but significant investment plannedA council leader has put his reputation on the line and remains adamant the East Midlands will get much-needed investment

Sheffield Star

• Sheffield Clean Air Zone: Bus companies confident they will upgrade before charge amid fares concernThe two major bus companies operating in Sheffield have said they are confident that their vehicles will be compliant with the Clean Air Zone before it is introduced.

Yorkshire Post

• 'Tables have turned' on north vs south funding for rail and infrastructure, Network Rail boss saysIt is “simply incorrect” to suggest that a majority of funds for rail and other infrastructure are handed over to London and the South East instead of the northern regions, the head of Network Rail has said.

Other Regional Press

• Transport minister back the re-opening of Shropshire rail lineTransport secretary Grant Shapps has given his support to the restoration of a rail line in Shropshire.
• Machynlleth to Pwllheli line shuts during Barmouth worksNo trains will run between Machynlleth and Pwllheli until mid-December while major engineering work is carried out.
• £90m funding bid to ‘transform’ Shropshire bus servicesA £90 million funding bid has been drawn up by Shropshire Council to “transform” the county’s bus services.
• Bus crisis leaves Corby passengers waiting for answersCancellations across the Stagecoach bus network have caused problems for customers
• Will Maidenhead get a bus station?IN A bid to bump up passenger numbers, a £10m bus station could be built in Maidenhead if the council is successful in getting government funds.
• Digital dial-a-ride could arrive in Essex amid bus reformsAn UberPool-style bus service could arrive in north-west Essex within five years.
• No return in sight for Matlock to Nottingham rail service despite passenger frustrationsEast Midlands Railway (EMR) says reductions to the service between Matlock and Nottingham are expected to continue for some time, despite the mounting frustration of passengers.
• Bid for £106m bus cash revealed - but ambition of plans questionedAn overhaul of Norfolk's bus services has been outlined in a £106m bid for government cash.

New Civil Engineer

• Leeds station upgrade ramps up ahead of major track remodelling Work is ramping up on a major project to upgrade the track layout at Leeds station to bring more reliable services for passengers.
• £3.4bn RIS2 funding cut raises questions about Stonehenge Tunnel’s futureA £3.4bn funding cut to National Highways road investment strategy (RIS2) has raised questions about the future of major projects including the planned £1.7bn Stonehenge Tunnel scheme.
• Concrete printing trialled on HS2 can turn construction into a manufacturing processAdvances in 3D concrete printing are aimed at remodelling construction into a robotic manufacturing process that is time, cost and carbon efficient – plus cool to kids seeking a career.

The Business Desk

• Railway station revamp plans get major cash boostAmbitious plans to transform the entrance to Leicester’s historic railway station have been given a major boost with the award of almost £18m of Government funding.

Other News Sources

• Does eliminating fares make public transport more equitable?Eliminating fares within public transport is a topic of greater discussion now than it has ever been. For Intelligent Transport, Carol Schweiger takes up the debate.
• UK Government failing to support local councils on road to net-zero, MPs warnDespite numerous warnings that the UK will not meet its net-zero target without better supporting local low-carbon transitions for buildings and transport, little has been done by the Government in recent months to engage councils.