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

Saturday, 27 November 2021

BBC News

• Transport: Better links between Wales and England recommendedTransport improvements between north Wales and north west England feature in a UK government review.
• Where better connectivity could be 'life-changing'How transport issues affect the lives of people across many parts of southern Scotland.
• Tube strike: 60% of London Underground services runningDrivers on six lines are taking part in a 24-hour walkout which means only 60% of services can run.
• Scotland-Northern Ireland bridge scrapped over £335bn costThe cost could not be justified in a UK transport review but improvements to the A1, A75 and A77 were recommended.
• UK car output suffers worst October for 65 yearsChip shortages lead to production dropping to the lowest level recorded for October since 1956.
• 737 Max: Boeing refutes new safety concernsCritics claim publicly available data shows worrying failures on the 737 Max since its return to service.

Financial Times

• Boris Johnson's bridge to Northern Ireland 'impossible to justify'Link to strengthen ties within the union would cost £330bn and take 30 years to build, report finds
• Airline shares tumble as new Covid variant triggers travel restrictionsProspect of return to widespread curbs on international flights revives concerns for sector

The Guardian

• Will Rivian's electric vehicles end Detroit's reign over the US auto industry?Investors have salivated over the Illinois automaker - but juggernauts like Ford and GM still have plenty of advantagesNormal, Illinois, a town of just 55,000 people, could be the future of car manufacturing, according to Wall Street traders, at least. Six hours - drive away in Detroit, home of the US auto industry for more than 100 years, they are not so sure.The town gained international attention earlier this month after the Amazon-backed Rivian, an electric vehicle startup, went public in one of the biggest stock market debuts since Facebook. Despite the fact that the company has delivered...

The Independent

• London Tube strike - latest: Victoria and Jubilee among lines disrupted during Friday rush hourFollow our blog for updates

Times Online

• ScotRail ‘needs bums on seats’ as revenue dips [Subscription]ScotRail needs to get “bums back on seats” after the train operator’s revenue fell by more than £100 million a year during the Covid pandemic, its managing director has said.
• ScotRail ‘needs bums on seats’ as revenue dips [Subscription]ScotRail needs to get “bums back on seats” after the train operator’s revenue fell by more than £100 million a year during the Covid pandemic, its managing director has said.
• Heathrow’s price plans don’t fly [Subscription]So much for the aviation recovery. Up pops a new variant and look at the turbulence: share price falls of at least 9 per cent across the big European flag carriers, with British Airways owner IAG dropping 15 per cent to 131½p.

Daily Express

• UK snow LIVE: Lorries stuck in heavy snow - latest pictures as Britain blanketedMORE than 120 lorries have been stranded in heavy snow for hours on a stretch of motorway the police were forced to shut.

Daily Record

• Train hits trampoline during Storm Arwen as Scots told to tie down garden itemsScotrail are urging residents to check their garden furniture is tied down after the trampoline was blown onto the tracks in Fife.

Mail Online

• Southern Rail operator could be forced to pay £73million in compensation over boundary faresCampaigners claim more than 3million Govia Thameslink Railway passengers have 'double paid' for parts of their travel and are taking their case to the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
• Boris 'plans travel bans on MORE countries over Christmas' amid fears of new Covid variant OmicronThe travel bans would scupper winter holiday plans for millions of Britons, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering the measures to avoid another Christmas lockdown at home.

This is Money

• Driven to distraction! Hi-tech cars can make it harder to drive safelyThere are safety concerns over the trend towards in-car touch screens and digital dashboards which are popular on electric vehicles .
• Easyjet shares 40% lower than this time last yearThe low-cost airline was battered again as the latest Covid variant raised fears of another lockdown and countries re-imposed travel restrictions.
• UK car production slumps to lowest October output since 1956Production fell fell by an annual 41.4% last month to its lowest October level in 65 years.
• Think twice before buying an e-scooter as a present this Christmas, experts warnThere were 484 casualties involving e-scooters last year, and riders can also face a £300 fine if they use them on a public road.

Birmingham Post

• City backs green jet fuel development as Velocys secures £25m investment'Significantly oversubscribed' bookbuild completed in hours with cash raised to back Humber development and bag expansion land

Bolton News

• Storm Arwen causes road closures on the M62Storm Arwen is causing road closures and traffic delays in the area.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Storm Arwen: List of roads closed or blocked in North WalesA number of routes across Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham have been affected

Liverpool Echo

• Warning issued to drivers over car accidents caused by bad weatherWith temperatures dropping after the arctic plunge, you could land yourself in hot water if you drive in bad weather

Manchester Evening News

• MP calls for 'urgent review' of low-traffic roadblocks over ambulance delays"I've always said that Stockport should judge the success or otherwise of this trial on evidence, and the new NWAS advice is clear: the scheme is causing issues for the delivery of their service"

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Road, rail and flight disruption as Storm Arwen wreaks havoc across North EastStrong winds and snow have caused travel chaos across the region today

Northern Echo

• Changes needed to improve bus services in County DurhamA COUNCIL has outlined changes needed to improve bus services across rural parts of the North East.

The York Press

• Plan to revamp York railway station moves forwardPLANS to transform the front of York railway station have taken another step forward.
• I HOPE Julian Sturdy's suggestion that York is 'oven ready' for the proposed Great British Railways HQ does better than the Prime Minister's promises of an oven-ready Brexit deal and social care plan.
• Temporary traffic restrictions in York over coming weeksTRAFFIC restrictions are set to be in place in York over the upcoming weeks, as a range of work is carried out across the city.

Wales Online

• Storm Arwen amber warning live updates: M4, Severn Bridge, major roads hit by closures as fierce winds batter walesSeveral major roads are shut as 80mph winds hit Wales all train lines are blocked between Cardiff and Swansea

Cambridge News

• Jet2, TUI, easyJet, Ryanair, BA: Red list gets six new countries because of new 'worst' variantThis variant has been described as the "worst one we've seen so far."
• Camcycle campaigning to make Cambridge streets safer for cyclistsThe group is campaigning for a lower speed limit on the Guided Busway

Leeds Live

• LNER issues urgent warning advising train passengers not to travel all weekend as Storm Arwen sweeps inStorm Arwen's gale force winds have led to major disruption across the entire rail network

Other Regional Press

• Lifesaving A361 road safety project earns royal recognitionA lifesaving project to improve conditions on the A361 between Banbury and Chipping Norton has won a royal award.
• Some cuts to Oxford bus services in the New YearSome cuts will be made to Oxford bus services in the New Year.
• Cuts to Oxfordshire bus services: MP speaks outMAJOR concerns have been raised about cuts to the number of bus services across the county in the new year.
• Cycling campaigners look at plans to improve Woodstock Road in OxfordCyclox chairwoman Dr Alison Hill looks at the potential improvements for cyclists which could be created by the Woodstock Road 'corridor' improvements.
• Storm Arwen: Travel chaos as part of East Coast mainline to close and passengers advised not to travelTickets for services over the weekend will be valid on trains early next week
• Warning over 10-day main road closure in BedworthDiversions will be in place

Other News Sources

• TfW and CitySwift pilot to optimise busesPartners embark on an AI-driven bus strategy to optimise public transport services in Wales using data and machine learning.   Left to right: Marina Donohoe, Director UK and Northern Europe at Enterprise Ireland, Transport for Wales CEO James Price, First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford, Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin and CitySwift COO Alan Farrelly   Transport for Wales and CitySwift last week announced that they are working together on a pilot programme to optimise public transport services in Wales, using data and machine learning. The programme aims to deliver efficiencies and i...
• Mobile users are risking lives on Herefordshire roadsTHE death rate caused by motorists talking on their mobile phones whilst driving is rising.
• Gatwick and Heathrow: Red List countries requiring quarantine and latest rules as foreign arrivals bannedThe news comes after all countries were removed in a previous update
• Southern Rail faces claims of up to £73m after millions allegedly overchargedA RAIL giant is facing a multi-million pound legal case amid claims passengers were routinely overcharged for train fares.

EIN News Subscription

• New virus variant emerges in Africa, some nations halt air travel … 27-nation European Union imposed a temporary ban on air travel … spike in cases recently. EU Commission President Ursula von der … widely distributed. Speaking before the EU announcement, Dr. Michael Ryan, … will only be able to transport German citizens home, and …