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

Wednesday, 26 January 2022

BBC News

• Leeds Vicar Lane bus gate: Council repays thousands of finesMore than 11,000 fines issued to motorists after changes to a busy junction in Leeds have been cancelled.
• A44: 'Temporary' traffic lights on road for two yearsResidents are frustrated because they feel the road is forgotten, says local councillor.
• Autonomous-car 'users not legally accountable' callIf anything goes wrong, the company behind the driving system would be responsible, rather than the driver.

Department for Transport

• Transport Assessment Part 4 and Annex A - Report 1 of 2 (TR-005-00000_Report 1)This report presents the assessment of the potential impacts of High Speed Two, Phase 2b Crewe – Manchester in terms of route-wide and off-route impacts

Financial Times

• Lufthansa and MSC consider taking majority stake in Alitalia successor German carrier and shipping group’s interest in ITA marks start of possible post-pandemic shake-up of air industry

The Guardian

• HS2 protesters plan ’nationwide day of action’ over rail expansionA nationwide day of action against HS2 – involving banner drops, solidarity protests and a “Twitter storm” – is planned for Monday as the bill to expand the line beyond Crewe is presented to parliament.
• Self-driving car users should have immunity from offences – reportLaw commissions recommend that vehicle users should not face regulatory sanctions if something goes wrongUsers of self-driving cars should have immunity from a wide range of motoring offences, including dangerous driving, speeding and jumping red lights, Britain’s law commissions have jointly recommended.The Law Commission for England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission propose creation of an Automated Vehicles Act to reflect the “profound legal consequences” of self-driving cars. The person in the driving seat would no longer responsible for how the car drives; instead, the company or b...
• Airlines flying near-empty ‘ghost flights’ to retain EU airport slotsAnalysis from Greenpeace finds deserted flights are generating millions of tons of harmful emissionsAt least 100,000 “ghost flights” could be flown across Europe this winter because of EU airport slot usage rules, according to analysis by Greenpeace.The deserted, unnecessary or unprofitable flights are intended to allow airlines to keep their takeoff and landing runway rights in major airports, but they could also generate up to 2.1 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions – or as much as 1.4 million average petrol or diesel cars emit in a year – Greenpeace says. Continue reading...

Times Online

• Conundrums litter the road ahead for Scotland’s ambitions in transportLast Friday I drove down to Port Glasgow to film an interview about the Ferguson ferry saga for a forthcoming BBC Alba documentary. The crew had set up as near as they could to the Glen Sannox, launched way back in November 2017 and due to enter service on the Ayrshire-Arran route this summer.

Birmingham Post

• Former Conservative Minister appointed to lead Transport for the NorthLord McLoughlin, a former Transport Secretary, said he would lobby for improvements to the Government's rail plan

Bristol Live

• Bristol GPs will start 'prescribing' cycling and walking to obese and lonely patientsMetro Mayor Dan Norris has backed the new scheme

Manchester Evening News

• North’s own rail plan would have meant faster journeys and more trains, admits government - but it was too expensive'Threadbare' Whitehall analysis argues that while the original Northern Powerhouse Rail plan would have provided the ’greatest increase in connectivity and capacity’ of all options, it was not ’affordable’ or ’value for money’

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• 'Decimation' of North East bus services now imminent, furious council leaders warnPrivate bus companies are expected to announce a raft of cuts to routes across the region to many routes amid a major funding crisis

The York Press

• Jason Wade named 'Rising Star' in rail industryA YORK man has been named one of the rail industry’s ’Rising Stars’ in a nationwide search by Passenger Transport magazine.

Yorkshire Post

• Integrated Rail Plan 'not in North's best interest', says new TfN chair Patrick McLoughlinNew Transport for the North chair Lord McLoughlin has pledged to fight for the full Northern Powerhouse Rail route to be delivered - arguing the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan “goes against the best interest of people in the North”.

Carlisle News & Star

• Lord McLoughlin confirmed as chair of Transport for the NorthLORD Patrick McLoughlin has been appointed the next chair of the Transport for the North Partnership Board.

Other Regional Press

• Heathrow Airport fears birds on rooftop gardens could cause plane crashPlans for three tower blocks near Heathrow Airport have been approved, despite fears birds living on the roof could cause a plane crash.
• Debate set to take place in Westminster this week on plans for a new railway station in FlintshireA debate will take place in parliament this week on plans for a new railway station in Flintshire.

Construction News

• Saving a megaproject: is there still hope for HS2’s eastern leg?Given that history is littered with spiked infrastructure schemes that are later revived, Greg Pitcher examines whether the recent government announcement to cancel the eastern leg of HS2 to Leeds really means it is all over

New Civil Engineer

• Network Rail start ’urgent’ work to stop erosion of Hope Valley Line viaductNetwork Rail has begun “urgent” anti-erosion work beneath the Reddish Vale viaduct in the Tame Valley, part of the Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Sheffield.
• HS2 publishes specs for £3bn rail systems contractsHS2 Ltd has published technical specification documents for all upcoming railways systems contracts.
• Campaigners slam National Highways for ’crass’ Great Musgrave bridge requestHeritage railway groups have hit out at National Highways after being asked for information to help support the road operator’s retrospective planning application for the infilling of Great Musgrave bridge in Cumbria.
• Stonehenge Tunnel | National Highways rules out building a longer tunnel and stands by original planNational Highways is standing by its original Stonehenge Tunnel plans despite calls for a longer tunnel.
• HS2 | Motts warned government that scaling back eastern leg was ’unlikely to meet strategic priorities’ before publication of IRPThe government axed the HS2 eastern leg to Leeds despite knowing that the alternatives would not serve the North or deliver the benefits promised.

Railway Gazette

• Late-stage design changes increase cost of London Underground fleet renewalUK: Late design changes have brought a Ј34m increase in the cost of the trains which Siemens Mobility is to supply for London Underground’s Piccadilly Line, after the operator discovered that it would not be able to accept the fleet into service as originally specified.

The Business Desk

• Northern leaders’ responses to Integrated Rail Plan to go before national inquiryMembers of Transport for the North’s (TfN) Board agreed their submission to a cross-party inquiry into how the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) will fulfil the promises made by the Department for Transport.

Other News Sources

• Active travel group calls for major reforms on transport as Chris Boardman leaves Greater Manchester roleWalk Ride GM says Mr Boardman needs to be replaced urgently as key projects on getting people travelling on foot or on two wheels are well off track
• What did COP26 really mean for public transport?Two months on from COP26 in November 2021, Osborne Clarke’s Michael Kruger and Shraiya Thapa consider whether enough of the conference’s conversations translated into meaningful progress and highlight the areas where more work needs to be done as the world plans for a transition to net zero.
• Passengers will love rail firm's full service returnFebruary 14 will again see all LNER services, excluding pre-planned engineering works, operate along 956-mile East Coast route.
• First Bus announces new fare structure across the West of EnglandFirst West of England has introduced new tickets and fares from 23 January 2022 in an effort to encourage more people to travel by public transport as COVID-19 restrictions ease.