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

Wednesday, 09 February 2022

BBC News

• Cambridge City Council paid £31k subsidy for 'ghost bus'A city has been paying thousands of pounds for a "ghost bus" that no-one has seen or used since the coronavirus pandemic began.
• Train firm c2c overcharges on London-Essex routeA train company has apologised for overcharging passengers since Saturday due to an issue with their ticketing system.
• Levelling up: Northern mayors call on government to reassess rail plansPolitical leaders says the plans put
• ScotRail's peak services 'won't return to pre-Covid levels'Leisure travel rather than commuting will be the focus of 150 new services on ScotRail's timetable.

ITV News

• UK's worst rail operators ranked as Southern and Thameslink top list in latest rail passenger surveyThe latest rail passenger survey has placed Southern and Thameslink among the worst rail operators for overall satisfaction.

Department for Transport

• Wendy Morton MPWendy Morton was appointed a Minister of State in the Department for Transport on 8 February 2022. She was previously Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Transport.

The Guardian

• Bus operators in England plead for cash saying third of services face axeAlmost a third of bus services in England could be axed within weeks if the government does not make “critical decisions” to extend emergency funding, bus operators have warned.

The Independent

• TransPennine Express train strikes: passengers face mounting cancellationsTrain conductors belonging to the RMT union will start a series of four Sunday strikes on 13 February

Times Online

• Commuter services will never go back to normal after Covid pandemic, says ScotrailPeak time commuter services on Scotland’s railways will never return to pre-pandemic levels, according to a senior transport executive.
• Rush hour traffic is a third lighter than pre-pandemic levels [subscription]Congestion in Reading, Berkshire, fell by 53 per cent last year, according to TomTom, the traffic data company. Tailbacks in Southampton eased by the most (52 per cent) followed by Coventry (45 per cent), Stoke-on-Trent (43 per cent) and Cardiff (40 per cent).

City AM

• Airbus revokes additional Qatar Airways orders in escalation of rowAirbus has showed no sign of looking for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing row with Qatar Airways, as it announced today it revoked the airline’s orders for two A350-100 planes.
• C2C apologises for “inadvertently” causing price overchargeRail operator C2C has apologised for “inadvertently ” loading the ticketing system incorrectly and causing an increase in ticket prices.

Network Rail

• Network Rail begins £1.8m improvement programme on Mallaig LineEngineers will start work this week on the Mallaig line at Lochailort in the West Highlands.

London Evening Standard

• New Crossrail station completed ahead of Elizabeth Line openingTfL commissioner Andy Byford revealed last week that the Elizabeth Line is ’tangibly close’ to completion

Other Regional Press

• Pothole infested road in Watford has become 'danger'A driver has claimed a pothole infested road has become a “danger” to motorists and pedestrians.
• Cheltenham transport hub: First look at what £20m redevelopment could look likeThe first pictures of what a £20million new transport hub for Cheltenham could look like have been made public.
• Manchester Airport unveils new education centre to 'inspire' careers in aviationManchester Airport has launched a new education centre aimed at inspiring future generations about a career in aviation.
• "David vs Goliath" battle against expansion at Leeds Bradford AirportCAMPAIGNERS against Leeds Bradford Airport expansion are preparing for a "David vs Goliath" battle at a public inquiry by launching a crowdfunder appeal
• Luton Airport expansion plans branded a 'waste of money' as consultation opensA consultation has started today (February 8) on proposals for further expansion at London Luton Airport, which campaigners are calling “a huge waste of public money”.
• Horrified locals fighting plan to replace Batley rail crossing with a footbridgeThey want Network Rail to rein back on plans to replace the crossing linking Howley Street with Stoney Lane with a metal footbridge, which is being planned as part of electrification improvements within the mammoth Transpennine Route Upgrade.

New Civil Engineer

• Queensbury Tunnel | National Highways calls in police after photos emerge of controversial workNational Highways' long-running battle with disgruntled campaigners in West Yorkshire has boiled over, with the police called in to investigate an alleged case of trespass.
• Crossrail | New station opens as Elizabeth line speeds towards operationA new station building has opened at Burnham ahead of the start of Elizabeth line operations in the first half of this year.
• Condition of UK’s major roads revealed by regionThe report – Benchmarking National Highways – finds that four out of the six regions are performing close to or beyond the national level target of ensuring that 95% of the network does not require further maintenance investigation.
• Views sought on major London Luton Airport expansionLondon Luton Airport’s expansion plans have gone out to public consultation, with the airport operator seeking feedback on proposals to increase capacity to 32M passengers per year.

Rail Magazine

• Network Rail begins landslip monitoring trialNetwork Rail is trialling a monitoring system that will give early warning of landslips.

Other News Sources

• Calls for Matlock-Nottingham rail service to be reinstatedA new aggregates service has been launched by GB Railfreight and Brett Aggregates from Newhaven to Thorney Mill near West Drayton
• Town’s MP backs Eastleigh’s bid for new Rail HQEastleigh’s MP Paul Holmes says that the Railway Industry will once again bring prosperity to the town if it is chosen as the home for the new headquarters of Great British Railways.
• Minister committed to rail improvement for North WestAn upgrade to the railway line between Londonderry and Coleraine is back on track, according to Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon.
• Swindon on track to bid for Great British Railways headquartersSwindon Borough Council has signalled its intention to put forward a strong bid to the government to become the new headquarters for Great British Railways.