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

Friday, 18 February 2022

BBC News

• Storm Eunice: West Midlands Railway issues 'do not travel' warningWest Midlands Railway issues the notice as storm precautions are rolled out across the region.
• Covid: Airport group 'halts dividend payments to councils'Ten councils in Greater Manchester are warned they might not receive any dividend until 2027.

Financial Times

• Air France-KLM wants freedom from bans on acquisitionsHead of Franco-Dutch group plans to repay state aid and raise €4bn in fresh capital

The Guardian

• Station to station: a spotter’s guide to prefab design on the railwaysOn my travels I encountered the good, bad and ugly of railway architecture (writes photographer Luke O’Donovan), but what I was pleasantly surprised to see almost everywhere I visited was the civic pride that both railway staff and the public have for the railways.
• TfL junk food ad ban has helped Londoners shop more healthily studyResearchers estimate a 1,000 calorie decrease in unhealthy purchases associated with the policyA ban on junk food advertising by Transport for London has contributed to a 1,000 calorie decrease in unhealthy purchases in people's weekly shopping, a study has estimated.

Mail Online

• Wales gets first dedicated electric car charging hub near SwanseaCurrently, Wales has one of the lowest numbers of EV charge points per head of population in the UK, with 33 per 100k people. That compares to London, which has 102 per 100k.
• The shocking truth about charging electric cars: One in five power points is the fast tech versionIt is feared that drivers will be reluctant to make the switch to plug-in cars if they believe there are not enough ways to top up quickly. Just 17 per cent of new public chargers in 2021 were rapid versions.

Birmingham Post

• Railway companies tell passengers 'Do Not Travel' because of danger to life from Storm EuniceHurricane force winds could cause severe disruption as Met Office issues alerts

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Concern West Yorkshire bus routes could disappear after funding ends in AprilTHERE are major concerns that multiple bus services could end in the coming weeks, as Government financial support comes to an end.
• E-scooter criminals in Bradford forced to pay thousandsALMOST £4,000 in fines have been handed out and penalty points to people using electric scooters illegally in Bradford, or who have been tried at the city's courts.

Cambridge News

• Stagecoach East’s electric buses emits 75 per cent less CO2 since its launchThe electric buses were introduced in 2020

Other Regional Press

• Hartlepool MP calls on minister for much-needed improvements to town's rail servicesHartlepool’s MP is calling on the Government for “much-needed” improvements to get the towns rail services back on track.
• Great British Railways Headquarters could be built in DidcotA town rich in railway history could become the home for the new headquarters of a new public body in charge of the UK’s train services.
• New support announced for essential Southampton bus servicesNEW support has been announced so that people can continue to use essential bus services in Southampton.
• Two thirds of Yorkshire people believe better transport needed to 'level-up'Transport is a high priority for people in Yorkshire when it comes to the government's 'levelling-up' agenda, especially after the cancellation of the Leeds section of HS2
• Weymouth bus drivers win landmark pay dealWEYMOUTH bus drivers are to get a pay rise of more than eight per cent following a landmark victory by a trade union.

Coach and Bus Week

• Bus operators appeal for funding extension to avoid withdrawalsOxfordshire bus operators issue an urgent appeal for further Government recovery funding to avoid significant cuts to services.
• Tap-on, tap-off now on board Arriva buses in WalesArriva bus passengers in North Wales and on cross boarder services in and out of Chester are now benefitting from the operator’s tap-on, tap-off (TOTO) scheme, which enables them to pay using contactless cards and ensures daily and weekly fare capping.

• Collaboration strengthens support for bus and rail usersTransport charity Bus Users UK and the Rail Ombudsman are joining forces to improve services for public transport users and to raise awareness of the Alternative Dispute Resolution process which can help passengers and operators to settle complaints.
The two organisations are looking into a range of projects including workshops on complaints handling, on-street ’let’s talk transport’ events to bring passengers and transport providers together, particularly in areas with no transport interchanges, and joint initiatives on passenger rights and alternative dispute resolution.
• Oxford’s ZEZ pilot to launch this monthBritain’s first zero emission zone (ZEZ) will begin in Oxford on 28 February. The pilot will launch in a small number of streets in the city centre. All petrol and diesel vehicles, including hybrids, will incur a daily charge unless eligible for a discount or exemption. However, zero-emission vehicles, such as electric cars, can enter the pilot area free of charge. The fee will vary from £2 to £10 per day depending on the emission levels of the vehicle. Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras are being installed to enforce rules within the zone.
• WYCA celebrates carbon saving success of Stourton park & rideStourton park & ride’s fully electric buses have already saved over 100 tonnes of carbon emissions since the site on the outskirts Leeds launched in September 2021, which is said to be the equivalent to taking 4.4 cars off the road for every return bus journey. Based on the total number of journeys made by the fleet every day, the site could be removing more than 2,200 cars a week from the route into Leeds.
• Grayson MD calls for more local content in electrification investmentGrayson Thermal Systems’ Managing Director has rasied concerns that a ’once in a generation’ opportunity could be missed in the EV supply chain

New Civil Engineer

• High Speed Rail Group research suggests rail cuts ’undermined’ levelling up agendaThe High Sped Rail Group has suggested that cuts to HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail announced in the Integrate Rail Plan have directly undermined the government’s levelling up agenda.
• In the development of autonomous transportation, we’re all apprenticesWhen the producers of one of the BBC’s biggest shows called and asked whether they could feature autonomous pods from a project we’ve been recently working on, along with our colleagues at Westfield Cars, we were initially hesitant. It’s not that we didn’t want to raise the profile of future mobility, but when we say that profile would be in the hands of eight candidates vying to be Lord Sugar’s apprentice, you’ll understand why.
• London Bridge and Hackney Wick stations highlight importance of good designLondon Bridge and Hackney Wick stations have been highlighted as railway success stories, showing how good design can add significant value to rail infrastructure.
• Is £30M underground asset register a waste of taxpayer money?The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) being created by the Geospatial Commission – part of the Cabinet Office – is a waste of taxpayer money and lacks rationale, according to an underground asset specialist.
• Welsh rail bridge replacement delayed by ’supply chain issues’The replacement of Torbay Road bridge in Wales is expected to take an additional month to complete due to supply chain issues.

Rail Advent

• GB Railfreight unveil heritage livery for Class 69 locomotiveGB Railfreight have today unveiled a new look for their latest Class 69 locomotive. The unveiling took place at Eastleigh Works and shows Class 69 No. 69004 in retro BR Rail Research Livery.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• ADL BYD to build 130-strong ZE fleet for National Express in CoventryAlexander Dennis and BYD have confirmed that the partnership is to supply 130 zero-emission double-deck buses to National Express and Zenobe in Coventry, as part of the city’s successful bid to become the country’s first all-electric bus city.
• Quantron Cizaris BEV revealed in digital launchGerman e-mobility specialist Quantron has lifted the lid on its 12m zero-emission single-decker bus, Cizaris.
• Zenobe secures up to £241m funds as it plots e-bus expansionZenobe Energy has established a multi-source debt structure that will bring up to £241m of funding into its business. It will enable Zenobe to initially service and finance up to 430 new battery-electric buses in the UK and Ireland.
• Ticketer and Palisis collaborate on bus ticket sales to visitorsTicketer is working with Palisis, a technology provider of sales and operations solutions for the transport and tourism industry, to help make local coach and bus services more accessible to visitors that are unfamiliar with an area.
• ’Lack of concern’ on potential bus cuts draws Metro Mayors’ ireSeven Metro Mayors in England have launched an attack on the bus industry and central government over what they believe are looming cuts to services and fare increases, saying that the two parties must share blame for such “strategic short-sightedness of the worst kind.”
• Current bus patronage recovery rate ’hugely disappointing’The rate of bus patronage recovery continues to show wide variance between operators, industry managers’ group the Ten Per Cent Club has revealed in a downbeat assessment of the likelihood of full-scale ridership return.
• Three more bus partnerships created in ScotlandThree further bus partnerships in Scotland have been founded after the Scottish Government allocated over £800,000 to support them. The Argyll and Bute Bus Partnership, the Midlothian Bus Alliance and the West Lothian Bus Alliance join eight other bus partnerships involving 28 local authorities (LAs) in Scotland.

Transport Infrastructure News

• Luton airport presents revised expansion plansPlans to expand Luton airport are being presented to the public from Tuesday at the first of 13 local events.

Other News Sources

• Problems that held up Crossrail’s Canary Wharf station revealedScheme became centre of dispute between railway and developer