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

Wednesday, 09 March 2022

BBC News

• Fuel prices: Customers abusing forecourt staff as costs soarOne firm faces a £2m annual diesel bill and a garage says employees face abuse from some drivers.
• Next phase of £34m Middlesbrough station revamp scheme approvedThe second phase of a £34m project to save Middlesbrough's railway station from more disrepair has been approved.

Financial Times

• What does banning Russian oil mean for global energy markets? Analysts warn of supply shock akin to 1979 crisis if moves by US and others trigger broad blockade
• UK ports demand government blacklist of banned Russian ships Operators fear making mistakes as they face task of trying to identify sanctioned vessels

The Independent

• When will rail passengers get a return to normal serviceTrain Talk: Many rail firms are still on an ’Omicron’ timetable

Times Online

• Chris Boardman pedals new cycling strategy [subscription]The former Olympic champion tells John Greechan why cycling can make the world a better place for all of us
• Airlines protest against increased fees for Heathrow passengers [subscription]The aviation industry regulator should roll back an “extreme increase” in Heathrow airport charges to protect passengers, the UK’s biggest airlines have said.

Network Rail

• Queen Victoria’s least-favourite railway tunnel set to be modernised this summer as Network Rail plans week-long shutdown through Penge Tunnel, South LondonOver nine days, between Saturday 23 and Sunday 31 July 2022, Network Rail engineers will replace the tracks through Penge Tunnel, between Brixton and Beckenham Junction in South London, to improve reliability.
• Queen Victoria’s least-favourite railway tunnel set to be modernised this summer as Network Rail plans week-long shutdown through Penge Tunnel, South LondonOver nine days, between Saturday 23 and Sunday 31 July 2022, Network Rail engineers will replace the tracks through Penge Tunnel, between Brixton and Beckenham Junction in South London, to improve reliability.

Birmingham Post

• Flybe unveils new senior leadership team ahead of spring launchBudget airline which relocated its HQ to Birmingham Airport last year has appointed a group of experienced industry executives
• Plans for a £590 million tidal lagoon off North Wales coast are forging aheadMostyn SeaPower Ltd revealed it is going out to tender for review of the initial design and costings for the scheme

The York Press

• Women in Transport chooses York for its northern baseA NEW northern base for the national Women in Transport organisation is to be set up in York.
• First York is recruiting more drivers as passenger figures riseBus company First York is recruiting drivers as passenger levels recover following the pandemic - and promoting the range of opportunities on International Women's Day.

Other Regional Press

• New designs show HS2 Euston station which will link to huge London Underground changesNew designs of the HS2 Euston station show what will become the UK's largest station concourse - 20 per cent larger than Trafalgar Square. The 10-platform high speed station will be set over three levels and bring changes to the London Underground as well.
• New security provided at Llangollen rail yard following vandalism incidentA Mold based security company has come to the aid of the Llangollen Railway following the vandalism of several of its historic items.
• Rail users decry 'levelling up North with better services in the South'Make it affordable to travel across the country' This is the opinion of Mail readers who are fed up with expensive tickets to travel on cold, uncomfortable trains.
• Rail station hopes to bolster city tourism bid with new additionNew posters which boast some of Ely’s attractions, including its cathedral, have been put on display at the city’s railway station. 

Train Operators

• Rail minister joins forces with female staff at NorthernRail minister, Wendy Morton MP, has joined forces with female staff at Northern for a special International Women’s Day message.

Construction News

• Five candidates in running to fill vacant HS2 chairUp to 29 individuals are known to have applied to become the chair of HS2 Ltd, a freedom of information request to the Department for Transport has revealed.

New Civil Engineer

• Why Crossrail still needs between £150M and £200M to completeCrossrail chief executive Mark Wild has said that integration, capacity and the Paddington auto-reverse function are the main areas still requiring funding on the project, with the shortfall currently estimated at £175M.
• HS2 | Euston ’toenail’ replaced by prefabricated panels in design rethinkA major change to the roof is the most striking adaptation from earlier designs, with 20 bronze/ gold structural bays replacing the former curved arched design, which unfortunately gained the nickname of the “toenail”.
• Hammersmith Bridge | Double-decker solution wins funding for further developmentFoster + Partners and Cowi have been awarded funding by Hammersmith & Fulham Council to carry out further development of the double-decker solution tabled to aid the restoration of Hammersmith Bridge.
• DfT poised to outline future for Heathrow southern rail linkThe Department for Transport (DfT) will reveal the next steps for a Heathrow southern rail link when it publishes the long-awaited Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP).

Rail Advent

• Kidbrooke’s new station building improvements completedSoutheastern’s new station building at Kidbrooke is now open providing connectivity for 5,000 new homes in Berkley Homes Kidbrooke Village development.

The Business Desk

• Brittany Ferries returns all ships to service after two years of Covid disruptionPlymouth-headquartered company restarts all services and even increases them on some routes
• Work begins on £35m Derby rail depot upgradeWork has begun to transform East Midlands Railway’s (EMR) Etches Park depot in Derby in preparation for the arrival of the company’s new Aurora train fleet.

Transport Times

• Climate activists let down SUV tyres across Britain in ’gas guzzler’ protest [subscription]Climate activists have deflated the tyres of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) to protest against their higher emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.

Aviation Industry

• What Will Happen To Aeroflot's London Heathrow Slots?With the airline not allowed into the UK anymore, does it risk losing its LHR slots?

Other News Sources

• Councillors told they can't decide how county spends money as road improvement schemes agreedOne councillor raised the issue of coaches turning into Sandy Lane, Cobham causing congestion
• Exceptional items at Go-Ahead exceed £100m in 2021The delayed annual accounts for rail franchise operator Go-Ahead Group make gruesome reading for shareholders including the former group CEO and CFO, who will have to go without their annual bonuses.
• Heathrow passengers 'paying 56% more' say angry airlinesAirlines UK said an interim increase in charges to use the airport had seen fees skyrocket in January from an average £19.36 to £30.19. The CAA permitted the increase in passenger and other fees in December and is now deciding what charges to allow Heathrow to set for the next five years. 
• Singapore Airlines restoring pre-pandemic Heathrow scheduleSingapore Airlines is finally going back to ’Before Times’ by reopening its pre-pandemic routes from Heathrow to Changi.