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

Tuesday, 12 April 2022

Cogitamus

• Chris Stokes Column- East West Rail storming ahead but rationalisation in prospectEast West Rail (EWR) is a curious creature, born out of Chris Grayling’s tenure as Secretary of State. The philosophy behind it was that taking forward the delivery of a new East-West route linking Oxford and Cambridge provided an opportunity to deliver a new way of developing the rail network. It would be a vertically integrated operation, taking a fresh look at all aspects of the industry, strongly focussed on its customers and the community it serves, delivering major advances in customer service and productivity, and capturing development gain from new housing and development along the Oxford – Cambridge arc.

BBC News

• U-turn over temporary Castletown bus routes during one-way systemPlans to run a shuttle bus through the centre of Castletown for a year while construction works take place near the town square have been scrapped.
• Cornwall bus fares reduced to boost numbersBus travellers in Cornwall have seen drops in fares in a new project to boost passenger numbers.
• Covid: Heathrow Airport passenger numbers highest since pandemic beganDemand was driven by outbound leisure travel during weekends and school holidays, the airport says.
• London Underground: Safety checks cause Metropolitan line disruptionTfL says a special timetable will run on the Metropolitan line until further notice.
• Priority for fresh goods at Dover not realistic, minister saysHauliers have warned fresh produce is losing quality and value due to long queues at the port.

ITV News

• Calls for UK Government to help south of Scotland bus services
There has been calls for the UK Government to help the south of Scotland bus services following an emergency timetable being introduced.
• Heathrow and Gatwick Airports cancel more flights in blow to holidaymakers' Easter getawaysHeathrow flights were hit with more delays on Monday as the west London airport struggled with the impact of coronavirus-related staff shortages.

Financial Times

• Heathrow records highest passenger numbers since start of pandemicIndustry struggles to handle resurgent demand while business travel remains weak
• Dover traffic chaos damaging UK’s reputation, hauliers warnIndustry says EU drivers reluctant to cross Channel and urges building of transport facilities to improve conditions
• Belgian shipping heir hits out at plan to create largest oil tanker groupAlexander Saverys says that Euronav shareholders will receive ‘nothing’ from planned tie-up with Frontline
• BA and easyJet can’t play blame game over flights chaosRagged reopening could have long-lasting reputational consequences for airlines
• US airlines seek end to Covid mask mandate despite passenger warinessCEOs say rules due to expire on Monday are ‘no longer aligned with the realities’

The Guardian

• Cornish pilot scheme cuts bus fares to encourage use of public transportTicket prices reduced by between 20% and 40% in four-year initiative backed by £23.5m government grant
• More flights cancelled as increased Easter passenger numbers pile on pressureHeathrow ’stretched’ but airport pledges to build up resources as quickly as possible

The Telegraph

• Heathrow faces pressure to drop rise in landing fees [subscription]Some 4.2m passengers used London’s hub airport in March, the highest level since the start of the pandemic

Times Online

• Summer travel chaos warning for passengers [subscription]Ministers blamed over slow security checks as short-staffed airlines struggle with Covid

City AM

• Network Rail invests £2m to clean ’eyesore’ graffiti on railwaysNetwork Rail announced today it was investing £2m to clean “eyesore” graffiti on south-east London railway infrastructure.

This is Money

• Half of new car should be electric by 2028 under ZEV mandate proposalsThe Government wants to introduce the mandate from 2024, requiring more than one in five car registrations to be electric from that year.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham Airport issues statement on average wait times after short-staffing chaosMore than 400,000 people are expected to pass through BHX over the Easter school holiday fortnight

Birmingham Post

• These are the latest rail passenger numbers for the UKAll rail operating companies are continuing to see an rise in passengers having seen levels severely hit during the height of the pandemic

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Northern customers raise over £3,000 by donating train refunds to SamaritansNORTHERN customers have enabled Samaritans to answer 600 more calls in the last 12 months thanks to donations worth over £3,000.

Manchester Evening News

• Scrapping controversial HS2 branch would ’jeopardise’ Wigan's future and impact ’already fragile’ economyWigan Council's leader has written to the Transport Secretary for clarification after Sir Graham Brady claimed he’d had ’assurances’ the Golborne Spur will not go ahead.

Sheffield Star

• Manchester Airport disruption: Delays of up to 90 minutes could last for monthsPassengers could be delayed by as much as 90 minutes over the next few months while the disruption at Manchester Airport continues.

The York Press

• Calls for document over Leeman Road closure plan to be made publicTHE National Railway Museum (NRM) and City of York Council are coming under mounting pressure to publish a legal document which forms a critical part of plans to permanently close Leeman Road.

Bucks Free Press

• Amersham Road A355 speed limit cutIn bid to make the deadly road safer and easier to access, the maximum speed limit was reduced.

Leeds Live

• Leeds Bradford Airport chaos as flight landing delayed by almost 16 hours The flight was due to land at 3.10am but won't arrive until 7pm

Other Regional Press

• Millions to improve West Sussex’s bus services but ’funds don’t match government rhetoric’Bus services in West Sussex will be given a multi-million pound boost thanks to a government grant to the county council.

C.N.N.

• This US airport has reclaimed its title as the world's busiestMove over, Guangzhou. Georgia's Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is once again the world's busiest airport.

New Civil Engineer

• Council to bid for levelling up cash to repair Preston’s Old Tram BridgeCampaigners wishes have been granted, as Preston City Council lines up a bid for levelling up cash to fix the city’s Old Tram Bridge.
• HS2 | Engineers warn cancelling Golborne link ’hobbles the value’ of high-speed rail networkRail experts and engineers have warned that cancelling the Golborne link of HS2 Phase 2b will significantly reduce the value of the high-speed line and significantly impact services to Scotland.

Railnews

• RIA warns of ‘struggling’ rail suppliers as doubts continue The continuing postponement of the government’s plans to improve the railways is causing problems for the rail supply industry and could lead to increases in project costs, according to the Railway Industry Association. It is now almost two and a half years since the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline was last updated.

The Business Desk

• Manchester Airport named Europe’s third most stressful for passengersManchester has been named the third most stressful airport for passengers throughout the whole of Europe.

Aviation Industry

• Wizz Air opens fourth UK base at Cardiff airportWizz Air has opened another UK base at Cardiff airport with flights to nine routes from the Welsh capital.

Other News Sources

• Huge new railway bridge will be driven through Leamington this EasterNetwork Rail is completely replacing Rugby Road railway bridge over the A445 as part of a £2.4m investment for passenger and freight services between Nuneaton and Leamington.
• 'We are committed to developing reliable public transport', says First Bus chiefThe managing director of First West of England has said he is 'committed to providing a reliable, clean and efficient' bus network across the South West.
• Millions to improve West Sussex’s bus services but ’funds don’t match government rhetoric’Bus services in West Sussex will be given a multi-million pound boost thanks to a government grant to the county council.
• Flights axed as airlines struggle with staff shortages at GatwickDOZENS of flights have been cancelled as airlines struggle with staff shortages.
• Joint Network Rail and GWR £6.5m railway investment set for PenzanceNetwork Rail and GWR are investing £6.55 million in the construction of three new sidings in Penzance that will help longer trains to run.
• Easter flight departures set to hit 78% of pre-pandemic levelsDeparting flights from UK airports this Easter weekend are due to hit 78% of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, new data reveals.
• dnata expands London Heathrow operations with new cargo facilitydnata inaugurated a new, state-of-the-art cargo centre at London Heathrow airport (LHR). Part of the company’s ’dnata City East’ complex, the bespoke facility increases dnata’s capacity at LHR, ensuring continued smooth handling of a broad range of goods amid rapidly increasing demand for reliable and safe air cargo services in the UK.