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

Friday, 20 May 2022

BBC News

• Peter Aldous MP calls for more investment for east coast linesAn MP has called for investment to cut journey times on a rail route that has been unchanged since it opened in 1858. Conservative Peter Aldous, who represents Waveney, used a debate in Parliament to call for upgrades to the Wherry and East Suffolk branch lines.
• Bedfordshire bus boss warns of company closuresA bus company boss has warned operators could go out of business in the next 12 months because of lower passenger numbers and rising costs.
• How easy is it to drive across Wales in an electric car?Charging points are lacking in much of the UK - so how easy is it to drive across Wales in an electric car?
• First Tube map featuring new Elizabeth line unveiledThe new line, formerly known as Crossrail, can be seen as a double line in royal purple.
• Two-thirds of under-22s not signed up for free bus travel schemeThe scheme, which launched in January, gives free bus travel to five to 21 year olds in Scotland.
• Anger over 'devastating' cuts to ScotRail servicesA temporary timetable will see about a third of services cut from Monday - with evening trains particularly hard hit.

Financial Times

• BA owner provides boost for Boeing with order of 50 737 Max jetsSeattle-based aerospace group has grappled with delayed deliveries and lost business to Airbus

The Guardian

• Boeing hopes third time the charm for Starliner test flightThe company hopes to send a manned crew to the International Space Station later this year after two prior test flights failedBoeing’s crew capsule rocketed into orbit Thursday on a repeat test flight without astronauts, after years of being grounded by flaws that could have doomed the spacecraft.Only a test dummy was aboard. If the capsule reaches the International Space Station on Friday and everything else goes well, two or three Nasa test pilots could strap in by the end of this year or early next for the company’s first crew flight. Continue reading...

The Scotsman

• ScotRail network dependent on rest day working at the present time says Jenny GilruthTransport minister Jenny Gilruth has said that the ScotRail network is dependent on rest day working at the present time – but that more is being done to future proof the network away from the practice.

Times Online

• Elizabeth Line shown on new London Underground mapondon’s Tube map has been updated to include the Elizabeth Line, which opens next week.

City AM

• Boeing will get back on its feet, says Lufthansa bossBoeing will get back on its feet soon, according to Lufthansa’s boss Carsten Spohr. The airline’s boss said it was backing the plane manufacturer despite the turbulent period it was going through. “Boeing as a symbol of America will get back to its feet,” the German executive said during a luncheon in Washington, adding now [...] The post Boeing will get back on its feet, says Lufthansa boss appeared first on CityAM.

Birmingham Post

• First South West green hydrogen plant announced in net zero driveThe £2.5m facility at the Bristol and Bath Science Park will form the basis of a regional hub for green growth with more than 30 cross-sector partners

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Menston Railway Station access improvements get the go-ahead despite objectionsPLANNING permission has been granted for a scheme to make Menston Railway Station accessible for people with limited mobility.

Manchester Evening News

• 'You take your life into your hands for a £3.60 return': Claims Metrolink has made life in Greater Manchester town WORSE'The town centre was on the edge and when the tram came, it pushed it over'

The York Press

• Train strike Transpennine disruption in York and ScarboroughMAJOR disruption is set to hit rail services again this weekend.

Wales Online

• Welsh Government pleads motorway drivers to do 7 things when driving on the M4 after 700 motorway breakdowns in the past two weeksThe Welsh Government agency has published advice, stating most of them 'could have been avoided'

Other Regional Press

• Great Western Railway launches new community fundA BRITISH train operating company has launched a new community fund to provide grants to areas of social need.
• Shoddy public transport 'holding us back' says South Yorkshire's new MayorThe newly-elected mayor met Sir Keir Starmer for the first time as the Labour leader visited Yorkshire

Bus and Coach Buyer

• PCV registrations grow 45.2%Registrations of new buses and coaches grew 45.2% in the first quarter of 2022, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The year-on-year increase compares with the weakest start to a year on record in 2021, when orders collapsed as a result of plummeting passenger numbers amidst pandemic-related restrictions.

New Civil Engineer

• Manchester mayor calls for ’rail station devolution’Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has called on the government to devolve control of the UK’s railway stations to local leaders in order to drive growth and investment in their respective areas.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Optibus debuts Ridership Insights as it gains unicorn statusOptibus has launched Ridership Insights, which it says will enable the visualisation and analysis of patronage data directly on a map during network planning. The tool will allow planners to view ridership KPIs on a route, segment or stop level with boarding and alighting data for each stop, or filter by time and date range.
• Warwickshire County Council selects Omnibus for BSIP solutionWarwickshire County Council (WCC) is to use Omnibus’s cloud-based platform to plan and publicise bus services and deliver on a commitment to improve journey information for customers.
• Tower Transit to become first customer for updated 9.4m MetrocityTower Transit will be the first customer for the updated 9.4m Metrocity, with delivery expected in Q1 2023. The fleet will be deployed on Route 339 operating out of Lea Interchange and running between Shadwell and Leytonstone. It represents the first full electric vehicle Route run out of Lea Interchange.
• Government swerves Eurotunnel coach bookings rowPressure on Eurotunnel to rethink changes made to its policies around coach bookings continues, although the government has advised one coach business that ministers can do little to influence a change of tack by the Dover to Calais shuttle operator.
• Burnham underlines Manchester CAZ shift to non-chargingMayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has underlined his existing wish to see a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in the city region that does not charge non-compliant vehicles but instead incentivises necessary vehicle upgrades. He made the comments as work continues to deliver a revised Clean Air Plan (CAP) for Greater Manchester.

Other News Sources

• Data is critical to rail asset climate resilience, says Network Rail engineerAs climate change’s impacts increase in frequency and severity, good data and technology will be key to maintaining the safety and performance of aging railway assets, delegates heard at GE’s Asset Resilience Workshop.
• Market Drayton climate campaigners' propose new bus to improve 'woeful' public transportA county councillor has agreed to put forward a transport plan to Shropshire Council amid complaints about access to bus services.

News from Europe

• Universal basic mobility: Cities tackle the transport gap with free transit, e-bikes and car sharingIn a car-dependent city like Los Angeles, life is much trickier for those who cannot drive or afford a vehicle of their own. In fact, local transport authorities estimate that residents can reach 12 times as many jobs with a car as they can with public transit.