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

Wednesday, 01 June 2022

Cogitamus

• The Chris Stokes Column - London will soon be unimaginable without the Elizabeth LineAfter a long and difficult gestation, Crossrail has finally blossomed into the Elizabeth Line – a superb, world class regional rapid transit railway which will not only provide excellent connectivity along its direct route but will also transform public transport across large parts of London and the South East.

BBC News

• HS2: Work begins on 'UK's longest railway bridge' in BuckinghamshireThe two-mile long structure will carry HS2 over a river valley in Buckinghamshire.
• Airport passengers urged not to arrive early despite queuesLarge queues formed at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports amid reports of major delays across the UK.
• Sector must improve lorry driver conditions or face tax, MPs sayThe haulage industry should be given two years to make changes or face a new tax, a report says.
• What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?Airlines including Tui and EasyJet have cancelled dozens of flights over the half-term holiday.
• Cancelled flights: Travel firms have oversold flights and holidays - ShappsThe UK's transport secretary seeks a meeting with airlines and airports to

Financial Times

• Airlines warn disruption at UK airports likely to continue into summerRecruitment has not kept pace with demand for flights as popular destinations reopen
• Transport systems give hackers a moving targetCyber attacks can be aimed at critical national infrastructure and customer data

The Guardian

• The pride of Milton Keynes is at risk of being trashed - LettersDavid Head on why the new Great British Railways HQ must be located in the new city, Nick Raynsford on Crossrail and strategic planning, and Jon Reeds on car dependency
• Improve facilities for HGV drivers or face new tax, MPs tell freight sectorLogistics industry must ‘get house in order’ within two years to curb driver shortage caused by Covid and Brexit. The road haulage industry should be given a two-year deadline to upgrade facilities for lorry drivers, with clean showers, healthy food and spaces for female drivers, or face a new tax, ministers have been told.

The Telegraph

• Time to grip the airport chaos [subscription]A chronic shortage of staff has caused this fiasco. Instead of blaming each other, the various groups responsible need to sort it out
• Vueling flight ˜took off without any passengers because of Gatwick delays [subscription]Holidaymakers who queued for hours to check in luggage say they were told nobody could board because of a staff shortage

Times Online

• Cut red tape to help us clear travel backlog, say airline bosses [subscription]Aviation bosses are in crisis talks with ministers over accessing tax records that would help them to recruit more staff quickly and end the airport chaos across Britain, The Times has learnt.
• Blame game heats up as delays and axed flights hit passengers [subscription]The holiday plans of thousands of travellers have been left in disarray after dozens more flights were cancelled and a blame game broke out over who was responsible for the crisis.
• Alf Young: Ferry fiasco shows how much fat can be cut from this bloated beast [subscription]Now we know just how tough the fiscal outlook looks for Scotland over much of the rest of this decade. The independent Scottish Fiscal Commission expects non-social security spending in real terms to remain below this year’s level right through to 2027-28. No surprise then that the finance secretary, Kate Forbes, called her latest spending review “the stark reality”. Growth in the Scottish economy, predicts the commission, will struggle to top 1 per cent in any of the next five years.

City AM

• London’s many strengths can be bound together and renewed by public transportThe opening last week of the Elizabeth Line, Britain’s latest engineering marvel, prompted reflections on how much there is to gain from better physical connections into and between London’s two biggest financial hubs – Canary Wharf and the Square Mile.

Birmingham Post

• Signature Aviation opens private terminal building at Birmingham AirportUS operator has constructed a new facility following flood damage at previous site

Bristol Live

• Bristol's plan to get transport to net zero with 250 electric buses and 1,000 cycle hangarsCouncil transport planners are about to receive a huge boost from the Department for Transport

The York Press

• York bus firm, First, extend deadline for Go-Greener FundBUSINESSES in York have more time to apply for their share of a £20,000 cash pot.

Other Regional Press

• Who is Jenny Gilruth? Meet Scotland’s Transport Minister dealing with a ScotRail crisisJenny Gilruth is the Scottish Government transport minister – a brief which takes in rail, ferries and public transport.
• 'You Smart Thing' - Disabled volunteers from Coventry sought to try out new public transport journey plannerWEST Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is appealing for disabled volunteers from Coventry to trial a new journey planner that aims to remove barriers to public transport for people with long-term health conditions.
• ArrivaClick offers free transport in Watford this weekNow is the best time to explore Watford as unlimited free journeys are being offered across the town.
• Great Western Railway's Community fundingWest Dorset MP Chris Loder has urged local community groups, particularly those associated with rail travel, engagement, education or environmental benefits, to apply for new funding announced under Great Western Railway’s Community Fund.

New Civil Engineer

• First order in for revolutionary modular railway footbridgeIt’s offical: the railway crossing footbridge revolution has begun. Greater Anglia has become the first customer to order one of the modular Ava footbridges, which will replace the old concrete pedestrian crossing at Stowmarket station in Suffolk.

Rail Business Daily

• Tests begin on hydrogen-powered demonstrator trainCAF says it has started static tests on a hydrogen-powered demonstrator train being developed for the FCH2Rail project at its plant in Zaragoza.
• Go Ahead group appoints new Managing Director of Business DevelopmentPeter Robinson has been appointed Managing Director, Business Development, for the Go-Ahead Group.
• Morton addresses staff moves to new GBR HQRail Minister Wendy Morton has addressed a question about which roles will be moving from the Department for Transport to the new Great British Railways (GBR) HQ.
• Mark Wild pays tribute to colleagues on last day as Crossrail CEOMark Wild has stepped down as CEO of Crossrail, as part of the agreed plan to pass leadership of the programme to Transport for London (TfL) once the Elizabeth line was open.

Aviation Industry

• Government aviation strategy offers no vision on environment‘Flightpath to the Future’ is, the Government says, a new ‘strategic framework’ for the aviation sector for the next ten years. In 2018 the Government had published for consultation “Beyond … The post Government aviation strategy offers no vision on environment appeared first on Aviation Environment Federation.

Other News Sources

• The 'space-like' locomotive which 'completely transformed' rail now on display in Greater ManchesterA 'ground-breaking' feat of engineering which transformed steam rail is now on display at a Greater Manchester museum. Visitors to Bury Transport Museum can now get up close to the iconic 60009 Union of South Africa LNER locomotive engine.
• 'FRUSTRATED' Scotrail crisis: Transport minister refuses to reveal plan B if train drivers reject new pay offerTransport Minister Jenny Gilruth has refused to say whether contingency plans are in place if ScotRail drivers reject the latest pay offer.
• OBB, GVB, SNCF, LA Metro Case Studies On Upskilling The Workforce – Managing A Greater Reliance On Technology At June CongressThe Rolling Stock Maintenance & Depot Optimisation Europe Congress (June 28-30) will see presentations from rail operators across the UK and Europe on key technical advancements that can improve the efficiency of maintenance including robotics, image recognition, acoustic analysis and A.I.