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

Tuesday, 19 July 2022

BBC News

• Heatwave: Fewer commuters as London swelters in hottest day of yearThe number of people using the Tube and buses is down as London sees England's hottest temperature.
• Train speeds limited over track buckling heatwave fearsRecord temperatures could affect the safety of steel tracks which expand in the heat, Network Rail says.

The Guardian

• Warnings on water use, transport and risks to health as heat heads for 41CAirport runways close and 999 calls surge while Boris Johnson is accused of 'checking out' by attending airshow but not Cobra meeting. Airport runways have been closed and 999 calls have surged as Britain endured some of the hottest temperatures on record, which are forecast to rise again on Tuesday to a record-breaking 41C (106F) in parts of southern and central England.Boris Johnson was accused of being 'checked out'. as the prime minister missed an emergency Cobra meeting about the searing heat and attended the Farnborough airshow, where he gave a whimsical speech about completing a loop the loop

The Telegraph

• UK heatwave: Misery for commuters as trains hit by major delays [subscription]Commuters faced swathes of cancellations and delays at major stations, with huge crowds piling up at London St Pancras, trains axed at most London terminals and hold-ups of more than an hour in Cardiff and Edinburgh.

Times Online

• UK heatwave: Prince Charles warns of emergency as weather stops trains and melts runways [subscription]Runways melted in the heatwave as a Met Office expert said warnings of 41C felt “unreal” and “crazy”.

Daily Record

• Luton Airport cancels all flights after runway melts in extreme heatwaveLuton Airport is used by airlines including EasyJey and Ryanair but it has had to shut down today due to melting tarmac.

Birmingham Mail

• When a British Airways Boeing 747 is set to travel on the M5M5 motorists could soon see the iconic jumbo jet being transported on the motorway

Birmingham Post

• Strike cancelled after Stagecoach workers accept 'substantial' pay riseBus drivers and engineers are set to receive pay rises
• Urban drone safety project secures funding to continue trialsTech firm Zenotech and aerospace component manufacturer Flare Bright have been joined on the programme by Cardiff International Airport and Cranfield University

Manchester Evening News

• Should more roads be 20mph?Wales is set to greatly increase the amount of 20mph roads in 2023

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Metro passengers told to find alternative transport as extreme heat continues to disrupt servicesPassengers can expect disruption throughout Tuesday and are advised to consider alternative methods of transport
• North Shields school pupils wear parents' clothes to protest 'ridiculously expensive' bus faresSixth form students say they could save almost £200 a year if Arriva matched an offer from other bus companies of a flat £1.20 single ticket fare for 16 to 19-year-olds

Wales Online

• UK airport halts all flights after soaring temperatures melt runwayThe defect came to light as temperatures rocketed across the UK

Other Regional Press

• Two UK airlines voted the worst for travel chaosBBC Panorama research has revealed the best and worst airlines to fly with, after months of bedlam in UK airports.

C.N.N.

• Delta to buy 100 Boeing 737 MAX 10 planesDelta Air Lines will buy 100 Boeing 737 MAX 10 jets worth about $13.5 billion at list prices and has options to buy another 30, the US carrier said on Monday.

New Civil Engineer

• DfT’s £9bn Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline passes 1,000 days without updateIt has now been more than 1,000 days since the publication of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP), which the Department for Transport (DfT) promised to update annually.
• Flying taxis and motorway-assessment drones benefit from £273M funding packageMinisters have pledged £273M to further the cause of futuristic air transport initiatives such as flying taxis, electric planes and rapid-infrastructure-assessment drones.
• More National Highways schemes ‘at risk’ with quarter already removed from RIS2 pipeline Planning issues mean that more National Highways enhancement projects are “at risk” of being deferred or axed completely, according to the Office or Rail and Road (ORR).

Railnews

• Heat emergency:˜travel by train only if you must' Railway passengers in England and Wales are being warned to only travel if they must in the very high temperatures today and tomorrow. The Met. Office has issued a red weather warning for extreme heat in the east of England, the Midlands and parts of the North West, with temperatures forecast to reach as high as 40ï℃ in some areas including parts of inland East Anglia, and almost as high in London.

Other News Sources

• 1,000 days pass since last update of RNEPRIA have warned that increasing delays to the latest update of the RNEP are causing communication issues and project budget cuts.
• RNEP – 1,000 days milestone passed since last updateIt has now been 1,000 days since the DfT’s RNEP – the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) showing the status of rail enhancement schemes at different stages of development – was last published. This is despite the Government promising to update it annually. The initial RNEP was published on 21 October 2019, with the 1,000 day milestone passed on Sunday 17 July this year.
• Work set to start on new £260,000 traffic light-controlled Puffin crossing in Andover RoadWORK is set to start on a new £260,000 traffic light-controlled Puffin crossing in Andover Road after a successful campaign from parents.