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

Saturday, 08 October 2022

BBC News

• Climate change: World aviation agrees 'aspirational' net zero planThe world has finally agreed on a long-term plan to curb carbon emissions from flying.
• ScotRail boss 'nonplussed' at pay offer rejectionThe head of ScotRail has said he is "nonplussed" over the RMT union's rejection of a "cracking" revised pay offer.
• Rail strikes: Only one-in-five trains to run in latest actionRail passengers across Britain are urged to avoid travel on Saturday unless absolutely necessary.

ITV News

• Avanti contract extension a ’slap in the face’ union saysThe decision to renew Avanti West Coast's contract short term is a "slap in the face", the train drivers' union has said.
• Work begins on Darlington station's £100m redevelopmentThe ground has been broken on Darlington railway station’s £100million transformation as some of the first buildings are being knocked down to make way for the redevelopment.

Financial Times

• Avanti granted stop-gap extension to UK’s west coast rail franchise Troubled train operator angered passengers and politicians with slashed services

The Guardian

• Paris Métro paper ticket reaches end of the line after more than 120 yearsIt has inspired French film-makers and songwriters, proven useful to cannabis smokers and aestheticians and served as an emergency bookmark or jotter – but now the Paris Métro ticket has reached the end of the line.

Times Online

• Rail industry ’needs to get on the right track’ with recruitment [subscription]“We need to do more as a sector to modernise the railway industry. It’s archaic,” Davie Carns, a former Royal Marine, said.
• BBC documentary may spark new inquiry into Ferguson Marine ferry contract [subscription]Scotland’s auditor-general is considering a new inquiry into two late and over-budget ferries after a documentary raised concerns about their procurement.
• Avanti West Coast has six months to get back on track [subscription]The troubled train operator Avanti West Coast has been granted a stopgap six-month extension to its service contract and told that it must “drastically improve”.

Liverpool Echo

• New high speed Liverpool rail line promise from Prime MinisterA new high speed, electric train line from Liverpool to Hull will be built, according to the Prime Minister.

London Evening Standard

• Avanti West Coast extension is a ’slap in the face’, says unionThe Government’s decision to give Avanti West Coast a short-term contract renewal is a “slap in the face”, according to the train drivers’ union.

Northern Echo

• Work starts on redevelopment of Darlington Railway StationThe multi-million redevelopment of Darlington railway station will help transform the town into a major Northern powerhouse, officials have emphatically said.

The York Press

• Public control of York buses needed for ‘radical’ change, campaigners sayThe latest change to the way York’s buses are run will not provide the “radical” improvements needed to boost services, campaigners have said.

Wales Online

• Trains and buses should be further subsidised, says Senedd committeeRail services in Wales already receive massive subsidies but it should go further say Members of the Senedd
• Decision made on future of disused Valleys rail tunnel that's stood empty for decadesA Welsh railway tunnel in Neath Port Talbot that has been disused since the 1960s will remain closed for the foreseeable future. The Gelli Houses Railway Tunnel in Cymmer has a long history after it was built in 1882 as part of the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, with the first train passing through it on July 2, 1890.
• Plans for multimillion pound new transport station revealed for CaerphillyPlans for a new multimillion-pound station in Caerphilly town have been revealed. The new building would be located on the site of the current Caerphilly train and bus interchange and is part of the council’s Caerphilly 2035 regeneration project.

Yorkshire Post

• There is a deal to be done between the unions and our train operators - Anne-Marie TrevelyanToday, 27,000 workers have spades in the ground, with so many of them working to reopen and transform stations. These will serve at the heart of our newest high-speed railway delivering additional capacity for the network, drawing in huge investment into the region – and of course, helping the whole country and our economy to grow.

Other Regional Press

• New Proposed County Council Transport Plan Might Mean More HGVs Passing ThroughCampaigners trying to restrict large HGVs using Henley as a short-cut are angry that Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) are now proposing a new county-wide zonal highways plan with recommended suitable routes for HGVs and no town weight-restrictions.
• Hampshire County Council approves strategy on future of transport in BasingstokeMAJOR proposals that could transform how traffic moves across Basingstoke and reduce the number of cars on the road have been supported by a senior county councillor.
• Glasgow residents to have their say on new West of Scotland transport strategyGlaswegians are being invited to have their say on a transport strategy that will shape how they travel throughout the west of Scotland in upcoming years.

Train Operators

• Community Rail Partnerships across the GWR network win big at prestigious awards ceremonyCommunity Rail Partnerships from across the GWR network are celebrating after scooping a host of prizes at the 2022 Community Rail Awards.

New Civil Engineer

• North London flyover hit with weight restrictions and needs £50M repairSafety-critical weight restrictions will be introduced on the A41 Brent Cross Flyover in North London, after it was found to be in a worse condition than previously thought.
• HS2 seeks artificial intelligence solutionsHS2 Ltd is seeking artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to help deliver the mega project.
• Rail regulator concerned by volume of renewal work Network Rail needs to carry out in next two yearsThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has raised concerns about the amount of renewals and efficiency works that Network Rail has to carry out by the end of March 2024 in light of challenging current conditions.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Scotland NSG Plus end: Bus cuts ’inevitable’Ending the Network Support Grant Plus (NSG+) revenue support mechanism for bus services in Scotland after 9 October will cause “inevitable” timetable cuts and increases to fares, one operator there has said.
• Jonathan Bray to leave Urban Transport Group in 2023Urban Transport Group (UTG) Director Jonathan Bray will leave in April 2023 after 20 years with the organisation. He joined UTG’s predecessor the Passenger Transport Executive Group in 2003 and became Director in 2008.

RMT

• RMT writes to Transport Secretary ahead of Saturday strikeGeneral Secretary Mick Lynch has written to Transport Secretary Anne Marie Trevelyan, urging the government to unshackle the railway companies and allow a negotiated settlement to be reached.

Aviation Industry

• Italy’s First Vertiport Trialled at Fiumicino AirportAeroporti di Roma (ADR), Atlantia, UrbanV, and urban air mobility (UAM) manufacturer, Volocopter, have successfully completed the first crewed eVTOL test flights in Italian airspace. These tests were part of a mobility ecosystem setup at Fiumicino’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport.

Other News Sources

• Belfast International Airport narrows losses with £5m government helpBELFAST International Airport narrowed its losses last year with £5 million of government support, but it still took a £4.6 million hit as the aviation industry limped out of the devastation of Covid-19.
• MPs to grill transport bosses about travel disruptionMPs on the transport select committee will quiz bosses from across the sector next Wednesday (October 13) about this summer’s travel disruption – and the prospects for further chaos.