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

Monday, 17 October 2022

BBC News

• Gloucestershire council launches rural minibus pilotA council is piloting a £1.35m minibus scheme in two of its most rural areas to fill gaps where there is no bus provision.
• Hartlepool station's second platform construction beginsThe construction of a new platform has begun as part of a railway station's £12m refurbishment.
• Old taxis: Denbighshire may let cabs over 12 years old carry onOne councillor says a cab with 500,000 miles on the clock could be fine, if it's been maintained.

The Independent

• Airports hit back at Emirates’ Heathrow criticism, accusing airlines of trying to talk down charges’Your job is to be up there and out there looking after consumers, not bellyaching about not being able to get staff,’ Emirates boss advises Heathrow counterpart

Times Online

• Delayed ferry ’in service late next year’Five years overdue, Arran’s new ferry is finally progressing “in leaps and bounds” and will enter service next year, according to the boss of the publicly owned transport business that commissioned it.

City AM

• HS2: ’Very unlikely’ to meet budget for first phaseThe total cost of HS2’s London-Birmingham section is set to exceed the government’s budget by several billions, according to a leaked report. 

i News

• Liz Truss will press on with ’minimum staffing’ plan to curtail rail strikes and ensure trains still runThe move will mean minimum service levels must be delivered by during strikes by transport workers

Birmingham Post

• West Midlands Railway to launch new fleet of trainsA total of 26 brand new trains will come into service in the coming weeks

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Frustration at 'terms and conditions' response to Clean Air Zone questionA COUNCILLOR has criticised the communication side of Bradford’s Clean Air Zone after asking what any income will be spent on.

Bristol Live

• First Bus cancellations in Bristol causing school run chaos says mumShe ended up driving her sons to school

London Evening Standard

• HS2 first phase total cost could be ’many billions’ above estimate – reportA document presented to the project’s board also warned that rising inflation is presenting a ’significant and growing challenge’, it was claimed.

Wrexham.com

• School transport issues across county borough to come under scrutinySchool transport issues across Wrexham are to come under scrutiny.

Yorkshire Post

• Bus cancellations in South Yorkshire double in a year as passengers warned of more cutsBus passengers in South Yorkshire who have seen a significant rise in the number of delays and cancellations are being told more services could be cut from next year.

Carlisle News & Star

• Frustration over delay of Borders Railway decisionA Scottish MP has criticised the delay over the plans to extend the Borders Railway to Carlisle.

Other Regional Press

• Motorists vent fury over Tayside road charges planTayside motorists have reacted angrily to plans to reduce the number of drivers on the road.
• Efforts to bring back Aberdeenshire rail links take 'significant' step forward as support growsKaren Adam, MSP for Banffshire & Buchan Coast, introduced a resolution called 'Rerailing North-East Scotland' calling for the re-establishment of rail links to Peterhead and Fraserburgh 'as a matter of priority.’
• Anger over Transport Secretary's latest response to Doncaster Sheffield Airport closureThe Transport Secretary has ignored a request to meet South Yorkshire leaders to discuss how Doncaster Sheffield Airport could be saved. Prime minister Liz Truss declared her commitment to do ’all she can’ to save it but Louise Haigh, Labour shadow transport minister and MP for Sheffield Heeley, said the Government had “refused to lift a finger” since the closure was announced.
• Metro Mayor’s column: From ’off’ to ’on’ the buses - Help me deliver better bus services for all West of Englanders’On the 16th October 1897, Nottingham Council took over the Nottingham Tramway Company (as it was known ), and we have been proudly serving the people of Nottingham ever since. NCT truly is your local bus network.

New Civil Engineer

• Inflation-hit Southampton transport plan given go aheadSouthampton city centre’s £18.5M transport plan has been approved by the council after being scaled back due to “unprecedented inflation".
• Green light for National Highways’ £100M Norwich roundabout revampNational Highways' A47 Thickthorn Junction scheme in Norwich has been given the green light by transport secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
• HS2 seeks designers for range of built environment tasksHS2 Ltd has revealed its intention to procure for a built environment technical services contract to cover phase one, 2a and 2b of the high speed rail project.
• Over-budget Edinburgh tram learnings drive remainder of line to completionLessons learnt from the troubled Edinburgh tramway project have been a driving force behind the completion of the rest of the line.

Other News Sources

• New £2.1 million Orbital electric bus service around Leicester launches next weekThe longest electric circular bus route in the UK is about to start serving Leicester. The 30 mile Orbital service, which will replace the existing 40 Circleline route, will come into operation on from next week and connect estates and suburbs on and around the city’s Outer Ring Road.
• Europe’s electric car sales stagnating as China gains footholdLack of regulatory incentives is slowing the electrification of European carmakers while Chinese EV manufacturers grow market share
• Rail Minister says he will continue to explore opportunities to reopen railway line between Lichfield and BurtonThe Rail Minister says he will continue to explore opportunities to reopen the railway line between Lichfield and Burton. The assurance came after Kevin Foster had been quizzed on the issue by Michael Fabricant.
• Metro Mayor’s column: From ’off’ to ’on’ the buses - Help me deliver better bus services for all West of EnglandersWho remembers the TV series On the Buses? Set in London it was hugely popular when I was growing up in the 70s. Well, were we to film what’s been happening on the buses, in 2022, Off The Buses would unfortunately be a better title.

News from Europe

• Norway to slash pollution with the world’s first zero-emissions public transport networkOslo is on course to become the first capital city in the world with an all-electric public transport system.