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

Wednesday, 23 November 2022

BBC News

• North Yorkshire bus services face 'grave situation' - transport bossBus services in North Yorkshire face "a really grave situation", the county's transport boss has said
• Stagecoach West wants to recruit Ukrainian bus driversA bus provider is hosting a driver recruitment day aimed specifically at attracting Ukrainian refugees.
• Safety fears as lasers shone at Birmingham Airport planesIncidents targeting aircraft flying in and out of Birmingham Airport are on the rise, police say.
• West Midlands Metro tram strike ends as members accept 20% pay riseUnite members accept an improved pay offer, ending strike action which started in October.
• Manchester Airport ready for Christmas despite earlier chaos, says bossManchester Airport was plagued by long queues, delays and cancelled flights earlier in the year.
• Bus strikes begin in south and west LondonThe industrial action will affect services on about 60 routes running across London.
• Train strikes: Rail workers to strike in run-up to ChristmasThe RMT says a series of strikes will take place across four 48-hour periods in December and January.

Channel 4 News

• Rail workers should ’think twice’ about Christmas strikes, says business minister Kevin HollinrakeWe spoke to business minister Kevin Hollinrake about immigration and the economy, and began by asking him for his reaction to the prospect of rail strikes around Christmas time.

Financial Times

• UK's biggest rail union to hold strikes into 2023 after pay talks collapse RMT blames dead hand of government as it announces four 48-hour stoppages in December and January

The Guardian

• More UK rail strikes to disrupt travel in December and JanuaryRMT union announces two 48-hour strikes in mid-December, with two more in the new yearRail passengers will face further disruption across Britain at Christmas after the RMT union announced a series of 48-hour strikes in December and January.Thousands of members of the RMT working for Network Rail and 14 train operating companies will strike on 13-14 and 16-17 December, causing disruption over six consecutive days in the run-up to Christmas.

The Herald

• SNP voices strongest opposition to new oil and gas licencesTHE SNP Government has issued its strongest opposition to fossil fuels yet after a minister insisted the UK Government should not issue new oil and gas licences.

Times Online

• Ferries’ construction suffers in comparison with naval shipbuilding. [subscription]I went along to the 24th annual State of the City Economy conference at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow on Friday morning — even bumped into an old friend who had been to all but one of the previous 23. This latest gathering came only a couple of days after the Ministry of Defence had announced a £4.2 billion contract with BAE Systems to build the next five City class Type 26 frigates at its yards at Govan and Scotstoun.
• No queues and no lost bags: why regional airports are best. [subscription]f we’ve learnt one valuable lesson this past summer, it’s that London’s biggest airports are managed by donkeys. Meanwhile, Manchester remains unfit for purpose and Leeds Bradford suffered the longest delays out of all UK airports according to a Which? report out this week (30 minutes on average). At one point, Edinburgh lost so many bags it closed the helpline, while Glasgow thinks the best way to deal with passport queues is to profit from them by offering passengers a £6.99 immigration fast pass.
• RMT rail union’s eight days of Christmas strike chaos. [subscription]Britain’s biggest rail union has announced four weeks of strike action, in a move that threatens to disrupt Christmas plans for millions of people.

The Mirror

• UK's worst airport named after some travellers waited over an hour at securityResearchers asked nearly 1,300 people who travelled from a UK airport over that period how long they queued for at security - with some saying they even missed flights due to long security queues

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham Airport among UK's worst for security delays, according to Which? surveyBHX, and other major UK airports, struggled to keep up with travel demand in 2022

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• The 14 best and worst airports for security queues in the UKLeeds Bradford has been named the UK’s worst airport for security queues.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Holyhead freeport bid can bring economic boost and reverse Brexit hitStena Line and Anglesey County Council say freeport status could help the land bridge route recover and boost clean energy projects

Kent Online

• Thanet Parkway station project gets £875k boost from Getting Building FundWork to complete the controversial multi-million pound Thanet Parkway station has been boosted by a six-figure sum earmarked for projects elsewhere.

Other Regional Press

• Northern leaders meet in St Helens to discuss transport improvementsLEADERS across the North West met in St Helens earlier this month to discuss improvements to local transport networks.
• More cash for divisive new railway station planA controversial project to construct a new railway station that has split opinion has been given a further cash boost to help get it built.

Coach and Bus Week

• Budget maintains transport spend, but more needed, say trade bodiesIn the run up to the Autumn Budget statement, in which the Chancellor said that existing spending commitments would be maintained, industry bodies Bus Users UK, Campaign for Better Transport, the CPT and the Urban Transport Group called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to take decisive action to boost the economy by showing his support for local bus services.

New Civil Engineer

• Silvertown Tunnel puts fire delay behind it as TBM progresses under the ThamesConstruction work on Transport for London’s (TfL) Silvertown Tunnel in east London has reached a major milestone this week as the drive on the first 1.1km long bore reaches the navigation channel under the River Thames.

Other News Sources

• Scottish rail to undergo key infrastructure upgradesEngineering works will be conducted across Scotland’s Railway under the multi-million-pound programme.
• New £30m scheme could see Guildford getting e-bikes as one of seven projectsThe projects include the implementation of sustainable travel schemes to provide residents with greener travel options