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

Monday, 19 December 2022

BBC News

• Alderney on hunt for next year's ferry operatorThe States of Alderney is looking for an operator to run a seasonal ferry service between the island and Guernsey in 2023.
• Guns confiscated at US airports hit record levelsA record number of firearms was confiscated from US airport passengers in 2022, transport officials have said.
• Unite workers at Hial walk out in pay disputeA number of regional airports are expected to close during the action by Unite members.
• More than 130 bus operators to offer £2 ticketsThe government-funded scheme will cap fares in England outside London from 1 January to 31 March.
• Brexit: French tourism slump after leaving EU, Brittany Ferries saysThe number of people arriving at a UK port from France has more than halved after Brexit, a ferry firm has said.

The Guardian

• TSA intercepted record number of guns at airports in 2022 and 88% were loadedAgency said it anticipates preventing a total of 6,600 from entering secure area of airports by end of year, a nearly 10% jump from 2021The Transportation Security Administration has intercepted a record number of guns at airport safety checkpoints this year, and an overwhelming majority of them were loaded.In a statement released late last week, TSA revealed that as of 16 December, its officers had intercepted 6,301 firearms. Out of those, 88% were loaded. The number marks an increase of more than 300 from the 5,972 firearms that were detected in 2021.
• £2 cap for many bus fares in England expected to save 2m car journeysBus fares in many places across England will be capped at £2 for the winter under a government-backed campaign to encourage people back on to public transport. Single fares on most major operators’ services will be limited from January until March under the scheme.
• Up to 20m car trips predicted in run-up to Christmas as thaw brings flood riskPressure on roads will be heightened by RMT strike at Network Rail from 6pm Christmas EveUK drivers are embarking on an estimated 20m car trips to see friends and family in the run-up to Christmas Day.The RAC said traffic will build steadily from Monday before peaking on Friday and Saturday, which is Christmas Eve. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Row over new Scots ferry fiasco in delays to modern booking systemSTATE-owned ferry operator CalMac has been plunged into a new crisis as long delays have emerged over an £18m ticketing system, that was first planned nearly ten years ago.

The Independent

• Travellers warned rail chaos will continue until EasterTravel chaos on the railway network is set to continue until Easter as engineers carry out “full-scale open heart surgery” on major lines connecting the north of England.

The Telegraph

• This Christmas getaway is set to be the biggest yet - here's when roads will be busiestTotal of 45 million cars could hit Britain’s motorways and trunk roads on Christmas weekend, sparking warnings of traffic chaos

Times Online

• Airport strikes to wreak havoc. [subscription]Fears of two-hour queues at passport control as Border Force staff walk out over festive period
• Flight MH370: Turbulent times for the jet detectives. [subscription]Americans continue searches to explain the biggest mysteries of aviation, reports Charles Bremner
• Airport strikes to wreak havoc. [subscription]Fears of two-hour queues at passport control as Border Force staff walk out over festive period

The Mirror

• 'Ghost train' spotted chugging along abandoned railway line leaving locals gobsmackedA man said he spotted around "20 oil carriages" going along an old railway track in Plymouth assumed by many to no longer be in use.
• Millions to get £2 bus fares for three months - full list of firms offering dealMore than 120 bus firms in England will cap their fares at £2 from January 1 - but the scheme is being branded 'half-baked' as the discount will only apply for three months
• Christmas getaway traffic warning - when roads will be busiest revealedPressure on the roads will be heightened due to a strike by thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail from 6pm on Christmas Eve

Liverpool Echo

• Manchester Airport warning as Swissport shortages cause 'delays' on 'busiest Christmas weekend'The airport offered their 'sincere apologies' to passengers affected

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Airport warns of more baggage delays and says Swissport 'not able to provide adequate resources'It comes days after passengers claimed they had to wait as many as six hours for their bags

Northern Echo

• North East rail route extension already hit by raft of cancellationsTees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has expressed frustration at a chaotic start to a new timetable involving TransPennine Express services extending beyond Redcar to Saltburn.

Leeds Live

• Leeds commuters fear 'chaos' as latest city centre plans start in JanuaryThe works will cause some congestion but a spokesperson for the council stated: "We’re working as fast as we can to make these improvements"

Other Regional Press

• Crisis on York’s buses – ’Use them or lose them,’ says councilYork residents have been urged to get back on the city’s buses or risk losing them as the council fights to stabilise a “crisis” on the network.
• Bus services to be capped at £2 a journeyFrom New Years Day around 50,000 Stagecoach bus services will offer a discount on single tickets to help attract new customers.

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 contractors have requested more money or time on 3,000 occasionsHS2’s four main contractors have asked for more money or time on the project 3,000 times since works started in September 2020.
• How networked intelligence can transform the road under your wheelsSome parts of the Strategic Road Network (SRN) in England entered service in the 1960s and 1970s and many of them have already exceeded their planned 50-year service life. The Department for Transport tell us that whilst the SRN remains safe and serviceable, it increasingly requires "deeper maintenance" in order to keep it operational, and those elements approaching their end of life are in need of renewal. The SRN is clearly under some stress, resulting in operational efficiency and availability issues, and congestion for those who use it to go about their business.
• Hammersmith Bridge repairs delayed due to materials shortageThe stabilisation of Hammersmith Bridge has been delayed due to difficulties in obtaining materials.

Other News Sources

• Greater Manchester weekly bus tickets to rise in price in January - here’s how much it will cost passengersWeekly tickets for all buses in Greater Manchester are set to increase in price from January – but by less than they would have thanks to a new cap on fares.
• The London bus routes with the tightest squeezes where vehicles can barely get throughWith 620 bus routes across the Transport for London (TfL) network, it probably won't surprise you to find some rather unusual roads traversed by the iconic red London bus. On the far outskirts of London and beyond, you'll find red roundel bus stops dotted on country lanes, tucked in quaint corners and a host of rather unsuspecting obstacles negotiated by persevering drivers.

News from Europe

• EU cracks down on pollution of buildings and cars, in major win for the climate before ChristmasNegotiators have agreed to extend the EU’s carbon market to buildings and road transport, with a social fund to help vulnerable households transition to clean mobility and homes.