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

Tuesday, 20 December 2022

Government

• Geospatial Commission calls for better use of location data in EV chargepoint rolloutReport published on how location data can help build an electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint network that works for everyone, everywhere.

BBC News

• Station closure U-turn after transport bosses' furyPlans to shut a station on the run up to Christmas because of industrial action have been axed.
• Trains every half hour to new Bristol arena 'unaffordable'"Not enough passengers" would use a rail service planned for Bristol's new arena to justify running trains every half an hour, says Bristol's mayor.
• Manchester Airport apologises for baggage hall delaysOne passenger claims he waited seven hours for his bags at Manchester Airport.
• Suspected landslip shuts road and rail lineScotRail has warned of train services between Glasgow and Oban being cancelled or delayed.

ITV News

• Rail bosses reduce closures at Sunderland Station after angry backlashRail chiefs have announced a partial u-turn on closures at Sunderland Station over the festive period after shutdown plans sparked an angry backlash in the city.
• E-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards banned from East Midlands Railway trains and stationsEast Midlands Railway (EMR) has banned e-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards at all its stations and on its trains due to potential safety threats.

Financial Times

• Boeing hopes to avoid missing deadline to fix Max cockpitAviation regulators have yet to approve for flight two models ordered by US carriers

The Guardian

• Rail strikes: Christmas Eve passenger trains to end by 3pm, says Network RailPassenger trains on Christmas Eve will finish by 3pm because of strikes, Network Rail has warned, with the last long-distance departures between many big cities leaving in the morning.
• UK government blocks release of CO2 figures behind transport planThe UK government is refusing to release the carbon emission figures behind its transport decarbonisation plan, which campaigners say could make proposed road schemes financially unviable.

The Independent

• ’Absolute shambles’ at Heathrow Airport as passengers wait hours for baggage which never arrivesAngry passengers who landed at Heathrow Airport waited several hours for their baggage after a British Airways flight on Sunday 18 December, before some people ended up leaving without any luggage at all.

The Telegraph

• Adrian Shooter, giant of rail privatisation who as a British Rail manager led the buyout of Chiltern Railways – obituary. [subscription]Shooter and his family joined colleagues for the unveiling at Marylebone station of a crowdfunded 9ft statue of him by Luke Perry

Times Online

• ’Ministerial interference’ behind rail chief’s exit. [subscription]The premature departure of the head of Scotland’s nationalised rail network was the result of political interference and micro-management by government ministers and civil servants, according to reports.
• Rail strikes and freezing weather slash footfall on high streets before Christmas. [subscription]Rail strikes and the cold snap hit high streets the hardest as weekly footfall declined during the crucial festive trading period.
• Ferguson Marine quizzed over how ’vast sums of public money’ spent. [subscription]Tracing public money paid to a government-owned shipyard for the completion of two late and over-budget ferries “has proved difficult”, a Holyrood committee has said.

i News

• Airport bosses don’t know how many of their staff will strike until they walk outAirport bosses will not know how many Border Control staff at their location are involved in strike action over Christmas until the walkout begins on Friday, i understands.

Bristol Live

• Drivers to Bristol Airport 'feel mugged' by Clean Air Zone's Portway 'trap'Drivers heading to Bristol Airport from outside of the city have said they ’feel mugged’ after signs directing them to the airport led them off the M5 motorway and into Bristol’s new Clean Air Zone.

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyrail could expand to more destinations after new trains testedThe Liverpool City Region Merseyrail network could be expanded after testing of the new fleet showed it can travel for 135km using only battery power.

London Evening Standard

• Fury as no trains from more than 40 stations in and outside London despite no strikesNetwork Rail is warning that passengers should only travel ’if absolutely necessary’ on Christmas Eve given planned strike action

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham City Transport announces lower bus ticket prices heading into new yearThere are reduced bus ticket prices on Nottingham City Transport (NCT) buses heading into the new year. The maximum single fare for any journey will be £2 across all NCT services between January, February and March 2023 due to the Government-funded Help for Households initiative.

Carlisle News & Star

• Avanti West Coast given £6.5 million performance bonusAVANTI West Coast was given more than £6.5 million of taxpayer’s money as a performance bonus according to figures from the department of transport.

Other Regional Press

• Wightlink and SWR respond to call for improved ferry and rail connections to and from the Isle of WightTransport operators Wightlink and South Western Railway (SWR), have agreed to make changes to ensure there are improved ferry and rail connections for passengers on the Isle of Wight.
• FERRY COMPANY CHANGES YARMOUTH TIMETABLE FOLLOWING INTERVENTION FROM MPWightlink has promised to make 4 changes to its Yarmouth-Lymington ferry timetable to address anomalies that hinder those travelling by rail, but is yet to move on its Fastcat service.
• The London railway lines people desperately want to become part of Overground networkDespite marking its 15th anniversary last month, and receiving a largely positive reception so far, chances for expanding the London Overground look pretty slim. The most recent attempts to add additional rail routes to the Overground fell through in 2016, after then transport secretary Chris Grayling raised concerns over the Mayor of London controlling Overground routes which extend into the Home Counties, even though this already happens in parts of Hertfordshire.

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• Calling All Stations - Episode 1Leading UK and international transport writer and journalist, Christian Wolmar, explores current issues across a range of modes including railways, cycling, autonomous vehicles and even space travel. He takes a deep dive into the underlying causes of - and possible solutions to - the ongoing wave of workforce strikes affecting the railways of Great Britain.

New Civil Engineer

• Could 2023 be the year for airport expansions to take off again?Airport expansions have been firmly on the back burner in recent years, with climate considerations and the pandemic-driven fall in passenger numbers creating rising uncertainty.

Railway Gazette

• Hydrogen has a modest role to play in decarbonising rail, committee saysUK: Hydrogen has a modest but potentially critical role to play in rail decarbonisation, and the government should set out the lessons learned from hydrogen trains abroad, according to a report from the House of Commons Science & Technology Committee.
• Tram operators explore joint procurement to cut costsUK: Light rail industry association UKTram has established a working group to explore options to lower costs through joint procurements.

Other News Sources

• French electricity price for rail will increase 745 percentSNCF Réseau will increase the electricity prices in France, from 56 euros/MWh in 2021 to 473,51 euros/MWh in 2023, which means an 8,5-fold increase in prices. What are the consequences for rail freight and passengers?

News from Europe

• EU Moves Forward Including Shipping in ETS to Reduce Carbon EmissionsThe European Council and the European Parliament agreed to move forward on the broad plan to introduce and expand the efforts to reduce carbon emissions across a broad range of industries, including placing the maritime sector under the EU Emissions Trading System.