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

Wednesday, 04 January 2023

BBC News

• Train strikes: What is the impact on taxi drivers in Norfolk?A rail strike by 40,000 RMT union members led to four in five trains being cancelled on Tuesday as many people returned to work after the Christmas break. Many taxi drivers rely on pick-ups from railway stations, so what has the impact been on their trade?
• Rail boss admits 17-mile diversion around bridge is 'exceptional'A 17-mile diversion route set up because of work to replace a bridge is "exceptional" and will be "disruptive", Network Rail has admitted. A stretch of Nazeing New Road beside Broxbourne railway station in Hertfordshire closed on Tuesday and is not expected to reopen until 30 April.
• Train strikes: Union boss warns action may continue for monthsThe UK's largest rail union boss warns it has a mandate for action until May, and could 'go further'.

Financial Times

• Britain's rail unions warn strikes will last until summer without improved dealRMT strike on Tuesday led to cancellation of more than 80% of services
• Southwest Airlines: passengers and investors left out in the cold The US discount carrier now has additional financial priorities that will weigh on earnings this year
• UK rail chaos increases demand for cars More than half of buyers say unreliable public transport is behind purchase, says Auto Trader

The Guardian

• Aviation expert says quick-turnaround helicopter rides may be reconsidered after Gold Coast crashInvestigators will likely examine the number of helicopter joyrides operating at Sea World after a mid-air collision killed four people, an expert says.
• Tesla shares continue slide with shrinking demand and logistics snagsCompany has lost more than 65% in value since last year, although it is still world’s most valuable automakerTesla shares started 2023 where they left off last year, plunging more than 14% on Tuesday on growing worries about weakening demand and logistical problems that have hampered deliveries for the world’s most valuable automaker.Once worth more than $1tn, Tesla lost more than 65% in market value in a tumultuous 2022. Tuesday’s slide knocked off nearly $60bn in market value, roughly equal to the valuation of rival Ford, which last year sold three times as many cars as Tesla. Continue readi...
• Only one in five UK train services to run on second consecutive day of strikesMore disruption awaits commuters returning to work after the Christmas break on Wednesday, the second of five consecutive days of rail strikes. Once again, much of Britain’s rail network will not be operating, with only about a fifth of trains expected to run, leaving only a skeleton service for commuters on some urban and intercity lines.

The Independent

• Strikes UK live: One in five trains running as bus drivers walk out with rail workersPublic services in crisis after years of ˜underfunding and understaffing, says new TUC chief

Times Online

• Deal can be done to modernise rail [subscription]ere’s a happy new year thought. At least there’s one part of Britain’s rail network that’s not on strike: HS2, the zippy £100 billion extravaganza that’s yet to be built. Maybe the government would have a bit of spare cash to fix problems on the existing railway if it wasn’t blowing so much on that.

City AM

• UK airlines and airports lag behind global rivals when it comes to being on timeUK airlines and airports continue to lag behind international rivals when it comes to being on time, according to new research released today. No British airlines or airports ranked in the top 10 for on-time performance, according to data from Cirium’s On-Time Performance report.

Sky News

• Train strikes: Network Rail says it is 'on the right path' towards securing deal to stop walkoutsRail passengers have faced more disruption from a fresh round of strikes by the RMT union - with about half of Britain's railway lines shut and only one in five services running.

Birmingham Mail

• Notorious Birmingham bus gate snares almost 50,000 drivers in just nine monthsCity centre bus gate continuing to catch drivers out in huge numbers

Bolton News

• Horwich: Former railway station relics being brought back to lifeRelics from a former borough railway station is being brought back to life.

Cambridge News

• South Cambridgeshire given new funding for electric vehicle chargersGrants of up to £5,000 each are available from SCDC towards the cost of installing an EV charger at community buildings

Other Regional Press

• 'We're in a pothole crisis - it's breathtaking how bad it is'Furious residents are calling on council bosses to take urgent action as roads have been plunged into a "deadly serious pothole crisis".
• Kent's most crime-ridden railway stations revealedNew data has revealed the most dangerous railway stations where the highest rates of anti-social behaviour and violent crime have been recorded.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Leon Daniels named CILT(UK) President for 2023Leon Daniels OBE is an experienced transport professional with an exceptional record in delivery and performance at the highest level of private and public sector organisations. Leon has been a Vice-President of CILT(UK) for three years and has worked in public transportation in the UK, Hong Kong and the USA.

New Civil Engineer

• North East transport infrastructure boosted by £500M government investmentThe North East is to receive £563M in government funding for transport infrastructure in a new £1.4bn devolution deal for the region.
• Tyne & Wear Metro partial closure continues after flooding causes ’serious fault’The Tyne & Wear Metro remains partly closed due to a "serious fault" caused by flooding at the end of last year.
• Luton Dart opening date pushed back again as cost balloons to over £300MThe opening of the new autonomous light rail link between Luton Airport and Luton Parkway has been pushed back another few months while the costs are now projected to top £300M.

Railnews

• Railway starts New Year with more walkouts Train operators are warning that their services will be badly disrupted over the next five days. There will be two 48-hour RMT strikes, the first of which started this morning. The second will be on Friday and Saturday, while ASLEF drivers will strike on the intervening Thursday. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has claimed that the government has been on ‘radio silence’ since before Christmas, but the DfT said the rail minister has remained ‘in regular contact’.

Aviation Industry

• Aerostructures Market To Grow 8% Through 2032, Report SaysFrost and Sullivan says the global commercial aircraft aerostructures market should grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4% until 2032, rising from $45.4 billion in 2021 to $109.06 billion.

Other News Sources

• The World’s First Flying Motorcycle Could Hit the Skies Soon. Here’s Everything We Know.One of the smallest jet aircraft ever designed could be several years away from becoming the first sky-legal motorcycle. When it’s certified by the FAA, the Jetpack Aviation Speeder will be a flying street bike that uses eight tiny-but-powerful jet engines to cruise 60 mph for about 30 minutes.
• ScotRail blasted for outdated Glasgow fleet as £400k paid for delaysSCOTRAIL have been blasted after it was revealed commuters on a busy Glasgow line are being served by 36-year-old trains.
• ADMINISTRATORS APPOINTED AT RAIL SECTOR RECRUITMENT FIRMAdministrators have been appointed at a West Yorkshire-based rail sector recruitment and training company.
• Plane that crashed in field took off from Shoreham AirportAn aircraft that crashed in a field had taken off from an airport a few miles away, it has been confirmed.
• Cycle hangar in Hove 'unusable' due to badly parked mopedCycle hangars in a residential street are “unusable” due to people parking their motorbikes in the way, says one frustrated resident.