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

Thursday, 02 February 2023

BBC News

• Bristol Arena transport package under review as costs soarA multi-million pound package of planned transport links to an upcoming concert venue is under review amid soaring costs.
• Oxford: First buses in electric fleet set to arrive in SeptemberThe first electric buses, set to form a fleet of 159, will be brought in on routes in Oxford from September.
• Lambeth Council reimburses £100,000 in driving finesMotorists complained of badly positioned road signs near a primary school in south London.
• Elizabeth line sees 100 million journeys since May 2022About 600,000 journeys are taken every day on the new line, Transport for London says.

Department for Transport

• UK Government backing helps launch world first self-driving busPassengers will be boarding the world’s first fully sized, self-driving bus service in Edinburgh from the Spring, after it was awarded a share of £81 million in joint UK government and industry support for self-driving transport technology.

Financial Times

• Airbus and Qatar settle bitter A350 paint disputeEuropean plane maker will resume deliveries of widebody aircraft this year

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham Airport saw 33 staff injuries including skeletal strains and falls over 12 monthsBirmingham Airport bosses said they encourage staff to 'report near misses'

Birmingham Post

• Asda to help create driverless hydrogen HGV with zero-emissions firm backed by billionaire Issa brothersA trial of the prototype is planned for September 2024

Bolton News

• Bolton Buses: Andy Burnham works to save bus services under threatAndy Burnham has promised to ‘pull out all the stops’ to save bus services under threat in Greater Manchester.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Jet2 expand programmes to Dalaman, Antalya and PaphosJET2.com and Jet2holidays have responded to continued demand for holidays to the sunshine in winter 2023/24 by adding more capacity to Turkey (Dalaman and Antalya) and Cyprus (Paphos) from Leeds Bradford Airport.
• Transport for the North conference date is announcedTRANSPORT for the North (TfN) has today announced that its fourth Annual Conference will take place on Monday, March 6 in Newcastle.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Edinburgh's big plans suggest transport chief Scott Arthur is in the right job – Steve CardownieBack in May last year, on being elected as convenor of Edinburgh Council’s transport and environment committee, Councillor Scott Arthur said that he would strive to deliver in the role where the previous administration had failed, in an obvious dig at former convener, the SNP’s Councillor Lesley Macinnes.

London Evening Standard

• HS2’s longest tunnel reaches halfway pointHS2 Ltd said a pair of tunnel-boring machines have each made five miles of progress on their 10-mile journeys under the Chiltern Hills.

Other Regional Press

• Edinburgh passengers to ride world's first driverless bus from this springThe UK government has injected more than £10 million into the project which will allow the creation of a completely operational and fully sized service without the need for drivers.
• North Yorkshire transport chief accuses 20mph campaigners of ’misleading’ tacticsNorth Yorkshire’s transport chief has accused the 20’s Plenty group of using “misleading” tactics in its pursuit of a new 20mph default speed limit in the county.
• Outrage after plans to scrap vital bus routes in YatePASSENGERS and community leaders have hit out after it was announced that vital bus services in Yate and Chipping Sodbury could be axed.
• Council in bid to buy Doncaster Sheffield Airport site as inquiry launchedSouth Yorkshire Mayor said Doncaster Council are pursuing a Compulsory Purchase order

Intelligent Transport

• UK government funding helps launch world’s first autonomous bus in EdinburghFrom spring 2023, the world’s first self-driving bus will help revolutionise public transport and passenger travel in Edinburgh by better connecting rural communities and reducing road collisions that are often caused by human error.

New Civil Engineer

• Rail minister’s enhancements pipeline comments underline need for clarity on investmentRail minister Huw Merriman’s recent revelation that the government’s rail pipeline “has far too many projects in it for the funding envelope” has seen the industry call for greater clarity on investment strategy.

The Business Desk

• Merseyrail line suspended for three days linked to roll-out of new £500m train fleetMerseyrail services on one of the region’s busiest train lines will grind to a halt for three days later this month for vital engineering work to enable the introduction of the new £500m Class 777 train fleet.

Transport for the North

• Transport for the North Annual Conference announcedTransport for the North (TfN) has today officially announced its fourth Annual Conference will take place on Monday 6th March in Newcastle. Norther leaders will gather under a theme how we can best ’Transform the North’ to deliver transformational change in the public transport system and leave a legacy for future generations.

Other News Sources

• Transport chiefs warn the North East's bus services will suffer as grants endBus services in the North East are facing another tidal wave of drastic cuts, it is feared.
• HS2 celebrates as longest tunnels reach halfway point under the ChilternsHS2 Ltd today confirmed that ’Florence’ and ’Cecilia’, the two giant tunnelling machines excavating the high speed rail project’s longest tunnels, have passed the halfway point on their 10 mile journey under the Chilterns.
• New north Cumbria community transport route to launchA community transport scheme is rolling out new routes in north Cumbria.
• Business travellers willing to use less carbon-intensive transportA new survey has revealed business travellers are willing to choose more eco-friendly travel, rather than relying on cars and planes.
• MSP hits out after new north-east rail links left out of transport plansNew stations for Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Ellon were absent from a government document despite being enthusiastically put forward by the Campaign for North East Rail.
• Transport Minister backs idea of ’Western Atlantic Rail CorridorThe Transport Minister says he wants to see older rail lines in the west and south return to their original use, not turned into greenways.