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

Monday, 06 February 2023

BBC News

• Cambridge congestion charge: MPs clash in BBC Politics East debateAction is needed to solve transport problems in Cambridge but plans for a city congestion charge faces opposition, a BBC Politics East debate has been told.
• Work to finalise Wolverhampton tram works to last two monthsThe last phase of the Wolverhampton tram extension will connect the railway station and Pipers Row.

The Guardian

• Return train tickets expected to be scrapped in UK rail shake-upThe often discounted rate is to be replaced with two singles costing the same as the present return fare
• More buses in disadvantaged areas better value than major transport projects, Australian research findsReport finds states are failing to calculate financial benefits of smaller initiatives, including increased employment and social inclusion
• Schemes to boost walking and cycling ’must take women’s safety into account’DfT also says bids for new £200m funding pot for England could include plans for better school routes and inclusive street designs

The Telegraph

• Return rail tickets to be scrapped. [subscription]Major reform set as Transport Secretary also commits to Boris Johnson's Great British Railways, a new public body

Times Online

• Return rail tickets to be ditched in favour of two singlesDiscounted return train tickets will be scrapped with passengers having to buy single fares, under rail network reforms expected to be announced this week.
• The end of the road for parking spaces. [subscription]t’s a problem faced by many motorists — popping out to the shops, then not being able to find anywhere to park. Soon, though, things could become even more difficult.

Mail Online

• Plane vs train: Travel experts race from London to Brussels, pitting a Eurostar against an Airbus A320Given how fast and convenient Eurostar services are, is there any point in flying from London to Brussels?
• Return train tickets will be scrapped - meaning passengers will have to pay for two single trips - as 'single-leg pricing' is unveiled amid long-awaited railway reformsReturn train tickets will be scrapped after 'single-leg pricing' is introduced as part of the new railway reforms. 

Bristol Live

• Reopening of Bristol footpath delayed due to 'unexpected issue'Fox Park in Easton has been closed to the public since October

Liverpool Echo

• Inside the abandoned railway key to 'transforming Birkenhead'The railway line was last used in the 1980s and goes right through the town centre

Manchester Evening News

• How would you improve public transport in Greater Manchester?Issues with transport across Manchester were raised last week

Wales Online

• Return train tickets to be scrapped in Government announcement this weekThe announcement will also bring back plans for Great British Railways
• Return train tickets to be scrapped in Government announcement this weekThe announcement will also bring back plans for Great British Railways

Other Regional Press

• Council's Sunday parking charges plan ‘awful, terrible, ridiculous and mean’Plans to introduce car park fees on Sundays across an entire district have been branded "absolutely awful" amid the cost-of-living crisis.
• Devon Metro plan for new 'fast-track' train stations around ExeterThe strategy included seven new rail stations, regular services from Okehampton to Exeter, and the reinstatement of the former railway between Bere Alston and Tavistock - but how successful has it been so far?
• £84m funding awarded to bring driverless vehicles to CoventryThe project would see 13 automated vehicles providing shuttle routes in the city
• Luton DART: Passenger trials on new £290m airport transport system finally underwayPassenger trials were under way last Wednesday (February 1) on the £290m Luton direct air-rail transit (DART) linking London Luton Airport and one of the town’s railway stations. The driverless shuttle is intended to smoothly transport passengers arriving in Luton by train from London and other parts of the country to the airport terminal.

New Civil Engineer

• Legal challenge against £950M Cambridge road scheme failsA legal challenge lodged by campaign group Transport Action Network (TAN) against National Highways' £950M A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet scheme has failed.
• Menai Suspension Bridge | Risk of ’unzipping failure’ could have led to ’catastrophic loss of life’The Menai Suspension Bridge was forced to close after engineers ruled that there was a “credible risk of an unzipping failure of the bridge deck [which] may have led to catastrophic loss of life”, NCE can reveal.
• Inverness Airport railway station opens as Bam Nuttall completes workThe new Inverness Airport railway station opened to passenger services on Friday.

Railway Gazette

• Transport Committee to investigate accessibility obligations, enforcement and redressUK: The House of Commons Transport Committee has launched an inquiry into transport accessibility for disabled people and those with access needs.

Other News Sources

• New roads: campaigners attack plans for WessexROAD campaigners are gearing up for another battle against major highway plans for Wessex that could impact on the A36 near Romsey.
• Transport for Wales shows mobility-as-a-service ambitionTransport for Wales (TfW) is aiming to develop a national mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) solution, with an indication that it could be based on its existing rail services app.