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

Tuesday, 14 February 2023

BBC News

• Heathrow sees busiest January since start of CovidHeathrow Airport has recorded its busiest January since the start of the pandemic, with 5.4 million passengers travelling through it last month.
• London bus strikes: Abellio drivers accept pay riseAbellio London workers have been holding a series of strikes over recent months.

ITV News

• Cumbria railway Ravenglass & Eskdale shortlisted for Heritage Railway AwardAn iconic Cumbrian railway has been shortlisted for the prestigious Heritage Railway Association 'Railway of the Year' Award for 2023.

Financial Times

• EU drives though truck emissions targets with new 2040 goal‘Near zero’ rules attacked for giving heavy vehicles more time to reduce pollution than cars
• Container shipping costs plunge as consumer spending declinesGlobal maritime trade has fallen to a shadow of pandemic peak as high inflation and reopenings hit goods purchases

The Guardian

• Heathrow has busiest start to year since before Covid lockdownsHeathrow airport had its busiest start to the year since before the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns in 2020 as travel restrictions continued to ease, according to data published on Monday.

Times Online

• Magic carpet flight out of Heathrow. [subscription]Try telling the passengers this: “Heathrow is back to its best”. Who says so? John Holland-Kaye, its soon-to-be-departing boss — unlike many of the customers.

Network Rail

• Transpennine Route Upgrade thanks passengers after Morley station upgradeNine days of major work to transform Morley station are now complete, allowing trains to run between Leeds and Huddersfield from this morning
• Passengers reminded to plan ahead this weekend as East Coast Digital Programme continuesThe billion-pound East Coast Digital Programme will continue to create a more reliable railway between Peterborough and London King’s Cross this weekend.

Sky News

• Heathrow airport back to pre-pandemic passenger numbersUse of electronic passport scanners for children under 18 is being trialled as the airport reported the half-term peak period "has been going very well".

Bolton News

• Northern install water dispensers following successful Bolton trialSix more water dispensers are due to be installed in some of Northern's busiest stations following a successful trial in Bolton.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Jet2holidays named UK's largest tour operator on 20th anniversaryJET2HOLIDAYS has been named the UK's largest tour operator, after it celebrated a milestone.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• New North Wales train that's 'turning heads' takes first test runAvanti West Coast's new fleet of Hitachi trains will run on the West Coast Main Line
• Airbus Broughton to get jobs boost as wing work to transfer from German factoryAdditional equipping on the wings of the A330 family will move from Bremen to North Wales

Leicester Mercury

• HS2 rail link in Leicestershire could be scrapped entirely as part of cost-cutting measuresLeicestershire’s section of the HS2 rail line could be scrapped altogether to beat spiralling costs, according to reports. The claim was made in The Times over the weekend, with Government ministers reportedly looking into reviewing the whole line, potentially axing sections of it.

Manchester Evening News

• Does Manchester need more bus lanes?The council have said they are aiming to 'improve walking, wheeling and cycling throughout the city centre'

The York Press

• Yorkshire airline Jet2.com celebrates 20 yearsA York man was one of a group of passengers to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Yorkshire-based airline Jet2.com.
• York railway station is the UK's best for disability access - surveyYork railway station the UK's best for disability access - survey

Leeds Live

• Leeds based Jet2 overtakes Tui to become the UK's largest tour operatorIts summer program this year features 65 destinations and will offer packages to 5.9 million people

Other Regional Press

• Deserted airport could become Stansted Airport competitor for low-cost airlinesThe site has been acquired by developer RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP) for £16 million with a reported £500 million investment planned
• Talks underway to attract more train operators to Hartlepool's revamped railway stationCouncil chiefs are hoping an increased number of trains will soon be coming through Hartlepool Railway Station as part of a £12m upgrade to reinstate its disused second platform.
• Milton Keynes could be set for futuristic 18-mile high-speed transport systemAn innovative new way to get around Milton Keynes could transform the way people traverse the city. Public transport could change with a high-speed driverless network on purpose-built routes.

Business Live

• E-bike and scooter firm Beryl secures £2m for new Dorset factoryThe company operates hire schemes in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
• Spaceport launch hopes for Cornwall's own satellite in second mission planned for this yearMelissa Thorpe, Head of Spaceport Cornwall said that a new launch with Virgin Orbit is planned for this year - with Cornwall's own satellite on board
• Nissan sees profits rise but warns of range of challenges aheadThe company's global results show a big increase in profitability in its third quarter but also highlight semiconductor shortage and other issues

New Civil Engineer

• NIC to advise government on infrastructure planning systemThe National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has been asked by the government to provide recommendations on the infrastructure planning system and in particular the role of National Policy Statements (NPS).
• Balfour Beatty begins transformation of Southampton Central stationA Balfour Beatty revamp to turn Southampton Central railway station into an “international gateway” has begun today, Monday, 13 February.
• What’s next for paused Heathrow Airport expansion?With continued debate over the Heathrow's paused expansion plans a new chief executive soon to be appointed, NCE takes a look at what the future might hold for the airport and its proposed third runway.

Railnews

• New strikes threat after RMT refuses latest offer The RMT is preparing to reballot its members for more strikes after it refused the latest pay offers from train operators and Network Rail on Friday afternoon. The union said its National Executive Committee had decided to reject both offers on the basis that ‘they do not meet members’ expectations on pay, job security or working conditions’. The Rail Delivery Group responded that not only passengers but ‘many hard-working RMT members’ will be ‘deeply dismayed’ by the failure of negotiations’.

Other News Sources

• Images: Durham station’s brand-new tracks offer reliability boost for passengersA £6 million investment to deliver more reliable journeys for passengers travelling along the East Coast Main Line through Durham station has been completed.
• Road repairs, tax rises, and public transport: Council lays out budget plansREADING Borough Council has announced its latest budget proposals in the midst of “inflationary pressure.”
• Northern continue training the next generation of rail professionalsFollowing the end of National Apprenticeship Week 2023, Northern are continuing to recruit and train the next generation of railway professionals.
• Blackburn with Darwen school buses to Bolton to be reviewedBLACKBURN with Darwen Council is to review its arrangements for transporting pupils to schools in Bolton borough.
• Brighton bus chaos: legal battle launched against councilA legal battle against a council has been launched after over 690 buses per day have been diverted via residential streets due to roadworks.

News from Europe

• EU sees brutal drop in renewable energy used in transportRecently released figures by EU statistics agency Eurostat show a spectacular drop in the amount of renewable energy used in the transport sector for 2021, a trend that affects almost all EU countries and is due to a change in the calculation methodology for biofuels.