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

Friday, 10 March 2023

BBC News

• Belle Vue to begin FlixBus service in late AprilBelle Vue is a further coach operator to partner with FlixBus. The Stockport business will commence a daily scheduled service between Manchester and Newcastle via Leeds, Middlesbrough and Sunderland from the end of April.
• Rotherham bus lanes project to speed up journey timesMore than £2.5m has been granted to fund a scheme to cut down bus journey times in Rotherham.
• Isle of Wight Island Line: Ryde Pier work delayed by winter weatherWork to repair the railway line on a Victorian-era pier on the Isle of Wight is running months behind schedule.
• Unite accuses National Express of 'union busting'The bus company disputes the claims ahead of a planned 16 March walkout.
• HS2 line between Birmingham and Crewe delayed by two yearsTransport secretary Mark Harper blamed soaring prices and says it was

Department for Transport

• Transport Secretary sets out record investment plans for transport networkOver £40 billion will be invested in transformational transport schemes over the next 2 financial years across the country.

Financial Times

• HS2 rail project delayed by 2 years to save costsRoad schemes postponed as ministers seek to offset impact of inflation on capital budgets

The Guardian

• Labour vows biggest bus overhaul in 40 years with new powers over operatorsExclusive: party plans to give areas devolved powers to reinstate cancelled routes and set affordable fares
• HS2 to be delayed by two more years due to soaring costsBirmingham to Crewe stretch put on hold and major roadbuilding schemes slowed in response to inflation surgeHS2 will be delayed by another two years and major roadbuilding schemes will be mothballed, ministers have confirmed, after soaring inflation added billions to the cost of transport infrastructure projects.Ministers insisted they remained committed to Britain’s high-speed rail network scheme, but the budget constraints have cast further doubt over prospects for the rail project’s full implementation. Continue reading...

The Independent

• Government confirms further HS2 delays in bid to cut costsRishi Sunak’s government will delay some sections of the ambitious HS2 high-speed railway project in a bid to save money, it has been announced.

Times Online

• How HS2 became a £71bn white elephant. [subscription]It was supposed to revolutionise travel across the UK but will the link between London and Manchester become the most expensive infrastructure project that never gets finished?
• The Times view on HS2: National Embarrassment. [subscription]HS2 is in danger of turning into the country’s biggest white elephant yet. A short, sharp inquest needs to be held into how this hubristic project got so out of control
• HS2 delays construction of Manchester rail line as costs soar. [subscription]Demand for savings as inflation spirals puts back completion by up to eight years

Sky News

• Wales should receive 'up to £5bn' as sections of 'England-only' HS2 face delayThe UK government had argued that HS2 was a "national project", but the Welsh government says it "does not benefit Wales" amid reports of delays.
• 'North is paying the price': Parts of HS2 to be delayed for two yearsThe government has announced the construction of sections of HS2 will be delayed by two years to save money.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Number of trains between Bradford, Ilkley and Skipton to be slashedTHE number of trains running between Bradford and Ilkley and Skipton will be slashed from May in a bid to make the service more reliable.

Northern Echo

• London airport scraps hand luggage rule with more to followPassengers at London City Airport will be allowed to take two litres of liquid on to flights with them in hand luggage

Yorkshire Post

• Government urged to deliver on West Yorkshire mass transit promisesChancellor Jeremy Hunt is being urged to commit funding for West Yorkshire’s long-awaited mass transit system.
• Bus changes Yorkshire: Anger as First bus announces major route changes in Leeds - including cutting off town from shopping centreResidents of Pudsey have been left furious after First announced a raft of new timetable changes from April – including cutting off the direct route from the town to the White Rose Shopping Centre.

Other Regional Press

• Ryde Pier rail reopening now delayed to ’at least June’ says BBC reporterNetwork Rail have previously said that they intend for the line to be reopened in late Spring, but won’t commit to a specific date.

Intelligent Transport

• Solent Transport becomes first UK local authority with rail ticketing accreditationAs part of a new partnership, Solent Transport will now offer its customers with rail ticketing through its Breeze travel app, providing them with improved access to all modes of transportation across the region.

New Civil Engineer

• Industry brands government’s planned HS2 delays as a ’false economy’Leaders in the rail sector have slammed the government’s decision to delay High Speed 2 (HS2) by two years, describing it as a “false economy” and a “real body blow for the UK’s economic recovery”.
• Railway Industry Association launches campaign to urge government to accelerate rail decarbonisationThe Railway Industry Association (RIA) has launched RailDecarb23, a campaign urging the government to accelerate plans to decarbonise rail.
• Birmingham metro’s ’original’ route in line for £27M renewalBirmingham metro's original Line 1 is set for a major upgrade as a £27M funding plan goes before authorities later this month.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Stagecoach to cover threatened Chester-Crewe serviceStagecoach has joined D&G Bus in registering the route 84 service between Chester and Crewe following Arriva North West’s recent proposals to pull out of the area.
• White’s Coaches adds a custom-built Yutong TC9White’s Coaches of St Albans has taken delivery of a custom-built Yutong TC9 midi, supplied by Pelican Bus and Coach.
• Notts and Derby installs Centrad CCTV on five new busesNotts and Derby Buses has added Centrad CCTV systems to its five new Alexander Dennis vehicles.
• Carousel Buses’ Shelley Townsend fronts women in transport campaignTo mark International Women’s Day (8 March), Carousel Buses has praised its controller Shelley Townsend for championing gender diversity in the industry.
• New DPTAC Chair: ’PSVAR not to be seen in isolation’Matthew Campbell-Hill highlights role of roadside infrastructure amid call for compliance
• Transdev sponsorship deals drive northern bus useNorth of England bus operator Transdev has launched a new bus sponsorship offer to promote local business from city to coast.
• Government urged to invest in hydrogen infrastructureA new report from Hydrogen UK has highlighted the lack of hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) and called on the Government to invest in infrastructure to meet zero-emissions targets.
• Trentbarton appoints first female apprentice technicianTrentbarton has taken on its first female apprentice technician, making the announcement to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March.
• Coach impact of any charging Manchester CAZ exploredFailure by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and ministers to agree a non-charging approach to meeting air quality requirements in the city region and the adoption of a charging Clean Air Zone (CAZ) would place major stress on some parts of the area’s coach industry and lead at least one operator to close, engagement commissioned by GMCA has shown.
• National Express announces 367% rise in profitsNational Express Group shares ended the week strongly after the company reported a tripling of profits in 2022 compared to the previous year, amid a 23% surge in passenger journeys.

Aviation Industry

• Should we fly less? The inequality of air travelWeeks before announcing he was stepping down from his position as CEO at Heathrow Airport, John Holland-Kaye told the World Economic Forum at Davos that cutting back on air travel … The post Should we fly less? The inequality of air travel appeared first on Aviation Environment Federation.