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

Monday, 13 March 2023

BBC News

• Network Rail: Tunbridge Wells to Hastings line to close over EasterThe train line between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings will be closed for nine days from the Easter weekend.
• Highland Council to trial electric cargo bikes to cut emissionsHighland Council is to run a pilot which could see the electric bikes used for litter picks and health visits.

ITV News

• Avanti West Coast launches discounted ticket scheme for 'flexible' customersAvanti West Coast has become the latest train operator to trial discounted tickets as the rail sector struggles to bring passenger numbers back to pre-pandemic levels.

The Scotsman

• Repairs to be carried out on Glenfinnan Viaduct ’urgent defect'Network Rail have vowed to repair an “urgent defect” discovered four months ago on the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct.

The Telegraph

• ’Dither and delay’ will collapse Birtain’s train-building industry, minister warned. [subscription]The fate of 20,000 train manufacturing workers is in jeopardy because of the UK’s “dither and delay” in delivering a coherent industrial strategy, the Government will be warned.
• Britain must slash red tape to rescue shrinking car industry, makers warn. [subscription]Warning comes as British driverless car company Wayve looks to move trials abroad

Times Online

• Flying Scotsman may one day run on coffee groundsIt is powered by the fuel that lit the Industrial Revolution but could the legendary Flying Scotsman locomotive ever be as green as its sparkling livery?

Birmingham Mail

• £12 Birmingham to London train tickets launched in Avanti West Coast trialCut-price train tickets between Birmingham and four major cities from £12 each way were launched today, Monday, March 13, in a bid to boost passenger numbers. Avanti West Coast is the latest train operator to trial discounted tickets that will cost up to £22 for single journeys.

Bolton News

• Avanti West Coast launches discounted ticket schemeAvanti West Coast has launched a discounted ticket scheme for passengers and it will be trialled until the end of July.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Call for rail services facing chop in May to be restored by year's endNORTHERN Rail will be pushed to restore the services it plans to cut in May by December.
• Bradford 13th most congested city in the UK, study claimsBRADFORD is the 13th most congested city in the UK, a new study has claimed.

Yorkshire Post

• Doncaster will not forgive or forget if Conservative government allows South Yorkshire's airport to dieDoncaster Sheffield Airport had it all: regularly winning awards for traveller experience and situated in one of the most exciting locations in the country.

Kent Online

• Kent stations rank among the worst for London commutersAnalysis reveals the best commuter stations outside the M25 but it's not good news for passengers in Kent

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• Calling All Stations with Christian Wolmar, Episode 9This week, Christian's prominent scepticism about the promise of autonomous road vehicles is questioned by Members of Parliament on the House of Commons Transport Committee, he interviews Rail Forum Chief Executive Elaine Clark on issues being addressed by this thriving supply chain trade association, explores with Severn Valley Railway Managing Director Jonathan Dunster the challenges facing the heritage rail sector and deplores the culture wars affecting our pavements and roadspace.

New Civil Engineer

• Budget must back construction growth to benefit the whole of the UKHave we gone back in time to the 1970s? Then, as now, the UK experienced widespread industrial action, spiralling energy costs and rampant inflation. Add a war in mainland Europe to the mix and stagflation in the UK is becoming a real possibility.
• Germany’s 2030 rail optimisation plan could take 50 years to completeA masterplan intended to optimise the whole of Germany’s rail network which was due to be completed in 2030 may take 50 years to be delivered, according to the nation’s federal commissioner for rail transport Michael Theurer.

Other News Sources

• Mason UK meets stringent specification with proactive engineeringPark Modern is a residential development with luxury apartments, exceptional facilities, and views across Hyde Park. Due to the proximity of the structure to the London Underground, extensive vibration control was required. This article describes how vibration control specialist Mason UK tackled these challenges and delivered a challenging specification.
• Rail association urges action to get net zero back on trackAs UK travellers brace for another week of debilitating rail strikes the associations which represents the rail supply community has launched its campaign to speed the UK’s net zero rail transition.
• Tunnel building tech among innovations to receive rail excellence centre fundingHypertunnel has been awarded funding to carry out a feasibility study for using its underground construction technology on an underpass at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence project in Wales.
• London has a new airport train that's even more expensive than the Heathrow Express per mile Travelers who thought taking the Heathrow Express from Paddington station was expensive can now enjoy an even more costly trip – per mile, at least.
• Brighton activists against low-traffic project create radio stationActivists opposed to a liveable neighbourhood project have launched their own radio station.