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

Tuesday, 14 March 2023

BBC News

• National Express strike called off in West MidlandsThe Unite union says it will ballot its members again after getting an improved pay offer.
• Central London: E-bike users who block pavements to face larger finesLime bike riders will be charged five times as much for dumping the bikes in awkward places.
• First Bus workers in Glasgow and Aberdeen secure pay dealCleaners, fuellers and shunters for First Bus in Glasgow and Aberdeen will receive a minimum pay rise of 8%.

Financial Times

• Siemens scours south-east Asia for deals to diversify from ChinaGerman group considers adding factories in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand as it tries to reduce supply chain risks

The Guardian

• How Jaguar Land Rover fell behind in the race to an electric future and what it means for the UKThere are fears for UK industry as a whole as the country's carmaking champion falls further behind wealthy rivals in the race for zero-emission vehicles

Times Online

• Ministers snub British-built electric cars for the Whitehall fleetKia, the Korean carmaker, has emerged as the big winner in the central government’s procurement of plug-in cars, accounting for a staggering 82 per cent of low emission vehicles acquired by Whitehall.

Reuters News

• Travel sector mulls green future but tourists reluctant to payTourists around the world and especially in Europe are supportive of more eco-friendly trips but reluctant to carry the extra cost, according to studies and industry executives.

Labour Party

• With investment, rail can help power our economy and the net-zero transition - Darren CaplanOn March 15th, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver his spring Budget, and the feeling is that rail is unlikely to feature, especially given the disappointing news pre-briefed last week that part of the construction of the HS2 northern leg will be delayed by two years.

Sky News

• Luton Airport's Dart service: Cost of UK's 'most expensive rail line' defended as bosses say 'its value is huge'A one-way fare costs £4.90 for the 1.3-mile trip on the Dart system between Luton Airport and its nearest mainline station - Luton Airport Parkway. The service opened two years behind schedule and around one-third over budget.

Bristol Live

• Voi e-scooter loyalty scheme to end in April with no more free rides"We understand that this may cause frustration"
• Bristol bus passengers still waiting for details new West Link minibus service The new dial-a-ride minibus services are due to launch next month but many questions remain unanswered

The York Press

• First York upgrading power systems for busesA familiar bus is back on the street of York after operator First York upgraded its electrical power system.

Wales Online

• The massive construction work taking place on the Heads of the Valleys roadThe work is set to last 18 months and will cost the taxpayer over £1bn by the time it is finished
• Qatar Airways looking to restart its Cardiff to Doha routeIn the year before the pandemic the route carried nearly 100,000 passengers

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Strikes which would have almost shut 'entire bus network' in West Midlands suspendedStrikes which would have shut almost the

Bucks Free Press

• High Wycombe: Carousel Buses PickMeUp bus marks thousands of journeysAn Uber-style 'innovative' bus service has celebrated a milestone after tens of thousands of journeys. 

Cambridge News

• East-West Rail route into Cambridge slammed as 'unsuitable' as decision yet to be made on new railway line A northern and southern route are currently being tabled, but a decision on the line from Bedford to Cambridge is yet to be made

Other Regional Press

• Residents turn out in support of rail link between Northampton and Market HarboroughCampaigners say reopening it would improve local transport links for the public and freight.
• Work on Taunton's active-travel route underway at FirepoolRESIDENTS and visitors to Somerset's county town will soon be able to enjoy an uninterrupted, traffic-free route between the town's railway station and one of its main parks.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government sets out investment plans for transport networkThe Transport Secretary has announced funding for the country’s transport network, sustainably driving growth across the country while managing the pressures of inflation. As part of the government’s largest capital programme commitment ever, over £40 billion will be invested in transformational transport schemes over the next 2 financial years across the country, helping to level up local communities and deliver on one of the government’s 5 priorities to grow the economy. This includes a continued investment in delivering HS2, which will grow local economie...

New Civil Engineer

• DfT’s active transport budget has ’more than halved’The Department for Transport (DfT) has slashed £380M of the £710M promised in 2021 for the UK’s active travel budget, claims the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling & Walking (APPGCW).
• Network Rail finalising plans to repair an ’urgent defect’ in ’Harry Potter’ viaductPlans to repair an “urgent defect” in the Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland are being developed by Network Rail ahead of carrying out a full suite of repairs to remediate fractures and other issues throughout the structure in 2024.

Rail Magazine

• Edinburgh ’Sub’ line plan gathers momentumIt is “50-50” as to whether Edinburgh’s Southern Suburban Railway could be reopened to passenger traffic, the city’s transport convener has said.

Other News Sources

• Air India's mammoth Airbus and Boeing deal: A game-changer for the aviation industryAir India's massive Airbus and Boeing deal is the largest passenger plane order in HISTORY.