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

Monday, 20 March 2023

BBC News

• Avanti West Coast contract extended by six monthsRail operator Avanti West Coast has had its contract extended for another six months after making improvements, the government has said.
• Disruption for West Midlands bus passengers as strike under wayNational Express expects to provide a limited service, mainly to major hospitals in the region.
• Minister will not commit to reopening Leamside LineA government minister failed to commit to the reopening of a mothballed rail line which campaigners argue could free up space on the network.

Department for Transport

• Avanti West Coast contract extended for a further 6 months following recent service improvementsAvanti West Coast contract extended with further work to restore reliability and punctuality to come.

Financial Times

• UK's top airports aim to fly 150mn more passengers a yearExpansion plans would lift numbers by 60% as sector pursues growth ahead of 2050 net zero target, FT analysis finds
• Gatwick chief says airport is prepared for peak summer travel rushStewart Wingate confident passengers will not face repeat of last year's disruptions

The Guardian

• Aviation chiefs rejected measures to curb climate impact of jet vapoursAirline industry claimed science not robust enough to implement new controls to combat climate warming caused by vapour trails. Airlines and airports opposed measures to combat global warming caused by jet vapour trails that evidence suggests account for more than half of the aviation industry's climate impact, new documents reveal.
• Avanti West Coast’s contract extended but ’more improvements needed’Ministers have given another contract extension to Avanti West Coast, saying the poorly performing rail operator had made improvements to services that were scaled back drastically in recent months, prompting chaos and a customer backlash.

The Herald

• Scotland's use of public transport drops by up to halfUSE of public transport including buses, trains and ferries is up to 50% down on pre-pandemic levels - leading to new concerns over the ability to meet stiff Scottish Government targets over climate change.

The Independent

• Avanti West Coast handed contract extensionThe train operator has struggled with reliability and punctuality during parts of the past year.

The Telegraph

• Refunds for late or cancelled trains may be cutThe minimum threshold for ’Delay Repay’ compensation may be raised to half an hour from 15 minutes, according to Government sources

Times Online

• Bike sales fall to lowest level in 20 years. [subscription]Pandemic boom has become bust despite millions spent on cycle lanes. Bike sales have dipped to their lowest level in two decades as the pandemic boom in cycling turns to bust.
• Climate target fears as Scottish rail journeys are halved since Covid. [subscription]Commuters and travellers are abandoning public transport across Scotland with the use of trains, buses and ferries in steep decline compared with pre-pandemic levels.
• The Elizabeth Line is a red rag to northern bulls starved of investment. [subscription]The Elizabeth Line now accounts for one in six of all rail journeys made in the UK according to data published last week. That is a remarkable statistic. Before last May the line didn’t even exist.

Transport Committee

• Government should invest in maritime tech, cleaner fuels and workforce, Transport Committee saysThe Transport Committee publishes a report on the Government’s Maritime 2050 strategy, and calls for investment in new technology, cleaner fuels and workforce training so that the UK’s sector can compete with the world.

Mail Online

• RMT members get set to vote on Network Rail pay offer which could stop months of crippling strikesLast night senior rail sources were quietly confident a majority of workers have backed the 9 per cent offer.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford bus services impacted by new First timetablesCUTS to a vital bus service connecting Bradford to Leeds and Halifax is going to

Cambridge News

• Open letter urges Cambridgeshire councils to consider plans for light rail service"Cambridge is at a pivotal moment in its history. Cambridge is witnessing phenomenal and unprecedented economic expansion and population growth."

Chester Standard

• 'I want to improve public transport in Chester'. - Samantha Dixon MPTHERE ARE many milestones a politician can reach during their political lifetime. Being elected, making your maiden speech in Parliament, holding your first constituency surgery. I have reached all of these since becoming an MP, and on Saturday (11th March) I reached another milestone: 100 days in office.

Other Regional Press

• Who has the freedom to use the roads, asks active travel campaignerRobin Tucker, Co-Chair Coalition for Health Streets and Active Travel (CoHSAT), examines the issue of ‘freedom’ on the roads.
• The disused Lancashire railway line that could be key in helping put an end to deprivation“Colne, Accrington and Burnley, and Bradford, all figure highly in official indexes of multiple deprivation. The Colne railway line currently goes through wards that are among the most deprived."

New Civil Engineer

• Claims that scrapping of major Welsh road projects lacked public engagement refutedThe chair of the Roads Review Panel that scrapped all new major road building projects in Wales has defended the decision after claims from the Senedd there was no public engagement.
• Designing a winning new motorway gantry with less carbon and more eleganceThe key to designing National Highways’ new motorway gantries was to understand and prioritise the different needs including carrying signage, visual impact and low carbon before exploring and refining the options to develop an optimal solution, according to the winning design team.

Rail Advent

• MPs back Western Rail Link to HeathrowThis week, MPs across the political spectrum met in Parliament and again voiced their support for the key rail link to Heathrow Airport. Tan Dhesi MP, who chaired the meeting, expressed his support for the project, which will ensure that residents of Slough can be better connected to Britain's busiest airport by rail.

Other News Sources

• The 15-minute city backlash is a lesson for sustainable transportResidents and communities must be made feel part of changes to their local infrastructure, writes TechUK's Ashley Feldman
• Executive Director of Transport appointed to help deliver mass transit system to West YorkshireA new appointment has been made to the senior team at the West Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to help boost public transport schemes in the region.