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

Thursday, 13 April 2023

BBC News

• Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Council sets aside money to reopen closed airportDoncaster Council has agreed to set aside £3.1m to pursue a compulsory purchase order for a closed airport.
• Arriva North West due to close two Cheshire bus depotsTwo bus depots in Cheshire are to close later this month, impacting routes across the county.
• Nuneham viaduct closure: Train firm says 'bigger challenge ahead' post-EasterRail replacement bus services after the Easter holidays due to the closure of a railway viaduct will be a "bigger challenge", a train firm has said.
• Manchester plans to transform railway arches revealedPlans to turn a row of little-used railway arches into shops, bars, restaurants and cafes have been revealed.
• East-West Rail: Bedford's mayoral candidates split on rail projectPart of the route of the controversial East-West Rail project will not be decided before we know the winner of Bedford's mayoral elections. But where do the town's candidates stand on the scheme, that promises to unlock the economic potential of the region?
• Northumberland Line: Road bridge costs spiral to £30mConstruction costs for a road bridge on a passenger rail line due to reopen in 2024 have trebled to £30.6m, figures have revealed.

ITV News

• Council 'vigorously' pursuing options to reopen Doncaster Sheffield AirportCity of Doncaster Council has agreed to set aside £3.1 million of funding as part of its efforts to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

Times Online

• CalMac ferry disruption hits island distilleriesDistilleries on Jura and Islay are operating “hand to mouth” due to the continued CalMac ferry disruption, the Scotch Whisky Association has said.

The National

• Council agrees deal to progress Clyde Metro transport planGlasgow City Council and UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) have started work on developing financial and commercial plans for the project.

London Evening Standard

• Sadiq Khan: Plans progressing for new ’West London Orbital’ rail linkThe new link would run from Hounslow up to Hendon and could be opened at some point in the early 2030s

Yorkshire Post

• Rail engineering firm plans to re-open Hull sidings that haven't been used since 1987 for HS2 assembly plant connected to the mainlineA German rail engineering giant has submitted plans to re-open a disused siding in Hull and open an assembly and storage plant with a reinstated connection to the mainline.

Doncaster Free Press

• Plans to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport approved as well as planning measures to protect site pursuedDoncaster Council has revealed a series of new measures taken in its ongoing fight to reopen the region’s airport.

Other Regional Press

• Ripon bus service launches new and extended routes to boost sustainable transportResidents and visitors in Ripon are to benefit from easier travel with new and improved bus services set to start later this month.
• Anger after funding pulled from Cheltenham cycle path projectNetwork Rail criticised as planned extension of the Honeybourne Line delayed
• HS2 wildlife surveys 'riddled with inaccuracies' report claimsA REPORT from Cheshire Wildlife Trust accuses HS2’s nature impact assessments of being ’amateurish’ and ’riddled with inaccuracies’.
• FLINT: Grade II railway station refurbishment plans approvedIMPROVEMENTS are on their way for Flint Station as Transport for Wales has gained listed building consent for refurbishment of railway facilities.

Train Operators

• South Western Railway introduces world-leading ’green’ vending machinesIf you’re using Bournemouth station you might notice a new, green addition on the platforms. South Western Railway (SWR) has introduced new, more energy-efficient vending machines with ’living walls’, as part of a world-leading, innovative new trial.

New Civil Engineer

• Crossrail TBM resurrected to drive third HS2 tunnel in LondonDespite the pause on construction of High Speed 2's (HS2's) London terminus at Euston, work is progressing on tunnels to facilitate the work with the launch of the third HS2 tunnel boring machine (TBM) in London.

Rail Advent

• HS1 claims regenerative braking saves enough energy to power 375 homesHS1 Ltd has today released figures which it claims show that regenerative braking technology introduced on its high-speed railway linking London, Kent and East Sussex is saving enough energy annually to power more than 375 homes.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Hopes rise for longer-term bus funding award in EnglandHopes that the bus industry in England will benefit from a longer-term government funding package have risen after Under-Secretary of State for Transport Richard Holden (pictured) said that the Department for Transport (DfT) is working with various parties – notably, including the Treasury – to develop a plan “to help the sector to a sustainable footing.”

Other News Sources

• Manchester’s free bus service gets new routes with extra stops in city centreThe routes will allow passengers to travel from Piccadilly to new destinations such as HOME and Deansgate Locks.
• Northern implementing data intelligence tool to improve businessEconomists at Northern are using a new data intelligence platform to improve understanding of business and employees in the region.
• Eurostar celebrate five years of high-speed rail services from London and AmsterdamOver 1.6 million passengers have enjoyed Eurostar travel between London and the Netherlands since the inaugural journey left St. Pancras International in April 2018 – the equivalent of over 10,000 plane loads. With a passenger’s carbon footprint from one flight between London and Amsterdam being the equivalent to seven Eurostar journeys, over 83,000 tonnes of CO2 has been saved thanks to millions of passengers making the switch from plane to train. Eurostar is committed to growing connections and capacity on the popular high-speed route and recently added a fourth daily service in September 2022.
• James Morris MP: 'Good transport links are vital'Whether we travel regularly by bike, car, tram or train, good transport links are vital for getting to work, shops, medical appointments or places of study, amongst other places.
• Are minimobility vehicles the future of urban transport?Electric scooters, electric bikes, and electric cars will each play an important role in the transportation reality of the future as regulators seek to eliminate vehicles with internal combustion engines in the coming decades. Micromobility options like bikes and scooters are great for short trips in the neighbourhood, while full-size electric vehicles (EVs) will enable drivers to travel the long-distance highways and thruways to get from one place to another, especially with a growing network of fast chargers, as well as home charging.
• £161m upgrade work on Oxford rail station and railway underwayOxford station and railway is receiving upgrades worth over £161 million in a bid to expand the railway and offer more services for both passengers and freight operations.

News from Europe

• How can acoustic data be collected in networked buildings and cities and used for applications in the areas of energy efficiency, security and transport?Scientists at the Fraunhofer IDMT investigated this question as part of the two-year European research project »EAR-IT«.