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

Friday, 05 May 2023

BBC News

• TfL seeking to ban more climate activists from blocking roadsActivists from Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil have been targeted by TfL in the High Court.

Financial Times

• RMT votes to extend strike action in dispute with UK train operators With passengers facing potential disruption for much of rest of year, war of words breaks out between two sides
• Addison Lee operating profits lifted by post-lockdown demandChief says taxi group has ‘ridden out the storm’ caused by Uber and other ride-hailing apps

The Guardian

• RMT votes overwhelmingly for further train strikesNine out of 10 votes cast across 14 train operating companies in favour of holding more industrial action over next six monthsTrain passengers face further disruption this summer after members of the RMT rail union voted overwhelmingly for further strike action.A ballot of members working across 14 train operating companies “massively reaffirmed a mandate for further strike action”, the union said on Thursday, with 90% of votes cast in favour of holding more strikes over the next six months. Continue reading...

The Telegraph

• King and Queen to tell train passengers to ’mind the gap’ on special Coronation recordings. [subscription]Messages will include the King saying: ’My wife and I wish you and your families a wonderful Coronation Weekend’

Times Online

• Energy cost and chargepoint anxiety dampen electric vehicle demand. [subscription]Fresh concerns have been raised about efforts to boost sales of electric cars after an industry trade body downgraded its forecast for demand.

Bolton News

• Wigan and Bolton railway line to be closed for electrification worksRail passengers are in for a cancelled trains this weekend as the railway between Wigan and Bolton is set to be closed from Saturday.

Bristol Live

• Popular Bristol Harbourside walking and cycling route to be reopened to carsThere are concerns about "unnecessary danger to pedestrians and cyclists"

Liverpool Echo

• Rylan and Graham Norton take over Merseyrail for Eurovision 2023They urge passengers not to be a "diva" and to ask for "a little help" from staff

Manchester Evening News

• National Express say there's been a huge surge in people travelling from Manchester to London by bus - as train union announce another strikeThere has been a huge surge in passengers catching coaches from Manchester to London following the last few months of train chaos.

Yorkshire Post

• Doncaster Sheffield Airport: New update issued by council over planning protection, lease with Peel and Civil Aviation Authority airspace agreementDoncaster Council has released a further update on its attempts to re-open Doncaster Sheffield Airport and operate it themselves on a lease from site owners Peel.

Carlisle News & Star

• Northern 'boosting local businesses' with InPost partnershipA train operator working in Cumbria said it’s fixing congestion and boosting local businesses with a European business partnership.

Other Regional Press

• Shadow minister Tan Deshi MP reiterates plans to nationalise railways...The Slough MP also promised that the Labour would provide nation “the services people deserve”.
• Chiltern Railway trains expected to be 'extremely busy' for CoronationChiltern Railways has warned its customers, that despite an enhanced timetable, train services are likely to be extremely busy for the Coronation.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Operators clash over Aberdeen bus stationA dispute has reared between Stagecoach and Flixbus over usage of Aberdeen bus station. Flixbus has claimed that Stagecoach, without warning, announced that the intercity coach operator cannot be given any further slots to pick up and drop off passengers as part of its expansion plans.
• Sunsundegui to build flagship Volvo coachesVolvo Buses has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with coach and bus bodybuilder Sunsundegui, with the intention to produce bodies under license for the Volvo 9700 and Volvo 9900. Production is expected to start in 2024, with the first models on the market in 2025.

Coach and Bus Week

• Sir Brian aims to inspire with AstromegaStagecoach co-founder Sir Brian Souter says he hopes his new partnership with a Glasgow museum will inspire young visitors to one day join the bus industry.
• Number of EVs grows but UK coach and bus fleet shrinks to lowest ever levelMore Britons are getting back into the driving seat following the pandemic, according to new annual Motorparc data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which shows a rise in the number of cars in use on UK roads last year. The figures show an increase of 124,393 vehicles to a total of 35,148,045, matching 2019 levels.

New Civil Engineer

• Portland Port upgrade completed on schedule despite tight deadlinePortland Port in Dorset will be able to welcome the first 350m long cruise ship at its new 250m deep water berth (DWB) this month, as managing contractor Knights Brown has met the demanding completion deadline.
• Two East Midlands rail tunnels to close for 16 days for upgrade workNetwork Rail has announced plans to carry out major work on the Midland Main Line at the end of the month, closing two tunnels for 16 days and impacting on services on the Derwent Valley line.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Councils back England long-term bus revenue fundingA cross-party group representing 47 urban local authorities in England has joined the call for a long-term revenue funding settlement for bus services outside London.
• FlixBus and Stagecoach clash over bus station slotsAn extraordinary row has broken out between FlixBus and Stagecoach, with the newcomer threatening a complaint to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) against the UK’s largest bus operator over the allocation of stand space in Aberdeen bus station.
• National Express West Midlands completes mobile ticket roll-outNational Express West Midlands (NXWM) has launched what is claimed to be the UK’s biggest on-bus ticket-scanning system, having made the technology available on its fleet of 1600 buses across the region.
• Alex Hornby named McGill’s Group Managing DirectorAlex Hornby has been appointed Group Managing Director by McGill’s Group. He moves from Transdev Blazefield, having spent eight years there as CEO, and will report to the McGill’s Group board including Chief Executive Ralph Roberts and owners James and Sandy Easdale.
• Stagecoach Manchester reveals Coronation themed busStagecoach Manchester is a further of the group’s operating companies to unveil a bus that marks the Coronation of HM King Charles III. An Alexander Dennis Enviro has gained a red, white and blue livery and it will be used on multiple routes to maximise exposure, the business says.