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

Thursday, 08 June 2023

BBC News

• Wolverhampton Railway Station evacuated after fire on trainTrain passengers can expect disruption until 18:00 BST, National Rail says.
• Edinburgh tram extension carries first passengersThe line to Newhaven has been under construction since November 2019 and cost £207m to build.
• Plans to scrap new Manchester railway platforms condemnedA former rail boss says new platforms at Manchester Piccadilly are the only way to ease congestion.
• New London Transport Commissioner announcedHe has been given the permanent role following his seven months in the interim position.
• London Underground: Journeys reach 90% of pre-pandemic levelsTrips made on buses, trams, DLR and Overground have also recovered to near their 2019 levels.
• Almost 90% of bike thefts in England go unsolvedLess than 2% of 77,201 cases reported in England last year resulted in someone being charged.
• Heathrow security officers announce summer strikesAbout 2,000 security officers will walk out for 31 days in June, July and August.

Financial Times

• Rail freight takes the load amid problems on Britain’s roads Congestion, driver shortages and environmental concerns cause more companies to switch transport modes
• Thousands of Heathrow airport staff to strike in ‘summer of strife’ Walkout by members of the Unite union will see Terminal 3 security staff join picket lines for first time

The Guardian

• Petrol and diesel engines are dying technology. The electric car age is inevitable | Ben LaneArguments over the green credentials of electric cars are already over. Work on 21st-century tech, and leave the past behindBen Lane is co-founder and CTO at Zapmap, a UK-wide map of electric car charging pointsIt should by now be clear to all vehicle manufacturers and policymakers that the electric vehicle (EV) age is all but inevitable. Most drivers already get it, as shown by the huge order books for most electric models. The long-running fight over whether electric or petrol/diesel engines generate more emissions during their lifecycle, further fuelled by Rowan Atkinson’s recent interventi...

Times Online

• Low-traffic neighbourhoods cut drivers’ mileage [subscription]Low-traffic neighbourhoods have cut the daily distance driven by motorists compared with those outside the zones, a new study has suggested.
• Edinburgh tram extension opens to relief and complaints [subscription]Edinburgh’s long-awaited tram extension has welcomed its first passengers despite complaints from locals in the north of the city that the “traumatic” works are not finished.
• Why low traffic neighbourhoods are a policy disaster. [subscription]hat happens when ideology and wishful thinking trump evidence-based policy? The answer, in case-study form, is low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs).

Mail Online

• Boeing used counterfeit tools on NASA rockets, lawsuit claimsBoeing has been accused in a bombshell lawsuit of making knock-off versions of patented tools for work on NASA rockets, allegedly leading to the leaks that delayed the historic Artemis I mission.

Birmingham Post

• Belgian rail deal extension delights British SteelInfrabel signs four-year agreement covering 40,000 tonnes of Scunthorpe steel
• Nissan Sunderland plant passes 11 million vehicle milestoneThe Wearside motor manufacturer has produced a car every two minute for the last 37 years

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Rail North Committee elects Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe as vice-chairTHE Leader of Bradford Council has been elected to a major role on a transport committee.

Manchester Evening News

• 'Decade lost' after plans for new Piccadilly platforms pulled, Andy Burnham saysThe former government minister who signed off the initial plans questioned why they had been withdrawn nearly a decade later
• 'Unsuspecting motorists' hit with an 'incredible' 27,000 fines during controversial bus gate's first yearThe ‘incredible’ number of Penalty Charge Notices issued by Stockport council has been revealed following a Freedom of Information Request by one of the drivers caught out at the Heaton Lane Bus Gate.
• ‘It does my head in’: The Metrolink passengers paying more for forgetting to tap outNearly half a million passengers were caught out in six months alone

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Go North East plans to replace at-risk Arriva bus routes but fears remain that communities could still be left cut offDeputy Mayor of North Tyneside welcomed the move but said there is still work to be done 'so communities are not cut off from public transport'

Sheffield Star

• Sale of land in Sheffield woods agreed to support railway improvement schemeNetwork Rail has been given permission to take over a small area of Sheffield Council-held woodland near Dore & Totley station as part of rail system improvements between Sheffield and Manchester.

Yorkshire Post

• New TransPennine Express boss says only half the drivers have the training they needThe man who has taken charge of TransPennine Express services said there will be fewer cancellations once a “massive” driver training backlog has been dealt with.

Carlisle News & Star

• ScotRail crackdown on ticket fraudScotRail is cracking down on people who deliberately try to dodge paying the correct fare for their journey. 

Plymouth Herald

• GWR train fare hikes confirmed in Devon and CornwallJourneys throughout Devon and Cornwall be affected, including ones which travel to and from Taunton, Somerset.

Other Regional Press

• Barrhead to Glasgow railway line safety campaign hailed as 'vital'A SAFETY campaign to help educate youngsters about the dangers of the Barrhead to Glasgow railway corridor has been hailed as being “vital”.
• On track for the future: Ipswich-Lowestoft line improvementsMore than a mile of worn-out track that is up to 100-years-old is set to be replaced in two months time.
• Mayor Dr Nik Johnson to take on district transport challengeDr Nik Johnson, mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority will be supporting Better Transport Week by taking on his own Six District Challenge on June 12. 

New Civil Engineer

• New entrance and highway works near completion on Old Street upgradeTransport for London’s £132M Old Street station and junction upgrade is approaching significant milestones as engineers work to complete the major project in early 2024.
• Cost of re-opening abandoned line in Bristol soars by a thirdThe cost of the MetroWest Phase 2 project, which involves the reopening of the Henbury line, has increased by more than £18M, according to a Bristol City Council cabinet report.
• Andy Lord confirmed as Transport for London’s permanent transport commissionerTransport for London (TfL) has today confirmed its interim commissioner Andy Lord will take on the role as permanent transport commissioner.

Rail Advent

• Somerset Council improves access to Taunton’s railway, transport and business hubsSomerset Council has announced that it has improved access to Taunton station's car park, and for buses to collect rail passengers directly from the station.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Key mainline testing undertaken in Bi Modal Hydrogen train projectAn important milestone has been reached in the development of a bi-modal hydrogen electric train project.

Railway Gazette

• Edinburgh tramway extension to Newhaven opensUK: The Newhaven extension of the Edinburgh tramway opened at midday on June 7, adding 4·69 km and eight stops to the line.

Transportxtra

• Network Rail regions reveal extent of expected worsening of performanceNetwork Rail regions have revealed the extent to which they expect Service Affecting Failures (SAF) of assets to increase during Control Period 7, which covers the five years from April 2024.

Other News Sources

• Great Northern can now further support disabled passengers at three stations on the Fen lineA wheelchair user from Stowbridge is urging other disabled people and those who require assistance to enjoy the independence he gains from travelling by train now that Great Northern has launched a new mobile assistance team for Downham Market, Littleport and Watlington stations.
• Dumfries station accessibility improvements unveiledAccess for All project will benefit passengers at Dumfries station. Dumfries residents will get the first chance to see the proposed plans for accessibility improvements within the town’s railway station.
• GBRTT aims to invoke confidence in rail governanceChanges to the rail industry’s Access and Management Regulations (A&MR) will be designed to invoke confidence among funders and other parties in the industry’s decision making and governance, the Great British Railways Transition Team says in its latest information paper.
• Campaign for Better Transport and RIA hold Rail Roundtable for Better Transport WeekCampaign for Better Transport and the Railway Industry Association are hosting a roundtable discussion on the future of rail on Monday 12 June to mark the first day of Better Transport Week.
• Andy Lord confirmed as London’s Transport CommissionerThe Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and the Board of Transport for London (TfL) today announced that Andy Lord has been appointed as London’s permanent Transport Commissioner following a rigorous international search and selection process.