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

Friday, 23 June 2023

BBC News

• Investigation after two dragged along by Tube trainsTwo passengers were dragged along Underground platforms by trains in separate incidents.
• Free public transport: Proposals to raise eligibility age 'cruel and inhumane'Proposed changes to free bus and rail travel are "cruel and inhumane", a public meeting has heard.
• Stockton South MP Matt Vickers raises Arriva bus cuts with transport secretaryA Conservative MP has said he will raise proposed cuts to bus services with the Transport Secretary Mark Harper.
• Cuts to Staffordshire bus routes defended amid criticismNew cuts to bus routes have been defended by a Staffordshire operator amid criticism.

Financial Times

• The shipping rivals plotting divergent courses on global tradeAs Maersk's alliance with MSC comes to an end, the companies are set to pursue strikingly different strategies

The Guardian

• RMT announces three days of rail strikes in July as dispute continuesStrikes on 20, 22 and 29 July planned as train operators have failed to make new pay offer, union saysA fresh round of rail strikes is expected to disrupt national networks during July, after the RMT union announced that 20,000 workers would stage three days of stoppages.The move dashes any hopes of an imminent resolution to a bitter labour dispute that has caused frequent disruption to rail lines across the country throughout 2023.

Daily Record

• Hopes Kilmarnock bus station makeover could be ready by Christmas now in doubtHopes that the final phase of the £4 million refurbishment of Kilmarnock bus station would be completed before Christmas are in question after delays involving steel supplies.

The York Press

• First Bus depot on James Street to go fully electricWork to transform the First Bus depot on James Street into the first outside London to be fully electric gets underway this week.

Wales Online

• New tram-trains being tested on South Wales Metro linesThe South Wales Metro railway lines are currently testing brand-new tram-trains that are set to "revolutionise" public transport. The Citylink tram-trains are 40m long and can carry more than 250 passengers with the ability to run at 100km per hour on rail.

Other Regional Press

• Safer public transport investment milestone reached, but more to comeMore than £1million worth of schemes to drive down crime on public transport across Northumberland and Tyne and Wear have been rolled out through the Safer Transport Northumbria Project since it was launched by Kim McGuinness two years ago.
• TransPennine Express issue Friday travel warning as services cancelled AGAINMore misery on the trains on Friday, June 23.
• Powys bus travel to be made simpler with single ticket systemA new single ticket scheme that aims to simplify bus travel in north Powys and beyond has been introduced.
• North East: £12.2m bus rescue packageA MULTI-MILLION pound rescue package to stave off cuts to North East bus routes has been signed off – but the bailout will come at the expense of big plans for a huge transformation of public transport.
• Winchester bus contract criticised for not prioritising electric busesCIVIC chiefs have come under fire for not prioritising the use of electric buses in its latest park and ride contract.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Wrightbus Electroliner trialled on Isle of ManA Wrightbus StreetDeck Electroliner has visited the Isle of Man as part of a tour to demonstrate its zero-emission capabilities.
• Birmingham Council votes to take back control of busesA motion has been passed by the Birmingham City Council to take back public control of buses.

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• Calling All Stations with Christian Wolmar, Episode 20Podcasting from Cambridge, Christian and co-presenter Mark Walker discuss the effectiveness of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway [00:00], the challenges of introducing a congestion charge for the City [06:18] and the status of the East West Railway project [14:10]. They then consider the lessons of the 2016 fatal crash on Croydon's tram system following the recent acquittal of the driver on criminal charges [16:45]. Finally, Christian asks what kind of public transport improvements might encourage motorists to leave their cars at home [27:43].

New Civil Engineer

• Rail minister blames capacity issues on ’not good enough’ Network RailRail minister Huw Merriman has said that Network Rail’s performance “has not been good enough” and is a large cause of the capacity issues on the UK’s rail network.
• How TfL has spent £7.5M on the indefinitely paused Bakerloo line extensionTransport for London (TfL) has spent over £7.5M on developing the Bakerloo line extension to date, even as the project remains officially mothballed.
• Gatwick Airport expected to submit second runway DCO application within two weeksThe long-awaited Development Consent Order (DCO) application to convert Gatwick Airport’s emergency runway into a second runway is expected to be submitted within the next two weeks.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• CMAC Group acquires Coach Hire ComparisonGround transport supplier CMAC Group has completed a 51% acquisition of quotes search engine Coach Hire Comparison with the goal of increasing expansion.
• Zenobe provides pop-up charging for Glastonbury serviceNational Express has partnered with Zenobe to make use of pop-up charging stations specially set up for its shuttle services to the Glastonbury Festival, which begins today.
• Transdev Blazefield moves to B15 biodiesel blendAll non-zero-emission buses in the Transdev Blazefield fleet have been transferred to a high blend of biodiesel in partnership with supplier Argent Fuel.
• IRU and ITF launch action plan on driver shortagesThe IRU and International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have launched a three-point plan to ease driver shortage issues, including in the coach and bus sectors.
• Peoplesbus fleet and bus services sold to StagecoachStagecoach Merseyside, Cheshire and South Lancashire is to purchase the bus services and 23 vehicles of Merseyside independent operator Peoplesbus.
• Reading Borough Council links up with EPMReading Borough Council (RBC) has appointed EPM Bus Solutions to administer and audit its new multi-operator ticketing scheme.
• Six-strong Switch Solo EV fleet delivered to TranslinkSwitch Mobility has delivered six Solo battery-electric buses to Northern Ireland operator Translink. Four will be used on town services in Coleraine and the other two will provide a visitor shuttle at the Giant’s Causeway.
• Stagecoach makes new appointment via development schemeStagecoach South has appointed Sudib Gurung as Assistant Operations Manager at its Aldershot depot after progressing from a driver role by means of the operator’s Stagecoach Shine development programme.

The Business Desk

• Bus depot goes all electric as part of ’green transport revolution’Work to transform the First Bus depot on James Street, in York, into the first outside London to be fully electric gets underway this week.

Aviation Industry

• Raising visibility of those impacted by aircraft noiseNoise levels at nearly all UK airports significantly exceed WHO-recommended levels today, and the issue is not confined to the congested airspace over London and the South East. Each year, … The post Raising visibility of those impacted by aircraft noise appeared first on Aviation Environment Federation.
• Alarm bells should be ringing over light aircraft noise pollutionIn 1910, the Nobel Prize winner Robert Koch predicted that “one day man will have to fight noise as fiercely as cholera and pest”. That day has long since arrived, … The post Alarm bells should be ringing over light aircraft noise pollution appeared first on Aviation Environment Federation.

Other News Sources

• News: £3.6m Rotherham transport scheme progressesAt Wellgate and Broom Road a £3.6m scheme sees Rotherham Council introducing 1.4km of dedicated cycle tracks on Wellgate between Hollowgate and Boswell Street, along with three new signalised junctions, one new road crossing, two improved road crossings and associated connecting works.
• Consultation launched to decarbonise future of UK transportAn ambitious new project to decarbonise the UK’s transport infrastructure is beginning a consultation to help the nation achieve its net-zero commitments.
• New direct bus service between Bristol and AmsterdamA new bus service that links Bristol with five major European cities is launching in time for summer.
• Free bus travel scheme for young people leaving care officially launchesYoung people leaving care are now able to travel for free on Cornwall’s buses to give them better access to work, training or study and getting to appointments, as well help improve mental health and reduce isolation.

News from Europe

• EU invests €6.2 billion in sustainable, safe and efficient transport infrastructureThe Commission has selected 107 transport infrastructure projects to receive over €6 billion in EU grants from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the EU's instrument for strategic investment in transport infrastructure. Over 80% of the funding will support projects that deliver a more efficient, greener, and smarter network of railways, inland waterways and maritime routes along the trans-European transport (TEN-T) network. Projects will in addition bolster the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes, set up to facilitate Ukraine's exports and imports.