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

Tuesday, 27 June 2023

BBC News

• Ceredigion Coastal Path walkers want better public transportIt is 15 years since an official seaside walking route opened through one of Wales' most picturesque areas.
• East West Rail: Residents in Great Eversden raise concernsResidents living near the proposed route of East West Rail have raised concerns about the £5bn railway line.
• Leeds rail commuters asked for food bank donationsCommuters will be able to donate to a food bank when they travel through Leeds Station later
• Birmingham car dominance blamed for road death 'complacency'Campaigner Mat MacDonald says road deaths are being treated as a normal part of urban life.
• Follow EU regulation to keep costs low, says Ford bossBritain's car industry should keep

Financial Times

• Rail operators draw up plans to close most ticket offices in England Move to redeploy staff, long advocated by train companies, set to exacerbate protracted industrial dispute

The Guardian

• Plans to close most UK railway ticket offices to kick off in weeksMinisters want rail firms to push ahead with plans that RMT union has pledged to opposeA process to shut nearly all of Britain's railway station ticket offices could begin as early as next week, the RMT union has warned. Almost 1,000 offices are believed to be targeted for closure under government proposals to cut costs and modernise the railway, although ministers have for months shied away from spelling out the extent of the plans, in the face of concern from their own MPs as well as unions and passenger groups.
• Shipping emissions could be halved without damaging trade, research findsFindings come as nations gather in London to discuss new carbon levy. Greenhouse gas emissions from shipping could be halved by 2030 without damaging trade, new research has found, as countries prepare to meet to discuss a potential new tax on carbon produced by ships.Emissions from maritime transportation amount to about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and there are few alternatives to the cheap, heavy and dirty diesel oil used by ships.

The Telegraph

• Train strikes 2023: Dates of walkout and the services affectedRMT union has announced three days of walkouts, hitting two Ashes Tests and The Open

Times Online

• E-scooters fitted with artificial noise to cut crashes. [subscription]Trial will work with pedestrians, including blind people, to identify best sound

Sky News

• Rail strikes: Three days of walkouts planned for July - how will train services be affected?The RMT union has called for three more days of walkouts. Around 20,000 members working across 14 train companies are set to take industrial action as they continue their fight over pay, jobs and conditions - here's what you need to know.

Birmingham Mail

• National Express bus passengers in the dark about new fares just days before they come inBus company says it's reviewing whether to continue with national £2 single fare cap or hike it to £2.70

Birmingham Post

• LNER managing director on what next for direct London route for Cleethorpes as he joins test runAzuma completes test run through key stations of Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby as route extension to Cleethorpes considered

Northern Echo

• Stagecoach bus services in east Cleveland wait for clearanceTwo new bus services due to take to the road have been further delayed causing more frustration for residents.

Sheffield Star

• People power restores bus service in HeeleyMore than 15% of bus services have been cut in the last year alone across South Yorkshire, but there was some welcome news for residents in Gleadless Valley and Batemoor, Jordanthorpe and Lowedges.

Other Regional Press

• I met with the Rail Minister to discuss investment in trains in DevonAs your MP, I will continue to push for investment in local roads, railways, broadband, jobs and skills training.
• Railway bridge is ’only realistic solution’ to Thatcham delays says Newbury MP Laura FarrisNewbury MP Laura Farris has said that a bridge at Thatcham’s level crossing is the only realistic solution to the town’s traffic problems.
• Rail trespassing above pre-Covid levelsTrespassing on Britain’s railways remains above pre-pandemic levels, figures show.

New Civil Engineer

• Newbury and District Bus Company branded “UK’s meanest” as drivers take action after four years of pay freezesNewbury and District Bus Company has been branded the “UK’s meanest' bus operator after a group of drivers were forced to announce strike action after not receiving a pay rise for four years.
• Programme delivery lessons can be learned following opening of Edinburgh’s tram extensionThis month the first paying passengers were welcomed on the new extension to the Edinburgh tram line – stretching 4.6km from York Place in the city centre, to Newhaven on the banks of the Forth. The impact of the tram goes far beyond just the new track though. The extension is utterly transformative for the city and its users, both local and from further afield. It reconnects the city centre to its historic port, unlocks vibrant communities along the line and offers a model of affordable, sustainable and reliable public transport.
• Somerset bypass plans could be paused as cost balloons by a thirdThe cost of an Alun Griffiths road-building project has soared by more than a third since 2019, it has emerged, in the latest example of inflation hitting infrastructure construction.
• Summit planned to push £500M bottleneck upgrade for Cambridgeshire’s railwaysA £500M plan to remedy a railway line bottleneck in Cambridgeshire will be discussed in a summit organised by Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority.

Rail Business Daily

• HS2 trials automotive design technology to drive down embedded carbon by 10 per centIn a first for the construction industry, technology originally developed to design and optimise automotive and aerospace structures, is being deployed to engineer some of the largest and most impressive structures on Britain’s new high speed rail network, High Speed 2 (HS2).
• HS2 and Hornby team up to celebrate 10 million tonne rail freight milestoneThe ’Green Progressor’ locomotive has been immortalised in miniature form for the first time, marking a key milestone in the HS2 project.

The Business Desk

• Latest phase completes on major railway upgrade worksThe Transpennine Route Upgrade has completed its latest stage of work at Morley.

RMT

• RMT statement on the future of ticket officesGeneral Secretary Mick Lynch said: "There are rumours circulating online that the DfT plans to announce mass ticket office closures next week.

Aviation Industry

• See why these 5 executives believe airports are the key to aviation decarbonisationWith thousands of employees and passengers using them every day, airports can be considered small cities of their own. Almost all of the stakeholders in the aviation ecosystem have facilities at or near airports and conduct business there every day. This includes airlines; aircraft manufacturers; fuel producers and providers; and, ground-handling service providers.

Other News Sources

• Sutton Council approves funding for railway upgrade, Doubling trains between Sutton and Belmont by 2026An ambition to double the number of trains on the railway between Sutton and Belmont stations in south London is progressing after Sutton Council allocated funding to Network Rail to design the upgrade.
• Further progress with East Coast Digital ProgrammeBillion-pound plans to improve rail travel to and from London have progressed further with critical work taking place over the weekend to prepare for a digital future.
• Hull Trains recognised for safety improvementsAs the railway industry celebrates Rail Safety Week (26 June – 2 July), Hull Trains is being heralded as a shining example after being shortlisted at this year’s National Rail Awards for its safety achievements.
• Alstom’s TGV M tested on the French rail networkDuring the night of 21 to 22 June 2023, dynamic tests began in France with the TGV M, the fifth-generation TGV built by Alstom. The high-speed train is due to enter commercial service with SNCF in 2025.
• Rail freight has a real future in North WalesThe North Wales Transport Commission has published an interim report highlighting the crucial role of rail freight to achieve a sustainable and integrated transport system in North Wales. Lord Terry Burns, Chair of the Commission and a former UK government Chief Economic Advisor said the panel took a multimodal approach. With recent traffic developments in Wales, the momentum is swinging towards the rail freight sector.
• Unite secures victory in campaign to save Welsh bus routesUnite the union has welcomed the announcement by Welsh Government that it is to provide £46m of funding to ensure vulnerable bus routes continue. Unite had previously warned that the withdrawal of BES (Bus Emergency Scheme) would result in the cancellation of between 35% - 45% of Welsh bus routes and hundreds of job losses across the sector.