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

Thursday, 20 July 2023

BBC News

• Transport for Wales to shake up train timetablesTimetables of all trains run by Transport by Wales are to be examined after "massive" changes to travel patterns in the aftermath of Covid.
• Warrington: MP questions private ownership of canal bridgesPeople living in Warrington have been "left at the mercy" of a private company which owns three swing bridges in the town, an MP has said.
• Elon Musk: Tesla may cut prices again in 'turbulent times'The company reported that its profit margins have been squeezed as it faces tough competition.
• Rail ticket office closure plan gets 100,000 repliesRMT members at 14 train companies will walk out on Thursday, while train drivers in the Aslef union continue an overtime ban.

Financial Times

• Tesla profit margins slip as price cuts weigh on earningsChief executive Elon Musk says electric-car maker could reduce prices further this year

The Guardian

• Rail travellers in Great Britain begin another strike-disrupted dayThursday stoppage is first of three over 10 days by RMT union and will hit start of peak summer getawayRail passengers around Great Britain are facing another day of disruption as train staff in the RMT union begin a 24-hour strike.The strike on Thursday is the first of three in 10 days by RMT members, with two further stoppages on 22 and 29 July, and is taking place during a week-long overtime ban by train drivers in the Aslef union.

The Herald

• Shetland tunnel push by Unst, Yell to tackle ferriesPeople on the islands have launched a bid to replace ferries with tunnels

The Independent

• Row between rail unions as RMT accused of ruining dealExclusive: TSSA chief questions strategic thinking of sister union continuing walk-outs

Times Online

• Trains to holiday spots in Europe cost four times as much as flying. [subscription]Britons trying to reach their European holiday destination in an environmentally friendly way face paying about four times as much to travel by train as they would by aeroplane.

Mail Online

• Why your electric car is nowhere near as green as you think: the hidden eco-pitfalls of the NetZero cause's pin-upAn electric car is only as clean as the electricity used to charge it. In 2022 - the latest year for which official figures are available - Britain still derived 40.3 per cent of its electricity from fossil fuels.

The Mirror

• EXCLUSIVE: 'Shameless' rail firms shutting tickets offices gave £160million to shareholdersShadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh demanded ministers claw back some of the dividend cash after £16billion was handed to rail firms in subsidies during the pandemic

Sky News

• Commuters braced for disruption as rail workers stage Thursday walkoutMore than 20,000 rail workers will strike on Thursday in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions - with passengers warned they may experience severe disruption to services.

Birmingham Post

• North East automotive supply chain welcomes JLR gigafactory announcementPaul Butler, who leads industry group the North East Automotive Alliance, says he is sure of resulting opportunities for North East firms

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Multi million pound work to Keighley station to begin in SeptemberWORK to repair and refurbish Keighley’s historic rail station will begin in September, and last until the end of 2024.

Bristol Live

• Asda's fuel margin targets were three times the 2019 level by 2023, MPs toldMPs were also told that the supermarket reduced prices at the pump more slowly than the drop in wholesale fuel costs
• E-scooter safety training will be compulsory under new Bristol operatorTier will run the e-scooter trial in the Bristol region under the brand WESTscoot which will see green scooters replace the current coral coloured scooters

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Third Menai crossing is a 'golden opportunity' to reverse Anglesey's decline and loss of residentsAnglesey Council's leader said that a planned extra crossing was "critical to the Island’s resilience and future economic growth"

Nation. Cymru

• MP says Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury rail service is ’no better than a cattle truck’Plaid Cymru MP for Ceredigion, Ben Lake, has slammed the Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury rail service as “no better than a cattle truck” during a questioning session with the Transport for Wales (TfW) chief executive, James Price.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Metro boss vows new train will be running by end of year - but 'hiccups' expectedA few of the Metro’s £362m new fleet are now in the North East, but it will still be some months yet before passengers can finally set foot on one
• Metro boss vows new train will be running by end of year - but 'hiccups' expectedA few of the Metro’s £362m new fleet are now in the North East, but it will still be some months yet before passengers can finally set foot on one
• New £13m Shields Ferry bid launched with 'urgent' need to build new landing by 2025 deadlineTransport officials are hoping it is third time lucky in their latest efforts to secure much-needed funding to safeguard the future of the Shields Ferry

The York Press

• 'Rail is the best way to travel - but not if ticket offices close''Rail is the best way to travel - but not if ticket offices close'

Wales Online

• The new train stations and tram line in Swansea that transport experts are building a case for There would be easy rail access finally for large parts of Swansea's northern suburbs, but it's still early days
• The man responsible for trains in Wales admits their biggest mistakeHe said there had been a 'whole host of issues' with the new fleet of trains

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• HS2 successfully carries out UK’s heaviest drive to install bridge structure beneath West Coast Main Line near LichfieldHS2 has successfully carried out the UK’s heaviest drive to install an intersection bridge structure beneath the West Coast Main Line at Fulfen Wood near Lichfield.

Yorkshire Post

• HS2: Chance to connect Leeds and Sheffield with high-speed rail ’must not be missed’Council leaders in Leeds and Sheffield are concerned the Government may miss a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to build a high-speed rail line between the two cities.

Other Regional Press

• Bicester: Cyclists slam plans for Banbury Road RoundaboutBicester Bike Users’ Group has urged Oxfordshire County Council to halt its plans to convert Banbury Road Roundabout into a crossroad.
• Kirklees taxi policy slammed as 'racist' and 'draconian' is now in forceThe council's Fitness and Suitability policy left taxi drivers fearing for their livelihoods
• Improved bus services for Allesley Green residents approved by city councillorsDates on the exact bus route change will be unveiled soon by Transport for West Midlands

Train Operators

• Chiltern Railways unveil ambitious ’Right Route’ 2030 vision to renew fleetTrain operator Chiltern Railways has unveiled its ’Right Route’ to 2030 vision with stakeholders and parliamentarians in Westminster. This ambitious proposal sets out how Chiltern intends to deliver easier, greener, and better rail services through investment in new trains over the next decade.

C.N.N.

• Tesla profits climb despite price cutsTesla reported a much bigger than expected increase in profits, despite a series of price cuts that trimmed the amount of revenue per vehicle sold.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• CILT gives evidence at Transport Select Committee on rail and road infrastructure planning policyCILT (UK) appeared before Parliament’s Transport Select Committee today to give evidence on major rail and road infrastructure planning policy and be questioned on whether industry feels the National Networks National Policy Statement (NNNPS) will help meet the needs of travellers and business, and whether it will meet future transport demand while aligning with wider priorities like net zero.  Julian Worth FCILT, Chair, CILT(UK) Rail Freight Policy Group said: “There’s a lot of good within the NNNPS, and the section on strategic rail freight interchanges is excel...

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 reveals plans and delivery targets for coming yearsHS2 Ltd has released its HS2 Corporate Plan 2022 to 2026, providing an overview of its goals for High Speed 2 (HS2) beyond the mid-decade mark.

Rail Business Daily

• Chiltern Railways unveil ambitious ’Right Route’ 2030 vision to renew fleetTrain operator Chiltern Railways has unveiled its ’Right Route’ to 2030 vision with stakeholders and parliamentarians in Westminster. This ambitious proposal sets out how Chiltern intends to deliver easier, greener, and better rail services through investment in new trains over the next decade.

Rail Magazine

• First Stadler Class 93 arrives in UK from SpainThe first of the new Class 93 tri-mode locomotives (93001) arrived from Spain at Portbury docks in Bristol on June 27.

Railway Gazette

• ’Fully staffed’ TransPennine Express ’needs to become simpler’Recently appointed interim Managing Director of state-owned operator TransPennine Express, Chris Jackson tells Rail Business UK about his plans to revive the fortunes of the struggling operator.

The Business Desk

• Rail specialist on right track with Transport for Wales contractSheffield-based rail depot equipment expert Mechan has secured a major contract with the public transport arm of the Welsh government.

Other News Sources

• Disabled people launch legal challenge to consultation over planned closure of rail ticket officesTwo disabled rail users have launched a legal challenge to the rail industry’s consultation on planned closure of hundreds of rail ticket offices across England over the next three years.
• All Island Rail Review to recommend reintroduction of railway lines to Co TyroneA recommendation to reintroduce railway lines to Co Tyrone is expected to be included as part of a long awaited cross-border rail review document.
• Combined authority mayors and rail users threaten legal action over proposals for train ticket office closuresRail operators are facing two separate judicial reviews – one from a group of mayors and the other from two disabled train users – over a public consultation on the proposed closure of train station ticket offices across the country.
• £500m train fleet arrives on Merseyrail Wirral lineTrain operator Merseyrail introduces trains from the new £500m Class 777 fleet onto Wirral for the first time to coincide with the start of the Open Golf Championship. Tony McDonough reports
• Plans for battery operated trains between Aylesbury and LondonTrain operator Chiltern Railways has unveiled its 'Right Route' to 2030 vision with stakeholders and parliamentarians in Westminster.
• Plan by SNCB and SNCF for new Paris-Brussels link raises eyebrowsSNCB and SNCF Voyageurs are studying the possibility of jointly setting up a new regular passenger service using conventional trains between Brussels and Paris by the end of 2024. Their aim is to offer passengers a new service to complement existing high-speed links. Ironically, this very same service was terminated in 1996.
• Rolling Stock Maintenance Market 2023: Growth Opportunities, Future Insights, Regional Segments, The 2023 "Rolling Stock Maintenance Market" report for 2023 presents a detailed analysis encompassing business growth opportunities, challenges, and emerging trends across different regions. With comprehensive information on technological advancements, SWOT and PESTLE analysis, and market size insights, it equips businesses with valuable knowledge to shape their strategies.
• Global rolling stock sales exceed pre-pandemic levels in 2022Further players among the top 10 passenger vehicle manufacturers are TMH, CAF, Hyundai Rotem, ICF and Kawasaki Rolling Stock
• Maersk's Methanol-fueld Feeder Ship Represents a 'Paradigm Shift', ABS' Wiernicki SaysA.P. Moller - Maersk's first-of-its-kind methanol dual-fuel containership represents a paradigm shift for the maritime industry as it continues its efforts to decarbonize, ABS chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki said.The 2,100 TEU feeder vessel…
• Station Approach: Winchester Cabinet triggers next phase of plansCivic chiefs have agreed to trigger the next phase of a major development around Winchester Railway Station, despite a member of the public calling for it to be halted.
• Huge boost to UK car industry as Jaguar Land Rover plans flagship gigafactoryIndia's Tata Group has chosen the UK as the location for its flagship battery plant to supply Jaguar Land Rover.