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

Monday, 24 July 2023

BBC News

• Extra staff taken on by Walsall firm to meet HS2 demandThe impact of the high-speed rail project is positive for some West Midlands firms, but not all.
• Bakerloo Line partially closes until mid-AugustThe northern section of the Bakerloo Line closes for repairs, Transport for London says.
• Wandsworth Bridge closes for 10 weeks of repairsTransport for London says it will stay open for pedestrians, while cyclists can cross if they dismount.

Financial Times

• Cait Hewitt: ‘I hope the era of aviation exceptionalism is over’The campaigner challenges the economic case for airport expansion in the UK and the industry’s sustainability ‘hype’

The Guardian

• Travel operators urged to refund UK holidaymakers who call off trips to Rhodes‘Unconscionable’ to penalise travellers, says Which?, as firms cancel holidays to wildfire hit Greek islandTravel firms and airlines are being urged to reimburse passengers who decide against flying to Rhodes as the Greek island is ravaged by wildfires, with a leading consumer group arguing it would be “unconscionable” to withhold refunds.Which? travel editor Rory Boland called on carriers to be “flexible” if customers decide for themselves that they do not want to fly to Rhodes, at a time when there have been emergency evacuations of more than 19,000 people on the island. Continue reading...

Times Online

• British Airways owner backs green fuel projects. [subscription]The owner of British Airways is taking equity positions in green fuel supply companies to ensure it meets its targets to fly aircraft on lower-emission, sustainable aviation fuel.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford has long debated lack of a through railway line“BRADFORD’S railway circumstances are singularly unfortunate because of a series of historical quirks.

Bristol Live

• Easyjet criticised for continuing to fly people to Rhodes even as people flee for their livesMany thousands of tourists have been evacuated and faced traumatic journeys through flames and smoke as fires burn out of control

Other Regional Press

• UK roads: Green man at crossings to be lit for longerThe green man at UK crossings is set to be lit for
• Councillors push for greater say in school transport appealsCouncillors could once again be able to decide appeals on school transport issues.
• West Dorset MP slams ’morally bankrupt' ticket office plansSouth Western Railway’s (SWR) plans to reduce staff at Dorchester South train station have been called ’morally bankrupt’ by West Dorset MP, Chris Loder.

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• Calling All Stations with Christian Wolmar, Episode 23SEASON ONE FINALE! Christian examines in detail the advantages, challenges and myths around Low Traffic Neighbourhoods with Green member of Oxford City Council, Emily Kerr [2:53]; innovative passenger boarding technology at Eurostar is then explained by the company's Gwendoline Cazenave and Gareth Williams with Andrew Budd from iProov [24:50]; and no season finale would be complete without a cliffhanger ending [44:00]. Christian Wolmar and Mark Walker will be back for Season 2 in September.

New Civil Engineer

• Five weeks of north west London line closures start for Bakerloo and Overground upgradesA 32km section of railway in north west London on both the Bakerloo line and London Overground will undergo a five-week maintenance programme beginning this weekend.
• Delivery of HS2 ’appears unachievable’ while East West Rail fortunes improve in IPA reviewThe Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) has said that delivery of High Speed 2 (HS2) Phases One and 2a appears unachievable, while East West Rail’s (EWR’s) outlook has improved.

Other News Sources

• Amsterdam Moves to Ban Cruise ShipsAmsterdam took a first step toward banning large cruise liners under broader plans to reduce mass tourism and pollution, officials said on Friday.Once implemented, the measures adopted by the city council would bring the Dutch capital into line with other high-profile European cities…
• Lack of buses is putting people in danger in HerefordshireWHEN, oh, when, are we ever going to get the 461 Hereford/ Kington evening bus service restored?
• 'Railway firms should allow people to buy tickets on the train'As a long-term railway enthusiast, I was interested to read the front page headline in the Romsey Advertiser, which stated that the ticket office was to close at Romsey railway station.
• Transport expert says closing off east Bristol roads ’just scratching the surface’A local transport expert has said that plans for a new liveable neighbourhood in east Bristol are “just scratching the surface” of changes needed.
• VanMoof E-Bike Bankruptcy: The Risks Of Cloud-Connected TransportWhen the bankruptcy of VanMoof, the company behind a series of e-bikes, was announced recently, many probably shrugged at this news. After all, what is an e-bike but a regular bicycle that has some electronics and a battery strapped to it to assist with cycling?
• Kemptown MP supports Brighton e-scooter hire projectAnyone standing in the way of an e-scooter scheme in the city is a luddite.