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

Wednesday, 02 August 2023

BBC News

• Children's South Yorkshire bus fare increases 'to save services'Bus fares for children and young people in South Yorkshire are to increase. Children's tickets will rise from 80p to £1 and a cheaper fares scheme for 18 to 21-year-olds will be scrapped
• Piccadilly line's new London Tube trains tested in GermanyThe new model is set to replace the line's current 48-year-old Tube trains in 2025.
• Uber aims to be wider travel app as it turns first profitThe company has expanded its UK app to include planes, as it reports its first-ever operating profit.
• Woodhead line: Museum to celebrate Manchester-Sheffield rail linkPlans have been submitted for a museum celebrating a railway line which once linked Manchester and Sheffield.

ITV News

• South Wales Metro: What is it, how much will it cost and when will it open?The new trams that will be used by passengers in the south Wales valleys and Cardiff next year have been officially unveiled as part of a multi-million pound project to transform the rail network.
• SEND children told to find their own way to school as Birmingham City Council axes transportThe parents of children with special educational needs say they're being forced to choose between their jobs and their children's education after their school transport was taken away.

Financial Times

• Wizz Air faces pushback on plan to give chief extra time to hit £100mn bonusProxy advisers ISS and Pirc oppose AGM resolution to grant József Váradi two more years to win one-off award
• Uber makes first operating profit after racking up $31.5bn of lossesRide-hailing company reaches long-awaited landmark after years of heavy spending
• Air traffic controllers shortage dents airlines’ post-lockdown recovery Delays and reduced schedules highlight structural problems that will not be easy to fix

The Guardian

• Eurostar's Gwendoline Cazenave: Seamless border crossing isn't science fictionIt’s quite amazing,” declares Eurostar’s Gwendoline Cazenave, fresh from St Pancras International station in London, where the cross-Channel rail operator has just launched its facial recognition check-in for business travellers. “You don’t need a ticket any more, you don’t need a passport to exit the UK.”

The Mirror

• 
Rail station ticket office closures 'would discriminate against the elderly’The National Pensioners' Convention fears the bid to shut hundreds of station counters will thwart OAPs' attempts to travel by train

The National

• Scottish Government told 'use mines and Glasgow Subway for heating’SCOTLAND’S disused mines and its only metro system should be used to heat the country’s homes, according to a new report.

Labour Party

• ’Mayor Dan Norris: I’m making bus travel free for the month of your birthday’As Labour’s Metro Mayor in the West of England, there are two key things in my thoughts. The first is the worrying cost-of-living crisis. Sky-high bills. Parents and carers going without to feed children. Soaring mortgage and rental costs scything down hope and aspiration

Network Rail

• Work to build Leicestershire temporary footbridge begins as current bridge is transformedConstruction of a temporary bridge in Kibworth has begun whilst essential work to adapt the existing bridge takes place, paving the way for a fully electrified railway between Kettering and Wigston. 

Birmingham Mail

• E-scooters are back in Birmingham - how much they cost to use and where to find themTransport for West Midlands (TfWM) had been under pressure to confirm safety measures ahead of the new Beryl e-scooters which will replace the Voi brand
• How to see if there are queues at Birmingham Airport before you flyThere's a way you can check how long the queues are at Birmingham Airport before you even set off

London Evening Standard

• Plans for major upgrade at Stratford Station revealedThe work follows increasing concerns about the future capacity of the east London station and overcrowding

The York Press

• Cycle lane to take place of bus lane near Knavesmire in YorkMotorists and buses will soon share more of the Tadcaster Road in York as newer parts of a £1.4 million travel improvement scheme begin to take shape.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Wolverhampton MP puts support behind road safety Remain and Report Campaign A Wolverhampton MP has thrown her support behind a campaign to make drivers accountable for their actions.

Leeds Live

• Plan to bulldoze three historic bridges to install electric train linePlans have been submitted for the demolition of three historic bridges along the Leeds-Selby rail line as part of the electrification of the line.

Oxford Mail

• Bus operator serving Oxfordshire schools announces closureOxfordshire County Council has said it is "working hard" to find alternate transport for any school routes affected after bus operator Heyfordian Travel announced it it is closing after 76 years.

Other Regional Press

• Council Lodges Objection Against Train Station Ticket Office ClosuresReading Borough Council have hit back at the government’s proposal to close ticket offices at railway stations across Berkshire.
• Disabled people and local politicians join forces to oppose closure of Southwark’s train station ticket officesDisability campaigners and local politicians have urged rail companies to reconsider plans to close ticket offices at ten of Southwark’s national rail stations.
• Ayrshire MSP blasts Avanti West Coast for ticket office planA West of Scotland MSP has warned Ayrshire rail travellers will be hit by a move from Avanti West Coast to close its ticket office at Glasgow Central Station.
• Peterhead Transport Interchange reopens after improvement worksBus services have resumed at Peterhead’s transport interchange following the completion of a series of improvements to the facility.
• Preston station roof repairs needed after cast iron features fall onto platforms and trackA major refurbishment of the roof of Preston railway station is planned after decorative cast iron adornments plunged onto the platforms and track below.
• Newmarket: Planning inspector upholds decision to keep Weatherby railway foot crossing openOpponents of Network Rail’s plans to close Newmarket’s much-used Weatherby railway foot crossing are celebrating after a planning inspector upheld his previous decision that it should remain open.

New Civil Engineer

• £9M Historical Railways Estate upkeep scheme delivered by contractors including Balfour Beatty and AmcoGiffenA consortium of contractors responsible for the repair and maintenance of the Historical Railways Estate (HRE) has “risen” to the challenge, according to National Highways.
• Four major contractors selected for £360M Yorkshire highways and transportation frameworkContractors Balfour Beatty, Bam Nuttall, Farrans and John Sisk have been chosen for a £360M major works contractor framework covering highways and transportation projects in Yorkshire.
• DfT mulls stripping HS2’s Euston terminus to seven platformsHS2’s new terminus at Euston could be stripped back to a seven-platform station yet still face a £1bn over-spend.

Rail UK

• TfGM and Network Rail announce partnership for city-wide transport and regeneration strategyNetwork Rail and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) have today announced a new partnership to deliver a joint vision for Manchester and Salford’s central railway stations.

Railway Technology

• Hyundai Rotem reveals hydrogen tram in South KoreaThe rolling stock manufacturer has worked on the next-generation tram technology as part of a project backed by the South Korean Government.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Newport Transport takes first coaches for FlixBus workNewport Transport has taken delivery of the first of its new coaches to be used as part of its partnership with FlixBus from 7 August.

Transportxtra

• Jordan takes director’s role at Trenitalia c2cRail operator Trenitalia c2c has appointed Eleni Jordan as commercial director, joining from Chiltern Railways where she was commercial and customer strategy director for six years. Jordan, who has nearly 30 years’ experience across commercial and customer-focused roles, is set to start in the new role in September.

Aviation Industry

• LAX restarts soundproofing program, opens showroom for residents to see optionsLOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles International Airport is restarting a soundproofing program for local residents after placing it on pause for several years.
• Heathrow Airport sees 37 million passengers in first half of 2023London Heathrow Airport has seen a robust beginning to 2023, with an impressive influx of 37 million passengers in the first half of the year. This surge in passenger numbers was accompanied by some of the busiest days ever recorded.

Other News Sources

• The Elizabeth Line is now one of London’s busiest tube linesWhen the Elizabeth Line opened back in May 2022, it brought London commuters some much-needed relief. Not only is it air-conditioned: it’s fast and clean, too. And now, one year on, we can confidently say that the Lizzy Line is one of London’s busiest tube lines.
• 'Monstrous' £35m rail station dubbed 'mugger's paradise' and 'dangerous white elephant'A brand new railway station that opened this week after costing more than £35m to build has been dubbed a "mugger's paradise" and a "huge waste of money".
• HS2 Cheshire phase 'feasible' but with 'significant issues'THE future of HS2 has been called into question by the government’s official infrastructure watchdog.
• Tech is breaking accessibility barriers in transport — here’s howAccording to WHO, people with disabilities represent 16% of the world population. They also find transportation 15 times more challenging than non-disabled individuals. But for mobility to truly be sustainable, it has to go beyond reducing emissions; it has to be inclusive and cater for every member of society.
• Transport minister visits Nottingham’s public transport systemRoad and Local Transport Minister Richard Holden visited Nottingham yesterday (Monday 31 July). Representatives from the Department for Transport joined the Minister to tour locations for an insight into Nottingham’s award-winning sustainable transport including the tram, wider public transport network and other transport initiatives, and to hear about the city’s plans for the future, including the redevelopment of the Broad Marsh area which has already seen a range of transport improvements.
• Recycled material from former aircraft runway to be used on roadsThousands of tonnes of material from a runway at the former Samlesbury Aerodrome are being recycled.
• Brighton buses could be powered by sewer fat biofuelA water company hopes to use the fat which usually clogs its sewer network to power buses in the city.
• Two National Express senior executives leave the businessTom Stables and David Bradford have gone from Birmingham-based transport group as company makes changes to structure