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

Friday, 01 September 2023

BBC News

• Study to explore rail reinstatement between Aberdeen and BuchanCampaigners want to see trains running to Buchan again, more than 50 years after the service ended.
• E-bike and e-scooter fires at record high in LondonLondon Fire Brigade says it has seen more e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2023 than any year so far.
• Stagecoach bus strikes called off after drivers accept pay offerBus drivers in Greater Manchester have voted to accept a new pay offer.
• Bus company says park and ride format 'unsustainable'The Truro park and ride service is "unsustainable in its current format" according to the bus company that runs it.
• Tanni Grey-Thompson fears 'big problems' from rail ticket office closuresThe closure of hundreds of ticket offices at train stations in England will cause "big problems" for passengers with disabilities, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has said.

The Guardian

• Unions urge final push to save England's rail ticket officesPublic consultation on cost-cutting plans ends on Friday, as drivers strike again over jobs and pay. Unions have urged one final push to save railway ticket offices from closure before the public consultation ends on Friday, when train drivers strike again.Around half a million responses have been submitted to the consultation over cost-cutting proposals to close most of England's 1,000 station offices.

Times Online

• Train strikes September 2023: dates and lines affected. [subscription]Aslef and the RMT are both planning industrial action this weekend
• EasyJet boss demands independent inquiry into air traffic control chaosThe boss of easyJet has said that passengers “deserve” a “full independent review” into the chaos that engulfed the UK air traffic control service.
• Why stop at child-free zones for a quiet flight? [subscription]orendon Airlines, a Turkish carrier flying between Amsterdam and Curacao, will be the latest to offer infant-free travel for those willing to pay. There will be 93 regular seats, plus nine with extra legroom, available for between £39 and £86.

City AM

• Easyjet boss calls for independent review into air traffic control failure The boss of Easyjet has demanded that a “full independent review” is launched into the air traffic control failure.

Daily Record

• Railway link at West Lothian's fastest growing town could take 500,000 cars off the roadsBuilding a railway station at one of West Lothian’s fastest growing towns could take almost half a million cars off the roads.

The Mirror

• 'Voters won't forgive the Government if they go ahead with this act of mass vandalism'The public understands the important role ticket office staff play in helping passengers navigate their journeys and supporting frail and disabled customers

Local Government

• On demand bus service launches in five more Surrey townsSurrey connect, is an on-demand bus service which will be available from 4 September across Tandridge, Farnham, Cranleigh, West Guildford and Longcross, in addition to the already established service in Mole Valley, to help residents travel sustainably.  
• All young people in Nottinghamshire to benefit from subsidised travelNottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council are working in partnership to deliver Nottinghamshire U22, a new ticketing price point on buses and trams across the county offering student prices to all under 22-year-olds.
• Call for assurances over rail ticket office reformsA leading councillor is calling on rail companies to give assurances that plans to close a number of ticket offices across the city and region do not affect passengers or lead to job losses.

Birmingham Post

• Northern firms collaborate on project to produce lithium in UKNorthern Lithium and Evove are working together on the project in County Durham and Cheshire

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• West Yorkshire mass transit system 'won't be Leeds centric'The transport system, which the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) wants to build before 2040, will serve all five local authorities in the region.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Flexi-bus service extended to North Wales valley communities left stranded by cutsThe T19 Traws Cymru service between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog was stopped earlier this year

Wales Online

• Work starts on Porthcawl's huge new state-of-the-art 'green' bus stationPorthcawl is soon set to have a brand new bus station, as work has now begun on developing the Metro Plus project in the area. The station will have four bays and a covered station building as well as modern, environmental touches including a ’green roof’, rain garden and outdoor seating areas.

Yorkshire Post

• West Yorkshire mass transit network ’will not be Leeds-centric’People living in West Yorkshire have been assured that a multi-billion pound mass transit network will not be “Leeds-centric”.

Other Regional Press

• Ferries delayed as P&O suffers IT failureFamilies travelling home from holidays abroad have faced long delays crossing from Calais to Dover.
• Electric transformation of Bramley First Bus depot gets under wayA third of all First Bus Bramley buses will be fully electric by March 2024 thanks to a £29 million scheme. 
• Welsh Government awards Lloyds Coaches, Powys two bus routesA Powys firm has picked up two new bus contracts as the Welsh Government announces changes to some long-distance bus routes which pass through the county.
• Uber-style Moray bus app m.connect has "made a real difference to the people living here", says Cabinet Secretary Neil Gray MSP at Aberlour launch eventTHE "tireless work" of the "outstanding team" behind the m.connect project has been praised during the service's "official launch".
• Government minister in visit to rail route through KeighleyA GOVERNMENT minister has seen first-hand work being carried out with communities along the railway through Keighley and beyond.

Train Operators

• HS2 trains first to be recognised for reduced carbon impactsThe high speed trains due to start running on the HS2 rail network within 10 years have been marked out as the most environmentally-friendly in the world.

Rail Advent

• Porterbrook delivers Rail Project to 700 Warwickshire pupilsPorterbrook has reported on its delivery of a Rail Project over the last year to schools near its Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire.

Rail Technology Magazine

• CMA updates scope of concerns in Hitachi Rail and Thales rail signalling mergerThe Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally concluded that Hitachi Rail's planned €1.7 billion acquisition of Thales' Ground Transportation Systems business would not result in a substantial lessening of competition in the UK communications-based train control (CBTC) market.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• First Bus South confirms Bridgwater closureFirst Bus South says it is fully committed to operations in Somerset despite confirming its Bridgwater depot will close on 3 September.
• First inducts new apprentices at purpose-built academyFirst Bus has taken on its latest wave of apprentices at its purpose-built training academy at Reaseheath College in Cheshire.
• Reading Buses wraps up 8% pay agreement in ’record time’In contrast to the pay disputes that are affecting some parts of the bus industry, Reading Buses has reached agreement with members of Unite the Union on an 8% uplift for cleaners, drivers, engineers and office staff in what the operator describes as “record time.”
• Alex Gadd takes up Director role at AllServiceOneAlex Gadd has been promoted to the position of Sales and Business Development Director at AllServiceOne, which offers fleet service and support solutions via an extension of the established aftersales capacity of the Wrightbus business.
• First York launches Wrightbus StreetDeck Electroliner fleetThe First York fleet made further progress towards completing a transition to battery-electric power by the end of 2023 after its Wrightbus StreetDeck Electroliner double-deckers began service entry over the late summer bank holiday weekend.

Other News Sources

• Map shows SWR trains will call at just 10 Surrey stations on strike dayRail users are told to only travel if absolutely necessary
• Harrow welcomes new Superloop’s SL9 express bus, connecting the borough to HeathrowCommuters in Harrow experienced a major upgrade in their public transport options as the well-known route X140 underwent a transformation, being renumbered and rebranded as the SL9.
• Daimler Buses will present new safety and assistance systems at Busworld (starting with ABA 6 and mirrorcams)At an exhibition stand with a surface of 2700 square metres (together with Van Hool, the largest of the whole expo), Mercedes-Benz and Setra will showcase at Busworld Europe eight buses and coaches. Three more vehicles from the two major bus and touring coach brands on display in the outdoor exhibition area, including two for test drives
• VDL and Schaeffler are working together on driverless shuttles (with Mobileye technology)VDL Groep and automotive supplier Schaeffler announce they are jointly exploring the development and production of a new generation of self-driving electric shuttles for public transport. The two family-owned companies will be showing a first demonstrator of the vehicle at IAA Mobility in Munich.
• Global Air Brake Systems Market by Type, Component, Rolling Stock, Vehicle Type and Region - Forecast to 2028 - ResearchAndMarkets.comThe global air brake system market is set to expand from its 2023 value of USD 3.1 billion to USD 3.4 billion by 2028, achieving a commendable CAGR of 2.2% within this period.
• Siemens Mobility wins framework agreement tender for up to 540 trains for ÖBB   Siemens Mobility has won the tender for a framework agreement to deliver up to 540 single-deck electric multiple-unit trains for Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). 
• Amtrak reveals new long-distance trainset concepts at accessibility hearingAmtrak held the gathering to obtain feedback prior to procurement from the accessibility community regarding plans to replace its existing Superliner and single-level fleet with new rolling stock. The 1970s bilevel designs and 1980s Viewliner prototypes were developed before establishment of regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
• Passenger Rolling Stock Leasing Market Research Report 2023: CAGR, Industry Needs, Competition AnalysisA Passenger Rolling Stock (known as a coach or carriage in the UK, and also known as a bogie in India) is a piece of railway rolling stock that is designed to carry passengers.

News from Europe

• Transport Infrastructure Ireland set to spend €300 million on new Luas tramsTII has initiated a preliminary market consultation to further expand the Luas and replace the trams currently in service.