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

Saturday, 02 September 2023

Cogitamus

• The Chris Stokes Column - London-Edinburgh is case study in multimodal passenger competitionLondon – Edinburgh is almost certainly the most competitive public transport market in Britain with three rail companies, three airlines and three coach operators slugging it out. Virtually all ticketing is now through the internet and I recently spent an hour or so with a cold towel round my head ploughing through various websites to get a broad picture of overall prices, and how the various modes compare.

BBC News

• First Bus confirms Bridgwater bus depot will close permanentlyFirst Bus South has confirmed that the Bridgwater bus depot will close permanently this weekend.
• Nottingham tram strike action backed by staff voteStrikes on Nottingham's tram network - which could affect the historic Goose Fair - look set to go ahead.
• Rail strikes under way ahead of weekend disruptionSome train companies are not running services on Saturday in a dispute with workers over pay.
• Oldham bus strikes called off to allow First drivers to vote on payOldham drivers at First Manchester were due to take industrial action from 4 to 8 September.

Department for Transport

• Statement following Transport Secretary’s latest meeting with aviation industry on air traffic control disruptionTransport Secretary meets with aviation industry ahead of next week's NATS report into air traffic control failure.

The Guardian

• Train chaos expected across England as RMT stages 24-hour strikeAction on Saturday comes day after Aslef strike and Rail Delivery Group’s rejection of ‘roadmap’ to restart talksRail passengers face another day of disruption on Saturday as members of the RMT union at train operators in England go on strike.The 24-hour stoppage, accompanied by an overtime ban by train drivers, follows immediately on from Aslef’s strike on Friday. Continue reading...

The Herald

• SNP urged to freeze rail fares as inflation soarsThe Scottish Liberal Democrats have called for a freeze on rail fares due to high inflation.

The Independent

• Harper to meet aviation chiefs after air traffic control disruptionTransport Secretary Mark Harper said he wants to ensure everything possible is being done to get passengers home quickly.

Times Online

• Angry passenger versus airline? There’s only one winner there. [subscription]Thousands of people are this weekend still straggling home after the air-traffic control glitch on Monday that grounded hundreds of flights. Once they do make it back, they will find it was only the start of the battle. Ahead of them lies the struggle for compensation, a fight that might last much longer than their holiday and one with an uncertain outcome. Many will probably give up part way through or not bother trying at all.
• Public revolt could derail plans to axe railway station ticket offices. [subscription]Consultation on closures has biggest ever reponse
• If the bus networks are poor, then so are weBetter urban transport systems outside London would help solve our biggest economic problem

Network Rail

• Network Rail reaches major milestone of £116m reliability-boosting resignalling schemeNetwork Rail has successfully switched on 116 new state of the art digital signals on the railway across parts of south west London and Berkshire, as part of the four-year resignalling programme to improve reliability.

Birmingham Post

• Hull Trains lays out job creating plans in push to boost passenger experienceThe operator is looking to make improvements to its standard class journeys

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• £1 fares to get more people using buses in KeighleyBUS fares in an area of the Bradford district have been capped at £1.

Manchester Evening News

• Andy Burnham vows to carry on fight to keep 1,000 train ticket offices openAndy Burnham and four other Mayors across England have vowed to continue the fight to stop plans to close 1,000 train ticket offices. In July the Greater Manchester Mayor said he was preparing to launch a legal action against the train operators' plans to try and halt the proposal.

Nation. Cymru

• Plaid Cymru demand answers over £3m bus station with no busesPlaid Cymru councillors have asked for an explanation of why a new £3m bus station still has no bus services.

The York Press

• Bus fares for young people reduced in city-wide trialBus fares for children and young people are being reduced in York, in a four-month trial to support families and encourage them to choose sustainable transport.

Bucks Free Press

• Carousel PickMeUp bus service expands to Flackwell HeathAn on-demand bus service has expanded to a new area in Bucks following passenger success.

Carlisle News & Star

• Next steps 'agreed' for extending Border Railway to CarlisleA coalition representing councils, campaigners and governments have met to discuss progress with a £10m feasibility study to extend the Borders Railway.

Other Regional Press

• Ticket office closures will put off commuters, Brighton council warnsCommuters could be put off travelling by train if ticket offices are closed, councillors have warned.
• Ticket office closures: Oldham MP writes to rail ministerAn Oldham MP has written to a minister to express concerns over the planned closure of Oldham’s only ticket office, at Greenfield.
• Reopening rail line could cut Northampton to Leicester journey time from 90 to under 35 minutesFunding is being called to complete an interim 2020 Network Rail feasibility study on reopening the Northampton to Market Harborough railway line.
• 'This compares badly with the existing ticket office opening times'South Western Railways say (page 4 of the Romsey Advertiser, August 18) that they plan to introduce 'more face-to-face support' for railway passengers.
• Former railway bridge emerges from the rubble at Eden villageCommunity groups have welcomed work to restore a historic railway bridge at Musgrave, following its controversial infilling in 2021.
• Winchester Green party members campaign to save railway ticket officeMEMBERS of Winchester’s Green Party were out in force, encouraging people to support the campaign to save railway ticket offices.
• Bus to Peterborough to run earlier after passengers complain of being 'late to work everyday’The Stagecoach East bus will arrive at Queensgate bus station 15 minutes earlier every morning
• Leaders praised by bus campaignersFED-UP bus users have praised local leaders for finally putting pressure on the government to free up cash to improve services - after a study revealed a huge disparity between Barnsley’s per-head funding when compared to its neighbours.

The Economist

• Britain’s smaller cities desperately need better transportManchester launches a London-style franchise system

Intelligent Transport

• E-scooter ban in Paris goes into effect on 31 August 2023Paris enacted a historic e-scooter ban on 31 August 2023, following an overwhelming citizen referendum vote in April 2023, marking a significant shift in the city’s transportation landscape and setting a potential model for other urban areas.

New Civil Engineer

• Final phase of Barmouth Viaduct restoration to begin following successful test lift of spanBuses will replace trains between Machynlleth and Pwllheli for 13 weeks, as contractor Alun Griffiths will undertake the final phase of restoration work on the Barmouth Viaduct for Network Rail in North Wales.

Railway Technology

• Alstom delivers trains under ’Make in India’ schemeThe Alstom trainset was delivered to Indore and is set to be operational by 2024.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Matt Carney named CEO, Bus by Go-Ahead GroupMatt Carney (pictured) has been named CEO, Bus by Go-Ahead Group. He will move from the position of Managing Director (Australia) with Kinetic and is to join Go-Ahead later this year.
• Progress ’slow’ on Scotland’s sustainable travel pledgesThe Scottish Government is behind on its 2019 commitments to decarbonise bus fleets and prioritise bus infrastructure, and needs to perform a “radical reset” towards net-zero carbon investment, according to a new report by Transform Scotland.

Other News Sources

• HS2 welcome planning approval for Aston Church Road Overbridge in BirminghamHS2 has received Schedule 17 planning approval for an eco-friendly road bridge over the high-speed rail line north-east of Birmingham city centre.
• Transport sec to meet aviation chiefs as ATC failure fallout continuesAviation bosses will meet with transport secretary Mark Harper on Friday (1 September) as the industry still grapples with the impact of the air traffic control (ATC) failures over the bank holiday.
• New multi-million-pound transport hub and town square to open in North TynesideNorth Tyneside Council will be celebrating the opening of a new Transport Hub and Town Square in North Shields, this Saturday (September 2), with live music and outdoor arts performances.
• Bus manufacturer Wrightbus strengthens team with key new senior appointmentNorthern Ireland’s leading zero-emissions bus manufacturer Wrightbus has further strengthened its sales team with a new senior appointment.
• Over 80 Wirral bus services cut since 2010Eighty-seven bus services have been cut in Wirral since 2010. The routes that connected places like New Brighton, Neston, and Saughall Massie to Liverpool and other areas are one of 8,613 bus routes across England that have been cut over the last 13 years.