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

Wednesday, 06 September 2023

BBC News

• Heathrow Airport: Sadiq Khan backs proposed new rail linkMayor of London Sadiq Khan has given his backing to a proposed new rail link that would connect Heathrow Airport with south-west London, Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire.
• UK steel purchase for tram tracks announcedThe purchase of more than 860 tonnes of UK-made steel, for new rail tracks needed for the ongoing expansion of the Metro tram network, is to be announced by the West Midlands mayor.

Financial Times

• UK aviation regulator to review failure of air traffic control systemCAA to report on the technical logic error that left thousands of passengers stranded

The Guardian

• UK air traffic failure blamed on extremely rare circumstances as CAA opens inquiryTechnical report confirms error in one flight plan caused chaos last week as more than 2,000 flights cancelled. The UK air traffic system failure that resulted in more than 2,000 flights being cancelled has been blamed on an extremely rare set of circumstances, as the aviation regulator opened an inquiry into the meltdown that caused chaos for passengers.

Times Online

• Jet2 avoids turbulence with choice of chairman. [subscription]Jet2 has opted for continuity in its choice of chairman to succeed Philip Meeson, appointing its senior independent non-executive director.

Mail Online

• Revealed: The brand new £1.3bn railway line that will connect Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire to Heathrow and get holidaymakers from Guildford to the airport in less than half an hour - is YOUR station on the route?Sadiq Khan has backed a proposed new railway link to connect Heathrow Airport with South West London, Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire and cut journey times.

The Mirror

• Huge light rail order for UK steel boosts industry amid calls to buy BritishWest Midlands Metro Mayor Andy Street will sign the UK Steel Charter as he confirms a contract to buy 860 tonnes of metal for an extension to a light rail development in the region

Local Government

• City Centre road improvements mean bus-ness!Schemes designed to improve bus journeys, walking and cycling across the city centre start work on Lake Road and Unicorn Road junction on Monday 11 September with planned completion in the summer 2024.
• New £2.4m sustainable transport hub to pave the way for Dudley Port station revampPlans to upgrade one of the West Midlands’ most outdated railway stations are being worked up as part of a £2.4 million scheme to improve passenger experience, access and transport links.

Bolton News

• Bolton: Hundreds sign petition against ticket office cutsHundreds of people from all over Bolton have signed a petition demanding the government drop plans to close train station ticket offices.

Bristol Live

• Bristol's new 'express' First Bus put to the test in peak morning commuteIt's never a good sign when you arrive at a usually busy bus stop to find absolutely no one there. I can only assume that other passengers were equally dubious that the new 'express' service from First Bus would actually materialise, on the first day that it was due to run.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Black Country rail station set to become all-purpose transport hub under new plansPlans to upgrade one of the West Midlands’ most outdated railway stations are being worked up as part of a £2.4 million scheme to improve passenger experience, access and transport links.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Greater Anglia consultation on ticket offices 'unlawful', Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority claimsThe authority also says it opposes the closures because of their possible impact on vulnerable people

Other Regional Press

• 'Cumbrae roads are shrinking', claims bus company bossA bus company boss claims Cumbree’s roads have shrunk by more than a metre in the past few years -sparking safety concerns.
• Sadiq Khan supports new London train route to Heathrow AirportThe routes include parts of London and the outskirts
• Sadiq Khan endorses plans for new railway link at Heathrow AirportSadiq Khan has given his backing to a proposed new railway link connecting Heathrow Airport with south west London, Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire.
• Surrey plans for new direct fast trains to Heathrow Airport get major backingThe new proposal would enable trains from Surrey to conceivably use the existing Elizabeth line infrastructure to get to Paddington
• More than 680 000 responses to ticket office closure consultationUK: More than 680 000 responses were submitted to the public consultation on proposals to close most station ticket offices in England.
• Railway ticket office closure plans see council chiefs join forcesCouncil chiefs from across the county have united to express concern about plans to close railway ticket offices.
• West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin signs joint statement on rail ticket office closure consultationRWest Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin has issued a joint statement after a consultation to close almost all rail ticket offices in the country ended.

Train Operators

• New £12m transport hub opens in North Shields town centreA modern new transport hub has been opened in North Shields. The £12m hub is a major part of North Tyneside Council’s ambitious plan to improve North Shields, transforming the town into an attractive, family-friendly destination, with a vibrant, high-quality town centre.

Coach and Bus Week

• Operators show support for bus rallyOperators gave superb support to a Suffolk event set to become a major fixture in future rally seasons. Nick Larkin reports

New Civil Engineer

• Industry chief slams ministers as transport construction sinksAn industry leader has hit out at “dithering” ministers after data showed a slump in transport-related infrastructure workloads.
• Fourth delay on A1 upgrade planning decision brings wait time to over two and a half yearsThe deadline on whether to grant a development consent order (DCO) for the A1 Northumberland upgrade has been delayed a fourth time to 5 June 2024, two years and eight months after the government received the planning authority’s report.
• DfT spent more than £560M on overdue RIS1 road schemes in the past yearFinancial data analysed by NCE has revealed that in the 12 months to the end of May the Department for Transport (DfT) spent £567M on overdue schemes from Road Investment Strategy 1 (RIS1), 2015-2020.
• Updated 30-year rail strategy for the West Midlands promotes new lines and services in the regionThe West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) has updated its 30-year rail strategy and has outlined a number of proposals for new lines and services in the region.

Rail Advent

• Welsh Marches MPs and regional leaders call for transport improvementsMPs and regional leaders from around the Welsh Marches are meeting in Westminster today, Tuesday, 5 September at 11 am as part of their campaign for improvements to be made to road and rail links in Shropshire and the neighbouring areas.

Rail Business Daily

• MPs gather in Westminster to rally behind Marches road and rail improvementsMPs and regional leaders have gathered in Westminster today at 11am to call for improvements to the road and rail links in Shropshire and neighbouring areas.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Ticketer works with Bus Users UK and Women in TransportTicketer is working on video campaigns with Bus Users UK and Women in Transport to encourage greater bus use among females and more women to consider a career in the industry, respectively, in what the supplier says is an industry first.

Transport Scotland

• New Tender opportunity launched for A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy ProjectThe Contract Notice for the construction of the £150 million A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project was published today, following an extensive market consultation exercise resulting in a new contract designed to attract more bidders to the competition. It is anticipated that the contract will be awarded in early Summer 2024 and the project is expected to take around three years to build.

Other News Sources

• Three years after setting off, Bus Open Data Service wants consultants to help it on its journeyThe UK's Department for Transport is promising a £24 million ($30 million) contract to a tech biz that can help set up a wide range of data services to provide information on local bus services.
• Mayor supports southern rail link to Heathrow AirportThe Mayor of London has indicated his support for a southern rail link to Heathrow Airport and suggested that there could be progress on getting something started.
• Lib Dems rail against fare hikes and ticket office closuresThe Liberal Democrats are fighting for a fair deal for commuters and families who face soaring rail fares and reduced services under the Conservative Government
• ’I believe these proposals from the rail operators are deeply flawed’: Eastbourne MP reacts to ticket office closure consultationEastbourne MP Caroline Ansell has critisised plans to remove or reduce ticket offices from railway stations in Eastbourne, Hampden Park and Polegate.
• Northern mayors to continue legal challenge after consultation on ticket office closures endsWith a consultation on plans to close the majority of ticket offices across England having concluded, city-region mayors from across the North have issued a statement setting out that they will continue a legal challenger to oppose plans.
• CECA: Act Now To Unleash Growth In UK InfrastructureCivils contractors have today called on the UK Government to act now to unleash growth in infrastructure and allow the sector to become the primary driver of increased living standards for communities across Great Britain. Results from the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA)’s Workload Trends Survey for 2023 Q2 showed that UK construction continues to act as a bedrock of the post-COVID UK economy, following eleven continuous quarters of growth since Q3 2020.
• AI has a finger on the pulse of the transport industryThe transport sector is tapping into the potential of artificial intelligence to curtail emissions and boost efficiency.
• Tracy Brabin: Labour will invest in better trains because ’it has to’The actor-turned-mayor of West Yorkshire on facing transport disruption ’most days’—and campaigning to fix it Remarkably, Tracy Brabin’s 8.05am train from the Pennine mill town of Slaithwaite (pronounced “Slough-wit”) is on time, and the mayor of West Yorkshire should be at her Leeds desk in half an hour.