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

Tuesday, 12 September 2023

BBC News

• Transport for London bans 'unhealthy' artisan cheese advertThe cheese featured in the advert doesn't comply with advertising standards, TfL says.
• Mizanur Rahman death: Coroner calls for e-bike battery standardsThe recommendations come after Mizanur Rahman, 41, died following a fire caused by a faulty battery.
• BMW investment secures future of Mini factoriesBMW is investing £600m in preparing its Oxfordshire plant to build the next generation of electric cars.

Financial Times

• UK researchers start using AI for air traffic controlProject Bluebird is looking at how artificial intelligence could reduce the environmental impact of aviation

The Guardian

• Mini boost from BMW doesn't mean UK is in global car industry's fast laneEV investment is obviously good news but, overshadowed by Brexit, British carmaking has halved in five years. BMW announces £600m package to save Oxford Mini plant BMW's investment is a huge vote of confidence in this country as a global leader in electric vehicles aid Jeremy Hunt, as the German car giant backed the production of electric Minis in Oxford. A touch of political hyperbole is understandable since the plant would have been a very bad one for the UK to lose, but the chancellor is overdoing things.It is obviously welcome news that about 4,000 jobs will be saved in Oxford and Swindon...

The Herald

• SNP ministers urged to use congestion charges to fund public transportCharging road users could help fund improvements to public transport, a key report from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Commission has warned.

The Independent

• Rail fares: Economic figure which could determine price rises to be announcedAn economic figure which may be used to determine English rail fare rises is due to be announced. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) will reveal Britain’s average earnings growth for July at 7am on Tuesday.

Times Online

• Electric ferries to serve Orkney islands in three-year pilot. [subscription]Two vessels will link islands including Eday, Stronsay, Sanday and Westray after a £15 million funding boost
• Scottish roads go downhill as pedestrians and drivers claim £6m [subscription]More than 8,000 drivers claim for damaged vehicles with deteriorating infrastructure blamed on the pandemic
• Train delay puts 2,000 jobs at risk at Derby’s Litchurch Lane works. [subscription]HS2 hold-ups threaten future of Alstom factory. Thousands of high-value manufacturing jobs are at risk because Britain’s largest train assembly plant is due to run out of work by the end of the year after delays in the contract to build high-speed rolling stock for HS2.

City AM

• Rail strikes: Transport secretary and unions haven’t met this entire year Rail strikes continue to frustrate commuters but ministers are still refusing to step in to the middle of the dispute

Daily Record

• £139m funding for East Kilbride rail improvements is given green lightThe Scottish Government has this week approved full funding for the delivery of the East Kilbride Enhancement Project.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham Airport stake could be sold in rescue plan for broke councilBirmingham City Council has liabilities and funding gaps of close to a billion pounds, it has been revealed. It has days to come up with a rescue plan.

Birmingham Post

• Bibby Stockholm owner receives £20m in Government funding to build new vesselThe new vessel will be the first for Bibby Marine in five years.
• Strike ballot called at JLR supplier in pay rowWorkers at the Solihull plant of International Automotive Components are now being asked whether they wish to take industrial action over pay offer
• Liverpool's oldest manufacturer aiming to 'flourish' as sales and profits riseRS Clare supplies lubricants to the rail, oil and gas, marine, steel and automotive industries

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• 20mph zone to be extended in bid to reduce number of crashesA 20MPH zone will be introduce on a stretch of road where a number of crashes have occurred.
• MP unaware of any extra costs with A59 Kex Gill realignmentSKIPTON MP Julian Smith has said he is unaware of any rising costs associated with the A59 Kex Gill realignment scheme.

Manchester Evening News

• The Greater Manchester motorways ranked 'least popular' by frustrated drivers 'Terrible tarmac conditions in places, matrix signs not up to date and unwarranted smart motorway speed limits'

Cambridge News

• London Stansted Airport records busiest day of the year as more than 100,000 pass through terminalIt was the airport's fourth busiest day ever
• Stagecoach East calls for better communication from utility companies as roadworks cause bus disruption This comes after the announcement of utilities work on Girton Street, impacting bus service 6

Other Regional Press

• Bee Network: Greater Manchester commuters to get brand new ticket and travel information appTransport for Greater Manchester’s Bee Network is coming very soon, and so is a brand new travel app for commuters. The new app will deliver both ticketing and information across the new network. 
• Effective and inclusive transport is critical for the North EastThere are many barriers people face in life when it comes to reaching their full potential. The absence of a fit-for-purpose transport network should not be one of them.
• Ticket offices: Rail companies summoned to Devon County CouncilThe battle to save Devon’s railway station ticket offices has stepped up a gear, with rail operators being summoned to explain the issue at County Hall.
• Jesse Norman MP backs Herefordshire rail stations reopeningHereford and South Herefordshire MP and transport minister Jesse Norman has given his support to the idea of reopening Herefordshire’s closed railway stations.
• Oxfordshire: Most county council vehicles run on dieselNearly all the vehicles used by Oxfordshire County Council are diesel powered- the Oxford Mail can reveal- despite claims that tackling climate change is the local authority’s “first corporate priority”.

Intelligent Transport

• New Bus Safety Strategy promises bold action from Transport for LondonThe new Bus Safety Strategy sets out what more needs to do be done TfL and bus operators across the city to meet the Vision Zero ambition in London and deliver a safe bus network.

New Civil Engineer

• Latest images from Great Musgrave bridge infill removal reveal damage to historic structureImages from National Highways’ ongoing removal of the concrete infill beneath the 19th century Great Musgrave bridge show that damage has been done to the underside of the historic structure.
• Permission granted for active travel path on disused railway in Somerset that will cross two historic viaductsApproval has been given for a disused railway in Somerset to be converted into a new active travel path that will traverse two historic viaducts and a tunnel.

Rail Advent

• MPs probe rail managers, unions and charities over ticket offices axeA committee of MPs will continue its inquiry on Wednesday 13 September into accessible transport by considering recent plans to close nearly 1,000 ticket offices across the rail network.
• Alstom to investigate using origami-inspired manufacturing technologyAlstom has entered a partnership with the Swedish design and technology company so the companies can investigate how building trains can be made more environmentally sustainable by using STILFOLD's manufacturing technology that is inspired by origami.

Rail Business Daily

• Mayor helps launch UK taskforce for more inclusive transportCambridgeshire and Peterborough were in at the start of a new initiative to help shape more inclusive travel in the UK when the Mayor spoke at the launch of a taskforce, chaired by sports legend and disability champion Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.
• Add your stitch to new Transport Tapestry with Borders Railway Community PartnershipPeople are being invited to contribute to a new piece of artwork that will be seen by thousands of visitors to Scotland, thanks to the Borders Railway Community Partnership (BRCP).
• “Inspirational” Solent Stevedores wins Rail Freight Group’s Business of the Year awardSolent Stevedores has been named Business of the Year at the annual Rail Freight Group (RFG) Awards, held last week at Shendish Manor Hotel, Apsley.

Rail UK

• Women in Rail appoints new chairWomen in Rail has announced the appointment of Marie Daly as the charity’s new
Chair. Marie has worked in the rail sector for more than 13 years and her current role is chief
customer and culture officer at Transport for Wales.

Railtech

• Heathrow southern rail link concept takes flight againIt has been on the taxiway more than once, but now there’s a renewed pushback for a rail link from the south of London to Heathrow Airport. The capital’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, has thrown his weight behind a southern railway link plan, signalling a significant step forward for the potentially transformative project. The proposal aims to bolster connectivity between Heathrow Airport, South West London, Surrey, Berkshire, and Hampshire, promising improved accessibility for passengers and a reduction in road network congestion.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Plans for sporting events transport guidelines in Scotland droppedA proposal by Senior Traffic Commissioner (TC) Richard Turfitt to extend to Scotland voluntary guidelines for the transport of passengers to designated sporting events (specifically, association football matches) was abruptly withdrawn on 8 September.

Other News Sources

• UK launches research hub to decarbonise transport networksA new national research hub has been created to help to upgrade and decarbonise the UK’s  national, regional and local transport infrastructures.
• Transport chief slams rate of North East rail cancellations after region named worst in EnglandThe chair of the North East Joint Transport Committee has deemed the rate of rail cancellations in the North East as 'disheartening'.
• Sheffield better transport call as bus user says poor service leaves people strandedGlenda Walker, who lives in Chancet Wood, told a city council meeting (September 6) that the 76a bus service has worsened significantly since TM Travel had taken over running it. She said: “Three were missing this morning, two yesterday morning.
• Three bidders for automated Copenhagen S-Bane fleetDANISH State Railways (DSB) has announced that three bidders have been prequalified for its tender to supply the new fleet of fully-automated trains for the Copenhagen S-Bane network.