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

Saturday, 16 September 2023

BBC News

• Greater Manchester Metrolink tram cleaners vote for strike actionThe staff have voted to strike on four successive Fridays in a row over pay and conditions.
• Gatwick: EasyJet boss criticises air traffic control over delaysJohan Lundgren's comments come after a shortage of air traffic controllers caused delays at Gatwick.

Financial Times

• Train drivers announce strikes targeting Tory party conferenceGovernment hits out at Aslef walkouts planned for September 30 and October 4

The Guardian

• Wales is bringing in a 20mph speed limit. Why and what will happen?While many oppose the new restrictions, the Welsh government says it is the ˜sensible and progressive thing to do. UK politics live latest updatesThe introduction of a 20mph speed limit on most residential roads across Wales from Sunday is proving one of the most controversial the Labour-run Welsh government has ever put in place.Welsh ministers argue it will save lives and lead to fewer injuries, save money for the NHS and make communities more pleasant places to live and work in.
• Drivers likely to benefit from London Ulez, Sadiq Khan to sayCar users can be exposed to more damaging pollution than cyclists, bus passengers or pedestrians, research claimsDrivers in London are likely to be among the biggest beneficiaries of moves to penalise highly polluting vehicles in the capital, London’s mayor is to say, because at present many drivers are likely to experience more pollution than other road users.Though they may have the illusion of being insulated in their vehicles from the effects of exhaust fumes, drivers can be more exposed to pollutants including the highly dangerous small particles known as PM2.5, which can damage lungs and...

The Independent

• Hunt keeps axing of HS2 up sleeve for Budget as northern mayors warn U-turn will see Tory election wipeoutJeremy Hunt is keeping the option of scrapping the second phase of HS2 at his upcoming mini-Budget in a bid to find room for tax cuts.
• Scrapping HS2 northern leg would be ’disaster’, says ex-Tory Treasury ministerLord O’Neill says UK framework for making investment decisions on infrastructure is ’dreadful’
• Network Rail reviewing crumbling concrete on Britain’s railwaysTransport secretary Huw Merriman has said Network Rail is searching for the crumbly concrete on its estate ’as a priority’

Times Online

• Pothole accidents hit five-year record during UK’s wet August [subscription]The number of call-outs to pothole-related breakdowns during August hit a five-year high, new figures show.
• Rishi Sunak rejects reprieve for petrol and diesel cars [subscription]Rishi Sunak is ready to phase out petrol and diesel cars on a strict timeframe despite pressure from Conservative MPs to scale down net-zero plans.
• Rishi Sunak ’pushing for HS2 to stop six miles from Euston station’. [subscription]Under the prime minister’s plan, trains would terminate at Old Oak Common, west London, saving the £4.8 billion that the government estimates it would cost to upgrade Euston

Network Rail

• Saddleworth pupils’ artwork shows pride in place at Greenfield stationArtwork by Saddleworth schoolchildren highlighting their pride in the local area, is now on display at Greenfield station.
• Network Rail to renew two sections of track in Lincolnshire to increase reliabilityNetwork Rail will be working at two sites in Lincolnshire to renew track and level crossing infrastructure to improve reliability for passenger’s journeys.
• East Coast Main Line to close for £5.7m track and drainage improvement workPassengers are being advised to plan ahead as four weekends of track and drainage work begin on the East Coast Main Line in Scotland this Saturday (16 September).
• New technology, timetable tweaks and leaf-busting trains to keep Scotland’s Railway on time this autumnScotland’s Railway will use specialist trains, timetable tweaks and innovative technology to keep passengers and freight running on time throughout autumn.

London Evening Standard

• Will HS2 be cancelled? Government refuses to guarantee Manchester branchThe High Speed 2 rail project that has been given a red rating might not make it to Manchester after all

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink tram staff to stage four days of strikes in row over payMetrolink staff will strike on four days over the next few weeks in a row over pay and a ’merry-go-round of changing employers’.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Jump onboard for half price! First Bus offering passengers discount on tickets for four weeksFirst Bus is offering customers a 50% discount on select tickets to encourage more people in Aberdeen to use public transport.

Wales Online

• Stations on Welsh railway line ’among worst in UK’ for services turning up on timeThe service on offer along the line has come in for a lot criticism in recent times, and new data has only added to what has been described as an 'unacceptable situation'

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds bus stops show inaccurate service times on major routes in bungling error leaving passengers bewilderedPrinted timetables at bus stops across Leeds are incorrect and out of date, after major route changes were brought in “sooner than planned” leaving some passengers bewildered.

Plymouth Herald

• New Plymouth bus routes and lanes to transform transportA whole raft of new bus routes and bus lanes are being planned which will transform transport across Plymouth. The plans are part of ambitious measures to deliver bus services that 'people need, can be proud of and enjoy using'.

Other Regional Press

• MP puts Greenfield ticket office closure concerns to ministerSADDLEWORTH’S MP has put concerns raised by local people about the proposed closure of the ticket office at Greenfield train station to a Government minister.

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• Hands-free or speed-free on the roads plus awesome site visit (part 2) as HS2 again under scrutinyIs Christian Wolmar's sceptical view of self-driving vehicles vindicated by the report from the House of Commons Transport Committee [1:59]? Does the new default 20mph speed limit on residential streets in Wales point the way to better road safety or economic ruin [9:50]? Will political choices leave the breathtaking HS2 Old Oak Common station as the terminus of a bizarre Acton to Aston railway [15:37}? Christian and co-presenter Mark Walker set out to answer these questions.

New Civil Engineer

• When it comes to sustainable and resilient infrastructure, digital twins are the sharpest tools in the shedA quick glance at any newspaper around the world will reveal stories of drought, excessive temperatures, water shortages, extreme flooding, storms, fires, and all sorts of climate-related catastrophes.

Rail Advent

• DB Cargo UK invites offers for 12 Class 90 locomotivesAll the locomotives are being sold as seen from their current location. DB Cargo UK is not offering any warranty, condition, or undertaking including but without limitation their quality, maintenance, state or fitness for purpose.

Rail Technology Magazine

• UK's Largest Train Fleet Upgrade Nears CompletionThe UK's largest ever train fleet upgrade has passed a major milestone, with the refurbishment of the final 11-carriage Pendolino train. The project is now entering its final phase with work starting on the remaining 21 nine-carriage trains.
• New section of West Midlands Metro extension opens on SundayWolverhampton's new West Midlands Metro extension will open to passengers on Sunday, 17 September. The £50 million extension creates two new tram stops at Pipers Row and Wolverhampton Railway Station, offering seamless connections to bus and train services.

Other News Sources

• Pothole accidents hit five-year record during UK’s wet AugustLocal authorities lost dozens of days for road repairs this summer
• East Coast Main Line to close for £5.7m track and drainage improvement workScotland’s Railway is investing £5.7m on track and drainage improvements that will see the East Coast Main Line closed.
• South London train station with 'steep' stairwell could be transformed with step-free accessBattersea Park Station is the closest train station to Battersea Power Underground Station
• Major construction work begins on Beaulieu Park station in EssexThe station is expected to open at the end of 2025 and will help alleviate congestion at the nearby Chelmsford station.
• Doubts emerge over Manchester leg of HS2The government’s commitment to the Manchester leg of rail project HS2 has been called into question by new reports.
• Train ticket office closures equals a less hospitable train network, and less hospitality enjoyedThe closure of ticket offices in train stations just about typifies how callous the current, and recent, governments are in thinking beyond where their next buck is coming from.
• Stansted Express resumes its off-peak 15-minute frequency train serviceStansted Express trains between London Liverpool Street and Stanstead Airport will be resuming their off-peak four trains per hour service later this year.
• Siemens completes trials with hydrogen train in BavariaA key milestone ahead of the introduction of the train into passenger service in mid-2024.
• ScotRail criticised over extra train for Disney Cruise touristsSCOTRAIL  bosses who laid on a huge train to shuttle Disney cruise passengers directly from Greenock to Edinburgh stand accused of leaving Inverclyde with a "Mickey Mouse" service.