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

Sunday, 17 September 2023

BBC News

• Leicester: Former world's longest rail tunnel to allow visitorsA railway tunnel that was once the longest in the world is to open to the public again as part of a series of heritage days.
• 20mph: Wales first UK nation to drop speed limit from 30mphSpeed limits in built-up areas will be reduced from 30mph to 20mph in Wales on Sunday - a UK first that has caused controversy with some drivers.
• Bristol council urged to act over 'crumbling' bridgesMany of Bristol's bridges are "crumbling" and urgently need repair, say campaigners.
• Public consulted on Isles of Scilly walking and cycling planPeople will be asked their views on plans to make it easier to walk and cycle on the Isles of Scilly.
• Metro chiefs vow no repeat of Great North Run flood chaosTransport bosses have vowed to take action to avoid a repeat of heavy flooding which caused chaos on the day of the Great North Run.

The Independent

• Warning as 20mph speed limits for residential roads rolled out in WalesThe RAC warned drivers not to rely on satnavs for the correct speed limit and instead follow the road signs

The Observer

• Greater Manchester jumps onboard the franchise route to better busesThe first yellow buses are already driving through Greater Manchester’s streets, bold and bright as the change they herald. This month will see the birth of the region’s Bee Network: a system of joined-up, accessible transport that local leaders hope will transform people’s lives for the better.

The Telegraph

• Cycling charity Sustrans handed £92m in grants to introduce low traffic neighbourhoodsCampaigners argue taxpayers’ money should not be used to fund ’lobby group’s’ work to push through controversial schemes

Times Online

• Forget the jet — global elites are jumping aboard private trains. [subscription]For everyone from CEOs to dictators, a fancy (and sometimes bomb-proof) locomotive is vital. Will plane-loving Rishi Sunak fall in line too?
• Avanti on track for West Coast rail renewal. [subscription]Intercity train operator Avanti is poised to clinch a new contract to run services on the west coast line despite being plagued by delays and cancellations that have brought misery to passengers.
• Critics of 20mph speed limit just like Nimbys, says Welsh minister [subscription]The deputy minister for climate change says the new restrictions, which come into force today, will save nine lives and avoid 98 serious injuries a year
• Scottish Greens to push for 20mph limit on residential roads. [subscription]Scotland will take inspiration from the Welsh plan to change the national speed limit to 20mph on residential roads, the Greens have said as they highlighted a clause in their power-sharing deal with the SNP to follow suit.

City AM

• Govia Thameslink appoints female CEO to run UK’s biggest railway franchiseGovia Thameslink (GTR) has announced the appointment of a female chief executive, marking only the second mainline railway franchise in the country to be led by a woman.

Sky News

• Nearly all residential roads in Wales become 20mphThe changes - introduced on Sunday - are controversial, with House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt describing the plans as "absolutely insane".

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• West Yorkshire mass transit system A NEW West Yorkshire mass transit system “must stop in Holme Wood” – Bradford Council has urged.
• 'The North should not give anything up lightly' - rail boss toldRail passengers in the north should not be punished because “the wrong trains were bought” – local politicians have argued.

Bristol Live

• Turning Bristol railway line into new road is 'most ridiculous proposal'A plan to turn an abandoned railway into a new relief road has been described as ’one of the most ridiculous proposals for South Bristol’, as the number of people signing a petition calling for it to be dropped has passed 1,000.

Sheffield Star

• Sheffield-Manchester trains: More fast services could be added soon as £145m upgrade nears completionA £145 million rail upgrade between Sheffield and Manchester which will enable more fast trains to run between the two cities is months from completion.

Wales Online

• Everything you need to know as Wales' 20mph speed limit comes into forceThe law in Wales has now changed and the default speed limit on restricted roads is 20mph. A last-minute attempt to get the policy thrown out failed in the Senedd only days ago and despite polling showing a majority of people oppose the policy the Labour-run Welsh Government has continued with its implementation saying it will save lives and soon feel normal for drivers.

Other Regional Press

• ScotRail counts more people using trains from InverkeithingTHE number of people using trains from Inverkeithing has increased and is on course to surpass last year's figure.
• Concerns train staff reductions could hinder North WalesCONCERNS are being raised in Wrexham and Flintshire about the effect rail staff reductions in England could have on the area. Business and local authority leaders from North Wales, the Wirral and Cheshire West and Chester in the Growth Track 360 partnership have joined the chorus of organisations, stakeholders and rail users opposing the drastic reductions in staffed booking office provision proposed by train operators in England under the control of the UK Department for Transport (DfT).
• Opposition unites over East West Rail Cambridge sectionA delegation of MPs, councillors, campaign groups and environmentalists have signed a declaration opposing the Cambridge section of East West Rail.
• Rail companies summoned to explain ticket office closuresTHE 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.
• DAVID STEWART: Transport ministers have turned A9 procrastination into an art formThe Scottish Government’s handling of the botched A9 dualling project reminds me of Kenneth William’s famous line in Carry on Cleo: “Infamy, infamy…they’ve all got it in for me!”

Rail Advent

• Passenger satisfaction with ScotRail powers along on the right trackScotRail appears be heading in the right direction as more than 90% of customers are satisfied with services provided, according to a new Transport Focus Rail User Survey.
• “The 5:08 Sunset” set to be a Class 508 farewell rail tourTo mark the impending withdrawal of Merseyrail's Class 508 EMUs after more than 44 years of service, on Sunday, 29 October Merseyrail and the Branch Line Society are running a rail tour with a pair of Class 508s across the entire Merseyrail third-rail network.
• New Chief Executive to take over Britain’s largest rail networkA new chief executive is set to take over the reins at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) from the end of November. Angie Doll will become Chief Executive Officer, replacing Patrick Verwer who is stepping down from the day-to-day management of the largest rail network in Britain.
• British Transport Police rewarded for tackling violence against womenBritish Transport Police has received a national award at a recent recognition event for work by the force's police officers, staff, and volunteers in tackling violence against women and girls.

Aviation Industry

• Analysis: How Private Aviation's Emissions Compare To Other Modes Of TransportThe environmental impact of private jet travel can be over 1000 times more than other travel modes.

Other News Sources

• SPRAY BACK TIME Vandals leave ScotRail bosses with a £60,000 clean-up bill in wave of graffiti attacksVANDALS have left ScotRail bosses with a £60,000 clean up bill after tagging trains with graffiti.
• The 'special ticket' you need to buy just to walk across the Thames through a station on the London UndergroundTickets are usually purchased if one plans to ride a train, bus, tram or another one of London's many public transport options. But there is one you need to buy to just walk through one of the capital's train stations.