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

Saturday, 30 September 2023

BBC News

• Shrewsbury to Hereford rail link reopens after tunnel workOverrunning work on the railway between Shrewsbury and Hereford has been completed. Network Rail has apologised for disruption during the closure of Dinmore Tunnel, which began on 12 September.
• Ferry firm says asking crew to live on-board will cut cancellationsAsking ferry crews to stay on-board between shifts will reduce the risk of cancellations, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has said.
• East Cowes: Updated plans for ferry terminal upgrade unveiledUpdated plans to transform a ferry terminal have been revealed. Red Funnel wants to revamp its three sites at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight - Phoenix Yard, Trinity Yard and Redux Yard.
• Heritage award for 89-year-old Skye ferry crossingA ferry service linking Skye with the mainland has been recognised with a Red Wheel heritage plaque.
• Swansea Airport: Council's legal bid to take back controlA legal bid has been launched by Swansea council to take back control of the city's troubled airport.
• 20mph: How Wales' speed limit is shaping Sunak's election strategyWales has played an important part in Rishi Sunak's plans to curb 20mph zones in England.
• Rail travel: How easy is it for all in Wales to access?Getting around by train can still be a struggle for disabled people and parents of young children.
• Sunak vows to end 'hare-brain' road schemesPM says measures like 20mph zones should not be forced on drivers but Labour accuses him of hypocrisy.
• Ferguson shipyard: Ferry costs rise again after safety changes orderedCompleting Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa will now cost at least an extra £24m because of safety changes.
• HS2: Unions call for emergency summit on rail line's futureThe TUC says stakeholders in the high-speed rail line must be brought together
• US car workers strike escalates as it enters third weekThe United Auto Workers union said 7,000 more members would walk out.

ITV News

• Steam Packet Company say comparison with P&O Ferries 'misleading' as union dispute continuesAny comparison between the Isle of Man's ferry company and P&O Ferries is 'misleading', in relation to an ongoing dispute, the company has said.

Department for Transport

• Government announces new long-term plan to back driversPlan for drivers will sit alongside continued investment in public transport and active travel.

Financial Times

• Departure of CEO adds to crisis at South Africa’s port and rail monopolyTransnet predicted to become ‘next Eskom’ as problems pile up at state transport group

The Guardian

• Sunak ’backs drivers’ with curbs on 20mph limits and bus lanesLow-traffic neighbourhoods and fines also face clampdown under plans condemned by active travel groups
• Train and tube strikes: week of disruption looms for passengersAction by railway drivers in England and London Underground workers will halt and delay many services
• Flying Scotsman involved in 'slow speed' crash in Scottish HighlandsSeveral people received minor injuries after the heritage train was involved in a shunting incident, according to police.
• Tories face frosty reception in Manchester as future of HS2 in doubtAny rollback of' levelling up commitments in north could anger red wall voters who swung to Conservatives. As Tories flock to Manchester for their annual conference, they are looking at an even frostier welcome than usual in the northern city.Once,
• Private jet service for rich dog owners condemned by climate campaignersUK-based charter firm launches lludicrous ££8,166 Dubai-London route for clients who want to fly with pets

The Herald

• Passengers reveal Avanti west coast woes on way to ScotlandThe Avanti West Coast mainline has been going viral for all the wrong reasons this week as beleaguered passengers used social media to express extreme disgruntlement at terminated services.
• Scotland spaceports: Why space might not be for all?The UK Space Agency’s ‘Space for Everyone’ tour touched down in Scotland this week.

The Independent

• HS2 boss resigns amid speculation of further cutsHS2 Ltd boss Mark Thurston leaves his role on Friday amid speculation the high-speed rail project will be cut further.

The Telegraph

• Sunak must burst the pro-HS2 consensus to give the North the transport it actually needs. [subscription]The case for the high-speed rail link was built on political calculations rather than real-life facts

Times Online

• Rishi Sunak expected to block new 20mph zones [subscription]PM’s ’plan for motorists’ will prioritise drivers over bus passengers
• Boris Johnson attacks Rishi Sunak’s plan to cut northern leg of HS2. [subscription]The former prime minister said it was now ’physically impossible just to cancel the entire project’
• All aboard for the future of public transport — self-driving buses are here and ready to roll. [subscriptioln]Self-driving cars may be taking rather longer to become a reality than once promised, but thanks to David Keene’s autonomous-vehicle business, Aurrigo International, self-driving buses have already arrived.
• Ferguson Marine ferries fiasco continues. [subscription]More delays and spiralling costs hit CalMac project

City AM

• Sunak removing the alternatives to driving, say six major walker and cyclist groups Rishi Sunak has been accused by walking and cycling groups of removing the alternatives to driving amid speculation he is preparing to curb 20mph speed limits.

Daily Record

• Cost of unfinished CalMac ferries rises again and second one further delayedThe Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, which are being built at the troubled Scottish Government-owned shipyard Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow, were originally due to be in service in 2018 at a total price of £97 million.

Mail Online

• BORIS JOHNSON: Cancel HS2? Cut off the northern leg? We must be out of our minds. The world is watching and we need to show we still have guts and ambitionIn the universities of ­Beijing, they teach a course in political science in which they dwell — as you might expect — on the ­disadvantages of democracy.

The Mirror

• 'Serious concerns' raised about train ticket office closures months ago by watchdogA passenger watchdog raised “serious concerns” about the proposals for mass closure of rail ticket offices months before they were announced.

The National

• Scottish ferry further delayed until 2025 as boss apologisesTHE second Ferguson Marine CalMac ferry will be delayed until May 2025, the shipyard boss has said whilst apologising for further “significantly understand” costs.

Sky News

• HS2: Boris Johnson says scrapping Manchester leg would 'betray' the North and levelling upThe former prime minister says he let out a "long, low despairing grown" when he heard the government was planning on scrapping or delaying HS2.
• Cost of Scotland's delayed ferries rises again and second vessel's completion pushed backThe Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa were originally due to be in service in 2018 at a total price of £97m. The cost for completing the Glen Sannox has risen to £130m and for the Glen Rosa it has increased to £110m.
• Further delay and up to £24m in 'understated' costs to late CalMac ferriesThe second of two massively-delayed CalMac ferries will not be completed until May 2025 while the boss of the troubled shipyard apologised for further “significantly understated” costs.
• Two people taken to hospital after crash involving Flying ScotsmanTwo people have been taken to hospital after a crash involving the Flying Scotsman.

Birmingham Post

• Wrightbus bags contract which could see 150 hydrogen buses sold to nuclear power plantThe deal will initially see four hydrogen buses tested at the site

Bolton News

• YASMIN QURESHI: Closing ticket offices 'about money saving'Many will have seen the recent plans supported by the Government from the Rail Delivery Group, the collective organisation for all the railway companies, to close thousands of railway station ticket offices.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Why West Yorkshire buses could be brought under public controlA major consultation on bringing West Yorkshire’s bus network under public control - inspired by London - is set to take place before Christmas.

Bristol Live

• Major changes planned for Bristol to Bath corridor have left residents 'incredulous'The West of England Combined Authority wants to make major changes to the A4 Bath Road
• Bristol Airport car park set to close for £60m transformation projectThe Short and Pick Up Car Park will also relocate as work on the project commences

Manchester Evening News

• HS2 boss resigns amid speculation over further cutsHS2 Ltd boss Mark Thurston leaves his role on Friday amid speculation the high-speed rail project will be cut further.

The York Press

• YORK: Scrapping HS2 would impact on East Coast MainlineThe potential scrapping of the second leg of HS2 will have serious implications for capacity on the East Coast Mainline, according to York’s transport executive.

Wales Online

• Routes for 'go-slow' protests on major roads over 20mph speed limits this weekend confirmedThe organisers have urged protesters to stick to 30mph

Yorkshire Post

• Why Northern Powerhouse Rail should be the priority now - David BehrensConservatives are gathering in Manchester this weekend for their party conference. I hope they’re getting there by train. And that it dumps them halfway, in the middle of nowhere.

Burnley Express

• East Lancs bus services get £10m boost from governmentBLACKBURN with Darwen Borough and Lancashire County Councils will share almost £10million to boost bus services in the coming two years.

Other Regional Press

• Rail services on vital link line from Wales to the Midlands are back on track as tunnel work endsRail infrastructure chiefs are chuffed after completing work on the train line between Hereford and Shrewsbury.
• Wixams Railway Station will close at 10pm as engineering works make staying open longer "too expensive"Wixams Railway Station will close at 10pm every day as it is “too expensive” to stay open for longer, a meeting heard.
• Fermanagh rail campaign picks up steam with first meetingA public meeting has heard Fermanagh cannot afford to be a “backwater lacking in connectivity”.

C.N.N.

• Trump is attacking electric vehicles. Automakers already bet their future on themThe auto industry has announced more than $100 billion in electric car investments, creating more than 100,000 American jobs. A second Donald Trump presidency could derail the push.

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 awards £300M ground investigation contracts for phase 2 to Aecom, Bam and moreDespite speculation that the second phase of High Speed Two (HS2) could be cancelled by the government, HS2 Ltd has awarded ground investigation contracts with a total value of up to £300M for the proposed route between Birmingham and Manchester.

Railnews

• Rail unions call for emergency HS2 summit FRIDAY BRIEFING: Rail unions call for emergency HS2 summit ++ More strike disruption ahead ++ Ebbw Vale upgrade close to completion ++

Shipping News

• Belfast’s New “World First” Methanol Ferries to be Powered by WärtsiläFinnish marine technology firm Wärtsilä has confirmed that it will power what its claiming are the “world’s first methanol fuelled hybrid RoRo vessels”.  The 147m long NewMax class ships are expected to be delivered to Stena RoRo in 2025 before transfer to Stena Line.

Other News Sources

• Self-driving buses that go wherever you want? How the UK is trying to revolutionise public transportFuturology is littered with predictions that failed to materialise, not least in the field of transport technology. In Edwardian times, when public transport was largely powered by horse or steam, a number of new concepts emerged which were hailed as the “future of public transport”.
• HS2 boss resigns amid speculation of further cutsHS2 Ltd boss Mark Thurston leaves his role on Friday amid speculation the high-speed rail project will be cut further.