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

Thursday, 05 October 2023

Government

• A new approach, focusing on the modes of transport that matter to you most, with investment for every region.What the launch of Network North means for you and your region

BBC News

• MP welcomes decision to reopen Oswestry to Gobowen rail linkAn MP has welcomed the announcement that scrapping HS2 will enable the reopening of a historic railway line.
• UK's first battery-powered trains hit the tracksThe UK's first battery-powered passenger trains have started running in Merseyside.
• Mayor Andy Street rules out resigning after HS2 leg scrappedThere was speculation Andy Street could resign, but he says he will not leave the Conservatives.
• Water Orton HS2: 'What is going to happen to us now?'Hedgerows have been ripped up and HS2 roadworks are in place leading residents to ask what will happen now?
• HS2 cash to be used to electrify the north Wales mainlineHS2's northern leg is scrapped, but Rishi Sunak plans to use cash to electrify the north Wales line.
• What does the scrapping of HS2 link mean for Scotland?Scotland was not part of the plans, but Rishi Sunak's announcement will still have an impact.
• Finishing A9 dualling 25 years late is 'unacceptable', says Alex NeilFormer minister Alex Neil tells MSPs he is disappointed by delays to upgrading the trunk road.
• HS2: How will Rishi Sunak's u-turn be met in the North West?Will voters agree with the PM that it's better to invest in east-west transport links across the North?
• HS2: Decision to axe North high speed rail 'so wrong', Andy Burnham saysNorth leaders have reacted angrily to plans to axe high speed rail between Birmingham and Manchester.
• London Euston: HS2 will run into centre of capital, PM confirmsThe line to Euston will go ahead after Rishi Sunak axed the HS2 leg from Birmingham to Manchester.
• Eurostar introduces preventative measures amid Paris bedbug surgeCleaning system on Paris-London route is
• Rishi Sunak promises more rail, road and bus linksIt comes after the section of the HS2 high-speed train line between Birmingham and Manchester was scrapped.
• Right to own a car in Singapore can cost £87,000The city-state introduced a 10-year certificate of entitlement system in 1990 as an anti-congestion measure.
• HS2: Why Rishi Sunak's big gamble may not pay offRishi Sunak is taking an economic risk by spending money on everyday transport upgrades instead of a grand project.

Financial Times

• Hunt pushed for HS2 rail line to end in central LondonUK chancellor argued successfully for a Euston terminus as Rishi Sunak prepares to axe the route’s northern leg
• Northern leg of HS2 will be cancelled, Grant Shapps confirmsRishi Sunak to announce decision on high speed rail line in his Conservative conference speech
• Sunak axes northern leg of HS2 in flurry of ‘radical’ decisionsPrime minister confirms high-speed rail decision and also announces education reforms and smoking curbs
• The HS2 rail line: what has been cut and what will replace it? The £36bn saved from cancelling the northern leg is meant to fund smaller transport schemes

The Guardian

• HS2 flip-flop will damage UK’s reputation with international investors | Nils PratleyVerdict from overseas will probably range from hilarity to derision as second northern leg is scrappedRishi Sunak announces scaling back of HS2Tory mayor Andy Street decides to stay in postUK politics live – latest updatesHow will the great HS2 flip-flop look from abroad? Consider the history of this project. It was planned for a full decade and, despite projected costs rising with every update, the Conservative party leadership and parliament backed it all the way. Sceptics (including this column, often) who thought an east-west link in the north offered more bang for fewer bucks had to conce...
• Negative environmental impact of HS2 could worsen with scaling backDespite efforts to mitigate biodiversity loss, planning has destroyed parts of ancient woodlands and damage will continue despite reprieve The scrapping of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester may save 32 ancient woodlands from destruction and reprieve miles of waterways and hedgerows – but the railway’s negative environmental impact may actually intensify with Rishi Sunak’s decision.The carbon emissions reduction case for HS2 was never favourable – it will be a net contributor to emissions over its 120-year lifespan, according to its own data – but cancelling the new line north of Birmingham wea...
• Motorway services near Bradford voted worst in Britain ... againWelcome Break’s Hartshead Moor on the eastbound M62 comes last out of 120 rest stops for second year runningIt’s the award that no business would want to win once, let alone twice.Hartshead Moor East, near Bradford in West Yorkshire, has just been given the unwelcome accolade of being voted Britain’s worst motorway services for the second year in a row. Continue reading...
• Sunak sparks Tory civil war with scrapping of HS2 Manchester legTory leader’s attempt to portray himself as change candidate at party conference overshadowed by fierce criticism of U-turnRishi Sunak unleashed a Tory civil war on Wednesday by announcing the scrapping of the northern leg of HS2 as the former prime minister David Cameron said the decision showed the country was heading in the wrong direction.After days of frenzied speculation over the future of the flagship levelling-up project, Sunak confirmed he was axing the Birmingham to Manchester line and would use the £36bn of savings to fund a number of other transport schemes, described as “Network N...

The Telegraph

• Johnson and Cameron lambast Sunak’s decision to scrap HS2 northern leg Two former prime ministers have criticised the decision to axe the northern leg of HS2.

Times Online

• HS2 brings businesses together — in censure. [subscription]Businesses have condemned the government’s plan to scrap the northern leg of HS2, with more than £2.3 billion of taxpayers’ money having already been spent on the second phase.

City AM

• Scrapping HS2 was a smart move – now bring on more bold action Structural reforms are one thing: cultural shifts are altogether more difficult. Many a football manager has learnt this over the years, where a formation change and a sprinkling of new talent in an under-performing club fails to make a difference because something in the club isn’t right. Creating winning cultures is hard. City bigwigs are [...]
• OPEC+ opt against further oil output cuts as prices drop on demand fears Oil prices have slide after OPEC+, opted against further changes to the group's hawkish output cuts this year.

Mail Online

• Farewell to HS2 and hello to Network North: The project's northern leg is scrapped to save cash... but Boris Johnson and David Cameron condemn the moveRishi Sunak announced he would divert the £36 billion saved into hundreds of transport projects across the Midlands and the North.

The Mirror

• Rishi Sunak's decision to scrap HS2 to Manchester is 'another betrayal of the North'West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said the decision would "punish passengers and businesses alike"

Birmingham Post

• PM pledges £1bn electrification of North Wales rail line from HS2 cashRishi Sunak announced a series of transport projects after he axed HS2 north of Birmingham
• Forget levelling up – Rishi Sunak has ‘levelled down’ the East Midlands by scrapping HS2Chamber boss says ‘latest embarrassing U-turn is another nail in the coffin for the Government’s levelling up mantra’
• Transport projects supported by PM as HS2 axed north of BirminghamProposed schemes include Leeds trams, rail electrification in Yorkshire and pothole repairs nationwide

Bolton News

• HS2 scrapping could pave Metrolink extension to BoltonA dramatic announcement made just today could see the Metrolink extended to Bolton

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Request for Skipton rail station work to go ahead only at nightTHE rubber stamp remains poised over plans
• Mixed response as Prime Minister reveals bypass fundingTHE Prime Minister's announcement about funding for the long-awaited Shipley bypass has received a mixed response.
• Bradford station and Shipley Bypass among PM's pledgesPrime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged a new Bradford station and funding for the Shipley Bypass in his keynote speech at the Tory party conference.
• Shipley MP welcomes scrapping of northern leg of HS2A BRADFORD district MP has welcomed the scrapping of the northern leg of HS2 - and hailed announcements by the Prime Minister about major transport schemes for the area.
• Bradford Council leader reacts to £2 billion rail schemeTHE leader of Bradford Council has reacted to the news the city is set to be included in a £2 billion rail scheme.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Rishi Sunak announces electrification of North Wales main line with cash saved from HS2UK Government abandons northern leg of HS2 but North Wales could benefit from the cash saved

Manchester Evening News

• 'He hasn't spoken to any northern leaders': Rishi Sunak faces backlash as ex-Tory PMs slam him for scrapping HS2 to ManchesterRishi Sunak 'hasn't spoken to any northern leaders' after he axed the HS2 rail link to Manchester, a mayor who also complained about his alternative proposals said today.

Nation. Cymru

• £1 billion north Wales rail electrification plan ’back of a fag packet stuff’Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has expressed scepticism about the UK Government’s plans for the electrification of the main railway line in north Wales, describing it as ’back of a fag packet stuff’

Wales Online

• Full list of bus services cancelled and changed in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and CarmarthenshireFirst Cymru has confirmed several services are being withdrawn, whilst several others will no longer run as frequently

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Scrapping of HS2 gets a mixed reaction with Black Country commutersMembers of the Black Country public have reacted with bemusement and some regrets to this afternoon's announcement that the northern leg of HS2 is to be scrapped.

Yorkshire Post

• The Government isn't fooling anyone as HS2 betrayal is confirmed - The Yorkshire Post saysFinally the Prime Minister has delivered the ultimate betrayal to the North that his Government has been gearing up to for many years.
• Rishi Sunak promises new ’Network North’ after scrapping northern leg of HS2Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has scrapped the northern leg of HS2, claiming the move will save £36bn which can be invested in a new “Network North” and hundreds of other transport projects across the money.

Bucks Free Press

• Rishi Sunak receives furious backlash after scrapping HS2Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed today that the northern HS2 leg between Manchester and Birmingham will be axed.
• Chiltern Railways: Raac concrete update at stations in BucksA train company has reassured its passengers over the safety of train stations in Bucks.
• New M25 services: Village ‘betrayed’ by approval of green belt siteA local council has attacked the approval of a new M25 motorway services between junctions 15 and 16 and demanded a Government intervention.

Cambridge News

• Cambridge residents 'concerned' after developer drops promised walking pathsDevelopers at the Westbrook Centre in Chesterton previously said they would shorten the journeys of locals

Other Regional Press

• Town’s rail station gets the green lightPlans for Wellington’s new railway station have been approved by the Government.
• Government confirms Ely junction rail revamp to go aheadThe long-awaited revamp of Ely junction has been confirmed by the government after prime minister Rishi Sunak scrapped plans for the northern leg of the HS2 rail line.
• HS2 axing could benefit Oxfordshire schemes - councillorOxfordshire Tory leader Eddie Reeves welcomed Rishi Sunak’s controversial decision to axe the high speed rail link between Birmingham and Manchester.
• Yorkshire Labour leaders slam 'massive waste' as HS2 north scrapped by ToriesTheir Conservative counterparts disagreed hailing 'a new era for Levelling Up'

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• First digitalised cross border movement of goods achievedThe world’s first digitalised cross border movement of goods has been successful, shifting the gear towards transforming global trade to be more cost-effective, efficient, resilient and environmentally conscious. Built on the foundations set by the UK Electronic Trade Documents Act (ETDA) and Facilitated by the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (Britcham) representing British businesses in Singapore, this pilot initiative stands as a testament to the ambitions of the UK-Southeast Asia Trade Digitalisation Pilot’s through a collaboration of organisations in both countries. ...

New Civil Engineer

• Network North: what is in Rishi Sunak’s £36bn HS2 replacement plan?The Department for Transport (DfT) has revealed full details of the £36bn investment plan promised by Rishi Sunak to replace the scrapped Manchester and East Midlands legs of High Speed 2 (HS2).

Railnews

• HS2 to Manchester replaced by selection of bits and pieces HS2 between Birmingham and Manchester has been replaced by numerous transport projects, including some road improvements as well as railway electrification, a new tram system and an extension of the £2 maximum bus fare. The improvements have been dubbed ’Network North’ but they include many schemes elsewhere in England as well as some in north Wales and south west Scotland.

Railway Gazette

• Post-Covid rail sector must understand what it does best, says HainesUK: ’We in the rail sector must be objective and honest about what we are good at’, Network Rail Chief Executive Andrew Haines told a conference in Birmingham on October 3, as he reflected on how the industry can plot its way through the uncertainty of the post-Covid period.
• Rail leaders court Labour as fears of ’managed decline’ growUK: Amid mounting concern about potential cuts to rail provision, senior leaders in the passenger and freight markets have begun to engage more closely with the Labour Party ahead of a likely general election in 2024.

Other News Sources

• What Rishi Sunak scrapping HS2 means for the North of EnglandThe below interview with Dr Tom Arnold, Research Associate in Public Policy, at the Heseltine Institute, was originally published in The Conversation
• Grimshaw’s Euston HS2 station loses more platforms under Sunak rethinkGrimshaw’s London Euston HS2 station will be shrunk to just six platforms under Rishi Sunak's latest vision for the flagging project
• Heathrow passengers can pre-book security slot in new trialIt will initially be open to passengers in Terminal 3 travelling with four airlines, with more to be added during the six-month trial