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

Saturday, 07 October 2023

BBC News

• Birmingham CAZ: Pollution levels drop as cars increasePlans are now being put in place to tackle
• Manchester Airport: Terminal 2 tram extension being consideredRishi Sunak's plan to expand a tramline to Manchester Airport caused confusion as the line opened in 2014.
• Trains suspended in 'do not travel' weather warning for ScotlandScotRail suspends some services and cross-border passengers warned not to travel to Scotland.
• HS2: What has been built so far?A visual guide to the progress made on one of the most expensive rail projects in the world.
• Car workers strike not expanded as concession madeThe United Auto Workers union will continue action but says it is making progress with firms.

Financial Times

• GM agrees to put EV battery plants under labour contract, union saysTentative concession by carmaker to UAW comes as strike enters fourth week
• 'Managed decline': the uncertain future for British rail after cuts to HS2Rishi Sunak promised major new investments as he slashed back HS2. But the UK rail industry is fearful of the future
• Ministers alter pitch to drivers after overstating London penalty appealsPlan for Motorists changed after number of traffic ticket appeals challenged by the FT

The Guardian

• Liverpool announces it will bring buses back under public controlCity region to join Greater Manchester in reversing deregulation and introducing franchising on routesLiverpool will bring its buses back under public control, after the mayor announced he was introducing franchising to allow the region to set routes and fares.The decision means the Liverpool region will become the second place to overturn decades of bus deregulation in England, after Greater Manchester brought in its Bee Network two weeks ago. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Bid to end ferry service 'discrimination' of islanders' human rightsMoves have been made to overcome a rule that forbids islanders from priority access to ferry travel.

The Independent

• Drivers in Singapore have to pay £87,000 for a certificate to own a carIntroduced in 1990, Singapore has a 10-year 'certificate of entitlement' (COE) system - which is used to control the number of vehicles in the state

Times Online

• Flying Scotsman back on track after shunting crash [subscription]Flying Scotsman will carry out rail tours this weekend after passing a mechanical inspection following a crash.
• Land in HS2 path still being bought days before line scrapped [subscription]Rail project made £1.5 million purchase hours before Sunak’s conference speech

Daily Record

• ScotRail services cancelled due to amber weather warning in ScotlandScotrail have warned that the Met Office's forecast of heavy rain has led to the suspension of several services.
• Flying Scotsman tours return as train passes mechanical inspection after crashThe 100-year-old locomotive was involved in a "shunting incident" with Belmond's Royal Scotsman train carriages.

Mail Online

• Fury over 'too-high' fuel prices: Petrol stations come under fire for ripping off drivers despite a slump in oil pricesThe price of a barrel of oil has dropped more than £8 in the last 10 days making it cheaper for forecourts to stock up on fuel, but savings are not being passed on to motorists by garages.

This is Money

• Do I need to get insurance to legally ride my £900 electric bike on the roads?Electric bikes are rapidly growing in number. Some require insurance by law, while others do not - and it all rests on what sort of electric bike you have.

Sky News

• Rail companies tell customers 'do not travel' on Scottish routes ahead of 'major rainfall event'Two rail companies have advised customers not to travel to and from Scotland today, with Met Office weather warnings in place for heavy rain.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham New Street staff named 'rudest and most unhelpful' in UKA spokesperson for Network Rail has said that they are 'committed to providing the best service possible'
• Ryanair launches Birmingham Airport flights to 'best seaside town in Europe' with amazing beachesValencia was crowned the most beloved European coastal town by a poll of Brits - now Brummies will be able to fly there directly

Bolton News

• Northern running reduced service on all lines after electrical faultFew trains are currently running to or from Manchester Piccadilly after damage to an overhead wire

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• LEEDS: Airport boss claims he can't stop airlines running at nightA ROW over night flights has intensified - with the boss of Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) claiming he's powerless to stop airlines running flights whenever they want.
• UK drivers warned over 5 laws to follow when driving with childrenDrivers could face over £16,000 in fines and points on their licence if they don't follow these rules when travelling with children in the car.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Road closed and fields flooded as heavy rain falls ahead of weekend heatwaveTorrential downpours in Gwynedd and Conwy has saw flood alerts issued but a change is on the way

Wales Online

• Rishi Sunak's estimate of £1bn for electrifying more rail lines in Wales is a massive underestimate, says expertTransport expert professor Stuart Cole raised concerns about how realistic the estimated cost of the project in north Wales would be

Bucks Free Press

• HS2 sinkhole Amersham: Pollution investigation completeA pollution investigation into a sinkhole caused by the boring of a tunnel for the new HS2 railway line has been completed.
• HS2: Bucks Council boss demands cash after northern leg axedLives have been 'destroyed' by HS2, the Leader of Buckinghamshire Council has said as he called for the county to gain from scrapping the northern leg.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Boost for train services to Peterborough after pledge to upgrade rail bottlenecksTimetable for upgrades not known

Other Regional Press

• Somerset Council powerless to stop bus depot closuresSomerset Council says it has no power to stop further bus depot closures in the county.
• The flyover project bringing traffic misery to part of KentAerial images have been released showing the gradual changes to a major road layout as the multi-million-pound M2 junction five works continue.
• Portland Port cruise ships and traffic problems in WeymouthPort bosses celebrated a record-breaking double-call of cruise ships on one day - and revealed more liners from around the world will be sailing in throughout next year

Railnews

• Slimmed down HS2 Euston may depend on private cash Reports overnight say that the revival of the HS2 station at London Euston, with its 7km link from Old Oak Common, will only go ahead if private investment can be found. The Prime Minister said on Wednesday that although he was scrapping Phases 2A and 2B from north of Birmingham to Crewe and Manchester, the connection with Euston was back on the agenda. The proposed station will now have only six platforms rather than the 11 which were originally envisaged when HS2 was to serve the East Midlands, South Yorkshire, Leeds and Manchester as well as Birmingham.

Other News Sources

• New Blackburn hospital buses promised by Rishi Sunak as he scraps HS2Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised a new bus service to the Royal Blackburn Hospital as part of £700m plans for buses after scrapping HS2.
• These are the roads with the most potholes in HerefordshireA RESPONSE to a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Hereford Times has revealed there have been over 5,000 reports of potholes in Herefordshire so far this year.