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

Wednesday, 11 October 2023

BBC News

• 'Better service' promise over West Yorkshire bus franchise planPlans to bring West Yorkshire's buses back under public control have been put out to public consultation.
• Shrewsbury on-demand bus service to begin under trialAn on-demand bus service is set to be trialled in Shrewsbury. Passengers will be offered free transport to try out the buses, which will be available to book via an app or phone call.
• Demand for £2bn Welsh HS2 cash could go to courtThe Welsh government is considering legal action against the Conservative UK government over HS2.
• Luton Airport flights suspended after large car park fireA multi-storey car park partially collapses and up to 1,200 vehicles may have been damaged.

ITV News

• Report finds wheels stopped rotating 55 miles before Carlisle train derailmentA report into a train derailment in Carlisle has found that one set of wheels on the train stopped rotating during the journey.
• HS2: Prime Minister refuses to back own promise that high speed rail will reach EustonThe Prime Minister has refused to back his own promise that HS2 will run all the way from Birmingham to Euston Station in London, which he announced in his conference speech last week.

Financial Times

• US auto salvage industry braces for impending bounty of junk EVsCompanies that wrench apart and shred old cars prepare for ‘fundamental shift in recycling’
• EU scraps competition law exemptions for shipping linesClampdown comes at critical time for container companies whose earnings have fallen since the end of lockdown

The Guardian

• Bedbugs ˜a real source of concern' on London transport, says Sadiq KhanMayor says ˜there is no complacency as video appears to show insect on tube after outbreaks reported in Paris.
• Why the HS2 dream was never on the right track | LettersTony May lists the problems with the high-speed railway and says that investment should have started in the north

The Telegraph

• Electric bus station fire could turn high-rise homes into ’volcano’, residents warn. [subscription]Calls to scrap £1.7bn development in Edgware driven by fears of ’thermal runaway’ under flats

City AM

• London Luton Airport closed and flights suspended as fire rips through car park Footage posted on social media showed flames and smoke tearing through cars parked at the newly-built airport car park.

Mail Online

• Farmer who lost 40 acres of his land to make way for now cancelled HS2 route says he still hasn't received any compensation after it was acquired by compulsory purchase order in FebruaryBernard Kettle, 82, who owns Bower End farm in Madeley, Staffordshire, said 40 acres of his 100-acre site were compulsory purchased for the planned Phase 2a up to Crewe in February.

Local Government

• The next ten Bus Service Improvement Plans announced.As part of North Somerset Council’s plans to create a sustainable bus network across the region, proposals for ten government-funded Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) projects have been announced along key routes where buses are regularly delayed.
• Hull City Council leader calls on Secretary of State for update on rail electrification Councillor Mike Ross, leader of Hull City Council, has (today) written to the Secretary of State for Transport to seek clarification on when the government expect electrification of the Hull to Leeds rail line to take place.

Birmingham Post

• Bristol Airport appoints planning and sustainability directorClare Hennessey has previously worked on major projects such as the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant and the London 2012 Olympic Games

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Ilkley 20mph zone: Questions to be asked in poll revealedThe questions to be asked in a poll on Ilkley's 20mph zone have been revealed.

Bristol Live

• HS2 cash could fund upgrades for key M5 routeThe council is waiting to hear what funding is available

Morning Star

• TSSA elects new general secretary, first woman to lead rail unionMARYAM ESLAMDOUST has been elected the new general secretary of the TSSA, becoming the first woman and person of colour to lead a railway union.

Other Regional Press

• The Birmingham neighbourhoods in line for extra rail services - becoming unlikely benefactors of HS2A number of local Birmingham rail projects have been identified as unlikely benefactors of the HS2 line from Birmingham to Manchester being cancelled
• Politics: North-east should benefit from new rail investmentTransport issues dominated the news last week. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak decided to allow the whole of the Conservative Party Conference be dominated by speculation that the new high-speed rail link – HS2 – was going to have the link to Manchester scrapped.
• London Luton Airport closed as fire rips through car parkLuton Airport has been closed after a fire ripped through a multi-storey car park, causing it to collapse
• Coventry needs to 'cut back parking charges' to avoid 'ghost town' fearsReaders shared their concerns about the possibility of Coventry becoming scarce

Coach and Bus Week

• McGills marks world car free day with Free Bus FridayAs part of World Car Free Day celebrations on 22 September, and to highlight the car-free options available across the region, McGill’s Buses and Inverclyde Council partnered to deliver a ’Free Bus Friday’ in the Inverclyde area, during which all journeys on the operators buses in the area were free.
• Whippet launches new Mellor e-bus fleetA fleet of nine new Mellor electric buses will operate on an extended Universal bus route from October, after the University of Cambridge and Whippet buses announced a new eight-year contract for the service

New Civil Engineer

• New £26.5M White Rose station in Leeds takes shape with installation of link bridgesConstruction of the £26.5M White Rose station in Leeds has reached a milestone with contractor Spencer Group having installed two link bridges from the station buildings to platform level.
• Kier to take over works on Black Country stations started by failed Buckingham GroupWork is set to restart on the £55M project to create two new stations in the Black Country, after local transport chiefs confirmed that Kier would take over from failed Buckingham Group.
• HS2 | Arup, Mace and Balfour among highest earning from £1.25bn spent on work for scrapped Phase 2Arup, Mace and Balfour Beatty are among numerous tier 1 contractors and consultants that have been paid a share of the £1.25bn spent to date on works for the scrapped Phase 2 of High Speed 2 (HS2).

Rail Business Daily

• First Class 720 train enters passenger serviceTrenitalia-owned train operator c2c recently celebrated its new Class 720 trains entering passenger service with a surprise tribute to former Managing Director, Julian Drury.
• Carlisle Support Services appointed to enhance event management operations at the Wembley Stadium stationChiltern Railways appointed Carlisle Support Services to enhance event management operations at the Wembley Stadium station.
• White Rose railway station takes major step forwardA major construction milestone has taken place at the £26.5 million new White Rose railway station in south Leeds.

Railnews

• Mayor calls for scrapped HS2 land to be safeguarded The mayor of Greater Manchester has called for land which has already been bought for HS2’s axed Phases 2A and 2B to Crewe and Manchester to be safeguarded. The government has said the land will be resold, but Andy Burnham, who was speaking at a fringe event during the Labour Party conference, said the short timetable for a sell-off was ‘not acceptable’, and that the Prime Minister’s decision to abandon the route, announced six days ago at the Conservative Party conference, ‘mustn’t be allowed to stand’.

Railtech

• Second TGV M trainset begins tests on the French networkThe TGV M test campaign, which began in June 2023, accelerated in October with the arrival of a second test train on the French national rail network. It will be running until mid-November on the Sud Europe Atlantique high-speed line. Success in this testing phase will enable the TGV M’s safety equipment to be validated.
• Saudi Arabia Railways starts hydrogen train tests with AlstomSaudi Arabia Railways (SAR) and French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom will start testing the Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel cell train in the Saudi capital Riyadh this month. It will be the first time a hydrogen train will run in the Middle East.

Railway Gazette

• German train order increased to enable cross-border serviceGERMANY: Schleswig-Holstein transport authority NAH.SH has increased the size of an order for electric multiple-units, after Denmark approved financial support which will enable services to be extended across the border to Tinglev.

Railway Technology

• Alstom’s shares have plummeted by over 35% on H1 resultsThe company maintains a “positive” outlook despite shares dropping drastically by over one-third.

Other News Sources

• First of c2c’s Class 720 Aventra Trains Enter Passenger ServiceThe first of c2c’s new fleet of Class 720 trains, leased from Porterbrook, have entered passenger service.
• Even as UK Cancels HS2, High-Speed Rail Projects Around the World IncreaseCompleted lines in the U.S. and Asia show the importance of adhering to budget.
• Rolling Stock Market to Touch USD 74.86 Billion by 2030 Driven by Increasing Global Trade and Freight Transportation Coupled with International Collaboration | By SNS InsiderBased on SNS Insider’s research, the rolling stock market is influenced by a complex interplay of factors, from urbanization and environmental concerns to technological advancements and government initiatives.
• Madrid to Modernise Fleet with Plans for 80 New Metro TrainsMadrid’s Governing Council has approved the purchase of 80 metro trains to modernise the city’s fleet, increase capacity and improve energy efficiency and passenger experience.
• Labour recommits to Northern Powerhouse Rail – but no promise to deliver HS2Both schemes were previously Labour manifesto commitments Labour’s shadow transport secretary has re-stated the party’s commitment to building Northern Powerhouse Rail but could not make the same promise on the second phase of HS2.
• TSSA welcomes their new General Secretary Maryam EslamdoustTSSA today announced the election of their new General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust. Maryam is the first woman and the first person of colour to hold the post of General Secretary in TSSA, or in any railway union.
• 'Derelict eyesore' all that's left of failed £150m Woking railway arch-widening projectWhatever plans unfold for the archway, it won't be quick, and there's no money for it"