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

Wednesday, 18 October 2023

BBC News

• Stoke-on-Trent council wants clarity on HS2 transport investmentCouncil leaders in Staffordshire are calling for clarity on regional investment from the axed HS2 leg.
• London pollution: Maps shows worst areas for road run-off pollutionThe interactive online tool highlights Barking and Dagenham and Barnet as two of the hot-spot areas.
• Pause HS2 land sale, says government big projects adviserSir John Armitt tells the BBC the decision to sell the property is a

ITV News

• 'New train stations in South-East Wales could cut M4 traffic by 20%', says expert
Plans for five new train stations to be built in South Wales have taken another step closer to becoming a reality.

Department for Transport

• Improving the journeys that matter most to the British public - Oral statement to ParliamentMr Deputy Speaker, thank you very much. With your permission, I wish to make a statement on how this government is improving the journeys that matter most to the British public.

The Guardian

• England’s biggest cities should introduce congestion charges, says commissionEngland’s biggest cities outside London should introduce some form of congestion charge to reduce car traffic and boost their economies, according to the National Infrastructure Commission.

Times Online

• Electric car prices to rise £3,400 without Brexit tariff extension. [subscription]Electric car buyers will be hit with a £3,400 price increase in the new year unless an agreement is reached with the European Union to extend new charges, analysis has shown.
• Edinburgh considers partial SUV ban. [subscription]Councillor argues bigger vehicles are bad for pedestrians, potholes and climate

City AM

• Nissan Qashqai ads banned for lack of clarity over hybrid's need for petrol Two ads for Nissan’s Qashqai hybrid model have been banned for failing to make clear the extent to which it needed petrol to run.
• Stansted boss: Scrap the ’tourist tax’ to keep London competitive The boss of London Stansted Airport has called on the government to scrap the so-called tourist tax in order to keep London competitive.

Birmingham Post

• Trade union says Rolls-Royce's axing of jobs is without justificationUnite, Britain’s biggest union, has responded to the announcement made on October 17 that the aerospace giant is looking to make over 2,000 redundancies
• Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester need major public transport investment, report saysThe National Infrastructure Commission says the scale of Leeds' transport needs could justify a tram or rail scheme

Bolton News

• Bolton: Chorley New Road cycle lane to be legalisedA cycle lane on one of the busiest roads in and out of Bolton could soon be formally legalised.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Leeds Bradford Airport £100 million transformation to beginA £100 MILLION transformation of Leeds Bradford Airport is to begin imminently.

Derby Telegraph

• Silence over future of Alstom factory in Derby as urgent meeting requestedGrowing concerns over a three-year production gap between 2024 and 2026, threatening 2,000 jobs in Derby at train maker Alstom, have prompted Derby City Council's leader to request an urgent meeting with the Secretary of State for Transport. Councillor Baggy Shanker already wrote to minister Mark Harper twice in September asking the Government to take action to ensure work continuity and jobs at the Litchurch Lane factory but has had no response.

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyrail says 'no sign' of bed bugs on our trains as other networks hit by outbreakThe train operator is monitoring the situation but has seen no cause for concern

Nation. Cymru

• Welsh MP seeks assurances on Sunak’s north Wales rail electrification pledgePlaid Cymru’s MP for Arfon, Hywel Williams has sought assurances that the Prime Minister’s announcement of plans for the electrification of the north Wales mainline will be ’properly and fully funded’.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• 'An embarrassment': MP's fury as Government accused of denying Leamside Line U-turnThe row over the restoration of the disused railway line continues, with the transport secretary now accused by a North East MP of trying to “pull the wool over our eyes”

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Dudley Bus Station to be demolished in new year to make way for £24m transport interchangeDudley Bus Station will be demolished early next year so building work can begin on a new £24 million transport interchange.

Bucks Free Press

• Chiltern Railways trains on Met line move to leaf fall timesA new train timetable has kicked in parts of Buckinghamshire due to fallen leaves on tracks.

Other Regional Press

• A train operator has admitted it has “failed on reliability” for passengers.The comments came from Avanti West Coast’s regional growth manager, Mark Osborne, at a meeting of Staffordshire County Council’s overview and scrutiny committee today (17th October).
• MORE TRAINS COULD RUN BETWEEN BRISTOL AND WALESFive new railway stations for south east Wales could form part of plans for more services between Bristol and Cardiff.
• Bristol one of four UK city regions identified for major public transport investmentOnly half of Bristol’s population can currently reach the city centre by public transport within 30 minutes

New Civil Engineer

• Birmingham’s Saltley Viaduct undergoes design revamp by HS2 teamMott MacDonald and Systra have redesigned a Birmingham bridge proposed as part of the surviving leg of High Speed 2 (HS2) to make it friendlier for pedestrians, cyclists and bats.

Rail Business Daily

• Long term review sets out pressing need to modernise transport infrastructure to support economic growthImproved infrastructure to boost economic growth across the UK and meet climate goals is both achievable and affordable if the right policy steps are taken now, according to the government’s independent advisers on infrastructure strategy.

Railnews

• Talks start on private cash for HS2 Euston Transport secretary Mark Harper has revealed that discussions have started on raising private investment to fund the construction of the central London station for HS2 at Euston. Mr Harper said talks took place with the Euston Partnership Board last week. The Board is a group of stakeholders which was set up in 2020, and is chaired by Lord Hendy.

Railtech

• Portuguese operator CP cleared of historic debt: new trains in the cardsA financial restructuring and a debt cleared. Portuguese state-owned operator Comboios de Portugal (CP) has been compensated for services between the years 2002 and 2019 by the Portuguese government, effectively cancelling almost all of the operator’s debt, opening the way for purchasing new trains for future high-speed lines.

The Business Desk

• Land deal opens door to huge 2.5m sq ft logistics and rail freight schemeNational logistics developer Tritax Symmetry has unveiled plans for a 2.5 million sq ft logistics scheme in St Helens, within the Liverpool City Region Freeport zone.

Transportxtra

• Government’s new push for rail electrification ’too piecemeal’The UK Government has rediscovered its enthusiasm for rail electrification, but without the strategic direction which is driving infrastructure and rolling stock investment in Scotland. Railway suppliers reiterated their call for the Government to commit to a rolling electrification programme and publish a strategy for traction and rolling stock.
• Network North: The Great Train RobberyLTT invited sustainable transport campaigner Chris Todd, Founder and Director of the Transport Action Network, to give his own appraisal of the Government’s new Network North policy, and how it sits amongst the other recent policy announcements it has Imade, including the HS2 cancellation and Plan for Drivers
• Disappointment at Labour’s limited conference transport proposalsThere has been disappointment amongst transport campaigners at the continued lack of detail about the Labour Party’s plans for major policy areas in the sector, beyond rail and buses.

Other News Sources

• Welsh Government announces budget cuts to fund trains and NHSCUTS are to be made across several government departments to funnel extra cash into the NHS and to keep trains running.
• ’Urgent’ review of rail plans needed after confidence hit by HS2 cut, says ArmittNIC chair calls for look at rail investment following Manchester decision, as group releases second national infrastructure assessment
• Marches LEP launches new £140,000 transport fundA new fund to help finance the preparation of strategic business cases for vital transport infrastructure projects has been launched by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership.
• Govt should invest £22bn in public transport, says NICThe key to unlocking economic growth lies in improving public transport, according to the National Infrastructure Commission’s latest National Infrastructure Assessment.
• Surrey County Council spent £140k on failed bid to block ULEZ expansion including huge payment to TfLThe court ordered a number of councils to pay Transport for London's legal costs