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

Wednesday, 01 November 2023

BBC News

• Ulez: Vehicle compliancy rate at 95% across London, City Hall report saysThe number of vehicles complying with the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) has reached 95% across inner and outer London, a report by City Hall has said.
• Bus service cut as gang of youths cause havoc in townResidents of an East Renfrewshire town say they are at the "end of their tether" after a spate of youth vandalism and violence led to a bus service cancellation.
• Plans to close rail ticket offices in England scrappedThe government tells train firms to ditch the controversial closures, sparking anger from rail bosses.
• El Nino drought: Panama Canal cuts ship numbers furtherThe new restrictions will likely further increase the cost of shipping goods around the world.

Financial Times

• Government orders U-turn on rail ticket office closures in EnglandIntervention by transport secretary follows public backlash against cost-cutting proposals

The Guardian

• Ticket office U-turn ditches hated rail policy but where will savings come from now?Unpopular proposal for England came on back of crisis that has engulfed the industry in Britain since Covid hit

Times Online

• Funding blow for green jet fuel producer Velocys. [subscription]Shares in a “carbon-negative” jet fuel producer that has benefited from tens of millions of pounds’ worth of government grants collapsed by more than two thirds after it said a funding round had fallen apart.
• Government scraps plans to close hundreds of railway ticket offices. [subscription]99 per cent of people who responded to a consultation opposed the plans

The Mirror

• 'The battle to keep rail ticket offices open is over, but the war is not won yet'The Transport Secretary has pulled back now, but is he genuinely abandoning the journey, Paul Routledge asks, or merely changing trains and not the destination?

Birmingham Post

• Railway ticket office closures scrapped as Government u-turn sparks 'quiet fury' in the rail industryWatchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch had opposed closures
• Plans for EV charging station in Abergavenny take step forward after land dealJohnsey Estates has sold the last plot of land at Westgate to German infrastructure firm Ionity
• Chamber and MPs seek urgent meeting with rail chiefs over northern connectivity for HullConcerns over next set of timetables expressed

Bolton News

• Railway ticket office U-turn plans welcomed by campaignersA pensioners group in Bolton who campaigned against the closure of ticket offices are relieved at the news of the plans being scrapped
• Train station ticket office U-turn welcomed by Metro MayorGreater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has spoken about the ticket office closures in a press conference today.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Planned closure of railway ticket offices in Bradford district axedThe planned widespread closure of railway station ticket offices in England has been scrapped.
• First Bradford condemns unruly youths after buses targetedUNRULY youths targeted buses at a Bradford estate last night - forcing services to divert.

Bristol Live

• Bristol's railway station ticket offices to remain open after major Government U-turnAll the railway stations in the Bristol area were due to close under the controversial plans which have now been scrapped

Liverpool Echo

• I was shocked when the cab driver named his price - things have to changeAfter a battle to get home, ECHO reporter Dan Haygarth calls for change in Merseyside's late night transport offering

Manchester Evening News

• 'Huge victory' as railway ticket offices to remain open after mayors threaten legal action"We believe we've done the right thing and given a voice to our residents. We'll do it again when we believe we have to."

The York Press

• TransPennine Route Upgrade disrupts some York rail servicesYork rail passengers face a second weekend of disruption as engineering works continue as part of the multi-billion Transpennine route upgrade.
• Plans to close railway ticket offices in England scrappedPlans to close railway ticket offices in England have been scrapped.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• New traffic orders for 'rephased' HS2 work between Birmingham and LichfieldStaffordshire motorists are set for years of HS2 roadworks despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's axing of the controversial line's northern leg.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds Bradford Airport accused of breaking night-time flight quota by nearly 500 flights this summerLeeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has run nearly 500 night-time flights more than it was allowed this summer, campaigners have claimed.

Yorkshire Post

• Victory for passengers as plans for widespread closure of railway station ticket offices ditched - The Yorkshire Post saysCommon sense has prevailed with the Government ditching plans for widespread closure of railway station ticket offices in England.

Bucks Free Press

• Train ticket offices to stay open as closure plans scrappedRailway ticket offices will stay open as closure plans see u-turn.
• HS2 ‘Lego’ viaduct in Buckinghamshire has beams addedNew pictures show the first beams that have been laid on the ‘Lego set’ viaduct for the HS2 high-speed railway line in Buckinghamshire.

Other Regional Press

• Free travel trial as Shrewsbury's new on-demand buses take to the roadPeople will be able to try Shropshire Council’s new, on-demand bus service for free in November.
• Wiltshire train ticket offices to stay open as closure plans scrappedRailway ticket offices will stay open as closure plans see u-turn.
• Arriva hits back at claim bus changes 'disrespectful'Arriva has responded to criticism of the “disrespectful” way upcoming bus network changes are being introduced.
• Train ticket offices to stay open as closure plans scrappedRailway ticket offices will stay open as closure plans see u-turn.
• HS2 Thame Viaduct construction near Bicester gets underwayThe first of 72 huge beams have been lifted in the construction of the HS2 Thame Valley Viaduct near Bicester.
• Darlington and Thornaby ticket stations saved from the axe as MP celebrates 'victory for common sense'Proposals had been drawn up by train firms to shut ticket counters at 974 railway stations, with many Tory MP's backing the closures
• Cost of controversial £40m railway station to soar furtherThe cost of a controversial £40m rail project is set to soar "substantially" and the county's taxpayers will pick up the tab, new papers reveal.
• Ticket offices in Coventry and Warwickshire spared the axe after government scraps plansTicket offices at railway stations across the country had been earmarked for closure - but the plans have been dropped

New Civil Engineer

• Movers and shakers: Biggest construction and engineering appointments in October 2023 - Three senior appointments for Heathrow Southern RailwayHeathrow Southern Railway Ltd (HSRL) - the independent venture set up to transform the rail network serving Heathrow Airport – has appointed Mark Livock as chief executive and Crawford Birden and Russell Jackson as non-executive directors.
• Electrification milestone reached on £1bn South Wales Metro schemeWelsh rail chiefs have hailed a milestone in the creation of the £1bn South Wales Metro with the electrification of two lines.
• Regulator accepts Network Rail’s £43.1bn investment plan with focus on resilience and freightThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has accepted Network Rail’s £43.1bn plan for Control Period 7 (CP7), April 2024-March 2029, which will focus on building network resilience and increasing rail freight.

Rail Business Daily

• Rail business leaders’ confidence in the future of the rail market at a five-year lowNew polling by the Railway Industry Association (RIA), the voice of the UK supply community, shows that over 50% of rail suppliers believe the industry will contract in the next year. These findings represent a significant increase in negative sentiment among businesses across the sector over the last 12 months.

Railnews

• Government scraps ticket office closures The Government has climbed down over plans to close station ticket offices in England, after the transport watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch said they would not be recommending any closures. Their announcements today have followed an extended consultation which had attracted 750,000 responses, many of which ’contained powerful and passionate concerns about the potential changes‘, according to Transport Focus. The RMT had feared that thousands of jobs could be lost. General secretary Mick Lynch said it was a ‘resounding victory for the union’s campaign and a win for passengers, ...

Other News Sources

• Andy Burnham insists he’s got ’big ambition’ to take the Metrolink to StockportAndy Burnham has spoken about plans to take the Metrolink to Stockport, and says he’s got “big ambition” to connect the town in the near future.
• Carisbrooke Shipping partners with Southampton University for biofouling measurement techUK shipowner Carisbrooke Shipping has entered into collaboration with the University of Southampton to model the optimized management of hull biofouling across its fleet.
• Silk Alliance plans green shipping corridor implementationThe Silk Alliance, a cross-supply chain industry alliance within Lloyd’s Register (LR) Maritime Decarbonisation Hub, has written an open letter to express its joint vision for the establishment of a green shipping corridor cluster.
• Train ticket offices to stay open as closure plans scrappedRailway ticket offices will stay open as closure plans see u-turn.
• Rail ticket office closures in England cancelled in government U-turnThe Government has done an about turn over plans to close most of England’s railway ticket offices, asking train operators to scrap the idea. Passenger watchdogs said they opposed every single planned closure – after a huge number of complaints over issues like accessibility. Disability campaigners welcomed what they called a major campaign victory –…
• Gatwick Northern Runway consultation sees oppositionCrawley Borough Council and nine other authorities have submitted a string of concerns to a government-appointed panel about Gatwick Airport's Northern Runway plans.