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

Wednesday, 03 January 2024

BBC News

• Cowley Branch Line railway gets £500k for station plansA railway has been given £500,000 to help design two new stations.
• Cardiff bus station to open after seven-year delayThe interchange in Cardiff had been due to open in 2017, but plans were hit by problems and delays.
• Hundreds of flood warnings in place and rail disruption set to continue in wake of Storm HenkThe storm brought gusts of up to 81mph, causing widespread travel disruption, flooding and power cuts.
• London Underground: Travel disruption looms amid strike actionRMT members are set to walk out over a 5% pay offer which TfL says is all it can afford.
• Red Sea attacks could push up prices, UK firms warnBusiness leaders say attacks on shipping vessels could cause delays and price rises for UK shoppers.

Financial Times

• Chinese EV stocks fall as competition puts pressure on carmakers

The Guardian

• Farnborough airport's biggest critic silenced as expansion plans continueUK's busiest private jet airfield announced plans to double weekend flights weeks after campaign group chair received For four years, Colin Shearn, a 62-year-old retired corporate executive, led the Farnborough Noise Group, a watchdog for locals worried about the operations of Farnborough airport, the UK's busiest private jet airfield.
• Passenger jet in fiery crash at Haneda airport was cleared to land, Japan Airlines saysIn a recording from the control tower apparently taken before impact, a voice can be heard advising JAL's flight to continue approach. A passenger jet that collided with a coast guard plane in a catastrophic accident at Tokyo's Haneda Airport had been given permission to land, Japan Airlines executives have said, as police reportedly prepared to investigate whether the crash involved professional negligence.

The Independent

• Minimum requirement for electric car sales comes into forceUnder the mandate, at least 22% of new cars sold by manufacturers in the UK this year must be zero-emission.

Times Online

• No fatal crashes in 2023 for international passenger jets [subscription]Fatal accident rate was three times better than the ten-year average last year
• Airbus investors should fasten their seatbelts. [subscription]European aerospace company is set for a bumpy ride despite its dominant position
• More cuts loom for train companies hit by lack of commuters [subscription]Some have already reduced the number of carriages but are now being asked for more budget savings

The Mirror

• Bus services in 'crisis' as miles driven plummets by quarter since Tories won powerBus services are facing a "quiet crisis" with the number of miles driven plummeting by almost a quarter since the Tories won power.
• Reclining plane seats to be scrapped for key reason as airlines remove 'awkward' buttonCabin crews are likely to be welcoming of the change with airlines reportedly looking to steer stewards away from appeasing angry passengers or mediating disagreements
• Japan Airlines' excellent record 'written in blood' after worst ever crash saved lives in TokyoOfficials for Japan Airlines explained that their gleaming safety record is 'written in blood' of the victims less lucky to have survived the airline's 1985 crash which killed 520 and became the worst single-aircraft crash in history

Local Government

• Portsmouth bus transformation underwayPortsmouth's residents are now able to experience more accessible travel by bus, thanks to improvements made by the Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan scheme.

Birmingham Post

• Hundreds of homes and a new station: The key developments coming to Wigan in 2024Borough projects also include revitalisation of Haigh Hall
• Metrolink hopes for Stockport - all the key changes expected in the borough for 2024 from transport to office space and new homesPlans include Stockport Exchange business district

London Evening Standard

• Commuters stuck on Elizabeth Line train 'for an hour' after power supply issueA passenger complained that they would miss their flight at London Heathrow as trains were cancelled

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham bus shelters being upgraded as council predicts £6 million earningBetter lighting could also be among the improvements to 823 Nottingham bus shelters

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Aberdeen Airport taxi drivers face 150% drop-off price increase from tomorrowAberdeen Airport Taxi Management has confirmed that the fee for its drivers will increase from £2 to £5.

The York Press

• City of York Council consults on bus service reviewCUTS to York bus services are being proposed in a council review which aims to save £200,000 and make them more reliable.
• York Cycle Campaign hope to transform the city's transportYORK cycle campaign are the group hoping to create change and transform transport around the city.

Wales Online

• Plans for new Cardiff railway station pushed back again with planning hearing set to reopenThe hearing is being reopened after changes were made to Welsh planning policy
• The centuries-old canal route in Neath the public may no longer be able to access parts of because of budget cutsIt comes as Neath Port Talbot Council is grappling with trying to save millions of pounds

Oxford Mail

• Oxford Cowley Branch Line design work contract commissionedOfficers have given the green light to a half a million pound contract for a proposed Oxfordshire railway line.

Other Regional Press

• 'No plans for Severn Bridge tolls' says council leaderA row is brewing over a council document which looks to suggest a reintroduction of Severn bridge tolls.
• New railway footbridge at Lostwithiel on hold because of embarrassing design flawThe community has been campaigning for a footbridge at its train station for years
• ScotRail launches major recruitment drive as 160 roles advertised with rail operatorScotRail has already recruited more than 200 new members of staff since August and expects to recruit a further 160 people before the end of March 2024.
• Huddersfield Railway Station’s external revamp to begin with passengers issued warningThe works will span the next three years

Train Operators

• Will 2024 be the ’year of the ’recremuter’? The new term for commuting to the office ONLY when there’s a recreational 'add on’, says NorthernTrain operator Northern has coined the term ’recremuter’ for its customers who now only commute to the office when there’s a recreational ’add on’ to their day.

Intelligent Transport

• Empowering inclusive travel: A collaborative approach to enhancing public transportation experiences in LondonMark Evers, Chief Customer Officer at Transport for London (TfL), sat down with Intelligent Transport’s Halimah Haque to discuss TfL’s new partnership with the British Institute of Learning Disabilities and People First – which will work to gather insights into the challenges faced by individuals with autism, learning disabilities or difficulties – and to exclusively share his insight into the importance of identifying, acknowledging and working to tackle these challenges in order to deliver a transport network that enables all passengers to be able to travel independently with confidence.

New Civil Engineer

• The barriers to rail freight growth in the UK are clearThe government’s sudden commitment to growing rail freight by 75% by 2050 is welcome, even though this amounts to only just over 2% per year. But how is it to be achieved?
• HS2 reveals plans for 2024 which will see ’peak construction’£5bn of new contracts are to be let over the course of 2024 by HS2 Ltd as it says it has hit “peak construction” of the rail project.

Rail Business Daily

• TfL will manage to deliver a full programme of improvements for 2024/25 as set out in its draft Business PlanTransport for London (TfL) has said that it will deliver the full programme of improvements and vital infrastructure renewals for London in 2024/25 as set out in its recently published Draft Business Plan.
• Transport Focus Chief takes over as chair of Independent Rail RetailersAnthony Smith has been announced as the new Chair of Independent Rail Retailers (IRR) after stepping down from his role as Chief Executive at Transport Focus.

Rail Technology Magazine

• London's Tube Set for Upgrades Despite Funding HurdlesLondoners can expect a busy year of upgrades to its Tube as Transport for London (TfL) confirmed today they will deliver vital upgrades despite a government funding shortfall.

Railnews

• New Year will be pivotal for HS2 HS2 Ltd is preparing for a critical new phase as work on the surviving section of Phase 1 between Old Oak Common in west London and Birmingham Curzon Street is stepped up, with an investment of £5 billion in new contracts planned for 2024.

Railway Technology

• Alstom to deliver new trams to LilleThe French rail manufacturer will deliver at least 24 trams to the city’s tram network’s historic Mongy line.

Aviation Industry

• The Usual Suspects: A Look At Europe's 5 Busiest Airports By Seats In 2023OAG publishes a yearly report of the world’s busiest international airports, including those in individual regions. For 2023, the report highlights Europe’s busiest airports by seats offered. Simple Flying put together the list of the five busiest airports based on the number of seats offered.
• Bournemouth Airport on track for 1m passengersBournemouth Airport announced today that it expects to handle more than one million passengers in 2024 as Ryanair confirms its 19th destination from the airport.

Other News Sources

• TfL learning lessons from the Burberry Street station controversyTransport for London (TfL) has admitted that last year’s temporary brand takeover of Bond Street tube station was confusing for passengers and wasn’t handled as well as it could have been.
• CPD: Electric vehicle charging infrastructureIn this CPD, BEAMA explores the business opportunities and technical requirements involved in creating the national electric vehicle charging infrastructure. By Mark Williamson.
• Nissan marks 90th birthday with list of global transport innovations... The carmaker, founded on 26 December 1933, has established a storied history of automotive success (see video here), and its new research explores people’s opinions on a list of other significant transport innovations over the last nine decades.
• Northern hail 2024 as the year of the ’recremuter’Northern have coined the term ’recremuter’ for the new train passengers who combine commuting for work and recreation.