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

Friday, 02 February 2024

BBC News

• Rail company urged not to forget WellingtonA rail company which is bidding to bring back a direct service between Shropshire and London has been urged not to forget a town.
• Glider: Attacked bus worker says tougher sentences neededA Glider bus worker who has been assaulted multiple times has said there needs to be tougher sentencing for those convicted of such crimes. Figures from Translink show there were 28 physical assaults on Glider staff in 2023, the highest figure in four years.
• Toxic run-off from roads not monitored, BBC findsRiver flowing past the white 'Bake Off' tent is among those polluted by chemicals and tyre particles.
• What are Edinburgh's bold new plans for congestion?Five ways the city council wants to tackle the problem of too many cars in the capital.
• Tesla: Elon Musk moves to shift firm's legal home to TexasThe multi-billionaire says the electric car maker will move immediately to hold a shareholder vote on the matter.

The Guardian

• UK manufacturers hit by Red Sea disruption and rising shipping costsSupply chain difficulties have led to job losses and cuts in purchasing and stocks, S&P Global poll shows
• Weekend rail strikes and overtime ban disrupt UK travelIndustrial action will cause severe disruption to rail travel this weekend, with 24-hour strikes and an overtime ban by train drivers affecting all Britain’s long-distance routes over the next four days.

The Telegraph

• State rail will fail. [subscription]Privatisation in the 1990s led to an unprecedented boom in rail travel. But under Labour's regime, passengers look set to suffer again

Times Online

• Striking train drivers want extra pay for using tablets. [subscription]Striking train drivers are demanding extra pay for using tablet devices at work. The tablets, which are similar to iPads, are designed to send announcements to drivers and notify them of temporary speed limits on routes.
• Plan for new £2bn tramline in Edinburgh approved. [subscription]The council is targeting a 30 per cent reduction in the use of cars in the city centre

Network Rail

• Rail routes set to reopen after £1m rockfall prevention projectTrain services will return to normal tomorrow morning (Friday, February 2) after the successful completion of a £1m rockfall prevention scheme at Ratho on the main Edinburgh-Glasgow line.

Birmingham Post

• New plans to electrify train lines from Bristol Temple Meads to Parkway, Filton, Bath and ChippenhamPrevious plans to upgrade railway tracks in the region were scrapped in 2016

Bolton News

• New trains pledge for Clitheroe, Bolton, Manchester lineNew trains have been pledged for a Bolton line that have “never, ever been on time” in recent months.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Support for call for residents to have say on which Conwy roads go back to 30mph The council cabinet is being asked to consider a public consultation on exemptions to the 20mph default limit
• Welsh Government says 'still building new roads' as £46m bridge opensThe Government has scrapped numerous projects under the roads review but today opened the new Dyfi crossing.

London Evening Standard

• TfL reveals plans to improve Tube and bus accessibility with mini ramps and wheelchair spacesTransport for London aims to have half of all Tube stations with step-free access

Manchester Evening News

• Luxury 'PremiAir' terminal at Manchester Airport closed since Covid to reopenPassengers can pay for added panache - with a chauffer service to their planes

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Tyne Bridge restoration funding finally confirmed as Government signs off £35m after delay sagaThe Department for Transport is at last set to deliver tens of millions of pounds for the Tyne Bridge's refurbishment, following a war of words with local leaders
• Guy Opperman: 'The Tyne Bridge is a vital connection and it deserves better'Roads minister and Conservative MP for Hexham Guy Opperman writes for ChronicleLive on the day that the Government finally confirms £35 million of funding for the Tyne Bridge's repairs

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Merchant Quarter bike lane plans after Aberdeen bus gates reduce trafficTwo new bike routes could link Aberdeen's bus and train stations with Union Street.

The York Press

• LNER partners with Women in Rail on work initiativeThe train operator backed the ‘Never Mind The Gap’ initiative, offering work experience and skills for women in the rail industry.

Sunderland Echo

• 'Mindless' vandals trash toilets at Sunderland's new £27million train station, less than two months after openingVandals have trashed the toilets at Sunderland's new £27million station less than two months after it opened to the public.

Other Regional Press

• Andrew Griffith MP welcomes rail investment in SussexAndrew Griffith, Member of Parliament for Arundel & South Downs, has welcomed the major investments made by Network Rail in the county’s infrastructure as part of the Sussex Railway Upgrades scheme.
• The Coventry roads where cars will be banned at school collection times'School streets' will be trialled on four roads in Coventry by the city council and Transport for West Midlands
• The four new driving laws from pavement parking to new Clean Air Zones coming this monthThere are changes to pavement parking, HGV rules, electric car charging and a new Clean Air Zone

Train Operators

• Flying start for Inverness Airport railway stationScotRail’s newest railway station in the Highlands is celebrating its first anniversary this week, with more than 50,000 passenger journeys being made at the Inverness Airport interchange.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Alexander Dennis boosts electric aftermarket offeringAlexander Dennis has introduced three electric vans to its fleet of AD24 vehicles as the first of its field service engineers have completed training for the next generation of zero-emission buses.
• Coach drivers’ hours rules change agreedRule change hailed as ‘one of the most important victories for the coach tourism business’

Bus and Coach.com

• Rotala acquisition completesThe business has been acquired by a newly incorporated entity (Rotala Group Ltd) set up by the company’s directors

Coach and Bus Week

• New TrawsCymru route starts in FebruaryTransport for Wales’ latest TrawsCymru service will commence operation in February 2024, using new Yutong E12 electric buses. These will be the first electric buses on Gwynedd’s public transport network, and will operate the new T22 route between Caernarfon, Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Rail UK

• Work starts on accessibility upgrade project at Alfreton stationWork has started on a multi-million pound project to improve accessibility at Alfreton station.
• GB Railfreight launches new rail freight service connecting London Gateway to iPort DoncasterGB Railfreight (GBRf), one of the country’s leading rail freight providers, has started a new intermodal service this week, connecting London Gateway with iPort Doncaster.
• GTR celebrates 50% jump in number of females starting apprenticeship coursesAhead of National Apprenticeship Week (5-11 February), Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has revealed a sharp increase in the number of females starting an apprenticeship. GTR welcomed a total of 176 new starters in 2023, with 60 of these coming from female applicants, representing a 50% increase from the previous year.
• Hitachi Rail’s cutting-edge trams to begin service in TurinPassenger services on bespoke new trams manufactured by Hitachi Rail for Gruppo Torinese Trasporti (GTT) will begin running in the city of Turin on Monday 11 September.

Railtech

• RER B: ‘Ramette’ plan implementation beginsTo address declining punctuality on the RER B, the second busiest commuter line in the Paris region, a mass transit expert has proposed 14 recommendations. This ‘Ramette’ plan, commissioned in March 2023 by Valérie Pécresse, implementation is now underway.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• McGill’s drivers learn from sight-loss passengersMcGill’s Buses drivers in Renfrewshire met with supporters of RNIB Scotland to take part in an exercise to improve their understanding of the difficulties experienced by blind and partially sighted passengers.
• CitySwift funding round will accelerate data platform developmentTransport data platform CitySwift has secured an additional €7 million of funding to accelerate product development. It says that work will continue to provide operators and local authorities with intelligent solutions to enable the futureproofing of transport networks.
• Coach tourism drivers’ hours changes in EU now ‘a done deal’Change to hours regulations for coach tourism drivers in the EU is “a done deal” after the European Council presidency and European Parliament negotiators reached provisional agreement on a set of revisions.
• Mayoral board approves £11m bus package for CambridgeshireThe Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) Board has approved a tripling of the mayoral precept to fund an £11 million bus improvement package for the region.

Other News Sources

• Amey to provide sustainable solutions for Network RailAmey has been selected by Network Rail to deliver its capital delivery frameworks for the north west and central regions of England. The collaboration aims to drive down the CO2 emissions of the rail networks, as well as boosting biodiversity along the routes.
• A Look at the $10 Billion Design for a New Port Authority Bus TerminalThe Port Authority unveiled a revised design for a replacement of the much-reviled transit hub, which opened in 1950.
• Dutch locomotive tender closes without a single bid Despite successful testing of hydrogen trains in the region, the small order size reportedly worried manufacturers.