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

Tuesday, 27 February 2024

BBC News

• Lincolnshire to get £262m to improve transport, says PMLincolnshire will get an extra £262m to spend on roads and public transport, the prime minister has announced.
• Bus company staff to hold further strikes over payAbout 40 staff will walk out at Battersea and Twickenham bus garages, the Unite union says.
• Boeing review finds 'disconnect' on safetyA new report for the US government has raised serious concerns about Boeing's safety management systems, adding to the scrutiny facing the US plane maker.

Financial Times

• Wincanton bidding war kicks off French shipping group CMA CGM increases offer for UK logistics group while third party considers bid
• nadequate and confusing safety processes flagged at BoeingExpert report comes as US aircraft maker confronts new scrutiny over door panel incident

The Guardian

• The money Sunak 'saves' from HS2 is getting smaller with every announcement | Simon JenkinsWhile the PM makes empty promises to the north, he lacks the courage to cancel the white elephant London-Birmingham line. Rishi Sunak's high-profile announcement of projects to be apparently funded by killing the northern leg of HS2 is a gem of political cynicism.

Times Online

• Glen Sannox delayed again — and now costing £149m. [subscription]Ferry likely to miss new delivery date at end of May as costs rise but shipyard says ’we can do many things better’ with Glen Rosa, its sister vessel

i News

• How the Tories said £4.7bn HS2 cash will be spent – and the realityFACT CHECKThe North of England is being allocated £2.5bn and the Midlands £2.2bn of funding available since the northern leg of HS2 was axed 

Local Government

• LGA responds to Local Transport Fund announcementThe LGA responds to the £4.7 billion Local Transport Fund

Network Rail

• New and upgraded trains across our networkOver half of all passenger trains on tracks in the UK have been replaced or upgraded in the past 10 years, all to improve your experience.

Birmingham Mail

• HMRC announces 'new rates' affecting millions of driversThe new advisory fuel rates, which come into effect on 1st March, see falls in both the petrol and diesel rate, while the amount chargeable for electric vehicles remains unchanged.
• Madrid airport takes action over 'record number' of UK touristsSpain's President Pedro Sanchez said the expansion would result in a "strong growth in capacity and routes" for the country amid an influx of tourists.
• Spain airport loses more luggage than any other in Europe as UK tourists warnedUnfortunate holidaymakers who find themselves missing their suitcases are being told to take two crucial steps before leaving the airport

Derby Telegraph

• Derbyshire fails to receive any cash in Government's HS2 giveawayLocal authorities in the East Midlands received £1bn in total between them

London Evening Standard

• Network Rail reveals £140million plan to tackle Elizabeth line disruption west of PaddingtonPlan follows meeting with Sadiq Khan, who said the issues over the past six months were ’not acceptable’

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Durham to get £73m transport boost in latest funds reallocated from scrapped HS2 northern legCounty Durham is the sole area of the North East that will get a share of a £4.7 billion transport funding pot announced by the Government on Monday

Yorkshire Evening Post

• £950m to be invested in Yorkshire transport after HS2 axed with detailed plans for Leeds yet to be unveiledAlmost £950m will be invested in transport across Yorkshire and the Humber after the scrapping of HS2 in the North - although detailed plans for Leeds have yet to be unveiled.

Blackpool Gazette

• Blackpool scoops transport windfall from scrapped HS2 cashLancashire County Council is to get £120m in extra transport funding, after the government announced how it would allocate a share of the money it saved from scrapping the northern leg of the HS2 high speed rail link to Mancheter.

Chester Standard

• Sunak insists plans to reallocate HS2 funding will be ’transformational’The decision to scrap the northern leg of HS2 and put the money into local transport schemes will be “transformational”, Rishi Sunak claimed as the Government earmarked £4.7 billion of funding for the north and Midlands.

Doncaster Free Press

• Doncaster Tory MP 'backs down' on claim council closed airport after accusations of 'lies'A city Conservative MP who claimed Doncaster Council closed Doncaster Sheffield Airport has ’backed down’ after being accused of a ’blatant lie’ by Mayor Ros Jones, the authority has said.

Lancashire Telegraph

• A666 set for improvements from £117m HS2 cash handoutThe government has announced it is allocating millions of pounds for transport projects in East Lancashire out of a £4.7 billion pot created by scrapping the northern legs of the HS2 rail line.

Other Regional Press

• Network Rail announces plan to address Elizabeth line issuesNetwork Rail has announced a plan to address issues on the Elizabeth line west of Paddington.
• Residents of Surrey border town say zebra crossings won't stop road rage drivers on 'rat-run'Kingston Council's has been accused of using a 'sticking plaster' as a traffic solutions
• Changes made to airport improvement plans after safety fears raisedCHANGES to recently-approved plans to update facilities at Ceredigion’s West Wales Airport has been backed, after the applicants said council-imposed conditions could affect air traffic safety.
• Minister visits Warrington following huge funding announcementTHE minister for employment visited Warrington today, Monday, following a huge funding announcement.
• Staffordshire’s funding from HS2 cancellation confirmed – but cash won’t be spent until after the next General ElectionStaffordshire has been allocated £285million of transport funding – but none will be spent until after the next General Election.
• Durham’s grant of £72.8mDurham’s grant of £72.8mn is the only money coming the North East’s way from the total of £4.7bn that ministers said today would be allocated to the North and Midlands from HS2 savings
• Government's £4.7 billion for transport reform - how Manchester could benefit and what Andy Burnham has saidThe money has been reallocated from the HS2 budget after the Manchester line was axed... in Manchester.

Construction Enquirer

• Transport jobs get £4.7bn of cancelled HS2 cashThe government has released further details of the reallocation of £4.7bn in transport funding following the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2.

New Civil Engineer

• Treherbert Line reopens to passenger traffic after nine month transformationThe Treherbert line has reopened to passengers today, Monday 26 February, following nine months of transformational works to upgrade part of the South Wales Metro.
• Government announces ’new’ £4.7bn for improved transport connections in North and MidlandsLocal transport links in the North and Midlands will see funding levels multiply by nine times from 2025 to 2032 with the introduction of the £4.7bn Local Transport Fund, according to the government.

Rail Advent

• Bids invited for community projects in Wales, Cornwall and GloucestershireGreat Western Railway is inviting bids for funding from customer and community projects connected to the railway in its area that address an area of social need.

Rail Business Daily

• New lease of life for Henley-in-Arden station as Network Rail’s Chair Lord Peter Hendy opens new community spaceRepresentatives from the Railway Heritage Trust, Henley-in-Arden Parish Council, West Midlands Railway, Friends of the Shakespeare Line and Friends of Henley Railway Station joined Network Rail’s Lord Peter Hendy to open Henley-in-Arden’s newly refurbished station building.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Manchester franchising tranche two rollout prep ’proceeding to plan’Mobilisation work ahead of the rollout of the second tranche of bus franchising in Greater Manchester on 24 March is proceeding to plan, although delays in delivery of new buses have led to a requirement for “interim vehicles” to be sourced.
• BSIP update ’should include longer-term bus plans and priorities’Local transport authorities (LTAs) in England will be expected to include proposals and priorities for the four-year period between FY2025/26 and FY2028/29 in their Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) update work for 2024, the Department for Transport (DfT) has underlined to those bodies.
• Reading Buses rebrands CNG buses for Buzz 9Reading Buses has unveiled rebranded compressed natural gas buses (CNG) for use on its recently extended Buzz 9 route.
• Wrightbus to supply 28 Kite Hydroliners to Saarbahn in GermanyWrightbus will supply 28 Kite Hydroliner hydrogen fuel cell-electric single-decker buses to Saarbahn in the Saarland region of Germany. The order represents further success for the manufacturer in the German market and it has been placed following what the customer describes as “a Europe-wide tender.”
• Local Transport Fund will bring £4.7 billion to North and MidlandsImproved bus services, reduced congestion and upgraded public transport infrastructure will be among many claimed fruits of a £4.7 billion, seven-year Local Transport Fund (LTF) settlement for the North of England and the Midlands announced by the government.

Aviation Industry

• Heathrow Denies Runway Suspension Story, Aims For Organic GrowthLONDON—London Heathrow Airport has played down newspaper reports that it has shelved decades-long plans to build a third runway, but says it intends to focus on increasing capacity within its existing infrastructure. A Feb. 25 report in the London Sunday Times said that the airport’s new CEO Thomas...
• easyJet celebrates carrying five million passengers from Birmingham Airport Low-cost carrier easyJet has just celebrated flying five million passengers to and from Birmingham Airport ahead of the airline opening a new base there. In March 2024, the budget airline will base both aircraft and crews at the airport for the first time adding a further 16 destinations to its network from the UK airport.
• Heathrow Airport reacts to Times newspaper article about scrapping the 3rd runway projectLondon’s Heathrow airport said a decision on adding a third runway has not been taken, denying a report by the Sunday Times that the plans had been shelved.

Other News Sources

• Reviving the Rails: The Reopening of Treherbert to Cardiff Line Marks a New Chapter for South Wales TransportExperience the revival of the Treherbert to Cardiff railway line, a vital link restored after a 10-month hiatus. Delve into the upgrades, challenges, electrification efforts, and community impact, symbolizing progress and resilience in South Wales.
• Leeds Bradford Airport improves catering for lounges with wider range of options and brand-new technology for enhanced CXLeeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has appointed international catering operator Elior to provide food and drink services for its lounges. This includes a wider range of options, with a changing seasonal menu and a dedicated team of chefs providing a wide selection of locally-sourced, freshly-produced products. Elior is now serving customers and keeping stocks replenished throughout the day in LBA’s Yorkshire Lounge and 1432 Runway Club.
• Govt outlines how HS2 money will be spent in the North WestPrime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that £1.5bn from the shelved £36bn Birmingham-Manchester leg of the high-speed rail line will go towards Local Transport Fund schemes in the region in the years from 2025 to 2032.
• Full list of towns that will get millions for new transport projectsRishi Sunak has unveiled the areas which will be redirected funding from the scrapped northern legs of the controversial HS2 rail line.
• Rail company launch competition to name train on Bedford-Bletchley lineThe rail company in charge of running trains between Bletchley and Bedford have opened a competition to name a train in use on the line.