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

Wednesday, 06 March 2024

BBC News

• Leeds buses: New electric fleet takes to the roadsNew electric buses have taken to the roads in Leeds in a "huge step forward" for the network, transport bosses said. Fifty-seven battery-powered buses have entered service, with a range of up to 200 miles (322km) between charges.
• Stagecoach to take over Northampton 59/60 bus route after Uno pull outA new bus company will take over a route that was due to stop after the previous operator pulled out.
• Government awards £350,000 towards rail line reopening projectA project bidding to reopen a disused railway line has secured £350,000 government funding. The Leamside Line would connect Pelaw, in Gateshead, to Tursdale, in County Durham, and the money is to be used for a "strategic outline case" for the southern section between Washington and Ferryhill.
• Calls for more action to safeguard Ferguson shipyardMinisters are facing calls from MSPs to do more to safeguard the future of Ferguson shipyard, including directly awarding a new Calmac ferries order.
• Ferry route axed for whole summer in CalMac rejigCalMac has revised vessel deployments while a major ship remains out of action for repairs.
• Can the Panama Canal save itself?The authority that runs the canal is looking at ways to conserve the water it needs to stay open.

The Guardian

• MH370: one of aviation's biggest mysteries remains unsolved 10 years onRelatives of passengers lost onboard ill-fated flight wonder whether a repeat disaster could happen, and if they will get an answer in their lifetime

The Independent

• Labour warns over job losses in wake of driverless carsShadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said the mistakes of deindustrialisation cannot be made with the introduction of self-driving cars.

The Scotsman

• ’Shameful’ state of Edinburgh’s roads admitted by council transport convener Scott Arthur should accelerate action – Alastair DaltonCouncillor told that the condition of the capital’s streets is “lethal” for cyclists but he says there are tentative signs of improvement

Times Online

• M25 to close all lanes in daytime for first time. [subscription]There are five planned closures of the motorway this year with the first taking place from next Friday to allow roadworks between Heathrow and Gatwick

City AM

• Why London’s TfL fare freeze may not be good for passengers National rail fares have been hiked yet again. In London, Khan has pledged to freeze TfL fares until 2025, but will passengers actually be paying less?

Mail Online

• Driverless cars will be a 'gamechanger' for road safety says Transport Secretary as he points out AI vehicles 'don't drink and drive and don't get stressed' - but MPs express fears they could be hacked to cause mass pile-upsDriverless cars will be a 'gamechanger' for road safety in Britain, the Transport Secretary said today as he set out a legal framework for autonomous vehicles.

Network Rail

• Network Rail to provide step-free access at Carstairs stationNetwork Rail has announced plans for a new footbridge at Carstairs station. The project will also see a lift installed in the station to improve accessibility, particularly for those with reduced mobility and those travelling with luggage, prams or bikes.

Birmingham Mail

• BirminghamLive joins mayor in call for changes to make roads saferBirminghamLive editor Graeme Brown has joined the West Midlands mayor and others

Birmingham Post

• Harland & Wolff preferred bidder for Falkland Islands port projectThe UK shipbuilding company said the contract could generate between £100m and £120m over two years

Bristol Live

• Tier e-scooters and bikes pictured blocking entire pavement in BristolTier has since 'made some changes in the app to make it clearer to users where vehicles should be parked'

London Evening Standard

• HS2 Euston Station regeneration could add £41billion to economy, says reportRegenerating Euston Station as part of HS2 could add as much as £41billion to the economy by 2053, according to a new report. The Government has insisted that it is committed to Euston being the terminus for HS2 from Birmingham.
• Driverless cars described as ’game-changer’ for safety, despite MPs’ concernsMPs have heard the Automated Vehicles Bill is part of Government plans to make the UK ’the natural home for the self-driving vehicle industry’.

Yorkshire Post

• Why Labour may rebadge Network North rather than return to HS2: Chris BurnWhen the Leeds leg of HS2 was axed back in 2021, West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin described the decision as a “betrayal of the North”. After the Manchester leg was similarly axed two years later, her South Yorkshire counterpart Oliver Coppard railed against the move as a “catastrophe for the whole of the UK”.

Cambridge News

• Project to transform key Cambridge route to end later this year - see what is left to doThe project, which aims to encourage greener ways of travelling like cycling, has been ongoing since June 2022

South Wales Argus

• Lee Waters unveils roadmap to overhaul bus services in WalesTHE OUTGOING minister responsible for transport in Wales has published a roadmap to improve and incentivise take-up of bus services over the coming years.

Other Regional Press

• MPs back campaign group's rail freight terminal battleA campaign group's battle to stop the rail freight terminal development on the site of the old Radlett airfield has been back by MPs.
• Report shows benefits and impacts of HS2 Euston regenerationAround £3.5 billion of private investment will be needed to complete the regeneration around Euston station, a new report has found.
• Oxford to Cambridge rail project will be reconsideredA multi-billion pound railway project which would link Oxford with Cambridge is to be reconsidered this week after concerns were raised over the scheme.
• Lincolnshire warned it may only get £262million transport funding if Conservatives win General Election​​​​​​​It has emerged that the £262 million government transport funding package allocated to Lincolnshire could be dependent on the Conservative Party retaining power after the next General Election.
• Welsh Government’s general incompetence when it comes to all things transportLabour had undermined bus operators, leaving passengers disconnected Responding to the written statement from Labour’s Deputy Transport Minister, Natasha Asghar MS, Shadow Transport Minister, said:
• Electric bus plans could be scrapped in Yorkshire as 2,000 vehicles recalled due to safety issueThe 2,000 electric buses have been recalled across the country
• £2.5Bn for 'tram' linking Huddersfield to Leeds as mass transit moves one step closerA mass transit scheme which could see trams running between Leeds and Huddersfield has been handed £2.5Bn
• Calls for Dorchester-Bridport bus to stop in villagesBACKING for the X51 bus to once again stop in the villages to the west of the county town has come from Dorchester town councillors.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Siemens invest £100 million in new rail research centreGerman technology company Siemens has invested £100 million in a new rail infrastructure manufacturing, digital engineering and research & development (R&D) centre in Chippenham. The “state of the art” facility is expected to be operational by 2026 in line to meet growing demand in rail technology and will replace its current rail infrastructure centre in the area. The transition, including the transfer of all local staff, totalling around 800, will not cause any interruption in production, Siemens says. Rob Morris, Joint CEO of Siemens Mobility in the UK & Ire...

Coach and Bus Week

• Local Transport Fund promises £4.7bn for the North and MidlandsPeople in the North and the Midlands will benefit from better public transport, reduced congestion and upgraded local bus and railway stations thanks to the new £4.7 billion Local Transport Fund, the Government says.

New Civil Engineer

• The post-covid new normal demands transport project assessment changesThe Independent Transport Commission (ITC) has examined lasting outcomes from the pandemic that have significant and wide-ranging implications for how transport policy and projects should be evaluated.

Rail Magazine

• Why are UK rail projects so expensive?Every major rail project of recent years - HS2, Crossrail, East West Rail, Great Western Electrification Programme and others - has blown its budget and timetable, reducing trust in the industry’s ability to deliver its promises.

Rail Technology Magazine

• UK’s Rail Delivery Group completes Unicard process RDG confirmed it has completed the “back-office migration” to the system, meaning it is ready to deliver “smart ticketing” via its cloud-based product.

Railtech

• Very Light Rail draws UK ministerial interestThe UK Minister of State for Rail and HS2, Huw Merriman, has made a visit to Dudley in the West Midlands. He embarked on what was described as a journey into the future of public transportation. He did so at a visit to the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO), which is home to the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC).

Railway Gazette

• Third rail or batteries could replace Southern diesel trainsUK: Govia Thameslink Railway is unable to commit to decarbonisation of its operations unless Network Rail and the Department for Transport agree to fund and implement alternatives to diesel operation on the un-electrified Ashford – Hastings and Hurst Green – Uckfield lines, the operator says in its Decarbonisation Roadmap.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Next steps for bus franchising in Wales detailed in TfW roadmapWales will potentially be divided into nine zones for the rollout of bus franchising that is expected to begin in 2026 and last until 2028, indicative plans released by Transport for Wales (TfW) have revealed.

RMT

• RMT urges Transport Secretary to reverse Shrewsbury to London service cutRail union RMT, has called on Mark Harper to reverse the Avanti train service cuts which will mean there will be no direct train between Shrewsbury and London from June 2024.

Other News Sources

• Mid Cornwall Metro project moves forwardAecom and Colas have been appointed to take the Mid Cornwall Metro project through to detailed design stage.
• The longer-term impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on Transport and Land Use in Britain - Report by Independent Transport CommissionThe global Covid-19 pandemic was the most disruptive event to affect daily life in Britain since the Second World War. Public health measures imposed to reduce the spread and impact of the virus required radical and rapid changes to behaviour. Now, over two years since the last measures were removed, it is possible to assess the longer-term impacts of the pandemic and how it has reshaped a range of trends
• Funding announced for community transportLast week, whilst announcing its budget for the next year, the Welsh Government has committed funding for the development of community transport proposals in west Wales.