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

Thursday, 07 March 2024

BBC News

• Next stretch of East West Rail line approved in BudgetThe government has given the green light to the next section of the long-awaited East West Rail (EWR) in the Budget.
• New cycle path approved despite objectionsThe new route linking a town centre with a country park is backed by the council.

Financial Times

• Boeing has not turned over documents, says US accident investigatorNTSB chair says aircraft manufacturer has yet to disclose who worked on door panel that blew out mid-flight
• Private equity group Carlyle to take control of London airportDeal between buyout group and Esken ends months of wrangling over future of Southend airport
• Hunt extends fuel duty freeze and raises premium air passenger dutyDecision marks the 14th consecutive year the levy on petrol has not been increased
• Can Europe's trains compete with low-cost airlines?Despite huge investments and increasing competition, travelling by rail is still slower and more expensive than flying

The Guardian

• US firm Carlyle to take control of Southend airport after debt dealEssex-based hub to pass into hands of private-equity firm after agreement on £194m debt
• Motorists warned of long delays as M25 to shut for roadworksFive-miles of London orbital motorway will close for an entire weekend with four more dates to follow

Local Government

• Come and join ’the buzz’ of Portsmouth’s new electric bus fleetThe countdown is on for the arrival of electric buses to the city! Residents are invited to a sneak peak of the new zero emissions buses ahead of 62 electric buses taking to key bus routes in the city in April.
• Mayor Tom Wootton speaks before MPs at Transport CommitteeMayor Tom Wootton was delighted to speak and give evidence at this morning’s Transport Committee in Westminster, sharing his experience of consultation and engagement with local stakeholders around East West Rail.

Birmingham Mail

• HS2 viaduct as it could be - as residents say current plans are ’hideous’Re-imagined proposals give completely different view of Balsall Common viaduct, which will ferry high-speed trains over flood plain land
• What Birmingham's budget could mean for city's roads and highwaysBirmingham City Council's budget proposed reducing the level of planned maintenance carried out on Highways

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford Interchange bus station closure: Latest update in MarchBOSSES at West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) are set to discuss the “next steps” for Bradford Interchange bus station, according to the latest update

Nation. Cymru

• Next steps for the reform of bus services in Wales mapped outThe next phase of the Welsh Government’s shake-up of public transport in Wales has been set out by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• 'Integrated' transport system at the heart of pledges at mayoral hustings eventCandidates for the North East mayoral election have backed the creation of an integrated transport system for the region.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Plan to scrap free tram travel axed by Nottinghamshire County Council after huge responseElderly and disabled people in Nottinghamshire will be able to continue using the tram for free after a controversial proposal was dropped. Following a consultation Nottinghamshire County Council has confirmed that no changes will be made to the scheme.

The York Press

• TIER ends contract for York e-bikes and e-scooters on May 31The city’s e-scooter and e-bike hire contract between City of York Council and hire company TIER will be ending on May 31 this year.

Kent Online

• Hundreds of businesses respond to survey calling for international rail services to get back on trackHundreds of business leaders, representing thousands of employees, have responded to Kent County Council’s (KCC) call for views on the lack of international rail services stopping in Kent.

Other Regional Press

• £32 million fleet of new electric buses launch at Nottingham Old Market Square eventNottingham City Transport (NCT) is launching its brand new fleet of electric buses this weekend.
• Euston HS2: Cash in Jeremy Hunt's Spring Budget for Camden projects plagued by 'delay and indecision'Camden Council this week said it should play a leading role in the stalled HS2 Euston regeneration.
• The London train route getting £4 billion massive upgrade after Spring BudgetSadiq Khan has criticised the Chancellor for including 'no new money for transport infrastructure in the capital' in his spending plan

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• TfL Unveils £160m Deal for next-gen bus tracking systemTransport for London (TfL) has awarded a £160 million contract over 10 years to INIT, a transport technology solutions company, for the replacement of the existing Automatic Vehicle Location system (iBus) used across the capital's bus network. The current iBus system, operated by Trapeze, has been in service for 17 years, providing real-time journey information and enabling TfL to better manage the bus network. The new generation iBus promises significant enhancements to both the on-board hardware and back-office services, say TfL. Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport said: ...
• easyJet appoint DHL to manage Liverpool Airport ground operationsDHL Supply Chain has announced a new five-year contract with easyJet which will see the business manage ground-handling operations at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. The new contract expands the long-standing partnership between DHL and easyJet which launched in 2017 when DHL was appointed to manage ground-handling services at London Gatwick. DHL will deliver core customer service and logistics operations at Liverpool Airport including check-in, bag-drop, baggage logistics, gate management, aircraft loading, dispatch, and pushback under this new contract. Electric equipment, with a target of ...

Rail Advent

• Porterbrook purchases Warwickshire rail innovation centreRolling stock financier, Porterbrook, has agreed a deal to purchase Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire.

Rail UK

• Transpennine Route Upgrade on track to deliver 8,000 jobsThe Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) reaffirmed its commitment to creating employment in the Kirklees area as colleagues attended the Kirklees College Skills and Apprenticeships Fair in Dewsbury.
• Porterbrook completes purchase of Long Marston Rail Innovation CentreRolling stock financier and asset management company Porterbrook has agreed a deal with St Modwen to acquire the freehold of the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire.
• Network Rail appoints Jason Hamilton to lead railway in North & EastJason Hamilton has been named as the new route director of Network Rail’s North & East route. He will take over the role from Matt Rice, who is leaving the organisation after four and a half years to join Northern.

Railway Gazette

• Rail sector responds to the Spring BudgetUK: The rail sector has responded to he spring budget presented by Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt on March 6.

Railway Technology

• Sweden launches central booking system for public transportThe country will be the first to use the International Union of Railways’ OSDM system according to Samtrafiken.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Lukewarm coach and bus response to budget announcementsChancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt’s budget of 6 March drew a tepid response from the coach and bus industry and its representatives, with those announcements that have a direct impact on the sector generating a mixed reaction.
• Six-minute window of bus punctuality tolerance: Time for TCs to actIn their 2018-19 Annual Report to the Secretary of State for Transport, the Traffic Commissioners (TCs) observed that the six-minute window of tolerance for bus service punctuality may soon have been to change as part of review and modernisation of performance measurement.
• Blackpool Transport goes digital with Freeway Fleet SystemsBlackpool Transport has switched to a new paperless system for engineers’ checks from Freeway Fleet Systems.

Other News Sources

• £2.9m bus tracking screens won't give 'real-time service' until summerDigital on-street displays continue to only show timetables, leading to a rise in complaints about inaccurate arrival times.
• Making trains smarter: how Alstom’s components are changing the gameHidden in the heart of every train lie a certain number of parts vital for rolling stock efficiency.
• TfL Bakerloo line extension and Central line missing from Jeremy Hunt's Budget: 'Clear failing for Londoners'"It shows little to no support for our city, with no long-term funding plan for TfL..."
• Transport misses out in Spring BudgetWith attention focused on tax cuts, Jeremy Hunt said almost nothing about transport spending in his Budget speech, while Treasury documents suggest a watering down of commitments to local roads.
• MT asks a range of leading figures from the transport and logistics sector to assess the key takeaways from today’s Spring Budget The budget changes released today have been rather underwhelming although there have been a few useful snippets. The cut to National Insurance will mean that consumers will have slightly more money to spend which may support volume and revenue growth going through transport companies on a nationwide basis. There has been no change in fuel duty with the 5p cut implemented in March 2022 remaining in place.