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

Tuesday, 12 March 2024

BBC News

• Reading taxi drivers win bus lane battle despite crash fearsA town's taxi drivers have been given access to a busy bus lane that they have been asking to use for years.
• £100m transport cash 'won't come tomorrow'Councillors have £100m for transport projects but cannot do anything until the government sets out how the money can be spent.
• Bournemouth: Two new footbridges installed over railway lineWork to install two footbridges for pedestrians and cyclists over a railway line has been completed.
• London Waterloo plan to 'transform' railway stationA new concourse, cycling and walking routes are among improvements planned to "transform" London Waterloo station.
• Bristol underground rail 'almost terminal' warns transport bossThe head of transport in Bristol has warned that a mass transit plan for underground rail is "almost terminal".
• Great Central railways to reunite for first time in decadesTwo halves of a heritage railway will be "reunified" for the first time in more than 50 years - with a special replacement bus service.
• Boeing whistleblower found dead in USPrior to his death, whistleblower John Barnett was testifying against Boeing over concerns about standards.

The Guardian

• Deutsche Bahn files legal action over German rail strikeGDL union has announced its sixth strike in a dispute over wages and hours

The Scotsman

• ScotRail: £1.5m compensation handed out to rail passengers since ScotRail nationalisedRail bosses have handed over more than £1.5 million in compensation since SNP ministers took charge of ScotRail.

Times Online

• UK carbon emissions fall to lowest level since 1879 [subscription]Experts say the ’relatively significant’ fall was because of a mild winter and high gas prices
• Set a course for the ferry service islands deserve [subscription]Insisting once more on new vessels being built in Scotland would be folly if better and cheaper alternatives are available abroad
• Boeing whistleblower found dead in truck [subscription]A Boeing whistleblower has been found dead in South Carolina, where he was giving evidence in a lawsuit against the company.
• Electric car ranges ’fall by a third in real-world conditions’. [subscription]What Car? magazine found that manufacturers’ lab tests routinely overestimate the battery life of their vehicles

Local Government

• £6.1 billion investment is delivering a green transport revolution to regenerate the West MidlandsTransport for West Midlands (TfWM) is investing a total of £6.1 billion to deliver a green transport revolution across the region, expanding Metro, bus, rail, cycling and walking networks to better connect people to job and leisure opportunities.

Birmingham Mail

• New 2040 tube-style transport vision unveiled for Birmingham and Black CountryThe ambition plans have been unveiled by West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, showing how underserved areas of the region could have new rail lines

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Decision on future of West Yorkshire's buses imminentTHE FUTURE of bus services in West Yorkshire will be decided on Thursday, with a new franchising model likely to be brought in to try and turn around the decline in local services.

London Evening Standard

• Sadiq Khan hails completion of Superloop bus network's 138km circle round LondonThe final three segments of the main ’loop’ have all now been launched

Nation. Cymru

• Plans revealed for more bus lanes and parking restrictions in city centreA council’s plans for more bus lanes and parking restrictions have been revealed to help improve bus transport throughout the city.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• More than £1.5m paid out in ScotRail compensation since nationalisationMore than £1.5 million has been paid out in compensation by ScotRail since the service was nationalised, according to new figures.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Bus station demolition starts as travel plans for region announcedThe work on a new transport hub for a Black Country town has officially been started as part of a Mayoral announcement around a green transport revolution across the region.

Yorkshire Post

• Yorkshire Dales Explorer: New rail service between Manchester and Hellifield called Yorkshire Dales Explorer to be launched in JuneCouncillors have urged the public to take advantage of a train service between Greater Manchester and Hellifield that is set to begin in June.
• Yorkshire railway line between Harrogate and Ripon that was closed in Beeching cuts 'unlikely to re-open' as 'only one person' has been campaigning for itA transport official has poured cold water on hopes that the Harrogate – Ripon – Northallerton train line will reopen any time soon, saying to do so could cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds.

South Wales Argus

• I will continue fighting for better transport links in our city - Jayne Bryant, MS for Newport WestAfter years of campaigning, I’m absolutely delighted to see the Newport to Ebbw Vale line re-open.

Other Regional Press

• Worcester's rail links to be boosted with £123m investmentPlans are afoot for an hourly train in both directions between Worcester and Birmingham.
• Council accuses Metro Mayor of keeping bus plan secret'This failure to collaborate means the chance of a commercially viable service serving the same and more communities has just been lost'
• Cardiff’s plan to improve key bus routes revealedA new plan to improve six key bus routes into Cardiff city centre, designed to boost passenger numbers and deliver quicker journey times, has been revealed.
• Consultants likely to start work on inter-island transport strategy next monthCONSULTANTS could get to work on a milestone Shetland inter-island transport strategy in April. Councillors heard the update at a meeting on Monday, with the expectation being that the work could take around 12 to 18 months to complete – which is behind the initial targets.
• Welsh Government, Cardiff Capital Region Transport Authority, Councillors, Consultants No Wonder Public Transport is non-existent£9 billion to hit the Welsh economy is not “right”
• Work begins on £350k revamp of Totton railway stationWork has started on a £353,000 scheme to improve disabled access to Totton railway station.
• Electric trains to arrive in Stalybridge this year – before tunnel workSTALYBRIDGE will see the first electric trains run to the town’s station by the end of the year, it has been confirmed.

New Civil Engineer

• Network Rail begins two bridge repair projects to maintain safety of railwayNetwork Rail has begun two bridge repair projects, one to allow the A159 to reopen in Lincolnshire and the other to conduct urgent repair work to a viaduct’s supporting pillars that have started to erode in Cumbria.

Other News Sources

• Every West Yorkshire bus station to have 'Safe Zones' for people who feel at riskBus stations in West Yorkshire have launched "Safe Zones" to help protect passengers and people passing by. If anyone feels unsafe or thinks they might be in danger, they can ask for help from specially trained staff members.
• Alstom teams up with Avanti West Coast and Angel Trains to ’InspiHer’ for International Women’s DayAlstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has teamed up with rail operator Avanti West Coast and rolling stock company Angel Trains to showcase the diverse range of roles and careers available to young women in the rail industry.
• Stadler to build new German commissioning centreSTADLER is to build a new rolling stock commissioning centre in Hennigsdorf, Germany, that it expects to open by 2027. The Swiss manufacturer has acquired a 4.6ha site near Berlin, where it will commission regional, S-Bahn and metro trains built at the nearby Berlin-Pankow plant.
• Alstom expands MF19 rolling stock contract with Paris metroThe French rolling stock manufacturer will supply an additional 103 trains for the metro as it replaces older rolling stock on its network.
• No train, no gain – the crisis on our public transport network is amplifying theatre’s woesWith regional theatres facing precarious times, the lack of transport provision for audiences is becoming increasingly problematic.
• ScotRail's £1.5 MILLION compensation bill revealed as cost of nationalisation rocketsThe train operator is controlled by the Scottish Government but passengers are facing a near-9% hike in fares next month despite the poor performance