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

Wednesday, 01 May 2024

BBC News

• Opening date confirmed for town's new bus stationThe opening date for Crewe's new bus station has been confirmed. The building work has taken two years, but will give the town a modern, safer bus station when it opens on 7 May, said Cheshire East Council.
• What can the East Midlands mayor do for transport?Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire voters will go to the polls in a historic election on Thursday to choose an East Midlands mayor.
• Train station underpass to close for refurbishmentWork to refurbish an underpass below a busy train station is set to begin. The refurbishment of the underpass below Reading Station is expected to cost £400,000.
• Train operator extends discount ticket schemeA long-distance train operator said it was overwhelmed by customer response after adding 10 new routes to a discounted tickets scheme.
• Airport passengers out of pocket after delaysA student said she spent £100 to get to Bristol airport and fly to Spain after missing her original flight.

Financial Times

• EU investigates greenwashing at 20 airlinesEnvironmental claims come under scrutiny, including the benefits of offsetting emissions from flying

The Guardian

• Cuts to England’s cycling and walking budget challenged in courtSwingeing cuts to public spending on cycling and walking in England should be overturned as government expenditure was already insufficient to meet legally binding climate targets, the high court has been told.

The Scotsman

• CalMac ferries fiasco overshadows sorry Ardrossan harbour saga – Alastair DaltonGlen Sannox may carry its first passengers within months but port upgrade is still years away
• Electric scooters: ‘Inevitability’ about legal use in Scotland with possible trial, says transport secretary Fiona HyslopCabinet secretary says staging a demonstration project important but raises safety concerns.

Times Online

• Labour ‘will cut rail services to stop last-minute cancellations’. [subscription]Key commuter and weekend trains will be axed immediately under the party’s travel plans

The Mirror

• EasyJet chaos as passengers wrongly told their flights are cancelled 'due to Israel'Worried holidaymakers scrambled to rebook flights after easyJet sent out messages saying flights were cancelled - only to be told that their journey was going ahead as planned an hour later

Birmingham Post

• Bibby Marine signs shipbuilding deal for net zero vesselBattery-powered windfarm maintenance vessel will also be able to draw power from turbines
• Work starts on multicoloured 'Dream Factory' as Bentley starts paint shop work under £2.5bn electrification planBentley's Beyond100 strategy sees the company aiming to achieve 'end-to-end carbon neutral status by 2030'

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Scrapping 20mph would be 'travesty' says Transport minister but limit must go on some roadsBusiness leaders said that a 'common sense approach' would boost the economy

Oxford Mail

• Wantage and Grove Station hopes bolstered rail companyPlans to reopen a south Oxfordshire railway station have hit a 'breakthrough' say supporters from a campaign group.

Other Regional Press

• Peterborough buses to get improved frequency and better linksUpdates to bus schedules in Peterborough will see higher frequency on a major route and improved links between the Bus Station and the Railway Station, amidst a series of changes to the bus schedule in the city.
• Somerset Council keeps low bus fares for Taunton areaA SET of revised bus fares for the Taunton area will remain low after a nearly 30 per cent rise in services use.
• Newquay Airport in Cornwall runs at loss and will cost £4.8m next yearCornwall Council heard today that there isn’t cross-party support for a bid to “sell” Newquay Airport, which runs at a loss and will cost the local authority £4.8m over the next year to operate.
• Lancaster MP backs plans to put railways into public ownershipLancaster and Fleetwood MP Cat Smith is supporting Labour’s plans to overhaul Britain’s broken railways.
• 'Abysmal' Powys railway service raised with First MinisterThe “pretty abysmal” Cambrian line service through Powys has been raised with the First Minister.
• MP Ian Liddell-Grainger says steam railway link to Taunton main line is essentialMP Ian Liddell-Grainger is calling for ‘every effort’ to be made to have regular train services connecting the West Somerset Railway with the main line in Taunton.
• TfW plans for new trains in the Vale of GlamorganTRANSPORT For Wales has revealed more details about their rollout of new trains on county train lines which will include an increase in carriages on services.
• Wantage and Grove Station hopes bolstered rail companyPlans to reopen the Wantage railway station have been boosted by recent talks with train operators.

Rail Business Daily

• CAF agree partnership with Global Centre of Rail ExcellenceThe Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) has welcomed Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) as the latest international railway manufacturer to sign up to use the services at its testing and innovation facility being developed in South Wales.

Rail UK

• Porterbrook to electrify Long Marston test trackHaving secured the purchase of the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire last month, rolling stock financier and asset management company Porterbrook has confirmed its latest plans for the site to renew and electrify the 3.5km track.

Railnews

• Porterbrook to electrify Long Marston test trackRolling stock leasing company Porterbrook has announced plans to electrify the Long Marston test track in Warwickshire. Porterbrook took over operations at Long Marston in 2021 and completed the purchase in March this year.

Railtech

• DB sees 28 per cent rise in regional transport since Deutschland-TicketDeutsche Bahn (DB) announces a 28 per cent increase in passengers on regional trains since the introduction of the Deutschland-Ticket in May 2023. Nearly two-thirds of passengers on DB’s local and regional services are now using the Deutschland Ticket, primarily for commuting purposes.

Other News Sources

• £6m+ from cancelled HS2 to be spent on Somerset roadsMORE than £6m from the cancelled leg of the High Speed 2 rail project will be spent on improving Somerset’s roads over the next 12 months.