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

Friday, 03 May 2024

BBC News

• Witheridge residents campaign for bus route to be reinstatedResidents in a north Devon village are petitioning for an old bus route to be reinstated after it was scrapped 18 months ago.
• Building gigafactory 'going to be a wild ride'The CEO of what will be the UK's biggest electric car battery plant says he's 'up for the challenge'.

Financial Times

• Train companies make fresh bid for talks ahead of Aslef rail strikeRail Delivery Group proposes informal discussions to try to end nearly two years of disruption

Times Online

• Quicker London-Edinburgh trains shunted back in timetable row. [subscription]LNER’s launch of four-hour service to compete with airlines is put back until next year
• Small ferries contracts may offer troubled Ferguson shipyard a lifeline [subscription]There is cross-party support within Holyrood for the yard to get work through the forthcoming small vessel replacement scheme

City AM

• Easyjet questions viability of Gatwick’s £2.2bn second runway plans Easyjet has raised major concerns over hub's £2.2bn plans for a second runway, the UK's Planning Inspectorate heard in a hearing on Thursday.

The Mirror

• Aslef rail union boss issues warning to Labour over workers’ rights reformsThe head of train drivers union Aslef warned he would be “incredibly angry” if Labour changed its package of workers’ rights.

Birmingham Post

• How On The Beach and Ryanair went from furious legal rows to being best of friendsPackage holiday firm and low-cost airline now working together

Plymouth Herald

• Tavistock to Plymouth railway reopening 'could be built in five months'The railway from Tavistock to Plymouth can be built in five months but it will take five years because of the paperwork, a public meeting has heard. Campaigners are pushing for the work, which involves laying five miles of rail track, to be speeded up so the service can begin before 2029.

Other Regional Press

• Machynlleth council 'deplores' Transport for Wales plans to cut train services to Cambrian LineMachynlleth Town Council states it “deplores” Transport for Wales’ (TfW) plans to cut train services to the Cambrian Line.
• Over £1 Billion spent, yet Transport for Wales fails to meet standards, Senedd committee findsThe Senedd has found that Transport for Wales (TfW) has not met the expectations set for its rail services, despite significant financial investments exceeding £1 billion.
• Rail companies suggest informal talks to resolve train drivers’ disputeRail companies have suggested informal talks with the train drivers’ union in a bid to resolve the long-running pay dispute, it has been revealed.
• Evening Glasgow to Alloa rail services set to be increasedRAIL services connecting Glasgow to Alloa are set to increase in frequency, as part of a new timetable to be released by ScotRail.
• Political opinion: Henry Smith MP champions aviation's role in UK trade in Commons debateThe Crawley MP, whose constituency includes Gatwick Airport, reiterated the salience of the sector to the wider British economy and the need for Government policy to further reflect this.
• Chiltern Railways boosts community projects with £120kChiltern Railways funded 12 community projects with £120,000 through the first round of its Community Investment Fund.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Bus Éireann optimising network with CityswiftBus Éireann, Ireland’s national bus company, is working with public transport data intelligence specialist, CitySwift, to optimise its network.
• PHVC welcomes new Financial & Operations DirectorPHVC Minibus Leasing & Fleet Suppliers has appointed Ian Jeffery as its new Financial & Operations Director.

Coach and Bus Week

• Hull adds three new accessible busesHull City Council has taken delivery of three more low-floor accessible minibuses. HCC
• Mobico 2023 results lower than expectedNational Express parent company Mobico reported a fall in profitability for 2023, but a record year at its Spanish ALSA business. RICHARD WALTER

Rail Magazine

• CAF agree partnership with Global Centre of Rail ExcellenceThe Global Centre for Rail Excellence (GCRE) has agreed a deal with Spanish train manufacturer CAF for it to provide a range of services to the centre in South Wales.

Railtech

• Siemens to manufacture high-speed trains for Brightline WestBrightline has announced today that Siemens Mobility (Siemens) has been selected as the “preferred bidder” to construct train sets for the Brightline West high-speed rail project, linking Las Vegas and Southern California.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• McKenna Brothers gains Bee Network audio-visual dealMcKenna Brothers has announced it has secured the contract to supply and install audio-visual announcement (AVA) systems on Bee Network buses.
• Industry-wide return to vehicle supply stability ’still some way off’Extended lead times for new coaches and buses are receding but an industry-wide return to pre-2020 levels of vehicle supply stability remains some way off, Scania UK Sales Director Mark Bridgland has predicted.

Trafnidiaeth Cymru [Transport for Wales]

• Another step closer towards delivering the South Wales MetroFrom 2 June passengers from across the South Wales Valleys and Cardiff will benefit from more frequent services later into the night as delivery of the south Wales Metro moves another step closer.

Other News Sources

• Network Rail retail sales hit £800m as stations become prime retail destinationsNetwork Rail announced that its retail sales surpassed £800m over the past 12 months across its portfolio of 19 managed stations in Great Britain.
• High Speed Rail Group Chair Dyan Perry OBE on exploiting the UK's high speed rail potentialSince the Government announced its plans to cancel the Northern Leg of HS2 last October, it has become clear that, as an industry, we must come together to re-examine the path forward for the future of high speed rail (HSR) in the UK
• Rail stocks hit by Labour nationalisation plansLabour's newly announced plan to shake up the UK rail system has hit the shares of FTSE 250 rail businesses over the past week, but the market seems to have overreacted to the policy threat.
• Rail dispute talks to restart after a yearRail companies have invited Aslef union for informal talks, marking the first time the two sides will meet in around a year as a long-running pay dispute drags on.
• Increased continental rail competition drives Trainline growthTrainline claimed to be Europe’s most downloaded rail app as it reported international net tickets sales surpassing £1 billion in the last financial year.
• Long Term Rates Edge Up Globally as Red Sea Conflict ContinuesOcean freight container carriers are treading a fine line between risk and reward during new contract negotiations as the market remains gripped by uncertainty in the Red Sea, according to new data on the Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI®).The latest…

News from Europe

• European rail alliance focuses on skills, people shortagesAn industry project launched by the rail industry sector’s skills alliance (STAFFER) and sponsored by the European Commission is ending after almost four years. Euractiv spoke to project participants, who will present concrete policy recommendations for the next Commission in October.