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

Tuesday, 04 June 2024

BBC News

• Changes made to bus services - including new routeBus services in Somerset have been shaken up in an effort to improve service and capacity issues.
• 'Vital' Stamford to Peterborough bus route returnsA "vital" bus route is being restored with lower fares for young people.
• Major £5.8m train station revamp to beginSalisbury Station forecourt is to undergo a major £5.8 million revamp to make it more accessible.
• Call for return of Devon town's train servicesBringing back train services to a Devon town could provide a boost to transport further afield, a rail user group has said.
• Rail service changes come into effectThere will be an additional hourly service to Birmingham, but no direct train to London.

The Telegraph

• Heathrow ’seriously lagging’ behind rival airports, warns Emirates boss. [subscription]London aviation hub pales by comparison with those in Asia, says Sir Tim Clark

Times Online

• Diesel trains head the way of steam as railways buy into battery power [subscription]Railway operators plan to order hundreds in the next few years, saving up to £11 billion on electrification
• Call to limit alcohol on long-haul flights to stop heart attacks. [subscription]Combination of alcohol and cabin pressure may put strain on sleeping passengers’ hearts
• Heathrow like a Second World War airport, laments Emirates chief. [subscription]Airline president Sir Tim Clark says the airport is lagging behind in terms of customer experience

City AM

• The sooner the better for a Eurostar competitor – but it won’t be smooth sailingAn end to Eurostar’s monopoly on the Channel Tunnel can only be a good thing for passengers, Guy Taylor argues

Birmingham Mail

• Airlines issue new seatbelt rules after Brit dies following 'extreme turbulence'Carriers are toughening up safety instructions in the wake of a British man’s death after severe turbulence hit a Singapore Airlines flight.

Birmingham Post

• Avanti West Coast boosts train capacity with new Hitachi Evero fleet on West Coast Main LineThe Evero fleet will eventually consist of 10 electric trains and 13 bi-modes, which can be powered by electricity or diesel
• Siemens Mobility makes pitch for Goole trains to decarbonise UK rail systemThe company has made a pitch for battery-powered trains to deliver environmental improvements

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Orange train tickets could 'become museum exhibit'A train operator says the iconic, orange magstripe train ticket could be something of a museum exhibit within as little as five years.

Doncaster Free Press

• Driving change: Hull Trains celebrates new era in training tomorrow’s talentHull Trains welcomed the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, to officially open the company’s new Learning and Development Academy and to experience the facility’s new world-class train driver simulator in Hull city centre.

Other Regional Press

• New Scilly ferry delayed because there has been too much rainIt was initially set to take to the route in May but is now expected to enter into operation later this month
• Worcester's mayor joined Honeywell Primary School's bike bus scheme THE MAYOR of Worcester has joined Honeywell Primary School’s bike bus scheme.
• Airline bosses explain reasons for rising cost of plane ticketsAirline ticket prices are set to rise as the industry recovers from the worldwide groundings caused by the coronavirus pandemic - and there are some specific reasons why
• Councillors propose £60,000 for transport and tourism projects in Scarborough and WhitbyCouncillors could endorse more than £60,000 of funding to develop four tourism, transport and economic projects across Scarborough and Whitby.
• Somerset residents remain in limbo over new railway stations - 60 years after their original stations closedPeople living on the Somerset Levels remain in limbo over plans to restore rail services to their area - 60 years after their original stations closed. The towns of Langport and Somerton were originally served by trains on the Taunton to Castle Cary line, but their stations were closed in the 1960s during the infamous Beeching cuts.

Business Live

• HS2 labour supplier announces record revenuesAIM-listed Hercules Site Services said it was on track to meet market expectations for the year

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• Transport choices in the UK General Election and 1944 Normandy rail heroes S2 Ep21 Christian and co-presenter Mark Walker examine the transport policy choices facing the UK political parties contending to win the 2024 General Election [1:25]. Mark interviews Christian about his latest book - The Liberation Line - telling the heroic story of how the reconstruction of the railways in France after D-Day from June 1944 hastened the Allied victory over Nazi Germany [20:22]. Finally, Christian reflects on an early suggestion of possible disagreement between a possible Labour Government and the Mayor of London on the extent of transport devolution [35:00].

Rail Advent

• First digitally signalled train runs on East Coast Main LineIt is expected that the European Train Control System will be rolled out along the line in mid-2025.

Rail Business Daily

• A new look for the Railway Industry AssociationThe Railway Industry Association (RIA) has unveiled a new logo, brand and website, as it approaches 150 years of championing the railway industry (its 150-Year Anniversary is in 2025).

Rail Magazine

• Liverpool allocates £19m for accessible station projectsFour Merseyrail stations will have new lifts installed to provide step-free access from the street to the train.

Railway Gazette

• PBH Rail launches Civils divisionUK: York-based engineering and design company PBH Rail Group has formed a civil engineering division, headed by Gary Robson who has joined from Spencer Group.

Other News Sources

• Lothian buses and Edinburgh trams introduce new travel appLothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams are today (3 June 2024) delighted to announce the launch of a new fully integrated bus and tram app.
• Talgo Acquisition Deal: Skoda Group Enters the GameIn recent months, the European transport sector has been closely watching the negotiations surrounding the potential acquisition of the Spanish railway equipment manufacturer Talgo, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.
• UK: Siemens Mobility Looks to Build Battery Trains in GooleSiemens Mobility has announced plans to build battery-powered trains in Goole, Yorkshire, to replace ageing fleets on Britain’s railway.
• Transport for Wales Launches New Apprenticeship ProgrammeTransport for Wales has become the first transport operating company in Wales to launch a new Railway Engineering Degree Apprenticeship Programme.
• It’s governments’ turn to prepare for the green trucking revolutionThe new truck CO2 law provides investment certainty for Europe's trucking industry to go zero emissions. EU member states now need to get the charging and grid infrastructure ready for what's coming.
• Northern's 'magstripe' train ticket reaching end of the lineThe current version of the 'iconic' orange ticket was first used in 2014. The train operator reported a marked shift towards digital and paper options, with 12 per cent (2.3 million) fewer magstripe tickets in use in 2023/24 compared to 2022/23.
• New executive director appointed at Europe’s RailEUROPE’s Rail Joint Undertaking (ERJU) has appointed Mr Giorgio Travaini as its new executive director. He was previously interim and acting executive director and has spent 18 years working in the transport sector.
• Newhaven Ferry office refurbishment completedA major £1.25 million refurbishment of Newhaven Ferry offices is expected to give a boost to the town's maritime economy.