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

Tuesday, 23 July 2024

BBC News

• Electrification of railway is 'a big milestone'A stretch of the Midland Mainline is set to have its overhead lines switched on, which Network Rail has described as "a big milestone".
• New cycling and walking scheme to get £17m fundingMore than £17.5m for the first phase of a major new sustainable transport scheme has been announced by Liverpool City Region's mayor Steve Rotheram.
• Buses could be under local control by 2027West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker had called for public control of transport during his election campaign.
• Airport gets £206m to boost passenger numbersEconomy minister Ken Skates says the airport is a vital element of Wales’ economic infrastructure.
• Piccadilly line to partially close ahead of new trainsThe closures in July and August will allow for improvement work between Heathrow and Cockfosters.
• Shipyard support was too risky for taxpayersThe loss-making shipbuilder had applied for a loan guarantee of up to £200m.
• Ryanair set to slash summer fares as profits dropRyanair says it expects summer fares will be much lower than last year after profits at the no-frills airline fell by almost 50%.

Financial Times

• Car dealers beef up incentives as US inflation takes bite out of demandCash back, low interest rates and price cuts surge in an effort to clear inventories at pre-pandemic levels
• Carriers hit by turbulence over air faresAlso in this newsletter: donors swing behind Kamala Harris, China cuts rates, shadow banks warning
• Consumers can relish Ryanair’s promise of an airline price warHolidaymakers are no longer willing to travel at any cost and will exact revenge if ticket prices are too high
• Labour signals ‘open-minded’ approach to Heathrow third runwayControversial proposals for airport expansion would have to meet four tests, including on climate

The Guardian

• Sophie Morgan's Fight to Fly review – the degradation of disabled people is jaw-droppingFrom the women manhandled out of their wheelchairs to the man forced to drag himself along a plane floor, this searing documentary is packed with horrors that will be painfully familiar to many people with disabilities. This is like my legs. And I'm sitting there thinking: "Oh my God, they're going to break it," says the broadcaster Sophie Morgan after her wheelchair is damaged by airline staff at the start of this searing documentary. For Morgan, this was a defining moment. Since becoming paralysed as a teenager, the 39-year-old has frequently suffered poor treatment when flying.

City AM

• Renationalisation won’t get our railways back on track Slow, crowded and expensive, there’s no doubt our railways need a major overhaul – but it’s far from clear that Great British Railways is the answer, says Emma Revell

Birmingham Post

• Cardiff Airport in line to land £200m in further backing from Welsh GovernmentIf approved by the CMA over the next decade it would take Welsh Government's backing for the airport since its acquisition in 2013 to nearly £400m
• Aircraft robot firm wins £1m from Midlands Engine Investment Fund II to 'revolutionise' industryFirst major investment for Midlands-wide fund
• First South West bus workers to go on strike in Cornwall and SomersetThe industrial action follows failed negotiations between members of the RMT union and First South West

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Transpennine Route Upgrade: Upgrades now completedUpgrades to the railway between Huddersfield and Leeds have been completed.

Bristol Live

• Jet2, Ryanair and easyJet chiefs warn holiday passengers as 700 flights cancelledThe European air traffic control system has been branded 'no longer fit for purpose' after a weekend of chaos for air passengers
• Update on three new train stations due to open in BristolA new train station is due to open in Bristol next month while two other stations have been hit by fresh delays. Ashley Down station is scheduled to open either at “the end of August or early September”, giving people living in the area a new option to travel by train.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• The Airbus plane that could change summer holidays gets lift off The Airbus A321XLR (Extra-Long Range) has a maximum range of 4,700 nautical miles

Nation. Cymru

• Developers given more time to submit detailed plans for £150 million rail testing facilityMore time will be given to allow developers of a £150 million rail testing facility to produce detailed plans for the scheme.

Wales Online

• The Welsh Government wants to give a further £200m-plus to Cardiff Airport If the funding is approved it would take Welsh Government support for the airport since its acquisition in 2013 to nearly £400m. But passenger figures are still way lower than pre-Covid

Carlisle News & Star

• Sellafield bolsters rail fleet with fully electric arrivalThe new 40 tonne, fully battery powered locomotive, built by West Lancashire-based Clayton in four months, is set to improve the site's rail operations.

Other Regional Press

• Ken Skates MS 'confident' following latest rail announcementA MEMBER of the Senedd says he is 'confident' that rail services will 'continue to improve' for passengers in North Wales.
• Disruption at Huddersfield train station throughout August - dates and services affectedServices through Huddersfield will be affected by delays as major upgrades are introduced to Huddersfield Station
• Bus firm shows 'no interest in trying' to settle pay disputeThe company running dozens of bus services in Cornwall has been accused of trying to divide its workforce rather than show genuine willingness to find a resolution over pay talks.

Train Operators

• Sophie Morgan’s Fight to Fly — horror show of air travel for the disabled laid bare. [subscription]The TV presenter and activist brought her plain speaking and sometimes sweary game to this campaigning documentary that has a note of hope for wheelchair users

New Civil Engineer

• Transport secretary working ’at pace’ on plan for HS2 Euston stationPlans to bring High Speed 2 (HS2) into Euston and associated developments in the local area are being worked on “at pace” by the secretary of state for transport Louise Haigh.

Rail Advent

• World’s Oldest Railway Station receives “exceptional” major grantHeighington station in County Durham has received a grant of £90,000, which is a major boost in getting the station restored.

Rail Magazine

• Labour’s new team at DfT packed with railway experienceLabour’s new team at the Department for Transport is a mixture of the familiar and the unknown.

Other News Sources

• Transport secretary pledges to ’help aviation grow sustainably’New transport secretary Louise Haigh addressed aviation leaders at the Farnborough International Airshow today, telling them the government is committed to “helping aviation grow sustainably”.
• 24-hour transport pilot to get under way from September with new night bus services in parts of Greater ManchesterA 24-hour transport pilot will get underway in parts of Greater Manchester from September 1 as the Bee Network looks to support the region’s night-time economy and those who work within it, from hospitality staff to health and logistics workers.
• New 20mph speed limit changes in Surrey could go ahead despite drivers pointing to bigger issuehe proposal aims to halve the number of fatal collisions on Surrey roads
• The 13 Surrey trains stations chosen for upgrades by South Western RailwayTwo station have even got swanky new loos