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

Wednesday, 24 July 2024

BBC News

• Musk says Tesla to use humanoid robots next yearThe billionaire has been pushing Tesla to cut costs as car sales weaken.
• Delta faces probe as CrowdStrike disruption lingersThe US Transportation Secretary said Delta must honour rules granting refunds to travellers.
• Fewer HS2 seats could force passengers not to travelThe government may need to deliberately put people off travelling between Birmingham and Manchester by rail because scrapping HS2’s northern leg is likely to mean trains can take fewer passengers.
• Meetings on future of under-threat train builderLabour’s new transport secretary Louise Haigh will meet with officials later to discuss the future of an under-threat train builder.

Financial Times

• Tesla misses profit estimates as Musk delays ‘robotaxi’ launchShares fall despite CEO’s claim that plans for ‘autonomous fleet’ will transform its market value
• Rolls-Royce boss warns of prolonged supply chain strainsTufan Erginbilgic says crunch could persist for another two years
• Britons may need to be put off taking trains due to HS2 curtailment, watchdog saysAxing northern leg between Birmingham and Manchester will mean fewer seats on existing rail services, NAO says

The Guardian

• EasyJet says record summer ahead; Heathrow airport reports busiest day – business liveLive coverage of business, economics and financial markets as aviation industry reports stronger summer after Ryanair shock
• West coast fares could rise to incentivise people ’to not travel by rail’, UK watchdog saysDfT told to look into lessening demand amid reduced capacity after HS2’s second leg axed

The Herald

• Glasgow has made to many wrong turns on public transportGlasgow’s transport system has come in for much criticism lately, with the cudgels being taken up on Saturday by Geoff Ellis, a leading light in the city’s entertainment and events sector.

The Independent

• Sunak’s scrapping of HS2 will cost £100m and take up to three years, National Audit Office warnsNAO lays bare the cost and complications of decision to scrap phase 2 of the high-speed rail plan, first revealed by The Independent

The Scotsman

• Look inside Scotland's only east coast ferry - with a surprise twist for driversIt is a ferry that carries everything from cars to former military vehicles, but with a twist - there’s only space for two and drivers have to reverse off at journey’s end.
• Why a ScotRail pay dispute breakthrough could come from an unexpected quarterFor regular ScotRail passengers, it’s been Groundhog Day.

Reuters News

• UK's Heathrow airport posts first-half profit as travel recoversJuly 24 (Reuters) - Britain's Heathrow Airport swung to a profit for the first half of the year, boosted by robust passenger traffic as travel picked up, and it urged the new government to consider policies to help the country better compete with European travel hubs.

City AM

• Heathrow hits record passenger numbers but bemoans ’tight’ landing fees ruling Heathrow said it was making progress in closing a £400m shortfall from the CAA's
• Election ploy? Off-peak Friday tube trial was Sadiq Khan’s decision, says TfLTransport for London (TfL) has admitted it was instructed to run a £24m trial offering off-peak fares on Friday by Mayor Sadiq Khan, ahead of his bid for a historic third time in office.

Local Government

• Statement from the Mayor of Greater Manchester on the National Audit Office HS2 reportThe Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, provided the following statement on the National Audit Office's (NAO) report: "HS2: update following cancellation of Phase 2" (opens in new window).
• City of London Transport Strategy to ensure reduction in motor traffic and safer cycling infrastructureThe City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee has today approved changes to its Transport Strategy, following an extensive public consultation.

Sky News

• Labour may have to discourage people from using trains after Sunak axed HS2 northern leg, watchdog saysThe report from the National Audit Office comes after Rishi Sunak controversially cancelled the high-speed line north of Birmingham last year.

Birmingham Post

• Renault UK's sales surge to over £2bn in 2023, outpacing industry trendsThe division saw new registrations of Renault-branded cars increase by 51 per cent from 46,490 in 2022 to 70,326 in 2023 - higher than any other car brand bar MG

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Huddersfield station's iconic roof set for restorationWork has begun on the trainshed roof of Huddersfield's Grade I listed station as part of a significant multi-billion-pound upgrade.

London Evening Standard

• New Heathrow third runway battle erupts as boss says expansion crucial for UK economyThe west London airport’s chief executive Thomas Woldbye says there is enough ’demand’ for another runway
• Fresh talks in train drivers’ pay dispute ’constructive’ – AslefThe meeting at the Department for Transport (DfT) on Tuesday will be followed by further talks in the coming weeks.

Manchester Evening News

• Rail passengers from Manchester to London can expect a new Euston... but it could be years before it's even planned outA new report into how HS2 was cancelled has revealed a £100 million bill and a lot of waste

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Labour transport secretary to meet Hitachi bosses over future of County Durham train factoryLouise Haigh will sit down with Hitachi bosses in London, as uncertainty continues over the future of the Japanese manufacturing giant's Newton Aycliffe plant

The York Press

• Calls for better safety for cyclists in transport strategyPeople told City of York Council’s Executive the authority’s Transport Strategy should look at different ways to run bus services and upgrade cycling infrastructure to overcome worries about injuries, including from couriers.

Bucks Free Press

• New Mid Bucks MP on Green Belt, HS2 and other issuesThe new MP for Mid Buckinghamshire Greg Smith has revealed his key pledges on the Green Belt, Wycombe Hospital, HS2 and other issues.

Carlisle News & Star

• Cumbria Distilling Co.'s British Gin secures Avanti contractA Cumbrian gin is now being served to relaxing passengers in the 1st Class Lounge at London Euston Station.

Other Regional Press

• Smart motorway £100 fine warning for thousands of driversMore than 53,000 incidents of drivers ignoring lane closed signs on smart motorways have been recorded since 2021
• ‘It’s full steam ahead for Great British Railways - so will trains run in the national interest?’Could the government’s vision for our railways signal a new era for public transport and train travel in this country, asks our columnist?

Construction Enquirer

• HS2 to spend £100m shutting sites where work never startedHS2 will need to spend £100m and take three years closing down sites for the cancelled Phase 2 leg despite construction never starting on them.

Rail Advent

• TransPennine Express launches its own IPA beer'Pennine Pale' to be available to first-class passengers

Rail Magazine

• Woods returns to PorterbrookBen Woods is joining Porterbrook as Engineering Business Development Director, having started his railway career with the company in 2004 as a Graduate Technical Support Engineer.

Railway Gazette

• ’TBM in a can’ plan makes progress at HS2 site in west LondonUK: Construction of HS2 Ltd’s Green Park Way ventilation shaft at Greenford in west London has entered a crucial phase, as preparations ramp up ahead of the arrival and subsequent recovery of four tunnel boring machines at the site.

Trafnidiaeth Cymru [Transport for Wales]

• Comms Design and Transport for Wales trial Request to StopComms Design and Transport for Wales are preparing to trial a digital signalling system that will enhance passenger experience and optimise train operations on rural and low-density rail routes.

Other News Sources

• Heathrow warns of ’competitive drag’ driving passengers to rival hubsBureaucratic tax and border policies are pushing passengers to rival European hubs, Heathrow warned today. “While Heathrow continues to attract new routes and record passenger numbers, competitive drags hang over the airport,” it said while reporting a record 39.8 million passengers in the first half of the year.
• Safran looks to future of sustainable air transportCFM International, a joint venture between Safran and GE Aviation, has announced progress towards sustainable air travel.
• New transport hub to 'improve how people travel to and from' TauntonRESIDENTS are urged to have their say on designs for the new transport hub which will “improve the way people travel to and from” Taunton.
• £41.7m funding to expand electrification of buses in ScotlandElectric vehicle fleet and battery storage solutions firm Zenobē has been awarded £41.7 million, alongside a network of local fleet operators, in phase 2 of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB).
• Transport for Greater Manchester deploys AI on busesTransport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the local government body responsible for transport in the Manchester region, has partnered with tech firm CitySwift to launch a new data management platform to make the city’s bus network more efficient.
• HS2: update following cancellation of Phase 2Background to the report
• Successful reset needed for HS2, says NAOMeasures to reduce costs include renegotiating four main construction contracts.
• Department for Transport has lost grip on local road maintenanceBritain’s pothole crisis is on a downward spiral, according to a National Audit Office report.