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

Friday, 09 August 2024

BBC News

• New Everton stadium fan zone planned at train stationA fan zone is being proposed at a train station next to Everton's new stadium to cope with "increased footfall".
• Russia airspace ban forces BA to drop key China flightsBritish Airways to drop flights to Beijing from October, as Russian airspace ban bites.
• Delta Airlines laces into CrowdStrike, says it lost $500m in outageThe US-based carrier has indicated it will sue both CrowdStrike and Microsoft for the damages
• MP wants clarity over plans for station reopeningThe MP for Taunton and Wellington has written to the Department for Transport (DfT) asking for clarity on the planned reopening of a station.
• Local transport hub scheme worth £400k launchesThe local travel hubs link up services like cycle hire with the wider bus, rail and tram networks.
• Train company apologises for poor serviceA train company has apologised for its services not being "up to scratch". Passengers in Cumbria have complained that Northern trains are "unreliable" and that there are "too many cancellations and delays”.
• Local transport hub scheme worth £400k launchesA £400,000 pilot project to create local travel hubs in the West Midlands has begun in Halesowen.

Financial Times

• British Airways to suspend flights to Beijing as Russia diversion adds costs Demand for flights to China has also struggled to rebound from the pandemic

The Guardian

• BA to axe direct flights from London Heathrow to BeijingThe route, restored in June last year, will be ’paused’ amid rising costs due to need to avoid Russian airspace
• Cruisezilla passenger ships have doubled in size since 2000, campaigners warnExperts say booming demand for holidays afloat mean ocean liners' burden on the environment is growing. The huge passenger vessels sometimes known as 'cruisezillas' are getting bigger than ever, according to new research which has found that the world's biggest cruise ships have doubled in size since 2000.

The Independent

• British Airways axes flights to Beijing amid competition from Chinese airlinesFour times a week, British Airways flight BA89 takes off from London Heathrow, destination Beijing. The pilots of the Boeing 777 navigate a precise course through the Caucasus between Russia and Iran, on a journey scheduled to take 11 hours 30 minutes.

The Mirror

• HS2 says infrastructure alongside track could help rural mobile and fibre broadband roll-outsA modern train line involves lots of cable and much of this is fibre, plus lots of ducting and while much of it may be hard to access when the train line is running, if this comms network is built with easy of repair access from day one it could be easy to mobile and broadband providers to rent spare fibre or duct space.

Birmingham Mail

• New 'temporary' hand luggage rules for UK tourists in EU with 'no timeline to lift them'Jet2, Ryanair, Easyjet and TUI passengers flying out from the likes of Birmingham, London Stansted, Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton, will be forced to adhere to new restrictions.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Leeds Bradford Airport unveils major plan to mark 'new era of travel'Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has unveiled an ambitious strategy to create thousands of new jobs and contribute up to nearly £1bn to the local economy.

London Evening Standard

• ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper staff back strike action in pay disputeThe RMT staff said it will be speaking to ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper, both of which are publicly owned, to come to a negotiated settlement.

Oxford Mail

• HS2 Oxford route plans for 5G connection and fast broadbandHomes and businesses near HS2 could benefit from better mobile reception and faster broadband, according to the company building the high-speed railway.

Other Regional Press

• Fears cyclists could hurt people using Exeter's new 'floating bus stops'A controversial new £1.55m cycle lane that will take 52 weeks to complete is causing fresh concern because it will include three so-called 'floating' bus stops which have been hailed as dangerous in other parts of the country. The design, which has a cycle lane between the stop and the pavement, is intended to allow bus passengers to get on and off safely while cyclists can keep moving.
• Eastbourne MP and County Lib Dem leader meet transport bosses over Seaside bus lane concernsEastbourne MP Josh Babarinde and St Anthonys Councillor David Tutt have met with East Sussex County Council transport bosses to discuss their concerns about the proposed Seaside bus lane.
• Residents’ group calls on North Yorkshire Council to scrap £1.8m Otley Road cycle path extension in HarrogateThe first stretch of the cycle path was completed in 2022 but was widely criticised for its design. It has led many cyclists to ignore it and use the road with other vehicles.
• Cullompton railway station ’scrapped’ by government, Devon Lib Dems claimA plan to reopen Cullompton railway station appears to have hit the buffers after claims by Devon’s Liberal Democrats that the new government is scrapping the scheme.
• Investment of £750k completed at Rochdale bus depotFirst Bus has completed a £750,000 investment programme at its Rochdale depot. The focus of the improvements are enhanced engineering facilities, including a new double height workshop bay for vehicle repair and maintenance.
• Urgent debate by councillors as Government pulls funding for Wellington Railway StationPLANS for a new railway station for Wellington appeared to have hit the buffers this week as the Government announced it would not fund the £15 million project.
• HS2 to Euston options 'reviewed' as Elizabeth line warning issuedInfrastructure bosses have set the Chancellor of the Exchequer a deadline

New Civil Engineer

• Councils hopeful on reopening of abandoned lines despite axing of Restoring Your RailwaysHampshire County Council and North Somerset Council have discussed the potential reinstatement of abandoned railway lines in their counties despite the recent axing of the Restoring Your Railways scheme. 

Rail UK

• Safeguarding vulnerable young people along the West Coast Mainline routeKey members of the rail community supported Railway Children on Thursday 1st August to raise awareness of safeguarding across the West Coast Mainline route from Glasgow to London as part of a Safeguarding Awareness Day.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• 86% overall satisfaction with bus services in Scotland, survey findsOverall satisfaction with bus services in Scotland among passengers is 86%, but punctuality and waiting times “need to improve,” Transport Focus has found in the first year of results for Scotland’s Your Bus Journey survey.

Other News Sources

• Local MP on ’Sorting Out’ the National transport systemIn this week’s column, Ruth Cadbury, Labour MP for Brentford & Isleworth, says one of the big tasks facing the new government ’is sorting out the mess that our national transport system has been left in’.
• Work begins at Uckfield Bus StationIt's being funded through contributions from local developers and the East Sussex Bus Service Improvement Plan.
• Network Rail to use synthetic wood for £4.5m viaduct upgradeRecyclable and reusable, the 190 manufactured fibrous bearer beams have double the life expectancy of their timber predecessors.
• Network Rail To Invest £4.5m To Safeguard Cumbrian CoastlineThe multi million pound project will see hardwood timber beams replaced with material which will double the life expectancy from 25 to 50 years, improving the structure of the track and making it more robust. At the end of their lifetime, they can be recycled or reused.
• More than £20m in funding agreed for key infrastructure projects in Greater ManchesterMembers of the Bee Network Committee have approved the release of more than £20m to progress with key transport infrastructure projects in Greater Manchester.

News from Europe

• Paris 'flying taxi' flights scrapped during OlympicsGerman manufacturer Volocopter had lobbied hard for authorization from European authorities. But a certification for its engines didn't come through in time for the Olympics.