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

Wednesday, 14 August 2024

BBC News

• Officials 'hopeful' of deal to end train strikesThe train drivers' union and the government are hopeful a deal can be struck to bring an end the long-running strike action, the BBC understands, as talks over pay are expected to take place on Wednesday.
• Temporary £200k 'ugly' footbridge set for townA £200,000 temporary footbridge over a Cornish railway station is being installed to ease waiting times at the town's level crossing.
• Railway station message board spreading positivityStaff at a train station have started writing friendly messages on a welcome board to spread positivity and kindness among passengers.
• Huge steel HS2 bridge wheeled into placeSpecialist engineers spend five hours moving the giant structure into place in Birmingham.
• Edinburgh Trams staff back strike action over lack of toilet breaksThe Unite union says late-running services mean drivers are unable to take a proper breaks.
• Chairman of Harland & Wolff resignsHe had been a non-executive director of the shipbuilder since 2019 and became chair in 2021.
• 'Double red lines' to cut down on matchday congestion Measures restricting cars around Old Trafford are being introduced to stop problem parking.
• More than 60 supercars worth £6m seized in LondonSupercars including a McLaren, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Ferrari and Lamborghini are seized by the force.

Financial Times

• Gas and grain ships shun Panama Canal after drought disruptionShipbrokers say commodities traders have grown accustomed to longer routes

The Guardian

• Rachel Reeves ponders private finance to help fund £9bn Lower Thames CrossingChancellor looks at handing income from tunnel tolls to investors in UK's largest infrastructure project. The Treasury is investigating how to attract private finance to bring down the cost of the UK government's largest planned infrastructure project, the £9bn Lower Thames Crossing.Rachel Reeves's department is considering handing over the income from tolls to a private consortium in return for a cash injection that would reduce the cost to the public purse.

The Independent

• Isle of Wight locals outraged at ferry trips to the mainland costing up to £440A residents group claims the high fares are making accessing healthcare difficult

The Scotsman

• CalMac chief hails hugely-delayed ferries as 'among best in Europe' but admits major service failingsThe new man at the helm of struggling operator CalMac has hailed its "absolutely fantastic" new ferries which he said would help transform its reputation when they arrive.

The National

• Scotland to Europe ferry ’could return at start of 2025' with fundingA FERRY connecting Scotland to mainland Europe could be reinstated in 2025 if the Scottish or UK Government helps with start-up funding, according to the shipping expert behind the project.

Hull Daily Mail

• Transport Secretary on Hull to Sheffield and Leeds electrificationTransport Secretary Louise Haigh has stopped short of a firm commitment to the electrification of the Hull to Sheffield and Leeds rail lines.

Other Regional Press

• HS2 boring machine worth £20m 'will sit underground unused' as Euston tunnel 'under threat'A review by the new Labour government of rail infrastructure projects is reportedly posing a threat to HS2's tunnel from West to Central London. Currently, the firm only has the cash to build the tunnel boring machines (TBM) required to burrow from its Old Oak Common (OOC) site in Ealing to Euston.
• Ullapool - Western Isles Calmac ferry passenger ’frustrated’ over treatment by operator, Highland court toldA frustrated ferry passenger tried to board the Ullapool service to the Western Isles without permission as his wife had an urgent medical appointment.
• Oldham: More than 450 bus drivers secure 'major' pay riseHundreds of staff who work for Stagecoach bus services in Oldham have secured a major deal to improve their pay and conditions.
• New Preston railway station plan back on track after wrangle over landPlans for a new railway station in suburban Preston are back on track after a wrangle over the land needed to build it was resolved. It comes two months after a proposed development of almost 300 homes in the vicinity of the long-awaited Cottam Parkway stop was blocked by councillors.
• Every single train using Huddersfield Railway Station cancelled this weekendThe station's major upgrade is part of the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade continues

New Civil Engineer

• Network Rail names 5 suppliers to deliver £1.3bn of works on Scotland’s railsNetwork Rail has picked VolkerRail, Taziker Industrial, AmcoGiffen, Story Contracting and QTS as its five suppliers to receive up to £1.3bn of contracts for works on Scotland’s railways over the next five years.

Rail Magazine

• Time for electrification: why UK rail needs a new approachSuccessive generations have spurned opportunities to make Britain’s railways cleaner and more efficient by investing in a rolling programme of main line electrification.

Railway Technology

• Transpennine Express commits to returning old services and train refurbsThe rail company said it has made progress on the issues highlighted when it was first brought under state control in 2023.

Aviation Industry

• London Heathrow wins gold for busiest airport in EuropeLondon Heathrow has topped the medal podium for the busiest airport in Europe, smashing their own record, for H1 2024.

Other News Sources

• A rail revolution can put the UK on track for a greener futureFixing the UK's railway system can boost economic growth, cut fares, and help decarbonise the economy, writes Wera Hobhouse MP
• Heathrow, Manchester and Stansted airports reveal busiest-ever JulyThe fastest growth at Heathrow is for domestic flights, with an increase of 14.7 per cent year-on-year
• JCDecaux UK and Network Rail introduce interactive touchscreens at London Bridge stationPassengers at London Bridge are set to benefit from a new digital screen network that includes live touchscreen information, helping passengers navigate the station and plan their onward travel across the wider rail and tube network.
• Another broken promise as SNP fail to deliver '13 services per hour' between Edinburgh and GlasgowEXPRESS INVESTIGATES: Nicola Sturgeon once boasted that 'Scotland's answer to HS2' would take passengers between the two cities in 'less than half an hour'. Twelve years and £860m later, the reality is rather less impressive
• Rail company sparks outrage over 'profiteering' charge for water in London station: 'Total disgrace'Chiltern Railways have been criticised for implementing a 25p charge for water at a new fountain at London’s Marylebone station.

News from Europe

• Intermarine hands over new eco-friendly fast ferry to SNAVIntermarine, a subsidiary of Immsi industrial group (IMS.MI), has delivered new eco-friendly high-speed ferry to Italian shipping company SNAV.