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

Monday, 26 August 2024

BBC News

• Landslip closes tunnel for second time in one weekNo trains will run between Honiton and Axminster until Monday due to Honiton Tunnel suffering a landslip at its entrance for the second time in a week, officials have said.
• Will the mystery of a beach 'ghost' railway ever be solved?On a quiet beach lies the remains of a disused railway track. Speculation has raged online about why it is there, but could the mystery finally have been solved?

STV

• Almost 6,000 ScotRail trains cancelled in last four monthsFigures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives show 5,774 ScotRail trains were either fully or partially cancelled between April and July.
• Labour and Tories hit out at SNP?s management of rail servicesThe two parties released separate research on train services, attacking the Scottish Government?s handling of the nationalised ScotRail franchise.

The Guardian

• Repair the public path network and help us get our kicks on route 67 [Ltters]Kate Ashbrook on the dire state of public rights of way and John Kirkwood on making it easier to take bicycles on public transport
• The Guardian view on the future of public transport: time to invest and think bigA Labour-commissioned review is right to argue that trains, buses and trams can be at the heart of a green growth strategy
• Superloops, Bees and bottlenecks: onboard England's new bus routesDevolved transport powers for mayors represent exciting prospect, but traffic and costs are still a major hurdle. Can you make everything better with a bus? I can't speak for everyone, says Janet McGlone, 74, onboard the SL3 Superloop service from Thamesmead shopping centre on her way home to Bexleyheath in south-east London. But this has been a godsend for us. The Superloop, a psychedelic-branded network of express orbital buses dreamed up by the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, at the height of opposition to Ulez, has been running for just over a year, attempting to provide better public transport.

The Herald

• Scottish oil services giant and ScotRail in spotlightAberdeen oil services company Wood, one of Scotland?s big publicly quoted companies, was in focus last week as it delivered results hard on the heels of Middle Eastern suitor Sidara walking away from a takeover bid.

The Scotsman

• Rail reveals when timetable cuts expected to end after major breakthrough in pay disputeScotRail is confident that threatened strikes will be averted after union officials accepted a new pay offer - but does not expect to restore its full timetable for another month, The Scotsman has learned.
• CalMac passenger disruption on busiest route prolonged by veteran ferry's repairs setbackPassenger disruption on CalMac?s most popular route will be prolonged again after a new setback to lengthy repairs on one of its oldest ferries, The Scotsman has learned.

The Telegraph

• Red Sea crisis drives surge in Russian railway freightTrain routes provide lucrative loophole from sanctions and safety from Houthi attacks

Times Online

• How the end of cheap train fares leaves motorists with all stick and no carrotA scheme to encourage motorists to use the train instead seemed to be working ? but the reintroduction of peak fares will lead to more road journeys at a time when councils are trying to deter drivers, industry experts warn

Get Surrey

• Re-opening of new bus station near Surrey delayed due to 'unforeseen issues'Transport for London (TfL) has issued an apology as 'unforeseen delays' have pushed back the reopening of a Kingston bus station. The Cromwell Road bus station was initially set to reopen this summer, but now it's expected to be operational 'a few weeks later than planned' in the autumn.

Lancashire Telegraph

• Northern recruits ex-TfL manager as head of operational deliveryChris Clarke has been named head of operational delivery in the North West by train operator Northern.

Other Regional Press

• London Underground stations 'upgrade' and more bus stops as development to have 'significant impact'Transport for London (TfL) has said that it plans to 'upgrade' Tube stations and install new bus stands as a housing development is set to have a 'considerable impact' on public transport in the area. The multi-million project will include changes to West Hampstead and Finchley Road stations and nearby bus stops on the A41.
• ScotRail peak rail fares set to return at the end of SeptemberScotRail peak fares are set to be reintroduced at the end of September amid Scottish Government financial challenges, it has been revealed.

Rail Magazine

• HS2 rail workings in full swing at New BiltonRail traffic on the New Bilton branch from Rugby recommenced on August 1 2023, and there are now two trips daily, five days a week, from Willesden Euroterminal, with a path for a third service.

Railway Gazette

• World rail freight news round-upLobito Atlantic Railway has begun exporting copper from the DR Congo?s Copperbelt to the USA, using rail for the six-day journey from Kolwezi to the port of Lobito in Angola. This follows a number of shipments of copper to Europe and the Far East since LAR took over the rail concession in January.

Stagecoach Group

• Stagecoach announces changes to bus network from SeptemberStagecoach has announced changes to its network of buses in the Bristol and South Gloucestershire region which will take effect from Sunday, September 1. The changes include route variations, timetable changes and a service being taken out of operation.

Other News Sources

• ScotRail passengers set for massive fare hike despite cut of 27,000 servicesIt has been revealed that ScotRail has dramatically reduced timetables on various busy lines to as little as one train every three hours at night-time.
• Scramble for critical minerals spurs an African rail revivalSouthern Africa's railways have become a hotspot for global investment as nations seek to streamline copper exports from Zambia and Congo.