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

Friday, 13 September 2024

BBC News

• Date set for opening of new Bristol train stationA long-awaited opening date has been announced for a train station which shut 60 years ago. Ashley Down station, which has been in construction since March 2023, will open on Saturday, 28 September.
• Trust works to prevent more pollution in canalThere are concerns sediment at the bottom of the canal may cause more pollution if it is disturbed.
• Bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis warns of 160 jobs at riskBus manufacturer Alexander Dennis said 160 jobs at its Larbert base could be at risk
• Irish language protest held at new transport hubProtestors say an entire community has been ignored because the signs at Belfast's Grand Central Station don't include the Irish language.
• Boy arrested over London transport cyber hackThe teenager was arrested on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act offences and has since been bailed.
• CalMac ferry Glen Sannox delayed again over fuel testing problemDelivery of the over-budget ferry is pushed back by about two weeks to allow further tests on its fuel system.
• Boeing workers to strike as 25% pay rise rejectedMore than 30,000 workers will walk out after union members voted overwhelmingly to back the strike.

Financial Times

• Boeing factory workers begin strike that threatens aircraft deliveriesCompany under pressure to sweeten offer as analysts say a long stoppage could hit its credit rating
• Trainline raises profit guidance as UK rail traffic recoversTicket-booking site hails ‘strong performance’ after enjoying growth in continental Europe
• TfL warns of customer data breach after cyber attackBank details of 5,000 passengers may have been accessed it admits after teenage suspect is arrested
• EasyJet demands UK air traffic chief’s sacking over ‘ongoing failure’ to tackle disruptionBudget airline chief joins Ryanair head in calling for Martin Rolfe’s dismissal
• New rail line needed between Midlands and northern England, study saysThe 80km of track could be built faster and cheaper than axed HS2 leg, says research

The Guardian

• Plans unveiled for cheaper high-speed alternative to scrapped HS2 northern legReport claims 50-mile line would be slightly slower and significantly cheaper but deliver most of the benefits. A plan for a new high-speed rail line linking Birmingham and Manchester has been unveiled, claiming to deliver most of the benefits of the scrapped northern leg of HS2 at significantly cheaper cost and with only slightly longer journey times.The 50-mile track would run from where the HS2 line is now due to end in Staffordshire to join a planned Northern Powerhouse Rail line west of Manchester airport, under a plan unveiled by the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.

The Herald

• 160 jobs at risk at Larbert based Alexander Dennis bus firmAround 160 jobs are at risk at a Falkirk-based bus manufacturer due to an uneven playing field in the industry sector.

The Independent

• New report reveals slower and cheaper alternative to scrapped HS2 routeThe new route between Staffordshire and Cheshire would connect with the Northern Powerhouse Rail

Times Online

• TfL cyberattack: Walsall teenager held as scale of hack revealed [subscription]Some data on Oyster card refunds, including bank account details, may have been breached
• Transport chief effectively sacked over e-bike battery fire fearsThe UK head of a Swedish delivery business was unfairly sacked for blowing the whistle over fears that the company's e-bike batteries could spontaneously burst into flames.

City AM

• Transport for London: Bank account details may have been stolen in cyberattack TfL said personal data, including names, home addresses and possibly bank details were stolen as part of a major cyber attack earlier in September.
• New rail line connecting Midlands and North West set to deliver £70bn economic boost“Doing nothing is not an option”—this was the message today as a consortium of business leaders and politicians unveiled ambitious plans for a new rail line connecting the Midlands to the North West.

Daily Record

• Scots bus company confirms 160 jobs at risk due to 'uneven playing field'Falkirk-based firm Alexander Dennis said it has launched a consultation process due to government zero-emission bus funding "disproportionately benefitting" foreign competitors with lower labour costs.

i News

• Tories spent £100m on Boris Johnson's failed green buses scheme, Labour claimsThe former Tory government spent nearly £100m of taxpayers' cash on Boris Johnson's green buses programme despite having evidence that the scheme did little to cut emissions, a government report is expected to show.
• Labour will look at HS2 North replacement as mayors point to £70bn growthStarmer urged to commit to a new rail line in the Budget to boost regions and Treasury coffers

Network Rail

• Vital £9.2m East Coast Main Line track and drainage upgrades start this weekendRail passengers travelling between Newcastle and Edinburgh are being urged to check their journey before travelling as three weekends of track and drainage work begin on the East Coast Main Line this Saturday (14 September).

Sky News

• Plan to build cheaper version of scrapped HS2 northern leg unveiled - and journeys would only be 15 minutes longerUsing land already taken for the defunct HS2 northern leg and employing lower building costs would have huge benefits at a lower cost, the report's authors say.

Birmingham Mail

• Drivers will have £202 taken from bank account over 'difficult to enforce' ruleWith many drivers only option be to seek out an expensive pay and display or private paying car park.

Birmingham Post

• Trainline reports robust sales growth, driven by digital ticket demand and fewer UK rail strikesTrainline said half-year net ticket sales jumped higher than expected after a combination of increased demand for digital tickets and fewer UK rail strikes helped drive growth
• Heathrow: UK's new £10 airport charge for all passengers will make us 'less competitive'The controversial Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, which requires visa-exempt passengers to pay £10 and wait around three days for a permit, will be rolled-out to all nationalities next year
• Heathrow: UK's new £10 airport charge for all passengers will make us 'less competitive'The controversial Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, which requires visa-exempt passengers to pay £10 and wait around three days for a permit, will be rolled-out to all nationalities next year
• 'Doing nothing is not an option' - passionate plea from mayors for new regional rail linkNewly published report out today makes strong case for new line between West Midlands and North West following cancellation of HS2 phase two

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Planned re-opening of Interchange welcomed - but questions still remainNEWS that Bradford Interchange will open in the New Year has been welcomed, but there are questions over why the closure has dragged on so long.

Morning Star

• Labour's rail plan leaves private profiteers still riding the gravy trainSOLOMON HUGHES explains how rolling stock companies like Angel Trains will continue milking taxpayers for billions even after renationalisation, as Canadian pension funds and Texan oil billionaires cash in on our daily commutes

Other Regional Press

• First Bus' X51 trial bus service extended until March 2025As reported, bus firm First is serving the villages of Martinstown and Winterbourne Steepleton as a trial by diverting its X51 service from Weymouth to Bridport and Axminster.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• SCR retrofit government support to endGovernment funding for the retrofit of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology is being brought to an end.

New Civil Engineer

• Plans being drawn up to safely reopen Bradford Interchange bus station by JanuaryWest Yorkshire Combined Authority (Wyca) has announced that it is working with engineers from Jacobs on plans to safely reopen Bradford Interchange bus station by January 2025.
• HS2 unable to confirm level boarding accessibility at £1.6bn Old Oak Common stationHigh Speed 2 (HS2) Ltd cannot guarantee there will be level boarding for conventional rail and Elizabeth line services at its £1.67bn Old Oak Common station in west London, which accessibility campaigners have deemed scandalous
• ICE warns that Britain can't afford more infrastructure failure after HS2 cancellationThe Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has sent out a warning to decision makers to ensure that lessons are learned from the struggles of High Speed 2 (HS2) as the country embarks on other major infrastructure projects.

Rail Advent

• Alstom reaches major milestone in refurbishing Avanti's Pendolino bogiesA major project by Alstom to refurbish all bogies on Avanti West Coast's Pendolino fleet has reached a major milestone with the completion of bogie sets on all 35 of the 11-carriage Pendolinos.

Rail Business Daily

• London Trams invites manufacturers to bid to design and build new fleet of tramsThe search for a manufacturer to design and build a new fleet of trams to replace the oldest ones operating on the London Trams network has begun, as Transport for London (TfL) has issued an Invitation to Tender (ITT).

Rail UK

• New survey reveals railway workers underrated in public importanceOne of the south west's railway workers stars in a new campaign to highlight the essential roles of people who keep trains running, as new findings released by Network Rail reveal railway professionals are underrated in public importance compared to other key workers in Britain.
• Stourbridge proposal could save taxpayers millions of poundsPre Metro has proposed the Stourbridge Dasher be considered to connect Dudley sooner rather than later, which could save taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds while delivering enhanced connectivity and economic revitalisation.
• British Ambassador to Egypt visits Derby-built Cairo MonorailAlstom, together with its partners, has welcomed His Majesty's Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Gareth Bayley OBE, to witness the construction of the new Cairo Monorail system.
• Avanti bogie overhaul project hits major milestoneThe biggest overhaul of bogies belonging to the UK's hardest working train fleet has reached a major milestone with the initial phase of project completed.
• Japanese public transport digital expertise coming to WalesTransport for Wales has selected global company Hitachi to help digitally transform public transport within Wales, making it easier for customers to plan, book and pay for different modes of travel.

Railway Gazette

• Gemini completes £10m GWR Turbo fleet refreshUK: Gemini Rail Services in Wolverton has completed a £10m three-year internal refresh of Great Western Railway's fleet of Class 165/166 Turbo regional and suburban diesel multiple-units.
• Leasing company opens a locomotive workshop of superlativesGERMANY: Railpool Lokservice has opened Europe's most modern locomotive workshop at Hamburg Billbrook. We wanted a workshop of superlatives and we built it, said Managing Director Christoph Engel.
• Mayors' Birmingham Manchester rail link promises 85% of HS2 benefitsUK: Plans for a Midlands-North West Rail Link have been set out by the consortium appointed by the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.

Sustainable Bus

• 58 per cent of planned zero emission bus orders set to be cancelled in Germany after halt in subsidies, VDV statesEvery 100 zero emission buses to be tendered according to plans, only 42 are set to be effectively procured following halt of subsidies. A recent industry survey of VDV member companies specifically shows that of the 2,396 locally emission-free city buses originally planned, only 42 per cent will be procured as planned

Other News Sources

• Carbon Voyage: The bus manufacturer decarbonising diesel fleetsBus manufacturer, Wrightbus, has opened its NewPower facility in Bicester where it will be decarbonising fleets of buses by replacing diesel engines with electric powertrains.
• BMW collaborates with the University of Zagreb to optimise battery cell productionBMW Group's Battery Cell Competence Centre (BCCC) in Munich, Germany, and the University of Zagreb's Regional Centre of Excellence for Robotic Technology (CRTA) in Croatia are collaborating to advance the production of battery cells with the help of AI.
• UK Power Networks invests £4m in London bus depotUK Power Networks has invested £4 million in a new 4.5-megawatt power connection at Arriva's Thornton Heath bus depot to support new electric buses on nine routes and related night routes.

News from Europe

• RAILPOOL INAUGURATED EUROPE'S MOST MODERN ELECTRICRAILPOOL Group, one of Europe's leading rail vehicle rental companies, opened Europe's most modern locomotive workshop in Hamburg Billbrook in the presence of Dr. Anjes Tjarks, Senator for Transport and Mobility Transition of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. The workshop is operated by RAILPOOL Lokservice GmbH & Co. KG, part of the RAILPOOL Group.
• Munich Airport takes another step on ‘Net Zero 2035’ strategy with first delivery of electric passenger busesMunich Airport has taken another step on its Net Zero 2035 sustainability strategy. MAN Truck & Bus Germany has delivered the first 10 electric solo passenger buses to AeroGround Flughafen München GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Munich Airport. A further 27 electric buses of MAN Lion's City E 12 and E 18 models will be put into operation by the end of the year. There is an option to purchase 25 additional buses.