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

Monday, 16 September 2024

BBC News

• HS2 blew billions - here's how and whyThere is no shortage of places to start when trying to make sense of what went wrong for HS2 and how for around twice the original budget we're getting half the line that was planned.
• Historic signal box dismantled for relocationA railway signal box has been dismantled by engineers to start a new life 330 miles (531km) away.
• Major bridge repairs keep railway line shutA railway line between Devon and Cornwall is set to remain closed until 21 September for urgent bridge repair work, Great Western Railway (GWR) has confirmed.
• Farewell tour marks end of the line for 1970s trainsOne of Merseyrails 1970s trains is set to begin a farewell tour ahead of the fleet being retired.
• Strategy to improve bus network could cost £44mA new strategy to improve the West Midlands bus network could cost nearly £45m.
• Rail reopening scrapped over 'value for money'Plans to reinstate passenger rail services on a former freight line in Hampshire will not be taken forward, the government has confirmed.
• New city tram could span across Wales' capitalThe first stage of the plan would connect Cardiff Central station with Cardiff Bay.
• A83 reopens after heavy rain triggers 500 tonne landslideTraffic has been moved to the diversion route via the Old Military Road.

Financial Times

• Delayed Transpennine rail upgrade reviewed again ahead of BudgetElectrification of Manchester-Leeds route being studied for potential cost savings

The Guardian

• Jet fuel tax could raise £6bn a year in the UK, says thinktankExperts say' 'baffling' lack of equivalent to fuel duty means motorists are more strongly taxed than private jet owners
• There's something in the air: UK airport expansion gears up for takeoffLobbyists are increasingly confident about expansion plans as concerns for the economy start to deepen. The younger, tormented minister mulling his position before the Labour government granted Heathrow's third runway in 2009 might have been greatly relieved to know that, 15 years later, not a shovel would have touched the ground.
• A carbon tax to clip the wings of frequent flyers | LettersGuardian readers respond to George Monbiot’s piece on carbon emissions and environmental policy On carbon policy, George Monbiot is correct to focus on realism, not perception (Out of 1,500 global climate policies, only 63 have really worked. That’s where green spin has got us, 12 September). Large-scale aviation will not be carbon neutral for at least 50 years.
• Boeing and striking factory workers to resume mediated talks on TuesdayWorkers voted overwhelmingly to reject wage proposal from aviation giant last week. Talks between Boeing and striking US factory workers will resume on Tuesday under a federal mediator, the union said, after workers voted overwhelmingly to reject a proposal from the embattled aviation giant.

Times Online

• Is your train wi-fi painfully slow? Tell us your experience [subscription]Whether it's firing off a quick email, checking the news or simply streaming a favourite TV programme, even seemingly mundane tasks can turn into a frustrating battle for rail passengers saddled by poor wi-fi connectivity.

City AM

• Chinese EV makers should be barred from UK public contracts over data privacy fears, campaigners warn Suppliers suspected of having ties to the Chinese military pose a risk due to the potential for built components to be "weaponised" from overseas.

Daily Record

• SNP urged senior party members to lobby train commuters about independence - despite fare rises and service cutsSNP chiefs have urged their supporters to lobby train travellers about independence... despite slashing services and raising fares. An email sent to senior party members last week called for a celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the 2014 referendum by campaigning at train and bus stations.

i News

• EU nations rail against Germany as it reintroduces unacceptable border controlsPoland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk denounced the move as 'unacceptable' calling it a 'de facto suspension of the Schengen agreement on a large scale'

Network Rail

• More images released as public consultation opens on TRU Stalybridge to Saddleworth plansMore images have been released showing the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) changes coming to the railway and stations between Stalybridge tunnel and Diggle (Saddleworth).

Birmingham Mail

• UK speed limit could change from next Wednesday despite drivers 'not wanting it'Motorists and road users are being warned over the speed limit being drastically cut to 20mph across MORE roads in a push to curb deaths on the roads.
• Three Highway Code rules could be expanded for EV and hybrid carsMajor Highway Code changes are needed to "take into account the latest risks from electric and hybrid cars", one road safety expert has said in an urgent warning.

Bolton News

• Disruption across Manchester Metrolink trams due to 'loss of power'Metrolink trams across Greater Manchester have come to a standstill due to a 'loss of power' at a city centre stop.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• £20m road scheme will see new bus lanes, cycle lanes and pedestrian crossingsA £20 MILLION highways scheme will see new bus lanes, cycle lanes and pedestrian crossings on one of the main routes into Bradford city centre.
• Video exposes more horrendous driving on our roadsMore examples of dangerous driving on West Yorkshire's roads have been laid bare in a shocking video released by police.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• 'Huge response' on 20mph and update on when your local road could change back to 30mphWhile the number of responses has been massive the actual roads targeted is far lower
• The places 20mph roads won't revert to 30mph due to fears collisions and injuries will go back upTransport Secretary also responded to some data that showed a rise in injuries on higher speeds roads since new limit introduced

Edinburgh Evening News

• Now city bus trackers can tell us how late they are running - Susan DalgetyHurrah. Edinburgh's joke of a bus tracker is now up and running and has been for a week. Or so council official Hannah Ross told the council's transport committee last Thursday.

Nation. Cymru

• Plans revealed for a new tramway between Cardiff Central and Cardiff BayPlans have been revealed for a brand-new tramway from Cardiff Central railway station to Cardiff Bay, connecting the two directly by rail for the first time.

Sheffield Star

• Sheffield trains: New Sheffield-London King's Cross train service could launch next year, says Hull TrainsA new direct train service from Sheffield to London King?s Cross could launch by the end of next year, the operator says.

Wales Online

• The man leading the reform of Wales' 20mph law has set out what comes nextKen Skates, Wales' transport minister, has spoken to mark a year on since the introduction of the controversial speed limit
• First images show the ?100m new tram route that will run through the middle of CardiffA public consultation on the first phase of the Cardiff Crossrail project has been launched

Yorkshire Post

• How we can stop the decline in bus services across the region - Simon Lightwood MPDay in, day out, buses shoulder the needs of millions of working people across the country, whether they are getting to work or school, or seeing the doctor or friends. A reliable bus service is the difference between aspiration and isolation, between getting on and being forced to give up - a lifeline, plain and simple.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Greater Anglia could be nationalised under Labour plansGreater Anglia's core contract terms is set to expire today which could potentially mean it becoming?one of the first train operators nationalised by the new government.?

Oxford Mail

• Oxford Botley Road closure: Apology and update on timetableRail minister Lord Hendy is "urgently waiting" to hear from Network Rail on its latest timetable for reopening Botley Road.

Plymouth Herald

• Plan to 'take back control of Plymouth's buses'Labour MPs have pledged to 'take back control' of Plymouth's buses. Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport said 'it has become impossible to rely on local bus services' and praised a package of measures to empower local leaders unveiled by the Labour Government.

Other Regional Press

• Could Norfolk get new rail freight routes and stations?A major new rail depot could be created in rural Norfolk under ambitious plans being considered by County Hall.
• Could Norfolk get new rail freight routes and stations?A major new rail depot could be created in rural Norfolk under ambitious plans being considered by County Hall.
• New 50-mile railway line will be built through Staffordshire firstLand already designated to the HS2 project would be used through the Staffordshire section of the 50-mile route
• Young Persons ?1 Bus Fare Introduced on North Yorkshire ServicesEast Riding Buses say their services in North Yorkshire will be supporting North Yorkshire Council?s brand-new Young Persons' Fare Scheme from today.
• Harlow car park to become temporary bus station as work on starts on new ?15m transport hubA car park in an Essex town will become a temporary bus station while the existing building goes through a massive redevelopment. Harlow Council has been granted planning permission for the change of use of Post Office Road car park to a temporary bus station.
• ?9m Keighley railway station refurb 'progressing well'A ?9 MILLION refurbishment of Keighley's railway station is 'progressing well', according to Network Rail.
• A650 in Bradford set for £20m upgrade for 'people on low income'Over £4m of that is likely to be spent before construction work has even begun

Railway Gazette

• Elland station detailed design contract awardedUK: West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Calderdale Council have appointed Keltbray Infrastructure Services to develop detailed designs for the proposed Elland station on the Calder Valley line.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Nottingham City Transport electric bus shift: Time the critical factorA need for comprehensive planning by coach and bus fleets embarking on the battery-electric shift has been illustrated by Nottingham City Transport (NCT), which is rolling out 62 such Yutong E10s and E12s at its Trent Bridge depot.
• Measuring the huge value of local bus to our economyNewly published research gives the industry ammunition in its fight for more funding, says Confederation of Passenger Transport CEO Graham Vidler
• SPT bus franchising approach criticised by former TC for ScotlandStrathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) caused a stir in March when it published a report to its board that recommended a start to bus franchising work in the region. Political momentum behind that has grown, and franchising is set to be in a final draft of the Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy for public consultation.
• Why print lives on for some bus operatorsDigital timetables may be a powerful tool, but some in the industry argue there is still a place for print

Other News Sources

• Unife?s new director general sets sights on closer industry collaborationEnno Wiebe officially took over as the new director general of Unife on June 1. He reveals his plans for the organisation to Kevin Smith.
• Swindon council to get new powers over bus routesNew powers are to be given to local authorities, including Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire Council,? to set up their own bus routes and even bus companies.

News from Europe

• Major rail freight operators announce new Germany-Belgium servicesOne route will link Duisburg and Antwerp, with the other running between Zeebrugge and Crailsheim.