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

Thursday, 26 September 2024

BBC News

• Smart motorway inaction criticised by campaignerA campaigner has criticised the government for failing to step in and scrap smart motorways. Claire Mercer, whose husband died on a smart motorway, said the Labour government was the latest to display inaction, despite being outspoken on the issue while in opposition.
• Campaigners urge government to reject Gatwick plansCampaigners are calling on government to "say no" to Gatwick Airport's plans to bring its northern runway in to regular use.
• Railway line accessibility 'in the dark ages'A man who has never travelled on the railway line nearest his home, because there are no lifts, says the infrastructure is "stuck in the dark ages".
• MP calls for half-hourly train service to coastScarborough and Whitby's MP has called for a half-hourly train service between Scarborough and York.
• Politician told off for calling 20mph a blanket limitNatasha Asghar had agreed a report asking MSs to avoid the term but continued to use it anyway.
• ScotRail drivers accept deal to end long-running pay dispute ScotRail has been running a reduced timetable since July due to staff shortages during the dispute.
• Commuters blame new station for 'constant congestion'People in south Belfast's Sandy Row say a new city transport hub is causing major traffic delays in the area.
• Cyber attack hits 20 UK railway stationsThe rail operator says its wi-fi system has been targeted and an investigation is ongoing.
• Veteran CalMac ferry to cover Arran service after breakdownMV Hebridean Isles will join the busy service, but redeployments will have a knock-on effect on South Uist.
• Boeing staff report pressure to lower standardsUS lawmakers say regulators need to be tougher on Boeing to force change at the troubled company.

ITV News

• Northumberland Council confirm a 'lessons learnt' report looking at delayed Northumberland LineOfficials at Northumberland County Council have confirmed a "lessons learnt" report is being carried out into the Northumberland Line rail project after costs spiralled due to delays and inflation.

The Guardian

• Where will the Oxford Street buses go? [Letters]Pedestrianising London?s busiest shopping street will make it better for visitors, but what will happen to all the buses that currently use it, ask John Cartledge and Martin and Barbara Harris

City AM

• Jaguar Land Rover plans £500m factory of the future; in UK electric vehicle drive Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced plans to invest £500m to transform one its historic factories as part of its drive to build more electric vehicles. The Whitley-headquartered automotive giant has already spent £250m on upgrading the Halewood plant, near Liverpool, which was originally constructed in 1963 to make the Ford Anglia.
• Wizz Air: Huge shareholder revolt over plans to hand boss bumper bonus Wizz Air has suffered a huge shareholder revolt against its plans to hand its chief executive a bumper pay deal. The airline is looking to give Jozsef Váradi a restricted share award which would represent 300 per cent of his £710,534 salary.

The Mirror

• Major UK train stations targeted with terrorism message in 'cyber security' hackLondon Euston, Manchester Piccadilly and other UK stations have been hacked in a "cyber security incident."

Belfast Telegraph

• Translink's £1m bill to pay private bus service while Grand Central's rail line is closedOver £1m has been spent by Translink running bus substitution services because of rail line closures linked to the new Belfast Grand Central station.

Birmingham Post

• JLR invests £500m in Halewood for electric vehicle production as it vows to create 'EV factory of the future'The Jaguar Land Rover owner is transforming the site, which opened in 1962

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Jet2 and Jet2holidays host fringe event at Labour ConferenceJet2.com and Jet2holidays hosted a fringe event at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, to discuss UK-wide economic growth.

Bristol Live

• New plans for railway station on edge of Bristol submittedIt could be open in 2027

London Evening Standard

• Eurostar trains would stop at Stratford International in boost to east London under revived proposalsEurostar trains would stop at Stratford International in a huge economic boost to East London under proposals being revived by a senior Labour MP.

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Piccadilly and other UK stations targeted with terrorism message in Wi-Fi 'cyber security incident'An investigation is underway after twenty stations managed by Network Rail were targeted

Nation. Cymru

• Eluned Morgan challenged over extra funding for Cardiff AirportFirst Minister Eluned Morgan has been challenged to explain why her government seems committed to a budget-busting increase in funding for Cardiff Airport 'which it owns' while apparently planning for cuts in core public services.

Bucks Free Press

• New mile-long dual carriageway in Bucks makes progress as new contractor hiredA new mile-long dual carriageway being built in Bucks has made progress as a new contractor has been hired to finish the project.

South Wales Argus

• Committee grills officials over £206m Cardiff Airport planSenedd members pressed officials about Cardiff Airport's performance and the Welsh Government plans for a £206m taxpayer-funded subsidy.
• MS finds out about issues in the bus sector from Chepstow firmAn MS visited a Chepstow firm to find out more about large vehicle engine maintenance, the future of electric buses and apprenticeships in the sector.

Other Regional Press

• New orbital cycle route being planned for DunfermlineIt will go around the city using existing paths and making repairs where needed. It?s hoped that the route will be accessible for cyclists and walkers.
• Isle of Wight ferry firm Wightlink starts £8m annual maintenance planThe ferry company is investing in maintaining its eight vessels, including vehicle ferries, FastCat passenger catamarans, and port facilities, to serve around four million passengers safely each year.
• New passenger handling at Blackpool Airport is agreed as update given on link roadProposals to build a new passenger handling facility at Blackpool Airport have been cleared for take-off after town hall planners approved the scheme. Planners at Fylde Council, whose jurisdiction the application falls under, gave it the go ahead using delegated powers.
• Bus Service Plan cut back as several schemes removedWork to review a travel scheme in North Somerset has completed after a decision to pause the programme earlier this year.
• Natasha Asghar: Government "delusional on Transport for Wales"THE CONSERVATIVES' shadow transport secretary has accused the Welsh Government of painting a rosy picture of Transport for Wales that could hardly be further from the truth.
• New Devon railway station on track despite tight timeframeThe timeframe for completing Okehampton's second railway station is tight but it is still on course to open in February 2026. The track design has been completed, and the 200-space car park design and active travel elements are now commencing for Okehampton Interchange station, which has secured £13.5 million of levelling up funding.

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• 3/1 Live from Liverpool where Labour is "ripping up the very roots of Thatcherism" from transportLaunching Season 3, Christian and co-presenter Mark Walker report from the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool on the keynote address by UK Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh MP [3:48]. Christian analyses a meeting discussing driverless cars addressed by Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood MP [13:50} and talks about his own presentation on transport challenges for the Labour Government given at the Public Transport Reception hosted by the Campaign for Better Transport and sponsored by Porterbrook [18:09]. Finally, Christian celebrates London Mayor Sadiq Khan's adoption of his own longstanding proposal for the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street [28:00].

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Wincanton study finds more than half of UK businesses don’t think they’ll meet net-zero goalsNew research from logistics giant, Wincanton, has revealed that two thirds (66%) of UK organisations say they are under pressure to hit their net-zero targets.

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 | New A41 overbridge and 2.6km of road realignment in Aylesbury completedHigh Speed 2 (HS2) main works contractor EKFB (Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial, Bam) has completed a two year project to construct a new overbridge traversing the A41 and realign 2.6km of road in Buckinghamshire.

Rail Magazine

• Hydrogen mooted as a route to net zero in Scotland's Far NorthThe Far North and West Highland lines could be decarbonised through discontinuous electrification, Railway Industry Association (RIA) Scotland chair Campbell Braid told SNP conference delegates.

Railway Gazette

• GB Railfreight electro-diesel loco on show in BerlinINNOTRANS: One of the 30 Stadler Class 99 electro-diesel locomotives ordered by GB Railfreight through leasing company Beacon Rail is a highlight of the manufacturer's presence at InnoTrans, the world's largest railway industry trade fair which is being held in Berlin on September 24-27.

Other News Sources

• Alexander Dennis supplies electric buses to Cobra Corporate ServicesBus manufacturer Alexander Dennis has announced it has supplied further electric buses to Cobra Corporate Services.
• Liz Line Level-Boarding at Old Oak Common?For some years, a known issue with the station at Old Oak Common currently being built has been that the trains on the Elizabeth line will call, or terminate, there yet there would be no level boarding. This is despite the fact that, to date, all newly-built stations for the Elizabeth line have level boarding.
• Hitachi presents new-generation FrecciarossaIRJ at InnoTrans 2024: HITACHI Rail presented the first of a new-generation of Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed trains to Trenitalia CEO Luigi Corradi during an event at the outside track area.
• Blu Wireless brings WiFi to the CaltrainBlu Wireless, the Bristol mmWave specialist, and railway system integrator Nomad Digital have rolled out superfast wireless connectivity to a key commuter line through Silicon Valley, California, USA.