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

Saturday, 28 September 2024

Cogitamus

• What future for price competition as franchising ends?One of the conundrums facing Great British Railways (GBR) is how to deal with price competition between different operators. The original privatisation structure encouraged this, and one way Train Operating Companies could increase their profitability was by introducing lower fares between stations primarily served by another company; In many parts of the country there is. The post What future for price competition as franchising ends? appeared first on Cogitamus.

BBC News

• Wales 'should get a lot more' of UK's rail cashWestminster's control of rail investment means Wales loses out on money, a transport expert says.
• Is the cruise ship stuck in Belfast finally ready to sail?The Villa Vie Residences cruise ship should have left four months ago but has been held up by repairs.
• Titanic shipbuilder formally enters administrationHarland and Wolff, the Belfast shipbuilder, has formally entered administration for the second time.

Financial Times

• HS2 Ltd could fall under direct state control after government review [subscription]Whitehall and industry figures say governance at company responsible for High Speed 2 rail link to be scrutinised
• British Airways admits to a ‘difficult’ summer as air traffic control delays mountCarrier has suffered from air traffic control disruptions and supply chain issues affecting parts and engine availability

The Guardian

• Flying-Vs and longer wings: how the familiar shape of passenger planes is about to changeUrgent search for better fuel efficiency to cut emissions is driving radical innovation in aircraft design Almost everybody on the planet knows what a passenger aeroplane looks like. Its shape hasn’t changed for decades.Take the world’s bestselling liner, the Boeing 737: the first model in 1967 looks roughly the same as the latest version, the 737 Max. Yet that extraordinary run may be about to change as manufacturers look at a new wave of innovations that could literally change the shape of aviation. Continue reading...
• Titanic shipbuilder Harland & Wolff collapses into administrationBelfast-based company appoints administrators though shipyard subsidiaries still tradingHarland & Wolff, the Belfast-based shipbuilder that produced the Titanic, has collapsed into administration.The company has appointed administrators from Teneo to oversee the process after failing to find new funding to stay afloat. So far only the parent company, Harland & Wolff Group Holdings plc, is in administration, and its shipyard subsidiaries are continuing to trade. Continue reading...
• UK weather: strong wind warning issued as England and Wales cope with floodsTransport disrupted and more than 60 flood warnings still in place, with more downpours to comeThe Met Office has issued a weather warning for strong winds on Sunday as parts of the country recovered from heavy rain and flooding. Flooding disrupted rail services in England and Wales on Friday morning and led to the closure of the M5 motorway in both directions in Gloucestershire.The Environment Agency told drivers their cars could be swept away in as little as 30cm (12in) of water as more than 60 flood warnings were issued in England after heavy rain overnight, with further downpours to come. ...

The Herald

• Peak train fares re-introduced in Scotland as prices surgeToday marks the last day of ScotRail commuters being able to use off-peak fares to travel on trains in the country.

The Independent

• 13 million air passengers are now eligible for summer flight compensationUK passengers can be eligible for flight compensation of up to £520 when faced with cancellations

Times Online

• Glasgow parking permit price rises 'a tax on the poor' [subscription]The council is proposing charges based on vehicle emissions, but critics say this unfairly penalises the less well-off
• ScotRail passenger satisfaction falls as peak fares return [subscription]The operator was forced to cut services over the summer due to a dispute with unions over pay
• Boeing?s flightpath to safety is getting narrower all the time [subscription]Strikes, safety problems and a shrinking cash cushion aren?t the only issues for Kelly Ortberg as he tries to pilot the aircraft company to health
• Electric car drivers in UK pay more than most for public charging [subscription]Motorists using EVs in Britain pay twice what they do in Croatia, although Austria and Germany are more expensive
• Electric car drivers in UK pay more than most for public charging [subscription]Motorists using EVs in Britain pay twice what they do in Croatia, although Austria and Germany are more expensive

Daily Express

• The incredible new £623million train line linking beautiful city to four other countriesAustrian Railways is set to revolutionise European travel with the launch of its £623 million fleet of new high-speed sleeper trains.

This is Money

• The HUGE differences in electric car efficiency revealed - which models could cost you almost £850 extra every 10,000 miles?We reveal which EVs are the most efficient and which you shouldn't buy because they could end up costing you hundreds of pounds in charging costs.
• Titanic shipyard Harland & Wolff sinks into administrationThe Belfast-based company warned such a move was imminent after a review found that its holding company, Harland & Wolff Group, was insolvent.

Birmingham Mail

• Drivers who don't have their own driveway at home face £1,092 taxAccording to data from Zapmap, there are 68,273 public electric car chargers around the UK, with more than 101,000 connectors available for drivers to use.

Birmingham Post

• Nissan production down more than 20% in August as European sales fallThe month is typically slower for car manufacturers amid factory shutdowns and retooling though wider figures across UK makers showed the six consecutive month of decline
• First Minister says Wales 'short-changed' over railway fundingEluned Morgan is looking for a better funding deal for rail with the Labour Government in Westminister

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Controversial changes to bus services cause concern as critics urge a rethinkCONCERNS have been raised over changes to bus services in the area.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• First Minister to lobby Chancellor over lack of funding for railways in Wales'There's lots of people beating a path to her door, and I as First Minister will do that as well'

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Warning of air travel 'mayhem' on these dates in October with strikes and air traffic control problems expectedIssues could affect Majorca, Madrid, and Brussels in Europe

Northern Echo

• Jet2 launch new flights departing from Newcastle Airport in 2026 - here's whereJet2 have announced they will be flying to Agadir, Preveza, Marrakech, Porto and  Barcelona from Newcastle Airport in summer 2026.

The York Press

• 'This news will be welcomed by parents across York' - bus fare changes rethinkCONTROVERSIAL changes to child bus tickets in York have been rethought after talks with MP Luke Charters.
• Extension to major roadworks causing chaos in YorkREPAIR works to a major road in York are set to take even longer to complete than expected.

Wales Online

• Cardiff Airport to introduce new pick-up and drop-off chargesThe airport has also announced changes to its car parks

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Bus lane fines in Wolverhampton raise £4.2 million for council amid confusion questionsWolverhampton Council has made more than £4 million in just over two years from drivers using bus lanes.

Burnley Express

• State-of-the-art crossing set for major Blackburn roadA new crossing is to be built in Blackburn aims to encourage active travelling with ambitions to connect different areas of the borough.

Other Regional Press

• Coventry residents will wait longer than planned for major transport schemesAlmost half the projects listed by the council in 2022 are delayed
• Work to begin next month ahead of £200 million M3 junction worksWork is due to start next month to transform a Hampshire motorway junction and improve journey times.
• Railway tracks left unusable on day five of torrential floodsFurther Oxfordshire flooding left key train tracks in Banbury and Bicester unusable.
• Older drivers facing £749 annual car tax with new pay-per-mile systemA pay-per-mile tax system could be introduced in the upcoming October Budget

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• New project announced to accelerate UK's transition to sustainable electric vehiclesA new project has been announced by a UK based clean technology group that aims to accelerate the UK's transition to sustainable electric vehicles (EVs) by focusing on battery production decarbonisation. Working alongside car manufacture Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Altilium said they are to leverage the company's advanced EcoCathode™ process to deliver a significant carbon reduction in EVs. According to Altilium, battery cells produced with recovered cathode active materials (CAM) will be validated for use in vehicles with a leading automotive OEM. Battery cell pr...
• Transport Secretary hails innovative pothole detection system in BlackpoolLabour's plan to fix more than one million potholes a year are advancing as Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, visits Blackpool showcasing new technology to help address the 'pothole plague'. Blackpool's Project Amber is an innovative scheme using an advanced imagery system to take high-definition images of roads. These images are then used to detect potholes and compile data on areas most in need of repair. Shown to the Transport secretary on Thursday September 26, the project could become a trailblazer and be deployed across the...

Railnews

• Network Rail cyber attack: man arrested A man was arrested last night following a British Transport Police investigation into a cyber attack affecting the WiFi networks at stations managed by Network Rail.

Other News Sources

• Disruption all weekend to MAJOR Hereford rail linePassengers planning to travel on a main rail route from Hereford may need to rethink their plans, as major disruption is expected.