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

Wednesday, 16 October 2024

BBC News

• Free bus travel on Saturdays for some county routesPeople will be able to travel for free on buses across Leicestershire on Saturdays from this weekend for six weeks.
• New Tube train vandalised on the way to depotThe train is part of a new fleet, which is to be tested before being used by passengers next year.
• Lufthansa hit with record penalty after barring Jewish passengersThe German airline has agreed to pay $4m to resolve claims it discriminated against Jewish passengers.
• Boeing seeks up to $35bn as costly strike drags onOn Tuesday, the union representing over 30,000 of the firm's workers held a rally in Seattle.

Financial Times

• Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi | 5 QuestionsThe Uber chief executive on company culture, competing with Amazon, and Elon Musk’s robotaxis
• Has Boeing done enough to avoid the credit rating junk yard?Plane maker is burning through an estimated $1bn a month during a strike by its largest labour union

The Guardian

• Air India flight escorted by Singapore fighter jets after latest hoax bomb threatThe Air India flight landed at Changi Airport after being escorted by air force F-15SG jets, in what was the third threat to the national carrier in recent daysSingapore’s air force mobilised two fighter jets late on Tuesday in response to a bomb threat on an Air India Express flight bound for the city-state, its defence minister said.Two Singapore air force F-15SG jets scrambled and escorted Air India flight AXB684 away from populated areas after the airline received an email that there was a bomb on board its plane, Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post. Continue reading...

The Herald

• North Sea pioneer parts company with chief executive amid oil industry upheavalNorth Sea exploration pioneer has completed a boardroom shake-up amid fears the oil and gas industry faces big tax hikes in the Budget.

The Telegraph

• Fares on Britain's most scenic bus route to rise from £4 to £25 under Reeves cuts [subscription]Fares on Britain's most scenic bus route are at risk of rising by £20 as a result of planned funding cuts in Rachel Reeves's Budget.

Times Online

• If we ever fly sustainably, this could be the fuel that powers it [subscription]A start-up born at Oxford University thinks it can make a meaningful dent in Britain's rising demand for ruinous jet fuel

City AM

• Boeing plans to raise £27bn amid concerns of future bankruptcy Embattled US planemaker Boeing has announced plans to raise as much as $35bn (£26.8bn) through a credit agreement and share sale to boost its balance sheet as it battles a string of crises.

The Mirror

• Car insurance probe to target soaring costs causing misery for driversTransport Secretary Louise Haigh has ordered a taskforce to look at car insurance and the impact on those hit hardest, such as low-income families, young drivers and the elderly
• 'When people are priced out of driving it risks holding them back'Transport Secretary Louise Haigh writes for The Mirror as she launches a probe into sky-high car insurance costs. She says: 'Owning a car for most people is a lifeline, not a luxury'

Local Government

• Bridge as big as a bus lifted into Shepton Mallet means a big step forwards for active travel pathA 15-metre bridge has been spectacularly craned into place completing another missing link in Somerset's Strawberry Line
• Hull Bus Alliance celebrates electric bus milestoneThe Hull Bus Alliance has welcomed an important milestone in the revolution of public transport in the city, after The Go-Ahead Group placed a national order for zero-emission buses, which follows a similar order being placed by Stagecoach earlier this year.

Network Rail

• From bin to cup: Network Rail tracks the journey of a coffee cup from its station bins as part of new recycling effort to divert 100% of all waste from landfillNetwork Rail has teamed up with The Green Block to launch a new initiative aimed at boosting its station recycling rates to 95% and diverting 100% of waste from landfill.
• TRU granted Transport and Works Act Order between Leeds and MicklefieldTRU has reached another milestone as the Secretary of State for Transport approved a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO), which will grant the programme permission to deliver a number of major upgrades to the railway between Leeds and Micklefield.

Birmingham Post

• Hays Travel sees profits and turnover take off as it toasts fifth anniversary of Thomas Cook dealThe Sunderland holiday company made three acquisitions last year and also invested £14.8m into the group

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• 'Acts of mindless vandalism' causing disruption to busesAN MP has slammed "acts of mindless vandalism" that have caused mass disruption to buses in a Bradford area.
• Bradford Interchange concourse likely to reopen in the next month, meeting toldThe inner concourse of Bradford Interchange will likely reopen in the next month, councillors have been told.
• Bradford Interchange concourse likely to reopen in the next month, meeting toldThe inner concourse of Bradford Interchange will likely reopen in the next month, councillors have been told.

Bristol Live

• NI passengers need to commit to long-term public transport to see real savings, figures showThe opening of Belfast's Grand Central Station to much fanfare recently saw Stormont's Infrastructure Minister urge the public to abandon their cars and take to trains and buses.

Wales Online

• The ever-growing Welsh village which lost its train station 60 years ago and urgently wants it backSt Athan lost its railway station when passenger services ended on the line in 1964. Trains returned in 2005 but the station didn't despite the village growing at a very rapid rate

Bucks Free Press

• Developers plan new cycle and footpath in fight to save Marlow Film StudiosMarlow Film Studios is hoping to boost its chances of overturning Buckinghamshire Council's refusal by creating a new cycle and footpath across the A404.

Other Regional Press

• 'Keep Botley Road for the people': Anger as Network Rail dodges key questionsNetwork Rail has failed to answer key questions on the revamp of Oxford station which has closed Botley Road.
• Network Rail bosses share new timescale on walkway routeNetwork Rail bosses say are to restore a walkway in Oxford after traders said footfall plummeted when it was diverted
• Calls for better transport links as out of town retail site growsLarge retail units have opened at the Weymouth Gateway site and they will be joined in the next couple of years by a new Marks & Spencer superstore. But how will people get there if they can't drive - or want to leave the car at home?

New Civil Engineer

• Why is rail electrification so slow in the UK?Benefits of electrified railways are numerous and they will be vital in achieving net zero, but the electrification rate is worryingly low and an overhaul of the approach is required.

Rail Advent

• World Cup of railway stations gets underwayBritain's railway stations are gearing up for the World Cup of Stations 2024, a contest that highlights the significance of railways in bolstering communities, businesses, and the economy.
• 220 more trains each week in Southeastern's new December timetableFrom the start of the December timetable, Southeastern will be running 220 more services each week.

Railnews

• Train operator unveils diesel savings after year of trials Northern says trials of a different style of train driving show that fuel consumption could be cut by 7 per cent, potentially saving three million pounds a year. The train operator has been working with specialists who have developed a model to calculate the best speed and braking patterns.
• Network Rail and ScotRail strengthen Alliance The Alliance agreement between ScotRail and Network Rail has been updated, and railway chiefs are hailing it as a ‘great opportunity’. The new agreement sets out the priorities for investment by Network Rail Scotland.

Railway Gazette

• First freight service launched using track access charge discountFreightliner has launched a container service which it says has been made possible by a Network Rail scheme to attract freight to rail by waiving track access charges for the first six months of a new flow.

Sustainable Bus

• The case for Tesla Bus project: a story of odd statements and enigmatic picturesElectric buses are becoming widespread in cities around the world. What about Tesla hitting the market with an electric bus model? Let's start from the end: in October 2024 Elon Musk presented the Tesla Robovan, able to carry up to 20 passengers and autonomously-driven.