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

Tuesday, 12 November 2024

BBC News

• Rapid-charging battery train trials under wayBattery powered trains using a new rapid-charging system are being tested as part of a trial by Great Western Railway (GWR).
• Motorists who bought cars on finance could share in billionsThe car finance industry is setting aside billions to pay for potential claims after a test case.
• London Stansted records 'busiest day in history'It says more than 107,000 passengers passed through the terminal on 27 October.
• Belfast airport sorry after ‘unacceptable’ delaysLong queues on Saturday morning caused passengers to miss their flights.

Financial Times

• The very human problem with not-quite-self-driving carsThe better an automated system performs, the more complacent — and dangerous — we become
• It pays to be clear about what public transport is designed to doToo often politicians place conflicting demands on rail or bus networks

The Guardian

• Airlines halt flights to Haiti after plane hit by gunfireSpirit Airlines flight heading from Florida to Port-au-Prince diverted to Dominican Republic after flight attendant was grazed by bullet, amid broader violence in Haiti’s capitalHaiti’s international airport shut down on Monday after gangs opened fire at a commercial flight landing in Port-Au-Prince, prompting some airlines to suspend operations as the country swore in a new interim prime minister who promised to restore peace.The Spirit Airlines flight headed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Port-Au-Prince was just hundreds of feet from landing in Haiti’s capital when gangs...
• Train performance data to be displayed at stations under Labour plansTransport secretary says figures will be shown on screens in effort to hold operators and government to accountPassengers travelling in England will be shown how often their trains are delayed and cancelled on screens at stations under plans by the transport secretary to hold operators to account.Louise Haigh promised to increase transparency by publicly displaying punctuality performance of train operating companies, including those run by the government, on screens at most stations. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Nationalised airport hails fifth year of profit in a row 11th NovemberA nationalised Scottish airport has hailed the "significant achievement" of chalking up five years of profit in a row.
• Airline giant launches advanced aircraft at Scottish airportAn airline and holiday company has hailed the launch of a new aircraft.

The Independent

• Passengers to be able to see just how bad their train company is at stations in transparency driveTransport secretary Louise Haigh has announced that data will be available for passengers at all stations on how well their train service providers are performing

Times Online

• CalMac cuts will leave island with fewer services than in Covid [subscription]Colonsay faces losing its Monday ferries under CalMac?s winter timetable, angering locals who depend on the boats for deliveries and hospital appointments
• Prestwick airport put up for sale after profits rise for fifth year [subscription]Officials are testing the market to see if a buyer can be found for the airport, which was bought by the Scottish government in 2013 for ?1
• BMW sets aside £70m for possible car finance commission payouts [subscription]The group?s lending arm is the latest to brace itself for compensation claims

City AM

• Avanti West Coast boss insists 'laser focus' will help cut cancellations and delays Avanti West Coast needs to maintain a 'laser focus'; on cutting cancellations and delays to its train services, its boss has said. Managing director Andy Mellors also insisted that the operator is “making progress” in improving its performance but that there is “still more to do”. The MD was speaking to the PA news agency [...]

Daily Record

• Car-wrecking potholes see Scots drivers receive over £4m in compensation from councils Figures uncovered by the Scottish Lib Dems also reveal a huge increase in potholes in some council areas.

Mail Online

• Spirit Airlines flight forced to divert after being shot at while trying to landA Spirit Airlines flight has been forced to divert after it was struck by gunfire while trying to land in Haiti on Monday.

This is Money

• Car makers slash new EV prices by up to a THIRD in desperate bid to meet binding end-of-year sales targetsNew data suggests car makers falling short of EV sales targets are slashing prices by amounts similar to fines they'll face if they don't meet the required quota.
• Crypto and Tesla soar in 'Trump trades' frenzy: Bitcoin tipped to hit $100,000 by inaugurationShares in electric car maker Tesla, whose boss Elon Musk is a close ally of the incoming president (pictured), soared nearly 10%.

Sky News

• Passenger planes hit by gunfire and flight diverted in HaitiTwo commercial planes have been hit by gunfire over the capital of Haiti.

Birmingham Mail

• Drivers warned 'one in four' stand to risk losing their car in JanuaryAs winter approaches, MOT failure rates tend to climb around Christmas, with issues that worsen in cold, wet conditions.

Birmingham Post

• Swindon train station regeneration plans reach new 'milestone'It is hoped the project will help to transform the town and the area around the railway

Bolton News

• Call for action after latest crash on major road leaves child in critical conditionA major road, which was the site of a serious crash this week, is 'having incidents all the time' and needs action to prevent further chaos, according to locals.

London Evening Standard

• London commuter train firm c2c hails soaring revenue from fare-dodging crackdownMore than 8,000 penalty fines issued so far in 2024 as passengers warned ?not to gamble? on travelling without valid ticket
• 2025's hottest ticket: a new luxury Belmond sleeper train is coming to LondonTrain travel looks a little different on board the Belmond?s new uber-luxury sleeper train, which will chug through some of the UK and Wales?s most breathtaking backdrops

Manchester Evening News

• New bus service could link Salford Quays and Manchester city centreIt aims to improve transport options in a growing area.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Railway data to be displayed at stations to show passengers how services are workingTransport Secretary Louise Haigh said the move will allow the public to 'hold us to account' as the Government seeks to reform services after it inherited a railway that was 'failing its passengers'

Burnley Express

• Electric car charging 'cheaper' solution for borough motoristsElectric car owners in Blackburn with Darwen are being offered the chance by council bosses to join the home charging 'revolution'.

Cambridge News

• Bridge was "built for us, not them!” anger as campaigners launch legal action against Mill Road bridge bus gateThe Friends of Mill Road Bridge 2 group has launched a legal challenge to oppose the bus gate on the bridge, with work starting in November

Other Regional Press

• Historic railway building to be covered with 22 signs as part of revivalAn application has been made by Swindon Borough Council to put signage on the historic GWR Carriage Works building.
• Plans to double bus use by making journeys quicker and greenerHampshire County Council is planning to double bus use - and this is how.
• Oxford to Heathrow buses to run over festive periodBuses will run between Oxford and Heathrow Airport over the festive period.
• Fears public ‘misled’ over Kirklees’ Spen Ringway planA councillor was told to 'sleep soundly' in the knowledge that the project was being delivered - but three years later it is no where to be seen
• The Yorkshire city branded UK's worst for drivers using phone behind the wheelThe rate has risen across Britain

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Multi-billion-pound funding secured for Transpennine Route and A57 road upgradeFollowing the recent budget announcement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Transport Secretary Louise Haigh have confirmed that two major transport projects, the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) and the A57 road upgrade have secured the necessary multi-billion-pound funding to proceed. The TRU programme is expected to transform the key rail line from Manchester to York, via Leeds and Huddersfield, into a high-performing, reliable, and electrified railway. Once complete, the full 70-mile TRU route will be fully electrified, helping save 87,000 tonnes of carbon each year...
• First Bus and FlixBus announce new deal expanding coach network across UKA new five-year deal between UK bus operator, First Bus, and global travel tech company FlixBus has been announced that will bring eight new or expanded FlixBus coach routes across the UK next year. FlixBus said it will double its UK network size by the end of summer 2025, with over 200 of their vehicles on the road operated by its partners. According to First Bus the partnership will boost daily services across the South-West of England and expanded routes in northern cities including Leeds, Manchester, and Newcastle. First Bus depots in Bath, Bristol, Slough, Taunton, Truro, Weston-super-...

Rail Magazine

• First '807s' enter service on Liverpool route as part of diagram including Wolverhampton and BlackpoolThe first Class 807 Evero has reached Liverpool Lime Street on a passenger service.

Other News Sources

• Politicians call for end to matchday travel woes as fans face long waits at stationPoliticians have called for an end to match day travel chaos after fans were forced to wait for over an hour for trains after games.

EIN News Subscription

• Emirates crowned Best Airline in the WorldVice President Commercial Operations in Europe and the Americas, and carrying 26.9 million passengers across its extensive network of body Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft, offering spacious cabins and in the sky. For more information or to book tickets