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

Friday, 15 November 2024

BBC News

• East West Rail build to bring years of disruptionThe building of the East West Rail (EWR) line will bring benefits to a main town despite major disruption set to last years, one of its bosses says.
• Train firms face review over fare dodging penaltiesAn independent review of rail fare dodging punishments has been announced following reports of train companies taking disproportionate action against passengers who have made innocent mistakes.
• Railway station's new concourse completeThe refurbishment of a railway station is on track as a new concourse has been completed. The new Eastern concourse will connect to the Grade II listed Darlington station by an elevated walkway.
• Job to renew rail line in tunnel 'challenging'The project manager behind works to replace a mile (1.6km) of track at a Devon tunnel has described the task ahead as challenging.
• Railway is a tale of two halves in CambridgeshireA brother-and-sister farming duo have said a multi-billion-pound railway project could tunnel through 200 acres (80 hectares) of their land.
• Extra bus services added for festive seasonExtra bus services are being added to timetables in York to encourage visitors and residents to use public transport during the festive season.
• Potholes 'getting worse' on rural roads despite £500m spendDeteriorating conditions of rural roads are affecting journeys, a transport provider says.
• Limited stop X84 axing 'not thought through'The X84 bus has been a familiar sight in and around Leeds for three decades, but the brakes were applied in October as part of timetable changes.

Department for Transport

• CAA publication of independent report into NATS technical failureThe report finds that all relevant parts of the aviation sector need to work together better when responding to major events such as the NATS technical failure.
• Socio-economic impacts of quantum technologies in transportExamines the transformative effect quantum technologies could have on the transport sector and their value to the UK's economy.
• Next steps for East West RailEast West Rail will kickstart economic growth and productivity and connect communities across the Oxford-Cambridge region.

Financial Times

• UK air traffic control failure cost up to £100mn, finds review Report into August 2023 travel chaos highlights lack of planning and training across the aviation sector

The Independent

• Public transport statistics to be plastered on walls of Government departmentTransport Secretary Louise Haigh said she wants to ensure everyone at her department is 'taking responsibility' for the experience of passengers.

The Telegraph

• Legalise use of e-scooters on public roads, says Transport Secretary [subscription]Louise Haigh indicates the Government will allow privately owned e-scooters to be ridden on roads

Times Online

• Pictured: Lime bikers skip red light 84 times in an hour [subscription]Over the course of an hour at a single traffic light-controlled pedestrian crossing in London, the Times photographer counted 84 Lime bike cyclists running red lights.
• Fix to airport meltdown was delayed by engineer working from home [subscription]Labour promises tougher regulation after litany of failures behind traffic control glitch that stranded 700,000 passengers
• Inside Britain's new luxury sleeper train starting at £11,000 a ticket [subscription]The Britannic Explorer will rival the opulence of the Orient Express when it hits the tracks next year on journeys around the UK

Network Rail

• Railway upgrades in SalfordWe're building an additional platform at Salford Crescent station, and working with Transport for Greater Manchester to upgrade Salford Central

Bristol Live

• Councillors back campaign to improve safe transport for Bristol's nighttime economy workersA total of 116,000 working-age adults in the city 41 per cent are on shift at some point between 10pm and 6am

Yorkshire Post

• Rail replacement buses. Whisper it, they're not all that bad All hail the rail replacement bus, said no one ever. But I would like to actually pay tribute to the way that replacement buses have been organised over the past few weeks as delivery of rail upgrades between Dewsbury and Leeds continues.

Oxford Mail

• Bus lane in St Clement's, Oxford, to be made permanentAn experimental bus lane in east Oxford will become permanent following approval at an Oxfordshire County Council meeting.

Plymouth Herald

• MPs discuss Tamar crossings future with transport ministerThe MPs were keen to stress the urgent need for government support

Wirral Globe

• Woodside Ferry Terminal transformation beginsWORK on the transformation of Woodside Ferry Terminal has started as part of a 'wider' regeneration masterplan for the Wirral waterfront.

Other Regional Press

• Transport for Wales spends £800k on ticket inspectors to recover £80k in finesTransport for Wales spends £800,000 annually on contracted ticket inspectors to gain back just £80,000 on average in fines, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.
• Nottingham City Transport crowned Large Bus Operator of the YearThe routeone Awards, the most esteemed awards programme in the UK coach and bus industry, recognise operators and individuals who have driven innovation and success.
• Rural communities demand a rethink of school transport cutsHUNDREDS of concerned residents have joined the call for North Yorkshire Council to reverse their decision to impose new restrictions on free home-to-school transport.

New Civil Engineer

• East West Rail consults on proposals including new tunnels, bridges and station designsEast West Railway Company (EWR Co) has released fresh consultation documents that detail updated proposals for engineering works to construct the East West Rail (EWR) line between Oxford and Cambridge.
• Rail minister says Euston station 'no longer in a fit condition'Euston station is 'no longer in a fit condition' according to the minister responsible for the railways, Lord Hendy.

Rail Advent

• Significant railway closures as £200m project in Cheshire approaches completionNetwork Rail is warning passengers of disruption over the Christmas period as a £200m project in Cheshire approaches completion.

Rail Business Daily

• Network Rail completes £3m West Highland Line engineering works on timeNetwork Rail has announced that a £3.2m programme to renew track, refurbish structures and improve drainage on the West Highland Line was completed on time yesterday morning

Rail Magazine

• Transport for Wales train overshot at station leading to temporary line closureA passenger train on the Wrexham-Bidston route overshot its stopping point at Neston, on the Wirral peninsular, leading to temporary closure of the line on Wednesday October 23

Railnews

• Transport for Wales forced to cut back services after Talerddig crash leaves it short of unitsTransport for Wales has been forced to cancel four of its Cambrian Line services 'until further notice' because it cannot find replacements for the two Class 158s that were seriously damaged in the collision near Talerddig.

Railway Gazette

• Consultants to support West Yorkshire Mass Transit programmeUK: West Yorkshire Combined Authority has appointed a consortium of Jacobs and Mott MacDonald as its Design Development Partner for the next phase of the West Yorkshire Mass Transit programme, which includes two light rail lines integrated with cycling, walking and rail travel.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• routeone Awards 2024 winners crowned in front of record crowdWinners of the 2024 routeone Awards were crowned in front of a record 900-strong crowd of industry members and stakeholders on 13 November.
• BYD B12 battery-electric single decker to UK spec makes debutThe first BYD B12 battery-electric single-deck for the UK made its debut at Euro Bus Expo in the colours of Hertfordshire operator Uno.
• Prospect Coaches five-year deal among Irizar UK orders placedIrizar UK confirmed two major orders for DAF-engined integral coaches at Euro Bus Expo, with Prospect Coaches to receive nine units in 2025 as part of a multi-year deal and West Coast Motors to take eight more i6S Efficient examples.
• Salisbury Millstream coach park reopens after makeoverMillstream coach park in Salisbury reopened on 14 November after being closed for over 11 months for an extensive makeover and improvement by the Environment Agency.

Other News Sources

• Bus and coach market rises by a thirdThe UK bus and coach market grew by more than a third between July and September, with sales increasing by 36.1% during the third quarter of the year.
• UK gets bus boost but green HGVs need backingBritain's bus sector is modernising faster and greener in 2024, with new zero emission registrations having already surpassed 2023's annual total, according to latest SMMT data
• Transport minister taken to task over ferry failingsCabinet secretary for transport Fiona Hyslop faced a barrage of questions and accusations about the Scottish Government's winter resilience plans for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network during a meeting at Holyrood last week.
• Rail 'Key to Driving Regional Economic Growth and Achieving Net Zero Ambitions'New research from WPI Economics, commissioned by Rail Delivery Group, reveals that the rail industry generated £510 million in economic, environmental, and social benefits to Wales over the past year, with rail customers contributing £1.4 billion through spending in local communities.
• New Hitachi Rail Electric Trains Begin Operations on UK RoutesThe United Kingdom has launched new Hitachi Rail electric trains for long-distance routes across the country. This was reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.
• Rail company cuts ticket office hours, just a year after national closure programme was abandonedA train company has planned partial closures of 14 ticket offices across its network by' 'stealth', say campaigners, a year after the rail industry was forced to back down over plans to shut nearly 1,000 of them across England.
• London Gatwick and GWR Partner to Improve Rail Connectivity Along North Downs LineLondon Gatwick and Great Western Railway (GWR) have announced a strategic partnership to enhance the North Downs Line, improving rail connectivity between London Gatwick and key destinations in Surrey and the Thames Valley
• East West Rail between Bedford and Cambridge to include new tunnelsRevised proposals for the East West Rail scheme's section between Bedford and Cambridge include a new section of railway, as well as new stations and tunnels.
• Young people's insights needed for Staffordshire's transport planStaffordshire County Council is calling on young residents to share their views on the future of the county's transport network.
• RYANAIR CALLS ON UK TRANSPORT MINISTER LOUISE HAIGH FOR URGENT REFORM OF UK'S HOPELESS ATC SERVICEAS CAA REPORT CONFIRMS NATS 'FAILED' TO ROSTER AND TRAIN STAFF
• Bus drivers victims of historic high levels of abuse as majority say they don't feel safe at workTrade union demands 'protection' for Scottish bus drivers as it reveals mass survey findings
• Belfast commuter slams transport officials over 'dangerous overcrowding' on Glider serviceA Belfast commuter has hit out at transport officials over the "dangerous overcrowding" she has experienced on her daily Glider journey.

News from Europe

• Gov't advisors call for special fund to finance Germany's transport infrastructureThe expansion and maintenance of Germany's rail and road network should be financed by a special fund outside of the regular budget, according to the government's council of economic advisors.