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

Friday, 22 November 2024

Cogitamus

• Calling All Stations with Christian Wolmar, Episode 5, Season 3Christian applies his journalistic sonar to HS2's controversial bat mitigation measures, detecting new aspects to the saga [2:00]. Transport Planning Society Chair Ben Plowden is interviewed by Christian at the Society's conference ‘The Road Less Travelled: the Principles, Policies, Practicalities and Politics of Reducing Car Use in the UK’ [13:43]. Co-presenter Mark Walker discusses with Christian the wide-ranging debut appearance of UK Transport Secretary Louise Haigh MP at the House of Commons Transport Committee

BBC News

• Single bus fare cap could rise to £2.50 next yearThe single bus fare cap in West Yorkshire could rise by 50p to £2.50 next March, under plans unveiled by the region's mayor.
• Transport secretary pledges A66 dualling meetingThe transport secretary has pledged to meet with two MPs who are pushing for the A66 to become a dual carriageway.
• Railway anti-social behaviour campaign stepped upRail enforcement and British Transport Police officers will be at Brighton station in East Sussex on Friday, as part of an ongoing drive to reduce anti-social behaviour on trains.
• East West Rail: 'They're going to kill our town'Residents have voiced their opposition to plans to close a level crossing as part of a major rail project.
• New Street still busiest station outside LondonRegulators reveal the most popular and least used stations in the West Midlands.
• Britain's least-used station had 54 passengersRail bosses estimate there were only 54 entries to and exits from the Tameside station in 2023-24.
• Wheelie bins left in path of oncoming trains Trains have been struck about 100 dangerous items in a 12-month period, Northern says.
• Graffiti targeted in £400k Glasgow clean-up schemeRepairs to pavements and street furniture will also be made during the year-long pilot project.
• Ferries saga ship Glen Sannox finally deliveredThe dual-fuel ferry is handed over, seven years to the day since it was launched by Nicola Sturgeon.
• Liverpool Street remains busiest station in UKThe increased use of the Elizabeth line has led to a rise in people using the station, data shows.

Financial Times

• Northern Rail to cut Christmas timetable to improve reliabilityUK’s largest train operator outside London has breached its contract three times this year due to cancellations

The Independent

• Northern's plans to improve rail services slammed as unacceptable and vagueProposals to improve rail services in the north have been slammed by regional politicians for being too vague and completely unacceptable
• Transport Secretary promises 'vision-led approach' for project fundingLouise Haigh said the switch could have 'a lasting impact on transport for decades to come'.

Times Online

• Jaguar ridiculed for rebrand that doesn't mention its cars. [subscription]Jaguar's big rebrand has come under fire from critics who called it a disaster and questioned whether the luxury car company has lost it.

City AM

• Jaguar rebrand shows the risk of embracing the fleeting now The Jaguar rebrand has been dreadfully misconceived. The fatal mistake? Throwing away their heritage, writes Eliot Wilson.

The Mirror

• UK's most unreliable train route where only 14% of trains run on-timeA new study has revealed the UK's most unreliable train route where only 14 per cent of trains are on time as well as the most unreliable and complained about stations

Local Government

• Catch the bus for just a quid on Sundays in DecemberCut price bus travel is returning to Oxfordshire next month, in time for the festive period and passengers can take advantage of the offer for even longer this year.

Birmingham Post

• New interim chair of body overseeing £1bn North Wales Growth DealThe board of Ambition North Wales has appointed leader of Wrexham Council as interim chair

Bolton News

• Greater Manchester braced for bus and tram disruption as staff plan strike actionBus and tram services across Greater Manchester could be facing disruption in the coming weeks as staff plan to strike over "years of falling wages"

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Most used railway stations in Bradford and surrounding areas are revealedThe most used railway stations in Bradford and surrounding areas have been revealed.
• Northern trains have struck 97 objects in the last twelve monthsTrain operator Northern has shared that its trains struck 97 objects in the last twelve months.
• How much the price of Bradford bus fares are set to increaseProposals to up West Yorkshire bus fares have been set out today ahead  of a meeting of regional leaders next month.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Labour will prioritise keeping public transport affordable, says beleaguered ministerTransport Secretary Louise Haigh was urged to rule out above-inflation rail fare increases in future years after they were announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in his Budget earlier this month

Sheffield Star

• Sheffield buses: Transport Secretary 'well aware' of 'unreliable' local route and says it will get betterA local Sheffield bus route blasted as unreliable and often delayed will get better after a £17million investment by the government, the Transport Secretary has said.

Other Regional Press

• Ashby MP Hack presents case for Ivanhoe Line to Rail Minister - and launches local transport surveyAshby MP Amanda Hack has presented plans for the Ivanhoe Line to the Rail Minister, Lord Hendy - and has also launched a local transport survey.
• MP column: Labour's billion-pound bus investment is the first stop on fixing our public transportThe Tories neglected the bus services used by hardworking people in this country. Now, we're putting money back in routes for rural areas and small towns.
• New active transport route proposed may improve cycle routeLOCAL residents have an opportunity to give their opinion on a proposed active transport route before it goes to planning.
• Richard Foord MP: Public or private, trains must run on timeOn Tuesday of this week, MPs debated bringing passenger railway services into public ownership. I think I may share with many people who have written to me about this the following view: I don't particularly care whether trains are run by the Government or by train operating companies; the main thing is that they run on time!
• Berney Arms sees boost in visitors after least-used accoladeA mere five years ago, it was the least-used railway station in Britain.
• New hopes for axed town bus serviceTALKS are to continue to re-start a town bus service for Lyme Regis – possibly with the help of Government funding.
• Motoring expert warns of nationwide pavement parking banThe potential new law could impact those in areas where car ownership is high, streets are narrow, and space is at a premium

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Coach operators warn of Inheritance Tax threatCoach operators across Britain have warned that the long-term viability of their business is under threat from changes to Inheritance Tax announced by the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves.

Coach and Bus Week

• Euro Bus Expo in reviewOver three days from 12 to 14 November, Euro Bus Expo returned to halls 17, 18 and 19 of the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, bringing the industry together again for the first full-scale national event in the United Kingdom in two years. Naturally, CBW was on hand, with a stand of our own where we enjoyed plenty of positive engagement with our readers and advertisers alike, as well as industry friends and colleagues, whilst our roving reporters wandered the floor of the three halls.

New Civil Engineer

• Why Network Rail departed from its pledge of 100% renewables for non-traction powerNetwork Rail stopped buying exclusively renewable electricity in 2023 for non-traction power due to the high cost of renewable energy generation obligation (REGO) certificates.

Rail Business Daily

• Elizabeth line dominates Great Britain's top 10 stationsThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has revealed that London Liverpool Street station has retained its title as Great Britain's most used railway station in 2023-24, gaining more than 14 million entries and exits since the previous year. Denton railway station in Greater Manchester becomes the least used station in Great Britain, at 54 entries and exits.
• DfT: The start of a new era for Britain's railwaysThe Public Ownership Bill has passed through Parliament, marking the start of a new era for Britain's railways. Following Royal Assent, the Bill will allow the Government to start the process of bringing train services back into public hands, which the Department for Transport (DfT) has said will ensure the rail network serves the people who rely on it every day.
• Investing in first class rail freight - Mark Wyborn, Head of Freight and Route Services, PorterbrookThings have changed at Porterbrook in regards to rail freight since 2021.

Rail Magazine

• Tributes paid to John Prescott after former Transport Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister dies aged 86Tributes have been paid to John Prescott following his death at the age of 86. The Labour politician was Deputy Prime Minister from 1997-2007, and Environment, Transport and the Regions Secretary in Tony Blair's first Labour government from 1997-2001. He was made a member of the House of Lords in 2010.

Railway Supply

• Alstom Replaces Hydrogen Trains with Diesel Trains on Route RB15 for Improved ReliabilityOn route RB15, Alstom will replace hydrogen-powered trains with diesel ones to stabilize passenger transport schedules. This move addresses ongoing technical issues with hydrogen trains in the mountainous Taunus region. This was reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Multiple bus franchising models to be in Buses Bill, hints ministerMultiple bus franchising models are being explored by the government as part of work to reform service delivery in England, Under-Secretary of State for Transport Simon Lightwood told a full house of industry members during a keynote address at Euro Bus Expo at the NEC Birmingham on 14 November.
• Hydrogen combustion seen as endgame by Mellor and Treka ownerMellor and Treka Bus see the long-term zero-emission future of their small buses as lying with hydrogen combustion, owner Guido Dumarey has revealed.
• Wrightbus StreetDeck Ultroliner next-gen to get Cummins powerWrightbus will utilise Cummins power in its StreetDeck Ultroliner diesel double-decker for the first time in a next-generation variant of that model.
• UNVI L24 midicoach makes UK debut at Euro Bus ExpoCoachtraders and UNVI debuted the new DAF XB-based L24 midicoach at Euro Bus Expo. It is a model that the manufacturer's Commercial Director Carlos Rivo underlines has been designed specifically for the UK and Ireland.

Trafnidiaeth Cymru [Transport for Wales]

• Transport for Wales maintains Gold Membership with The 5% Club.Transport for Wales (TfW) is among a leading group of organisations exceeding the benchmark of having 5% of their workforce enrolled in 'earn and learn' programs.

Aviation Industry

• The elephant in the middle aisleAuthor: Celeste Hicks In the autumn budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a 50% increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD) on certain private jet flights, and launched a consultation on taking

Other News Sources

• Construction completed on two hydrogen production, refueling stations for rail in AlbertaEnergy infrastructure company ATCO EnPower, a division of Canadian Utilities Limited, and transnational railway Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) said construction of hydrogen production and refueling facilities in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, is now complete and the facilities are fully operational.
• December Rail Changes are Most Significant in a GenerationA major rail timetable change will see train times change significantly in December, allowing for increased services at some stations, later services from Cardiff Central and Swansea, trains leaving at the same time past each hour and more new trains.
• £2.3bn school transport bill 'too urgent' to wait for WhitehallThe pressures on councils due to the rising costs of providing transport to school for young people are far too urgent to wait for systemic reform to address, according to a new report supported by the County Councils Network (CCN).

News from Europe

• Rail operator sells 30,000 green passes in first monthA €20 monthly rail pass launched last month has already seen 30,000 units sold in one month, said Portugal's Minister of Infrastructure this Thursday.