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

Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Cogitamus

• Three railway tales for the end of a tumultuous yearChiltern Railways’ Marylebone–Aylesbury service is unique as part of the route, between Harrow and Amersham, operates over London Underground infrastructure.; At the start of November, both RMT and ASLEF called strikes which would have effectively shut down the Underground network; The ASLEF strikes would not have directly impacted Chiltern but the RMT strikes included signallers The post Three railway tales for the end of a tumultuous year appeared first on Cogitamus.

BBC News

• Northern boss admits service 'unacceptable'Northern rail services in one part of Merseyside were among "the worst performing in the country", according to one of the firm's bosses.
• Railway station celebrates 50th birthdayA railway station that connects the Essex estuary with the capital has celebrated its 50th birthday.
• Dozens of bus routes to be scrapped or changedRoutes in the West Midlands will be affected, with most changes in January, after a viability review.
• TfL may take action against e-bike operatorsTfL says it is part of a new approach to tackle poorly parked bikes causing access or safety issues.
• The Euston rush? Try the Tube stations... A leaked report says Euston underground stations will have to close regularly in rush-hour unless they are upgraded.

Financial Times

• UK air taxi company Vertical Aerospace wins $50mn lifeline from creditor Founder loses control to US distressed debt investor Mudrick Capital with debt to equity swap

STV

• First Bus to install hydrogen refuelling station at depotThe proposal came as First recently invested £12.7m into the city by introducing 24 new electric and 12 repower buses.

Local Government

• £1 bus travel in North Lincolnshire for all in December on Saturdays Every Saturday in December passengers travelling in North Lincolnshire can take advantage of £1 bus travel.

Network Rail

• "No excuses, it starts with us - Network Rail's chief executive Andrew Haines speaks out about men's violence against womenMale leaders from across the railway industry will come together over the coming weeks in support of White Ribbon Day (25 November) - a day that calls on men never to use, excuse, or remain silent about violence against women and girls.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Brighouse rail station to be upgraded ahead of diversions onto Calder Valley lineBrighouse railway station is set to receive a significant upgrade, it has emerged.

The York Press

• Failure to maintain £2 bus fare cap would be 'blatantly unfair', says council chiefYork and North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith has come under pressure from a political rival to keep the £2 bus fare cap in place.

Wales Online

• Cardiff and Swansea formally express interest in e-scooter trialsExclusive: E-scooters could finally be on their way to Wales. They've been a fixture in many English cities for four years — with mixed results

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Virgin Atlantic boss says he never meets BA chief alone over 'dirty tricks' fearShai Weiss said he has 'professional respect' for Sean Doyle but remembers the dirty tricks scandal of the early 1990s.

Cambridge News

• Speed limit cuts and speed cameras planned for Cambs A-road after more than 100 crashesThere have been 118 crashes on the road with more than 200 casualties

Other Regional Press

• More than one in 40 bus service miles are 'lost' in the Tees ValleyThe TVCA Head of Transport said: The analysis from the operators is that they're running at their absolute peak in the summer period
• 15 electric cars to remain available for hire in OxfordshireFifteen electric cars will continue to be available for hire in Oxfordshire.

Airportwatch

• Heathrow boss expects third runway decision by end of 2025Heathrow's chief executive expects a government decision on a third runway at the London hub by the end of next year.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Go-Ahead acquires Swanbrook transport to expand UK coach operationsNational Transport Group, Go-Ahead has agreed a deal to acquire Swanbrook Transport, a bus and coach operator based in Cheltenham. Swanbrook, which operates local bus services, home-to-school transport, and private hire, will join Pulhams Coaches, part of Go-Ahead's Oxford division. This latest deal builds on Go-Ahead’s recent acquisitions across England, including four coach companies across West and North Yorkshire, and the North East. According to Go-Ahead the acquisition will strengthen its service offering for schools, businesses, private hire and local authority part...

Construction Enquirer

• Vp launches dedicated rail divisionEquipment rental specialist Vp plc has launched a dedicated rail division.

Rail Advent

• Tesco signs contract extension with Direct Rail ServicesTesco and DRS (Direct Rail Services) have signed a three-and-a-half-year contract, which will continue the operations of Tesco container trains by rail until 2028.

Rail Business Daily

• c2c and BTP launch new Rail Safety Survey to customersTo mark White Ribbon Day 2024, local rail operator Trenitalia c2c has launched its 2024 Rail Safety Survey, in partnership with the British Transport Police (BTP).

Rail Magazine

• RSSB launches new AI Rail Freight safety toolThe Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has unveiled an AI-powered tool aimed at enhancing the safety and efficiency of rail freight operations. The solution is designed to proactively identify and address potential wheelset issues before they escalate into costly damage to the railway network and disrupt vital train services.

Railtech

• Alstom did disservice to trust in hydrogen: German regional rail to swap H2 fleet with diesel trainsThe green lure of hydrogen appears to have officially fallen flat in southwest Germany

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• The future is bright for coach, says expert panelDecarbonisation and coach parking were among the topics raised at Euro Bus Expo presentation
• DfT TRIG funding goes to public transport safety projectA project to develop a discreet, non-verbal incident reporting platform to make travel on public transport safer won a share last month of £1.4 million in government funding and its developers are inviting the industry to trial it.
• Coach-specific subgroup launched by Women in Bus and CoachWomen in Bus and Coach has launched a coach subgroup. Chair is Kathryn Pulham, former director of Pulhams Coaches, with Williams Coaches Operations Director Rose Williams as Vice-Chair.
• Coach and bus operators fear Budget's impact on costsDirectors react to the increases in employer NI contributions and minimum wage announced in the Budget

The Business Desk

• Major railway station upgrade remains on trackSignificant progress has been made at Huddersfield Railway Station as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, (TRU) nearly a year after work began.

Aviation Industry

• UK government backs aviation expansion if it meets environmental targetsThe UK's transport secretary has pledged to support expansion of the aviation industry if it leads to economic growth and meets the government's environmental commitments.
• Airlines 2024: Virgin Atlantic boss demands government recognition for aviation as driver of growthThe UK government was urged to do a better job of promoting aviation as a sector that drives economic growth at today?s Airlines 2024 conference being held in London.

Other News Sources

• Sheffield's Deepcar demise could be a Supertram surpriseA freight-only line in the north of England has closed. Not that many people have noticed. The almost defunct Deepcar Branch, which served a largely redundant steelworks, has been taken out of service by the national infrastructure agency, Network Rail. In recent years, the only traffic has been an infrequent test train and a charter train for enthusiasts that ran once. However, the closure could pave the way for a grand new purpose.
• VIRGIN ATLANTIC CHIEF OPENS DOOR TO A RETURN TO GATWICK AIRPORTVirgin Atlantic has backtracked on ruling out a return to Gatwick, confirmed the integration of its tour operation into its website, and signalled the possible end of its Upper Class bar.
• Hyundai Chief Hints at Potential Collaboration with Toyota on Hydrogen MobilityHyundai Motor Group's chief has mentioned the possibility of collaboration with Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. in areas involving hydrogen-powered mobility.
• Hydrogen Trains Continue To DerailRecently I collaborated with David Cebon, head of the Cambridge Centre for Sustainable Road Freight, and interested parties on a complete list of all of the abandoned hydrogen bus trials globally.
• Hitachi Rail's Lumo Fleet Sets New Standard for Reliability on the East Coast MainlineThe Lumo (Class 803) fleet received the prestigious Gold award the top honor in the 2nd Generation new inter-city category.
• Hitachi Rail wins UK?s top reliability award for third yearHitachi Rail has won gold for reliability in the Modern Railways Golden Spanner awards for its Lumo (Class 803) fleet.
• Schneider Electric to power Stagecoach's greener bus journeysSchneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, is working with Stagecoach, the UK's largest transport operator, as it heads towards zero emission travel.
• East Riding Council Expresses Concerns Over Bus Fare Cap IncreaseThe Chancellor will be getting a letter from East Riding Council, urging her to reconsider the decision to increase the bus fare cap from two pounds to three.
• Go-Ahead expands West of England operations with acquisition of Swanbrook TransportThe Go-Ahead Group has agreed a deal to acquire Swanbrook Transport, a bus and coach operator based in Cheltenham.