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

Wednesday, 18 December 2024

BBC News

• HS2 to cost Welsh passengers time and cash - PlaidBuilding London's new HS2 rail station will see Welsh passengers "robbed" of time and money, an MP has said.
• Cost of roads project rose by £28m after rejectionCosts of a major transport infrastructure project rose by about £28m after councillors rejected it. Local government minister Matthew Pennycook approved the £332m HIF1 (Housing Infrastructure Fund 1) plan for Didcot and surrounding areas last week after a public inquiry.
• Jaguar Land Rover electric car whistleblower sackedMechanical engineer Hazar Denli lost his job after publishing online concerns about an electric car.
• Port closure leads to surge in lorry traffic Holyhead is out of action due to damage caused by Storm in north Wales was damaged by he number of HGVs using Cairnryan rose after Holyhead port shut.
• Traffic frustration boils over into on-street rowCongested roads in Deansgate in the city centre are "enraging" drivers, city centre firms say.
• Transport worker strikes halted after new pay offerUnions agree to suspend walk-outs by Transport for Greater Manchester staff on Sunday and Monday.
• Leaves blamed for Piccadilly line part-closureTransport bosses blame the part-closure of a London Underground line on "significant leaf fall".
• Future of Ferguson shipyard 'uncertain' - watchdogA spending watchdog has warned the publicly-owned Ferguson Marine shipyard faces an "uncertain" future beyond next year. The Port Glasgow yard has no work beyond the MV Glen Rosa, which is due to be delivered in September 2025.
• Honda and Nissan hold merger talksIn March, the two Japanese car makers agreed to explore a strategic partnership for electric vehicles.

Department for Transport

• HS2 Ltd Chair to step downLeadership will commence under new CEO as we work to deliver the HS2 line cost-effectively for passengers and taxpayers.
• HS2 6-monthly report to Parliament: December 2024Review of HS2 including main decisions taken since the new government was formed in July and programme progress.

Financial Times

• Manchester mayor hails bus reform but rural leaders lukewarmFunding fears loom over UK government’s plan to improve struggling services through franchising powers
• Navantia to rescue shipbuilder Harland & WolffUK government offers more generous terms on Royal Navy contract to Spanish defence group for ailing Belfast company
• Jon Thompson to quit as HS2 chair as price of UK rail project soars Government announcement comes hours after FT reported cost of high-speed line had risen by another £9bn

The Guardian

• Road safety campaigners lose high court challenge against Tower Hamlets mayorSave Our Safer Streets ?extremely disappointed? judge finds against them over removal of low traffic neighbourhoods
• Cost of HS2 could pass £80bn as estimated bill jumps 15% in a yearProjected bill includes price of building HS2 station at Euston, with a budget of about £5bn
• Avanti West Coast workers to strike on New Year’s EveAvanti says it is assessing how much impact strikes will have but spokesperson says disruption will be ‘significant’Workers on Avanti West Coast will go on strike on New Year’s Eve after rejecting a deal designed to resolve an ongoing dispute over rest day working. The dispute is over enhanced pay for rest day working, including voluntary overtime to cover staff absences such as those caused by vacancies, sickness, annual leave and training. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said its members working as train managers would strike on New Year’s Eve, 2 Januar...

The Scotsman

• SNP ministers push back yet another key transport target 10 yearsAmbitious plans to cut emissions by scrapping all ScotRail's remaining diesel trains by 2035 have been pushed back a decade in ministers latest backtracking on their key transport goals.
• Yet another example of SNP's 'government by false promise' is a disgraceThe Scottish Government's decision to delay replacing state-owned ScotRail's diesel trains with electric or hydrogen ones by ten years has a familiar ring to it.

The Telegraph

• Pothole repairs on minor roads fall to lowest-ever level [subscription]Minor highways increasingly left to crumble away despite spending on road repairs being at highest level for 13 years
• Heathrow to get £2.3bn upgrade after Saudi Arabia takes stakeHeathrow is aiming to deliver more punctual departures and arrivals at the home base of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic
• HS2 chairman quits in wake of £100m 'bat shed' comments [subscription]Sir Jon Thompson to leave his role in the spring as Government report says estimated £66bn cost of project is not 'accurate or reliable'

Times Online

• Passenger shortage halts first driverless bus service [subscription]Five Project CAVForth buses which run between Fife and Edinburgh will be taken off the roads due to low take-up among passengers
• East Coast Main Line shows how to run the railways [subscription]rill into rail's latest passenger and financial figures and there is a silver lining for those who believe nationalising trains might deliver more reliability, lower subsidies and fares.
• Saudi bidders circle as Newcastle airport heads for bumper stake sale. [subscription]JP Morgan is overseeing the sale of a 49 per cent shareholding owned by Infrabridge, City sources said. Local councils will own the remaining stake

Reuters News

• London's Heathrow to invest nearly $3 billion to upgrade airportDec 18 (Reuters) - Heathrow said on Wednesday it planned to invest 2.3 billion pounds ($2.92 billion) over the next two years to upgrade Britain's busiest airport.

Transport Committee

• Rail investment pipelines: Transport Committee will investigate supporting industry to improve the railwaysHow the Government can ensure a stable pipeline of projects, enhancements and procurements to improve the railways will be the focus of a new Transport Committee inquiry.

City AM

• Ministers push back decision on Luton Airport expansion for third time Luton Airport wants to increase passenger capacity from 18m to 32m per year through a £2.4bn expansion project.
• HS2 chair to step down as cost swells to £66bn The chair of the company behind High Speed Two (HS2) is to stop down next year, it has been announced. Sir Jon Thompson has served on the board of HS2 Ltd for almost four years after first joining as a non-executive director in April 2021.

Daily Express

• Ticket office built nowhere near UK train station - as £8m over budget bridge unopenedEXCLUSIVE: A new footbridge at Theale Station in Reading has already taken ten times longer to build than the Empire State Building and is over ten years overdue.

Local Government

• Centre of Excellence runs first low carbon trials for roads industryThe first trials of new materials designed to reduce carbon in the roads industry have taken place in North Lanarkshire with more planned for 2025.

Birmingham Mail

• Drivers could pay extra to keep journeys private in new pay-per-mile car tax proposalAn expert has proposed a pay-per-mile charge which could see some drivers pay more
• Council reveals where Birmingham bus lane fine money will go as crackdown beginsDrivers given £60 fine warning as Birmingham bus lane camera enforcement starts this week

Birmingham Post

• Transport for Wales launches new high speed internet networkIt has installed the network in tandem with electrifying the Core Valley Lines into Cardiff
• 'Charging oasis' set for former petrol station siteThe 12-bay charging hub is being constructed by EV network Be.EV

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• 'Bradford bus users have been through enough this year': Fury over changesCouncillors have hit out at the news that some key bus services serving Bradford will be “withdrawn, curtailed, or retimed”.

Bristol Live

• UK travellers have two weeks left to freely visit two EU countries before border rule changeAs of January 1st, Brits travelling to certain countries will need to have extra permits before heading abroad
• Thousands sign petition as 'entitled motorists' protest against liveable neighbourhood scheme The trial is now being rolled out in parts of St George, Redfield and Barton Hill

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Holyhead port drone video shows damage that's halted ferry services to IrelandFerry services have been suspended since the storm damage
• Police 'should have cracked down on electric bikes and scooters sooner''It has got to this stage it is now where it is difficult to rein back in'
• Holyhead port cancels all ferry services until next yearStena Line issued a new major update on the situation

London Evening Standard

• HS2 cost 'soars by £9bn' bringing total estimate of high-speed rail link to £80bnLeaked report puts new figure on 225mph link between Euston and Curzon Street stations
• Euston HS2 station: new twist in saga as Government says £5bn terminus will only have six platformsThe new HS2 station at Euston will have just six platforms, the Government has confirmed.

Other Regional Press

• HS2 motorway works completed to prepare for new M42 'twin box' buildTHE GROUND-WORK has been laid for the construction of a bridge that will take HS2 trains over the M42 motorway.
• New Intercity fleet gets green light including for Highlands main lineThe Scottish Government has announced today that procurement will begin to replace the trains in its Intercity fleet.
• Controversial plans for traffic restrictions scrapped after survey‘Ridiculous’ proposals to bring in one-way streets and to close some roads to traffic in one Kent town have been dropped after public opposition.

Coach and Bus Week

• Scotland proposes speed limit reforms on major roadsA consultation has been launched by the Scottish Government to gather public and stakeholder views on proposed changes to speed limits in Scotland. The National Speed Management Review is seeking to ensure speed limits on Scotland?s roads are appropriate, and contribute to reducing injury and death on the roads, the Scottish Government says.

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 Ltd chair to step down in the springSir Jon Thompson has announced his intention to step down from his position as HS2 Ltd chair in spring 2025 after nearly four years with the organisation.

Rail Magazine

• Solution to GWR's Sunday service problems 'not going to happen any time soon'A reduced Sunday service on Great Western Railway is expected to continue indefinitely, because there are not enough train crew to keep trains running.

Railnews

• Welcome for railway devolution plans The charity Campaign for Better Transport has welcomed the Government’s plans to devolve more responsibility for train services to the English regions, saying devolution has already worked well in London and Liverpool. The plans have been unveiled in a White Paper.

Other News Sources

• 2024 reported road conditions statistics - RAC commentWhile the percentage of A roads that are deemed to be in the worst 'red' condition doesn't appear to have got any worse, it's concerning to see that more roads that were in reasonable 'green' condition have now deteriorated to 'amber' status.
• Heathrow confirms £2.3bn investment 'to improve service'A £2.3 billion accelerated investment plan has been unveiled to upgrade Heathrow over the next two years.
• HS2 completes first stage of work on bridge to take the line over the M42HS2 has completed the first stage of work for the construction of a bridge that will take the high-speed railway line over the M42 motorway.