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

Friday, 20 December 2024

BBC News

• Gatwick drone warning ahead of Christmas breakThe boss of Gatwick Airport is urging those who receive drones for Christmas to read the rules before flying, on the sixth anniversary of when the airport was brought to a standstill following a drone sighting over the runway.
• Worst major train stations for cancellations namedManchester Victoria has been the worst of Britain's busiest railway stations for cancellations so far this year.
• Rail passengers warned of Christmas disruptionRail passengers from the South West travelling to London are being warned to expect disruption after Christmas.
• Emergency rail line closure due to landslipA rail line in Surrey will be closed so emergency work to stabilise an embankment can take place.
• Roadmap to fix England's potholes revealedLocal authorities across England will be given a share of £1.6bn to fix potholes and maintain roads.
• Chewing gum at railway stations to be recycledThe discarded chewing gum could also be turned into trainer soles or stationery by firm Gumdrop Ltd.
• Double decker bus driver admits rail bridge crashAlan Carey crashed into the bridge in Glasgow near the O2 Academy, which tore the roof off the bus and left passengers injured.
• Harland & Wolff saved by deal with Spanish firmSpain's state-owned shipbuilder confirms it is buying Harland & Wolff, best known for the Titanic.

Financial Times

• FedEx to spin off freight unitDivision could be worth more than $30bn, analysts say

The Scotsman

• LNER confirms 'transformational' Edinburgh-London rail journey time cutPassengers will see many rail journeys between London and Edinburgh cut to just over four hours from next December after long-awaited plans were confirmed on Thursday.

City AM

• New HS2 chief can’t be sorry for £100m bat shed Mark Wild said construction of the structure in Buckinghamshire was the "most appropriate" way to "comply with the law."

Daily Record

• Flights from Edinburgh to London cheaper than getting to Glasgow by trainThe Scottish Government has been urged to reduce the cost of rail travel after a price comparison found it was cheaper to fly from Edinburgh to London than commute from the Scottish capital to Glasgow by train.

The Mirror

• Heathrow Airport's ambitious £2.3billion plan to upgrade passenger experienceHeathrow Airport has announced an ambitious £2.3 billion infrastructure investment plan from 2025 - 2027, to enhance the overall passenger experience and boost the UK economy

Birmingham Mail

• Huge new Birmingham Airport road opens for drivers but you won't find it on Google Maps Junction 5a and the A4545 have been built to tackle heavy congestion problems at Junction 6, Bickenhill Interchange, 1.1 miles to the north

Birmingham Post

• New roads and buildings planned as part of Plymouth and South Devon freeport developmentThe special 'free zone' will be exempt from the usual taxes and tariffs in a bid to drive growth and boost investment

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Over 80 per cent of bus services to return to Interchange on January 5OVER 80 per cent of bus services will return to Bradford Interchange when it reopens early next month – but the station won’t be fully operational until April.
• LNER delighted at plan for 7 trains a day between Bradford Forster Square and LondonA MAJOR train operator says it is “delighted” to be kick-starting its timetable transformation with a huge increase in services between Bradford and London.
• Shipley depot plan and potential Iron Age discovery among busy year for rail upgradeTHE ANNOUNCEMENT of a new rail depot in Shipley and an intriguing archaeological discovery near Dewsbury are among significant developments during 2024 for the team carrying out a £10.7 billion rail upgrade.
• Serial trespasser caused train cancellations and hours of delays costing over £30kA serial trespasser who caused “havoc” leading to train cancellations and hours of delays costing more than £30,000 by wandering onto rail tracks at Bradford has been jailed for 18 months.

Bristol Live

• M5 Christmas travel warning as UK to make 29.3 million journeys this weekendThe South Western motorway is earmarked to be one of the busiest roads to travel on this weekend

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Video shows moment Holyhead port structure collapses beside ferryThe platform collapsed into the sea on the weekend Storm Darragh arrived

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester railway stations rated 'worst in Britain' for cancellationsManchester Victoria came out on top for cancellations this year

Nation. Cymru

• Guide Dog Jamie clocks in at Transport for WalesA golden retriever named Jamie has become the newest and perhaps the most liked Transport for Wales (TfW) team member.

The York Press

• Evie the electric bus visits Badger Hill Primary for book launchA children's book, designed to introduce carbon reduction and environmental choice, has been published by First Bus in North and West Yorkshire.

Bucks Free Press

• Chiltern Railways announces Christmas timetable changesChiltern Railways has announced a series of changes to its services over the festive period

Other Regional Press

• Glasgow set to begin welcoming new high speed 'intercity' trains in 2025The Scottish Government announced today that procurement will begin to replace the trains in its Intercity fleet.
• South West MPs warn transport failures are isolating rural communitiesMPs are calling for urgent transport reform after widespread failures in bus and train services leave South West communities stranded and isolated
• Problems at Cheshire railway station causing 'frustration' as new housing development is blamedHooton station has regularly flooded this year during periods of heavy rainfall leading to disruption along the Ellesmere Port and Chester lines.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• D&E Coaches trials its first electric coachD&E Coaches is trialling its first electric coach on the Ullapool 961 Citylink service this month. The 53-seater electric Yutong TCe14 is capable of travelling up to 280 miles per day on a single charge, is the first of its kind in the north of Scotland operator's fleet.

Coach and Bus Week

• First Bus launches new imageJonathan Welch speaks to First Bus Chief Commercial Officer Simon Pearson about the company's new look

Rail Business Daily

• ORR statistics show passenger rail revenue growth in Q2 2024-25Office of Rail and Road (ORR) statistics show that total rail passenger revenue, adjusted for inflation, was up 11 per cent (£284 million) in July - September (Q2 2024-25), compared with the same period last year.

Rail Magazine

• Network Rail Class 150 to be withdrawn and disposed ofNetwork Rail has confirmed that its two-car Class 150-derivate Infrastructure Monitoring train will be withdrawn and disposed of.
• GB Railfreight agrees four-year extension to existing aggregates transport contractGB Railfreight (GBRf) and Aggregate Industries have announced a four-year extension to their existing contract, solidifying their partnership in the movement of essential aggregate materials.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Isobel Hedley-Jones appointed to head Kent Fastrack operationsGo-Ahead has named Isobel Hedley-Jones as Head of Fastrack Operations, beginning 1 January 2025.
• CAVForth autonomous bus service to end due to low patronageStagecoach East Scotland's AB1 service from Edinburgh Park to Ferrytoll, which was the UK's first full-size autonomous bus service, will come to an end due to low passenger numbers on 14 February 2025, the operator has announced.
• Protection for 'lifelin' services as Buses Bill introducedNew legislation designed to give local leaders greater control over bus services has been formally laid out in the shape of the Bus Services Bill, which was introduced in the House of Lords today.

Sustainable Bus

• Denmark, public transport authority Movia has achieved goal of 50% zero emission bus fleet ahead of plans66 new zero emission buses entered recently in operation under the umbrella of public transport authority Movia in Denmark, marking the achievement of half fleet powered by electricity as many as six years ahead of plans. 565 electric buses are now in operation, representing 50% of its total fleet of 1,126 buses. E-buses are deployed

Aviation Industry

• Heathrow unveils £2.3 Billion investment plan to enhance airport infrastructure and drive UK GrowthHeathrow Airport has announced a £2.3 billion investment plan over the next two years, marking the largest private sector capital investment in the UK's transport infrastructur

Other News Sources

• We must continue to advocate for a £2 bus fare capThe Government's decision to increase the national bus fare cap from 32 to £3 might seem like a small change to some, but for many Brighton and Hove residents, it represents yet another blow to already stretched household budgets. As a city that has historically boasted the highest bus usage per person outside of London, this 50 per cent increase will have far-reaching consequences for our community.
• Cardiff bus operator invests ?29 million to supercharge mission for carbon neutral fleetCardiff Bus, the main operator of bus services in Cardiff and the surrounding area, is leading the charge to become the first net zero public transport company in Wales, bolstering its efforts by investing ?29 million into sustainable practices across its fleet.
• Residents show support for London Gatwick growth plans, according to new surveyEighty per cent of residents across the South East who expressed a preference - support London Gatwick's plans for growth, according to a new YouGov poll.
• Heathrow Airport launches first 'Nature Positive Plan'Airport updates sustainability strategy by broadening biodiversity commitment, reaffirming net zero goal, and confirming 'world first' TNFD disclosure pledges
• Graffiti scrawled on A27 road signs for months is 'deeply frustrating'National Highways say it is “deeply frustrating” that it has to clean graffiti scrawled over road signs on the A27 which cover them up and make them unusable