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

Monday, 23 December 2024

BBC News

• Old Oak Common - mega station starts to growTrains won't run into Paddington from Christmas Day until 30 December because of preparation work at the new mega station being built at Old Oak Common in north-west London.
• Belfast City Airport shut after emergency during landingPictures appear to the show a plane with its nose touching the runway after a wheel collapse.
• Trump threatens to try and regain control of Panama CanalIt prompts a sharp rebuke from Panama's president, who says "every square metre" of the canal belongs to his country.
• Heathrow cancels flights as wind hits festive travelStrong winds are continuing to cause some disruption as millions of people travel ahead of Christmas.

Financial Times

• Trump and Panama trade blows over control of canalPresident-elect says he would demand vital waterway be ‘returned’ to US if it is not operated to his liking

The Guardian

• More UK buses to run on Christmas Day than at any time in last five yearsAbout 100,000 people expected to travel on 25 December, up from 60,000 in 2019. More UK buses and coaches are expected to operate on Christmas Day than at any time since figures were first collected five years ago.The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), an industry body, estimates that the number of people catching a bus on 25 December this year will hit 100,000.

i News

• The Great British rail replacement rip off: passengers to pay £90 for bus journeysWhile passengers will be eligible for partial refunds due to delays, a full-price ticket will still be required to board the bus

Birmingham Post

• Construction begins on new business units at Blackpool Airport Enterprise ZoneConstruction has begun on 11 new business units at the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, with four of the units already sold

Bristol Live

• GWR warns no trains will travel in and out of London Paddington next weekendPeople wanting to get back to London after Christmas may need to find alternative modes of travel

Daily Post (North Wales)

• The once abandoned underground tunnels that link two Welsh communities againTwo tunnels link up a path between Bangor and Bethesda

Nation. Cymru

• Project launched to improve WiFi on rural transport in WalesA new project has been launched to improve broadband on public transport in parts of rural Wales.

Northern Echo

• Darlington and Shildon involved in New Year's Day WhistleUpThe biggest railway heritage participation event is set to take place on New Year's Day including in the North East - kicking off celebrations for the 200th anniversary of the modern railway.

Other Regional Press

• MPs hop aboard as additional train services begin calling at Lichfield Trent ValleyTWO local MPs have taken a trip on an additional train service linking Lichfield Trent Valley with Liverpool and London.
• Oxfordshire to get £24.5m from government to fix potholesOxfordshire will receive over £24.5 million for road maintenance from central government, as part of their drive to fix the county’s pothole problem.
• Dorset road standards among best in countryMore major roads in Dorset are meeting adequate standards, new figures show.

New Civil Engineer

• New delivery body for HS2 Euston station being formed by DfTThe Department for Transport (DfT) is in the process of forming a new delivery body to oversee the development and construction of the High Speed 2 (HS2) Euston station terminus.

Rail Advent

• HS2 power supply contract awarded to Siemens Mobility and Costain Joint VentureA long-term contract to provide the high-voltage electrical network for the complete HS2 line between London and the West Midlands is to be awarded to a joint venture between Siemens Mobility and Costain Joint Venture.

Rail Magazine

• Heidi Alexander: Can London success transfer to wider stage for new Transport Secretary?When Heidi Alexander stepped down as London's Deputy Mayor for Transport, she had an Elizabeth line train named after her.
• DfT looking at ways to protect space for additional HS2 Euston platforms - leaders admit still no agreed phase one costThe Department for Transport is looking at ways to secure space for additional platforms at HS2's London Euston station, if the demand is there.
• Class 93 underakes first West Coast Main Line test runsAfter several false starts, Rail Operations Group 93001 finally undertook its first main line test run on the West Coast Main Line on December 10, when it worked light engine as the 2227 Crewe South Yard-Carlisle.

Railway Gazette

• Redundant coal wagons to be converted for construction trafficUK: WH Davis is to convert coal wagons owned by leasing company Porterbrook for use by Freightliner to transport aggregates.

The Business Desk

• Plans for landmark rail innovation centre move full steam aheadA milestone has been reached in plans for a rail innovation and training centre in Barrow Hill, Staveley.
• Coventry's Very Light Rail trial to run next summerCoventry City Council's cabinet looks set to approve the construction of an on-road test of its Very Light Rail track and electric vehicle.

Other News Sources

• Minister confirms Government and TfL dialogue on taxi licensing and Mayor's new Action PlanTransport for London's (TfL) revised Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan has sparked Parliamentary attention, with Shadow Minister Louie French questioning the Department for Transport (DfT) about its engagement with the initiative.
• East West Rail delays ground investigations in Bedford after deadly explosionEast West Rail has delayed its ground investigation programme in Bedford until March 2025 following a gas explosion at Cleat Hill in October that killed two people.
• Hyundai delivers hydrogen buses for Abu Dhabi public transportThe Green Bus Programme in Abu Dhabi is a comprehensive plan to assess and manage public transport buses in the emirate
• HS2: First TBM ends Northolt tunnel bore in reception canThe first tunnel boring machine (TBM) excavating High Speed 2's (HS2's) Northolt tunnel has ended its journey in a specially designed underground reception can in west London.
• Hitachi Rail wins top UK reliability award for third timeThe 100% electric Lumo (Class 803) fleet, which was built in the North East at Hitachi Rail's Newton Aycliffe's manufacturing facility and helped transform passenger journeys on the East Coast Mainline, is currently the UK's most reliable fleet.
• Cameras plan for bike pathSOUTH Gloucestershire Council has unveiled plans to install CCTV along a busy stretch of the Bristol and Bath Railway Path.
• Councillors announce new measures for dangerous A-roadEast Sussex Council announces speed limit changes and new road safety measures for the A267 and A272, with public consultations set for the new year.