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

Friday, 03 January 2025

BBC News

• Wi-fi on some city buses to be switched offA bus operator has confirmed it will switch off public wi-fi on some of its fleet this year. Nottingham City Transport said its diesel and biogas buses needed on-board equipment replaced to maintain the service.
• Everything we know about Bristol's travel changesHuge changes are planned to Bristol's road network to prepare for 5,000 more people living and travelling around the centre in the coming years.
• Residents 'in limbo' 14 months after HS2 decisionResidents living on the original HS2 route say they remain unable to get on with their lives.
• Rail and roads hit as cold moves across countryThe north of the country faces more snow and ice warnings after bad weather dominated the New Year.
• Avanti passengers face disruption in fresh train strikesRail managers who are RMT union members are locked in a row over rest day working.

Department for Transport

• Greener flights ahead for UK aviationThe Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate will support thousands of skilled jobs, deliver economic growth and help make the UK a clean energy superpower.

The Guardian

• Early phase-out of full hybrid vehicles may be a political risk too far for UK ministers | Nils PratleyPragmatism will win over purism, unless the government favours early closure for car manufacturers. The main timetable is set: no new petrol and diesel cars will be allowed to be sold in the UK after 2030, and sales of all new hybrids will be forbidden from 2035. But that phasing still leaves open the critical matter – for the automotive industry, and for a couple of manufacturers in particular – of which new hybrids will be allowed to be sold until the last day of 2034.

The Independent

• The world's most on time airlines and airportsDelta Air Lines scored the highest among U.S. carriers despite an outage that caused thousands of flight cancellations

Times Online

• The Boeing 737-800: which airlines use the plane and is it safe? [subscription]Everything you need to know after the latest crash involving the aircraft in South Korea

Daily Express

• The incredible new £10bn train line that would connect Heathrow and Gatwick airportsThe train line would cut down the time it takes to travel between Heathrow and Gatwick to just 15 minutes.
• The world's longest passenger plane that costs £200m and travels at 660mphDespite being one of the most famous and loved planes of all time, the aircraft could soon disappear from the sky.

Local Government

• New transport safety officers recruited to boost patrolsThe number of specially trained officers helping to keep passengers safe by patrolling the region's bus, train and tram networks has been doubled following a new recruitment drive.

Birmingham Post

• Welsh transport projects in 2025 and the funding challenges facedWithout a needs based new funding model the Welsh Government faces a tough funding outlook on transport infrastructure investment
• Shipyard operator A&P Group toasts strong order book despite dip in turnoverThe group says it is determined to take advantage of the Falmouth and Tyne sites which are well placed to secure work in a number of sectors

Bristol Live

• Work on M49 ‘ghost junction’ development could start this yearThe ‘ghost junction’ on the M49 has long perplexed drivers, but work could soon begin as progress is slowly being made

The York Press

• 'York bus fares rise by 50 per cent - despite Labour in power'York bus fares rise by 50 per cent despite Labour in power says our letter writer

Cambridge News

• Northamptonshire devolution plans go to urgent meeting as South Midlands Mayor proposedWest Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire Council must decide by the end of next week if they want to opt in to join a Strategic Authority

Other Regional Press

• Petition launched to bring Glasgow Airport Express bus to GiffnockA petition, launched by Allan Steele, is calling for a Glasgow Airport Express bus to be launched from Giffnock - giving East Renfrewshire communities a better link to the transport hub.
• Locals Around Heathrow and what they go throughHeathrow Airport is an essential part of the UK, as it provides transport and trading routes with the outer world.
• Calls for A66 Scotch Corner to Penrith work to start in 2025The case for the A66 upgrade to go ahead has been put directly to a government minister by MPs, with the project still 'under review' by officials.
• Trams are 'long-term answer' to solve Bristol's transport problemsThe Tory metro mayor candidate says that trams are the long-term solution to solve Bristol's transport woes.
• Andy Burnham urges Greater Manchester residents to switch to the Bee Network in 2025Andy Burnham is urging Greater Manchester residents to switch to the Bee Network in 2025. With the new year now here, the Greater Manchester Mayor has reflected back on the past 12 months, and has set some goals and intentions for 2025 which he expects to be a 'busy' year full of change and historic milestones for the region.
• Oxford MP Anneliese Dodds defends bus fare cap riseLabour MP Anneliese Dodds has defended the decision to increase bus fares saying they would have risen by '650 per cent' if Labour had not raised the cap.
• Swanage railway marks 200 years of railway developmentIn 1885, the ten-mile branch line railway linking Swanage and Corfe Castle with Wareham, on the main railway line to London, was first opened to the public.

Forbes

• Can A German Bus Startup Really Make Greyhound Suck Less?Flix snatched Greyhound Lines from the brink. But can its European playbook help this 1-star-rated American 'icon' turn the corner?

Railnews

• Whistles mark the start of Railway 200 festival A year-long festival of railways has started, to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the first passenger train to be hauled by a locomotive on the Stockton and Darlington Railway on 27 September 1825.

Aviation Industry

• London Gatwick Honors the Visionary Leadership of Baroness Margaret Ford in New Year Honours 2025London Gatwick celebrates Baroness Margaret Ford, honoured in the 2025 New Year Honours for her visionary leadership and outstanding contributions to the UK.
• Heathrow announces £2.3 billion accelerated investment plan to upgrade the airportHeathrow's planned investments total £1.05 billion in the airport's infrastructure in 2025, and an additional £1.29 billion to be invested in 2026

Other News Sources

• Greener flights ahead for UK aviationThe Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate will support thousands of skilled jobs, deliver economic growth and help make the UK a clean energy superpower.
• More electric buses for the Bee NetworkGo North West, in partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), will introduce 19 new electric double-decker buses to the Bee Network on 5 January 2025. This expansion increases Go North West's electric fleet to 69 buses, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly public transport in Greater Manchester.
• Designs shortlisted for low-carbon footbridge in UKOne of the five designs will be selected for a bridge over the A127, located close to the Lower Thames Crossing in the UK.
• How One Company Is Revolutionizing Urban Transport and Personal MobilityThe mobility tech landscape is seeing a major shift with the launch of the dash 3 by dashmoto. Designed with a focus on portability, performance, and user empowerment, this electric scooter offers a fresh take on how people navigate urban environments.

News from Europe

• In Norway, nearly all new cars sold in 2024 were fully electricFully electric cars account for more than 28% of all cars driven in the Nordic country as of December, according to Public Road Administration data.