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

Thursday, 09 January 2025

BBC News

• 'Growing demand' for Eurostar to return to townA council leader in Kent has called for Eurostar services to return to the county after an almost five-year absence.
• Work to begin on new £2.5m cycle routeWork is scheduled to start on Monday and will last until autumn 2025.
• Airport runway problems down to 'type of snow'Manchester Airport explains why airports in countries more used to snow fare better when it falls.
• Off-peak Fridays trial made no difference - TfLA trial to make all Friday fares off-peak did not increase passenger numbers last year, TfL says.
• TfL pays out £2m in pothole compensation claimsMore than £2m has been paid out in pothole compensation claims by TfL since 2021, fresh data shows.
• Swinney says sorry to islanders for ferry delays The first minister has offered an "unreserved" apology days before a new CalMac ship finally begins passenger sailings.
• Electric buses withdrawn over 'technical failures'Buses from across the UK were reallocated to cover routes in Scotland while manufacturer repairs are made.
• Ryanair sues 'unruly' passenger over flight diversionThe airline hopes to claw back costs in damages over behaviour it says forced a plane to land early.

ITV News

• Eurostar confirms it will not return to Ashford International train station in Kent this yearEurostar services will not return to Kent this year. The high-speed train to Paris and Amsterdam has not stopped in Ashford International since the pandemic and will remain closed for the rest of this year.

Financial Times

• Biggest shipping nations back flat tax on emissionsWorld’s two most important countries for registrations join efforts to impose flat levy on pollution
• London’s airports test Labour with plans for rapid growth Luton and Gatwick ruling to come this year, while Stansted and City expansion already approved

STV

• First Bus pulls 30 electric buses from service over 'cracks in structure'First Bus has withdrawn 30 electric buses from services due to 'cracks in structure'

The Guardian

• Canals have vital role to play in UK’s climate resilience, says charityWaterways can protect biodiversity, help with water security and keep cities cooler, says Canal & River Trust. Protecting the UK’s canals is crucial for improving the nation’s resilience to climate change, campaigners have said.

The Independent

• Study reveals deadly risks of living near an airportResearchers at University College London linked exposure to aircraft noise to poor heart health

The Telegraph

• Living near an airport increases heart attack risk by fourfold, study reveals [subscription]More than one million people plagued by aircraft noise that could lead to cardiovascular problems

City AM

• Ryanair targets clamp down on ‘disruptive passengers’ with legal action Low-cost airline Ryanair has issued legal action against "disruptive passengers" in a move to clamp down on misconduct on its flights

Belfast Telegraph

• London mayor's £24m fares cut on Fridays made 'no noticeable difference' TfLSir Sadiq Khan's £24 million scheme to cut London's Tube and train fares on Fridays to boost passenger numbers made 'no noticeable difference' to demand, Transport for London (TfL) said.

Birmingham Post

• The port of Holyhead port will remain partially closed for months One of the ferry berths at the port will reopen from January 16
• Devon electric vehicle battery firm secures $5m for planned North East factoryAltilium converts end-of-life EV batteries into materials that can be used in new batteries

Bolton News

• Clash between taxi company and airport over picking-up disabled passengersA dispute has broken out between an airport taxi service and the airport over the picking up of disabled passengers.

Bristol Live

• Roof repairs on Temple Meads train station delayed again and due to end summer 2026Repairs to the roof of Temple Meads train station have been delayed again and are now due to end in the summer next year. The painstaking work is more extensive than Network Rail first thought, although 1,900 individual repairs to steelwork on the roof have already been finished.

London Evening Standard

• Are WFH Fridays here to stay? Sadiq Khan's £24m cheap fares plan to lure Londoners back to the office 'flops'Now London mayor suggests offering free coffees to passengers after scrapping of peak fares made 'no difference' to Friday commutes

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Newcastle Airport increase parking costs as changes branded 'very unpopular'Stopping for up to 10 minutes in the drop-off zone has increased to £5 as of today.

This Is Local London Network

• Superloop bus from Canary Wharf to Lewisham launches soonA new Superloop route across the River Thames is set to be launched within months.

Wales Online

• Major update on £6m transport hub sat empty for almost a yearThe multi-million pound Porth Transport Hub has been sat empty for close to a year, much to the frustration of local residents

Kent Online

• Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer backs calls to reinstate international train services to Ashford InternationalThe Prime Minister has backed calls to reinstate international trains in Kent saying he is 'keen' to see the services return.

Sunderland Echo

• New Tyne and Wear Metro train suffers "minor issue" and is pulled from serviceThe first new Tyne and Wear Metro train had to be taken out of action this morning after suffering a technical failure.

Other Regional Press

• Europa helps boost campaign to ease the pain of congestion on the Dartford CrossingAs the campaign for the proposed Lower Thames Crossing continues at pace, leading logistics provider Europa Worldwide Group has become one of the latest British business to lend its voice to the issue.
• Plans for huge new Kent lorry park 'should be moved to Leeds Castle M20 junction' says councillorClaims a controversial lorry park plan for hundreds of HGVs should be built at a motorway junction near a major Kent tourist attraction has sparked a spat between local Conservatives.
• Cost of improving Kent's 'second worst stretch of road' has risen by a 'ridiculous' £50 millionGovernment delays and inflation are among the factors being blamed
• Glasgow railway line to be closed for almost five monthsScotRail has issued advice to travellers as a busy Glasgow railway line is set to be close for almost five months.
• Plans change for Birmingham Curzon Street's flagship HS2 stationPlans have been lodged for design 'refinements' for Birmingham's new flagship high speed railway station.
• Stair-free access to Biggleswade Railway Station could arrive this year, meeting toldWork to enable access for all at Biggleswade Railway Station is set to resume shortly, and could be completed later this year, a meeting heard.
• 'Embarrassing' Southeastern Metro trains will finally be refurbishedWorn-out Southeastern Metro trains that were branded 'embarrassing' by the company's boss will finally be refurbished this year two years after plans were first announced.
• Darlington among worst places in England for bus service cutsDarlington is one of the worst-affected areas in England by cuts to local bus services.
• More than 100 people attend campaign event to keep London Road Crossing openMore than 100 people attended an event as part of local group's campaign to keep London Road Crossing open.
• Every road set for repair in Yorkshire town under 34 mile schemeMore than 235 roadwork schemes are set to get underway

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Park Signalling win Network Rail contract for new SSI design workstationPark Signalling, a Unipart company, has won a £3 million contract with Network Rail to produce a Design Workstation supporting Solid State Interlocking (SSI) signalling systems in the UK. Configuring SSI systems requires specialised knowledge of railway signalling principles, interlocking logic, and the SSI technology being used. According to Park Signalling, its design will replace obsolete and unsupported technology and provide rail engineers with the hardware and software needed to test, configure and make changes to SSI interlockings on a new technology platform.

New Civil Engineer

• Giant beams installed ahead of HS2's 'innovative' Warwickshire bridge slideThe installation of 120 'gigantic' beams has been completed as part of a 14,500t box structure designed to take the HS2 under the A46 Kenilworth Bypass in Warwickshire.

Railnews

• Concern grows over future of open access A group which lobbies on behalf of the private sector is urging the government to make the future prospects for open access passenger services clear, after transport secretary Heidi Alexander warned on Monday that she is advising the Office of Rail and Road to ‘ensure that the benefits provided by open access operators outweigh the impacts they have on taxpayers’.

Railway Gazette

• Prototype 450 km/h high speed trains unveiled in ChinaCHINA: Two prototype CR450 high speed trainsets designed for a maximum speed of 450 km/h and an operating speed of 400 km/h have been unveiled in Beijing, ahead of testing to optimise the design and enable the sets to enter service as soon as possible.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• IPPR research: Bus cuts led to £2.6bn economy reductionCuts to bus services were responsible for an estimated £2.6 billion reduction in England's economy between in 2011 and 2023, according to new analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) North.

Aviation Industry

• Edinburgh and Heathrow increase drop-off chargesHeathrow quietly increased its drop-off fee to ?6 (charged each time a vehicle enters the area) from 1 January. This is up ?1 on the charge that was introduced back in October 2021.

Other News Sources

• How do we ensure regeneration projects reach their full potential?With a focus on developing around railway stations, representatives from local authorities, Network Rail, and the private sector delved into the ins and outs of not only creating a great masterplan, but also ensuring it gets delivered at a roundtable discussion hosted by WW+P Architects and RJP Town Planners.
• Rolls-Royce pump £300 million pounds into West Sussex manufacturing siteRolls-Royce has announced an additional £300m in funding for its Goodwood manufacturing site based in Chichester.