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

Saturday, 11 January 2025

BBC News

• Bus franchising: What does it mean for passengers?People are being asked to share their views on plans to bring buses back under public control.
• Rise in jobs and homes near Elizabeth line - TfLTfL says there is an increase in housing growth and employment within one kilometre of stations.
• Two million discounted tickets up for grabs in rail saleMore than two million train tickets will be sold at a discount under a promotion starting next week.

Financial Times

• American Airlines’ use of ‘ESG activist’ BlackRock failed workers, US judge saysCase over pension scheme management highlights rising risks of legal challenges over environmentally-focused policies
• Delta expects profit boost from growing travel demand More passengers are choosing first-class and business seats, helping revenue growth

The Guardian

• Mick Lynch, you’re a legend – and the unapologetic working-class leader the left is missing | Polly SmytheThe outgoing RMT head dismantled pundits one by one on live TV, and showed a new generation why we need trade unionsMick Lynch is the trade union icon who nearly wasn’t. Leaving school at 16 to train as an apprentice electrician, he worked in construction until being blacklisted for his union activities. Unable to find work in the building trade, in 1993 he took a job at Eurostar and became involved with the RMT. Construction’s loss was to be the labour movement’s gain.Lynch was elected general secretary of RMT in 2021, and a year later, the UK’s first national railway ...
• Rail passengers face disruption from Avanti strikes every Sunday until JuneTrain managers on west coast mainline to take action from 12 January to 25 May in dispute over rest-day workingPassengers on Great Britain’s west coast mainline have been warned of disruption to Avanti services on every Sunday from this weekend to the end of May.Train managers represented by the the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) have said they will strike on every Sunday from 12 January to 25 May 2025, in a dispute over their pay for working on rest days. Continue reading...

City AM

• Elizabeth Line has helped create 400k jobs in and around London The area around the City of London’s Liverpool Street Station has been one of the biggest benefactors of the new Elizabeth Line research shows. London’s most popular route has carried more than 0.5bn passengers since its inception.  Fresh figures from Transport for London (TFL) and Arup show Crossrail has helped create thousands of new jobs by [...]
• Ex-Aston Martin CEO: Scrap hybrids, go all in on EV cars Our reliance on hybrid is holding us back from real progress. It's time to go all in on EV cars, writes ex-Aston Martin CEO and 'godfather of EVs' Andy Palmer.

Daily Express

• Labour's rail strike plan has backfired spectacularly - and cost taxpayers big timeFailure to get trains running causes misery for commuters, damages the economy and hurts the environment

Mail Online

• Four injured after Delta flight aborts take-off at snow-covered Atlanta airportAt least four people have been injured after a Boeing 757 Delta aircraft aborted takeoff at Atlanta Airport on Friday morning.

Birmingham Post

• UK Government to confirm it is looking to address rail underfunding in WalesIt builds on discussions between Welsh Transport Secretary Ken Skates his UK Government counterpart Heidi Alexander and Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens

Bolton News

• Bee Network bosses warn against fake travel card scamThe Bee Network is warning passengers against a scam offering six-month travel cards for the price of a single ticket.
• Controversial charges 'as dead as a doornail' as final decision loomsCharges for a clean air zone across Bolton and Greater Manchester are “as dead as a doornail” after the government’s most recent statement.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• West Yorkshire transport public consultation events to take placePeople are being encouraged to have their say on the future of the local transport network in West Yorkshire via scheduled 'Talking Transport' events.

Northern Echo

• Boost for Teesside Airport as Jet2 signs deal for Boeing 737 maintenanceJet2.com has signed a long-term maintenance deal with Willis Aviation Services Limited (WASL) for comprehensive C-Checks on Boeing 737 aircraft at Teesside Airport

Wales Online

• UK and Welsh governments to announce direction of travel to address decades of rail underinvestment in WalesIt builds on discussions between Welsh Transport Secretary Ken Skates his UK Government counterpart Heidi Alexander and Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens

Burnley Express

• ELHT decision to scrap hospital shuttle busses branded 'total disgrace'ELHT has said they are scrapping the free hospital shuttle busses in East Lancashire as they 'can no longer afford it'

Other Regional Press

• Stagecoach admits failings in response to crash, new route woes and bus fare riseThe man in charge of Stagecoach’s Swindon operations spoke about its response to bus route criticism and a dramatic town centre crash.
• Bus drivers left with ‘little choice but to take to the picket line’Unite the Union has said bus drivers have been left with little choice but to take to the picket line as First Bus staff will strike three times in January
• ‘Come on Eurostar, come clean with your Kent plans’Five years after it left us, is our pleading for Eurostar to return on the brink of becoming undignified?
• ‘The bus is our lifeline - we’ll be stranded without it’Elderly residents on a suburban estate fear being stranded when their bus service is withdrawn.
• Car park charging points among latest plans decidedELECTRIC vehicle charge points have been agreed for a Weymouth town centre car park.
• Warning for Coventry rail passengers travelling this weekendFootball fixtures and planned engineering work is expected to impact services this weekend.

New Civil Engineer

• Preparation underway for ?60M replacement of West Coast Main Line bridge over M6Network Rail has announced a ?60M infrastructure project involving the replacement of the Clifton bridge, located near Penrith in Cumbria, due to safety concerns.

Other News Sources

• Concerns raised over impact of open accessHeidi Alexander suggests operators are not paying their way; Alexander: ‘Open access can create pressure on the network’; Rail Partners has responded to a letter from transport secretary Heidi Alexander urging the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to adopt stricter criteria for approving new open access rail applications. Alexander’s letter to ORR chair Declan Collier outlined concerns about the financial and operational impacts of the growing number of open access services. In recent months, there has been a surge in applications, principally from FirstGroup....
• ‘Blazing a trail for the future of bus services’As the snow fell on January 5, the third and final tranche of Greater Manchester’s buses joined the publicly-controlled Bee Network. A landmark moment for buses in the region, and beyond ; Following a phased approach, all bus services in Greater Manchester ; totalling 577 routes, 1,600 buses and accounting for more than 160 million trips per year ; are now under the locally controlled Bee Network. This edition of Passenger Transport contains a special 17-page section, Realising the Bee Network vision, to mark an historic moment for buses in Greater...
• Warning issued to drivers over 'skyrocketing' parking payment scamsThe scam involves fraudsters sticking up ‘how to pay’ posters (with a QR code on them) in car parks.
• Passengers told to plan as Brighton Main Line closes this SundayNo trains will operate between East Croydon and Gatwick Airport on January 12 due to engineering works. Plan ahead for replacement buses and amended services.