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

Wednesday, 15 January 2025

BBC News

• Council plans £3.2m cut to city transport schemesMore than £3m is set to be cut from the budget which funds new transport projects in Leicester.
• Hundreds respond to bus franchise consultationMore than 300 people comment on the future of bus services in the West Midlands, organisers say.
• 'Accelerating' A9 dualling would not cut project timeTransport Scotland said rescheduling the current timetable for the project would cause further delays.
• Art on the Underground celebrates its 25th yearThe best Tube art, from giant eggs to kinetic sculpture, as the project celebrates 25 years.
• Piccadilly line train fleet repairs near completionThe Piccadilly line train fleet has repaired and will be back in service in a few weeks' time.
• Glasgow bridge to be investigated after debris fallConcrete falling from the bridge led to a temporary road closure and further inspections.
• Auld Trooper joins Mull route after new ferry arrivalThe oldest large ship in the CalMac fleet is redeployed after MV Glen Sannox comes into service
• Boeing output hit by strikes and safety problemsThe troubled manufacturer says deliveries fell by a third last year.
• Scrapping hospital shuttle bus 'wrong', MP saysA decision to scrap transport between two hospitals for staff, patients and visitors is the "wrong move," a MP has said.

Department for Transport

• Roads Minister tests the 'Pothole Pro' for National Pothole Day, following record £1.6 billion government boostGovernment pledges funding to fix up to 7 million potholes across the country this year.

Financial Times

• Qantas delays flights to avoid SpaceX rocket partsAirline warned by US government about risk of debris re-entering atmosphere on Indian Ocean routes
• Nato to build up defence against Baltic Sea sabotageAlliance to deploy naval drones, submarines, ships and aircraft
• The shadowy war on subsea cables and pipelinesGlobal democracies need to act fast against the threat of underwater sabotage

The Guardian

• ‘Please don’t hit me!’ The battle between ebikers and other cyclistsEbike rentals are thought to have reduced car use – but caused consternation among some pedestrians and other road users. How can everyone get along? I love Lime bikes because I live next to a secondary school, and I see those tearaways in every mood. Coming in, grumpy; going home, cranky; yelling at each other, kicking bins for no reason. Ah, the sweet hell of teenagehood. But when they get on the Limes, you can see in them both the playful, primary school kids of the past, and the adults, with agency and a place to be, of the future.
• ‘A viable business’: Rolls-Royce banking on success of small modular reactorsBritish firm in the vanguard of companies arguing SMRs are a quicker and cheaper option than large Hinkley-sized plants The Hinkley Point C power plant in Somerset is gargantuan. The 176-hectare (435-acre) plant will provide 3.2 gigawatts of power, enough for 6m homes. It is not just the project that is huge: the cost is as well. With a price tag that has ballooned to a reported £48bn, and delayed by at least five years, it has become a symbol of the pitfalls of nuclear power.

The Independent

• California pulls back EPA requests for approval to phase out diesel-powered trains and big rigsCalifornia has withdrawn requests for the EPA to give the state authority to enforce rules limiting emissions from diesel-powered trains and big rigs

Daily Record

• Ayrshire bus station 'like a warzone' after string of vandalism attacksCumnock bus station has been described as looking 'like a warzone' amidst a stream of vandalism which has been left unrepaired.

i News

• The new rail routes that could open if Virgin launches Eurostar rivalAnyone who has planned a weekend escape to Paris by rail knows that Eurostar can be prohibitively expensive, when booked at shortish notice and when compared to low-cost flights. The cheapest one-way Eurostar ticket from London to Paris on 21 January, at the time of writing, was 397, while the cheapest one-way plane ticket was £27.  

Mail Online

• Millions to face travel chaos as Britain's busiest railway line must close for repairs for weeks at a timeWorkers are expected to begin work next year on replacing more than 150 miles of wires installed more than a century ago.
• Britain's pothole hotspots: Interactive map reveals the areas where roads are worst blighted by craters - so, how does your hometown stack up?Interactive graphics reveal the shocking extent of Britain's pothole problem - and scientists think climate change is to blame.

The Mirror

• Despair among climate campaigners as Heathrow Airport smashes annual flights recordClimate campaigners have been left speechless and infuriated by Heathrow Airport's announcement of a record breaking year, with 83.9 million passengers travelling through the airport in 2024
• West Coast Main Line: Millions face disruption with £3.8billion revamp of critical railway lineThe West Coast Main Line - one of the most important railway corridors in the UK - connects London and Glasgow, with branches going via Birmingham, Manchester and other cities

Birmingham Mail

• Four ways Birmingham's roads could drastically change from 2025 onwardsBirmingham City Council's proposals include slashing most of the city’s 40mph roads to 30mph

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Kirklees Council to open public consultation for Transport StrategyKirklees Council is set to ask residents, businesses, and community groups for their views on travel, which will help shape a Transport Strategy.

Bristol Live

• Public transport concerns as Bristol Airport eyes 2040 masterplanAmid Bristol Airport's consultation on its masterplan to 2040, the public has had a lot to say about the proposed expansion

Leicester Mercury

• Rail hub will be 'catastrophic' councillor predictsA huge rail hub and warehousing scheme in Leicestershire would have 'a catastrophic impact for all time' on the local area according to a county councillor. A decision is expected on the highly controversial Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI) in March, with secretary of state for Transport Heidi Alexander to have the final say.

Manchester Evening News

• The £9m plan to change how people get around this area of Greater Manchester It could mean fewer cars on the road and less congestion

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• World's most turbulent airports and flight routes in 2024 - full listThe most turbulent airport in the world is Santiago in Chile, a new study has found, with the most turbulent flight route also being in South America

Northern Echo

• LNER train named Darlington in 'fantastic' naming ceremonyAn LNER Azuma train was today named 'Darlington' during a 'fantastic' event to launch the bicentenary celebration of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

Sheffield Star

• Sheffield buses: Operators back proposals to 'discourage' cars as mayor prepares to take control of servicesRoad charging, workplace parking levies and more bus lanes are being considered by the mayor's office as it prepares to take over bus services.

Wales Online

• Council makes move to electric vehicles but hits issue over hire cost Figures in a council report show that 24 out of Merthyr Tydfil's 120 vehicles are now electric vehicles

Yorkshire Post

• £40m plans for new bus depot, drive through restaurants, and park and ride spark residents' concernsPlans for a new bus depot, three drive through restaurants and a park and ride will face significant opposition from neighbours, says Hull Council's leader.

Carlisle News & Star

• Northern Lights: Publicly-owned public transport is on its wayPublic transportation in the UK is on track for a better, brighter future. My thanks to Louise Haigh MP for propelling us all forwards.

Other Regional Press

• Push for Oxfordshire drivers to stick to A34 to prevent crashes in townA push has been made to stop lorry and HGV drivers using the roads running through Reading in hopes to improve safety and avoid injuries and deaths.
• Major transport upgrades could revive Somerset town's fortunesThe town has suffered since a key road was closed

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Amazon places UK's largest ever electric truck order in triple green initiativeAmazon has announced plans to expand its zero-emission deliveries by adding more than 150 new electric trucks to their fleet over the next 18 months. The company has described the fleet order as ‘the UK’s largest ever’ for electric trucks. Once fully operational, these new eHGVs are expected to transport over 300 million packages each year with no exhaust emissions. Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said: “Business has a crucial role to play in decarbonising our roads, and that’s why it’s fantastic to see Amazon place the U...

Rail Advent

• London North Eastern Railway unveils new 'Darlington' train liveryLondon North Eastern Railway has unveiled a new livery on one of its Azuma train to mark 200 years since the first passenger journey on the Stockton & Darlington Railway.

Rail Business Daily

• RIA kicks off 150th anniversary with Future of Rail seriesThe Railway Industry Association (RIA) kicks off its Future of Rail series next week, leading and shaping the national debate on the future of the rail sector.
• Rail Minister: 'Let's make 2025 a year of celebration about where we've been and also where we're going?The Rail Minister has called on the industry to not just celebrate the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, but to look at the present and the future. Lord Hendy was speaking at the Railway Industry Association's (RIA) Parliamentary Reception at the Terrace Pavilion, House of Commons.

Rail Magazine

• Freight sector awaits decision to ease Ely bottleneck as capacity is 'exhausted'Upgrades at Ely and at Haughley Junction remain in the balance, with the rail industry looking to Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Spending Review later this year for answers.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• OBC's electric buses passed 4m kilometres milestone in 2024Oxford Bus Company's (OBC) 104-strong battery-electric bus fleet travelled four million kilometres in 2024, the operator claims.

Sustainable Bus

• French bus and coach market grew 2% in 2024. Iveco, Mercedes and MAN on the leadFrench bus and coach market grew 2% in 2024, achieving the figure of 5,807 units registered during the whole year, according to data from CCFA, covered in a report by French media TRM24.

The Business Desk

• Unipart subsidiary wins £3m Network Rail contractPark Signalling, a company under Oxford-based Unipart, has won a £3 million contract with Network Rail.

Transport Scotland

• New report rejects rescheduling and acceleration proposals for A9 Dualling ProgrammeThe new report was commissioned by Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, to consider whether to prioritise sections of the A9 Dualling Programme either on the basis of the safety record of the sections concerned, or on the basis of sections which would result in lengthy diversions should a road closure be required, or to accelerate the programme.

Aviation Industry

• Heathrow accelerates Sustainable Aviation Fuel adoption as part of pioneering carbon cutting schemeHeathrow Airport a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub has announced an increase in its pioneering carbon cutting scheme for a fourth year. In 2025, £86 million will be available to airlines through the airport's Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) incentive scheme, targeting 3% of aviation fuel used at Heathrow to be SAF amounting to 187,000 tonnes.

Other News Sources

• £60m scheme to replace Cumbrian rail bridgeA £60 million scheme to replace a Cumbrian rail bridge will start next year. Network Rail has begun work to replace the 60-year-old Clifton bridge, near Penrith, in 2026.
• Jacobs to Manage Major Infrastructure Project for Ireland's National Transport AuthorityConnects people and places in Dublin with improved public transit services; Supports climate response and critical infrastructure in Ireland's largest city
• Liverpool to trigger transport masterplanA report to the city council's cabinet seeks sign-off for the Liverpool Urban Mobility and Public Spaces Plan, an investment programme running up to 2045.