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Reeves on planes, trains and automobiles plus family-friendly and more competitive rail travel, S3 Ep8
Christian and Mark analyse the speech from UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves MP and her proposals on London Heathrow Airport, the Lower Thames Crossing and East West Railway [1:42]. Christian interviews Abi Taylor and Joe Thomas on the campaign for family-friendly trains in Great Britain [17:38] and Steve Montgomery, Managing Director of First Rail, on his company's ambitions to run more open access services [34:35]. In his final thought, Christian asks what sort of competitive landscape is being created for selling train tickets [44:59].
Monday, 03 February 2025
BBC News
- Bus company struggled to find engineers, say staffA bus company hit by reliability issues has struggled to fill engineering roles which is contributing to delays and cancellations, according to staff.
- Bus discounts would hit disabled and young peoplePeople with disabilities and children look set to miss out if a council approves plans to cut bus fare discounts.
- Pylons plan is 'an absolute disaster' - FarageNigel Farage said he supported plans to build a new lower Thames Crossing between Tilbury and Gravesend via a tunnel and new motorway style road.
- Trackless trams pilot due 'before end of the year'Plans to bring "trackless trams" to Teesside remain on schedule, the Tees Valley mayor has said.
- HS2 put hopes on bootcamp to boost local jobsFatima's laugh and enthusiasm are infectious - she clearly loves what she is doing. At the moment she is driving a dumper truck around a muddy site just off Hampstead Road.
- Contactless train payment rollout continuesMore rail stations in the South East have begun to allow passengers to pay contactless for tickets at barriers.
- Transport bosses admit bus switchover issuesThe return of buses to public control in Greater Manchester has seen some parents complain.
The Guardian
- Heathrow expansion puts the government on the flight path to years of trouble and strifeOn top of the added levels of noise and air pollution, there's the non-trivial matter of demolishing hundreds of homes, diverting several waterways and rerouting a long stretch of the M25
- Farewell potholes? UK team invents self-healing road surfaceResearcher at Swansea University says tiny plant spores mixed into bitumen can extend surface lifespan by 30% For all motorists, but perhaps the Ferrari-collecting rocker Rod Stewart in particular, it will be music to the ears: researchers have developed a road surface that heals when it cracks, preventing potholes without a need for human intervention.The international team devised a self-healing bitumen that mends cracks as they form by fusing the asphalt back together. In laboratory tests, pieces of the material repaired small fractures within an hour of them first appearing.
- Cap on-the-day British intercity rail fares, campaigners urgeTransport campaigners have urged the government to cap walk-up rail fares after research showed almost half of British travellers avoid travelling by train because of the cost.
The Telegraph
- Stop using the word 'passenger', Network Rail tells staff [subscription]Network Rail has told staff to stop using the word passengers' The company that maintains Britain's railways has issued new guidance to employees asking them to use less formal language in a bid to reduce customer frustration at train delays and cancellations.
Times Online
- We can do better than another tired Heathrow runway. [subscription]More capacity is needed at the airport, but another runway is a short-sighted solution
- Network Rail is sorry to announce the word 'passenger' is cancelled [subscription]Travellers held up by cancellations and delays will now be spoken to in everyday language
Daily Express
- Network Rail tells staff to say 'pregnant person' not woman and stop saying 'passengers'A language handbook for Network Rail workers is instructing them to stop using the word 'passenger', with the rather confusing aim of putting 'passengers first'
Mail Online
- We live next to Britain's busiest river crossing - traffic gridlock is making our lives a miseryPlans for the £10billion Lower Thames Crossing, a road tunnel project, have stalled yet again, sparking outrage in communities plagued by unrelenting congestion.
Birmingham Post
- New lab space and trackless trams the vision for Liverpool's £1bn Knowledge Quarter as it bids to attract science and tech firms to the city region'If a customer grows and moves and expands and goes to somewhere else in the country, we lose them to Liverpool'
Bradford Telegraph & Argus
- Cycle lane controversies as borough seeks 2,000 per cent rise in cycling by 2038A BOROUGH will need 2,000 per cent more people cycling by 2038 if it is to meet climate emission reduction targets, says a senior councillor.
Bristol Live
- A4 Portway transport corridor project reaches next stageThis step could help secure the multi-million funding needed to start building the scheme
London Evening Standard
- Heathrow's third runway and the other public transport projects that will reshape London by 2035Gatwick, too, has an expansion plan, and other schemes include a Bakerloo line extension and a larger terminal at Stansted
The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)
- Is Aberdeen 'the perfect place' for a £2 bus fare cap?The city is being touted as the ideal location to test out the policy in SNP budget plans for the coming year.
Wales Online
- £25m to be spent sorting Wales' potholesThe Welsh Government says the funding boost will see an extra 100km of the road network in Wales resurfaced
Lancashire Telegraph
- Northern cancels meeting to discuss Blackburn train issuesA council leader has revealed that rail operator Northern has, ironically, cancelled a meeting to discuss its frequent cancellation of trains to East Lancashire.
Other Regional Press
- Residents bemoan high city parking fees as council rake in over £1m in finesOxford businesses and councillors have complained about the lack of free or affordable parking spaces in the city centre.
- Long-awaited bypass linked to 1,260 homes is almost completeA long-awaited bypass, which is linked to the provision of 1,260 new homes and 700 new jobs, is almost complete
Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast
- Reeves on planes, trains and automobiles plus family-friendly and more competitive rail travel, S3 Ep8Christian and Mark analyse the speech from UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves MP and her proposals on London Heathrow Airport, the Lower Thames Crossing and East West Railway [1:42]. Christian interviews Abi Taylor and Joe Thomas on the campaign for family-friendly trains in Great Britain [17:38] and Steve Montgomery, Managing Director of First Rail, on his company's ambitions to run more open access services [34:35]. In his final thought, Christian asks what sort of competitive landscape is being created for selling train tickets [44:59].
Aviation Industry
- London Heathrow's 3rd Runway Gets Government Greenlight: What Comes Next?Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom (UK), which is the equivalent of a financial minister, has expressed that the current British government supports London Heathrow Airport's (LHR) growth plans to add a third runway.
Other News Sources
- Labour needs to spend moreReeves's ideas are a fraction of what would be necessary to bring Britain's infrastructure up to scratch
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