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

Wednesday, 05 March 2025

BBC News

• Edinburgh bus and tram fares increase by 10%Bus and tram passengers in Edinburgh and Lothians are facing a 10% fares increase from next month.
• Bus funding deal due ahead of franchising decisionA new funding deal to stop a number of West Midlands bus services being cut is expected to be agreed later this month.
• Hong Kong billionaire to sell Panama Canal ports to US firmBlackRock will buy two ports after Trump's interest in taking back control of the key shipping route.

Financial Times

• BlackRock to buy Panama Canal ports after pressure from TrumpDeal worth $22.8bn involves sale of bulk of those owned by Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison
• British Airways deserves its place among the UK’s comeback kidsWhile much of the attention on BA has been negative, parent IAG is thriving

The Guardian

• Half of world’s CO2 emissions come from 36 fossil fuel firms, study showsResearchers say data strengthens case for holding firms to account for their contribution to climate crisisHalf of the world’s climate-heating carbon emissions come from the fossil fuels produced by just 36 companies, analysis has revealed.The researchers said the 2023 data strengthened the case for holding fossil fuel companies to account for their contribution to global heating. Previous versions of the annual report have been used in legal cases against companies and investors. Continue reading...

The Independent

• Fare reforms, nationalisation, and new trains readers have their say on fixing Britain's railwaysReaders are split between full re-nationalisation and targeted reforms to fix the UK's rail system

Local Government

• Spending Review: Plug £452 million bus pass shortfall to boost economy and protect routesNearly half a billion pounds had to be spent again by councils last year to plug a shortfall in funding for free bus passes, at the expense of lower fares and other transport services to help more people into work and boost growth.

Network Rail

• Your words are a life-saving kit says Network Rail and SamaritansSamaritans Small Talk Saves Lives campaign, in partnership with Network Rail and British Transport Police, launches as over half of UK adults (67%) would appreciate someone checking on them, by offering words of support, if they were struggling to cope

Birmingham Mail

• New hope to stop a third of West Midlands bus services being axedThere are concerns around a third of services would be cut without the grant funding

Birmingham Post

• Merseyrail operator could get five-year contract extensionA concession was awarded to a joint venture of Serco and then Abellio, known as Merseyrail Electrics (2002) Ltd, in 2003
• New £2m berth opens at Port of Liverpool and welcomes its first vesselThe new deep water bulk berth is the first to be opened at the port in 40 years and is located at Peel Ports Group's Alexandra Complex

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• School bus cut consultation 'handled terribly' - Councillor claimsA CONSULTATION into planned cuts to school bus services was “handled terribly” – a Councillor has claimed.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Welsh Government update on A470 works that have closed road for monthsWork started in January and will continue until April

Cambridge News

• Major Cambridgeshire station revamp to see next step in coming weekWork could begin as early as this summer

East Anglian Daily Times

• Politicians unite to press case for East Anglian rail boostPoliticians from across the political spectrum in East Anglia have united in a bid to persuade the government to give the green light to junction improvements at Ely and Haughley.
• Why Suffolk needs major rail improvements to stay on trackShow us you're ready to boost the region's rail links with the rest of Britain - that's the message that business leaders and politicians are making to chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Oxford Mail

• New platform at Oxford rail station delayed by Botley RoadWork to create a platform for Oxford rail station has been delayed by ongoing efforts to get Botley Road reopened.

Other Regional Press

• Bus to Stansted Airport that only cost £3 to be axed due to 'lack of customers'Opposition leader in Braintree hopes the bus firm u-turns and realises this is not a good idea
• Ely and Haughley rail junction upgrades vital for NorfolkUpgrades to the Ely and Haughley rail junctions are key to unlocking economic growth in Norfolk, with the county's business leaders fully behind the latest proposals.

Bloomberg

• Heathrow Set to Miss Another Deadline for New Security ScannersLondon Heathrow Airport is likely to miss an extended deadline to finish installing advanced security scanners, according to people familiar with the matter, raising the prospect of peak-summer backups as passengers take time to remove liquids and electronics from their luggage.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• New Superloop express bus route planned for ThamesmeadTransport for London (TfL) has announced plans for a new express bus route, the SL11, which will connect Abbey Wood and North Greenwich, supporting ongoing regeneration efforts in the Thamesmead area. The proposed route is expected to transform the existing route 472 into an express service, offering faster journey times and improved connectivity. Passengers will benefit from quicker connections between the Elizabeth line, DLR, London Underground, and National Rail services. The SL11 route is part of TfL's expanding Superloop network, which currently consists of nine routes and cove...

Construction Index

• More construction clients commit to carbon reductionThree more major construction clients have committed themselves to being greener.

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 | Environment secretary blasts 'ludicrous' bat tunnel as cost expected to top £119MEnvironment secretary Steve Reed has said that the spending vast sums on High Speed 2's (HS2's) so-called bat tunnel' is ludicrous, as the true cost of the structure is expected to be over £119M.
• Clients with 330bn of UK construction projects sign up to decarbonisation commitmentsClients that have an estimated £30bn worth of construction projects in the UK have signed up to the Construction Leadership Council's (CLC's) Five Client Carbon Commitments, aiming to decarbonise the industry.

Rail Business Daily

• HS2 Ltd report says project is delivering £10 billion boost to local economyHS2 Ltd says that its arrival in west London is creating a new development 'hotspot' in the capital and driving a £10 billion boost to the local economy, according to new research.
• Northern awards contract for passenger information system and energy metering upgrades to DB ESGDB ESG, a leading provider of rolling stock engineering solutions, has announced that Northern Trains Ltd has awarded it a contract for the turnkey materials supply and installation service for the passenger information system (PIS) and energy metering (EM) upgrades on its fleet of 16 Class 333 electric multiple units.

Rail Magazine

• Separate supply chain problems hit both West Midlands Railway DMU fleets simultaneouslySupply chain issues have left West Midlands Railway (WMR) having to operate short-formed trains in both of its diesel multiple unit (DMU) fleets.
• Comment: Will DfT's plans for the railway really be any different?Philip Haigh considers the problems that the government will face with turning its A Railway fit for Britain's future document from consultation stage into anything like reality.
• Next Northumberland Line station set to open this monthThe latest station on the Northumberland Line will open on Monday March 17. Newsham station will join Ashington and Seaton Delaval on the route into Newcastle that reopened in December.
• Industry seeks greater detail on rail reform consultation as leaders highlight areas of concernIndustry figures have said they want more clarity on key details that will form part of the government's upcoming rail reform.
• DP World moves 100,000 containers by rail from Southampton in 18 monthsDP World has recorded the 100,000th container to be moved from its hub at Southampton.

Railway Gazette

• Improving disability awareness training for rail staffUK: The effectiveness of the disability training received by rail staff and new models of raising awareness are to be studied by the Royal National Institute of Blind People and the Community Rail Network, backed by funding from the Motability Foundation.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• BYD delivers first B12 buses as Uno launches uni serviceThe first five of 27 ordered BYD B12 single-decker buses will be on the road on the "Electric Shuttle" university service later this month

RMT

• RMT wins 10% pay boost for Rail Gourmet workers on TPE contractRMT members at Rail Gourmet working on the TransPennine Express (TPE) contract have overwhelmingly voted to accept a 10% pay rise, securing a major victory in their fight for fair wages.

Other News Sources

• Accessibility must be at the heart of rail reformsTransport for All CEO Caroline Stickland tells the Transport Times conference that accessibility must be at the heart of rail reform.
• Rail fare increase slammed by Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MPBrecon, Radnor, and Cwm Tawe's Liberal Democrat MP has criticised the recent rail fare increase.
• Trevolution surpasses $1.2 Billion in Gross Bookings in 2024...Trevolution Group has been a global leader in the travel industry for more than two decades, leveraging its expertise in the Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) segment, which continues to see strong growth to this day. In 2024, the company placed a strategic focus on its Online Travel Agency, Oojo, successfully launching it in Germany and achieving an impressive Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 60 well above the industry average of 35.
• British travellers to get six-month grace period as new EU visa system nears launchBritish travelers preparing for the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) rollout will benefit from a six-month grace period, allowing entry into EU countries even without the new visa waiver

News from Europe

• Rail vs air: The tool that aims to make European train journeys as easy as booking a flightThe EU's high-speed railway network has nearly doubled in a decade, but international journeys remain a challenge.