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

Friday, 14 March 2025

BBC News

• Residents' anger over reduction in bus serviceResidents in East Sussex are calling on a bus company to reverse its decision to reduce the frequency of one of its services.
• Okehampton Interchange will open Devon 'gateway'Work has begun on a new railway station that will "open a gateway" to Devon.
• Boss of nationalised Ferguson shipyard resigns Interim chief executive John Petticrew is leaving the Port Glasgow shipyard early due to "personal reasons".
• Car sharing switches to electric to boost appealCar sharing has not taken off, but will electric cars boost its appeal?

Department for Transport

• Local Transport Minister joins bus bosses to supercharge green vehicles and boost businessNew UK bus manufacturing expert panel will prioritise high quality buses that meet the needs of passengers and improve living standards across the country.

Financial Times

• Tesla warns Trump administration it is ‘exposed’ to retaliatory tariffsElon Musk’s electric-car maker says levies could make it costlier to produce vehicles in the US
• Russian captain held by UK police for longer over North Sea crash Starmer says authorities must ‘get to the bottom’ of Monday’s shipping incident
• How South Korea’s shipyards could save the US NavyAsian shipbuilders see opportunity to fill gap as Washington tries to keep pace with China’s naval expansion

The Guardian

• Car industry urges UK government to create new EV incentivesAutomotive body says current policy is leading to job losses and has become a 'driver of de-industrialisation'
• Deal ends strikes on Britain's biggest intercity rail lineRMT union wins 87% backing from members for improved package for train managers at Avanti West Coast

The Telegraph

• Smart motorway software failure put drivers on M62 at risk for nearly a month [subscription]Smart motorway safety systems meant to detect broken-down cars were out of service for nearly a month last year, National Highways has admitted.
• Starmer poised to relax ban on hybrids in electric car climbdown [subscription]Sir Keir Starmer is poised to relax a planned ban on popular hybrid cars amid warnings that electric vehicle (EV) sales targets are squeezing manufacturers too tightly.

Times Online

• Sadiq Khan steps in to save London Underground book exchanges [subscription]The bookshelves had been deemed to breach fire regulations but they are to be reinstated after an intervention by the mayor
• Electric car targets are a 'sword hanging over us', says Kia bossPaul Philpott said firms could face fines having investing billions in the new models, but there is a 'perverse' lack of incentive for drivers to buy them
• New twist in ferries fiasco as interim boss resignsChief executive's duties at Ferguson Marine will be shared until a permanent replacement is found for John Petticrew, who is leaving for 'personal reasons'

City AM

• Trainline shares tumble despite record sales ahead of national ticket app launch Trainline shares tanked on Thursday despite record full-year sales and the announcement of a £75m buyback programme. A bumper set of results failed to quell investor fears over the launch of a state-owned rival ticketing app in the UK, with the stock dropping more than 13 per cent in early deals.
• HS2 should not re-negotiate contracts, says Balfour Beatty boss A scathing report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) last month concluded HS2 Ltd's contracts were "unacceptable to the public purse" and that it was "imperative" the project delivered on its assurances to re-negotiate them.
• Infrastructure boom lifts Balfour Beatty, Kier Group and Costain London-listed construction firms Balfour Beatty, Kier Group, and Costain, have all reported robust results this week as the UK’s increasing prioritisation of major infrastructure projects starts to life the sector. Their combined order books now exceed more than £30bn and shareholders stand to benefit. All three of the companies hiked their dividends and shareholder returns alongside their [...]

The Mirror

• Donald Trump 'orders US military to draw up plans to seize Panama Canal'US Southern Command has been given proposals that include collaborating with the Panamanian military - and potentially seizing the canal by force if they don't co-operate

Manchester Evening News

• Roads 'gridlocked' and Manchester Airport tunnels BLOCKED after huge car meet makes its way across ManchesterHundreds of people met near Trafford Palazzo before driving towards Manchester Airport

Wales Online

• Cardiff Central station revamp gets seal of approval 'it'll look great when it's done'The new entrance would be built at the rear of the station, with changes on the platforms and increasing capacity as well as more gates for passengers to enter and exit the station

Hull Daily Mail

• Prime Minister responds as local leaders raise 'promised' HS2 funding"We absolutely want to support Hull and the region, it's hugely important and has a lot going on in terms of the innovation here"

Kent Online

• Kent Politics Podcast: Innovation Park Medway, Lower Thames Crossing and special guest, Cllr Alister BradyThe panel on this week's Kent Politics Podcast discuss a range of topics, including the latest on Innovation Park Medway and how a Kent transport chief has turned his guns on utility companies.

Plymouth Herald

• New GWR trains set to transform South West travelPassengers across the GWR network are set for a smoother ride

Other Regional Press

• Bordesley ghost railway station with just one train a week to St Andrews for Birmingham City matches to closeA consultation to close Birmingham's ghost railway station which delivers one service a week to St Andrews is set to get underway.
• Abergavenny train station's new footbridge nears completionWork on the new footbridge at Abergavenny train station is almost complete, providing step-free access between platforms
• MP addresses lack of rail transport in Heywood and MiddletonHeywood and Middleton North's MP has raised the area's lack of rail transport in Parliament.
• Cardiff Central station revamp plans set to be submittedPlans for a modernised Cardiff Central railway station are set to be submitted.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government celebrates 75,000 EV charging point milestone as MPs call for better distributionTransport Secretary Heidi Alexander has confirmed the number of public EV charge points in the UK has reached 75,000. The milestone was achieved following £200 million of government funding and private investment.   The government is now 25% of the way there in terms of hitting its target of 300,000 public charge points by 2030 and revealed the DfT are adding one to the network every 28 minutes. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was enthusiastic about the announcement and said: “Today is an important day in our EV transition. “With...

Rail Magazine

• Office of Rail and Road tells Eurostar who will make Temple Mills capacity decisionThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has written to Eurostar to say it will make the decision on whether a second operator can use Temple Mills International Depot.
• MPs push for Eurostar to reinstate Kent stops which "leave massive gap in market"Frustrated MPs in Kent and Sussex have held meetings with Eurostar, Virgin and the Rail Minister in a bid to restore international rail services from Ashford and Ebbsfleet.

Railnews

• No new business case for struggling HS2 this year A revised business case for completing Phase 1 of HS2 will not be ready before next year, the Department for Transport has warned. The project’s recently-appointed chief executive Mark Wild had previously conceded that ‘the programme is in a very serious situation that requires a fundamental reset to enable it to be delivered to the lowest feasible cost’.

Railway Gazette

• Ticket gate designed with life-cycle costs in mindUK: On display at the Transport Ticketing Global exhibition in London was Scheidt & Bachmann's latest FareGo PG|50 ticket gate, which has been developed with total cost of ownership in mind.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• UK Bus Manufacturing Panel opening meeting hosted by ministerThe UK Bus Manufacturing Panel held its inaugural meeting on 13 March in Sheffield, hosted by Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood. Delegates were from bus builders Alexander Dennis and Wrightbus, industry representative bodies, Combined Authorities, and Transport for London.

Other News Sources

• Bring back the hard shoulder: 'safety stocktake' prompts new calls to scrap smart motorwaysThe AA is campaigning for the return of hard shoulders to so-called 'smart motorways' with all-lane running, following the release of National Highways data pointing to some roads having higher 'killed and seriously injured' (KSI) accident rates than before the hard shoulder was removed.
• Eight months in, Labour has offered little but rhetoric... Clarity would help to instil confidence. Take the Lower Thames Crossing; the project still hasn't received the final go-ahead, as the latest statement from Rachel Reeves suggests private finance will be required to deliver the project.
• Green bus conversion unveiled by Bee NetworkGreater Manchester's Bee Network has made its first green bus conversion.