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

Monday, 01 July 2019

BBC News

• Glasgow Queen Street station upgrade will 'benefit commuters'Network Rail says the upgrade at Glasgow Queen Street station will lead to a greener approach to rail travel.
• UK seeks new no-deal Brexit freight planThe hurried procurement process as the UK prepared to leave the EU on 29 March cost taxpayers £85m.
• Network Rail bids for part of British SteelThe train track firm wants to take over the railways division of the insolvent UK steelmaker.

ITV News

• Northern introduces new trains in North WestNew trains are being introduced in the region today by rail operator Northern. Nine new trains will come into service on routes between Cumbria and Liverpool and Manchester Airport.

The Telegraph

• Scrapping HS2 would be a national embarrassment. Boris must commit to keeping it on track [subscription]S2 seems to divide people as much as Brexit, and Tory party activists, like the public at large, usually have settled and noisy opinions for and against the country’s first new railway north of London for over 100 years. Jeremy Hunt has given HS2 his unequivocal support, while Boris Johnson has spoken of the need for another review of its economic benefits. No doubt his ear will have been ached by the groundswell of opprobrium in the Home Counties for this ambitious new rail project.

Times Online

• Northern’s Pacer trains are even late to scrapyard [Subscription]They are the transport that every commuter dreads seeing. The Pacer trains, built in the 1980s but still used across northern England, were meant to disappear by the end of this year.

Daily Record

• Transport watchdog reveals Scotrail satisfaction boost so far this yearThe East Kilbride to Glasgow Central line has caused problems for commuters due to lack of carriages and cancellations.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• How to share your views on plans to scrap printed bus timetablesTRANSPORT chiefs in West Yorkshire are moving ahead with a controversial plan to stop printing bus timetables.

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyside train link to Wales blasted as plans for 'Metro-style' service between Liverpool and Wrexham revealedA train service connecting Merseyside with Wales has been described by the region's transport boss as "awful", with new plans revealed for a "Metro-style" service from Liverpool to Wrexham. Cllr Liam Robinson, chair of Merseytravel, said the line connecting Bidston, Wirral, with Wrexham is the "forgotten child of the city region's railway network", and that it must improve.

Yorkshire Post

• Pledge to scrap Pacer trains this year set to be broken due to defects with Northern’s new fleetTRANSPORT ministers are facing new embarrassment after confirmation that they will almost certainly break a promise to scrap the North’s notorious Pacer trains by the end of the year.

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 ramps up use of gagging ordersMore than 100 contractors, consultants and public bodies were asked to sign secretive non-disclosure agreements (NDA’s) with High Speed 2 Ltd (HS2 Ltd) in 2018 alone, New Civil Engineer can reveal.

Rail Magazine

• EXCLUSIVE: Porterbrook shifts new business approach to ‘think like the user’New technology, rethinking the on-board offer for passengers, and thinking like the user are the influences behind Porterbrook’s new way of working, Chief Executive Mary Grant revealed at Rail Live on June 20.

The Business Desk

• Midlands Connect to ask government for £25m to bring forward Rail HubRail Minister Andrew Jones has backed the submission of Midlands Connect’s £2bn Midlands Rail Hub proposals designed to transform connections between the East and West Midlands, during a visit to the region.

Other News Sources

• University of Derby lifts lid on new £1.4m rail research and innovation centreThe new facility aims to help rail supply chain firms and their workforces
• New trains to set off from Barrow todayNEW and improved trains will be waved off from Barrow today in a special ceremony. Featuring free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and seat reservation systems the new Northern trains will be in operation on the Furness Line from today.