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

Monday, 03 February 2020

BBC News

• 'At risk' Bennerley Viaduct repairs to beginVital repairs to a Victorian railway bridge on a global "at risk" register will start within weeks, supporters have said.
• Southeastern: 'My three weeks of hell working on the railway'A train manager thrown through a door by a passenger tells how staff are getting mental health help.

Financial Times

• Britain’s rail franchising system has run out of steamPassengers are rebelling as train operators struggle to provide reliable services

The Guardian

• Fast, cheap transport should be a right across the UK. HS2 won’t helpHigh-speed rail isn’t going to improve mobility in the country’s many neglected areas – but more imaginative solutions could
• Fears grow over HS2's potential impact on biodiversityIt has been promised that any wild space destroyed during HS2’s creation will be replaced. But green opposition is hardeningWhen Labour announced HS2 in 2010, the 153-page launch document contained one mention of wildlife. Only “a fewâ€� protected wildlife sites would be affected, it said. There would be a line of concrete and steel crossing middle England, but any wild space that was destroyed would be compensated for with new trees, woods and ponds – “no net loss of biodiversityâ€�, in eco-speak. Related: Will HS2 really help cut the UK’s carbon footprint? Continue reading...

The Scotsman

• Major UK rail freight operator looks to pick up speed in ScotlandThe boss of a major UK rail freight operator – which drives and operates the Caledonian Sleeper – has stressed that it is “very keen” to grow its traffic in Scotland.

Times Online

• Oh, no, Sajid! You have broken the first rule of travelling by train [subscription]rains, trains, trains. It’s all about trains nowadays. They are everywhere (except, typically, on the right platform at the appointed hour). Or at least they are the media subject du jour, courtesy of HS2, Northern Rail and the timely rebranding of trains as the eco-friendly travel solution to the climate crisis.
• A mile of track shows how Britain came off the rails [subscription]If those running each part of the railway were better connected we might all have an easier ride, Robert Lea writes
• South Western Railway faces losing franchise if new bid falls short [subscription]South Western Railway will be formally asked this week to explain to Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, why he should not sack it from the commuter network based at London Waterloo.
• Why Britain is stuck in the slow lane when it comes to transport [subscription]The recent controversy over the HS2 rail project provides a reminder that the UK struggles to develop and deliver big transport infrastructure projects.

Daily Record

• Scotland's rail network needs 90 new stations to keep it on track say transport expertsTransport think-tank Railfuture Scotland also recommended a major expansion of network electrification at a rate of 125 track miles a year.

Birmingham Mail

• 'Woeful' West Midlands Trains averts takeover threat - but faces fine running into 'tens of millions'West Midlands Trains has been given more time to improve by mayor Andy Street - but been warned its franchise remains 'at risk' if passengers are failed again.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• New train carriages for North Wales' main railway line have been delayedTransport for Wales (TfW) should have started running the new high quality carriages between Holyhead and Cardiff from December 2019

Northern Echo

• Eaglescliffe to get £8m station upgrade as Grand Central increases servicesA RAILWAY station is set to receive a multi-million-pound upgrade as a rail operator increases services to London.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Clearing disused railway tracks in Staffordshire - one step at a timeA band of volunteers have been busy clearing and maintaining a disused railway line for the last two years – one step at a time.

Other Regional Press

• 'Overwhelming' local support for plans to upgrade Norwood Junction stationThe proposed improvements would provide a major boost to reliability and create the capacity for more services to run

New Civil Engineer

• Avid HS2 supporter to head up Parliament’s transport committeeAvid High Speed 2 (HS2) supporter Huw Merriman has been named chair of the House of Commons transport select committee.
• Rail revitalisation | Potential of Shapps’ £500M fundTransport secretary Grant Shapps has set aside £500M to reopen disused rail lines and stations. So what is the history behind these abandoned lines - and what precedent has been set for their revitalisation?

Other News Sources

• When the cut-through to avoid the train barriers in Lincoln city centre might finally happenCreating a new pedestrian route through Wigford Yard in Lincoln city centre has been talked about for years.
• What is in £8.9billion plan to improve region's transport links?Transport planners have released a revised version of ambitious proposals to transform how people move around the West of England. Walking, cycling and public transport will become the “natural” way to travel around Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset under the Joint Local Transport Plan published last week.