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

Friday, 09 October 2020

BBC News

• West Midlands Trains criticised over depot deathSafety failures were partly responsible for a driver's death at a Birmingham depot, a report says.
• 'Jobs at risk' at rail services firm's South Queensferry siteThe Unite union has said 147 jobs are under threat at a rail company's manufacturing site near Edinburgh.

The Guardian

• UK rail usage fell during lockdown to lowest level since mid-19th centuryPassenger journeys on Britain’s railways fell during lockdown to the lowest level since the mid-19th century, according to official figures.

The Herald

• Nearly 150 Scots jobs 'lost' with planned Progress Rail Services steel foundry closureNEARLY 150 jobs are under threat after plans were revealed for the closure of a steel manufacturing plant in South Queensferry.

The Scotsman

• New headache for ScotRail in rebuilding confidence in train travel – Alastair DaltonThere is a new competitor to rail, one of the increasing band of impressive female leaders of the industry has observed, and people are growing to like it.

Times Online

• Time to go full steam ahead for Borders rail link [subscription]The Tweedbank crowds are in celebratory mood. The band is playing and the bouncy train is going like Tigger on steroids. Five years of the Borders Railway and 21 years of the Campaign for Borders Rail toasted in the autumn sunshine.
• Pandemic pushes rail travel to 170-year low [ssubscription]The number of passengers using Britain’s railway has plummeted to its lowest level in about 170 years amid concerns that public transport is increasingly considered “unsafe” because of the pandemic.

City AM

• Time running out for TfL to secure emergency government fundingTime is running out for Transport for London (TfL) to secure emergency central government funding, with cash from its last The post Time running out for TfL to secure emergency government funding appeared first on CityAM.

Birmingham Post

• Eastern leg of HS2 probably won’t happen says former transport ministerLord Adonis feels extension from Birmingham to Leeds being “delayed indefinitelyâ€�

Manchester Evening News

• Future of controversial HS2 spur which could affect 'thousands of homes' still up in the air despite major oppositionThe future of plans for a controversial section of the HS2 railway line is still up in the air despite strong opposition from residents.

Metro

• Flexi tickets ‘way forward on our safe railways’TRAINS are now ‘one of the safest ways to travel’ and flexi tickets could be the way to tempt commuters back, industry bosses have said.

The York Press

• Now you can recycle your coffee cups at York Station DISPOSABLE cup recycling stands have been introduced at York Station - making it easier for customers to recycle while on the move.

Carlisle News & Star

• Carlisle could be ‘on the HS2 map’The Government has for the first time signalled that it is considering making Carlisle a major stopping point for the transformative High Speed 2 rail project.

Other Regional Press

• Londoners will 'soon be told to only use London Underground and buses for essential travel' due to soaring coronavirus ratesIt would be a return to the lockdown measures for London's transport network not seen since restrictions were eased in early July

New Civil Engineer

• TfL boss wants five-year funding stream to repair ‘shattered’ coffersTransport for London (TfL) commissioner Andy Byford is aiming to broker a deal with central government to secure a five-year funding agreement for the Capital’s cash-strapped transport operator.
• Calls for full HS2 route commitment as fears mount over eastern leg to LeedsThe government has been urged to commit to the full High Speed 2 (HS2) route, amid fears that the eastern leg to Leeds could be delayed or axed completely.

Rail Advent

• Greater Anglia amends Class 720 order from Bombardier to increase flexibilityGreater Anglia has told RailAdvent that it is currently amending its order with Bombardier regarding their Class 720 trains.

Railnews

• HS2 eastern spur to Leeds ˜in doubt™ as Manchester takes the lead Doubts are growing about the future of the eastern branch of HS2 to the East Midlands and Yorkshire, after HS2 and Northern Powerhouse minister Andrew Stephenson said the government was ˜considering the best approach to get the most benefit for Leeds, the North East, and the East Midlands™, while also ˜prioritising development of the western leg into Manchester™. His statement triggered a warning from Andrew Adonis, who was transport secretary when he first unveiled plans for high speed lines more than a decade ago. Lord Adonis wrote on Twitter that ˜the whole eastern side of England, without...
• Rail passenger totals fall back to 1850s levels The number of people travelling by train has fallen back to levels last recorded at the end of the 1850s, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. New statistics from the Office of Rail and Road have revealed that 35 million journeys are estimated to have been made in the first quarter of 2020-21. This is a decrease of more than 400 million compared to the same quarter last year, demonstrating the effect the coronavirus pandemic has had on passenger numbers. The annual equivalent total would be in the region of 140 million.
• RMT prepares for second Caledonian Sleeper strike The union has warned that its second 48-hour strike on Caledonian Sleeper is set to go ahead on Sunday, having accused the sleeper operator SERCO of a ˜point blank refusal to engage in talks™.

Trafnidiaeth Cymru [Transport for Wales]

• Transport for Wales and Network Rail to deliver improvements at Swansea stationTransport for Wales and Network Rail are working together to deliver major improvements to Swansea station for rail passengers.