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

Wednesday, 07 July 2021

BBC News

• Heritage railways 'wouldn't be the same' without coalThere are concerns steam railways could fall victim to any future ban on burning coal.

Financial Times

• Alstom: rising Bombardier purchase costs signal troubleCreating a European rail champion was always going to burn cash
• UK railway reforms lack urgency, says parliamentary watchdogReport questions ‘over-optimism’ in Whitehall over capacity to deliver ‘once in a generation’ overhaul

The Independent

• Passengers and taxpayers deserve better value from the railway, says Public Accounts CommitteeEngland's railway has had a lack of strategic direction and accountability for many years says Public Accounts Committee

Times Online

• Taxpayers face unknown bill to cover trains’ Covid losses [subscription]Taxpayers will have to prop-up Britain’s loss-making railway for years because of the lack of a “convincing and timely plan” to get passengers back, MPs said.

City AM

• Government lacks 'convincing' plan to get travellers back on trainsThe government does not have a “convincing and timely plan for encouraging passengers back to the railway” after the pandemic, The post Government lacks 'convincing' plan to get travellers back on trains

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Councillor slams LNER's slashing of Bradford-London servicesA COUNCILLOR has branded plans by the government-controlled rail operator LNER to slash rail services between Bradford to London as another example of the city being forced to play “second fiddle to Leeds”.

Other Regional Press

• East Renfrewshire councillors concerned as bill for Barrhead South station more than doublesTHE cost of building a new train station in Barrhead has increased by more than £9m.
• £67MILLION PROJECT COULD SEE RAILWAY EXTENDED FROM SANDOWN TO NEWPORTIsland Line could be extended from Sandown to Newport at an initial cost of £67million under initial plans submitted to the Department for Transport by the Isle of Wight Council.

New Civil Engineer

• East West Rail needs ‘electrification from day one’East West Rail needs to be electrified “from day one”, according to Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority.
• Rail electrification pipeline needed in next six months or net zero pledge will be at risk The Department for Transport (DfT) has been told to draw up a rail electrification plan before the end of the year or risk jeopardising the UK’s net zero carbon emission targets.

Rail Business Daily

• Government must not duck tough choices for future of rail says spending watchdogThe Department for Transport (DfT) “has neither the necessary urgency nor appreciates the scale of the challenge ahead” about the future of rail says today’s report from the Public Accounts Committee.

Rail Magazine

• London-Midlands intermodal linkMaritime Transport Ltd has introduced a new container service linking Birmingham Intermodal Freight Terminal (BIFT) at Birch Coppice (Tamworth) with DP World London Gateway.

Railnews

• Facemask uncertainty divides industry Possible changes to rules about wearing facemasks from 19 July have caused confusion. In general, rules about masks are set to be scrapped, but health secretary Sajid Javid has just said transport operators will be able to decide.

Other News Sources

• £67m Isle of Wight train plan sent to Department for TransportA business case considering the re-opening of the railway between Island Line and Newport has been submitted to the Department for Transport by the Isle of Wight Council.