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

Tuesday, 07 September 2021

BBC News

• Covid: Tube rush hour busiest since start of pandemicPassenger numbers are rising, but remain below pre-lockdown levels, Transport for London says.

The Guardian

• Returning London commuters put the rush back into rush hourMorning trips on the tube were up 17% on last week, and buses saw 39% more passengersThe first signs of a commuter revival in the capital appeared on Monday as London Underground recorded its busiest morning since the start of the pandemic – although schools may have played a bigger role than offices in increasing journeys.Rush-hour trips on the tube were up 17% from last Tuesday, to just under a million – their highest since March 2020. Buses also saw 39% more passengers, according to Transport for London figures for the period to 10am on Friday. Continue reading...
• FirstGroup to launch budget London to Edinburgh rail service next monthFirstGroup is to launch a budget direct London-Edinburgh rail service next month, which it hopes will lure air passengers to the train as a cheaper and greener alternative.

The Independent

• Budget trains to take on easyJet planes and LNER on East Coast main line‘Lumo’ will offer almost 400 miles of rail travel between London and Edinburgh for under £15

Times Online

• A passenger charter for disabled people means travelling with confidence [subscription]This week our Paralympic heroes return from Tokyo, basking in glory and adorned with medals after a stunning fortnight of gruelling competition and thrilling battles. And yet amid all the cheers as they arrive home, many will also be greeted by the same barriers disabled people face day in, day out.
• Rush hour returns to pre-pandemic levels [Subscription]Rush-hour traffic returned to pre-pandemic levels in parts of the country today as the end of home working and the start of the new school term led to a rise in congestion.

City AM

• September surge: Tube records busiest morning since March 2020This morning saw the busiest start to a day on the London Underground since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, Transport for London (TfL) said this morning.

Network Rail

• Network Rail completes major signalling work near Peterborough ready for freight trains to begin diving under East Coast Main Line this winterNetwork Rail has completed major signalling work on a new section of track north of Peterborough, ready for freight trains to dive underneath the East Coast Main Line, helping to cut congestion and increase capacity.

Birmingham Mail

• Fears over hulking new HS2 viaducts in SolihullFears have been voiced that designs for hulking HS2 viaducts in Solihull will be "a done deal" by the time they're presented to residents.

Birmingham Post

• New rail service to start between North East, London and EdinburghThe Lumo service is part of First Group, and aims to entice air passengers to switch to rail with cheaper prices and a greener service

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Fears passengers could be left 'isolated' and 'stranded' by travel centre cutsFears are rising that plans to more than halve the opening hours will hit the most vulnerable travellers to and from the town the hardest

Nottingham Evening Post

• Smart ticketing for public transport in Nottingham set for £700k boostA decision has been made to spend up to £788,000 to continue providing a concessionary fare scheme for older people as well as a smart ticketing service for public transport in Nottingham.

Other Regional Press

• ScotRail slash Glasgow student rail fares with half-price discountSCOTRAIL has announced plans to slash its ticket prices for some passengers for a limited time. 
• Devon MP discovers the key to running a railwaydormakaba took the opportunity to showcase their key systems, which are chosen by many rail industry professionals around the country

New Civil Engineer

• Explained: Why 11 platforms are needed at HS2’s Euston terminusHS2’s London Euston terminus, as proposed in the Phase 1 hybrid Bill, would have 11 platforms.
• Inspectors warned of ‘high risk’ to Scottish railway eight months before train collided with treeInspectors warned that rotten lineside trees posed a “high risk” to the railway between Perth and Dundee, some eight months before a train collided with a fallen tree on the tracks.

Railnews

• FirstGroup unveils details of East Coast open access TUESDAY BRIEFING: FirstGroup unveils details of East Coast open access ++ Network Rail plans five-day blockade in south of England ++ MSP intervenes in ScotRail disputes ++ Signalling upgrades completed for Werrington diveunder ++ Underground passenger numbers continue to recover

Railway Gazette

• Railway to Hell to be electrifiedNORWAY: Infrastructure manager Bane NOR has awarded NRC Norge a NKr760m contract for installation of overhead electrification equipment on the lines around Trondheim

Other News Sources

• FirstGroup to Launch Electric Rail Service Between London and Edinburgh Next MonthFirstGroup PLC has set up a company to run a 100% electric rail service between London and Edinburgh from October.
• Transport for Greater Manchester sign hand sanitizer dealTransport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and LifeBuoy have partnered up to provide Metrolink and bus users with free hand sanitiser at key stops and interchanges across the transport network.
• London’s Tube network sees busiest morning in 18 monthsTfL said that when compared with pre-pandemic figures for September 9 2019, travel was up 45% on the Tube and 64% on the buses up to 10am.
• Rail passengers can park their cars for free at Northumberland Line stationsTransport chiefs have confirmed there will be no parking charges at stations on the planned Northumberland Line for at least two years after it opens.