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

Tuesday, 11 January 2022

BBC News

• Covid: Merseyrail services reduced due to staff absencesRail services in Merseyside are being reduced in an attempt to cope with the effect that the Omicron variant of Covid has had on staffing levels.
• Translink rail and bus changes due to reduced passenger numbersA reduced timetable for many bus and train services came into effect in Northern Ireland on Monday.
• London Underground: Workers vote to strikeThe RMT Union says its members have

The Guardian

• UK railways are heading into a perfect storm. Now is the time to nationalise them | Christian WolmarThese services are an essential part of the nation’s fabric, but still ministers fixate on cutting costs over providing a service“So, Mum/Dad, what are the railways for?â€� That is the question the UK rail industry will be dreading hearing in a post-pandemic world. This is not quite the existential crisis rail faced in the aftermath of the extensive Beeching cuts to the network in the mid-1960s, but that’s cold comfort. There is a considerable risk that services are going to deteriorate massively in 2022, sending the sector into the kind of downward spiral that was last experienced in the 1970s ...
• Roman town’s remains found below Northamptonshire field on HS2 routeFindings surpass experts’ expectations after buildings, wells, coins and wide road discoveredA wealthy Roman trading town, whose inhabitants adorned themselves with jewellery and ate from fine pottery, has been discovered half a metre below the surface of a remote field in Northamptonshire.A 10-metre-wide Roman road, domestic and industrial buildings, more than 300 coins and at least four wells have been unearthed at the site, where 80 archaeologists have been working for the past 12 months. Continue reading...

Times Online

• HS2 will leave platform with zero-carbon emissions [subscription]Trains on HS2, the planned high-speed rail line between London and Manchester, will run on zero-carbon electricity, the minister for the project has said.

City AM

• TfL finance chief quits post amid financial turmoil for the London transport bodyTransport for London’s (TfL) chief financial officer has resigned amid the transport body’s ongoing financial turmoil.

The Mirror

• Archaeologists discover huge Roman trading town under HS2 route in 12-month digThe area was initially home to 30 roundhouses dating back to the Iron Age, but around 2,000 years ago during the time of the Romans many new stone structures and roads were built

Sky News

• Italy: Unvaccinated people banned from public transport, coffee shops and gymsA series of services will be off limits to those who have not been jabbed unless they can prove they have recovered from a recent COVID-19 infection.
• 'Most impressive' archaeological discovery could 'transform' understanding of Roman eraOne of the "most impressive" archaeological sites spanning different time periods has been discovered in Northamptonshire as part of the HS2 railway project - and has the potential to "transform our understanding" of the Roman landscape.

Birmingham Post

• HS2 chiefs make net zero pledgeProject aiming for trains to be net zero from the first day of operation

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyrail slash train services across network amid soaring staff absencesMerseyrail is set to bring in a reduced timetable to deal with staff absences caused by the Omicron covid variant.

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 running out of time to purchase remaining land needed for Phase OneHS2 Ltd has yet to purchase a fifth of the land required for the construction of Phase One, between London and Birmingham, and has only weeks left to do so.
• Green light for new station as restoration of Northumberland line ramps upThe fifth of six new Northumberland line stations has been given the green light.

Rail Business Daily

• Maritime Transport launches new intermodal serviceMaritime Transport Ltd has launched a new intermodal service hauled by GB Railfreight (GBRf), connecting its Birmingham Intermodal Freight Terminal (BIFT) with the Port of Felixstowe.

Other News Sources

• New white paper explores high-speed train ethernet control systemsLantech, a specialist in bringing network solutions for industrial and IP networks to the marketplace, has issued a new White Paper, titled ‘How to manage IP under IEC 61375-2-5 applications’.
• Maven leads £5.5 million funding round for transport tech platform LiftangoMaven Capital Partners has led a £5.5m funding round for Liftango, a cloud-based technology platform which enables transport operators to optimise route planning in real-time, based on passenger demand.

News from Europe

• New France ruling aims to reduce energy use in transportA new French law sets the scene for recognising the health hazards of driving, and seeks to encourage people to reduce their overall mobility energy use. From March 1 the legislation will require that one of three statements be included in any car advertisements in France.