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

Tuesday, 21 June 2022

BBC News

• Fleetwood Poulton rail link: Plans to reopen line approvedPlans to reinstate a disused railway line between two Lancashire towns have been approved by the government.
• Rail strikes: Wales hit by biggest rail strike in 30 yearsFewer than 10% of normal services are operating on the first of three days of industrial action.
• Rail strike: PM calls for 'sensible compromise' over pay to end disputeBoris Johnson is to call for a "sensible compromise" on pay to end the largest rail strike in 30 years. The prime minister is expected to say "too high demands" on wages will make it hard to halt rising inflation.
• Rail strikes: Biggest strike in 30 years to go ahead as talks failMinisters prevented a deal, says the RMT, but the government says the union is opposing progress.
• 'Rail strikes have lost us £500,000 of bookings'Businesses, commuters and pupils sitting exams anticipate disruption from this week's train strikes.

Financial Times

• Rail strike to test transport unions and inflation strategySuccess for the RMT would make it harder for the government to make the case for pay restraint elsewhere
• Business attacks ‘hugely short-sighted’ HS2 plansExecutives call on UK government to rethink decision against building Manchester station underground
• UK rail strike begins as days of disruption loomEchoes of lockdown as employees prepare to work from home and business leaders warn of painful economic hit

The Guardian

• Grant Shapps displays terminal delusion with rail strike enthusiasmTransport secretary's glib Commons performance had air of pantomime as he relished fight with unions. Anyone could have been forgiven for thinking that Grant Shapps was rather pleased the railway strikes were going ahead. Certainly it's a long time since the transport secretary was so animated. Probably the last time he was this chipper was as his alter ego, Michael Green, with the get-rich-quick scheme he promoted. Which never made anyone any money. Imagine. You'd have more luck with a Ponzi scheme.This was Shapps at his most glib. The overexcitement oozed out of every pore.
• Britain runs into the buffers: what the papers say about the rail strikesCriticism of the government's failure to prevent the walkouts mix with PM's call for pay restraint, and business fears about economic damage
• No hard feelings: the people's view of the rail strikesMost of our interviewees said they anticipated being adversely affected by the disruption, but their sympathies were broadly with the transport workersCommuters and travellers from across the country are bracing for three days of rail strikes this week, as more than 40,000 workers gear up for the largest stoppage on the rail network in more than 30 years.Four people tell how they will be affected by the disruption, and share their views on the looming strike action.
• Boris Johnson plans to break rail strikes by allowing use of agency workersUnions condemn measure as potentially against international law as 40,000 staff prepare for first day of industrial actionBoris Johnson has responded to the biggest rail strikes in a generation with plans to break the industrial action by allowing firms to bring in agency staff, a move unions have decried as unworkable, unsafe and potentially breaking international law.

The Telegraph

• Politics latest news: Grant Shapps insists he is powerless to stop rail strikes [subscription]Grant Shapps today insisted he is powerless to stop this week's rail strikes as he accused union bosses of taking the country "back to the bad old days" of widespread industrial action.
• Train strikes latest: Britain grinds to a halt as railways and Tube shut down

Times Online

• Rail strikes: Britain runs into the buffersStrike to paralyse rail network as unions reject 3% pay offer and PM warns firms against big wage rises

The Mirror

• 'PM and a train full of Tory MPs and ministers appear to relish rail strikes'This Tory government is making our problems even more challenging while Shapps inflames the dispute to try and score cheap political points while goind easy on the bosses
• Train strikes kick off summer of travel misery - with Grant Shapps 'doing nothing'Flights cancelled, railways grind to a halt, petrol prices rise again... and STILL Transport Secretary Shapps refuses to do anything as a last-ditch bid to avert the three-day national action by train staff fails

Sky News

• PM to condemn unions and call for 'sensible compromise' as rail strike chaos loomsBoris Johnson will condemn unions for what is expected to be the biggest train strike in three decades.

Belfast Telegraph

• Scotland’s rail network suffers major disruption as workers go on strikeSignificant disruption across Scotland’s rail network has begun as workers at Network Rail take strike action this week.

Birmingham Post

• Leicester to Burton Ivanhoe passenger railway line takes big step closer to reopeningIt is part of a campaign for sustainable transport to get cars off the roads

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Brighouse to host rail meeting aimed at improving transportA COMMUNITY rail focus meeting aimed at promoting travel along a line that runs from Bradford Interchange through the Calder Valley will be held in Brighouse this weekend.

London Evening Standard

• Grant Shapps calls rail strike ‘callous’ as it impacts his daughter’s exam dayTransport Secretary Grant Shapps has branded the rail strikes “callous” as he said his daughter’s exam day would be affected.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• County Durham railway station reopening plan receives further Government backingA County Durham railway station has been announced as one of nine projects in the country to get further funding from a £500 million pot to restore railways and reconnect communities.

The York Press

• Fears over North Yorkshire transport schemeA PILOT scheme designed to provide public transport in rural areas with little or no services looks set to be extended for a year amid concerns restrictions deterring key potential customers will make it unsustainable.

Wales Online

• Rail strikes cut freight capacity to third of usual levelMost rail routes in Wales will have no services on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Blow for region as rail projects in Wolverhampton and Ironbridge miss out on fundingPlans for a new railway station outside Wolverhampton city centre and works at the old Ironbridge Power Station have hit a setback after the schemes missed out on government funding.

Bucks Free Press

• New HS2 tunnel criticised by Chiltern SocietyIn total, the high speed railway 'green tunnels' will stretch for more than four miles.

South Wales Argus

• Transport for Wales train to Cardiff 'ran out of fuel'PASSENGERS on the South Wales Main Line faced delays this morning (Monday) because a train reportedly "ran out of fuel". As a consequence, other services running between Cardiff and Newport were held up.

Other Regional Press

• Highland Caledonian Sleeper service rocked by job hits in Inverness with move to GlasgowThe train company behind the Caledonian Sleeper has been accused of carrying out “Highland clearances” with a redundancy ploy.
• £45 billion plan to improve transport in SussexPEOPLE are being asked to give their views ahead of a £45 billion plan to “decarbonise the transport system” across the South East.

New Civil Engineer

• Nine more abandoned rail schemes win cash for restorationRail minister Wendy Morton has announced a further £15M in funding to develop nine railway schemes across England to reopen disused railway lines, services and stations.
• Network Rail standing firm on productivity reforms in strike negotiationsRemoving entrenched working practices to deliver productivity improvements must go hand in hand with pay negotiations, according to Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines.

Other News Sources

• 'It's worth considering a strike ban for essential services including rail', Business Minister saysThe Business Minister has suggested the Government could be considering a strike ban for staff in essential services including the transport sector, ahead of the biggest national rail walkout in 30 years.
• UK braces for biggest rail strikes in 30 years after last minute talks failThousands of members of the RMT union will join the industrial action, bringing most of the country's rail network to a standstill.