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

Friday, 19 November 2021

BBC News

• Bradford: Rail plan 'resigns city to second-class service'As the government's Integrated Rail Plan is launched, Bradfordians explain their travelling reality.
• HS2: Has the government broken its promises over high-speed rail?Reality Check examines some of the claims surrounding the scaling back of HS2.
• Metrolink: Jail for passenger who bit inspector's faceMetrolink says it hopes the 16-week jail sentence will deter attacks on its tram staff.
• HS2: Passengers have their say on HS2 rethinkPeople travelling from Manchester Piccadilly react to news the Leeds leg has been scrapped.
• HS2: New plan a betrayal of the North, say criticsThere is anger over the decision to axe an HS2 line to Leeds and scale back other promised projects.
• HS2 rail extension to Leeds scrapped amid promise to transform railBoris Johnson dismisses criticism that his rail overhaul amounts to broken promises as

Financial Times

• Ryanair calls time on LSE listing to comply with EU post-Brexit rulesLow-cost carrier has struggled to shed UK-based shareholders since Britain left the bloc

The Guardian

• The Guardian view on rail cuts: levelling down not upBoris Johnson is losing his nerve about capital infrastructure. It is a reality check about his airy promises

The Independent

• Grant Shapps claims HS2 cuts will bring ‘much better services’‘Virtually everywhere gets much better services than was envisaged under the original HS2 plan’

Times Online

• New laws to clamp down on mobile phone use at the wheel [subscription]Drivers will be banned from activities such as scrolling through playlists on handheld devices as part of a crackdown on road safety. The Highway Code will also be updated to make clear that even casual fiddling on a phone at traffic lights or in a jam is illegal.
• Tories see red after Boris Johnson axes north’s high-speed trains [subscription]Government accused of selling the north short over rail plans
• HS2 U-turn: Passengers ‘will pay high price with years of works and delays’ [subscription]A source told The Times that the decision to upgrade some existing parts of the network rather than build new lines will negatively affect passengers. “Whatever you think of HS2, the building of the new line did not affect the operation of the current lines,” he said. “Of course we welcome the investment, but it will have a big knock on for passengers in the short and medium term.”
• HS2 U-turn Q&A: What was announced and what is to be scrapped? [subscription]Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, said that three new high-speed lines would be built: Crewe to Manchester; Birmingham to the East Midlands, with HS2 trains continuing to central Nottingham and central Derby, Chesterfield and Sheffield on an upgraded main line; and a new high-speed line from Warrington to Manchester and to the western border of Yorkshire.

City AM

• It's about time for Rishi Sunak to make his mind up on road tax for electric vehiclesBritain is firmly on the front foot towards a transition to electric vehicles. Last week, as he unveiled a new design for charging stations, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he hoped they would become as iconic as the black cab.

Daily Record

• No repairs to Scots motorway barrier until 'early next year' after man dies in lorry plungeA HGV crashed through the barrier and landed on the road below on November 4, killing Kenneth Cheyne from Aberdeenshire.

i News

• Leeds, Bradford, Liverpool: What the Government’s new rail strategy mean for local areasANALYSISThe scrapping of the HS2 link between Leeds and the Midlands, as well as downgrades to the Northern Powerhouse Rail network, means many journeys will take far longer than originally proposed

The National

• Tory unhappiness bubbles up amid second jobs fiasco and 'betrayal' of the NorthDISQUIET within the Conservative Party may have been bubbling for a while but it has begun to boil over with decisions on second jobs and part of the HS2 rail line scrapped in what has been described as a "betrayal of trust" to the North of England.

Sky News

• Grant Shapps insists promises to North 'being fulfilled' despite cutting key HS2 line and downgrading Northern Powerhouse RailPlans for HS2 were originally meant to connect London with the city centres of Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds - but the eastern leg to the latter city has now been scrapped. Plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail have also been downgraded.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• What the Government's rail plan says about BradfordLEADERS have spoken of their feelings of 'betrayal' after details of the long-awaited Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) were unveiled by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. 
• Rail plan slammed as a 'betrayal of Bradford'A BETRAYAL of Bradford. That was the resounding feeling today as the Government’s long-awaited Integrated Rail Plan confirmed weeks of rumours and leaks that a new high speed Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) line between Leeds and Manchester, via Bradford, had been scrapped.

Bristol Live

• Clean Air Zone in Bristol: The fee and how people will be chargedAbout three in 10 vehicles in Bristol will attract the charges

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Llangollen Railway hit by administration now 'in healthy financial state' says new board of trusteesLlangollen Railway PLC announced it was insolvent in March, but services has resumed carrying more than 23,000 passengers since

Manchester Evening News

• The map which shows what we asked for and what we got in new rail planThese two maps show the difference between the rail plan northern cities were promised and what we've ended up with.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Five reasons why Toton HS2 hub was shelved in favour of East Midlands Parkway - according to the IRPThe Government has set out a number of reasons why the long-awaited HS2 hub at Toton was shelved in favour of a new station at East Midlands Parkway.

The York Press

• 'Please voice your support for A64 upgrade' before deadline, say MPsA LAST-minute plea for public support for an upgrade of the A64 north-east of York has been made by regional MPs.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Order! Order! Labour MP refuses to withdraw ‘dodgy’ jibe three timesZarah Sultana accused Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg of being “dodgy”.
• Rail rethink shows PM knows it was a mistake to commit to HS2Boris Johnson took a huge risk when he decided to back the building of HS2 shortly after he had become Prime Minister.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Government accused of all talk and no action as Mayor casts doubt on likelihood of Leeds tram linkThe Government's desire to deliver Leeds its first tram link has been cast into doubt after the official cancellation of the HS2 rail link.

Carlisle News & Star

• An MP has hit out at the Government for ‘not mentioning Cumbria once’ in its 162-page plan for rail in the North.Tim Farron said it was ‘gobsmacking’ that the county had been excluded from the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and the Midlands, which was released today.

Other Regional Press

• New rail lines for the north, but not in East AngliaOn the day that the government promised £96billion to boost rail services in the north and midlands, politicians have warned it not to forget the desperate need for track improvements in East Anglia.
• Mayor wants HS2 rail line scrapping amid claims Teesside is 'forgotten' by Government 'again'Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen's comments come after the Government's transport announcement - that opposition say is another Tory promise 'ripped to shreds'
• Scrapping HS2 eastern leg 'a disaster for Chesterfield', says MPChesterfield’s MP has slammed the Government’s decision to scrap the eastern leg of HS2 as a ‘betrayal of a manifesto commitment’.
• 'Absolutely outrageous' detail for Leeds hidden in Boris Johnson's rail plan condemned by mayor Tracy BrabinWest Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin says she is "absolutely furious" after learning that half of the £200m handed to her to deliver a long-awaited mass transit system must be used to investigate whether HS2 can come to Leeds.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Glasgow transitions to all-electric Tesco home delivery fleetThousands of households across Glasgow will now have their shopping delivered by one of 17 new all-electric Tesco delivery vehicles, contributing to a tangible legacy for Glasgow as the host city for COP26.    This is part of Tesco’s efforts to become net zero in its own operations by 2035 and will see Glasgow become the first city in Scotland to transition to Tesco electric delivery vehicles.   Over the past 18 months, Tesco has significantly grown its home delivery service across Scotland and now delivers to almost 80,000 homes every week.    Jason Tarry, Tesco...
• Freight train capacity doubles to Port of LiverpoolThe government has announced that final works on the £8.3 million Bootle branch rail line upgrade have been completed, delivering a doubling of freight train capacity to and from the Port of Liverpool.   Funded by the Department for Transport, the upgrade allows up to 2 freight trains an hour in each direction, meaning more trains will be able to deliver vital goods to and from the port for import and export, meeting predicted demand for rail freight for the coming decades.  
• National Highways’ contractors cut carbon footprint by 23%Contractors resurfacing a dual carriageway on the National Highways’ network have recycled more than half of the materials from the old road back into the new one - cutting the project’s carbon footprint by 23%.   Some 17,432 tons of material were reused from the layers of road surface and saved from landfill as well as helping to make the A46 Warwick Bypass much smoother and safer for drivers.   A stretch of the busy road had deteriorated to a condition that, following a number of temporary repairs to ensure safety, a full depth reconstruction was needed, digging down al...
• Government announces £96B rail investmentThe biggest ever public investment in Britain’s rail network has been announced by the government, with £96 billion to deliver faster and better journeys to more people across the North and the Midlands.   Transforming connectivity, the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) will transform both east to west and north to south links, building 3 new high-speed lines, improving rail services to and between the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West including:
• Production starts on road-going full-electric Volta Zero vehiclesElectric commercial vehicle manufacturer Volta Trucks has started production of the first road-going ‘Design Verification’ (DV) prototype Volta Zero vehicle at a bespoke facility in Coventry, UK.   The DV prototypes are the first full-electric Volta Zero vehicles to be built in the recently unveiled production-ready design.    A total of 25 vehicles will be manufactured and once completed in January, the fleet will embark on a rigorous testing regime.    This will involve Volta Trucks engineers replicating a wide range of customer usage and delivery cycl...

Coach and Bus Week

• Stagecoach and SSE announce pilot electric charging hub initiativePartnership looks to allow non-bus fleets to take advantage of depot charging infrastructure whilst its buses are out in service
• Government releases latest bus statisticsLocal bus statistics for Great Britain, including passenger numbers, mileage and vehicle fleet data for the year ending March 2021 have been released by the Department for Transport.
• Cardiff Bus’ road to a greener future starts as COP26 endsThe first of Cardiff Bus’ 36 electric buses has arrived in the Welsh capital, marking the start of the next phase in the operator’s project to provide a step-change in the city’s bus network. Works have been underway in recent weeks with new charging infrastructure installed at the company’s Sloper Road depot in preparation for the arrival of the 36 Yutong E12 zero-emission buses.
• Changing chargingOne of the many events taking place around Glasgow alongside the COP26 climate conference, First Bus hosted an exhibition on the conference’s Transport Day on 10 November to showcase the projects it is involved in to help reach Scotland’s net zero targets. The exhibition was held in association with Transport Scotland, Octopus Energy, Heliox and, COP26 Principal Mobility Partner, Hitachi.
• Stagecoach celebrates 100 years of buses in SwindonSwindon depot opened its doors to the public on Saturday 6 November. Richard Sharman attended the event which was aimed at both families and enthusiasts

New Civil Engineer

• Bakerloo Line extension ‘completely out of reach’, says KhanMayor of London Sadiq Khan has lamented the state of Transport for London’s (TfL) funding in a piece in the Financial Times, saying that proposed upgrades including Crossrail 2 and the Bakerloo Line extension are “completely out of reach”.
• Look back at year of speculation that ended with disappointing Integrated Rail PlanFor rail professionals, northern politicians and many members of the general public, 2021 has been dominated by speculation about the Integrated Rail Plan.
• Government rejects Manchester Piccadilly underground through station proposalsThe government has thrown its support behind plans for a “turnback” High Speed 2 (HS2) surface station at Manchester Piccadilly despite calls for an underground through station in the city.
• Integrated Rail Plan | Breaking down the £96bn investmentThe government is boasting a £96bn investment, laid out in the Integrated Rail Plan, as “the largest ever single Government investment in the rail network”.
• Live reaction: Integrated Rail Plan dubbed a ‘missed opportunity’ that ‘hinders’ levelling upThe long-awaited Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) has finally been published after a year of delays.

Railnews

• Anger follows publication of Integrated Rail Plan The £96 billion Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands has been greeted with bitter criticism in the north of England. Transport secretary Grant Shapps said the new plan was 'ambitious' and 'deliverable', but Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said: 'The Integrated Rail Plan was a once in a generation opportunity. Properly delivered, it had the potential to be as transformative for rail travel as Stephenson’s Rocket. Instead, they have proposed a service that could have been promoted by Gladstone in the Victorian era.'

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Mellor shares more info on all-new electric bus range, named SigmaMellor has dropped new information on its upcoming all-electric single-deck bus range, which it has revealed will be called Sigma.
• National Express, Stagecoach merger talks extended to DecemberNational Express has been given a new deadline of 14 December to make a firm offer for a takeover of Stagecoach, routeone understands.
• Team Pennine recruitment drive targets regular motoristsNorth West Yorkshire Transdev subsidiary Team Pennine is launching a recruitment drive – literally – by inviting motorists to try taking the wheel of a bus.
• National Express, Stagecoach merger talks extended to DecemberNational Express has been given a new deadline of 14 December to make a firm offer for a takeover of Stagecoach, routeone understands.
• UrbanThings Bus Back Better webinar to unite industry stakeholdersUrbanThings, in partnership with Landor LINKS, is to host a free webinar on Friday 26 November discussing how stakeholders can unite to deliver the government’s Bus Back Better ambitions.
• Plans for Leicester Clean Air Zone scrapped after air quality improvesProposals for a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in Leicester affecting buses and taxis have been scrapped, after the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told Leicester City Council that such a scheme was no longer necessary.
• Van Hool debuts world’s first battery-electric double-deck coachBelgian manufacturer Van Hool has debuted the world’s first fully battery-electric double-deck coach, the TDX25E, for the US market.
• ‘All bus passengers in England should benefit from BSIPs’For bus operators and councils throughout England, last month’s Spending Review was a great example of what behavioural economists call ‘anchoring’. Anchoring is the trait by which we tend to hold on to the first piece of information we hear on a subject and evaluate the eventual outcome against that initial anchor.

Other News Sources

• Revealed: 20 train routes which will now be slower than under HS2 plans