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

Tuesday, 05 March 2024

BBC News

• First look inside £2.2bn Silvertown TunnelFor the first time, Transport for London has invited journalists inside what is one of the most controversial infrastructure projects in the capital.
• Severn Beach rail line 'threatened' by sea level riseA council leader is calling on the government to help fund flood defences for a rail line at risk of flooding from rising sea levels.
• 'We need a new rail line with Crewe at its heart'The north west needs a new railway line and it needs one with Crewe at its heart, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said.
• Lee Waters to stand down as transport ministerWales's transport minister says he will leave the role when the next first minister is elected.
• Train derailed on 90mph line after hitting objectDisruption affects customers across the entire SWR network after the incident in Surrey.

Financial Times

• BYD's $230,000 electric sports car signals plan to take on VW and ToyotaChinese EV giant is widening its range by price point and fuel type

The Guardian

• Siemens to invest £100m in Chippenham rail factory site in WiltshirePlan to open new facility by 2026 comes after firm invested £200m in east Yorkshire train factory

The Telegraph

• Welsh minister who brought in 20mph speed limit to step down. [subscription]Lee Waters to quit transport duties in two weeks, unhappy at ‘malign comments’ on social media posts

Times Online

• Taxi drivers in Glasgow’s LEZ switching off retrofitted exhausts. [subscription]The exhausts, which convert toxic nitrogen oxide into a harmless gas, are expensive to install and many have now become faulty

Local Government

• Council secures bus route following contract awardSomerset Council has awarded a new contract for its No1 bus service between Yeovil and Shepton Mallet.
• Portsmouth’s Hard Interchange set for major road surface replacement in 2024Repairs to the road surface within the Hard Interchange are set to get underway this year.
• Sustainable transport and regeneration scheme (STARS)In August 2022, we submitted a £24.1m bid to the Government's Levelling Up Fund. This funding would go towards the £26.8m King's Lynn Sustainable Transport and Regeneration Scheme (STARS).
• Mayor Tom “deeply disappointed” after East West Rail summitTom Wootton, the Mayor of Bedford Borough, has admitted to being “deeply disappointed” after a crunch meeting with bosses behind the planned East West Rail scheme.

Network Rail

• Network Rail completes first bridge on EK enhancementsNetwork Rail has opened a new railway footbridge next to Hairmyres station.

Office of Rail and Road (ORR)

• Rail regulator identifies areas of focus for industry on improving passenger assistanceThe Office of Rail and Road has identified several key areas of focus for the industry as it looks to drive improvement in the delivery of passenger assistance for disabled passengers. The conclusions follow audits commissioned by the regulator into how five operators were meeting regulatory requirements related to the delivery of assistance.

Belfast Telegraph

• Siemens unveils plan for new £100m Chippenham rail centreEngineering giant Siemens has announced plans to replace its rail factory in Wiltshire with a new £100 million facility.

Bristol Live

• Railway line ‘critical to UK’s net zero goals’ at risk of flooding from rising sea levelsThe railway is used to transport over 1,000 tonnes of rubbish every day to a massive incinerator

Liverpool Echo

• Plans to open three new Merseyrail stations unveiledWoodchurch on the Wirral, St Helens and Halton could get new stops by the end of the decade

London Evening Standard

• TfL prices: About 40% of journeys on London public transport network to cost more despite Sadiq fares freezeIncrease in pay-as-you-go cap, alongside a 4.9 per cent average increase in Travelcards, means many passengers will end up paying more

Yorkshire Post

• 'Moment has gone' for HS2 in the North, suggests Tracy Brabin as she eyes alternative schemesTracy Brabin has suggested “the moment has gone” for HS2 serving the North as she pledged to work with other regional mayors on pushing for alternative rail transport improvements.
• Leeds asks government to protect unwanted HS2 land near station from being soldWest Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin and Leeds City Council leader James Lewis have written to prime minister Rishi Sunak to argue in favour of keeping safeguarded land to the South of Leeds railway station protected until a study into redevelopment can be completed.

Chester Standard

• Unspent HS2 funds go to filling Chester and Ellesmere Port potholesA slice of funds from the scrapped northern leg of the HS2 rail line is to be spent filling in potholes in Cheshire West this month.

Plymouth Herald

• Plymouth roadworks this week include major new Plymouth transport hub schemeThe St Budeaux Interchange scheme is expected to bring much needed improvements to the area.

Other Regional Press

• Worcestershire's rail links to strengthen with £123 million fundingWorcestershire's rail links are set to strengthen following the Government's announcement of over £100 million in funding.
• MoreBus tests a new electric double deck bus around DorsetA BATTERY-electric bus is being trialled in Dorset to demonstrate its zero-emission capabilities.
• Deputy Minister “maps out next steps for buses in Wales”The next steps to delivering bus reform for Wales have been set out by Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters today.
• East West Rail project affecting Milton Keynes to be scrutinised by government's Transport CommitteeThe multi-billion pound East West Rail project is to be scrutinised by the government’s Transport Committee this week to see whether it provides value for money.
• Heart of Wales railway line named ‘Best in Europe’World famous travel guide Lonely Planet has named the Heart of Wales railway line as one of the best rail journeys in Europe.
• Increase in rail services for Bromsgrove thanks to Midlands Rail HubAN INCREASE in rail services for Bromsgrove is on the horizon thanks to the delivery of the Midlands Rail Hub.

Rail Advent

• New report shows benefits of rail freight over road transportRail Partners has issued a report which says that freight operators will make investments to improve and further decarbonise rail freight if the government delivers the conditions to enable the market to grow.

Rail Business Daily

• Rail Partners report says freight operators are ready to support decarbonisation and economic growth in partnership with GovernmentRail Partners says that its freight operator members are ready to invest in improving and further decarbonising rail freight, providing the Government can deliver the conditions to grow the market to enable the market to grow.

Railnews

• Monday essay: The Case of the Missing Rolling StockThe potential deadline for the closure of the Alstom works in Derby had been 31 January, and on that day rail minister Huw Merriman wrote to train manufacturers and operators, setting out plans for new or refurbished rolling stock, although the letter was not published until 22 February (writes Sim Harris).

Railway Gazette

• English public transport in a ‘precarious position’ says UTGUK: Public transport in English city regions is in a ‘precarious position’, the Urban Transport Group said when it published its Inside Track: The state of transport 2024 report into trends over the last decade.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• iBus next generation coming after TfL awards Init 10-year contractTransport for London (TfL) will introduce a next generation of its iBus system after awarding a 10-year, £160 million contract for the work to Init.
• More women in coach and bus engineering is collaboration focusIntroducing more women to engineering roles in coach and bus is the purpose of a newly formed partnership between the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE), the Bus Centre of Excellence (BCoE), and the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT).

Other News Sources

• Rail fare rises could drive people off the networkRail fares have gone up by 4.9% today, in the midst of the Cost of Living Crisis.
• STADLER RAIL N revenue breakdown overviewSTADLER RAIL N revenue for the last year amounted to 3.75 B CHF, the most of which — 3.25 B CHF — came from its highest performing source at the moment, Rolling Stock, the year earlier bringing 3.18 B CHF.
• Plymouth Embarks on £1.2 Million St Budeaux Interchange Upgrade: Enhancing City TransportThe St Budeaux Interchange scheme, set to complete by June, introduces significant transport upgrades in Plymouth, enhancing sustainable travel options.
• One quarter of disabled people avoid public transport due to inaccessibilityOne quarter of disabled and elderly people say they avoid using the public transport system in the UK due to accessibility issues, according to a new survey.
• Siemens targets next generation of rail technology with new £100m facilitySiemens Mobility has set its sights on the next generation of rail technology with a £100m investment in a new facility.