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

Monday, 25 March 2024

BBC News

• MP appeals for more train services in constituencyAn MP is appealing for more train services to stop in his constituency due to overcrowding. Chris Grayling, MP for Epsom and Ewell, says many people have contacted him about packed trains on South Western Railway (SWR).
• New road schemes in Wales could be considered againAn M4 relief road and a third Menai crossing were some of the projects that never went ahead.
• Officials urge patience over bus rolloutOfficials say they have learnt lessons from previous disruption on Greater Manchester buses.

Financial Times

• The perils of speaking up at work too often deter staff from voicing concernsBoeing is one employer where workers are still hesitant to come forward with problems
• Boeing's largest union seeks seat on plane maker's boardMachinists head wants to save company from itself as quality concerns mount

The Guardian

• Loose ends in London and Birmingham raise new fears over HS2’s route – and futureWith its route map pruned, leaders in the north want other options, while in the capital, questions are growing over its Euston terminus – still a giant hole in the ground
• Chinese EV battery maker in talks to invest £1bn in new UK gigafactoryPlant on outskirts of Coventry could create up to 6,000 jobs and will be part of planned Centre for Electrification. A Chinese manufacturer of electric vehicle batteries is in talks to invest more than £1bn to build a giant new factory on the outskirts of Coventry.EVE Energy, which says it employs 28,000 staff worldwide, is understood to be in talks to construct a 5.7m sq ft gigafactory, which will form one of the main parts of the planned UK Centre for Electrification, an investment zone in the West Midlands.
• Are electric cars too heavy for British roads, bridges and car parks?In part eight of our series exploring myths surrounding EVs, we examine whether they will break our infrastructure. Do electric cars really produce fewer carbon emissions? Are EVs too costly to tempt drivers?Is it right to have range anxiety?Cars have a weight problem. Consider the Mini, designed to save precious fuel during rationing; it has ballooned in size. It is not alone. Cars have got bigger and bigger, with the rise of the SUV only accelerating the trend.Electric cars might look the same (for now) but they have one important difference: a heavy battery.
• At least 14m Easter car journeys could take twice as long as usual, RAC saysBank holiday weekend and start of school holidays take place at same time, with high traffic volumes expected. Drivers are being warned to expect long delays over Easter as millions of getaway trips lead to soaring traffic volumes and congested motorways.

The Scotsman

• Full restoration of ScotRail trains every 15 minutes on flagship Glasgow-Edinburgh line ’highly unlikely’ for some timePost-pandemic passenger rebound weaker in Scotland than across Britain

Times Online

• On time, under budget: Where did it go right for the Crossrail of the North? [subscription]The Transpennine upgrade promises faster, more frequent journeys between Manchester and York, thanks in part to a project boss who built two aircraft carriers

City AM

• Avanti drivers set for £100k salary despite delays and cancellationsStruggling rail operator Avanti West Coast has signed a rest-day deal with its train drivers that could take average yearly salaries to nearly £100,000.
• Gatwick boss eyes long-haul market amid expansion drive and jostle with Heathrow Gatwick's chief executive is spearheading a drive into the long-haul market as the UK's second biggest hub seeks to muscle in on its larger rival Heathrow.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Two year plan to improve bus journeys at congestion hotspotsFOUR of Bradford’s busiest bus routes will be improved after being identified as “hotspots” for congestion.

Northern Echo

• Newton Aycliffe Hitachi plant reaches crisis point with ordersSerious concerns have been raised over the future of Hitachi's vast Newton Aycliffe plant after bosses failed to reach an agreement with the Government over a solution for the future.

The York Press

• Cycling rates in York have plummeted in the last 10 yearsCycling rates in York have plummeted in the last 10 years - with council transport chief Cllr Pete Kilbane admitting they are 

Wales Online

• The road building projects Welsh Government now say they'll consider with Mark Drakeford goneNew transport minister Ken Skates says he is open to new projects previously shelved under the former First Minister

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Tram travellers facing more than two weeks of disruption over Easter for major track extension workMetro passengers between the Black Country and Birmingham are facing split journeys by tram and bus until after Easter for a major track extension project.

Blackpool Gazette

• 13 answers on how to spend Blackpool's £121million of HS2 cash to improve transportBlackpool will be among the areas to benefit after it was announced that Lancashire County Council is to get £121m in extra transport funding, after the government announced how it would allocate a share of the money it saved from scrapping the northern leg of the HS2 high speed rail link to Manchester.

Other Regional Press

• South West Set To Enjoy Greener Bus Journeys With £43 Million Investment For Electric BusesResidents across the South West of England are poised for a significant upgrade in public transport as the Government announces a substantial £43.4 million investment to introduce 352 electric buses across the region.

Rail Advent

• GB Railfreight places order for more box wagonsGB Railfreight has secured an agreement with leasing company Porterbrook for the supply of 50 new type JNA-X box wagons.

Railtech

• 70 million euro refurbishment project for EMR’s regional fleetEast Midlands Railway (EMR) has initiated a 60 million pound (70 million euro) refurbishment programme aimed at modernising its Connect and Regional fleet. This comprehensive project, undertaken in collaboration with Angel Trains, Siemens, Porterbrook, and Eversholt, marks a substantial investment in the region’s rail infrastructure.

Other News Sources

• Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire to use machine learning to monitor transportThe Greater Cambridge Partnership, Cambridgeshire County Council and Oxfordshire County Council are planning to use machine learning algorithms to monitor transport networks in their areas.