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

Friday, 19 April 2024

BBC News

• New sea defence protects promenade, rail, and roadThe final stage of major new sea defences designed to protect a village promenade has been completed.
• Blindfolded train journey will highlight challengesThe mayor and mayoress of Maidstone are set to take a blindfolded train journey to experience the challenges people with sight loss face.

The Guardian

• Only 40 LNER intercity rail services to run on Saturday as train drivers strikeAlmost three in four services between London, Edinburgh and York will be cut in Aslef members' stoppage.

The National

• Scotland to get 'all modes of public transport' ticket systemTHE Scottish Government has announced it wants to introduce a new Transport for London-style integrated ticket system for public transport.

Local Government

• Council responds to Government commitment on train buildingStatement from the Leader of Derby City Council, Councillor Baggy Shanker, on the Government's commitment to the future of Alstom's train manufacturing in Derby:

Belfast Telegraph

• Public transport workers set to be offered ‘sweeteners’ in bid to resolve pay dispute with TranslinkPublic transport drivers have negotiated several additional bonuses, including one-off payments for zero sick days, in a bid to quash rising tensions with their unions.

Derby Telegraph

• Transport Secretary says people blaming HS2 for Alstom uncertainty are not being 'straightforward'Mark Harper says he is hopeful that thousands of jobs will be saved at Alstom's Litchurch Lane site

Edinburgh Evening News

• ​The thinking on our city transport isn’t joined up- Sue WebberIn parliament debates and council meetings we hear a lot about “joined-up thinking” and “collaborative approaches” and of course plans are always “holistic” and “follow extensive consultation with stakeholders”.

London Evening Standard

• London Overground and Liverpool Street trains to grind to halt for 16 daysTrains between Liverpool Street and Chingford will grind to a halt for 16 days including on the London Overground while a 150-year-old bridge is replaced.

Northern Echo

• Labours calls on Government to save Hitachi jobs in Newton AycliffeKeir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have called on the Government to bring forward procurement to save jobs at the Hitachi plant in Newton Aycliffe.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Government says it's 'perfectly reasonable' for Nottingham tram bosses to ask for more helpThe Transport Secretary says it is "perfectly reasonable" for Nottingham's tram network to ask for more support in recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. Mark Harper defended the Government's £2 cap on bus fares during a visit to Nottinghamshire, despite NET bosses having warned that the scheme was creating an "uneven playing field."

Other Regional Press

• Future of defunct Midge Hall station 'in the hands of locals', government minister suggestsHuw Merriman was speaking in the Commons in response to a debate secured by South Ribble MP Katherine Fletcher on the subject of reinstating the defunct boarding point, which closed more than 60 years ago.
• SNP unveil plans for TfL-style integrated public transport systemTHE Scottish Government has announced it wants to introduce a new Transport for London-style integrated ticket system for public transport.
• Powys: Heart of Wales railway service cuts a 'bitter blow'Plans to reduce the number of trains running on Powys' Heart of Wales line have been described as a “bitter blow”.
• The Greater Manchester town that could get 'game-changing' new train stationA plan for a new train station for Rochdale is closer to becoming a reality.
• ScotRail confirm seven more trains to service Dunfermline every daySEVEN more trains per day will stop off in West Fife from June after ScotRail revealed timetable improvements.
• Trams could stop more cars clogging up Portsmouth’s roads - claim as parties set out their vision for better busesTrams have been mooted as a way of stopping more cars clogging up Portsmouth’s roads.

Other News Sources

• Proposed lifeline for Derby train factory gets Chamber supportSecretary of State Mark Harper has pledged possible investment for ten new trains at Derby’s Alstom train factory, following a campaign led by Marketing Derby and backed by over 200 East Midlands Chamber members and over 300 Derby Bondholders.
• RIA welcomes potential for progress on train ordersThe Railway Industry Association (RIA) have welcomed the potential for progress on rolling stock orders in the UK.
• OFF THE RAILS: Secretary General of the AERRL, Carole CouneIn this week’s ‘Off the Rails’, I spoke to the Secretary General of the Association of European Rail Rolling Stock Lessors, Carole Coune.
• 250,000 seats a day on the WCML?In the Parliamentary debate on the cancellation of HS2 phase 2, Transport Minister Mark Harper claimed that what remains of HS2 will deliver “a massive increase in capacity to the West Coast Main Line (WCML)” by providing 250,000 seats a day. This figure was subsequently repeated by the Prime Minister and Rail Minister who advised that it applies “across the primary long-distance operator on the West Coast.”
• Train tracks triumph - new findings show that trains are up to 80% cheaper than planes for domestic travelTravelling by rail can be up to 80% cheaper on similar routes than flying, eliminating the burden of baggage fees, seat selection charges and airport transfer fees, a new report by Rail Delivery Group has found.