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

Tuesday, 26 January 2021

BBC News

• East Coast Main Line: Tunnel painstakingly pushed undergroundHeavier than the Eiffel Tower, the tunnel was moved at 150cm per hour over nine days.

Financial Times

• Airlines shares tumble on prospect of tighter travel rulesStricter Covid curbs will kill travel and hit confidence, warn executives

The Guardian

• Why are people still flying into the UK despite Covid-19 rules?Crowded scenes at Heathrow airport prompted concerns about reasons permitted for foreign travel

The Scotsman

• Rail is on the right track for the transportation of timber - Maggie SimpsonThe Scottish forestry sector is estimated to contribute around £1bn to the economy each year, with around three-quarters of that coming from forestry and timber processing. Around 10m tonnes of timber are harvested each year, and this is forecast to increase over the long term as Scottish Government increases forest planting to support its green recovery and climate change ambitions. The most recent update to the Climate Change Plan stated that Government will increase woodland creation from the current level of 12,000 hectares in 2020/21 up to 18,000 hectares in 2024/25.

The Telegraph

• These vaccine passport schemes could be our ticket to freedom [subscription]Experts said airlines need to automate the checking of both the vaccine and Covid test results for international travel to resume

Times Online

• UK pushes for equity stake in Eurostar as price of bailout [subscription]Ministers could demand that Britain gets back at least part of its equity stake in Eurostar in return for a financial rescue of the high-speed train passenger service.

Birmingham Mail

• Dozens of bus services affected after severe weatherNational Express West Midlands has revealed what services are affected by the weather

Birmingham Post

• Airbus investigating Covid cases at European siteThe aerospace giant said that comprehensive safety measures are already in place at its sites
• Bloodhound supersonic car put up for sale after after more cash woesThe vehicle is aiming to break the world land speed record - but if a buyer is not found the project could be scrapped
• £36m to put part of central England back on road to successMulti-million pound programme of roadways improvements and flood defences planned for Nottinghamshire

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Stena Line plays 'musical ferries' after Brexit but confidence Holyhead port will bounce backThe ferry firm has been redeploying ships across the Irish Sea but hopes trade will return to Welsh ports

London Evening Standard

• Tech & Science Daily| SpaceX breaks world record for most satellites sent into spaceSpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has taken a world record breaking 143 satellites into a polar orbit from Florida. It’s their first dedicated ‘rideshare’ mission, offering to transport packages.  
• Heathrow warns quarantine hotels would have ‘huge ramifications’ for travel industryRequiring all international arrivals to enter quarantine hotels would have “huge ramifications” for the aviation sector, Heathrow airport has warned.

Carlisle News & Star

• Bill Nighy's Channel 5 programme praises luxury rail service to CarlisleA TV STAR’s praise for a luxury Northern train service to Carlisle crashed the company’s website as would-be passengers clamoured for a booking.

Kent Online

• Maidstone to Cambridge train line hopes revived as Kent County Council lobbies government for Thameslink serviceTransport bosses have revived hopes for a new rail connection between Kent and Cambridge after receiving "overwhelming support" from residents.

Other Regional Press

• HS2 promises to take action on idling vehicles in West Hyde HS2 bosses say they will remind their contractors about the harms of
• Crossrail, which will run through Berkshire, may be open sooner than thoughtCrossrail, which will see the new Elizabeth line run from Berkshire to Essex via central London, may open sooner than the first half of 2022.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Transport Secretary launches £794 million investment to boost rail links in north and southA £794 million investment package to reopen 2 important rail routes closed more than 50 years ago has been announced today (23 January 2021) by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. The new funding includes £760 million for the delivery of the next phase of East West Rail, which will create 1,500 skilled jobs, and reinstate direct rail services between Bicester and Bletchley for the first time since 1968. It also includes £34 million to rapidly progress plans to reopen the Northumberland line between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Ashington, which closed to passengers in 1964 as part ...
• Samskip launches direct container services between Amsterdam and IrelandSamskip has ramped up its shortsea container connections between Ireland and North Continental Europe by introducing a new dedicated service link into Amsterdam. The weekly connection will mean Irish imports can avoid post-Brexit hassles applying to goods received via UK-based distributors, while exports will benefit from greater reach into EU markets in the northern Netherlands, Germany and beyond. Launching on January 25th, the fixed day service departs from the TMA Terminal Amsterdam on Monday evenings for arrival in Dublin on Wednesday and a weekend return to Amsterdam. This complements Sa...

New Civil Engineer

• Go-ahead for Northumberland rail line developmentThe government has given the green light to develop plans to reintroduce passenger services on the Northumberland Line between Ashington and Newcastle.
• Work begins on HS2 crossover box needed for trains to access Old Oak Common stationThe crossover box, near to Old Oak Common in West London, will allow HS2 trains to switch tracks underground on their approach into the new superhub station.

Rail Magazine

• GB Railfreight targets more Class 66s from overseasAs many as 14 additional Class 66s could supplement the GB Railfreight fleet in the coming months, as the company continues to win new work.
• MML electrification can be enabled by Class 810s - East Midlands RailwayThe introduction of 33 bi-mode trains from 2023 will be an enabler for electrification of the Midland Main Line, claims East Midlands Railway Commercial Director Chris Wright.

Railnews

• Rail union warns of heightened Covid risk to staff Rail staff are increasingly at risk from new variations of coronavirus, but are also victims of a ˜complacent and callous approach™ from employers, according to the RMT. It is calling for staff to receive priority in the queue for vaccinations.

Other News Sources

• Direct rail route from Teesside to London to launch this year with £34m station upgradeThe planned upgrade of a Teesside train station will enable direct trains from Middlesbrough to London to begin running by the end of 2021.
• MK MPs praise government decision on funding for East West Rail linkMilton Keynes’ MP’s have praised a government decision to provide extra funding on the East West Rail project.
• Weston Williamson unveils designs for two HS2 viaductsHS2 has unveiled the designs of two viaducts in Warwickshire which will be located at the section of the route known as Delta Junction which branches off in two directions, with one leg heading north towards Crewe and another curving to the west towards Birmingham.