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

Friday, 25 June 2021

BBC News

• East-West Rail 'must use electric trains' - Layla Moran MPIt is of "paramount importance" that a £5bn direct rail line between Oxford and Cambridge uses electric trains, an MP has said.
• Railway trespass warning over Burntisland beach rising tidesPolice have issued a warning to beach visitors in Fife, after a series of incidents where people have trespassed on a railway line to escape rising tides.
• Newcastle Airport renaming bid branded a ‘gimmick'A motion to rebrand Newcastle International Airport to include Sunderland in its name has been dismissed as a "media stunt".
• Edinburgh Airport to build solar farm next to runwayEdinburgh Airport is to build an 11-acre solar farm next to its runway. The array of solar panels will be the first of its kind in the UK and could provide 26% of the airport's energy needs.
• Delivery date for overdue ferries slips againThe first of two ships being built for CalMac at a nationalised shipyard will not be ready before July next year.
• Covid: Greater Manchester-Scotland travel ban row deepensTalks between Greater Manchester's mayor and Scotland's first minister deepened divisions, it is reported.
• Cathay Pacific crew told to get vaccine or risk losing jobThe airline says crew must get the Covid vaccination by 31 August or it will review

Financial Times

• American Airlines: bailout cannot prevent summer turbulence Struggle to maintain seat supply discipline marks a return to normality

The Guardian

• HS2 asks government to help it deal with rising number of protestsBoss of high-speed rail line says it is struggling to counter direct action that has cost £75m to date
• Cyclist fatalities on British roads rose by 40% in 2020, says DfTAA says increase revealed in official figures is staggering, as cycling groups blame dangerous driving. The number of cyclists killed on British roads increased by 40% in 2020, official statistics show, with cycling groups saying an increase in dangerous driving could have cancelled out the safety dividend from fewer cars on the roads amid lockdown.In total, 140 cyclists were killed on the roads over the 12 months, up from 100 the year before, an increase the AA called staggering.
• UK eases Covid travel rules for tourist spots despite cabinet riftHoliday hopes boosted as quarantine lifted for arrivals from Balearics, Malta and some Caribbean islands

Times Online

• HS2 protest disruption ‘costs taxpayer £75m’ [subscription]Taxpayers have been left with a £75 million bill because of “violent and disruptive” protests against the HS2 line, according to the head of the project.
• HS2 protest disruption ‘costs taxpayer £75m’ [subscription]Taxpayers have been left with a £75 million bill because of “violent and disruptive” protests against the HS2 line, according to the head of the project.

Mail Online

• HS2 boss says £75m of taxpayers cash has been spent on dealing with protesters who are becoming 'increasingly violent and disruptive'Around £75 million of taxpayers' money has been spent dealing with HS2 protesters, the project's boss has said.

Network Rail

• Birmingham New Street flowers get Shakespearean treatmentGreen-fingered volunteers have transformed flower planters for thousands of passengers returning to Birmingham New Street station.

Birmingham Mail

• Disabled children told use public buses in latest council blunderBirmingham City Council has agreed to revise its home-to-school transport policy

Birmingham Post

• Transport for Wales unveil new rural network of electric vehicle charging pointsSWARCO UK has won the tender to deliver the charging point network

Bolton News

• Railway bridge in Bolton deemed safe after previous test showed it to be weakA RAILWAY bridge previously described as in a weak condition and in need of replacement has been deemed safe for traffic after a new evaluation.

London Evening Standard

• Compulsory mask wearing on the Tube: It’s up to you, LondonersCompulsory mask wearing in England will be ditched within weeks but there may be guidance to keep using them on the Tube, a Cabinet minister signalled on Thursday.
• New system to detect airborne Covid piloted at airportnew system to detect coronavirus in the air is being trialled at an airport.
• If your car doesn't meet Ulez standards consider getting a newer second-hand one, says Mayor Sadiq KhanSadiq Khan today told Londoners whose cars will breach the Ulez rules to consider trading them in for a newer model if they want to avoid the £12.50-a-day levy.

The York Press

• Cyclists to get discount on e-bikes thanks to government cashCYCLISTS will be able to try a new electric bike before they buy it and then get a discount on the price, due to government funding.

Other Regional Press

• New DVLA online tachograph service slashes wait timesLorry, bus, and coach drivers nationwide can now apply and pay for their tachograph cards online in minutes thanks to a new DVLA digital service.
• Jonathan Edwards MP backs calls for £20 million investment in Heart of Wales Rail LineCarmarthenshire MP, Jonathan Edwards, has backed the calls of transport expert Professor Stuart Cole for a £20m investment in the Heart of Wales Line, saying “following decades of chronic underfunding in Wales’ rail, this boost would play a key part in the post-Covid recovery.”
• Application for funding could see improvements to Wrexham-Bidston train lineA recent bid by Wrexham Council for £30 million to the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund could see improvements to the line taking passengers to and from the North West of England.
• MP urges Ashfield council to reopen long-closed station to improve connectivity for residentsAnother MP has got involved in the ongoing plan to reopen a disused Ashfield railway line which was closed to the public almost 60 years ago in a controversial policy of cuts.
• Aylesbury MP urges Boris Johnson to support town's East-West Rail link during Prime Minister's QuestionsThe MP for Aylesbury once again emphasised the importance of improved rail links at Prime Minister's Questions.
• Electric aircraft set to take off from Cornwall Airport Newquay this summerThe electric and hybrid-electric planes are set to be used for test flights between Cornwall and Exeter this summer as part of a wider project for using electric aircraft for regional flights

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Major investment into West Coast main line railway signalsA once in a generation investment is being made to improve railway signalling on a key section of the West Coast main line in the North West. The £45m Great North Rail Project investment by Network Rail will see 56 signals between Prestbury, Macclesfield and Congleton upgraded to the latest technology. Signals are the traffic lights of the railway and are crucial for trains to run safely and on time. Once replaced the 56 signals will be controlled from Network Rail’s state of the art control centre in Manchester. Work starts in July and will take a total of 17 months. The major in...
• England’s first hydrogen double decker buses launch in LondonEngland’s first ever hydrogen double decker buses have launched in London. The 20 new environmentally-friendly buses, the first of their kind to be launched in England, will produce no pollution from their exhausts and join more than 500 electric buses in the core fleet which are already zero-emission. The new hydrogen fuel cell double decker buses are first being introduced on route 7 between East Acton and Oxford Circus.   Hydrogen used in a fuel cell is free from harmful emissions. The only by-product is water from the chemical reaction of hydrogen with oxygen from air...

Coach and Bus Week

• BYD eBus delivery unites Slovakia and HungaryAll forward-facing seats on buses in Wales may again be occupied from Monday 21 June, subject to appropriate mitigations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 being in place. The change has been made possible by the Welsh Government’s acceptance of a risk-based case developed by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) that was first adopted in England from 17 May. 
• National Express Accessible Transport awarded ‘Covid-19 Stronger Together’ awardt the Living Wage Champion Awards, National Express Accessible Transport (NEAT) was recognised for its leadership in supporting local communities throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. From the start of the 2020 lockdown NEAT has worked together with partners to provide much needed support for NHS heroes and vulnerable citizens across the West Midlands. Its leadership, kindness and resilience over the past year was described as ‘inspirational,’ leading to the ‘Covid-19 Stronger Together’ trophy being awarded by the Living Wage Foundation.

New Civil Engineer

• Khan under pressure to ‘pause and reflect’ over Silvertown TunnelLondon mayor Sadiq Khan has come under pressure to “pause and reflect” on plans for the Silvertown Tunnel in light of the climate emergency.
• Future of Rail | Does the Williams-Shapps review signal a brave new world for rail?Publication of the Williams-Shapps Review heralds the start of a railways overhaul which will shape the sector for the next 30 years and beyond. But questions still remain.

Rail Advent

• Class 93 locomotives on London to Stirling services – Grand Union revises proposalGrand Union Trains has revised its plans for its London to Stirling service, including what locomotive will be used.

Railnews

• Heathrow western access rail link ‘set to be mothballed’PLANS to build a new west-facing connection from the Great Western Main Line into Heathrow Airport have been put back, according to Network Rail chief Andrew Haines.

Railway Gazette

• CAF selected for major battery train orderGERMANY: CAF has been named as preferred bidder for what it says is the largest order to date for battery trains. This covers the supply and maintenance of more than 60 electric multiple-units which will be able to operate on non-electrified sections of the Niederrhein-Mьnsterland network.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Baroness Vere pays visit to Masons Minibus and Coach HireTransport Minister Baroness Vere has made good on a promise to visit a coach operator, having recently visited Masons Minibus and Coach Hire.
• Stagecoach Manchester launches bus driver apprenticeship programmeStagecoach Manchester is building on its induction training programme with the launch of a bus driver apprenticeship programme.
• Coachmarque review prepares it for industry’s recovery periodCoachmarque has prepared itself for the industry’s recovery period with an in-depth review of the accreditation scheme, carried out earlier in 2021. That work evaluated what Coachmarque is and what it does, what members need from it and how it can assist their rebuilding, preparation of a strategy document and how its aims will be delivered.
• Coach marketing campaign: Rallying call for industry supportOrganisers of the proposed nationwide marketing campaign to raise the profile of coaches and coach travel have called on members of the industry who may still be considering participation to come forward and pledge their support ahead of the 30 June deadline.
• Bus Partnership Fund awards first £23.6m to priority in ScotlandUp to £23.6m from the Bus Partnership Fund (BPF) in Scotland has been awarded to eight partnerships to help them to tackle the effects of congestion on services. It represents the first allocation of money from the BPF, which was formed thanks to the Scottish Government’s commitment to provide a long-term investment of over £500m to deliver targeted priority measures.
• Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone set for 30 May 2022 startPublication of the final Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan has revealed that the region’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is set to commence on 30 May 2022.
• UrbanThings adds mobile ticketing function to its Bus Checker appUrbanThings has added a mobile ticketing function to its real time and journey planning app, Bus Checker.
• Network One extends multi-operator ticketing to County Durham and NorthumberlandTyne and Wear ticket provider Network One has extended its offering to include integrated bus and Metro ticketing in County Durham and Northumberland.

The Business Desk

• Derby contractor completes major rail works across the UKWorks are continuing at six renovation projects across the north thanks to specialist contractor The Input Group – including Manchester Victoria, Keighley, Ilkley, Alnmouth, Redcar, Mills Hill and Prescot railway stations.

Other News Sources

• Joint Statement on meeting with Minister for Transport, Graeme DeyThe joint trade unions (ASLEF, RMT, TSSA & Unite) met this morning with the new Scottish Government Minister for Transport, Graeme Dey, to discuss ongoing issues around pay & rest day working arrangements.
• Council chiefs insist Halifax rail station gateway project is on trackCouncil chiefs in Calderdale have insisted today that the multi-million pound Halifax rail station project is on track and is not delayed.
• Energy minister defends government record on climate changeI spoke to Anne-Marie Trevelyan - who's Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, and asked her whether she thought we have a coherent enough plan to persuade the rest of the world to follow us at the COP summit in Glasgow.