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

Thursday, 08 July 2021

BBC News

• Isle of Wight railway £67m extension plans submittedPlans for a railway extension on the Isle of Wight have been submitted to the Department for Transport.
• £200m Transport Hub on track to boost capacityTranslink says its plan is on schedule as work has continued throughout the pandemic.
• Ever Given: Ship that blocked Suez Canal sets sail after deal signedThe megaship Ever Given is finally leaving the Suez Canal after a deal is struck with Egypt.

Financial Times

• Deutsche Post DHL to pay €200m in staff bonuses as ecommerce booms German logistics group posts record profits with strong growth across all five divisions
• MSC poised to overtake Maersk as biggest shipping group New CEO of family-run business to manage aggressive growth as pandemic lifts profits
• UK tries to solve lorry driver shortage by allowing longer hours on roadSurveys suggest pay pressures increasing across British economy due to struggles finding staff

The Telegraph

• Uber faces Chinese challenge as Didi hits UK roads [subscription]Ride-hailing company wins licences in Manchester and Sheffield as it comes under fire from Chinese regulators

Times Online

• Covid: Rush for amber-list holidays as Britain prepares to drop quarantine [subscription]Demand for holidays to amber-list countries has soared as the government prepares to scrap quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travellers.

Mail Online

• Amtrak to spend $7.3 bn on US rail upgrade, with $3.4 bn on Siemens trainsAmtrak will invest $7.3 billion to upgrade US rail travel with more fuel-efficient trains and improved customer amenities, such as panoramic windows and touchless restroom controls, the company announced Wednesday.

Network Rail

• Passenger trains converted to deliver parcels to city centresHigh-speed parcel deliveries will soon be made by rail to satisfy a growing demand for faster freight.

Sky News

• COVID-19: Trains, planes and buses can have their own face mask rules after 19 July, transport secretary saysThe PM said on Monday there will be no legal requirement on wearing face masks beyond the final stage of lockdown easing, despite calls for coverings to remain mandatory on public transport.
• Double-jabbed Britons will be allowed to travel to 140 amber list countries with no quarantine on returnSummer holidays are finally set for take-off as the government allows fully vaccinated travellers to avoid quarantine rules from later this month.

Birmingham Mail

• Train cancellations in Birmingham due to 'struggle to train drivers'West Midlands Railway said it takes twice as long to train new drivers due to the pandemic, while recent cancellations are also down to crew self-isolating by NHS Test & Trace due to the Delta variant surge

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Stunning images show how Sunderland's 'eyesore' train station will be transformedBosses have revealed a six-year vision for a city station which would 'give Sunderland the rail station it deserves'

Wales Online

• Transport for Wales tells staff not to enforce social distancing on trainsIn a brief to colleagues, Transport for Wales said social distancing capacity breaches must not be enforced by staff

New Civil Engineer

• ‘Infilling historic bridges is so unnecessary’: An alternative solution for Highways EnglandA 159-year-old masonry arched bridge perched idyllically in the heart of the Cumbrian countryside has gone from relative obscurity to the centre of a nationwide scandal in a matter of days.
• Elephant & Castle fire is a ‘wake up call’ for Network RailThe recent fire at Elephant & Castle station should act as a “wake up call” for Network Rail, according to a fire safety expert.

Railnews

• Union calls for 'rail rethink' in wake of MPs' report A highly critical rail report from a committee of MPs says the Department for Transport faces 'an extremely challenging and uncertain environment in which to implement reforms'. The RMT union has called for an 'urgent' government rethink.

Railway Technology

• Network Rail invests $3.6m in Balham station restoration projectAs part of the Balham station restoration project, the platforms have been refurbished with new surfaces.

Green Miscellany

• Cyclists may ride on pavements on condition they do so consideratelyWe’re a country that turns a blind eye to the danger caused by pavement parking, but the same can’t be said of our attitudes towards cycling on the footway. And yet, Minister for Cycling Robert Goodwill has this week restated the official line from the Department for Transport (DfT) that cyclists may ride on pavements – on condition they do… The post Cyclists may ride on pavements on condition they do so considerately appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Funding boost for major railway station plans"Transformational" plans to revamp Sunderland's central train station have moved forward with a £26m boost.
• How to build a demand-responsive transport network in just 10 minutesVia’s Partnership Lead Olivia Blahut explains how transport operators and agencies can begin building demand-responsive services in as little as 10 minutes.
• Lincolnshire commuters angry as scores of EMR journeys scrappedLincolnshire rail commuters say they have been left with limited and overcrowded transport options after East Midlands Railway temporarily cut almost 50 county services.