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

Wednesday, 13 October 2021

BBC News

• Cotswold Airport aims to become carbon neutralA private airport is planning to use new low carbon solar technology to reduce its environmental impact.
• Greater Manchester rail timetable aims to 'unclog bottlenecks'Changes to Greater Manchester's rail services will help reduce passenger delays, a minister says.
• Black History Tube map highlights London's black iconsThe new map replaces traditional station names with names of notable black people from history.
• Richmond Park: Men armed with machetes targeting high-end bicyclesPolice have urged vigilance after three thefts in on London park, including a £10,000 bike.
• Felixstowe port says HGV shortage a factor in container logjamShipping giant Maersk says it is diverting cargo from Port of Felixstowe due to congestion.

Financial Times

• Brompton warns bike industry needs 18 months to recover from supply shocksMargins squeezed despite rising prices for foldable bikes as company struggles to secure raw materials
• EasyJet declares aviation recovery under way as it forecasts £1bn lossBookings jumped after UK government eased travel restrictions last month

The Guardian

• Christmas shortages loom as Felixstowe struggles with backlogSuffolk port handling 40% of UK's containerised imports and exports forced to turn away ships from Asia. Fears are growing about Christmas stock shortages after Felixstowe, the UK's biggest container port, was forced to turn away ships from Asia because of a backlog of containers caused by the HGV driver shortage.
• Rocket men: how billionaires are using celebrities as PR for their space projectsCritics see the awful business of private space tourism as having little technological or exploration value. As Star Trek's iconic Captain James T Kirk, he voyaged the universe for the good of humanity. The nonagenarian actor William Shatner's brief, real-life thrill ride off the planet today, however, is much less about advancing the species as promoting the fortunes of Blue Origin, the private space company owned by the Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos that's taking him there.

The Independent

• Why reopening one train line in Devon is only the start of a much-needed rail revolution“After 50yrs the Dartmoor Line is back!” So wrote the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, in an excited tweet.

Times Online

• EasyJet set to fly into winter with £1bn losses [subscription]The short-haul European carrier, a big player at British airports such as Gatwick, Manchester and Luton, is experiencing a pick-up in passenger demand to winter sunspots such as the Canaries — capacity is up 140 per cent for half term. It also claimed that there has been a return of appetite for city breaks and of business passengers.
• Containers of Christmas gifts turned away as Felixstowe port hits capacity [subscription]The delay threatens to become the latest emergency to hit Britain after fuel shortages at the pumps and rising gas prices. It came 24 hours after Boris Johnson backed a multimillion-pound bailout for energy intensive industries.

Birmingham Post

• Hitachi wins Gloucestershire digital rail signalling contract The firm will work with Sheffield engineering firm Linbrooke on the technology
• Rolls-Royce says it has successfully completed more than 3,000 hours of tests on its new Pearl 700 engineExtreme test conditions include bird strikes and cold start temperatures, where fuel takes on viscosity of honey

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Why this site could be so important for Bradford - and the NorthTHE case for bringing high-speed rail to Bradford continues to be made amid fears the Northern Powerhouse Project (NPR) could be “severely pared backâ€� and the city dropped from the plans.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Threat to axe direct rail services between North Wales and Manchester Airport is droppedBusiness leaders in the region had feared the region could lose out under options put forward by transport chiefs in Manchester
• Caernarfon bypass speed limit set by Welsh Government ministersConstruction of the £135million road started in June 2019 and remains on track to be completed by early next year

London Evening Standard

• Tube map redesigned by TfL to mark Black History MonthAuthor Andrea Levy, singer Errol Brown and footballer Justin Fashanu among people honoured
• Petrol shortages: Situation in London still ‘serious’ with forecourts ‘unclear when next deliveries are’Shortages at petrol stations remain “seriousâ€� with a tenth of petrol stations in London and the southeast still without fuel, retailers have warned.

Sheffield Star

• Anger as rail bosses ditch hourly service from Sheffield to Manchester AirportTransport bosses have sparked anger after revealing timetable changes that end Sheffield’s hourly trains to Manchester Airport.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• New rail timetable 'not good for anybody in the north' says Yorkshire mayorDirect trains between Sheffield and Manchester Airport are set to be drastically reduced in comparison to before the pandemic as rail Revised rail timetables which will see services between Sheffield and Manchester Airport dramatically reduced are “not good for anybody in the north” one mayor has said.timetables around the north are shaken up in an attempt to prevent bottlenecks.

Yorkshire Post

• Doncaster invokes rich rail heritage as it bids to become new HQ for Great British RailwaysDoncaster has submitted a bid in becoming the new home of the Great British Railways, which aims to bring jobs and investment out from London.
• Yorkshire mayors join forces with others across north calling on Grant Shapps to commit to Northern Powerhouse RailYorkshire mayors have joined forces with others across the north of England calling on the Government to commit to Northern Powerhouse Rail and warning they are at risk of “exacerbating the north-south divide” if they do not invest.

Other Regional Press

• Major changes to trains from Cleethorpes and Grimsby to Manchester AirportThe direct train link from Cleethorpes to Manchester Airport will soon be scrapped amid new rail plans announced by the Government.

Business Live

• Hourly Manchester Airport direct rail link looks set to go on South Humber BankDirect Liverpool service and a change at Manchester Piccadilly looks set to be impact of ''high performing' timetable changes

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• ZF expands expertise in the future field of autonomous drivingZF has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Oxbotica, a global leader in autonomous vehicle software, to develop a Level 4 self-driving system which will initially be deployed in passenger shuttles in major cities around the world.   ZF and Oxbotica will develop a Level 4 self-driving system that can be integrated into various vehicles including Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) shuttles to provide on-demand passenger and also goods transportation vehicles in urban environments.   The two companies share a joint vision for the future of mobility and the transformational potential...
• Hitachi Rail awarded Network Rail digital signalling contractHitachi Rail and Linbrooke have been awarded a contract by Network Rail to design digital signalling technology specifically for the Gloucester area.   This digital signalling solution will be a significant upgrade, replacing the current switch panel that was installed in the 1960s.    The introduction of digital Signalling Command Control system gives the operator complete picture of the network and automated updates.    This will enable Network Rail to respond more effectively to any issues or incidents, reducing passenger disruption and improving management of rail ...

New Civil Engineer

• ‘Ingenious’ tunnel drill developed by Network Rail and AmeyNetwork Rail and Amey have developed a new overhead line tunnel drill designed to improve worker safety, speed up work and save money in the long run.
• Cost of reversing Great Musgrave bridge infilling soarsThe estimated cost of reversing the controversial infilling of a bridge in Great Musgrave, Cumbria, has tripled, it can be revealed.
• Why blocking Manchester underground station proposal could cause problems for HS2 and NPRBlocking proposals for an underground through station in Manchester linking High Speed 2 (HS2) and Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) could lead to ongoing connectivity and capacity problems on the railways.
• How engineers restored the abandoned Dartmoor railway line in just nine monthsFor the first time in nearly 50 years, regular passenger services will run on the formerly-abandoned Dartmoor Line, connecting Okehampton to Exeter.

Rail Advent

• Leeds station remodelling means disruption this OctoberLeeds stations ongoing improvement work means service disruption during October with passengers advised to check their journeys ahead

The Business Desk

• Bid announced to host headquarters of new Great British Railways organisationDoncaster has put itself forward to accommodate the HQ of the planned new public body – Great British Railways. (GBR).

Other News Sources

• Heathrow urges UK government to focus on sustainable aviation fuelHeathrow airport has called on the UK government to scale up the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in the UK to cut emissions.
• Leader's fears over 'once in a generation' rail investmentTHE leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council says the Government will be ‘shirking one of the biggest decisions in a generation’ if it scales back plans to invest in the North’s railways.
• Heathrow Express launches Google Maps partnershipThe deal will see the high-speed train offer information on journey times and fast access to tickets between central London and Heathrow within the Google Maps journey planner.
• ‘Not just about track and trains’: Firms urged to bid on £25 billion HS2 contractsGOVERNMENT ministers are urging businesses across the East of England to tender for some of the 400,000 contract opportunities expected to
• MAYOR DAN JARVIS SAYS “LEVELLING UP” WILL BE DERAILED WITHOUT INVESTMENT IN NORTHERN RAIL NETWORKAs the Department for Transport unveils its new timetable to ease congestion around Manchester, South Yorkshire Mayor Dan Jarvis says it’s high time the government committed to investing in a Northern rail network fit for the 21st century.  
• Calls grow to save the 'valued' London trains under threat in BathA petition has been launched to save the South Western Railway service from Bristol to London Waterloo.
• High performing rail timetable announced for ManchesterThe core of a new timetable for rail services in and around Manchester has been approved for December 2022, focused on improving the performance of rail services and providing more punctual, reliable journeys for passengers.