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

Wednesday, 30 November 2022

BBC News

• The UK train that shouldn't existThe Settle-Carlisle line is the most scenic rail route in England: a 73-mile trundle through the wide fells of Yorkshire and Cumbria. But it was only built because of dented pride.
• Ferries Scandal: Shipyard takeover 'wasted' £200m of public moneyFormer Ferguson boss claims ministers rejected an offer to finish two CalMac ferries for an extra £50m.

Department for Transport

• Letter from the Secretary of State for Transport to the General Secretary of the RMTLetter from the Rt Hon Mark Harper MP to Mick Lynch regarding the industrial dispute on the railways.

Financial Times

• No way to run a railway: UK’s trains have veered off trackStalled reform and lack of strategic direction is holding back any chance of functioning system

The Guardian

• Claw back £12m ’failing’ rail firm paid out in dividends, Labour urgesAvanti West Coast, which received £343m subsidy, had worst punctuality performance among train operators. Labour has called on ministers to claw back £12m in dividends paid by Avanti West Coast to its shareholders last year, when it was subsidised by £343m by the taxpayer.

The Independent

• Transport Secretary hails ’constructive’ meeting over rail disputeThe Transport Secretary has made it clear his role is to “facilitate and support” a deal in the long-running rail dispute rather than get involved in negotiations.

Times Online

• EasyJet bumps up its ticket prices as losses soar to £2bn [subscription]EasyJet is to increase fares by more than 20 per cent and even higher at peak Christmas holiday times as the airline attempts to claw back losses totalling more than £2 billion.
• Private parking firms made £50m total profits in lockdowns. [subscription]Seven of the top private parking firms had a collective turnover of more than £650 million and earned more than £50 million in profit in the past three years despite the Covid lockdowns, an investigation has found.
• Easyjet stuck in a holding pattern. [subscription]f the challenges battering the aviation industry forces consolidation, the budget airline easyJet looks ripe for another takeover approach. A narrowing loss and a recovery in passenger numbers that has seen capacity creep further towards the pre-pandemic level might help to convince suitors that the risks facing the group are already accounted for in a cut-price market value.
• Private investors ’put off’ electric charging market [subscription]The thousands of subsidised electrical vehicle chargers around Scotland are putting investors off spending money expanding the network of connection points, a public body has warned.

City AM

• Transport secretary Mark Harper: My role is to facilitate rail talks – not negotiateTransport secretary Mark Harper has reaffirmed his role of facilitator in the railway negotiations.

i News

• Tory MP forced to drive 90 minutes to get on a train due to northern rail chaosA Red Wall Conservative MP has told of how she has to drive for an hour-and-half to catch a train to London to attend Parliament due to ongoing rail chaos in the North of England.

Mail Online

• Union bosses accuse ministers of showing an ’astonishing lack of urgency’ to prevent Christmas rail strikesRMT boss Mick Lynch said his next meeting with ministers was not taking place until Friday – more than a week after he last met them.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Roadworks and 40mph speed cameras on A55 will now stay for months longer in one directionWelsh Government had previously said that the roadworks and reduced speed limit would go this month
• Raft of support measures to ease Menai Bridge closure misery to be unveiledHelp includes free parking, traffic flow solutions, access to active travel routes and additional bus stops

London Evening Standard

• Northern mayors to meet Transport Secretary Mark Harper over rail ’chaos’Labour mayors from West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Manchester, Liverpool and North Tyneside will urge the Cabinet minister to improve services.

The York Press

• New bus route to LNER Community Stadium for York City fansA NEW dedicated shuttle bus service will be put in place for fans attending York City home matches.

Wales Online

• Plans for multi-million pound path between Penarth Esplanade and Cardiff Bay Barrage could be brought backThe cost of the initial scheme rose to more than £23 million

Other Regional Press

• How ’scaled back’ Euston will look after HS2 facelift…HS2 has released another batch of images showing how the roads around its new “downsized” Euston terminus might look before submitting its first major planning application to the council in the spring.
• MP ASKS WIGHTLINK AND ISLAND LINE TO COORDINATE TIMETABLES AMID ’REDUCING FREQUENCY’ FRUSTRATIONSFrustrated by the lack of connectivity between some ferry and rail services, Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely has asked Wightlink and South Western Railway to coordinate their timetables to improve journeys for passengers.
• Northern rail bans e-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards on trains and stations amid fire fearsThey are banned on all trains and at stations
• North Yorkshire train operator bans e-scooters from servicesThe rail operator that runs local trains in York, Selby and across North Yorkshire has banned e-scooters and electric skateboards from all of its services and stations.

New Civil Engineer

• Costain wins Heathrow Airport construction roleCostain has been appointed by Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) to deliver a series of construction and infrastructure renewal projects.
• ’Inflationary pressures’ put Network Rail plans at ’risk’Network Rail's board is concerned that the rate of inflation will have a negative impact on plans for the next control period (CP7).

Rail Advent

• Passengers delighted with the new Perry Barr railway station.The new Perry Barr Railway station is operated by West Midlands Railway and has seen approximately 40,000 passengers making journeys either to or from the station after it opened on the 29th of May this year.

The Business Desk

• Midlands businesses back reintroduction of abandoned rail linkA majority of local businesses would support the reintroduction of a direct rail link between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham, a new survey has revealed.

Transportxtra

• Wales and Borders passengers ride first new train in 22 yearsThe first new train in 22 years on the Wales and Borders network has begun operation in North Wales. The diesel unit, built by CAF in Newport, entered service on 14 November on the scenic Conwy Valley branch line.

Other News Sources

• First Minister dampens hopes of rail line between north and south WalesThe First Minister appears to have dampened hopes of a rail service connecting north and south Wales – while figures have revealed the huge sum of pay-out costs for delayed trains.