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

Tuesday, 11 July 2023

BBC News

• Easyjet cancels 1,700 flights from July to SeptemberThe airline axes flights to and from Gatwick airport as schools head towards the summer break.
• London Waterloo: The hidden world beneath busy railway stationA labyrinth of arches and alleyways dating back to 1848 weaves its way under the railway station.
• Night bus services to end across Greater GlasgowOperator First Bus blames low passenger numbers for stopping services a year after their reintroduction.
• Train speeding near Peterborough could have overturned - reportA train was close to overturning after a driver went more than twice the speed limit, investigators found.

Financial Times

• Plans to expand London City Airport blocked by local authorityProposal rejected by Newham council over climate and noise pollution concerns
• EasyJet cancels 1,700 flights this summer due to air traffic control delaysAirline cuts schedule over holiday period because of impact of Ukraine war and possible strike action

The Independent

• Boost train competition to ’revitalise’ railways, report urgesMost rail routes in Britain are served by a single operator handed a government contract.

The Telegraph

• Rail fares ’could be halved’ under plans to let more firms to compete on same lines. [subscription]Rail Partners, which represents private rail firms, suggests passengers could see cost reductions of between 15 and 50 per cent
• Closure of ticket offices is a national scandal. [subscription]It is true most people buy rail tickets elsewhere, but there must be no customers who want to get rid of ticket office

Times Online

• Glasgow nightlife ’at risk’ as night buses are axed. [subscription]Glasgow risks losing its reputation as a world-leading city for music after a bus company cancelled night services, bosses in the entertainment industry have said.

Network Rail

• Construction of Dore & Totley station second platform to begin this weekendWork will begin this Saturday 15 July on the construction of a new platform at Dore & Totley station in Sheffield.
• Leeds Station Capacity improvements hailed for world-leading sustainability credentialsWork to improve capacity at Leeds station, delivered as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, has been awarded an ’excellent’ BREEAM rating.
• Kingussie station bridge plans submittedNetwork Rail has submitted a further application to make Kingussie station fully accessible for passengers.
• Six month platform upgrade starts at Lichfield Trent Valley this weekendRail passengers are being advised about a six-month long project which starts this weekend to completely rebuild platform 3 at Lichfield Trent Valley station.
• Railway upgrades to close Trent Valley line for nine days from SaturdayRail passengers are being advised of changes to journeys over nine days from this weekend while engineers invest millions of pounds improving future journeys on the West Coast main line through Staffordshire.

The York Press

• 'Are First as good at buses as they were at trains?First Bus's fare increases, especially for cash-paying passengers, are causing consternation

Other Regional Press

• Rail ticket office closures: Calderdale rail campaign group's angry at to axe ticket offices along Calder Valley lineRail user groups are angry about plans by train companies to axe ticket offices, hitting the Calder Valley line hard.
• Lincolnshire MP calls to protect jobs as ticket offices set to closePlans to “modernise” the railway network by closing hundreds of ticket offices across the country – including several in Lincolnshire – must ensure the protection of jobs in the sector, a local MP has stated.
• How new £14m Dewsbury bus station will look Heckmondwike and Huddersfield stations will also be given major upgrades
• Boost train competition to ’revitalise’ railways, report urgesRail Partners, which represents private train companies, said allowing operators to run services on the same lines is more common on the Continent and can lead to a boost in passenger numbers, newer trains, cheaper fares and reduced subsidies.
• ​Funding withdrawn for subsidised bus service in CaerphillyCaerphilly County Borough Council is set to withdraw £120,000 funding for the Rail Linc 901 bus service between Blackwood and Ystrad Mynach Train Station due to falling numbers and budget constraints.
• MP 'livid' after 'abysmal' Transport for Wales breaks promises to Cheshire commutersTwo Cheshire MPs have hit out at Transport for Wales over a "lack of reliability" and "broken" promises to consituents. Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury said he is "livid" after Transport for Wales (TfW) announced the service between Chester and Liverpool would not return to hourly frequency until next year.

Airportwatch

• EasyJet cancels 1,700 summer flights from Gatwick. [subscription]EasyJet has cancelled more than 1,700 summer flights as it blamed “unprecedented” issues with air traffic control in Europe.

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• Calling All Stations with Christian Wolmar, Episode 22Christian and co-presenter Mark Walker discuss the furious reaction to suggestions that booking offices at most of England's main line rail stations will be closed and the arguments put forward by advocates of this policy [01:30]; Christian undertakes a cab ride between London Paddington and Oxford with Great Western Railway Managing Director Mark Hopwood (and some very skilful drivers) in which they discuss a range of issues including the benefits of infrastructure and station investments, incomplete electrification, integration with local buses and the restoration of Nuneham Viaduct [11:47]; finally, Christian examines the agreement at the International Maritime Organisation on measures to reduce carbon emissions from merchant shipping [37:13].

New Civil Engineer

• Final phase of Menai Suspension Bridge repair works to start in SeptemberFurther works to restore and enhance the structural safety of the Menai Suspension Bridge, which connects mainland Wales and the Isle of Anglesey, will begin on 4 September and last for up to two years, the Welsh Government has announced.
• National Highways’ £50M hydrogen strategy for Lower Thames Crossing will be a ’catalyst for change’National Highways has revealed its low carbon hydrogen power strategy for its £9bn Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) project, which it believes will be “a step change in the industry”.

Rail Advent

• Leeds station capacity improvements win sustainability awardLeeds station capacity improvements have achieved an ’excellent' rating under the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM).
• Report details Alstom’s near £1bn contribution to UK and Ireland GDPAccording to Alstom's 2023 Economic Impact Report compiled by EY, in the financial year 2022/23, it supported a contribution of nearly £1bn to the UK and Ireland's GDP.

Rail Business Daily

• Rail summit hits Treasury with ’quick win’ investment prospectusSending a clear message to the Treasury, business and transport leaders have urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to agree improvements to the Ely Junction bottleneck which notoriously holds back trade and the wide prosperity it should bring.
• Hitachi Rail Awarded New Contract to Maintain TransPennine Express Nova 1 TrainsThe trains, which were also built by Hitachi, were first introduced into passenger service in 2019 and are known as ’Nova 1’ fleet. Hitachi said it believed it won this renewed contract based on the reliability of the Nova 1 fleet so far.
• On Track Group and Harry Needle Railroad Company join forces in rolling stock service collaborationOn Track Group (OTG) and Harry Needle Railroad Company (HNRC) are working in partnership to provide turnkey solutions to the rolling stock industry.

Rail Partners

• Put aside ideological battles of public versus private – the evidence shows a thriving railway should be a shared responsibility, says Rail PartnersPut aside ideological battles of public versus private – the evidence shows a thriving railway should be a shared responsibility, says Rail Partners

Railway Gazette

• International growth planned with acquisition of UK rolling stock consultancyUK: The Rendel Ltd subsidiary of France’s Ingerop Group has purchased a controlling interest in T&RS Engineering Ltd, a Doncaster-based consultancy which provides rolling stock maintenance, overhaul, technical support and auditing services for operators, maintainers and leasing companies.

Railway Technology

• First of 60 new double-decker Stadler trains to enter service for SBBThe six-unit trains will enter service for the national rail company over the next three years.

Other News Sources

• Universities win £15m for new Railway Research and Innovation Centre in GooleCentre forms key part of £106m boost for UK Rail Research and Development
• Scotland’s Railway invites bids for £900M civils frameworkScotland's Railway has invited contractors to tender for a £900M framework that covers the delivery of railway structures renewals, buildings, enhancement, geotechnical and drainage works, across Scotland.
• Well, yes, this is how competition works - Adam Smith InstituteRail fares could be cut in half under government plans to allow trains to compete on the same lines, a leading rail body has said.
• West Midlands Trains Launches New On the Rails PodcastCue Podcasts have partnered with West Midlands Trains (WMT) to launch On the Rails, a podcast delving into a series of rail-related topics, travel tips, and industry stories told by members of the WMT family. On the Rails is hosted by Liam Bolland, Media Relations Executive at WMT and London Northwestern Railway (LNR).
• High-speed rail needs ’substantial’ extra funding across EUEuropean countries will have to provide “substantial” extra funding for new high-speed rail lines across the continent to achieve the EU’s targets under the Green Deal project to make transport more sustainable.
• Free rail tickets from airlines needed to help passengers ’ditch the car’Airlines should provide passengers with free train tickets for travel to airports in a bid to combat carbon emissions from cars. The call came as part of a 10-point ’Fewer Flights Charter’ published by a lobby group.
• Network Rail plan to unblock Channel Tunnel freight trafficNetwork Rail is proposing to adapt the line from Folkestone to Wembley in north London, via Ashford and Maidstone in Kent, at a surprisingly low cost of ten million pounds. The goal is to enable freight trains from across Europe to deliver goods directly to their destinations in Great Britain. Rail routes in the UK are constrained by a smaller loading gauge than the prevailing gauge in Continental Europe, but the infrastructure agency Network Rail say a modest reconfiguring of platforms and tunnels could remedy the problem and encourage more freight onto the rails.
• Alpha Trains announce new Chief Executive OfficerAlpha Trains have announced the appointment of Fernando Pérez as new Chief Executive Officer.
• Valencia-Madrid Rolling Highway to be operational in 2024A new Rolling Highway service between Madrid and Valencia, suitable for non-cranable semi-trailers, will be in service at the beginning 2024. The initiative is carried out by Tramesa, from Spain, and TransItalia, from Italy, both logistics operators, and is expected to boost the shift to rail for semi-trailers coming from Italy via sea. The Rolling Highway will be operated by Medway.
• Drive to boost use of Tamar Valley LineThe Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, with the support of local councillors, is striving to increase passenger numbers on the Tamar Valley Line, which currently remain lower than pre-pandemic levels.
• Electrification work to begin on the Midland Main LineNetwork Rail have confirmed that electrification work is to continue on the Midland Main Line to help create a greener railway for passengers.