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

Thursday, 03 August 2023

BBC News

• Tube mishap sees train pull into abandoned stationA Jubilee line train stopped at a station which has not been used by passengers for 25 years.
• Hull 802: Public asked to choose name for delayed ferryThe ship still being built at Ferguson shipyard has so far only been known as
• Asda publish fuel prices online as prices riseThe supermarket claimed publishing its fuel prices at stations would give people

The Herald

• Call to give CalMac permanent contract to run Scots ferry servicesA key Scottish Labour figure has called on the state-owned ferry operator CalMac to get a permanent public contract to run the ageing ferry fleet.
• Anger as £800m Clyde shipbuilding plan to resolve ferries crisis sinksMinisters have come under fire as an £800m scheme to create a Clyde shipbuilding revolution and solve Scotland's ferry crisis with a fleet of 50 catamarans has been sunk.

The Scotsman

• Exclusive:Investigation into 'rigged' ferry contract not examining whether procurement rules were brokenCMAL hired Barry Smith KC after the BBC documentary the Great Ferries Scandal aired in September last year.

Times Online

• Public can name ill-fated CalMac ferry [subscription]The firm behind Scotland’s beleaguered ferry service has been criticised for creating a shortlist to name its delayed and over-budget boat amid claims that the islanders’ own suggestions would have been “unprintable”.

Daily Record

• CalMac ferry forced to dock in Ayr amid urgent reshuffleCalMac have had to reshuffle their fleet amidst adverse weather set to hit their Ardrossan to Brodick service on Wednesday

Bristol Live

• Ticket office closures at train stations 'could mean higher fares for train passengers'The West of England mayor has warned that closing ticket offices in railway stations could lead to passengers paying higher fares for trains. Train companies across the country are consulting the public on their plans to close hundreds of ticket offices in stations.

Manchester Evening News

• The new deal that could transform six Greater Manchester train stationsA new deal which could lead to big changes at six Greater Manchester train stations has been agreed. Local and national transport bodies have joined forces to come up with a plan for the stations in Manchester and Salford.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• I rode the first train on the Northumberland Line which will connect Newcastle to Ashington from next summerThe eagerly-anticipated trainline will connect Newcastle to six stations in South East Northumberland and North Tyneside
• Business owner calls for change in Newcastle Clean Air Zone toll after being charged twice in one nightNigel Kirkup says that the midnight cut-off point for the charges has a disproportionate impact on businesses working in the city centre's nightlife

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham tram operator says it is struggling to compete against £2 bus capThe Government's scheme on buses will see single fares capped until next November

This Is Local London Network

• East London MP opposes train station ticket office closuresPlans to close train station ticket offices were met with concern after an initial consultation deadline on the proposals was labelled a "disgrace".

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Call for HS2 to release compensation figures amid fears scheme is costing communitiesA Staffordshire MP is calling for the release of figures showing how many home owners and businesses will receive compensation for land used for the HS2 rail project.

Yorkshire Post

• HS2: Government told to take responsibility for ’scandalous’ mismanagement and stop ’chopping and changing’The Government has been told it must take responsibility for the “absolutely scandalous” mismanagement of HS2 and stop “chopping and changing” the plans.
• HS2 farce highlights how the Government’s indecisiveness is holding the region back - The Yorkshire Post saysThe development and building of HS2 has descended into something bordering a farce. It best encapsulates the Government’s inability to see through a major infrastructure project to its original specifications outside of London.

Leeds Live

• Leeds Bradford is third-worst UK airport according to customers“Easily the most deplorable god awful airport in the 21st century."

Other Regional Press

• Northern aims to entice more students from road to rail with 75%-off train tickets from SeptemberThe train operator is hoping to entice more students from road to rail from September with the offer of 75%-off train tickets for students’ commute to school.
• c2c clampdown on south Essex commuters fare dodgingCOMMUTERS who tried to dodge fares have been ordered to pay back £100,000 to a south Essex rail firm.
• Siobhan Baillie MP invites Mark Harper to Stroud railway stationMP SIOBHAN Baillie invited the transport secretary to Stroud railway station last week to explain why lifts are needed to solve access problems.
• HS2 branded 'unachievable' by Oxfordshire wildlife campaignersOxfordshire wildlife campaigners said 'huge amounts of countryside will have been lost for nothing' after the HS2 high speed rail link was branded ‘unachievable’.
• HS2 sees 5,600 tonne bridge moved between Coventry and Leamington SpaIt's the latest stage of the massive engineering project which will allow the high speed railway to pass underneath the existing Coventry to Leamington Spa line

New Civil Engineer

• Network Rail and Transport for Greater Manchester partner up to drive regional rail regenerationA new partnership between Network Rail and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has been established to deliver a vision including station and railway upgrades, integrated transport and zero carbon.

Rail Advent

• MP and rail industry delegates visit Institute of Railway ResearchMP Jason McCartney and Rail Industry representatives from the Railway Industry Association North group recently visited the Institute of Railway Research (IRR) to discuss the state of the rail industry and how to get the best from its future potential.

Transportxtra

• Councils blame rural and shire bus cutbacks on lack of BSIP fundingBus provision in rural and shire council areas has been reduced by more than a quarter over the last 12 years, according to research commissioned by the County Councils Network (CCN). It blames the decline on the absence of Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP) funding in many such areas.
• Terms of new study into running HS2 train services to Leeds set outDetails have been set out by the DfT of the study that will assess potential options to run HS2 trains into Leeds city centre and reassess evidence to improve connectivity in Bradford.

Other News Sources

• Bulging order backlogs and higher profits for Spanish rolling stock manufacturersTalgo and CAF have posted solid number over the past six months, in the past few days. CAF is sitting on a new all-time high order back log, while Talgo noted that it is on track for a a new record over the whole of 2023. Both rolling stock manufacturer posted increases in net profit.
• Channel ferry crews to be better protected by new French and UK lawsBut not all cross-Channel ferry companies have signed an additional voluntary charter on wages and working conditions
• Roads Minister tells Cornwall's bus companies 'you have to provide a reliable service'Government minister said he was also listening to growing calls for Tamar Bridge tolls to be scrapped
• Rail industry has ’unacceptable’ health provision for workers, the regulator has saidThe rail industry has ’unacceptable’ elements of how it manages the health of its workers, its regulator has said. The importance of health and safety training in the rail sectorThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said in this year’s health and safety report that ’it is unacceptable that industry has failed to provide adequate toilet facilities for staff’
• TfGM and Network Rail announce partnership for city-wide transport and regeneration strategyNetwork Rail and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) have today announced a new partnership to deliver a joint vision for Manchester and Salford’s central railway stations.
• Powys town council criticises Transport for Wales over stationA COUNCIL has criticised Transport for Wales’ handling of maintenance at Welshpool Railway Station.
• Why we need to address the rail sector’s skills shortage. By Nick Andrew As an industry, it feels like the skills shortage is something we’ve been talking about for a while. ’Talking’ being the key word. While that’s fantastic because it means that we’re all working together to raise awareness of the issue, and there’s universal agreement that it’s a problem, time is of the essence if we’re going to ’fill the gaps’ that are coming.
• Network Rail complete multi-million Glasgow rail bridge refurbishmentA Glasgow Cross rail bridge which had a multi-million-pound refurbishment has finished ahead of schedule.
• HS2: First 1.6km of twin bored tunnel completed in London despite ground issuesThe Skanska, Costain and Strabag joint venture has made progress on High Speed 2’s Northolt tunnel, with the first mile completed, after encountering challenging ground conditions.
• Video: Station ticket office closures could breach Equality Act, warns Farnham Town CouncilAlmost a million journeys are made to or from Farnham railway station every year – and yet the town’s only public transport hub could soon be unstaffed every afternoon and evening and all day on Sundays.
• Major work at Preston station after metal roof adornments plunge onto platforms and trackThe current station structure was largely constructed around 1880 and holds Grade II Listed status