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

Thursday, 28 September 2023

BBC News

• Alstom: Train firm warns potential contracts might not save jobsWorkers at a factory have been warned potential new contracts might not arrive in time to save their jobs.
• Bus services in East region to benefit from £15m cash injectionBus services in the East of England are to benefit from a government cash injection of more than £15m.
• Andy Burnham continues fight for new platforms at Piccadilly StationGreater Manchester Metro Mayor Andy Burnham has said he has not "given up" fighting for new platforms at Manchester Piccadilly station.
• County Durham building named 'world's first railway station'A "simple building" is believed to be the world's first railway station, according to Historic England. The listed status for Heighington and Aycliffe Railway Station in County Durham has been upgraded to Grade II*.
• Train testing begins on route without rail serviceReplacement trains are being tested on a railway route that has been suspended for 10 months after a maintenance firm went bust.
• Begging to be banned in north Wales railway stationsOffenders will be banned from Holyhead, Bangor, Colwyn Bay and Prestatyn stations.
• Wrightbus to provide hydrogen buses for Sizewell C nuclear plantIf successful an order of up to 150 buses could be placed - the largest fleet of hydrogen buses in the world.
• HS2 cuts would leave North with Victorian infrastructure - Labour mayorsLabour mayors are meeting in Leeds to urge PM Rishi Sunak to stick with the HS2 link to Manchester.
• HS2 firm 'cautious' about taking future UK projectsSpeculation the rail line could be scrapped raises doubts about future projects, says construction firms.

Department for Transport

• £80 million funding delivered to improve and protect bus servicesFunding will protect essential bus services and allow local authorities to make the improvements that would most benefit their communities.

Financial Times

• Greater Manchester mayor proposes compromise on HS2 rail line Burnham says northern leg could be delayed if government commits to east-west route
• Will Heathrow's third runway finally go ahead?A new chief executive and a boom in travel could resurrect the stalled project. But rising costs and environmental concerns stand in the way

The Guardian

• Every time a project like HS2 becomes a costly fiasco, we wonder why. So let me tell you: it’s clientelismThe relationship between those profiting from these big projects and those in power is such that no one truly costs or controls them
• Pulling plug on HS2 ’would be final nail in coffin for levelling up’Exclusive: Business leaders and politicians in north of England say scrapping high-speed rail link would threaten businesses and jobs

Times Online

• Don’t scrap HS2’s northern leg, Labour mayors tell Rishi SunakLess than a third of Conservative supporters back Rishi Sunak’s plan to scrap HS2’s northern link between Birmingham and Manchester, despite believing that the railway does not represent good value for money.
• Sadiq Khan confirms Blackwall tunnel toll from 2025Early signage suggests £4 car charge for one of east London’s few Thames crossings
• Poor transport links force northern housebuyers to stay closer to home. [subscription]A third of Londoners will look for a new property more than ten miles away — but only a tenth of Liverpudlians will do the same

City AM

• Summer slowdown: Car manufacturing turns negative again Car production fell by almost 10% in August, following six consecutive months of growth, new figures show. A total of 45,052 models rolled off factory lines, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). August typically has the fewest number of cars built because of summer shutdowns but last month was affected by extended [...]

Daily Record

• Bus services 'need to be brought under public control' as McGill's quits West LothianWest Lothian’s bus services should be brought under public control, it has been argued, after it emerged McGills Eastern Scottish is set to pull its services from the county.

Mail Online

• 'Short-sighted' ministers are to blame for the spiralling costs of HS2, blasts a former chairman of the project who accuses Downing Street of trying to pass the buckA former HS2 chairman has blamed 'short-sighted' ministers for the project's spiralling costs. Allan Cook, who chaired the project between 2018 and 2021, accused Downing Street of trying to pass the buck over who was responsible for going over budget.

Network Rail

• Network Rail on track to deliver final stage of multi-million-pound upgrade to the Ebbw Vale lineNetwork Rail is reminding passengers that buses will replace trains on the Ebbw Vale line on Saturday 30 September and Sunday 1 October as work on the £70m upgrade enters its final stage.

Birmingham Post

• Over 40 HS2 officials paid at least £150,000 a yearReports have suggested that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been warned the price tag for HS2 may have soared past £100bn

Bristol Live

• Protest over 20mph Wales speed limit to cause disruption on M4It is expected that around 100 too 300 protesters will take part this weekend

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Police find more drug than drink drivers on the roads of North WalesConcerns have been raised over a lower 'stigma' attached to drug driving
• Lee Waters says some Welsh roads could return to 30mph as he faces no confidence voteThe Welsh Government deputy climate change minister insists the 20mph law is 'right'

Liverpool Echo

• City region gets £3.1m to support bus services and help 'grow the economy'The money will go towards supporting existing services

Northern Echo

• Government to rule on Arriva's appeal into TVCA bus offerThe dispute between bus operator Arriva and Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen over a deal for concessionary fares is being reviewed by the government.

Wales Online

• 'Go-slow' protests could be held on Welsh roads over default 20mph limitsThere has also been vocal opposition to the changes

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Region set to benefit from investment in bus servicesResidents across the West Midlands are set to benefit from lower fares, improved reliability and better bus services.

Cambridge News

• The 20 Cambs areas that could get new 20mph speed limits under £350k schemeCambridgeshire County Council has set out the areas it is planning to prioritise introducing new 20mph speed limits.

Other Regional Press

• Partners unveil Wales’ first railway engineering degree apprenticeshipThe University of South Wales (USW) is leading a partnership which will offer the first railway engineering degree apprenticeships in Wales.
• “More than a bus” – Senedd plea to save vital Fflecsi Bwcabus serviceCefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for Mid & West Wales has led urgent calls in the Senedd for funding for the Fflecsi Bwcabus to be reinstated as the service is set to be terminated from October 31.
• West of England mayor holds talks with Andy Burnham about bus franchising after local campaignMetro Mayor Dan Norris has faced months of calls to formally explore taking Bristol’s struggling bus services back into public control.
• Sussex MPs hit back at plans to scrap London day travelcardsMPs have hit out at plans to scrap day travelcards in London, which could hike train fares for Sussex residents travelling to the capital.
• Mossley railway station on the move?MOSSLEY’S railway station may be on the move as part of a multi-billion pound rail project.
• Horrific close shave as train goes through level crossing with barriers upA car driver had to reverse off a level crossing when a train came through while the road barriers were up.

Train Operators

• Better access for buses as Greater Anglia upgrades Diss rail station car parkDiss rail station car park is set to be transformed with a new layout, upgraded features and integrated access for local bus services to serve the station, with a new exit to Nelson Road.

New Civil Engineer

• Stansted Airport expansion and Bristol Airport £60M enhancement move forwardStansted Airport seems set to have its terminal expansion plans approved while Bristol Airport is commencing on a £60M enhancement project.
• Could prioritising Northern Powerhouse Rail pave the way for HS2’s future?A new high speed rail line across the Pennines could pave the way for the future reinstatement of the north-western leg of High Speed 2 (HS2), which is expected to be shelved imminently, key figures have suggested.

Rail Business Daily

• “Social Value is Added Value”Having recently joined TVS Supply Chain Solutions (TVS SCS) as Social Value Coordinator, Elaine Hutchison talks about the importance of creating Social Value in business
• CAF Rail UK and CAF Rolling Stock UK jointly sign Armed Forces CovenantCAF Rail UK and CAF Rolling Stock UK have jointly signed the Armed Forces Covenant pledging support for the UK’s military personnel.

Railway Gazette

• First ComfortJet on testCZECH REPUBLIC: The first of the ComfortJet rakes of push-pull coaches which ČD has ordered from a consortium of Siemens Mobility and Škoda Group arrived at the Velim test

Railway Gazette

• Škoda showcases onboard safety and automation technologyCZECH REPUBLIC: Škoda Group showcased its onboard technology for rolling stock at the Trako trade fair in Gdańsk
• Tesla shuttle train launchesGERMANY: A free shuttle train has been launched to serve Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg site to the east of the capital.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Major UK-based coach and bus trade show to take place every two yearsDiversified Communications announces its UK trade events will change to a biennial frequency from 2024

Aviation Industry

• IAG's CEO Is Still Interested In Buying TAP Air PortugalThe airline group already had several flag carriers but would be open to investing if the conditions were right.

Other News Sources

• "Reliable bus services are a lifeline for rural communities" says MP as she urges Mayor to allocate fundingOn Monday, 25th September at the Liberal Democrat Conference in Bournemouth, Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath, passed a motion enshrining a number of measures supporting rural bus networks into official Liberal Democrat policy.
• Leading the way in research impactThe University of Leeds remains a leading higher education institution for knowledge exchange, according to Research England.
• HS2 railway scrap plans economic vandalism says Labour West Yorkshire mayorWe spoke to the Labour West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin and the Conservative MP Greg Smith, who’s described HS2 as a financial catastrophe. We started by asking Greg Smith if he supported axing the second leg of the high speed railway.