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

Saturday, 14 October 2023

BBC News

• Go North East bus services to be hit by 'continuous' strikeBus services in the North East of England are to be hit again after plans for "continuous strike action" were announced in a pay and conditions row.
• Swindon: Travel disruption after heavy rain causes floodingFlooding has caused travel disruption with trains cancelled and people assisted from cars.
• Wales weather: Trains cancelled after heavy rain floods railwaysA weather warning is in place until Friday evening, with up to 50mm of rain expected in places.
• Luton Airport Fire: Shuttle link remains closed after blazeThe Dart service is expected to remain closed until Thursday at the latest for safety checks.
• London transport lost property store moves to new homeTransport for London says 200,000 items are found each year, and now items will be stored better.
• Repairs hope for veteran CalMac ferry MV Hebridean IslesMV Hebridean Isles is due to carry passengers again this weekend for the first time in eight months.

Financial Times

• Rishi Sunak's rail plan is policy as performance artFrom relocating Manchester to ˜illustrative' new schemes, the replacement for HS2's northern leg is pure improvisation

The Guardian

• Seagulls force Venice's Marco Polo airport to close brieflyA number of flights delayed or redirected after unusually large number of birds invade the runway.

The Herald

• Apologies as beleaguered Cairngorm railway remains shutThe UK's highest railway is set to be shut for safety reasons until at least November.

The Independent

• Furious motorists complain their cars are being wrecked by bus lane ’trap’Angry motorists are complaining that their cars are being damaged and written off after being caught in a controversial bus lane “trap”.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Keighley & Worth Valley Railway visited by ministerGOVERNMENT levelling up minister Jacob Young has visited the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.

Bristol Live

• Bristol's new TIER e-scooters and e-bikes - prices, passes, parking - everything you need to knowThere's more than just a change from coral pink to lime green

Liverpool Echo

• Andy Burnham wants to 'convince ECHO readers with one fact' as Thatcher policy overturnedAndy Burnham wanted to "convince ECHO readers with one fact" while he was in Liverpool for the Labour Party conference.

Nation. Cymru

• Concerns raised new 20 mph speed limit could increase school transport costsConcerns have been raised that the new 20mph speed limit could push the cost of school transport even higher.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Tram extension part of £2.7bn transport boost as details of plans for HS2 funds are revealedDetails have been revealed of £2.7 billion worth of public transport projects in the West Midlands following the cancellation of the HS2 northern line.

Yorkshire Post

• Northern Powerhouse Rail: Prime Minister urged to make 'clear commitment' after HS2 U-turnThe Government is being urged to set out a clear plan to build Northern Powerhouse Rail, after it scrapped the northern leg of HS2.
• Lack of timeline for Northern Powerhouse Rail sums up shambolic approach to transport - The Yorkshire Post saysThe fact that there is no timeline for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) shows just how shambolic the Government’s planning is when it comes to transport in the region.
• Northern Powerhouse Rail: Prime Minister urged to make 'clear commitment' after HS2 U-turnThe Government is being urged to set out a clear plan to build Northern Powerhouse Rail, after it scrapped the northern leg of HS2.

Other Regional Press

• Notice posted for new £5.4m Fair Isle ferry Tenders are being sought for the £5.4 million replacement Fair Isle ferry. The SIC has posted a contract notice this week seeking interested parties to provide a replacement for the Good Shepherd IV, which is almost 40 years old.
• West Wales rural bus services due to end this monthTHOUSANDS of people in West Wales could struggle to attend doctors’ appointments, go shopping or get to work when a rural bus service ends this month, worried councillors in Carmarthenshire have said.
• Lincolnshire to receive £2.1 million bus boostLincolnshire will receive £2.1 million to support local bus services – with the some of the cash set to be used to cap fares.
• Leaf-busting trains on West Midlands Railway network to keep commuters moving throughout autumnTHE FLEET of special fleet of ’leaf-busting’ trains have started blasting leaves off railway lines across the region to help keep passengers and freight moving across the West Midlands this autumn.
• Somerset rail line to be reopened as work to protect bats completeA new ’bat corridor’ has been created along a busy route out of Portishead as part of plans to re-open the town's defunct railway line. Trees have been planted along the A369 Portbury Hundred to provide an alternative bat corridor for the nocturnal creatures living along the route of the proposed new line.
• Sadiq Khan explains why Elizabeth line can't put on services to Heathrow Airport for people catching very early flightsSadiq Khan has explained why the Elizabeth line cannot currently run services to Heathrow Airport in the small hours of the morning for travellers catching very early flights. At present, services can only be caught after 4.40am, with other services such as the Night Tube and buses providing alternative means of getting there.
• Oxford bus companies 'disappointed' over LTN recommendationThe Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel both claimed that LTNs had been detrimental to passengers, drivers and the communities that they serve.
• No timescale or detail for Rishi Sunak’s transport money for Lincolnshire – promised after HS2 cutsNo timescale has been given for a Government promise of an ’unprecedent uplift’ in funding to improve Lincolnshire’s transport.
• Northampton Community Transport launches “POWER THE RED” fundraising appeal to coincide with CT Week“We need to raise funds to protect the future of Northampton Community Transport.”

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• Live from Liverpool! Our ’special’ on the big transport news from the Conservative and Labour Party conferencesIn this special episode recorded in Liverpool focused on the 2023 principal UK political party conferences, Christian and co-presenter Mark Walker discuss the Conservatives’ announcement on measures designed to protect the interests of motorists [1:10] along with the cancellation of the remaining sections of the HS2 high speed rail line and the diversion of investment funds to Network North [7:55]

Rail Advent

• North Wales Coast electrification cautiously welcomed by Growth Track 360Growth Track 360 has given a cautious welcome to the UK government's commitment to electrify the North Wales Coast Main Line (NWCML), while expressing bitter disappointment at the cancellation of HS2 north of Birmingham and warning that significant infrastructure work needs to be done to make the case for electrification.

Rail Business Daily

• Growth Track 360 cautiously welcomes UK Government commitment to electrify North Wales Coast Main Line railwayBusiness and local authority leaders from North Wales, the Wirral and Cheshire West and Chester in the Growth Track 360 partnership have cautiously welcomed the commitment given by the UK Government to electrify the North Wales Coast Main Line (NWCML) railway.

Rail UK

• Greater Anglia and Network Rail work together to tackle autumn performance challengesGreater Anglia and Network Rail are implementing actions to tackle slippery autumn rail conditions – following an improvement in autumn-related delays last year.
• A £2.7 billion boost for transport in the West Midlands confirmedTransport for West Midlands (TfWM) has welcomed a £2.7 billion investment into the region’s transport infrastructure to fund a wide range of improvements including delivery of the transformative Midlands Rail Hub project.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Ebusco ’looking at’ UK battery-electric bus market, it confirmsEbusco is looking at the UK market and is in contact with operators here “to keep a sharp eye on developments,” the Dutch builder of battery-electric buses has said.

Other News Sources

• Bus services across Wrexham to benefit from £200k fundsLocal communities will benefit from improved evening bus services thanks to a £200k investment from Wrexham Council.
• 'Dark days ahead' as Woking mobility bus helping people out the house to be axedAt least 4,000 people have relied on the service which has been running for 33 years
• Hove businesses face losing car parking spaces for Beryl Bike dockBusinesses in Hove have expressed their outrage at plans to remove parking spaces for Beryl Bike racks.
• Chris Green MP: ​Could you afford a HS2 ticket?​How much would a return ticket cost on the proposed HS2 rail track that the Labour Party want to have built? Will you be able to afford it and do you even need it?
• Shropshire on-demand bus service first step in ’transformation’ of public transport networkA new on-demand bus service launching at the end of the month marks the start of a public transport overhaul for Shropshire, the team behind the project has said.
• The EU must take the driver’s seat in fossil fuel-free transportTransport accounts for a growing share of global emissions. The EU should lead a push for clean travel at home and internationally

News from Europe

• Future funding of Germany’s nationwide public transport ticket hanging in balanceA meeting of Germany’s state ministers for transport has not produced an agreement on securing future funding of the country’s new nationwide public transport ticket, newspaper Tageszeitung (taz) reported. Half of the costs caused by the “Germany Ticket,” which arose from an initiative to support commuters in the energy crisis and currently is priced at 49 euros per month, could be financed through state budgets, the minsters agreed