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

Sunday, 18 February 2024

BBC News

• Two sinkholes open up in field above HS2 tunnelThe craters are discovered on private land, within months of two others being found nearby.

The Independent

• ’Cardiff airport doesn’t have a USP’ says expert as losses continue at Welsh hubThe future of Cardiff airport looks bleak, an expert has said, as losses at the Welsh gateway continue.

Times Online

• Return of the night mail train, delivering online shopping at 100mph. [subscription]After 20 years, a train driver turned businessman is reinventing the service to cope with a booming demand for parcels

The National

• Scots rage at ’shocking’ Glasgow Airport drop off price hikeIt will cost anyone entering the pick-up/drop-off zone £5.50 for up to 15 minutes, an extra 50p more than last year's initial raise from £4 to £5. For motorists who stay longer than the 15-minute allocated time, they will be charged £1 for every extra minute.

Birmingham Mail

• New car tax rates from April 1 for petrol, diesel and hybrid driversNew car tax rates for vehicle drivers and motorists are taking effect in April from April 1 as the fourth month of the year begins.

Birmingham Post

• Goole tax site gets Government sign off to strengthen Humber FreeportChiefs say it is a major milestone that will stimulate investment

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Call to scrap park and ride plan for Richard Dunn site“Barking mad” plans to create a park and ride at the former Richard Dunn sports centre should be dropped, a panel of councillors has urged.

London Evening Standard

• Why is TfL not telling young Londoners about 'secret Railcard hack' that saves on Tube travel costs?Are you aged 31 or under, and do you take the Tube? Did you know that with a National Railcard linked to an Oyster card you could be saving hundreds of pounds a year?

Cambridge News

• Calls to tackle congestion to avoid 'devastating impact' on Cambs bus servicesCalls to tackle congestion to avoid 'devastating impact' on Cambs bus services

Carlisle News & Star

• Councils launch initiative for bus service overhaulOver 30 representatives from Westmorland and Furness Council, Cumberland Council, Stagecoach, various independent bus operators and associates, including Cumbria Tourism, participated in round-table conversations on enhancing bus transport.

Daventry Express

• The abandoned UK airport that may reopen and start running cheap easyJet flightsManston Airport in Kent was shut down in 2014 - and after years of debate over how it should be used, the site could host commercial airlines within the next decade.

Lancashire Telegraph

• Accrington's CMAC acquired by Megabus' ComfortDelGroAn Accrington transport firm has been bought out by a company which operates Megabus, Adventure Travel and Metroline buses.

Other Regional Press

• Southampton Airport wants to cut into Marlhill Copse treesSouthampton Airport wants to cut off the tops of 25 trees in a 200-year-old woodland - and cut down 15 more.
• Major plan to ease bus congestion woes at Rownham Hill junctionIf you use the bus to travel between Portishead and Bristol, you’ll be interested in this: North Somerset Council wants to upgrade the Rownham Hill junction and give buses priority
• Cambridge’s new cargo e-bike is the wheel deal, says MPThe CitiPod – an enclosed four-wheel e-bike being developed by Cambridge Electric Transport – has received a ringing endorsement from South Cambridgeshire’s MP.
• WESTlocal funding to help groups set up own public transportNORTH Somerset community groups can now apply for a share of £2 million to set up their very own public transport.
• New Euston skills centre for HS2 open by Transport MinisterDelays in building the HS2 high-speed rail link into Euston has not stopped a new skills centre for the construction industry opening.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• The small South Coast bus operator with a big, bold missionHow community, sustainability and customer focus have been the juice on which The Big Lemon operates
• Fully Booked app launches to facilitate coach hire referralsAn app has been launched aimed at allowing operators to earn from referring customers to other reputable hire companies when they are not in a position to take the work.
• More than 4000 Stagecoach drivers have gained Fleet Elite statusA total of 4,187 drivers working for Stagecoach have been awarded Fleet Elite status by GreenRoad, the operator has announced.
• UK leadership of European electric bus market grows in 2023The UK again led the deployment of new battery-electric coach and bus fleets across 31 European nations during 2023, according to data for those with a GVW of over 8,000kg that has been collated by Dutch consultancy Chatrou CME Solutions.

Aviation Industry

• Former Northumberland rail line to reopen to walkers after 71 yearsA section of a railway which closed 71 years ago should soon be reopened for public use. Volunteers hope walkers will be using the first section of the Alnwick to Cornhill line in Northumberland by the summer.

Other News Sources

• GWR battery powered train travels UK record distanceA Great Western Railway trial has seen a battery powered train travel a UK record of 86 miles without recharging.
• Here's when Birmingham’s Camp Hill Line railway stations are set to be completedHere's when Birmingham’s Camp Hill Line railway stations are set to be completed
• Next Stop, Net Zero: Britain Boasts Europe’s Biggest New Zero Emission Bus MarketBritain’s new bus, coach and minibus market is growing back after three challenging years, with 4,932 new units registered in 2023, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The performance represents a 44.6% increase on 2022 levels as passenger confidence continues to return, although uptake remains -16.0% below 2019 levels.1
• Croydon Mayor Sparks Controversy with LTNs, Faces Public BacklashCroydon Mayor Jason Perry faces mounting criticism over his controversial approval of Low Traffic Neighborhoods (LTNs), a move that appears to contradict his previous stance on the issue. Critics, including activists and local cycling advocacy groups, allege that Mayor Perry is leveraging LTNs as a revenue-generating exercise rather than genuinely committing to sustainable urban planning.