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

Thursday, 13 June 2024

BBC News

• Bus service confidence 'at all time low'Public confidence in a county's bus service is at an "all time low", transport bosses have been warned.
• New tramline to open linking resort's seafrontA new £23 million tramline is to open, linking Blackpool North rail station to town's seafront.
• 'Rail connections would drastically aid our towns'Campaigners believe many Aberdeenshire communities need to be reconnected with train links.
• 'About £20' to apply for over-60s travel passesOver 60s will still get free bus and train fares but new applicants must pay an application fee.
• DFS warning as Red Sea disruption hits deliveriesCargo ships are having to take long detours to avoid the Suez Canal amid attacks by Houthi rebels.
• Airport bosses criticise sudden liquids U-turnAirport bosses have criticised the lack of notice they were given for re-introducing 100ml liquids limits.

ITV News

• Stained glass window 'welcoming' visitors to Gloucester is branded a 'disaster'A new stained glass window which has been installed in a bus station has been criticised as it "welcomes" people as they leave.
• Labour will consider terminating Avanti West Coast’s rail contract over ’woeful service’Labour has said it will urgently consider stripping train operator Avanti West Coast of its contract if it wins the General Election on 4 July.

Channel 4 News

• Labour manifesto includes ’major changes’, says Shadow Transport SecretaryWe spoke to Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh who was in Grimsby where the Sky leaders’ event took place.

Financial Times

• Why an 89p metro ride is a recipe for ideological conflictAn IPO of the national treasure has been an ambition for a decade but risks facing a shift in shareholder priorities

The Telegraph

• Labour threatens to terminate Avanti rail contract over ’woeful’ service [subscription]Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh to consider action if party wins election as figures show operator cancelled one in 12 of its trains

City AM

• Labour threatens to strip Avanti rail contract as Branson plans rivalLabour said on Wednesday it would urgently consider terminating beleaguered Avanti West Coast’s contract if it wins the general election.

Daily Express

• Car tax Clean Air Zone changes risk ’transport poverty’ with driving ’unaffordable’Experts have stressed that Clean Air Zone schemes should be halted with a raft of negative consequences affecting road users across the country.
• Abandoned airport could be transformed into new homes under bold plansA plan has been proposed to address the UK's housing crisis by revitalising one of the country's abandoned airports.

Bristol Live

• Airports hit out at sudden rule change just before summer holidaysThe Government announced a last-minute U-turn after passengers had been told to prepare

Daily Post (North Wales)

• 20mph protest convoys planned in North Wales in run-up to general electionProtesters have pledged to maintain the pressure on Cardiff despite a commitment to greater flexibility

London Evening Standard

• Labour threatens to strip Avanti West Coast’s contract over ’woeful service’Office of Rail and Road figures show Avanti West Coast had the third worst reliability of all operators in Britain in the year to the end of March.

Carlisle News & Star

• Labour to consider stripping Avanti of contract if party wins electionLabour has said it will urgently consider stripping Avanti West Coast of its train operating contract if it wins the General Election.

Other Regional Press

• Radlett freight: Disappointed campaigners consider appealCampaigners are considering their options after a High Court judge dismissed an application for a judicial review into the sale of Radlett Aerodrome.
• Blackpool bus pledge for cheaper rides, more services and better stopsMore frequent services, affordable fares and better-maintained bus shelters are among the pledges in Blackpool’s latest blueprint for its bus services.
• £16m Brierley Hill transport tech centre moves a step closerTORY politicians for Brierley Hill have been celebrating the news that a bid for a new £16m Transport Technologies Centre for upskilling has moved a step closer.
• 'Rail connections would drastically aid our towns'Huddersfield Railway Station is undergoing major transformation, with plans submitted to boost accessibility at the historic station.
• New Aberdeenshire rail links would bring 'huge' benefits and cut deadly road accidents, study findsCampaigners are pushing for the reinstatement of rail lines from Aberdeen to Peterhead and Fraserburgh, with the study highlighting potential economic, social and health and safety benefits.
• New DLR trains to be delayed to 2026, says Sadiq KhanThe Mayor of London has said the rollout of 54 new DLR trains has been delayed until 2026 after the contractor went into administration last year.
• Oxford Bus Company provide update on temporary bus stopsAn update has been given on trees which caused a health and safety risk at Oxford Rail Station.

Rail Magazine

• North Wales electrification hopes sidelinedThe £1 billion electrification of the North Wales Main Line, one of the flagship policies of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s HS2 Phase 2b cancellation ’bonus’, is all but dead.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Conservatives present vision for UK’s rail networkThe Conservative Party’s newly-revealed election manifesto details Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s proposals for the future of the UK’s rail network.

Railway Technology

• Wabtec’s “green” braking solution begins French operations The company said it could reduce particulate emission sby 90%.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• First Bus sees strong patronage and revenue growth in FY2024First Bus saw like-for-like patronage grow by 7% and overall revenue by 12% in the 53 weeks to 30 March when compared to the previous 52-week financial year. The results are detailed in parent FirstGroup’s annual report for FY2024 that also notes how revenue per mile rose by 13% across the same timeframe.

Other News Sources

• Reading Buses orders 24 Enviro400EVs from Alexander DennisThe British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) has received an order for the delivery of 24 electric double-deckers from the English city of Reading. The 24 units of the Enviro400EV model ordered by bus operator Reading Buses are to be put into service from 2025.
• ONE extends HVO biofuel use in UK rail transportONE and Freightliner have partnered to use pure biofuel in the transport of ONE containers on the UK rail network.