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

Friday, 28 June 2024

Cogitamus

• The Chris Stokes Column - Urgent rail investment decisions for the North face new UK GovernmentBarring something extraordinary happening, the election looks to be a one horse race and Labour will form the next government.  It's clear that the party's approach has been to avoid any hostages to fortune, so the Labour manifesto has no specific commitments on investment in rail infrastructure. 

BBC News

• Bus service changes leave passengers concernedChanges to a bus company's network have left passengers concerned they will be less able to get around.
• New consultation on school SEND transport delayedParents of young people with special needs will be involved in a fresh consultation in September on plans to pull financial support towards travel.
• Plans to reopen village railway station weighed upMore details have emerged on plans to reopen a rural Herefordshire railway station.
• Campaigners arrested over alleged airport plansThe Metropolitan Police say six arrests were made during an event at a London community centre.
• Electric car battery charges in under five minutes in track testThe charging time is much quicker than even the fastest-charging batteries currently on the market.

Financial Times

• US regulators sanction Boeing over disclosures about door panel inquiryPlane maker will lose access to investigative information after it blatantly violated regulations

The Guardian

• Private car parks to give UK motorists 10-minute grace period before finesMotoring organisations say voluntary code falls far short of protecting drivers from unfair practices. Private car parks will offer motorists in the UK a 10-minute grace period before issuing fines, but motorists say the voluntary code is not enough to protect drivers from unfair practices.

The Telegraph

• ’Catastrophic failing’ of smart motorway technology puts lives at risk, says whistleblower [Subscription]System to detect broken down vehicles stopped working over the weekend rendering affected travellers as ’sitting ducks’

Times Online

• Boeing reveals error that could have caused aircraft door blowout. [subscription]Boeing is facing sanctions for disclosing non-public information about an investigation into how a door panel blew out of an Alaska Airlines aircraft mid-flight, leaving passengers fearing for their lives.

City AM

• Electric vehicles lead ’massive change’ in UK factories Electric vehicles made up almost two fifths of all new cars produced in the UK in May, according to new figures, as 26,475 models rolled off factory lines.

i News

• ’Red Wall’ bus services ’fall by half’ with some by as much as 60%, researchers findTimetables show a significant reduction in how many different bus journeys were available each day in parts of the Midlands and North

Network Rail

• Island Line and Ryde Pier set to close for vital maintenanceMAJOR engineering works will take place on the Island Line and Ryde Pier starting in September.

Sky News

• Revealed: Britain's most cancelled train services due to floodingOn average 4,500 trains a year have been cancelled in the last decade, disrupting thousands of passengers and businesses, according to new data, which also reveals the stations and networks worst affected.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham Airport says 'too early' as it reveals reason behind security line woesBirmingham Airport bosses have said that holiday-makers turning up too early is contributing to security queue woes

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Railway line to reopen after Baildon landslip in FebruaryA railway line through Baildon, serving Bradford and Ilkley, is to reopen more than four months after a landslide forced it to close.

Nation. Cymru

• Welsh Government recalculates sum owed in HS2 consequentials to just £350mThe Welsh Government has recalculated the amount of money owed to Wales in HS2 consequentials at only £350m.

Wrexham.com

• Promotions will require “very careful planning” for transport to Wrexham gamesAs Wrexham goes up the leagues “more people needing to be moved in and around Wrexham” is a good problem that needs to be solved, the Senedd has heard. The detail came to light in a debate in the Senedd where Natasha Asghar MS quizzed Transport Minister Ken Skates over ’traffic chaos’ around Bruce Springsteen, Pink and Taylor Swift events in Cardiff.

Bucks Free Press

• What will happen to High Wycombe bus routes axed by Arriva?Arriva has confirmed that 14 of its bus routes in High Wycombe and Aylesbury will be axed in July - but what does it mean for your normal journey?

Lancashire Telegraph

• Northern Rail cancel East Lancs trains with no replacementsShort-term train cancellations are due to occur in East Lancashire this weekend, with some services and replacement buses unable to run at all.

Other Regional Press

• £50,000 boost is just the ticket for railway station reopening planMORE details have emerged on plans to reopen a rural railway station between Abergavenny and Hereford.
• Amos and Pow comment on development of Wellington railway stationTWO Somerset parliamentary candidates have commented on the development of the new railway station in Wellington.
• Transport hub to accommodate HGVs arriving at Teesworks given planning go aheadIt will be at Lackenby and contain 150 parking spaces for HGVs and shower and toilet facilities for their drivers

New Civil Engineer

• Network Rail’s southern region hit by more landslips than any otherNetwork Rail’s southern region, which includes the Kent, Sussex and Wessex routes as well as Network Rail High Speed, experienced the largest number of land movements of all the network’s regions in 2023-2024.

Rail UK

• GB Railfreight go for gold with Rail Safe FriendlyGB Railfreight (GBRf) was awarded a ’gold disc’ to mark their gold-level partnership with the education programme Rail Safe Friendly. Following the award GBRf will now deliver and support Rail Safe Friendly in 150 schools across the UK.

Railway Technology

• New Alstom fleet wins award for design and comfortAlstom and DSB, the national Danish railway operator, have been awarded for the design of DSB’s new fleet.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Equipmake enters Wrightbus StreetDeck battery-electric repowerEquipmake is a further party to enter the market for repower of Wrightbus StreetDeck diesel double-deckers to battery-electric, with a package that it says will deliver a range of up to 200 miles.
• McGill’s owners declare ’war’ on Strathclyde bus franchising plansMcGill’s Bus Group owners James and Sandy Easdale have escalated their opposition to plans for bus franchising in and around the Glasgow City Region by declaring that they are “at war” with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and the Scottish Government over the proposals.

Other News Sources

• Manchester United’s rail freight dilemmaHowever, that vast new stadium plan presents public transport issues. The current network is already strained on match days and could not cope with that additional traffic. So, the football club has put forward a proposal that would involve building a new railway station just for their fans, with a huge security area able to cope with all those Red Devils.
• Is High-Speed Rail Redefining Global Travel and Economy In New Ways?The advent of high-speed rail (HSR) has been a game changer in global transportation, influencing everything from airline operations to airport traffic and regional economic development. With its roots deepening across continents, HSR is redefining inter-city travel, offering a swift, efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative to air travel. This article explores the profound impacts of high-speed rail systems on global travel, particularly focusing on major HSR networks, their competitive relationship with airlines such as Air China and China Eastern Airlines, and the consequent effects on airports including Shanghai Pudong International Airport and regional economies.
• Rail staff to get body-worn cameras in abuse crackdownGovia Thameslink Railway say assaults on workers are on the rise
• Strathclyde Transport deploys smart ticketing platform for Glasgow and West of ScotlandUnicard, a provider of smart ticketing and payment solutions to the public and commercial transport sector, has announced that its smart ticketing platform has been contracted by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) on behalf of the ZoneCard Forum to digitalise paper-based ZoneCard ticketing on ScotRail, the Glasgow Subway, and most bus routes in the west of Scotland.