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

Monday, 16 December 2024

Government

• ?Devolution by default? to create new era of local powerLandmark English Devolution White Paper set to unleash power from Whitehall back into local communities that know their areas best

BBC News

• Bus station is dubbed an 'embarrassing welcome'A bus station has been dubbed an "embarrassing welcome" to a town, by the owner of a bus company.
• About 40% of Wiltshire bus miles get council cashMore than 40% of Wiltshire's bus mileage is currently supported financially by the council and it has been the highest subsidised county in the West area for more than a decade.
• National Express to raise adult single bus fareNational Express says adult single tickets will be £2.90 from 5 January.
• Edinburgh flights resume after IT issue grounded planesNo flights could take off or land at the airport for several hours as engineers worked to fix the problem.
• An Post won't use Holyhead Port for Christmas deliveriesThe port will stay shut until at least Thursday because of damage caused by Storm Darragh.
• Heathrow boss wants 'clear steer' on third runwayHeathrow Airport boss Thomas Woldbye says he wants guidance from the government by the end of 2025.
• Rail services disrupted amid 'challenging weekend'ScotRail has warned of extra pressure on services due to a driver shortage, Christmas shopping and football traffic.
• Eight injured after bus roof torn off in railway bridge crashOne person is in a critical condition after the First Bus crashed into a railway bridge in Glasgow city centre.

The Guardian

• UK drivers urged not to travel during height of 'record Christmas getaway'RAC says to avoid major routes in England between 1pm and 7pm on Friday and Saturday as long queues expected

The Independent

• Rail chaos as hundreds of trains cancelled due to staff shortageExclusive: 'Avoid travel unless absolutely necessary' warns Great Western Railway

The Scotsman

• Rail services cancelled because of train drivers shortage on 'challenging' weekendRail passengers have been warned to expect disruption with some services cancelled because of a lack of drivers.

The Telegraph

• Airline safety chief calls on regulators to lift liquids ban [subscription]Proposed changes would allow passengers to carry 1-litre containers though security

Times Online

• ScotRail travellers face festive disruption over Sunday working [subscription]Passengers at the weekend were hit with cancellations caused by the operator's inability to find enough drivers willing to work overtime
• Saudi bidders circle as Newcastle airport heads for bumper stake sale [subscription]JP Morgan is overseeing the sale of a 49 per cent shareholding owned by Infrabridge, City sources said. Local councils will own the remaining stake
• Scotland's idiotic political leaders hate motorists [subscription]The SNP government seems to want to kill travelling by car despite public transport being unreliable or too expensive
• Manchester's buses are creating a buzz but can they cut pollution? [subscription]All eyes are on the Bee Network after the mayor, Andy Burnham, promised to fix the city's public transport instead of introducing clean air zones
• Seafarers left to rot along with their abandoned ships [subscription]The case of a crew member stranded for 14 months, with no pay and no way to get home, highlights the dark side of the global maritime industry
• Vauxhall closure: business secretary accused of failing to act [subscription]Jonathan Reynolds met Stellantis three times in July, but not again until the day the car group announced its plans to close Vauxhall's Luton plant
• Electric buses grind to halt as cold weather drains batteries [subscription]The Scottish winter put the brakes on Glasgow's fleet as freezing weather caused batteries to drain faster than normal

City AM

• Metro mayors to control railways and housing in 'landmark' devolution plansMayors of large cities and regions across England will soon be able to take control of local infrastructure and skills projects under a new devolution bill, which was introduced in Parliament today.

The Mirror

• Mayors could be given greater power over rail services, Andy Burnham suggestsThe Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said he wanted to bring trains into the city's Bee Network which brings together bus and tram services into one network

Birmingham Mail

• Drivers warned as £60 Birmingham bus lane crackdown goes live this weekBirmingham bus lane camera enforcement starts this week on key city stretch - and drivers who break the rules face £60 fine

Bolton News

• Manchester Airport preparing for biggest and busiest' ChristmasManchester Airport is preparing for a busy festive season, with 1.1 million passengers expected to travel during the two weeks over Christmas and New Year.
• TransPennine Route Upgrade publishes first Sustainable Development ReportThe Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) has published its first Sustainable Development Report, showcasing 'significant' achievements in sustainability from April 2019 to March 2024.
• East Lancashire Railway unveils 'Twixmas' events and more for 2025East Lancashire Railway has announced a series of events to keep the festive spirit alive after Christmas.
• Nine start-ups reveal their innovative solutions for the rail industryThe Future Labs Expo highlighted the potential of these start-ups to transform the rail industry.

Bristol Live

• Key cycle route in Bristol set for £1 million improvement schemeThe cycle route could have new CCTV cameras installed

London Evening Standard

• Passengers asked by rail regulator to help in review of train fare prosecutionsThe Office of Rail and Road is beginning its review looking at train operators’ approach to suspected fare evasion and the impact on passengers.

Wales Online

• A huge train timetable change in Wales kicks in on Sunday, December 15Transport for Wales has described it "as the most significant timetable change in decades"

Yorkshire Post

• Keir Starmer to give Yorkshire mayors 'sweeping' London-style powers over public transportYorkshire's mayors are to be given powers to timetable local railway services combined with 'London-style' integrated transport payments for using trains, buses and trams.

Other Regional Press

• 'Kirklees station platform is accident waiting to happen'The Friends of Shepley Station say access to one of the platforms is dangerous
• Transport priorities for South West Wales revealedIMPROVEMENTS to make buses and trains a more practical alternative to cars have been identified as the top transport priority for South West Wales.
• Angry councillors 'insulted' by new rail proposalsOutside elected mayors 'insulted' Cheshire East by putting forward two potential rail schemes which will plough through the borough but bypass Crewe and bring no benefits to locals, councillors said. The first scheme is the proposed Liverpool to Manchester railway section of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) project.
• Cheshire East Council 'insulted' by mayors over new rail proposalsAngry councillors say the potential schemes must benefit the borough

Rail Magazine

• Siemens Mobility to press ahead with new £100 million Chippenham factory
• Local politicians throw support behind proposed Rochdale-London serviceA new high-speed rail service linking Rochdale with London for the first time in 25 years has secured local political backing. The proposed service, operated by Lumo, would involve six daily return trains between Rochdale, Manchester and London Euston from 2027.

Railway Gazette

• Greater Anglia expands paper roll ticketingUK: Following a trial backed by the Rail Delivery Group, a further 194 Scheidt & Bachmann ticket machines on Greater Anglia routes are to switch to using paper roll ticket instead of the traditional orange magnetic stripe cards.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Marking 50 years of the Confederation of Passenger TransportCPT President Paul Lynch reflects on the significance of the trade organisation's 50th anniversary

Other News Sources

• Brexit Britain looks to Europe to help fix its railwaysWith money tight, ministers are looking for novel ways to finance new trains. The solution might lie across the channel.
• Liverpool to consider changes to transport fees across the regionThe Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will consider a range of proposed transport fees and charges including Mersey Tunnel Tolls later this month.
• ELECTRIFYING ROAD TRANSPORT WITH LESS MINING : A GLOBAL AND REGIONAL BATTERY MATERIAL OUTLOOKThe acceleration of the transition to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) entails a rapid increase in demand for batteries and material supply. This study projects the demand for electric vehicle batteries and battery materials globally and in five focus markets 'China, the European Union, India, Indonesia, and the United States' resulting from policies and targets that have already been adopted or are under discussion.
• Cycling short distances instead of driving could save million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year, transport charity saysNew figures from the Department for Transport have revealed that domestic transport emissions accounted for 28 per cent of the UK's total in 2022, and have fallen by only 12 per cent since 1990
• Groups ask for investigation into 'potential misallocation' of £4.2 million transport money in ShropshireA coalition of local transport and environmental groups in Shrewsbury has written to the Deputy Prime Minister asking her to investigate 'a potential misallocation' of £4.2 million of transport money in Shropshire.
• On-demand bus service trialled in rural villagesA new on-demand bus service has been introduced for some Staffordshire villages.
• Eaglescliffe station gets boost with new serviceA North East railway station is set to see improved connectivity and accessibility as a new service launches alongside ongoing redevelopment efforts.

News from Europe

• Sustainable bioenergy isn't just for transport, it's a matter of certified rightsEnsuring bioenergy is genuinely sustainable requires robust certification systems. Certification isn't just about the environment; it also aims to limit human rights violations.
• 'Don't miss out: Developing the hydrogen fuel industry could transform transport in IrelandIreland could cut emissions in hard-to-abate transport sectors within 10 years, a report by lobby group Hydrogen Mobility Ireland suggests