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

Wednesday, 03 March 2021

BBC News

• Bid for new Oxford to Witney railway line study to be submittedA group campaigning to re-establish an Oxfordshire railway will bid for government funds to carry out a feasibility study.

The Guardian

• HS2 to 'rewild' 127 hectares around its 10-mile Chilterns tunnelArea to be seeded with 70 grass and flower species and planted with native trees to create wood pastureA “rewildingâ€� of arable fields by HS2 will create 127 hectares (314 acres) of wood pasture, wetlands and flower-rich grassland using chalk taken from tunnelling under the Chilterns.The new wildlife haven will be founded upon all 3m tonnes of chalk that are to be excavated from the high-speed railway’s 10-mile Chilterns tunnel, with construction starting in May. Continue reading...

Birmingham Post

• Network Rail name new MD for its Wales & Western rail networkMichelle Handforth will take up her new role this summer

Manchester Evening News

• This is the north's plan for rail improvements for 'the rest of the century'Transport for the north has submitted its final preferred routs for Northern Powerhouse Rail

Hull Daily Mail

• Efforts to slash journey times to Sheffield and Leeds boosted with support for Hull rail electrification

Other Regional Press

• Wigan Council leader condemns 'catastrophic' plans to slash rail servicesCoun David Molyneux says a Department for Transport paper on rail routes in the region could significantly impact the borough.

Other News Sources

• After four years and $7 million, Metrolinx quietly drops proposal for hydrogen-powered GO trainsMetrolinx has pulled the plug on its exploration of hydrogen-powered trains for the GO Transit network after determining the technology was too much of a gamble.
• High-speed rail’s role in transforming travel recognised in industry reportPublished by Britain’s High Speed Rail Group (HSRG), the report examines the benefits, opportunities and extent of international high-speed rail, with contributions drawn from across the infrastructure industry.
• Network Rail appoint Michelle Handforth as Wales and Western MDNetwork Rail has today announced that Michelle Handforth has been appointed as the new managing director for the Wales & Western region.
• Transport Minister rallies north Wales community against plans to weaken rail servicesThe Manchester Recovery Task Force (MRTF) has opened a public consultation, running until 10 March, offering three options to alter timetabled passenger and freight services in an attempt to improve the performance of the rail network in the Manchester area.
• Call for the Government to prioritise investment in existing rail infrastructureRos Jones, Mayor of Doncaster, is calling for the Government to prioritise investment in existing rail infrastructure and improved regional and local transport links to back up its claims of wanting to level up the UK.