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

Wednesday, 02 June 2021

BBC News

• Call to electrify rail line between Shropshire and Black CountryMidlands Connect says the plans would deliver faster rail services and reduce overcrowding.

Financial Times

• Driverless London tube trains under consideration in £1bn bailout dealUnions warn of industrial action while mayor labels government plan a ˜gross misuse of money

The Guardian

• Criticism of Countryfile on HS2 is unfairThe BBC programme’s executive editor, Bill Lyons, defends its coverage of the rail project’s environmental impact
• TfL gets £1bn bailout in return for making case for driverless trainsLondon mayor says funds are a sticking plaster and he will fight introduction of driverless tubes. Work to introduce driverless tube trains has been demanded by ministers as part of an emergency funding agreement for Transport for London, with the government injecting just over £1bn to help the capital recover from the pandemic.TfL will be obliged to produce business cases for driverless trains on the Piccadilly and Waterloo and City lines in return for the latest funding, which also comes with a requirement to make £300m of annual cuts and slash pensions.

Times Online

• Transport for London receives £1.1bn Covid bailout [subscription]Transport for London (TfL) will be granted a third government bailout worth £1.08 billion to make up for a shortfall in finances caused by the collapse in demand for travel during the pandemic.

Network Rail

• Major clients rally against suppliers using zero hours contractsNetwork Rail, Highways England and Transport Scotland have implemented measures to eradicate supplier use of zero hours contracts or to ensure that, if deemed necessary, they are appropriately used.

London Evening Standard

• Fares rise with TfL £1bn bailout as driverless Tubes on the way£3.50 boundary fee for drivers axed, deal to reopen Hammersmith Bridge,˜driverless' Tube trains on the way
• Talking Point: Is the new TfL deal "fair and reasonable" for Londoners?Increased Tube fares and potential limitations on a London boundary charge� were announced today as part of a new £1 billion bailout for Transport for London.

Manchester Evening News

• Two bus stations ditch paper timetables in new eco-friendly pilotPassengers at two bus stations across the region will no longer be able to grab printed versions of the schedule

East Anglian Daily Times

• Network Rail completes weekend maintenance in East AngliaNetwork Rail has completed its scheduled Bank Holiday weekend work on the main line between Ipswich and Norwich.

Other Regional Press

• New 775m-long freight trains begin operating on UK’s rail networkDP World have announced that its two deep-water ports at Southampton and London Gateway have become the first in the UK capable of handling Freightliner’s new 775m-long intermodal container trains.
• Dorset residents invited to discuss rail concerns at South Western Railway eventSOUTH Western Railway (SWR) is inviting customers to question its senior team at a virtual 'Meet the Manager' event on Tuesday, July 6.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• DP World's UK port and logistics hub customers are first to benefit from Freightliner's new 775-metre long trainsDP World in the UK has announced that its two deep-water ports at Southampton and London Gateway have become the first in the country capable of handling Freightliner’s new 775 metre intermodal container trains – further cementing the critical role of the smart logistics hubs in Britain’s international supply chain. The longest in use on the national rail network, the new 775 metre trains are 250 metres longer than a typical freight train and carry between 12 and 14 additional containers on each service, generating significant cost and environmental benefits for customers tra...

New Civil Engineer

• Works order submitted to reopen Northumberland railway lineNorthumberland County Council has submitted a Transport Works Act Order (TWAO) to gain official powers to reopen the defunct Northumberland Line.

Other News Sources

• Rail bosses urged to think again on controversial plans involving closure of station in Milton KeynesCouncillors not happy about some of East West Rail proposals
• Northern to blow whistle on ticketless travelNORTHERN is blowing the whistle on ticketless travel and reminding all customers to buy a ticket before they board the company’s trains.
• The London Underground lines that could soon have driverless trains as the Government forces TfL to consider themTransport for London has had to commit to looking at the merits of driverless trains on the London Underground, in return for a £1 billion cash injection from the Government that stops it from going bust.
• Brighton Station staff member criticises cigarette fines A STAFF member at Brighton Station has claimed environmental enforcement officers are targeting smokers and has called for an audit.