Category Archives: Transport

What will coronavirus mean for the British economy?

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As the UK faces what may be its worst ever recession, we begin a monthly series exploring the financial shock to business and living standards

One month after a national lockdown was declared in an attempt to limit the spread of Covid-19, it is clear that Britain is heading for the deepest recession in living memory.

Boris Johnson’s government launched unprecedented restrictions on 23 March, telling the British public that they must stay at home and bringing life as the nation knew it to an abrupt halt.

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Construction on HS2 can begin, government says

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Formal notification says firms can start work as long as coronavirus safety guidelines are followed

Britain has given the green light for companies to start putting spades in the ground to build a new high speed rail line, saying that work could proceed in line with coronavirus safety guidelines despite the national lockdown.

The prime minister, Boris Johnson, announced in February that the line, known as HS2 which connects London to northern England, would go ahead.

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Heathrow passenger demand expected to plunge by 90% in April

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Airport’s forecast comes as numbers shrank by 52% in March after Covid-19 lockdown

Heathrow airport expects passenger traffic to plunge by 90% in April, as demand is mainly limited to airlines focusing on repatriating citizens stranded abroad during the coronavirus outbreak.

The airport said passenger numbers had already tumbled by 52% to 3.1 million in March, compared with a year earlier, after the UK government advised against all but essential travel. Meanwhile, the total number of flights landing and taking off at Heathrow – covering passenger planes and cargo – fell 35% to 25,798.

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Union calls for cash payment ban on UK buses over coronavirus

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Move will reduce risk of infection for drivers during pandemic, says Unite

Cash payments on all UK buses should be abolished for the duration of the coronavirus crisis to reduce the risk of driver infection, the union representing bus workers has demanded.

Unite called on Wednesday for an end to cash payments on all the bus systems still operating across the UK to help drive down infection rates, particularly as the country enters the predicted peak period of the outbreak over Easter and beyond.

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London underground packed as services cut to curb Covid-19 spread – video

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Carriages and stations appeared crowded in footage shared on social media on Tuesday morning as Transport for London closed a number of stations and reduced trains despite thousands of key workers, including NHS staff, still relying on the tube to get to work.

On Monday, Boris Johnson announced that people should stay at home and only travel to and from work where 'absolutely necessary' as the UK tries to prevent the spread of coronavirus

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‘Time is running out’: airline industry warns government

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EasyJet and Ryanair to stop flying on Monday and less than 5% of passengers expected at airports amid coronavirus

Airlines and airports have warned that time is running out for the government to enact promised measures to help the aviation industry, with EasyJet and Ryanair set to stop flying after Monday and less than 5% of normal passenger numbers expected at major airports.

Further talks are expected between ministers and the industry on Monday as the government wrestles with how to keep critical infrastructure functioning.

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Train services across Britain to be stripped back from Monday

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Ministers and operators to slim timetables after Covid-19 causes 70% fall in passengers

Train services are to be pared back across Britain from Monday as passengers are urged to stop all non-essential travel to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Ministers and rail operators across England, Scotland and Wales have agreed to make progressive cuts to timetables, with the aim of keeping core services running – but reflecting a drop of almost 70% in passenger numbers since the outbreak started.

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Key issues for Transport for London during coronavirus lockdown

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Train and bus services are to be limited as travel is restricted, raising questions for both passengers and operators

More draconian restrictions may be needed in London to stop the spread of the coronavirus, with guidance to avoid non-essential travel and stay home being ignored by some, while confirmed cases of sickness escalate rapidly. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, told his Wednesday press conference that he was prepared to take “further and faster measures” to tackle the disease.

Transport for London (TfL) is now moving to cut the number of trains and buses running throughout the week, most likely to the level of weekend schedules. On Wednesday night it announced it was closing up to 40 stations with no interchange from Thursday onwards. But what are the key issues transport chiefs need to consider when limiting services?

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UK companies to invest £12bn in switch to electric vehicles

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With a fuel duty rise expected in this week’s budget, a survey by Centrica finds businesses on course to move to cleaner cars and vans

British companies are expected to spend more than £12bn switching their fossil fuel vehicles for clean electric versions over the next two years.

A survey found that nearly half of UK businesses are planning to invest in chargeable cars and vans in advance of the government’s ban on sales of new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035.

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HS2 legal challenge launched by Chris Packham

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Naturalist says approval of high-speed rail project failed to take account of climate impact

A fresh legal challenge to HS2 has been launched by the naturalist and broadcaster Chris Packham, arguing that the UK government’s decision to approve the high-speed rail network failed to take account of its carbon emissions and climate impact.

Packham and the law firm Leigh Day said the Oakervee review, whose advice to proceed with HS2 in full was followed by Boris Johnson last month, was “compromised, incomplete and flawed”.

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Heathrow third runway ruled illegal over climate change

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Appeal court says decision to give go-ahead not consistent with Paris agreement

Plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport have been ruled illegal by the court of appeal because ministers did not adequately take into account the government’s commitments to tackle the climate crisis.

The ruling is a major blow to the project at a time when public concern about the climate emergency is rising fast and the government has set a target in law of net zero emissions by 2050. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, could use the ruling to abandon the project, or the government could draw up a new policy document to approve the runway.

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Severe flood warnings remain as Johnson’s response is criticised

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Labour says PM’s decision not to visit flood sites or call Cobra meeting is ‘a disgrace’

Severe flood warnings remain in place and rescue operations were continuing in stricken communities on Monday evening, as the government faced criticism for its response to what has been described as unprecedented flooding in parts of the country.

With thousands of properties flooded after a month’s worth of rain fell on parts of Britain over the weekend, and more than 200 flood warnings still in place, Labour said it was “a disgrace” that the prime minister was not visiting affected towns and villages and was resisting calls to convene the Cobra emergencies committee.

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Government officials working on plans for bridge linking Scotland to Northern Ireland, No 10 confirms – live news

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Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen

Q: Do you think there is any chance of Boris Johnson changing his mind in relation to ruling out an extension to the post-Brexit transition?

Sturgeon says she has to assume that what the UK government says about ruling out an extension is what they mean.

Q: Have you had any contact from the police in relation to Derek Mackay’s conduct? And do you think he should resign as an MSP?

Sturgeon says she has not had any contact over this from the police.

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Storm Ciara hammers UK with hurricane-force winds and floods

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Northern English towns inundated again as transport systems struggle to cope

Hurricane-force winds and flooding have caused severe disruption across much of Britain, including damage to hundreds of properties and the cancellation of trains, flights and ferries.

Storm Ciara brought heavy rain and winds of more than 90mph, knocking out power to homes in some areas. The upheaval is likely to last into the start of the working week and there is more bad weather to come.

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HS2’s northern critics: ‘We don’t need it but we’ll be paying for it’

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In the north of England, the arguments over whether to push on with the HS2 project are as polarised as they are in Westminster. Amy Walker speaks to those opposed to HS2

Ask commuters in the north of England what improvements they would like to see on the railways and their wishlist is usually fairly modest: regular, reliable services with adequate carriages, non-leaking roofs and toilets that don’t empty straight out on to the track. Forget USB ports or wifi. Justthe basics – and some dignity.

Few would put at the top of their list a £100bn-plus railway that will get them to London an hour quicker.

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HS2 decision may be made next week after PM holds final talks

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Transport secretary tells MPs they ‘won’t have to wait long’ amid continuing opposition

Speculation that a decision on HS2 will be made early next week is mounting as the prime minister and key figures are understood to have held final talks on the controversial project.

The chancellor, Sajid Javid, who has publicly swung behind the scheme, and the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, are believed to have met Boris Johnson as the high-speed line continues to divide opinion among backbenchers.

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Sajid Javid set to back HS2 at crunch meeting – politics live

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The chancellor is set to support the controversial rail project at a meeting with Boris Johnson and the transport secretary, Grant Shapps

That was a display from Dominic Raab and Mike Pompeo of US-UK unity ahead of Brexit, with disagreements over Huawei, Iran and the Harry Dunn depicted as blips that could be overcome.

Instead, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, reiterated that the UK would be “at the front of the line” when it comes to a trade deal, with both parties concurring that this was achievable before November’s presidential election in November.

There is a follow up question on Harry Dunn from CBS.

Raab says he had a “good conversation with Mike” about it.

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Manchester cycle network plan could be national blueprint, says Burnham

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Mayor urges backing as report sets out predicted gains from walking and cycling scheme

A joined-up cycling and walking network in Greater Manchester could provide a national blueprint for reducing congestion and air pollution and improving health, a report says.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, and Chris Boardman, the region’s cycling and walking commissioner, are calling on the government to back plans for an 1,800-mile network of protected routes for pedestrians and cyclists.

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Sydney light rail temporarily suspended after car collides with a tram

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Police allege the motorist failed to stop at a red light before hitting the tram

One of Sydney’s new trams derailed on Sunday after being struck by a motorist who police allege drove through a red light.

The collision between the tram and a car temporarily shut down a busy Sydney street on Australia Day. South Dowling Street at Surry Hills was closed in both directions for about 90 minutes following Sunday’s accident, which occurred just before 5pm.

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A major rethink of HS2 is long overdue | Letter

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Alan Wenban-Smith says it is revealing that his report on the regional impact of the high-speed rail scheme was not published

Nils Pratley hits the nail on the head (Lobbyists may be having a field day justifying HS2’s burgeoning cost, but a rethink is long overdue, 21 January). In 2009 I reported to the promoters that the benefits of high-speed rail beyond the south-east would require a well-integrated national plan for complementary measures (transport and non-transport). Without such a plan – and a regional delivery mechanism – high-speed rail risked making regional disparities worse.

Fast forward to today: such limited regional mechanisms as existed have been dismantled, while the concept of high-speed rail has given birth to the present scheme. The case for HS2 rested heavily on the economic benefit of user time savings, making speed vital. This led to a higher speed specification than elsewhere in Europe, adding to the cost and environmental impact, while reducing flexibility in routing.

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