Exclusive: Documents show shift in transport policy influenced by unfounded fears about loss of freedom of movement in ‘15-minute cities’
Ministers decided to prioritise driving over active travel because of worries among ministers about “15-minute cities”, documents seen by the Guardian show.
They indicate that a significant shift in transport policy was guided at least in part by conspiracy theories.
Continue reading...Testing reveals ‘low-risk’ contamination in samples taken from mulch near Rozelle playground, Transport for NSW says
An expansive park built above Rozelle’s multibillion-dollar spaghetti junction interchange has been closed after asbestos was found in garden mulch around a children’s playground – with the contractor involved confirming the mulch was also used elsewhere in Sydney.
An urgent audit was under way to determine what other sites could be affected by what the premier, Chris Minns, described as “a toxic substance”.
Continue reading...Senior officer says ‘pest’ drivers and not ‘real’ car enthusiasts were causing problems during festival in Canberra
A group of “morons” who would fail to enter the ACT if there were IQ requirements at the border are to blame for bad behaviour at one of Australia’s premier car festivals, a senior police officer has said.
ACT Policing seized 13 cars, including a Holden Commodore for doing a burnout metres from pedestrians, during this year’s Summernats festival in Canberra.
Continue reading...Exclusive: NSW government says it is open to all options even though new rolling stock, now due in 2026, will have reclining seats only
The permanent withdrawal of sleeper carriages on Sydney-Melbourne trains may be averted after new rolling stock enters service, thanks to the increasing popularity of intercity rail.
New Spanish-built trains ordered by the previous Coalition government were initially meant to enter service in January 2023, but are now not expected to be running before April 2026. As yet, there is no firm arrival date.
Continue reading...Carrier says such sites only account for ‘small fraction’ of its bookings but move has affected load factor
Ryanair has said that it has seen a drop in the number of tickets it has been able to sell after a number of major online booking websites stripped the budget carrier’s flights from their listings.
Europe’s largest airline said that in early December “most” of the larger online travel agent sites – including Booking.com, Kiwi and Kayak – “suddenly removed Ryanair’s flights from sale on their websites”.
Continue reading...Train operators say services face delays and cancellations after rain and strong winds batter UK
More than 300 flood warnings are in place across England as travellers face transport delays, with train services struggling to get back on track after rain and strong winds from Storm Henk lashed large parts of the UK.
The Environment Agency said on Wednesday there were 368 active alerts in England for possible flooding, 322 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected and, in Northampton, one danger-to-life severe flood warning.
Continue reading...Australia, along with Russia, remains one of the few countries in OECD without fuel efficiency standard
The federal government is facing pressure to “stop idling” and swiftly introduce new laws that will encourage carmakers to produce cleaner vehicles as Australia eyes its 2030 emissions reduction targets.
Automotive industry bodies and environment advocates say the European-style fuel efficiency standards would offer consumers greater choice of cleaner cars that are cheaper to run amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Continue reading...Australian federal police notified after 23-year-old woman allegedly became abusive on board a plane at Gold Coast airport
A Victorian woman allegedly assaulted airline staff at Gold Coast airport on New Year’s Eve while on board a plane bound for Melbourne.
The 23-year-old was arrested after airline staff notified the Australian federal police that a passenger was allegedly being verbally abusive on the plane, the AFP said.
Continue reading...Those affected decry ‘disgusting’ lack of communication, while others had to pay £1,000 to travel the next day
What promised to be a romantic New Year’s Eve in Paris ended in tears and travel trauma for Sean Winterbottom and his partner, Amy. The couple were among about 30,000 passengers to have their Eurostar journey cancelled on Saturday because of a flooded tunnel under the Thames.
“We were going to go for a flash dinner and … we had bookings, hotel reservations and everything,” Sean said of the trip they had been looking forward to for months.
Continue reading...Tunnel under Thames near Ebbsfleet was closed not by weather, but burst pipe, with Southeastern Railway also affected
Eurostar said services through the Channel tunnel would resume on Sunday but there were warnings of further delays and busy stations.
“Unprecedented” flooding was brought under control on Saturday, meaning at least one of the affected tunnels – under the Thames near Ebbsfleet, not under the Channel itself – could be used.
Continue reading...Dismay at St Pancras International in London as services cancelled due to flooding of Thames tunnel
When Ilse Deurloo arrived at St Pancras station after a festive holiday with her boyfriend in London, she was shocked by the scenes of chaos and disruption as thousands of travellers were left stranded.
“This is not what I had in mind,” said Deurloo, 20, who was planning to return home to Amsterdam on Saturday. Her train, like all expected high-speed services between Ebbsfleet International and London St Pancras International, was cancelled due to flooding in a tunnel under the Thames. Thames Water said it believed the incident was caused by a fire control system malfunction.
Continue reading...Southeastern trains on same route also affected, while windy conditions expected to sweep UK
Thousands of travellers faced disruption to their new year plans after all Eurostar trains in and out of London were cancelled on Saturday after “unprecedented” flooding in a tunnel on the line.
There were no high-speed services running between London St Pancras international and Ebbsfleet international in Kent on Saturday, and Southeastern trains on the same route were also suspended. A total of 41 Eurostar trains were cancelled.
Continue reading...The Great Western Highway is closed in both directions and is expected to remain a crime scene for some time
Two people are dead and more than a dozen have been injured in a multi-vehicle crash west of the Blue Mountains in NSW.
Emergency services were called to the scene of the five-car crash on the Great Western Highway at Wallerawang, 15km north of Lithgow, just before 1pm.
Continue reading...This blog is now closed
Tasmanian yacht Alive is in the box seat to take out Sydney to Hobart yacht race’s overall honours, with skipper Duncan Hine confident the 66-footer has a winning time on the board.
Hine and his crew finished the 628-nautical-mile blue water classic yesterday afternoon as clubhouse leaders on handicap time.
It’s a waiting game. We’re looking good, though. I believe we could do it again, but the reality may be different. Now we wait with bated breath to see if anyone can beat our time.
Continue reading...‘It doesn’t have to be this way’: Britain’s transport networks again grind to a halt during festive period
There was a familiar sense of misery for many travellers in the week before Christmas as hundreds of trains were cancelled, motorways were closed and ferry passengers queued for miles waiting to board their ships.
But it doesn’t have to be this way, transport campaigners say, as politicians and transport bosses have the power to ease some of the problems facing travellers.
Continue reading...Weather warnings issued for drivers and London’s King’s Cross and Paddington stations will be closed
Christmas getaway travel disruption is expected to continue throughout the weekend, with millions of car journeys under way and major London railway stations due to close on Sunday.
The AA estimated that 16.4m car journeys will take place on Saturday and warned of “lengthy jams”.
Continue reading...Three rail companies saw their highest ever number of payments to passengers for delayed services in November
In analysis that might not come as news to rail passengers already stranded this festive season, Labour have warned of potential “Christmas chaos” on trains after data showed a record level of payouts for rail delays in November.
Three train operating companies – Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway (GWR) and East Midlands Railway – saw their highest ever number of payments to passengers for delayed services last month, above pre-Covid levels, the party said.
Continue reading...The government says it is still planning to increase salary threshold to £38,700 but Tory backbenchers have called the move ‘deeply disappointing’
Regulated rail fares in England will rise by nearly 5% in March, PA Media reports. PA says:
The Department for Transport has set a cap of 4.9% for increases to most fares regulated by the government, which include season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long distance routes and flexible tickets for travel around major cities.
July’s RPI measure of inflation, which is traditionally used to determine annual fare rises, was 9.0%.
Having met our target of halving inflation across the economy, this is a significant intervention by the government to cap the increase in rail fares below last year’s rise.
Changed working patterns after the pandemic mean that our railways are still losing money and require significant subsidies, so this rise strikes a balance to keep our railways running, while not overburdening passengers.
Continue reading...Eurostar and Eurotunnel services resume on Friday but drivers face 60-minute queue for French border controls
Christmas getaway disruption was continuing on Friday with long queues for cross-Channel journeys, motorway closures and train cancellations on one of the busiest days of the year for travel.
In the late afternoon the Port of Dover in Kent said it was taking about 60 minutes to process cars before French border controls.
Continue reading...Last-minute Eurotunnel strike by French unions in Calais halts services as Storm Pia causes travel problems across country
Passengers are suffering fresh disruption in the Christmas getaway after severe weather left rail lines blocked around Britain, while a strike by French Eurotunnel workers has halted Eurostar trains and cross-Channel shuttle services.
Strong winds from Storm Pia, including gusts of up to 80mph in northern Britain, have blown down trees on tracks around the country.
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