In The News: 10th August

Click here to listen to the latest news on Monday, 10th August 2020

England’s bus and tram services will receive extra support worth up to £256 million to help them ramp up services ahead of expected increases in public transport use in September.

Tram services will have access to up to £37.4 million over 12 weeks, at a rate of up to £3.1 million a week, with funding to be reviewed at the end of the period.

The funding aims to enable operators to mitigate the impact of the loss of revenue, while continuing to build back to normal service levels.

Click here for more details.

Hitachi Rail has announced today that it has agreed to acquire technology firm Perpetuum.

The company says the move supports its vision to provide superior transport solutions by using digital technology designed to improve the reliability of thousands of passenger services across the globe.

Steve Turley, CEO at Perpetuum, says it presents vital opportunities that only a global transport giant can offer.

Click here for more details.

Commuters in Scotland have been urged to walk or cycle to avoid trains and buses becoming too overwhelmed as schools return.

An article in the Scotsman says ministers have launched a new Travel Safe campaign, which has also called on people to continue working from home where possible.

Capacity on trains and buses remains severely restricted because of the need for distancing between passengers, even though this has been reduced from 2 metres to 1 metre.

Finally, and work to install a 65-metre bridge, spanning the width of the M42, has been completed in just two days – 22 hours ahead of schedule.

The 2,750 tonne bridge structure was carried along the motorway on a self-propelled modular transporter as part of the HS2 work.

The 448-wheel transporter took just one hour and 45 minutes to move the bridge span 150 metres, where it was affixed to a composite concrete deck to complete the overall bridge structure.

Click here for more details.

Photo credit: HS2 Ltd

Click here to listen to the rail headlines from previous days.

Download article