In The News: 29th May

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Enforcing compulsory passenger face coverings on trains and buses would be ‘challenging’.

In an article in The Scotsman, ministers say it would require new laws and could be difficult to enforce.

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said he was confident most people would comply with the ‘expectation’ that they wore a covering.

Commuters from the Home Counties could face higher rail fares under proposals being considered by businesses as a way to ease the long-term funding crisis at Transport for London.

That’s according to an article in the Evening Standard, covering a report from London First calling for those outside the capital, but relying on its public transport network, to make a ‘fair contribution’ to its upgrade.

The Sun newspaper says 84,000 new jobs could be created by a £2.7 billion, 30-year roads and rail plan.

The project, which was announced yesterday, has been put forward by Midlands Connect local authorities and enterprise groups to revive the East Midlands as part of the HS2 rail scheme.

It includes trams linking Derby and Nottingham and a new railway station at East Midlands airport.

Stagecoach and FirstGroup have welcomed a £283 million government plan to get public transport services back to normal.

According to an article in The Daily Telegraph shares in both companies yesterday rose after analysts said they were burning through cash at a slower rate than feared.

Major work to secure a railway embankment in Warwickshire will mean more reliable journeys for passengers on the Chiltern main line.

Since December 2019, a £9m investment by Network Rail has seen engineers working to stabilise the slope on the south side of Harbury tunnel between Leamington Spa and Banbury.

Historically the area has been beset by earth movement, most recently in early 2015 when a 300,000-tonne landslip on the other side of the tunnel closed the Chiltern main line for six weeks.

Photo credit: Network Rail

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