Click here to listen to the latest rail news on Wednesday, 30th November 2022
InTheNews: The latest rail news on Wednesday, 30th November 2022
Northern mayors will meet Transport Secretary Mark Harper to demand he takes action to end the “chaos” on the region’s railways.
An article in the Evening Standard says Labour mayors from West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Manchester, Liverpool and North Tyneside will urge the Cabinet minister to improve services on Wednesday.
Thousands of trains have been cancelled across northern England at short notice in recent weeks, with TransPennine Express, Avanti West Coast and Northern all affected.
Midlands businesses have backed £100 million plans to restore direct rail links between Nottingham, Leicester and Coventry, according to a new survey.
An article on the BBC website says Transport body Midlands Connect asked more than 100 firms about its proposal to restart direct services which last ran between the cities in 2004.
It said 93 per cent of them said their staff would benefit from the better connections proposed.
A business case for the scheme is being prepared for the government.
Plans to bring back lost rail services and restore closed stations in South Yorkshire are gaining momentum, as the region moves forward with bids to level up and reconnect left behind communities.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “There is huge support for our plans to reopen the Askern and Don Valley railway lines, because of the chance it gives us to level-up communities currently left behind because of poor public transport links.”
Cases for funding have been put to government to reopen the Don Valley Line, between Sheffield and Stocksbridge, and the Askern Line, between Doncaster and Knottingley, for local passenger services.
If given the green light, proposals will go to the next stage of the national ‘Restoring Your Railways’ programme to provide better access to jobs, homes and education.
E-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards are set to be banned on all Northern trains and stations as of tomorrow (Thursday, 1 December).
The ruling is due to the potential fire risk posed by the lithium batteries in these devices, which can overheat and catch fire.
Electric wheelchairs and e-bikes are exempt from the ban – as are mobility scooters for those with access needs, as long as they are registered with the train operator’s Mobility Scooter Permit Scheme – which checks devices by a range of criteria to make sure they are safe to use on-board.
Photo credit: Northern
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