Latest news with #MidlandsConnect
BBC News
07-08-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Hinckley A5 closed after notorious low bridge hit again
A road has been closed in Hinckley after a lorry crashed into a bridge dubbed the "most bashed" in Police said the A5 Watling Street in Hinckley was closed from Dodwells Roundabout to Logix force said it was called at about 10:00 BST and there was debris on the road but no reports of any injuries. The bridge was given the label the "most bashed" in Britain when it was hit 25 times between 2019 and 2020. Two years ago transport body Midlands Connect analysed four occasions when the bridge was hit and found the resulting traffic delays cost the economy an estimated £126, also calculated the cost to the economy of rail delays for 10 incidents during 2019, affecting nearly 4,000 passengers, to be roughly £43, Connect said regular collisions at the bridge had caused more than 4,400 hours of road delays each year, adding the real cost of bridge strikes could be significantly higher than the figure calculated.
BBC News
01-08-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Call for £18m rail line upgrade between Nottingham and Lincoln
A proposed £18m upgrade to a "critical" rail line will cut journey times, reduce road traffic and boost the local economy, campaigners have the journey between Nottingham, Newark and Lincoln - known as the Castle Line - takes around an Connect said only 10% of trips on this route were by train, but increasing the speed should make it more group, which represents local councils and transport providers, first put forward the idea in 2023 but has now submitted a new report on the project to the Department for Transport (DfT). 'Economic growth' The proposed upgrades aim to increase train speeds along the route from a typical 50mph (80km/h) to about 75mph (120km/h).The long-term aim is to double the frequency of services to two trains an hour, though no aim has been announced for how long journeys would take between the two cities following the Connect said this could drive economic development, promote more sustainable travel and foster social mobility along the route, helping to address areas of deprivation. Its report estimates the project could deliver a £3.60 return in regional benefits for every £1 proposed work would see the relocation of one signal unit, short sections of minor track re-alignment and carrying out structural repairs to existing Naish, MP for Rushcliffe and chair of the East Midlands all-party political group, said: "The Castle Line is a critical local line, connecting many suburban and rural communities to jobs, services, and opportunities in both major cities."Nottingham and Lincoln are fantastic cities, homes to a diverse range of businesses and excellent universities. "By better connecting them to the local communities in between, we can help to improve social mobility and drive forwards economic growth while promoting more sustainable transport choices."I fully back this proposal."Midlands Connect is asking the DfT to grant approval for the scheme to proceed to Decision to Develop, which is the second of five stages in the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) it progresses on schedule, work could start in April 2026 with completion in summer 2028.A DfT spokesperson said: "We are absolutely committed to improving connectivity across the East Midlands, which is why we are investing over £2bn to improve transport infrastructure in the region, as part of our Plan for Change."We will look carefully at the proposals for the Castle Line and we fully anticipate it will be part of a pipeline of projects to be considered in future funding decisions."
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
A1 central reservation gaps to be closed
Gaps in the central reservation of the A1 are to be closed as a safety measure. National Highways said it would install steel barriers across 13 crossing points on a stretch of the dual carriageway between Little Ponton and South Witham in Lincolnshire. The agency said it was responding to concerns raised in public meetings about the number of accidents along the road. Last year, transport research group Midlands Connect reported there were almost 1,000 crashes on the A1 between Peterborough and Blyth since 2015. Phil Shaw from National Highways said the agency had spent more than £19m on safety improvements on the A1 including new road markings, improved signage, the introduction of LED road studs and red high friction road surfaces. "There has been a lot of support for closing these gaps and we have heard the concerns of communities along the A1," he said. "That's why we are developing a long-term safety plan for this road including shutting off more gaps." He added that closing the gaps was "a complex legal and technical process". "We need to ensure that the problems are not moved to a different location, to consider collision data and the public rights of way," he said. The work starts on 16 July and will largely be carried out during overnight closures lasting five weeks. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Click here, to download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Click here, to download the BBC News app from Google Play for Android devices. Public clash with highways bosses over A1 safety Public meeting to discuss safety concerns over A1 Review under way into 'dangerous' A1 crossings MP wants action on 'mad' A1 junctions National Highways
BBC News
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
A1 central reservation gaps to be closed in Lincolnshire
Gaps in the central reservation of the A1 are to be closed as a safety Highways said it would install steel barriers across 13 crossing points on a stretch of the dual carriageway between Little Ponton and South Witham in agency said it was responding to concerns raised in public meetings about the number of accidents along the year, transport research group Midlands Connect reported there were almost 1,000 crashes on the A1 between Peterborough and Blyth since 2015. Phil Shaw from National Highways said the agency had spent more than £19m on safety improvements on the A1 including new road markings, improved signage, the introduction of LED road studs and red high friction road surfaces."There has been a lot of support for closing these gaps and we have heard the concerns of communities along the A1," he said."That's why we are developing a long-term safety plan for this road including shutting off more gaps."He added that closing the gaps was "a complex legal and technical process"."We need to ensure that the problems are not moved to a different location, to consider collision data and the public rights of way," he said. The work starts on 16 July and will largely be carried out during overnight closures lasting five to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Click here, to download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and here, to download the BBC News app from Google Play for Android devices.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Midlands Railway Hub represents 'major investment' for region
A planned rail hub approved by the government represents "a major investment" for the East Midlands, a transport group has Midlands Rail Hub will allow more than 20 million extra seats for passengers and up to 300 extra trains every day across two "chords" for the east and west of the region, according to Midlands was announced last month for the hub by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, but an announcement on Tuesday confirmed money to progress the scheme to the next Connect said the scheme would provide "faster, better and more frequent" connections, as well as creating 13,000 construction jobs. The Department for Transport said the hub "will be the region's biggest and most ambitious rail improvement scheme to date".Reeves previously said the hub would improve connections from Birmingham, across the West Midlands and into Wales, but did not mention the East Midlands. Maria Machancoses, chief executive of Midlands Connect, told the BBC: "There's a lot of conversations around the Midlands Rail Hub for what it means for the East Midlands."It's a major investment. Government is committed to deliver it."It is all about creating much more capacities, east-west connections."The programme itself will take different steps to delivery, but eventually the idea, the ambition that we all have in mind and what leaders and mayors across the region are working really close together on, is to get this programme on the ground."Ms Machancoses added that Midlands Connect was now "waiting on a final figure" from the government. Analysis By Peter Saull, political editor, BBC East MidlandsAt the Spending Review last month, Rachel Reeves announced funding for the "region's biggest and most ambitious rail improvement scheme for generations".The Midlands Rail Hub, she added, would improve connections from Birmingham, across the West Midlands and into she failed to mention links to the East Midlands, even though that was supposed to be one of the project's main day after, on a visit to Derby, Reeves told me she was committed to the scheme across the Midlands."The initial work will be in the west - that is necessary before that work starts in the East Midlands," she weeks on, the Department for Transport has announced there is actually money available for both east and west "chords".
