Latest news with #transport
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
UK to Unveil Railway Landlord With Swathes of Land for Homes
The UK government is set to unveil a new real estate company with a vast portfolio of land around the country's railways that will form a key tenet of the ruling Labour Party 's ambitions to boost housing. The Department for Transport will next week announce the formation of Platform Four, a new company that will contain the real estate portfolios of Network Rail and London & Continental Railways, people with knowledge of the proposals said. The combined entity will control a £30 billion real estate portfolio, one of the people said, asking not to be identified as the plans aren't yet public.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
The two UK towns getting new train stations for the first time in over 60 years for £45million
YOU'LL soon be able to visit two idyllic Westcountry towns by rail thanks to a £45million plan to bring back their train stations. Both Cullompton in Devon and Wellington in Somerset lost their stations in the 1960s, but they are set to reopen as early as next year. 5 5 The two countryside towns in south west England did once have train stations that were built in the 1880s. But as a result of the Beeching cuts, which saw huge changes to train services as a result of the nationalisation of the railway, they were both closed in 1964. However, there are now fresh plans to revive both stations with services expected to start running as early as 2026. Both will reopen at an estimated cost of £45million. The stations will connect to Exeter, a major transport hub with direct services to London Paddington, Plymouth, Bristol and the Cornish mainline too. Details are yet to be confirmed, but it's likely that when the railway stations reopen, they will join the Great Western Main Line that runs from London Paddington to Penzance. Cullompton sits on the doorstep of the Blackdown Hills on the Somerset-Devon border. For any families heading south, the town is right next to Diggerland Devon where children can operate diggers and hunt for buried treasure. You'll also find local farm shops and many pubs like The Weary Traveller, Merry Harriers, The Ashill Inn and Half Moon Inn. Over the border in Somerset is the town of Wellington. Visit Diggerland UK to enjoy an exciting staycation in the beautiful Devonshire countryside 5 5 Wellington has become known as a "food town" thanks to its reputation for quality food and drink. Top restaurants and pubs on Tripadvisor include The Martlet Inn which specialises in game and fish dishes. Another popular food spot is Valla Verde Italian Restaurant where you can sample delightful pasta dishes and antipasti. For keen explorers, it's a route to the Quantock Hills and Exmoor National Park. From there, it's a short trip up to the larger town of Taunton known for cider production and having its own castle. Cullompton and Wellington are just a 24 minute drive away from one another. But using public transport, the neighbouring towns can only reach each other by bus. Here's another direct train line that's set to connect the UK to a European city for the first time. And the 7 stunning European cities that Brits could take direct trains to as London station plans huge expansion. 5
Reuters
10 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Getlink's core profits drop, dragged down by Eleclink
July 24 (Reuters) - Transport and infrastructure operator Getlink ( opens new tab reported a drop in its half-year core profit as growth in its Eurotunnel and Europorte activities was outweighed by a fall in Eleclink's contribution. Eleclink's first-half sales fell more than 50% to 92 million euros ($108 million) compared to 185 million euros in the first half of 2024, due to the combined effects of the expected normalisation of electricity markets and business suspensions. Overall, Getlink continued to benefit from operational resilience despite the shutdowns of Eleclink's activities, as Eurostar's traffic grew 4% to more than 5.6 million passengers, exceeding the record level of 2024's first half. However, its freight segment suffered due to a lacklustre economic environment in Britain and a highly competitive cross-Channel market, with a slight drop of 2% in traffic. The company's net profit was down 35% to 113 million euros. In addition to a normalisation of the electricity markets, Getlink has been impacted by the suspension of Eleclink's electrical interconnector between France and Britain between September 25 and February 10 due to a damaged cable, as well as a disruption for maintenance between May 19 and June 2. Yann Leriche, CEO: "Our results are, as expected, down, and this is largely due to the fall in spreads, the normalisation of the energy and electricity markets in particular. And it's also due to two interruptions we had to make to the cable." ($1 = 0.8497 euros)
BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
Hidden East Yorkshire: The Hull to Grimsby hovercraft service
Why did a high-tech crossing over the River Humber that took people just 20 minutes to travel between Hull and Grimsby stop operating after a year?The BBC's Hidden East Yorkshire podcast has gone back to 1969 to explore the origins of the two companies running hovercraft services between the two a combination of fragile vehicles and debris in the estuary, meant the service would cease to exist long before construction of the Humber Drury-Bradey, who has been conducting a research project and hearing peoples' memories, said: "Some people used it for work or shopping but a lot of people used it just for the novelty. It was such new technology at the time." Two separate firms ran the hovercraft trips. The first service was called Hoverlink, with a craft called Mercury. A rival company was then set up in the same year named Humber Hoverferry craft, which uses a cushion of air to travel over land, water, mud, ice and other surfaces, ferried passengers from the Corporation Pier in Hull to the docks at Stamp, 63, remembers a trip to see the hovercraft set off across the Humber. His dad walked him to the pier when he was around seven years old. "That was very exciting for me", he said. "My dad had built it all up, telling me about these fabulous new devices, that hovered on air."We saw the people get on and watched it leave. It was quite choppy but then it built up speed."I never went on myself," he added. "But I would have loved to." Despite their novel solution for people crossing the Humber, the services were withdrawn never to return. The Humber Bridge, which was designed in 1964 while the hovercraft operated, would eventually open to vehicles in Drury-Bradey said: "With the technology of the 60s, they [the hovercraft] were a bit too fragile. In the end they lasted less than a year."The researcher also said he would like the banks of the Humber to be better connected with quicker journey concluded: "It's the way to grow economies, the way to grow jobs, the way to grow opportunities."But whether a hovercraft is the answer to that these days, I'm not so sure." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
BBC News
21 hours ago
- BBC News
Salford: Changes considered after bus crashes into bridge
Transport bosses are looking at changing routes and adding more warning signs after a double decker bus crashed into a vehicle's roof was torn off as it struck the Bridgewater Canal Aqueduct on Barton Lane in Eccles, Salford on Monday, with three people seriously injured and 17 others also Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester Vernon Everitt said passengers' safety was the Bee Network's "top priority" as he revealed Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham had asked him to produce an "urgent report" on the well as a police investigation, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched its own probe into the crash. A 19-year-old woman, and two men, one aged in his 20s and another in his 40s, sustained serious injuries and remain in hospital in a stable condition, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) driver, a man in his 50s, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless driving and has been bailed pending further inquiries. Everitt said TfGM is fully supporting GMP's investigation and all available CCTV from the bus has now been recovered by the operator, Stagecoach, and passed to the was working with Stagecoach, Salford City Council as the local highway authority and Peel, as the owner of the aqueduct, on its own probe into the collision, he includes why the 100 service bus was "not taking its usual route", a TFGM spokesman have also agreed several short-term measures to be implemented as soon as possible including new and additional warning measures – including further signage at and near the has also sought reassurances from bus operators, local authorities and others with responsibility for managing and maintaining low bridges about how they will mitigate measures to prevent further strikes. Everitt said it was looking at potentially re-routing services away from the Barton Lane said Burnham has asked him to look into the circumstances around the crash and make recommendations about wider implications for safety on the network."I have heard very clearly the concern from the local community that there have been many other collisions at this location over many years," the transport commissioner said he has also spoken to the head of a bus operator involved in a separate collision into a low bridge on Ten Acres Lane in Newton Heath on Tuesday.A Metroline Manchester training bus was being driven by a trainee driver when it struck a bridge, but no passengers were onboard, and nobody was injured. Everitt said that incident would be thoroughly investigated, too, and form part of his said it was also helping to support those impacted by the "deeply distressing event"."Our commitment to safe operations is absolute. "Core to this will be the further development of a Bee Network safety standard, as part of our long-term Vision Zero strategy and plan to eliminate death and serious injuries on the city region's roads." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
