Nottingham has the largest fleet of bio-gas double deck buses!

Nottingham City Transport has announced the world’s largest bio-gas double deck bus fleet operational in Nottingham.

From Nottingham City Transport

The world’s largest fleet of Bio-Gas double deck buses is now fully operational after Nottingham City Transport’s 53rd Bio-Gas bus entered service this week, completing a £16.8m investment in greener transport for the city.

Half of all Tube and London rail journeys are using contactless payments

TfL have announced that half of all Tube and London Rail journeys are made with contactless payment cards or mobile devices.

From TfL Press Release

Half of all Tube and rail pay as you go journeys are now regularly made using contactless payment cards or mobile devices, the latest figures from Transport for London (TfL) reveal.

London Bus tender awards for Mid April 2018

TfL have announced tender awards for four London bus routes.

From LOTS News:

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

Hybrid Tri-axle double-deck bus for London

 

So excited to see Vantage Power's powertrain and telemetry tech powering this 1st of a kind! https://t.co/juQFkiUw94 Great working with @EnsignBusCo and @Go_AheadLondon on this. pic.twitter.com/LfuQA0Eymt

— Vantage Power (@VantagePower) April 11, 2018

Since the rollout of the three-door, two-staircase hybrid bus known as the New Routemaster ended with 1,000 vehicles, we will be seeing a new double deck bus which has a longer length than the New Routemaster bus (at 11.2 metres/36.7 feet).

Free bus travel for elderly and disabled protected for the foreseeable future

Good news for elderly and disabled bus users! The Department of Transport has announced that the UK Government have protected the free bus travel scheme for the elderly and disabled in England for the foreseeable future.

From Department of Transport

Government changes legislation to protect free bus travel scheme.

Disabled and older people in England will continue to benefit from free off-peak bus travel for the foreseeable future, keeping them connected with their local towns and cities.

Heathrow Express to continue service till 2028

Heathrow Express will continue to operate the express service from Heathrow Airport to London Paddington until 2028.

From Heathrow Express

Heathrow Express rail service has been preserved to at least 2028 under a new agreement announced today.

· New agreement confirms Heathrow Express for at least a decade

· Will improve rail service connections, resilience and reliability for Heathrow passengers

· Rail services to Heathrow to rise from 18 trains per hour to at least 22 trains per hour from December 2019

· Confirms Government support for developing western and southern rail links to Heathrow

DfT announces the new independent appeals for passengers issued with a penalty fare

The Department for Transport announces new rules for penalty fares on the British railway system.

From Department for Transport

New rules coming into force today (6 April 2018) will offer a greater level of protection for rail passengers issued with a penalty fare, where they make an honest mistake, Rail Minister Jo Johnson has announced.

Fare dodgers will continue to receive tough penalties, but those with a genuine reason for not having a valid ticket will now be able to challenge a penalty with an independent committee, not connected to the rail companies. Once an appeal is received, the clock will stop on the 21 day deadline for the payment of a penalty fare, until the outcome is resolved.

UK Government announces £48 million for ultra-low emission buses and Electric Bus trial for Kent

The UK government announces £48 million to increase the number of ultra-low emission buses for Britain.

From Department for Transport

Passengers across the country will benefit from a multi-million pound government investment which will help councils and bus companies put more environmentally-friendly buses on the roads.

Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani has today (28 March 2018) announced a new Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme aimed at cutting emissions and ensuring cleaner and greener journeys.

Automatic trains enabled for the Thameslink Core

Automatic Train Operation (ATO) is now starting to be used for the main core section of the Thameslink, which serves the Central London stations.

From Network Rail

Passengers have ridden the UK’s first self-drive mainline train in a major milestone for the rail industry, delivered by the Thameslink Programme.

On Monday 26 March 2018 the 09.46 service from Peterborough to Horsham, one of the new routes that will be opened up by the industry’s biggest timetable change for a generation in May, ran under automatic train operation (ATO) between St Pancras International and London Blackfriars.

Successful tests for the new London Underground Sub Surface Lines signalling system

TfL has announced that testing the new signalling system to upgrade the Sub Surface Lines has been successful.

From TfL Press release

Transport for London (TfL) this weekend expanded testing of the new, modern Tube signalling system, which is set to transform the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, to its largest area yet. The new system was successfully tested from Hammersmith through to Euston Square and Paddington, with the work involving the complex Baker Street junction - the first such junction to be tested with the state-of-the-art Thales communications-based train control (CBTC) system.