Several key transport announcements were made over the Christmas and New Year period, following the last TP Weekly News. Here is a selection:

 

Consolidation among the transport sector’s key consultants shows no sign of stopping following the acquisition of CH2M by Jacobs at the end of 2017.

 

The deal – worth around £2.1Bn – is expected to enhance Jacobs’ position in the infrastructure market and, it is claimed, will make the new combined company an “employer of choice” in the transportation sector.

 

“This is a transformative step change that brings together the industry’s foremost expertise,” said Jacobs chairman Steve Demetriou.

 

Meanwhile, the Government has announced extensions to two pioneering ‘Lane Rental’ schemes in Kent and London, which see utility companies charged up to £2500 a day for carrying out works on busy roads.

 

The schemes were due to end in March 2019 but both will now remain in place while roll out of Lane Rental to other areas is considered.

 

The Department for Transport has also announced a restructuring of its webTAG guidance for appraising transport schemes, including amendments to the wider economic impact transport analysis guidance. The changes, set to take place in May, include the introduction of an ‘Economic Narrative’ and ‘Economic Impacts Report’ to schemes.

 

Progress continues to be made on Transport for the North’s path towards statutory status after the House of Lords approved regulations for it to become England’s first sub-national transport body in December. A motion will now be considered in the House of Commons next week which could grant the organisation statutory status for the new financial year. 

 

Also, the group’s draft strategic transport plan has been agreed by civic and business leaders from across northern England ahead of an upcoming public consultation.

 

In rail, Britain’s fleet of freight trains is set to be upgraded with digital technology to improve their operational performance following the award of a major technology contract.

 

The contract, awarded to Siemens by Network Rail, will see 750 vehicles equipped with ‘European Train Control System’ in cab signalling, providing greater flexibility in timetabling.

 

The announcement came as the Campaign for Better Transport published new research making the case for switching more freight onto rail.

 

It found that removing just 2000 lorries a day from four of England’s most heavily congested freight routes would cut NOx emissions by 10% on these routes and reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured in crashes involving an HGV.

 

Finally, the Port of Tilbury has submitted an application to build a new terminal adjacent to its current port in Thurrock.

 

The proposed new port, known as Tilbury2, is needed to cope in part with rising demand for construction materials and aggregates from the UK’s building sector, as well as imported and exported cars.