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Wednesday, 06 July 2016

Government

• Public exhibitions for M6 smart motorway upgrade in StaffordshirePublic invited to find out more about plans to upgrade the M6 between junction 13 and 15.
• Bus Services Bill: retaining the benefits of competitionIn 2011 I directed an investigation by one of our predecessor bodies, the Competition Commission, which found that competition between bus operators can bring real benefits to the travelling public.

BBC News

• FoE claims M4 Newport peak congestion 'lies'Friends of the Earth (FoE) has accused the Welsh Government of "lying" about congestion on the M4 at peak times around Newport.
• Talks to resume over ScotRail strikeTalks are scheduled to resume in a bid to break the deadlock in the ScotRail dispute.
• Strike-hit Southern rail axes hundreds of trainsHundreds of rail services are axed by Southern rail under a revised timetable in response to ongoing cancellations and delays.
• Cars older than 2005 may have to pay extra London 'air pollution charge'Cars made before 2005 may have to pay an additional charge for entering the congestion zone in London, under proposals put forward by the mayor.
• Stuck Tube train leaves '1,000 passengers' to walk tunnelUp to 1,000 Tube passengers are evacuated from a train and led through underground tunnels to safety because of a faulty track.
• Rail improvement projects behind schedule, report findsMajor rail improvement projects in Scotland are behind schedule with costs spiralling, according to a new report.

Department for Transport

• New blog post on CMA recommendations for the Bus Services BillThe CMA’s perspective on the Bus Services Bill and where local transport authorities can retain the benefits of competition for bus passengers.
• DfT launches £60 million competition to support sustainable travelCouncils invited to apply for a share of £60 million of new funding to support sustainable travel.

Financial Times

• Govia cuts timetable amid strike ‘misery’Operator aims to provide more predictable service during protracted labour dispute
• British Airways misses pension deadlineAgreement on funding scheme deficits delayed by legal dispute
• New Maersk CEO prioritises revenue growthSoren Skou says Danish conglomerate's strategic review will look at all options for group’s future

The Guardian

• Sadiq Khan unveils plans for extra charge on London's most polluting carsMayor to target older, dirtier vehicles with £10 charge from 2017 as part of proposals to tackle the capital’s ‘toxic’ air Older, dirtier cars will have to pay a £10 pollution charge to drive in central London, according to plans set out by Sadiq Khan on Tuesday.The charge, on top of the existing £11.50 congestion charge, would apply from 2017 to cars first sold before 2005. The mayor of London’s proposals to tackle the capital’s “toxic” air also include a big expansion of a planned Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) and a faster roll-out of cleaner buses. Continue reading...
• Southern Railway apologises as it axes 341 trains a dayEmergency timetable to run for one month but operator says it is pressing ahead with staff changes that triggered strikesSouthern Railway has said the worst will be over for its long-suffering passengers by Monday, when the company will cut 341 trains a day in an emergency timetable aimed at ending random cancellations. Bosses from Southern’s train operating company, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), and RMT union leaders were criticised by MPs on Tuesday for their part in months of travel disruption caused by staff shortages and industrial action. Continue reading...

The Independent

• Southern Railway to cut 341 trains a day in revised timetableRevised service on all Southern routes on Mondays to Fridays from Monday 11 July until further notice

Mail Online

• Southern Railways customers 'lives were made a misery by unions' claim MPs Union barons yesterday claimed Southern Railway rail staff are not turning up for work because they are too stressed - and causing misery to commuters suffering delays and cancellations.
• Sadiq Khan to charge London diesel cars with new pollution fee in congestion charge areas London's Labour mayor Sadiq Khan wants to bring in the fee from next year for vehicles entering the capital's congestion charge area. The charge would apply to cars, vans and lorries with diesel engines.

Birmingham Post

• Jaguar Land Rover reveals plans to create 250 more jobs The announcement came as the carmaker formally opened its new £20 million Special Operations technical centre in the region

London Evening Standard

• Southern Railway confirms it will cut 341 trains a day in emergency timetableCrisis-hit rail company Southern has announced it will cut 341 trains a day as part of a revised timetable.
• Sadiq Khan's £10 pollution 'T-charge' for older cars added to London's congestion chargeHighly polluting vehicles, broadly registered before 2005, will be hit with the extra £10 charge
• Southern rail: MPs to quiz boss over 'appalling' trainsA railway boss was today confronted with a dossier of evidence of passenger outrage at her firm's train services.
• Campaigners urge government to follow Sadiq Khan's lead on air pollutionCampaigners have called on the Government to follow Sadiq Khan's lead in tackling air pollution and "up its game" on the issue after the London mayor unveiled new proposals to impose a levy on heavily polluting vehicles.

Wales Online

• Wales is open for business but the UK needs a plan and leadershipThe Welsh Government should seek to minimise the negative or cumulative impact of devolved policies on business during this uncertain period

Blackpool Gazette

• Rail line to close for up to 18 weeksRail services between Blackpool and Preston could be halted for up to 18 weeks to allow the completion of upgrade works.

Get West London

• London could introduce world's highest emissions charge for older cars in new air quality crackdownIn a move to tackle air polllution, Mayor Sadiq Khan has proposed a new charge for cars older than 2005 driving in inner London
• Mass rally in support of Heathrow expansion marks one year since Airports Commission recommendationCampaigners call on the government and next Prime Minister to support Heathrow expansion
• Will an expanded Heathrow Airport damage neighbours' mental health? Residents fear expanding Heathrow Airport could lower mental wellbeing for people living under the flight path

Other Regional Press

• Wales is still a great place to do business says Economy SecretaryEconomy Secretary, Ken Skates has pledged that post-referendum, Wales will remain a great place to do business.
• Politicians must back demand for continued fundingWITH its high dependency on European funding, rural Wales MPs and AMs must now fervently back Carwyn Jones's demand that Westminster guarantee continued funding for Wales's EU-backed projects, and Welsh farming's £500m a year grant aid.

Rail Magazine

• FIRST PICTURES: Brand new trains for Essex and London taking shapeThe first images of c2c's Class 387s under construction have been released.
• Chilterns Route Study to tackle capacity challengesA new connection could linke Chiltern Main Line to a planned station at Old Oak Common, to provide additional capacity and access to both Crossrail and HS2
• Driver training starts for Anglia’s second locomotive-hauled setDriver training using Class 68s begins ahead of their introduction into traffic on Abellio Greater Anglia passenger duties.
• Rebuilt ‘73/9s’ take over all Caledonian Sleeper workCaledonian Sleeper no longer uses Class 67s on its trains from Edinburgh Waverley to the Highlands, because sufficient rebuilt Class 73/9s are now available.
• McLoughlin quizzed on state of UK rolling stockDuring a Q&A session on June 30, Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin fielded a number of questions relating to rolling stock.

Railway Gazette

• Siemens to 'rethink mobility' at InnoTrans 2016SIEMENS: ‘Rethinking mobility’ will be Siemens’ slogan at InnoTrans 2016, where the company will be...

Aviation Industry

• Lufthansa settles long-running cabin crew disputeUnion agrees to deal which will guarantee no further strikes

Other News Sources

• Economy Secretary Announces North Wales SummitEconomy and Infrastructure Secretary, Ken Skates is to hold a summit this week focussed on driving economic development across North Wales and the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ Region.
• FTA has mixed feelings about Mayor’s new air quality plansThe Freight Transport Association (FTA) responded to the Mayor of London’s new consultation on air quality issues by expressing some relief but ...
• Severn Bridges toll announcement is success for fairness - says FTATransport Minister Andrew Jones’s announcement that the Severn Bridges won’t be a “cash-making exercise” when they return to public ownership has ...
• Southern Railway release revised timetables as it scraps 341 services Southern Railway is to cut 341 trains a day in a revised timetable, the company has announced.