Transportinfo.org.uk - today's transport news in the uk, hand picked for you each morning

Friday, 24 February 2017

BBC News

• Rail commuters stranded amid stormTrain services at London Euston were suspended on Thursday afternoon due to winds of up to 94mph.
• Plane evacuated after landing gear collapsesA Flybe plane from Edinburgh is evacuated after its landing gear collapses at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.
• Peugeot owner PSA sees profits nearly doubleAs its profits rise, the French carmaker says it will

Department for Transport

• UK government funds City of Derry air linkThe UK government has today announced £3.8 million for a Londonderry to London air route, following the decision by current operator Ryanair to stop serving the air link at the end of March.

Financial Times

• Electric carmakers on alert as funds hoard cobaltRace to secure supplies of key material used in lithium-ion batteries
• National Express bolstered by overseas growthTransport group lifts dividend as pre-tax profit increases 10% despite slowdown in UK
• HS2 building to start in weeks after royal assent�22bn London to Birmingham route due to open by 2026 but still faces opposition
• Ryanair warns UK on urgency over Brexit dealGroup worries about prospects of securing aviation agreement after Britain leaves EU
• Waymo sues Uber over alleged theft of trade secretsMove by Alphabet’s car unit reflects high stakes in self-driving technology

The Herald

• Clyde ports' public wrangle over Arran ferry gets heatedThe war of words between Clyde ports vying for the Arran ferry service, intensified with claims that if shifted to Troon, a new �48.5m CalMac car ferry could be delayed by a year.

The Independent

• Donald Trump's administration kills funding for California's clean energy electric rail projectDespite promises of building up US infrastructure, the Federal Transit Administration put Caltrain electrification in limbo

Mail Online

• HS2 construction work to start in weeks The Parliamentary Bill to build the rail line from London to Birmingham received royal assent, opening the way for construction work to begin in the spring.

This is Money

• Drive for EVs being thwarted by inconsistent tax policies Charging road tax from April on EVs that were previously exempt and a failure to provide sufficient charging points could put the brake on a wider take up of electric vehicles industry bosses warned.

Birmingham Mail

• Watch: Pilots brave Storm Doris to make incredible landings Amazing video footage shows skills in 80mph gusts at Birmingham Airport

Derby Telegraph

• Transport Secretary says Japan should order Derby-built Bombardier Aventra trains Japan should buy trains built by Bombardier in Derby because they are "better" than what they already have, according to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling.

London Evening Standard

• Sadiq Khan backs Walthamstow, Kingston and Enfield Mini Holland cycle schemes after driver backlashSadiq Khan has given his backing to London's "Mini Holland" cycle schemes in the face of demands from motorists to reopen residential roads to through traffic.
• Ministers accused of approving Heathrow third runway 'on wing and a prayer' over pollution pledge Ministers were today accused of giving the green light to a third runway at Heathrow on a "wing and a prayer" that it will not breach EU toxic air rules.
• Storm Doris: London rail chaos for commuters as stations evacuated and trains cancelledEuston and King's Cross stations were both evacuated

Yorkshire Post

• ‘Make HS2 line ready for HS3’THE planned HS2 rail line through Yorkshire should be built ready to connect to future trans-Pennine high speed rail services, the company developing the scheme will be told.

Bucks Free Press

• HS2 construction to start in spring as controversial project is given Royal Assent Construction on the controversial HS2 project looks set to begin in the spring after the first phase of the new line was given Royal Assent by the Queen.

Reading Evening Post

• University of Reading says ReadyBike scheme is 'not financially viable'Staff at the university have hit back at claims from Cllr Tony Page that it has "yet to put their hand in their collective pocket"

Other Regional Press

• Rail infrastructure commission could transform network, think-tank claimsA think-tank has urged the Scottish Government to set up a rail infrastructure commission to examine projects which could “transform” the network.
• Huddersfield’s station cat Felix releases limited edition book copies - signed with a pawprint! Autobiography ‘Felix the Railway Cat’ officially released today

Bus and Coach.com

• DRM Bus Company turns to Volvo for speedy delivery
• Electric low-floor minibus launch at CV Show from Mellor Coachcraft

Buying Business Travel

• Easyjet trials system to discourage direct bookingsAirline is testing email service designed to improve duty of care

Rail Magazine

• HS2 granted Royal Assent with construction to begin this springNew railway will create around 25,000 new jobs and 2,000 apprenticeships

Rail Technology Magazine

• NR confirms route devolution and new Western supervisory boardNetwork Rail has today formally announced that significant powers and decision-making for routes have already been devolved to a local level. Speaking in its first report on progress since the publication of its transformation Plan, ‘Delivering for Our Customers’, the infrastructure...
• Intertrain: ready for the futureRTM recently attended Intertrain's 'Driving for Success' event in Doncaster, where leaders from major players such as Carillion and Babcock got together to celebrate the company's latest cohort of rail apprentices. Luana Salles finds out more about the secret behind the company's success.
• HS2 finally given green light in overwhelming Parliament votePhase one for the HS2 project has today finally been given royal assent in Parliament, meaning that work on the long-awaited high-speed rail network can now officially go ahead. With construction set to begin in the spring, today sees the launch of £70m worth of schemes for communities

Railnews

• HS2 Bill receives Royal Assent Construction of Britain�s second High Speed railway has been given the legal go-ahead today, because the Hybrid Bill authorising the construction of HS2 Phase 1 between London and Birmingham has received Royal Assent. The complex and controversial Bill has taken more than three years to move through both Houses of Parliament. Hundreds of petitions from property owners and other members of the public, as well as pressure groups, have been heard. Construction can now start as planned in the spring.

Aviation Industry

• MPs’ damning review of proposals to mitigate Heathrow environmental impactsImage Credit: Jamie Street Photography via Unsplash The Government has so far failed to prove that Heathrow expansion can be delivered within environmental limits, a committee of MPs has concluded. In a highly critical report, the Environmental Audit Committee said …
• Mexico’s Grupo Viva Aerobus posts $37 million net profit for 2016Mexican low-cost carrier (LCC) Grupo Viva Aerobus posted a 2016 net profit of MXP765.8 million ($37 million), a 69.2% increase over the company’s MXP452.7 million 2015 net income. read more
• Qantas posts $372 million net profit for 1H FY2017 Qantas reported a consolidated net profit of A$515 million ($372.1 million) for the first half of its FY2017 (July-December 2016), down 25.1% from A$688 million in the first half of FY2016. read more

Other News Sources

• FTA clarifies SFA guidance on LGV apprenticeship fundingThe Freight Transport Association has today (23 February 2017) received clarification from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial ...