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

Wednesday, 14 February 2018

BBC News

• Mayor of London to spend £6m on toilets for bus driversSadiq Khan is to invest the money to make it easier for bus drivers to spend a penny.
• Flying cars: Will they ever take off?Some companies are trying to fulfil the long-cherished dream of making a car that can fly. But how practical or affordable will they be?
• Network Rail to put new projects on holdFrom 2019, the company's focus will switch to maintaining the existing network.
• Car industry: Who's the biggest of them all?Working out who sells the most cars is more complicated than you might think.

Financial Times

• London’s transport is vital to the capital’s futureThe city cannot ignore fewer passengers and a £1bn budget deficit
• Uber pares quarterly losses and lifts revenuesImprovements boost new chief Khosrowshahi as he prepares to take company public
• Uber’s quarterly loss narrows, revenues hit record high

The Guardian

• German cities to trial free public transport to cut pollution“Car nation” Germany has surprised neighbours with a radical proposal to reduce road traffic by making public transport free, as Berlin scrambles to meet EU air pollution targets and avoid big fines.

The Telegraph

• Germany considers plan for free public transport to reduce pollution
• 'There was a loud bang': United Airlines passengers describe mid-air drama as engine cover comes off

Times Online

• Free public transport to cut city pollution [Subscription]The German government is considering plans to make public transport free in cities suffering from air quality problems, according to a letter seen by Reuters, which also outlines more conventional measures such as low emission zones.
• Rail bosses to discuss ‘fishbowl’ train windscreens [Subscription]Talks between unions and Scotland’s rail operator will be held this week after drivers threatened to refuse to drive a new fleet of trains over safety concerns.
• Norwegian spreads long-haul wings to soar above its rivals [Subscription]Norwegian Air is to cement its position as Gatwick’s largest long-haul airline with its inaugural flight to South America, the promise of increased destinations and frequencies across the Atlantic to the US, and a new front flying from London’s second airport to China and Japan and, in time, possibly India.

City AM

• Norwegian boss pledges to keep UK at "the heart" of rapid expansion as airline starts London Gatwick flights to Buenos AiresThe boss of budget airline Norwegian said today the UK will be central to the carrier's expansion plans as he outlined aims to grow long-haul flights from the UK to destinations including Tokyo and Beijing.
• Construction group Galliford Try wants to raise £150m from investors to help cover Carillion hitConstruction group and housebuilder Galliford Try has today announced a £150m capital raising to help cover the impact of Carillion's liquidation.
• From Oslo to London: These are the cities across the globe leading the charge on electric vehiclesLondon has been listed among the cities leading the way for electric vehicles in a new report from the World Economic Forum and Bain & Company on how the electric car revolution could help slash travel costs.
• TfL told to look into a London licensing regime for dockless cycle hire and driverless buses for the capitalTransport for London (TfL) and mayor Sadiq Khan have been told to look into a London-wide licensing system for dockless cycle hire in a new report from the London Assembly Transport Committee.

Birmingham Mail

• £7.5 million pollution busting scheme for Birmingham's busesThe government is investing in new, cleaner greener buses  across the Midlands

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Chamber of Commerce all aboard Bradford's station on high speed Northern Powerhouse Rail line A BUSINESS group says plans for a new railway station in Bradford will be a great benefit to the city’s future as people can have their say at a series of events.

London Evening Standard

• Prepare for driverless buses in London, TfL is told in vision of future for capital's transportTfL should start preparing for the use of driverless buses across London, according to major report on the future of the capital's transport.
• Sadiq Khan to spend £6m on toilets for London bus driversLondon bus drivers will have improved access to toilets under £6 million plans to provide more facilities on dozens of routes.
• Full TfL Night Tube and London Overground map revealed as Highbury and Islington rail services link up with Victoria lineThe full Night Tube map has been revealed following the announcement of a new service linking the Overground to Highbury and Islington and the Victoria line.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Long-awaited plans to increase number of fast trains between Sheffield and Manchester move a step closer A long-awaited plan to upgrade the railway line linking Sheffield and Manchester has moved a step closer. The Government has today green-lighted proposals to improve the Hope Valley line, which will include increasing the number of fast trains between the two cities.

The York Press

• Plan boosts dualling hopes for A64 and York's outer ring roadHOPES of dualling the A64 and York’s outer ring road will be boosted by a new strategic transport plan for the North, a public meeting was told.

Wales Online

• New car tax charges for 2018 explained - what the new rules mean for you Some drivers will now pay more as the car tax system changes to punish diesel drivers

Other Regional Press

• Network Rail to invest £2bn in East Anglian train linesNetwork Rail has shared plans for how it will spend more than £2 billion to improve train services in East Anglia between 2019 and 2024.
• Free Wi-Fi on all Arriva Trains Wales routesPassengers across Wales can now benefit from free Wi-Fi on all Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) services thanks to Welsh Government funding and The Department for Transport.
• Mayor promises to veto plans to give £500,000 to Durham Tees Valley Airport ownersBen Houchen says he fully intends to fulfil his manifesto pledge of bringing Durham Tees Valley Airport back into public ownership

Buying Business Travel

• Stobart Air to continue operating Irish PSO routesService operated as Aer Lingus Regional
• Network Rail to focus on improvementsNew five-year plan has less money for new projects
• Norwegian plans expansion for UK marketNorwegian CEO Bjorn Kjos has outlined plans for the low-cost carrier to grow its long-haul service from the UK, saying passengers in the market will be the first to experience cabin upgrades and new aircraft.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Union calls for government intervention after near-£1bn TfL deficit revealedThe RMT has urged the government to reverse plans to cut grant funding for TfL after it was discovered that the company could suffer from a budget deficit of nearly £1bn in 2018-19. The news comes after the Financial Times revealed details indicating that the capital’s transport body...
• Network Rail unveils 'radical' CP6 plan with aim to drop delays by 15%Network Rail has released its much-anticipated Strategic Business Plan for CP6, with plans including a 15% drop in delays across the network and a commitment to hire 50% more women over the five-year period. The programme covers all of NR’s operations between 2019 and 2024 and focuses...
• Night Overground services to extend to north London for first timeNight Overground services will extend to serve Canonbury and Highbury and Islington stations from 23 February 2018. The new service will link the Overground to the Night Tube network via the Victoria line for the first time, and will make late night travel quicker and easier for the night...

The Business Desk

• New rail projects to be put on hold under five-year Network Rail strategyNetwork Rail has published its strategy for 2019-2024, which outlines plans to maintain railway lines rather than fund new projects; putting Northern Powerhouse Rail in jeopardy.

Other News Sources

• ‘SECOND CLASS RAIL UPGRADES IS AN INSULT TO TEESSIDE’ – ANNA TURLEY MPRedcar MP, Anna Turley, has branded the replacement of Teesside’s hated Pacer trains with refurbished carriages ‘insulting’. This follows Northern Rail’s confirmation that the new trains about to come off the production line will not be making it to Teesside and the North East.