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

Saturday, 17 December 2016

BBC News

• City deal 'must make south Wales better connected'Better transport links and more collaborative working between councils is needed if the Cardiff city region is to prosper from a deal to invest £1.2bn of public money, a report has found.
• 'Free week' planned for Scotrail season ticket holdersThe Scottish government announces plans for a
• Strike threatens to disrupt Christmas travel at NI airportsPassengers at Belfast International and Belfast City Airports face disruption on the 23 and 24 of December due to a planned strike by baggage handlers and check-in staff.
• GWR train cleaners strike in row over pay and conditionsCleaners on the Great Western Railway stage two 24-hour strikes in a dispute over pay and conditions.
• Night Tube service to begin on Piccadilly LineThe Piccadilly Line will become the latest route to begin a Night Tube service later.
• Southern rail row: Train drivers' strike halts services for third daySouthern rail commuters are facing more travel misery after drivers walk out for the third day this week.
• Monarch airline warns profits will fall 35% this yearUK airline Monarch warns profits will be down sharply this year, amid the
• British Airways cabin crew to strike over ChristmasBritish Airways cabin crew based at Heathrow will strike on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in a row over pay.

Department for Transport

• Rail franchising - UPDATEDAll current documents relating to rail franchising at the Department for Transport.

Financial Times

• London’s transport hopes face budget brakeNetwork tries to juggle greater austerity and mayor Sadiq Khan’s ambitions
• Start-ups in Chicago find that focus on B2B clients pays offInnovative apps address real-life needs in the city’s traditional industries
• Southern passengers face more strikes in new yearTalks end with two sides firmly entrenched and no compromise in sight
• Rail unions owe Southern commuters a solutionOvercome pride and power and this long-running dispute can be resolved

The Guardian

• ScotRail commuters given free week of travel after disruptionScottish transport minister says £3m offer is a ‘thank you’ to passengers for their patience amid rising complaints and unrestScottish commuters are to be given a free week’s rail travel to head off mounting complaints and unrest caused by cancellations, overcrowding and disruption to services.A £3m package of discounted travel will be shared among season ticket holders as an implied apology for the decline in performance by ScotRail – a gesture that will be met with envy by commuters using strike-hit services in southern England. Continue reading...

The Herald

• ScotRail season ticket holders to get free week of travel as 'thank you for patience'Monthly and annual season-ticket holders on Scotland's railways will get a

Times Online

• Christmas Day strike by BA brings misery for travellers [subscription]Travellers are facing holiday chaos after British Airways cabin crew announced last night that they will strike on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in a row over pay.
• Mobiles may be blocked when drivers at wheel {Subscription]Mobile phone signals could be automatically blocked while cars are being driven, to stop drivers being distracted at the wheel.
• Minister hails white elephant airport [subscription]It will go down in history as one of the most farcical wastes of public money, surpassing even the high bar set by aircraft carriers with the wrong type of aircraft and illegal water cannon.

Reuters News

• UK train strike to continue as talks fail to end disputeLONDON (Reuters) - A strike by train drivers which has brought rail services in southern England to a standstill and caused chaos for hundreds of thousands of London commuters will continue after talks on Thursday failed to end the dispute.

Mail Online

• Virgin Atlantic pilots vote to strike over Christmas in a row over union recognition and will work 'strictly to contract' from December 23� Thousands of passengers will be hit by Christmas travel chaos after BA confirmed staff were taking strike action, along with other airport staff. Strikes are set to take place across 18 UK airports.

Liverpool Echo

• Merseytravel reveals new £460m train fleet plans - with no train guardsNew Merseyrail trains will be bigger and faster but unions set to object to plans to remove guards from services
• WATCH: Commuters react to Merseyrail's new fleet of driver-only operated trainsRail passengers said they would welcome the arrival of a new fleet of bigger and faster trains on Merseyside - but were not so sure about losing guards from services.

London Evening Standard

• Southern Rail records worst punctuality figures in over six yearsCrisis-hit Southern Rail services are less punctual than at any point in the last six years.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Newcastle Airport workers to stage 48 hour walk out over Christmas The industrial action has been called over a long running dispute about pay and conditions

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Staff plan strike 48 hours before Christmas hitting Birmingham AirportMore than 1,500 check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew at 18 airports will strike for 48 hours just before Christmas in a long-running pay dispute.

North Wales Live

• Union warns there could be strike action over Merseyrail guards axeRMT says it will consider industrial action as Merseytravel insist new driver-only trains are as safe as those with guards

Other Regional Press

• Transport vital to Capital Region success - report A REPORT into the Cardiff Capital Region deal has found that better transport links and closer working relationships between the 10 councils involved are crucial to the scheme’s success.
• Is Skelmersdale FINALLY going to get its own rail link?Merseyrail come one step closerThe new trains include the capability to operate beyond the existing Merseyrail network to places like Skelmersdale

Rail Magazine

• Stadler wins Merseytravel train deal�460 million new train fleet for Mersyside.

Rail Technology Magazine

• UK’s TfL shortlists companies for London Overground rail extension project The UK's Transport for London (TfL) has announced that Balfour Beatty, Carillion and Volker Fitzpatrick have been shortlisted for building the 4.5km London Overground Barking Riverside rail extension.
• Liverpool leaders give green light to new Merseyrail fleetThe Merseyrail network will be getting brand new publicly-owned trains after Liverpool city-region leaders authorised the £460m project today (Friday 16th December). The state-of-the-art trains, which will be publicly-owned by Merseytravel, are set to replace Merseyrail’s nearly...
• Scottish transport minister unveils �3m ScotRail fare discountsScotRail passengers will get a free week of travel next year as part of a £3m fare discount scheme, the country’s transport minister Humza Yousaf has announced. The package for discounted travel was offered as part of the Scottish government’s budget statement yesterday to...

Aviation Industry

• Scottish parliament sets timetable for reducing airline taxThe Scottish parliament plans to halve the rate of Air Passenger Duty (APD)—a departure tax imposed by the UK parliament in London—by the end of the current parliamentary session, with the longer-term aim of abolishing it completely. read more
• UK airport workers call strike Dec. 23-24Passengers at 18 UK airports face potential disruption over Christmas weekend, as more than 1,500 check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew, represented by the Unite union, are set to stage a 48-hour strike beginning Dec. 23 after a long-running pay dispute. read more

Other News Sources

• All Southern Railway services at a standstill after talks break down Southern Railway services will be at a standstill again today after talks aimed at resolving a bitter dispute over driver-only trains collapsed.
• Chris Grayling announcementsIt has been an eventful couple of weeks in rail, with the new Transport Secretary making a variety of decisions and announcements.
• Chris Grayling announcementsIt has been an eventful couple of weeks in rail, with the new Transport Secretary making a variety of decisions and announcements.
• No plans for toilets to be free of charge at other London stations, says Network RailToilets at London Victoria, London Bridge and Charing Cross are currently all free to use as a "gesture of goodwill recognising the disruption passengers have endured at these stations"
• MEPs back new rules to boost rail travelPublic contracts to supply domestic passenger rail services in EU countries will have be put out to tender under new rules backed by the EU Parliament this week.
• London Stansted Airport unveils plans for new �130 million arrivals building London Stansted Airport has unveiled plans for a new �130 million arrivals building to significantly improve the passenger experience. The building is the latest phase in the multi-million pound transformation programme by MAG to support future growth at the airport and attract new passengers and airlines.
• New Merseyrail trains by 2020 after City Region leaders give green lightThe Merseyrail network is set to get brand new trains after Liverpool City Region leaders gave the green light to the £460m project today (Friday 16th December).