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

Wednesday, 20 September 2017

BBC News

• £1bn Swansea metro plan proposed to 'transform' regionTrain journey times between Swansea and Cardiff could fall to 30 minutes if the main line was rerouted, a transport expert has said.
• Newport arrest over Tube bomb attackA 25-year-old man is arrested in Newport, south Wales, in connection with Friday's attack.
• A6 upgrade: Environmentalist loses appeal against rulingChris Murphy challenged the planned route of the road close to an important bird sanctuary.
• 'Drive-through' rubbish bins aim to keep motorways cleanThey are installed at service areas so drivers can dump rubbish without leaving their vehicles.
• Southern, Merseyrail, Arriva Rail North and Greater Anglia rail staff strikeMembers of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are staging two 24-hour walkouts in October.
• London 24-hour bus controller strike due over payLondon bus controllers are to stage a one-day strike on 22 September, the Unite union announces.
• Martin Lewis explains your Ryanair cancellation rights.Personal finance expert Martin Lewis explains what rights consumers have during the Ryanair pilot shortage.
• Does Ryanair have a pilot shortage?Could recruitment issues explain why the airline will be cancelling so many flights in the coming weeks?

Financial Times

• Airlines look to take flight with lucrative extrasPassenger anger rises as carriers turn to baggage and food fees to shore up revenue
• How passengers can win the war on carry-on luggageAirlines new rules should prompt a packing rethink
• What are the rights of passengers with cancelled Ryanair flights?Seeking a refund or replacement flight and claiming compensation
• British Airways proposes new pension plan
• Ryanair still operating with half normal number of standby pilotsAirline admits it mishandled communication of flight cancellations last week

The Guardian

• Ryanair offers pilots £12,000 bonus to tackle cancelled flights fiascoInternal memo offers tax-free bonus to staff not to take time off after 'rota mess-up' led to hundreds of cancelled flights
• New Zealand jet fuel 'debacle' disrupts election campaign and chokes off exportsBroken fuel supply pipe results in 3,000 people a day being affected by cancelled flights as fuel rationing is expected to continue until next ThursdayNew Zealand's jet fuel crisis is worsening by the day with airlines restricting ticket sales, politicians limiting travel to essential flights only on some routes in the final days of the election campaign and all but the most critical exports halted. Rationing is set to continue for another week after a digger on Thursday struck the sole jet fuel, diesel and petrol supply pipe to Auckland, the country’s biggest city and major transport hub for ...

The Herald

• Diesel car prices in surprise riseThe price of used diesel cars has increased despite plans to ban the sale of new diesel vehicles from 2040 to tackle air pollution, research has revealed.

The Scotsman

• Scottish and Welsh governments publish Brexit bill amendmentsNicola Sturgeon and Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones have published a series of demands they are seeking from the UK Government in order to avoid a constitutional crisis over EU withdrawal.
• Edinburgh trams inquiry: Councillors not told of price riseCouncil officials learned of a “significant” rise in the cost of the tram project the day before a crucial council meeting - but the information was not revealed to elected members.

The Telegraph

• Heathrow urges chancellor to car air tax on domestic flights in the budget
• Ryanair passengers hit out at airline as they are left stranded by cancelled flights

Times Online

• Heathrow urges chancellor to scrap air passenger duty [Subscription]Air taxes should be scrapped on UK domestic flights to stimulate growth, according to Heathrow.

Daily Record

• Scotrail Dumbarton and Vale replacement bus service branded “wholly inadequate”Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie has demanded an apology from Scotrail bosses following the bus service which replaced trains travelling to the area at the weekend.

Mail Online

• Transport strikes: Bus staff join rail and tube workers Workers on Southern, Merseyrail, Arriva Rail North and Greater Anglia are to strike on October 3 and 5 in disputes over the role of guards, the RMT union said.
• Ryanair marketing boss boasts of his 'busy week' Kenny Jacobs (pictured in July) told Facebook friends of his 'busy week' jetsetting across Europe and was watching Barcelona in the Champions League as the crisis emerged.
• Ryanair cancelled flights customers won't get compensation The debacle affecting two per cent of the Irish airline's giant customer base could cost the airline £18million and knocked £500million off the airline's value yesterday.

The Mirror

• Ryanair pilot slams airline as a 'shower of s***' and says bosses offered up to £12k bonus if they CANCELLED holidays The crew member, who remains anonymous, says staff hate working for firm and are planning a mass exodus

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Leeds-Bradford Airport plans changes to flight pathsA PUBLIC consultation is under way into air space changes around Leeds Bradford Airport.

Derby Telegraph

• Stop HS2 campaigners launch second balloon ahead of Long Eaton consultation eventThe balloons represent the height of a proposed viaduct that will carry trains over Long Eaton

London Evening Standard

• This simple mistake could help you find cheap flights, according to a man who frequently flies first and business class for freeFrequent flier and points expert Gilbert Ott knows a thing or two about finding a good flight deal.
• London airport offers free flights to Ryanair passengers affected by pilot holiday sagaLondon Southend Airport is offering free return flights to passengers after Ryanair cancelled up to 50 flights daily for the next six weeks – but there's a catch.
• Hundreds of London bus controllers to stage 24-hour strike in dispute over payHundreds of London bus controllers are set to stage a 24-hour strike in a dispute over pay.

Manchester Evening News

• easyJet launches huge flash sale just days after Ryanair announces thousands of cancellations easyJet are offering 10,000 bargain flights in a flash sale, but it ends today at MIDNIGHT

Northern Echo

• WITH a decision pending on Government funding for a project to regenerate Darlington railway station, unlocking the Tees Valley's potential, Darlington Borough Council leader Bill Dixon sets out the case for investment

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• New train drivers arrive in AberdeenFollowing a recruitment drive, the ten began their one-year training programme on July 26, bringing the total number of drivers based in the city to 60.

The York Press

• City centre road changes lead to 'chaos' claims TRADERS in York city centre have expressed their concern at the confusion caused by changes to the traffic flow outside their businesses.

Wales Online

• Here are the Swansea Bay Metro plans that will also reduce the train time to Cardiff to 30 minutesThe idea would see new stations across the region with an early stage estimated cost of around £1bn

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Hell on the highways as more works loomDrivers in the Black Country are set to face more roadworks misery over the coming weeks.

Sunderland Echo

• Sunderland MP demands urgent action to refurbish city’s “tired old” railway station A Sunderland MP is campaigning for urgent action to regenerate the city’s railway station.

Other Regional Press

• Kent commuters will soon benefit from over 5,000 more seats on trains into London Commuters is Kent might finally have their complaints about overcrowding addressed as Southeastern have today announced they will add thousands more seats onto journeys into London.
• Bus crash among issues in Oxford hitting profits for companyBUS company bosses in Oxford say payouts from a bus crash and a series of major investments, including fleet of new park-and-ride buses, helped lead to a 'difficult' period for its finances.

Rail Magazine

• Class 700s begin full Thameslink operationsClass 700s take over all Thameslink duties
• Extra carriages for SoutheasternSeventeen Class 377s move to Southeastern, with first in traffic.
• RMT opposes Overground modernisation plansThe role of ticket offices on London Overground is to be reviewed, in a move criticised by the RMT union.

Aviation Industry

• Airbus forecasts 2,000 aircraft in China by 2020 Airbus expects to have 2,000 aircraft operating in China before the end of 2020 as demand continues to rise. In addition, Airbus projects Chinese airlines will need 60-100 A380s over the next five to seven years. read more
• FAA awards infrastructure grants to DFW, NY JFK, Houston Bush FAA has awarded approximately $733 million in airport improvement program (AIP) grants so far in September, including $448.1 million in discretionary funds, pushing AIP awards in 2017 over the $3 billion mark. read more

Other News Sources

• Urban transport authorities set out vision for changeBlueprint for better urban transport shows way forward on devolution and investment As the party conference season begins the Urban Transport Group (which represents the seven largest urban transport authorities in England) has set out its vision for a partnership between national government and transport authorities to deliver high quality and integrated transport networks which support sustainable and inclusive growth at a time of rapid technological and social change.