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

Tuesday, 23 January 2018

BBC News

• Alstom testing automated freight train in the NetherlandsFrench train engineering giant Alstom is to test automated freight trains in the Netherlands this year.
• Landslip shuts West Highland Line at Loch Eilt for several daysA landslip that derailed a train will result in part of the West Highland Line being closed for several days, ScotRail Alliance has said.
• Grayling defends Cardiff-Swansea electrification cancellationThe transport secretary Chris Grayling defends the axing of a project to electrify the railway between Swansea and Cardiff, saying it was not a good use of taxpayers money.
• Top architect insists Scotland - Northern Ireland bridge 'is feasible'A top architect believes a £15bn bridge could connect Portpatrick to Bangor or Larne.
• Airports operator AGS appoints new chief executiveDerek Provan will take on the roles of chief executive of AGS Ltd and managing director of Glasgow Airport.
• Vauxhall: Unite union chief in 'frank exchange' with PSAUnion leader Len McCluskey and the boss of the car company's owner PSA say Monday's talks were
• JLR cuts Land Rover production amid diesel uncertaintyThe UK's biggest car maker will temporarily cut output amid Brexit fears and tax hikes on diesels.

ITV News

• Campaign to rebuild railway closed nearly 50 years agoThe King’s Lynn to Hunstanton line was closed in 1969 after opening more than one hundred years earlier in 1862.

The Guardian

• 'Western powerhouse' could rival London and north, say backersFree Severn crossings create ‘once in lifetime’ chance to link cities such as Cardiff and Bristol
• 'Chaos' as Charing Cross station is closed due to gas leakHundreds evacuated from central London nightclub and hotel after fire crews detected high levels of natural gas

The Herald

• New Glasgow Airport chief executive unveiledDEREK Provan is moving from Heathrow to succeed Amanda McMillan as managing director of Glasgow Airport, where he started his aviation career in 1998.

The Independent

• Chris Grayling grilled over rail electrification programme as delays lead to soaring costsAn hour into his long and uncomfortable journey, Chris Grayling said plaintively: “By now we were meant to be most of the way to Cardiff, and we’re not.” The beleaguered Transport Secretary was talking about the lamentable delays and cost overruns for electrification of the Great Western Railway. But the 4.45pm Transport Select Committee was not, from Mr Grayling's point of view, making great progress either

Times Online

• Chris Grayling admits Virgin East Coast rail franchise deal was doomed [Subscription]The Virgin East Coast rail franchise failed because the government accepted an “overambitious” bid, the transport secretary admitted yesterday.

City AM

• The poor won’t thank you for killing off the diesel engineIn 2017, relentless bad publicity for diesel cars saw their sales plummet by over 17 per cent. The drop caused overall car sales to fall for the first time in six years. Electric and hybrid vehicles on the other hand rose by almost 35 per cent. Despite this, alternatively fuelled vehicles still represent less than 0.05 per cent of sales. Their share of the market remains marginal.
• Jaguar Land Rover to cut UK car production in the coming months amid Brexit fearsJaguar Land Rover is to slash production amid Brexit fears and a government crackdown on diesel cars.
• The first of London's new electric black cabs has been handed over to a driver and is now ready for passengersThe first of London's new electric black taxis is ready to pick up passengers after it was handed over to a driver this week.
• Kings Cross station closed due to overcrowding: Trains are not stoppingKings Cross station has been closed due to overcrowding this morning, as Londoners deal with travel chaos across several transport networks.

Mail Online

• Now THAT'S high-speed rail! 1,500 Chinese workers build railway for a new train station in just NINE HOURS Chinese workers have demonstrated their incredible efficiency yet again. Around 1,500 workers spent just nine hours paving the railway for a new train station in Fujian Province, southern China
• East Coast franchise could fall apart before 2020 Chris Grayling has come under fire for allowing Virgin Trains and Stagecoach to terminate their agreement in 2020 after promising to pay the Government £3.3BN to run the service until 2023.

The Mirror

• Charing Cross gas leak evacuation: Chaos as station shut and hundreds of panicked revellers flee famous London nightclub in "crush"Nearly 1,500 people were forced to leave the club Heaven, hotels and surrounding businesses overnight due to the emergency
• Tory government could let Virgin Trains run more rail lines despite East Coast 'bailout'Transport Secretary Chris Grayling refused to rule out further franchises despite confessing the firm "made a major mistake"

Belfast Telegraph

• Saving Northern Ireland's rural bus routes a task for StormontIt is obvious that Translink cannot continue to subsidise unprofitable routes on its network to the tune of £13m a year. That is the amount the transport provider has been spending from its own reserves for the past three years, since subsidies from central government were discontinued.

Bristol Live

• Suburban trains are 'more important' for Bristol than electrification - which isn't going to happenTransport Secretary Chris Grayling says he supports the Metro West local train plan over completing London to Bristol main line improvements

London Evening Standard

• Carillion news: Rail workers still in a state of 'chaos' over the collapse of construction and public services giantRail workers are in "chaos" over the collapse of Carillion and most are unhappy with how the Government has handled it, a study shows.
• Victoria line delays: Commuters hit with 'grim' start to the week as entire line disrupted by faulty trainThe Victoria line was thrown into chaos on Monday after the service was beset with problems, including a faulty train and staff shortages.
• 'Half of Britain's most dangerous main roads run through London'The 13 most dangerous roads in Britain all run through London, a startling new interactive map reveals.
• First purple Elizabeth Line Tube roundels installed at stations across LondonThe first Elizabeth line Tube roundels have been installed at stations across the capital.

The York Press

• Bus firm steps in to rescue school choir MEMBERS of a York school choir looked set to miss out on a trip to a major concert in Manchester on Monday (January 22) after a coach firm ceased operations - until another firm stepped in to save the day.

Wales Online

• Transport Secretary says 'he's saved passengers years of delays' by scrapping rail electrificationTransport Secretary Chris Grayling defended his decision to scrap the electrification of the Great Western line from Cardiff to Swansea by predicting the Welsh Government will also roll back plans to electrify the Valley Lines.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Carillion - Gov't had role in collapseThe Government has been accused of playing a key role in the collapse of Carillion by forcing companies to take huge risks when carrying out public services.

Other Regional Press

• Works set to begin on £40m rail depot in centre of ExeterWork is about to start on a landscape-changing £40m train maintenance depot at Exeter.
• Council pays £10.65m for works and to end Carillion contract OXFORDSHIRE County Council has paid £10.65m to formally end its contract with Carillion“ ahead of a planned termination which was expected to take place in June.

Train Operators

• Cambridge station restoration wins heritage awardPainstaking work to restore 32 decorative college roundels on Cambridge rail station’s façade has led to a national heritage award for Greater Anglia.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Plans finalised for GWR's new £40m Exeter depotContract negotiations have been completed on plans for a £40m train maintenance depot in Exeter developed by GWR, Network Rail and the DfT. The new depot will be built at GWR’s current Exeter Olds View Depot site, expanding the capacity of the facility in order to accommodate a...
• TfL installs first 'iconic' purple roundels ahead of historic Elizabeth Line openingThe design of the new Elizabeth line roundels has been revealed as TfL begins installing signage ahead of next year’s opening. Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon and the newly reopened Custom House station have all seen the first of the new line’s signage installed. TfL have called...
• Ex-Carillion employees working on NR projects will be paid until at least AprilNetwork Rail bosses have today confirmed that former Carillion employees working on railway projects will be paid until at least April of this year. The news follows the announcement that the construction giant – one of NR’s major contractors and a major partner to the HS2...

Railnews

• MPs urge government to reduce rail fare increases The Department for Transport is being urged by a parliamentary committee to change its base for increasing rail fares from the Retail Prices Index to the lower Consumer Prices Index. It had already been reported that the government was concerned about the effect of this month's 3.4 per cent average increase on public opinion, accompanied by speculation that Conservative votes could be at risk in the next election. The Retail index is already discredited and is no longer recognised as a reliable measure of inflation by the Office of National Statistics.

The Business Desk

• £21m contract extension for rail freight operatorFreight operator DB Cargo UK has extended its contract with Malcolm Logistics until 2020.

Aviation Industry

• Walsh: IAG eyes another possible A380 orderInternational Airlines Group (IAG) appears to be taking another serious look at a follow-on order for more Airbus A380s.
• CEO: Air France-KLM plans fleet renewalAir France-KLM is planning to order new aircraft to update portions of the fleets of regional airline HOP!, Netherlands-based KLM and LCC Transavia, according to CEO Jean-Marc Janaillac.
• AerCap orders Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-TEN engines for up to 15 787sIrish lessor AerCap firmed an order with Rolls-Royce to power 10 forthcoming Boeing 787-9s with Trent 1000-TEN engines ”a transaction valued at $450 million at list prices”the UK engine manufacturer said Jan. 22.
• Port Authority orders improved New York JFK emergency operations Stakeholders at New York JFK International Airport were told to implement new interim emergency operational measures immediately to avoid a repeat of the calamities seen at JFK Airport during and after the Jan. 4 winter storm, according to directives issued Jan. 18 by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ).

Other News Sources

• New Welwyn Garden City bus station begins to take shapeThere has been a hive of activity on Welwyn Garden City’s new bus station, which is due to be completed within a couple of months.