Breaking News
East Coast line to be put into public control
Rail services on East Coast Main Line to be brought back under UK government control, Stagecoach Group says
Carillion board oversaw a 'rotten corporate culture', say MPs
MPs have accused former directors, auditors and the government of failing to stop Carillion's collapse.
London considering car-free days in bid to tackle air pollution
City Hall sources say mayor is hoping to introduce separate car-free days in each borough this year, with more ambitious plans for 2019
Chris Grayling is expected to decide the fate of the beleaguered East Coast franchise in days
The prospect of a state-run East Coast rail line is back on the cards with the government expected to announce the fate of the failed franchise within a matter of days.
Wednesday, 16 May 2018
BBC News
- East Coast line to be put into public controlRail services on East Coast Main Line to be brought back under UK government control, Stagecoach Group says
- Electrical fault caused Dunfermline bus station explosionsExplosions under the ground reported at a bus station in Fife were caused by an electrical fault, police said.
- Govia Thameslink changes time of every train in shake-upThe time of every train on Britain's largest rail franchise, Govia Thameslink (GTR), will change as part of a major shake-up.
- Keyless cars causing dozens of deathsIf engines are left running in confined spaces, such as garages, they can emit deadly carbon monoxide fumes.
- Council misses 15-year deadline to spend roads cashFifteen years after it was given the money, Moray Council will have to pay it back - plus interest.
- Ryanair cuts check-in to two days ahead of flightThe airline will reduce the time to check-in from four days to 48 hours for those without reserved seats.
- EU paid Airbus billions in illegal subsidies, WTO rulesThe World Trade Organisation rules the EU paid illegal aid to the European planemaker, paving the way for trade tariffs.
- Carillion board oversaw a 'rotten corporate culture', say MPsMPs have accused former directors, auditors and the government of failing to stop Carillion's collapse.
ITV News
- Passengers braced for 'biggest timetable shake-up in rail history': What's going to change?Rail commuters are being warned to get ready for what's been billed as the "biggest timetable shake-up in rail history".
Department for Transport
- LNER to run East Coast Mainline services from London to Yorkshire, the North East and ScotlandTrain services will continue to run as normal. Your tickets are still valid, your journeys wont be affected and you do not need to change your journey plans.
- CiTV star Sam Homewood fronts latest THINK! campaign to get children crossing the road safelyTV presenter launches a new stop, look, listen, think road safety campaign to encourage children to think carefully about crossing roads.
The Guardian
- 'Recklessness, hubris and greed' Carillion slammed by MPsCarillion collapsed as a result of recklessness, hubris and greed among directors who put their own financial rewards ahead of all other concerns, according to an excoriating report into the firms demise that spreads the blame between board members, the government, accountants and regulators.
- London considering car-free days in bid to tackle air pollutionCity Hall sources say mayor is hoping to introduce separate car-free days in each borough this year, with more ambitious plans for 2019
The Telegraph
- FirstGroup under attack as activist demands sale over 'chronic' underperformanceTransport giant FirstGroup is facing a mounting activist campaign to put itself up for sale in the wake of a failed takeover bid from American private equity firm Apollo.
- Sales of drinks and snacks help EasyJet slash lossesLow-cost carrier easyJet managed to slash losses after filling the void left by defunct rivals and selling its passengers more drinks and snacks.
Times Online
- Airlines connect Europe in more ways than one [subscription]Low-cost airlines are helping to make Europe more integrated, according to a report partially funded by Ryanair.
- MPs savage rotten state of Carillion [subscription]Call to investigate directors of failed company
Reuters News
- UK to detail 2040 new petrol and diesel car ban in weeks aheadLONDON (Reuters) - Britain will release more details in the weeks ahead on its planned ban of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040, business secretary Greg Clark said on Tuesday.
City AM
- Southern rail owner Govia Thameslink Railway is changing the time of every train as it promises 400 new daily servicesSouthern rail owner Govia Thameslink Railway said today that it is introducing "completely new train timetables" with every single train time changing as it pledged to deliver 400 more trains running each day.
- Chris Grayling is expected to decide the fate of the beleaguered East Coast franchise in daysThe prospect of a state-run East Coast rail line is back on the cards with the government expected to announce the fate of the failed franchise within a matter of days.
- TfL bosses face grilling over prospect of 'Tube meltdown' during weekend of the royal wedding, FA Cup final and engineering worksMembers of the London Assembly will grill Transport for London (TfL) representatives tomorrow over the prospect of "a Tube meltdown" this weekend with big events on the cards.
- Air France-KLM, Delta and Virgin Atlantic agree expansion of joint ventureThree major airlines yesterday inked a deal to work together on trans-atlantic routes.
- Khan faces calls to nominate London as third launch city of Uber's flying taxi programmeLondon mayor Sadiq Khan is being urged to nominate the capital as the third city in the world to take part in Uber's eye-catching flying taxi programme.
- The fallout from BMWs recent recall isnt likely to lastLast week, car manufacturer BMW announced that it would be recalling certain cars after it was found that some vehicles could completely cut out while being driven.
- Airbus loses long-running trade dispute paving way for massive US tariffsOne of longest-running and most bitterly contested trade disputes came to a head yesterday after the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled that the EU illegally paid Airbus $18bn (13.3bn) in subsidies, paving the way for retaliatory tariffs from the US.
Mail Online
- Tesla driver dies when car smashes into a motorway central reservation The 48-year-German driver died when his car hit the barrier in the central reservation of a motorway in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino, turned over and burst into flames.
- Carillion bosses were 'too busy stuffing their mouths with gold' ‘Shyster’ bosses at failed construction giant Carillion were too busy ‘stuffing their mouths with gold’ to take proper care of the company, a devastating report has found.
The Mirror
- East Coast rail line franchise is expected to be scrapped within daysTroubled East Coast rail route will have its future decided within days, but taxpayers will be the losers
This is Money
- Volkswagen boss honoured for boosting sales to record levels in face of dieselgate scandal German car boss Dr Herbert Diess was handed am Autocar award for his impact on Volkswagen’s success over the past 12 months in delivering a record year for sales.
- Take off for EasyJet push to boost package holiday bookings Since 2010 EasyJet has increased the number of returning customers from 37m to over 60m. Yet of the passengers that fly with EasyJet every year, almost half only travel with the budget airline once.
- Could you save a fortune with new pay-as-you-drive motor insurance? The average fully comprehensive car policy costs £503 — around 17 per cent higher than in 2013. And that’s after an unexpected £70 dip in average prices in the past three months.
- Car owners being fined for offences they've not committed An investigation by motoring title Honest John found that TfL is using a clause created in 2003 to chase owners of vehicles, rather than their drivers, for payment of fines relating to traffic offences.
Network Rail
- Historic milestone as first ever electric train runs into BlackpoolAn electric train has travelled to and from Blackpool for the first time ever as the transformation of the railway in the north continues.
Belfast Telegraph
- Huge train timetable changes will see winner and losersThe shake-up is designed to increase overall frequencies and reliability.
London Evening Standard
- TfL Tube delays: District and Circle line commuters face rush hour chaos as signal failure at South Kensington sparks severe London Underground delaysCommuters on the District and Circle lines faced rush hour misery after a signal failure at South Kensington station caused severe delays.
- Royal wedding 2018: 'Tube meltdown' warning as closures planned on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's big dayTrack closures and engineering works have triggered warnings of a "Tube meltdown" on the day of the Royal wedding.
- Uber unveils major policy change in clampdown on sexual assaultsUber US scraps policy which says settlements reached over sexual misconduct allegations must be kept confidential
Newcastle Evening Chronicle
- Transport Secretary urged to renationalise East Coast Main Line with decision expected in daysA decision on the future of the franchise to run inter-city services to Newcastle is expected any day
Yorkshire Post
- The Yorkshire Post says: Public interest must come first on East Coast Main LineTO BE fair to Chris Grayling, the management and financial turmoil on the East Coast Main Line Yorkshires main rail link to both London and Scotland precedes his troubled tenureship of the Department for Transport.
Bucks Free Press
- Transport chief pledges to fix potholes across county The county’s transport chief has pledged to repair potholes across Bucks after “record breaking” winter damage.
East Anglian Daily Times
- Suffolk school transport plans opposed by 90% in official surveyControversial proposals to change school transport arrangements for children at some Suffolk schools have been opposed by 90% of those who took part in an official survey.
- Survey results to shape plans for ‘unsightly’ fire-damaged rail stationRail officials have met with a travellers group to discuss its great concern at the progress in dealing with damage caused by a fire at Saxmundham station.
Other Regional Press
- Buckhurst Hill tube station is now step-freeA well used tube station is the first to become step-free as part of a 200m accessibility drive.
- Bristol Airport announces major new expansion plansIt is used by thousands of people in Gloucestershire every year but county residents could soon see some big changes at Bristol Airport.
- Now you can buy your bus tickets using a phone appTHE Swindon Bus Company has launched an app so passengers can buy tickets on their smartphones.
- ‘Dreadful’: Council sends drivers on 18-mile diversion route – for 250ft of roadworks ROADWORKS on a 250ft stretch of road will send drivers on a staggering 18-mile diversion for several weeks.
- COLUMN: On Yer Bike - The sun's out, so get your bike out!I KNOW that all through this long winter our weekly 500 words did nothing for you – we extolled the virtues of cycling for transport, fun, health and environment, but you were unmoved.
- More rail misery as passengers face FOURTH day without train service Passengers from Weymouth and and Dorchester are facing a fourth day without a rail service today after a broken down engineering train caused travel chaos.
Rail Magazine
- First electric train at Blackpool NorthThe first ever electric train to run to Blackpool North entered the station on the night of May 14, on a test run ahead of the May timetable change (when electric operation is introduced at the station).
- Grand Central submits bids for extra pathsGrand Central submitted its application to the Office of Rail and Road on May 15 to operate additional services on the East Coast Main Line.
- Work starts on new 20 million Stadler depotWork has officially started on the new Stadler depot at Kirkdale.
Rail Technology Magazine
- Digital Railway strategy sets out major upgrade targets for next 15 years Transport secretary Chris Grayling and Network Rail boss Mark Carne will today convene in York to launch the much-anticipated Digital Railway Strategy, which will confirm that the industry will benefit from “a plan, impetus and the funding” to introduce the technology across...
- Grayling due to pull the plug on East Coast franchise this weekChris Grayling is due to scrap the East Coast franchise before the end of the week after operators Stagecoach and Virgin suffered heavy losses, it has been reported. Two sources told the Financial Times that the DfT is set to pull the plug on the failing franchise this week, a move which would...
- Edinburgh to Glasgow rail upgrade cost rises by over 100mPlans to upgrade one of Scotland’s most popular rail routes have increased in cost by more than £100m. Reports today say that improvements to the Edinburgh to Glasgow line — a move that would make the journey just 42 minutes between the cities — are now expected to cost...
- NR found guilty of safety failure after signaller breaks neck Network Rail has been found guilty of an offence under the Health and Safety Work Act following a level crossing accident. Signaller, Douglas Caddell, suffered life-changing injuries after he was struck by a car as he tried to close the level crossing gate at East Farleigh, Kent, on 24 April...
- Line manager training could reduce mental health absencesPoor line management training and support could be causing poorer mental health amongst rail staff, according to the Rail Safety and Stands Board (RSSB), as Mental Health Awareness Week kicks off. The Centre for Mental Health estimates that a total of 72 million working days are lost each year...
- Make way for the D-Train Adrian Shooter, chairman of Vivarail and former chairman of Chiltern Railways, provides an exclusive update on D-Train technology and talks about what’s in store for the rest of the year. When the ministerial announcement that all diesel trains were to be phased out by 2040 came, one...
- NR awards five-year 200m civils deal to SSEA five-year building and civils contract has been awarded to SSE Enterprise Rail for a programme of works by Network Rail. The work covers mechanical and electrical engineering services, building and fabric works and has a potential value of over £200m. The work will be completed in...
- Timetabling: badly let downPassengers have been left extremely disadvantaged by a lack of certainty around timetable changes, writes David Sidebottom, director at Transport Focus. Massive and welcome investment in the railway will bring benefits for many passengers – but future benefits can be overshadowed when...
- Alstom and Eversholt team up to fit hydrogen tanks on Class 321sAlstom has today confirmed its plans to bring hydrogen-powered trains to the UK by announcing a partnership with Eversholt Rail. The two companies will join forces to convert Class 321 electric trains to hydrogen operation by fitting hydrogen tanks and fuel cells on the existing units, which...
Railway Gazette
- Alstom and Eversholt plan fuel cell EMUs UK: Plans to fit hydrogen fuel cells to redundant electric multiple units were announced by Alstom...
- Competition is key as high speed rail keeps growingINTERNATIONAL: The global reach of high speed rail continues to expand, while at the same time...
Aviation Industry
- Pilot strike forces Brussels Airlines to cancel 75% of flights A Brussels Airlines pilot strike on May 14 and May 16 has limited the Belgium carrier to just 25% of its normal schedule, disrupting flights for 50,000 passengers at an estimated cost of €4.7 million ($5.6 million) per day. read more
- Virgin Atlantic, Air France-KLM and Delta finalize JV termsAir France-KLM, UK long-haul carrier Virgin Atlantic and US major Delta Air Lines said they signed “definitive agreements” for their transatlantic joint venture (JV) on May 15. read more
Other News Sources
- The North-South Railway Divide: Rail revolution needed to cut journey times going northTransform Scotland has today revealed research highlighting huge disparities in rail journey times north and south of the Central Belt.
- No major improvements on rail for five years, says first ministerRAIL travellers in south east Wales are unlikely to see any major changes to services for up to five years, first minister Carwyn Jones has said.
- The number 20 bus service from Walthamstow Central to Debden could be reducedA bus service that is the 'lifeblood' of a town could be severely cut back leaving a large area without cover by public transport.
- Preferred option for future of Middlesbrough Bus Station revealedMiddlesbrough Council is discussing the demolition and relocation plans for the busy town centre station
- Ben Houchens airport ownership bid enters advanced stageTees Valley mayor Ben Houchen (Con) has submitted a formal proposal to bring Durham Tees Valley Airport back into public ownership.
- Shoreham Airshow disaster pilot pleads not guilty to manslaughter PILOT Andy Hill has formally pleaded not guilty to manslaughter of the Shoreham Airshow disaster victims.
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