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

Tuesday, 22 May 2018

BBC News

• 'No excess profits' for new Wales rail franchise holderThe new Wales rail franchise holder will be held to account on issues like punctuality, cleanliness and service quality - or they will not get paid.
• Rail Wales franchise decision imminentThe new operator of all-Wales rail services will be held to account on quality and punctuality.
• Signaller fatigue role in woman's Llanharan railway deathSignallers are urged to report tiredness and get enough sleep before starting shifts.
• Fuel price rise threatens consumer spendingThe cost of fuel is now at its highest level for three-and-a-half years.
• Belfast International among worst for delaysData from the UK's 25 busiest airports shows planes took off 15 minutes late on average last year.
• Belfast International Airport 'sorry' for further security delaysPassengers waited around one hour to get through security to their departure gates.
• Great Northern, Southern, Thameslink and Northern trains cancelled and delayedDisruption for passengers as Great Northern, Thameslink, Southern and Northern overhaul services.
• Jubilee Line Tube drivers to strike over timetable rowDrivers on the Jubilee Line will walk out for 24 hours on 6 and 14 June, two unions announce.
• Ryanair reports soaring profits but warns of headwindsThe Irish airline reports a 10% rise in annual profits but warns that costs are set to rise.

The Guardian

• Network Rail appoints new chief – with smaller pay packet than predecessorAndrew Haines takes job after eight years at Civil Aviation Authority marked by cost cutting
• Part of M20 to be used as lorry park to counter Brexit jams at ChannelStretch of Kent motorway may be temporarily repurposed under latest contingency plans
• UK’s new air pollution strategy ‘hugely disappointing’, says LabourConsultation proposes reducing pollutants, including particulates from wood burners and ammonia from farms – but does little to tackle diesel emissions

The Herald

• London one of worst capitals in Europe for clean, safe transport, study showsExclusive: UK capital has the most expensive public transport, second-worst air quality and is one of most dangerous to walk and cycle, study of 13 EU cities reveals

The Independent

• Tens of thousands of commuters face weeks of disruption after botched rail timetable overhaulA key metric used by the railway industry is “tph” – trains per hour. Tens of thousands of commuters left standing on the first working day of the new train timetables were more concerned by “cph” – cancellations per hour.

Times Online

• MPs question EY ‘dual role’ at Carillion [Subscription]The transport secretary has come under pressure from MPs to explain why he allowed his HS2 Ltd agency to appoint EY to investigate the health of Carillion, a key bidding contractor on the high-speed line, when the professional services group was being employed by the outsourcer as a key adviser during its financial crisis.
• Rail executive books return ticket [Subscription]A controversial former senior director of Network Rail has been lined up to lead the transport secretary’s new vision for the east coast main line, in which train operator and track owner act as one integrated company.
• GE plans unit merger to get back on rails [Subscription]An $11.1 billion deal for General Electric’s locomotive-building business has been offered as a lifeline for the ailing industrials group.
• Commuters hit by cancellations as rail revolution gets under way [Subscription]Commuters face weeks of disruption after the biggest rail timetable change in decades was brought in to introduce hundreds of faster trains.
• Air watchdog Andrew Haines is on track for Network Rail role [Subscription]Andrew Haines, head of the aviation watchdog, has been named as the new chief executive of Network Rail, but on a scaled-down salary.
• Ditching the car cuts risk of heart disease death by a third [Subscription]Leaving your car at home could cut your risk of dying from heart disease by 30 per cent, a study suggests.
• The train wreck that is Scotland’s railway service [Subscription]Scotland’s railways are in a dismal state. Suburban trains connect our premier intercity routes, Dinky Toy affairs never built for mainline running. Small wonder that since the first of these Thomas-the-Tank-Engines-on-steroids appeared in 1989, Scotland has the reputation of possessing the poorest-quality long-distance trains in Europe.

City AM

• Heathrow Hub hasn't given up on getting its rival expansion proposal backed by governmentA rival bidder for Heathrow expansion has urged the government to ditch its support for a third runway in favour of an extended runway before a crunch parliament vote in June.
• The Square Mile's governing body has given itself more time to think over the vehicle ban at Bank junctionA decision on whether vehicles should be banned at Bank junction has yet to be made, as the City of London Corporation has granted itself more time to consider the proposals.
• New Network Rail CEO Andrew Haines will take near 30 per cent pay cut on taking over from Mark CarneThe former boss of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Andrew Haines will take a significant pay cut when he replaces Mark Carne as the chief executive of Network Rail.
• Forget timetables, London’s stations need the shake-upFor weeks, some London commuters have been blasted by headlines warning of “the biggest timetable shake-up in rail history”.
• Victoria Line facing severe delays after signal failure at Seven Sisters with fewer trains than usual runningLondon commuters using the Victoria Line are facing travel headaches this morning, after a signal failure caused significant disruption to the line.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Glass problem on popular cycle route THE T&A have investigated a number of hotspots along cycling Route 66 where broken glass is littered across the pathway.
• New bid to electrify rail line into Bradford Interchange FOUR groups of rail users are behind a major new push for electrification of the rail line running into Bradford Interchange, which would see the end of ageing diesel trains.
• New strategy revealed to improve air quality across West YorkshireA WIDE range of anti-pollution measures are being rolled out across West Yorkshire in a bid to improve the county’s air quality.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Kezia Dugdale: Modern trains must match speed of the Flying Scotsman MY partner lives in Fife and I find myself spending a lot of time on trains from Edinburgh travelling to see her.

London Evening Standard

• Heathrow’s third runway proposal slammed by ex-Concorde pilotPlans for a third runway at Heathrow are “complex”, risky and “have no real realistic prospect of being delivered”, says an investment group behind an alternative plan.
• Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern delays: 'Utter chaos' at London Bridge as 'lightning strike' sparks disruption amid timetable shake-upCommuters faced fresh travel misery as a
• Virgin Trains East Coast franchise should have been removed much sooner, says Lord AdonisVirgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) should have been stripped of its franchise months earlier, Lord Adonis has claimed.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Hundreds of firms from across the region win work on HS2 projectMore than 400 firms across the West Midlands have won contracts in HS2's supply chain, just in the first phase of the new high-speed rail network's evolution.

Yorkshire Post

• New fleet of trains roll on to Harrogate line The first of Northern's new fleet of trains has today been rolled out onto the Harrogate line. Refurbished class 170 trains bearing the blue livery of the rail operator began their first day of service on the York and Leeds via Harrogate route.

New Civil Engineer

• 'Hudson Yards style' development mooted for Willesden JunctionA “Hudson Yards style” over-track development is being considered for Willesden Junction station. Speaking to New Civil Engineer Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) chair Liz Peace said that masterplanner Aecom was looking into the opportunities at the site, including building over the tracks.
• Network Rail announces new CEOThe current chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority Andrew Haines has been appointed as Network Rail’s new chief executive.
• Heathrow rival slams 'unrealistic' existing schemeBackers for a rival Heathrow expansion scheme have urged the government to “see sense” and give MPs the option to choose an extended runway when they vote on expansion this summer.

Rail Magazine

• Former South West Trains MD Haines to succeed Network Rail’s CarneNetwork Rail (NR) has appointed Andrew Haines OBE as its new Chief Executive.
• DRS calls for investment on “long-forgotten” Cumbrian Coast LineDirect Rail Services (DRS) wants more investment on the “long-forgotten” Cumbrian Coast Line in order for the area to succeed in the future.

Rail Technology Magazine

• How two-way radio can boost worker safetyBrentwood Communications explains why two-way radio technology remains the first-choice workplace tool across all industries, especially in one as high-risk as rail.

Railnews

• Uneven start for major timetable changesNEW timetables have come into operation, but some passengers have been complaining that the launch was less than seamless, with many cancellations reported.

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair's full-year profit up 10% despite cancellationsIrish LCC Ryanair’s net profit for 2017-18 has risen 10% to €1.45 billion ($1.71 billion), delivering a 20% net margin, even after thousands of flight cancellations in fall 2017, but rising labor and fuel costs mean a weaker result is expected for 2018-19. read more
• JetBlue promotes Joanna Geraghty to president/chief operating officer New York-based JetBlue Airways, bolstering its top-level management, promoted Joanna Geraghty to president and chief operating officer and put her in charge of day-to-day operations. read more
• US economist says Open Skies should not be sought with “foeâ€� ChinaA US-China Open Skies agreement is an unlikely prospect in the near future, a Washington panel agreed Monday, but some welcomed the principle of such an agreement while one US economist said China should be treated “like we treated the Soviet Union.â€� read more

Other News Sources

• First stage of Forth Valley rail electrification completeEngineers from Network Rail have completed the first phase of a project to electrify the lines linking Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa, to the main Glasgow-Edinburgh route.
• Berkshire business leaders back direct rail link from Reading to Heathrow AirportIf the plan goes ahead, it could take people from Reading less than 30 minutes to get to Heathrow by train
• Heathrow Southern Railway has named Graham Cross as its chief executive.Heathrow Southern Railway Ltd (HSRL) is a private company seeking to develop new rail access to the UK biggest airport.