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

Thursday, 31 May 2018

BBC News

• Thameslink compares poor service to Poundland chocolateThameslink is threatened with legal action for comparing its poor service to Poundland chocolate.
• Edinburgh tram track death: Transport convener's safety vowCyclist Zhi Min Soh, 23, was hit by a minibus on Princes Street after she got stuck in a tram track.
• Irish plan to ban rickshaws over safety concernsThe Irish transport minister has discussed the regulation of rickshaws following a public survey.
• Manchester partially sighted man's bus stop dilemmaOnly four of 43 buses stopped for Charlie Woodhead as he waited at a stop in Manchester.
• Tesla hit parked police car 'while using Autopilot'The driver said her Tesla car was using Autopilot technology when it hit a parked police car.
• Chris Grayling says rail industry 'has failed passengers'Chris Grayling's comments came after
• New car models drive UK production growth in AprilCar output rises on the back of investment in new models, but the industry's trade body repeats Brexit concerns.

The Guardian

• FirstGroup dumps chief executive as firm reports £326m lossAberdeen-based rail and coach group’s share price has fallen by almost a quarter in past year
• Transport for London bidding to run Buenos Aires metro system Londoners may complain about the capital’s tube network, but Buenos Aires is so impressed that it is considering turning to Transport for London to run its commuter system.
• Govia Thameslink rail chaos: ministers urged to take 'emergency measures'MPs and passenger groups demand an end to disruption caused by new timetable

The Scotsman

• CalMac owner confirms interest in running ScotRail Ferry firm CalMac's owner confirmed to MSPs today its potential interest in running ScotRail for the public sector.
• Greens threaten to pull support for Edinburgh trams extension Green councillors will no longer support proposals to extend Edinburgh’s tram system to Newhaven unless “significant improvements” are made for cyclists and pedestrians.

Times Online

• Rail industry’s chaotic new timetable failed passengers, Chris Grayling says [Subscription]The rail industry has failed passengers over the introduction of new timetables, the transport secretary said yesterday as it emerged that up to half of trains on some routes have been cancelled or heavily delayed.
• Embattled ferry firm wants to run trains [Subscription]Scotland’s state-owned ferry operator has confirmed it wants to run the country’s railways. Managers at Caledonian MacBrayne, which operates many of Scotland’s island ferry routes, said they were keen to open discussions with the Scottish government about taking on the ScotRail franchise.

Reuters News

• UK car output ends run of declines to rise 5 percent in AprilLONDON (Reuters) - British car production overturned several months of declines to rise 5.2 percent in April, boosted by new and updated models and a comparatively poor performance in the same month last year due to the timing of Easter, a car industry body said on Thursday.

City AM

• Singapore Airlines is launching the world's longest commercial flight in October which lasts nearly 19 hoursSingapore Airlines said today it will be relaunching the world's longest commercial flight later this year, which will be a near 19 hour non-stop flight from Singapore to New York.
• Tube strike talks held to stave off two June walkouts expected to cause massive disruption to the Jubilee LineTransport for London (TfL) is holding strikes at conciliation service Acas in an effort to hold off two Tube strikes planned for next month.
• UK pilots union threatens strike against Ryanair over promotionsA UK pilot’s union has secured a meeting with Ryanair after threatening a possible industrial action against the airline company unless it implements a transparent system to manage promotions and transfers.
• Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic lands second successful test flight in CaliforniaRichard Branson Virgin Galactic is "ever closer" to realising its goals of commercial space travel after its VSS Unity rocket conducted its second successful test flight over California
• Transport for London eyes up bid to run Buenos Aires metroTransport for London (TfL) is mulling a bid for a $3.5bn (£2.6bn) contract to run Buenos Aires’ metro system as it looks to develop its overseas capability.
• Mayor launches severance pay review after TfL reveals £51m staff payouts after slashing numbers to cut costsLondon mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a review into senior staff severance pay as Transport for London (TfL) newly published annual report reveals over £50m being spent on departing staff over the past year.

The National

• Ferry company CalMac says it wants to take over Scotland’s trainsCALMAC has told MPSs it would like to take over Scotland’s trains. The firm’s chairman David McGibbon told Holyrood’s Economy and Communities Committee that the company had indicated to Transport Scotland it was interested in the possibility of taking over the rail network.

Belfast Telegraph

• FirstGroup sinks to loss on Greyhound charges as chief executive quitsExecutive chairman Wolfhart Hauser will take the hot seat while a new boss is found, with finance chief Matthew Gregory to be appointed interim chief operating officer.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford woman named a finalist in Transport & Logistics AwardsA BRADFORD woman is among 36 finalists who have been announced in the 2018 Freight Transport Association’s Everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards.
• Teenage girls ordered to get off train from Bradford - with valid tickets A MOTHER has hit out at rail provider Northern after her teenage daughter and a friend were forced off a train by a conductor despite having valid tickets.

London Evening Standard

• Singapore Airlines to launch world's longest flight covering 10,300 miles from Changi to New YorkSingapore Airlines is launching the world's longest commercial flight with a journey time of just under 19 hours.
• Poundland hits out at Thameslink over bizarre tweet comparing delays to budget chain's chocolatePoundland threatened Thameslink with legal action after the rail operator compared its services to the budget chain's cooking chocolate in a bizarre tweet.
• New train timetables: Chris Grayling says rail industry has failed passengers with changes to Thameslink and Great Northern schedulesThe rail industry has

Manchester Evening News

• Andy Burnham: Northern Rail needs to improve - or face being stripped of its franchiseThe mayor of Greater Manchester is set to hold crunch talks with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and will tell him that the government must ensure Northern services improve - or the operator will be stripped of its franchise

Northern Echo

• Bus service is saved for six monthsA TOWN bus has been saved – at least temporarily – after North Yorkshire County Council agreed to operate the service using its own vehicle.

Bucks Free Press

• PROPERTY: £13 million compensation for homeowners living near HS2 remains unclaimed Millions of pounds have yet to be claimed out of the fund set aside to compensate homeowners living within 120-300 metres of the controversial HS2 rail line.

Burnley Express

• Burnley Council boss calls for rail chaos actionA COUNCIL boss has written to the managing director of Northern demanding to know when normal peak time rail services will resume and what is being done to solve its driver recruitment problems.

Other Regional Press

• Pressure mounts on Northern as MPs demand 'shambolic' operator is stripped of franchiseLast-minute cancellations and rumoured closure of the Lakes Line has sparked renewed calls from MPs Tim Farron and John Woodcock for a new provider
• Andy Burnham to demand government takes action over Northern's rail failuresTHE Mayor of Greater Manchester is to urge the Transport Secretary to intervene after new figures showed Northern’s rail performance deteriorated over the last week.
• REVEALED: Economic boost for Dorset as county to receive more powers from government to deal with transport through new boardDORSET could soon get control of how tens of millions of pounds is spent on road and transport improvements under new powers from the government.

Construction News

• Ex-Network Rail director calls for 'more intrusive' supplier checksNetwork Rail must carry out “more intrusive” financial checks on its main contractors to protect suppliers from collapses such as Carillion’s, one the client’s former directors has said.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Over 3km of oldest overhead wire replaced over bank holidayOver 3km of overhead wire between Ilford and Maryland has been installed over the bank holiday weekend. The upgrades form part of the £250m programme to upgrade the overhead wiring system between Chelmsford and London Liverpool Street. The work is expected to reduce delays on the main...
• Grayling blasts timetable changes, says industry 'failed passengers'The rail industry has “collectively failed” passengers due to the chaos caused implementing timetable changes across the country, the transport secretary has said. Writing to MPs, Chris Grayling promised to rectify the “wholly unsatisfactory” levels of disruption to rail...
• Nexus launches hunt for apprentices Nexus is recruiting 10 new apprentices across Tyne and Wear. The public body delivers public transport across the region, including the Metro, and is recruiting for roles in engineering, transport planning, finance and training. It is hoped that hundreds of applications will be received from a...

Railway Gazette

• Virgin Trains and Uber announce 'last mile' partnershipUK: Virgin Trains has launched a service offering passengers the option to receive an SMS reminder...

Aviation Industry

• UK introduces laws to target reckless UAV usersThe UK introduced new laws May 30 that will restrict all unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from flying above 400 ft. and within 1km (.62 mile) of airport boundaries. read more
• SAS Scandinavian Airlines narrows 1H losses on improved earningsScandinavian Airlines (SAS) reported a 2018 first-half net loss of SEK597 million ($68.8 million), narrowed from SEK876 million in the year-ago period. read more
• Aeroflot Group posts $2 million net loss in 1Q 2018Aeroflot Group reported a 2018 1Q net loss of RUB11.5 billion ($2 million), nearly doubled from a year-ago period. Revenue for the quarter was RUB111.9 billion, up 8.5% year-over-year (YOY). read more
• Ryanair unionization opens new base possibilities Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary is considering new bases in the French regions and going back to Copenhagen, now that the Irish LCC is willing to recognize unions. read more

Other News Sources

• Train chief slammed for ‘excuses’ letter to MPsBRITAIN’S transport secretary has received heavy criticism from two Bolton MPs after releasing a letter making “excuses” for the recent problems with trains.
• Disabled man told get off bus when VALID pass did not scanA DISABLED man in a wheelchair was shocked when a driver threatened to remove him from a bus at night because his pass would not scan.