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

Friday, 01 June 2018

BBC News

• Conwy Valley rail service cancelled due to 'lack of trains'Services on the Conwy Valley line have been cancelled as more trains than usual need repairs at the same time.
• Thousands miss airport border checks through misdirectionThe air passengers were sent the wrong way on arrival to the UK, new figures show.
• Ferry firm CalMac interested in running ScotRail trainsThe idea, which has been dubbed Caledonian MacTrain, has been discussed by the firm's board.
• Korean Air raided as 'nut rage' family investigatedRaid is reportedly part of a probe into suspected tax evasion by members of airline's founding family.
• FirstGroup boss departs after £327m lossThe bus and train operator says the annual results 'fell short' of its ambitions.
• General Motors and Fiat Chrysler unveil self-driving dealsThe race to lead the autonomous car market in the US speeds up with deals from GM and Fiat Chrysler.

ITV News

• Volunteers asked to adopt their local train station during National Volunteers WeekVolunteers are being asked to adopt their local train station to make a positive difference to their community during National Volunteers Week.

The Guardian

• Transport secretary may face grilling by MPs over rail chaosChris Grayling accused of being ‘asleep at the wheel’, with MPs set to review handling of botched timetable changes

The Herald

• Local and express rail could co-existJOHN Black’s constructive words (Letters, May 30) ring true among the very many of us who care so very much for improvement in our pan-Scotland rail services.

The Independent

• Northern train chaos continues as Andy Burnham accuses Chris Grayling of being 'asleep at the wheel'Rail passengers on the Northern network are having their lives damaged by the botched new train timetable, according to the mayor of Greater Manchester.

Times Online

• Conservatives ready to rebel over third runway at Heathrow [Subscription]Conservative MPs including Boris Johnson are threatening to rebel over a third runway at Heathrow.
• Firstgroup chief executive Tim O’Toole pays the price for turmoil [subscription]The chief executive of Firstgroup has been forced out of the train and bus company amid “disappointing” results, a crisis on the railways and the start of the group’s probable break-up.
• Migrants leave Calais for Normandy invasion [Subscription]Migrants trying to reach Britain from France are turning their attention to Normandy after being forced from Calais by tight security, local hauliers have said.
• Eight reasons why Heathrow expansion is a bad idea - Justine Greening MP [Subscription]It’s polluting #1: Air pollution created by Heathrow expansion is huge, in an area already breaching legal limits – Heathrow say there won’t be a single extra car journey having a 50 per cent bigger airport. I don’t think even they believe it. And they certainly have no plans how to make it happen.
• Heathrow: just one more thing for Theresa May to worry about [Subscription]I know, I know, the prime minister has got enough to worry about, what with us teetering on the brink of a global trade war, intractable Brexit negotiations, mounting spending demands and growing Northern Irish troubles.
• Rail chaos set to last months while bosses train staff [ Subscription]Disruption linked to new rail timetables is likely to continue until August because of a shortage of drivers, The Times has learnt.
• As the Northern rail chaos worsens, Grayling is asleep at the wheel [Subscription]week ago Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, told us that sorting out the problems on Northern Rail was his top priority. There would be an action plan agreed with the rail industry and Transport for the North. The situation would begin to be turned around.

City AM

• Mayor Sadiq Khan calls for Govia Thameslink Railway to be stripped of its licence after chaos from mass train timetable changesLondon mayor Sadiq Khan has written to the transport secretary branding the mass train timetable chaos "nothing short of a debacle", and backing a move to strip Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) of its licence.
• Network Rail and GTR admit timetable overhaul has 'gone wrong' as chaos continues for commutersNetwork Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) have said they are "extremely sorry" for the misery that new timetable changes have caused for thousands of passengers over the last 11 days.
• Sadiq Khan launches taskforce to boost electric vehicle infrastructure across LondonThe mayor of London Sadiq Khan is set to launch a new taskforce today, dedicated to expanding London’s available infrastructure for electric vehicles and encouraging take-up of eco-friendly transport.
• Roll-out of electric trains along Gospel Oak to Barking line delayed until the summerThe roll-out of electric trains along the upgraded Gospel Oak to Barking rail line has been pushed back to this summer owing to delays with the supplier.
• Uber applies for 18-month permit in run-up to appeal with TfL over London licenceUber has applied for an 18-month licence as it battles for the right to keep operating in the capital.
• Meggitt lands $50m deal with Wizz Air to supply brakes and wheels for Airbus aircraftAerospace manufacturer Meggitt has landed a $50m (£37m) deal with budget airline Wizz Air to supply it with the brakes and wheels for its A321neo aircraft.
• £50m in golden goodbyes signals bigger problems for TfL and transport in the capitalEyebrows were raised yesterday when Transport for London revealed it paid out more than £50m in so-called “golden goodbyes” to departing staff last year.

Mail Online

• 'We could blow £56bn budget' warns HS2 boss with critics urging a pause on work to stop costs spiralling out of control The boss of HS2 has fuelled concerns that it will blow its £56billion budget after admitting his team needs to get a better grip on costs.

Network Rail

• How storms and flooding affect the railwayStorms and heavy rain have impacted different parts of the rail network this week - with more forecast

Belfast Telegraph

• Steamy visit from Flying Scotsman sparks evacuation of London stationA fire alarm at Victoria Station is normally switched off when steam trains visit but might have been activated too early, Southeastern said.

Bristol Live

• Emails show Network Rail panic after residents illegally fell trees by Bristol train stationPanicked emails between Network Rail staff after a group of Bristol residents illegally felled trees by a train line have been revealed.

Derby Telegraph

• Survey reveals East Midlands Airport delays 'better than national average'Survey reveals East Midlands Airport delays 'better than national average'

London Evening Standard

• Thameslink and Great Northern Railway responsible for 1000 delayed and cancelled trains in one dayTroubled rail operators Thameslink and Northern Rail were responsible for more than 1,000 cancelled and delayed trains in just one day.
• Dangerous conditions put more than half of people off cycling on UK roads, new study findsHuge potholes and biking close to lorries puts more than half of people off cycling on Britain's roads, a new survey showed.
• New train timetable: Rail chaos may last until August as bosses train staffRail chaos linked to new timetables is likely to continue until August due to a shortage of drivers, according to reports.

Manchester Evening News

• Train and bus operator FirstGroup sack CEO after mammoth lossesTrain and bus operator FirstGroup sack CEO after mammoth losses

Sheffield Star

• Union's 'lasting damage' warning over disrupted train services that have hit South YorkshireThe rail industry will suffer "lasting and irreparable damage" if the crisis over cancellations and disruption to services is not tackled as a matter of urgency, a union has warned.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• North-east has ‘one hand tied behind back’ without vital £200m rail improvementsCouncil chiefs claim the north-east is working with “one hand tied behind its back” due to rail services lagging behind the rest of the country.

Yorkshire Post

• Grayling ‘could have stopped’ Northern rail chaos says predecessor Chris Grayling has been criticised by a former Transport Secretary who said the Tory Minister should have been aware of problems on Northern rail and halted timetable changes which have caused “mayhem” for passengers.
• The Yorkshire Post says: Theresa May must act over North’s rail chaos. Time for the PM to interveneAS passengers endured another torrid day on the region’s railways, they have every reason to ask who has ultimate responsibility for transport policy after it emerged that disruption on Northern’s shambolic services is likely to last for “a number of weeks”.

Other Regional Press

• Jeremy Newmark writes to Thameslink after train problems in Borehamwood and RadlettA political leader has written to an underfire train company and asked them to visit a station and meet frustrated and angry customers.
• Huntingdon bus station could do with a revamp, says mayor as review is announcedThe new mayor of Huntingdon has said that the town’s “tired” bus station could do with a revamp, as the district council announced it would be looking at options to improve the facility in the near future.
• HS2 is a disaster and a tainted projectFURTHER to Primavera Boman-Behram’s letter I wonder if the vast majority of the public are aware of the injustices and key issues against HS2, that are causing such fear, disruption, suffering and insecurity to an unprecedented number of people all over England,

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Pressure group urged CTOs not to answer DfTPressure group urged CTOs not to answer DfT consultation questions Email obtained by Bus & Coach Buyer has revealed that Mobility Matters urged community transport operators (CTOs) not to answer four questions in the Government’s consultation on community transport, which ended on 4 May.
• Dispute escalates between Anslow and StagecoachStagecoach Red & White and Phil Anslow & Sons Coaches (Anslow) are set to meet in court on 2 July, in a dispute over bus stand allocation in Cwmbran.
• ALBUM appoints new chairmanThe Association of Local Bus Company Managers, ALBUM, has appointed Bill Hiron as new Chairman, following Mark Fowles of Nottingham City Transport standing down.
• Volvo goes integral with new coachIn what it describes as, ‘the biggest renewal of our European coach range in several decades,’ Volvo has introduced ground-up replacements for the existing 9700 and 9900 ranges. Stuart Jones was there

Bus and Coach.com

• Research to highlight best practice on mental health and transportTransport consultant Meera Rambissoon is preparing a key research project on the subject of mental health and transport and is seeking input from operators and others in the industry for a survey of current practices and understanding of the subject.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Crossrail 2 update moves project forwardCrossrail 2 has moved a step closer to commencing work, it has claimed following the publication of updated plans to take the scheme forward. Since the last consultation on the proposals for the project, Crossrail 2 has been working to develop the scheme, including carrying out further design...
• Grayling must 'immediately intervene' on Northern performance The government must escalate its response to the Northern rail “fiasco”, according to the mayor of Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham is calling on the transport secretary today to intervene after new figures showed that the franchise’s performance has deteriorated over the past...
• FirstGroup boss resigns after £327m lossFirstGroup boss, Tim O’Toole, has stepped down with immediate effect, following the announcement of the train operator’s financial loss. In the year ending March 2018, the company reported a full-year loss of £327m – a vast drop from its £152m profit the previous...

Railway Gazette

• Bombardier presents Traxx DC3 locomotiveITALY: ‘The new Traxx DC3 represents a generational leap in the market, a state-of-the-art...
• 'Milestones' reached in Siemens Alstom merger processINDUSTRY: At a meeting on May 30 the Alstom board approved the convening of shareholders’ meetings...

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Catch the Bus Week: A reminder of ‘how crucial the bus is’Greener Journeys’ annual ‘catch the bus’ campaign launches July
• ‘Strong growth’ in contactless yearSince its introduction 12 months ago, Go Ahead Group owned The Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel have reported strong growth in the number of passengers paying via contactless.
• Arriva: Powered by 100% renewable electricityArriva has announced that almost all its UK bus and rail sites will be powered by 100% renewable electricity, after entering a three-year electricity supply contract with SSE Business Energy.
• Stagecoach appoints new Managing Director of North Scotland bus operationsDavid Liston is to become Managing Director of Stagecoach’s North Scotland bus operations from 1 June. Mr Liston, previously Business Efficiency and Engineering Director at First UK Bus, will take over from current North Scotland Managing Director Mark Whitelocks who is to take on the position of Managing Director, Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire.
• Call for DVSA to review DCPC as EU law changes come inThe Freight Transport Association (FTA) is calling on the DVSA to review the delivery of Driver CPC (DCPC) as part of EU-mandated changes to the legislation, which saw its first major amendments introduced on 23 May.
• The new Volvo 9900: ‘It’s our best coach ever!’Finally, Volvo’s premium 9900 coach is coming to the UK, and in a striking all-new design It’s the firm’s biggest project for 20 years and the result, says Volvo Bus Senior Vice President, Ulf Magnusson: “It’s our best coach ever.

Aviation Industry

• US-UK Open Skies deal expected this summerThe US and UK are reportedly nearing the completion of a new Open Skies agreement, as the two countries look to ensure a smooth transition for transatlantic aviation post-Brexit. read more
• Global air freight sees modest April rebound as new export orders slowGlobal air cargo demand grew 4.1% year-over-year in April, recovering from a 23-month low in March but showing increasing signs that trade growth worldwide—in both air freight and global containerized trade—may be weakening as protectionist measures accelerate worldwide, according to IATA’s Air Freight Market analysis released May 30. read more

Other News Sources

• Halton Curve on track to launch new services between Liverpool and ChesterThe Halton Curve upgrade has been completed, as planned, paving the way for a new hourly service in both directions between Liverpool and Chester
• UK puts legal limits on drone flight heights and airport no-fly zonesThe UK has announced new stop-gap laws for drone operators restricting how high they can fly their craft — 400ft — and prohibiting the devices from being flown within 1km of an airport boundary. The measures will come into effect on July 30.
• Grayling: rail industry has failed passengersAN MP has said trains are disappearing from timetables at such a rate it feels like living in the Bermuda Triangle.