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

Wednesday, 13 June 2018

BBC News

• Dublin-Cherbourg bookings cancelled over new ship delayThe WB Yeats was due to begin sailings between Ireland and France from the 30 July.
• Petrol price levels cannot be justified says RACThe group says prices should fall by 2p a litre, to reflect the falling wholesale prices of fuel.
• CBI chief: 'Car firms face Brexit extinction'UK manufacturing sectors will suffer without a customs union, warns Paul Dreschler.

Times Online

• Network Rail ordered to spend a billion to improve punctuality [Subscription]Network Rail has been told to spend an extra £1 billion to improve punctuality on Britain’s railway amid concerns over the number of delayed trains.
• Mercedes to recall cars with ‘cheating’ device [Subscription]Mercedes-Benz will recall thousands of vehicles in Britain after being caught up in a new diesel emissions scandal.

City AM

• Ofo wheels out dockless bike hire scheme to four new London boroughsBike-sharing start-up Ofo is gearing up to launch in another four London boroughs following on from a year of success in the capital.
• TfL issues travel advice for Thursday's 24-hour Tube strike and warns Jubilee Line passengers of disruptionCommuters on the Jubilee Line are being warned to brace themselves for further strike action on Thursday which will mean no services will be in operation.
• Initial costs for HS2 civil works costs are £1bn over budgetCosts for main civil works on the government's controversial High Speed 2 (HS2) project are coming in £1bn over budget.
• British Airways-owner IAG in the spotlight over excessive exec payBritish Airways-owner IAG has been criticised by a shareholder advisory group for excessive executive pay.
• Gatwick airport unveils £1.1bn five-year plan to ramp up growth without expansionGatwick is finding alternative ways to tackle its capacity problem, announcing a new five-year plan that will pump an extra £1.1bn worth of investment into the airport.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• MP Tracy Brabin tackles train delaysONE of the region's MPs is asking for constituents to come forward with examples of how they have been affected by the recent rail timetabling chaos.
• Tories call for all parking in Bradford to be freeALL parking in the Bradford District should be free, according to local Conservatives.
• Police confiscate more than 100 cars a week from Bradford's roads Police in Bradford have seized almost 27,000 cars – more than 100 a week – from irresponsible drivers since 2013.

London Evening Standard

• Sadiq Khan's expanded emissions zone 'risks splitting London in two'Sadiq Khan's expanded emissions zone risks splitting London in two and should be extended to the M25, according to many of the capital's boroughs.
• TfL Tube strike in June 2018: When is the Jubilee Line walkout? Dates, times and everything else you need to knowLast-ditch talks are being held to avert a Tube strike which could cause chaos for tens of thousands of commuters on one of London's busiest underground lines.
• TfL Tube strike 2018: Jubilee line walkout looms threatening chaos for tens of thousands of commuters A looming 24-hour Tube strike threatens travel chaos for tens of thousands of commuters as Transport for London bosses hold crunch talks with unions in a bid to stop the walkout.

Yorkshire Post

• Neil McNicholas: Why can’t our railways be like Japan? I’ve never been to Japan and so I’m relying on media reports and television documentaries for my information and observations.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Stansted passenger numbers soar to record highs in May with launch of more long-haul routesMore long-haul routes have boosted passenger numbers at Stansted Airport to record levels, figures reveal.

Rail Magazine

• New MD for Hull TrainsHull Trains has appointed service delivery director Louise Cheeseman as its new managing director.
• Wales seeks control of inter-city servicesInter-city trains serving Wales should be controlled by the Welsh Assembly Government, according to WAG Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport Ken Skates.

Rail Technology Magazine

• DfT publishes ITT for East Midlands franchise biddersBidders for the next East Midlands franchise are being urged to demonstrate how they will deliver on an “ambitious” upgrade programme as the DfT published the invitation to tender (ITT). The current franchise has been operated by Stagecoach for over a decade, but the operator is now...
• CAF closes deal to supply 77 locally made trains for Wales and BordersJust a day after Vivarail announced it will be providing five Class 320s for the new Wales and Borders franchise, CAF has now revealed that it is in final negotiations with operator KeolisAmey to supply and maintain a major fleet of new trains. The Spanish firm – which is already supplying...
• York invites public's views on £100m station revampThe City of York Council is calling on locals to give their views on a £100m reshaping of the front of York station into a “fitting gateway to the city.” Under the proposals, the current Queen Street Bridge would be removed to create the space for the changes. They include a...
• First TPE bullet train arrives in the UK The first of TransPennine Express’ Nova 1 bullet trains has completed its two-month journey from Japan today, set to come into action across the north of England and Scotland next year. The 19 new five-carriage trains will be part of TPE’s introduction of three new fleets into...
• First TPE bullet train arrives in the UK The first of TransPennine Express’ Nova 1 bullet trains has completed its two-month journey from Japan today, set to come into action across the north of England and Scotland next year. The 19 new five-carriage trains will be part of TPE’s introduction of three new fleets into...
• ORR calls on Network Rail to spend £1bn on safety and quality initiativesThe rail regulator has called on Network Rail to invest an extra £1bn on replacing “worn out” rolling stock, including £80m in spending on safety expenditure and worker safety initiatives. The ORR said railway performance has “failed many passengers” in recent...
• £250m track contract up for grabs for tube track maintenanceTransport for London is inviting firms to bid for the four-year £250m delivery of track renewals for its underground network, starting in 2019. The work includes surface and sub-surface ballasted track renewals, crossing renewals and track drainage, and has the option to be extended for...

Railway Gazette

• Draft determination calls for more Network Rail spending on reliability and safetyUK: On June 12 the Office of Rail & Road issued its draft determination setting out its initial...
• CAF to supply Wales & Borders regional train fleetUK: Incoming Wales & Borders franchisee KeolisAmey has selected CAF as preferred bidder for a...

The Business Desk

• TfN chairman calls for a reliable rail service amid major disruption caused by Northern’s interim timetableAn extraordinary meeting of the Transport for the North partnership board have met to discuss the rail service disruption across the network operated by Northern.

Transport Network

• Six councils win share of £6.5m cycling fundSix councils have successfully bid for a share of a £6.5m fund aimed at making cycling ‘the natural choice’ of transport.
• New bus fall shows 'slow death of local buses'The number of people using buses in England fell again in the last financial year in the face of real-terms fare increases and cuts to local routes.

Aviation Industry

• UK aerospace industry urges pre-Brexit safety pactADS, the trade body representing the UK aerospace industry, has urged talks to ensure aviation safety arrangements between the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the UK‘s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are hammered out before the UK leaves the European Union, or Brexit. read more
• More US capacity cuts needed after Southwest cuts growth, analysts sayRecent news from Southwest Airlines that it is scaling back planned growth through year-end will help keep domestic capacity in check as costs rise, but similar moves will be needed by peers to cement what analysts believe is a necessary market correction. read more
• CRAIC pushes up CR929 first delivery to 2025The scheduled first delivery of the Chinese-Russian commercial aircraft consortium CRAIC CR929 widebody airliner has been moved up by two years to 2025, with the first flight now scheduled for 2023. read more

Other News Sources

• ScotRail announces three-week disruption to Glasgow train servicesTrain services from Glasgow Queen Street - Anniesland will be disrupted for the next three weeks as an urgent programme of repairs begins today.