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

Tuesday, 03 July 2018

BBC News

• Buses in 'crisis' as 3,000 routes reduced or scrappedMore than 3,000 bus routes have been cut back or withdrawn in England and Wales in the past eight years, transport campaigners have said.
• Fears for future of City of Derry AirportCity of Derry Airport could close within a year because of a multi-million pound shortfall in funding, a leaked report says.
• Learning lessons from a cycling cityWhat can Scotland learn from how Amsterdam operates as a cycle city?
• Issues in almost a third of school bus checks in 2017/2018NI children's commissioner says she will be seeking assurances about safety from the Education Authority.
• Elon Musk calls Tesla 'a real car company'The electric car maker's chief congratulates staff as it finally produces 5,000 Model 3 cars in a week.
• EU diesel car sales 'to fall to 5% by 2030'Demand for diesel cars is already dropping fast, but the decline will accelerate, a study suggests.

ITV News

• Rail punctuality stats show damaging impact of new timetablesThe damaging impact of new train timetables has been demonstrated in the latest punctuality figures.
• RAIL DELAYS: 'SORRY YOUR TRAIN IS LATE. HAVE AN ICE-LOLLY’, COMMUTERS TOLDCommuters on Merseyrail are to be offered ice-lollies and chilled water by way of apology for disruption attributed to the heatwave.

The Guardian

• May close to lifting fuel duty freeze to help meet NHS promisesThe government is close to lifting its eight-year long freeze on fuel duty to raise billions of pounds to help meet pressure from cabinet ministers to boost public spending while also continuing to reduce the deficit.
• Hoverboards: why they haven't got off to a McFlying startWe could start by saying “they” didn’t promise us hoverboards. People want hoverboards because they saw one in the disappointing sequel Back to the Future Part II .

Times Online

• Musk’s electric dream comes true as Tesla’s target is hit for Model 3 [Subscription]A makeshift assembly line in a huge tent has helped Tesla to pass a long-awaited production milestone for its Model 3 car.
• Commuters can smell way to quick exit [Subscription]A public transport ticketing system is being developed that uses passengers’ sense of smell to help reduce congestion at station gates.
• Thameslink must pay for delays, Chris Grayling told [Subscription]Chris Grayling is under pressure from 15 prominent Conservative MPs to expand levels of compensation for Thameslink rail customers.

City AM

• Elon Musk either 'deceptive or delusional', says valuation expertBillionaire Elon Musk has been branded ‘deceptive or delusional’ by a respected valuation expert for insisting his electric car company Tesla can hit production targets and turn a profit.
• Westminster City Council sets out next steps for Oxford Street pedestrianisation alternative to tackle Elizabeth Line crowdingAfter the controversial decision to put the brakes on Oxford Street pedestrianisation plans indefinitely, Westminster City Council will meet to discuss its alternative plans for the London shopping hotspot next week.

Mail Online

• Eight-year freeze on petrol tax could be lifted to raise £20billion for the NHS The eight-year freeze on fuel duty could be lifted to raise billions of pounds for the NHS and boost public spending, it was reported last night.

Conservative Party

• Gove floats scrapping HS2 because he believes it to be a policy with a growing appealAmid all the whispering and jostling for position ahead of the expected leadership election – whenever it might come – it’s fascinating to see which particular topics are apparently being raised, and by which candidates. Brexit, of course, is the backdrop to just about everything at the moment, but one detail caught my eye in the weekend’s newspapers.

London Evening Standard

• TfL Tube delays: Rush hour commuters face misery on Central and Victoria linesRush hour commuters faced a miserable journey on two of London’s busiest Tube lines on Tuesday morning after they were struck with delays.

Manchester Evening News

• A ban on bus drivers wearing shorts has now been overturnedStaff at First Bus say they were forced by bosses to wear trousers, socks and boots while driving, despite temperatures reaching 34C in many parts of Greater Manchester
• Manchester Airport drop-off charges are being introduced next weekThere will be a charge for anyone dropping passengers off directly outside the terminal buildings - with a free drop-off area being created at one of the nearby jetparks

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Petition for Metro to run through the night gathers hundreds of signaturesGary Spedding, who started the petition, says a night-time service would allow people who work late to get back home using public transport

The York Press

• Cycle Heaven faces uncertain future amid York station plans AN independent York business faces an uncertain future - as plans for the railway station would lead to its home being bulldozed.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• The Yorkshire Post says: Celebrating rare rail successes In recent months, news relating to Yorkshire and the railways has rarely been positive. But while it may not make any commute quicker or carriage less packed, a local success story is bringing a smile at last.

Blackpool Gazette

• Resort hit by raft of new summer rail closuresBlackpool’s hopes for extra holidaymakers from London on direct trains have been hit by the news of a new closure of the West Coast Main Line.

Get West London

• Boris Johnson and Nick Hurd 'should resign over failing to stand up for residents in Heathrow Airport vote' say oppositionHillingdon Council will be asked to call for the pair to quit because they didn't vote against Heathrow expansion

Other Regional Press

• MP writes letter over severe train delays Fareham MP Suella Braverman has wrriten to Andy Mellors, managing director of South West Railway, to raise concern for commuters, including many Fareham residents, who have been hit by severe delays, sometimes lasting hours, or cancellations which have left them stranded.
• 'Take cycling seriously' says government report which demands £150m improvements CYCLING has not been taken seriously enough in Oxford and £150m must urgently be spent to stop the city
• Cycling campaigners back report on £150m improvement to Oxford roadsCYCLISTS have welcomed a Government-backed report calling for £150m to be spent on Oxford’s roads.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Urgent clarity needed amid claims that TransPennine electrification will be scrappedThe government has come under fire after claims it will reverse its decision to electrify the TransPennine rail route connecting Manchester to Leeds and York. Last summer, transport secretary Chris Grayling suggested that the government could pull the plug on the scheme when he announced that...
• GTR could lose its franchise if services don't improve after new timetableGovia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is at risk of losing its franchise if it fails to improve the slumping performance across its services since late May’s timetable shake-up, which led to a string of cancellations and delays. The BBC received this information from a government source, who...
• New trams on the way for Manchester as TfGM signs £72m contract27 new Metrolink trams will bolster Manchester’s light rail network in a new £72m contract signed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) today. The fleet will provide 4,800 extra spaces and increase capacity on the network by 15% with the first tram expected to arrive in February...
• State-of-the-art maintenance trains on the way to support Elizabeth LineNew top-of-the-line maintenance trains used on the Elizabeth line are being tested ahead of delivery to London later this year. Manufactured by Austrian company Lisinger in Steyrermühl, a new milling train and two multi-purpose engineering trains manufactured in Germany will deliver the...

Railway Gazette

• World rail freight news round-up A part of government proposals to provide a more level playing field for rail freight, Dutch...

Transport Network

• MPs call for rail reform to restore 'damaged reputation'MPs have called for a raft of reforms to rail infrastructure funding, financial methodology and delivery, suggesting that action needs to be taken to restore the public's faith in the Government.
• Funding for buses slashed by 45%, campaigners sayLocal authority funding for supported buses has been halved since 2010, leaving many parts of England and Wales without public transport, campaigners have said.

Aviation Industry

• Spanish LCC Volotea carries 40% more passengers in 2017Barcelona-based LCC Volotea reported a net profit of €11.2 million ($13 million) for 2017 on revenue of €307 million, up 23% year-over-year (YOY). read more
• Airbus completes takeover of Bombardier CSeries programAirbus and Bombardier confirmed the transaction transferring majority control of the CSeries program to Airbus was completed as scheduled July 1. read more
• Emirates and flydubai edge closer togetherDubai-based LCC flydubai has deepened its partnership agreement with local full-service carrier Emirates Airline by adopting the Emirates Skywards product as its loyalty program. read more

Other News Sources

• £1bn infrastructure spend for Old Oak HS2 siteAround £1bn of infrastructure investment is needed to develop the district that will surround the new HS2 station in West London.
• European airport capacity shortfall ‘not as bad as feared’The airport capacity crunch in Europe will not be as bad as feared, although millions of passengers could still be left without flights, it was reported today.
• Dundee Railway Station changing places toilet ‘open by end of the year’Campaigners hope a changing places toilet at the revamped Dundee train station could be open by the end of the year....
• Disabled train passengers victim of ‘years of underfunding’ and delaysOne in three disabled people have experienced problems using trains in the past year due to their disability – and campaigners in North Somerset have been calling for better access for 10 years.