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

Tuesday, 07 August 2018

BBC News

• Belfast airport turns away wheelchair user due to repair kitBelfast International Airport has apologised after the man's wheelchair repair kit was deemed a security risk.
• Union claims rail company 'cover up' over Northern rail disruptionRMT says Northern blamed staff to cover up its failure to hire enough train crews.
• BA boss demands action on Heathrow queuesHe says passengers are waiting two hours to get through border control and says the

ITV News

• Deadline set for next step in long-running train guards disputeThe biggest rail workers' union has set a deadline for taking its next step in the long-running train guards dispute.
• Campaigners win rail battle- but at what cost?Completion of the £10billion scheme to electrify the Great Western Railway in the Thames Valley has been hit by a major setback.

The Guardian

• Bristol bus boycott part of top 10 list celebrating protest in EnglandA little-known 1963 bus boycott in Bristol modelled on Martin Luther King’s peaceful protests in the US has been included in a new top 10 heritage list which shines a light on the history of protest in England.
• Northern Rail: tell us how you've been affected by service issuesNorthern Rail has been engulfed in chaos in recent months. More than 9,000 rail services were cut following timetable changes in June, causing severe and ongoing delays, cancellations and overcrowded trains. Though the rail company announced on 30 July that it was reinstating 75% of cancelled services, disruption on the line is expected to continue.
• Unreliable public transport 'stops poor families finding work'Families in north of England struggle to find jobs because of poor and expensive public transport, research finds

The Herald

• We need new thinking when it comes to the funding of bus servicesTHE announcement of the continuation and expansion of the Scottish bus pass scheme ("Bus pass scheme extended to carers of young disabled", The Herald, August 3) has been greeted with largely approving voices.

The Independent

• Gatwick airport takes on Heathrow with new China Eastern flights to ShanghaiRoute to China’s commercial hub is latest to duplicate Heathrow network

Times Online

• How bus start-up can put Britain on road to solving its productivity problems [Subscription]Imagine a start-up bus company that wants to break into the northeast. Its fleet is autonomous, lowering costs, and it uses an algorithm based on council bus service data to work out the best routes and busiest times.
• Network Effects [Subscription]Britain’s rail network is overcrowded. A combination of delays, discomfort and expense is having a predictable effect. Annual passenger journeys by rail fell last year by 1.4 per cent to 1.7 billion for the first time since the financial crisis. This is dismaying news for the environment, the economy and public safety.

Reuters News

• British Airways boss says two-hour Heathrow passport queues unacceptableTwo hour-long queues for passport checks at London's Heathrow Airport are unacceptable and improvements are needed if Britain wants to show it is open for business after it leaves the European Union, the chief executive of British Airways said.

City AM

• John Laing Infrastructure Fund agrees £1.4bn takeover dealA major takeover deal for one of the UK’s largest infrastructure investors has been agreed today.
• Campaign group hands transport minister list of demands over £1.5bn Network Rail arches saleThousands of businesses facing rent hikes from the sell-off of Network Rail’s £1.5bn commercial property portfolio have written to the transport minister Jo Johnson to demand he safeguard their interests.

Mail Online

• China plans world's longest rail tunnel at 84 miles The proposed Taiwan Strait Tunnel Project aims to take trains through a 135km (84-mile) undersea section of the tunnel at up to 250km/h (155mph) by 2030.

Sky News

• British Airways calls on Sajid Javid to end two-hour queues at HeathrowChief executive Alex Cruz says queues at the west London airport are "significantly worse" than elsewhere on the continent.

Birmingham Post

• HS2 - the great train debate in SolihullWill the rail link electrify the economy or cause chaos for locals?

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Train operator accused of 'trying to evade responsibility' on compensation TRAIN operator Northern is trying to evade responsibility on offering compensation to passengers hit by the chaos on the region's railways, a senior West Yorkshire politician has claimed.

Bristol Live

• Why Bristol Bus Station has just been named as one of the UK's most important historical placesIt has been named by Historic England as the top ten places in the UK to chronicle the history of power, protest and progress

London Evening Standard

• Liverpool Street station delays: Chaos for commuters as faulty train causes havoc at busy transport hubCommuters faced severe delays at Liverpool Street station during rush hour after a faulty train caused havoc.

The York Press

• TransPennine Express on right track to please Scarborough theatre-goers with later trains A NEW, later train service is allowing theatre-goers from York and Malton to enjoy a trip to Scarborough, and in particular the Stephen Joseph Theatre, more often.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Airport launches in-house skills and employment academyStansted Airport has officially relaunched its dedicated employment academy after bringing it back ‘in-house’.

Other Regional Press

• First Bus takes over axed service 42 from Wessex on six-month trial in BathThe company has stepped in to take over the service which had been de-registered
• Heathrow train link 'would not hit Bournemouth Airport'THE boss of a firm which is preparing plans for a £1 billion Heathrow rail link has stressed that regional air travel would not be impacted if a direct link was established with Dorset.
• Safe cycle course helps children conquer fears CHILDREN with special needs enjoyed a confidence boost last week when they were taught to cycle by dedicated volunteers.
• There may be a public inquiry over plans to close rail crossing A PLAN to close a rail crossing on the Weymouth to Waterloo line near Winfrith technology park is likely to continue – despite a formal objection.

Rail Technology Magazine

• First-ever drone flight over 'trespass hotspot' will send images directly to BTPA Network Rail drone will be making its very first flight over the south western rail route today to survey a trespass hotspot in order to record any incidences of people risking their lives on the tracks, with images set to be passed onto the British Transport Police. The drone will be flying...
• Southend Victoria line to receive 19km of new overhead wires as part of £46m upgradeA total of 19km of new overhead wires will be installed over the Southend Victoria branch line in the coming months as part of Network Rail’s £46m upgrade to replace their current overhead wiring system. Work will begin from 1 September until 28 October on the line between...

Aviation Industry

• Air France-KLM, Air Europa to form joint ventureAir France-KLM and fellow SkyTeam member Air Europa intend to extend their existing codeshare into a joint venture (JV), covering flights between Europe and Central and South America.
• IAG to sell Norwegian shares if acquisition deal falls thoughInternational Airlines Group (IAG) CEO Willie Walsh has said the group has no plans to retain its shares in Norwegian, should it fail to acquire the LCC.
• Airbus receives one firm booking for JulyDespite Airbus new orders and commitments for about 475 commercial aircraft gained at the Farnborough Air Show, the Toulouse-based manufacturer registered just one firm booking for eight A350-900s” in its July orders and deliveries report released Aug. 6.
• US Senate approves FAA budget of $17.7 billion for FY2019 The US Senate approved a $17.7 billion FY2019 budget for the FAA Aug. 1.

Other News Sources

• Campaign to replace rural bus services seeks residents' viewsSeveral bus services have recently been cut
• Plan B launches legal challenge to Heathrow expansionEnvironmental charity Plan B launched legal action against Transport Secretary Chris Grayling yesterday, in the latest attempt by campaigners to block the construction of a third runway at Heathrow.