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

Saturday, 29 September 2018

BBC News

• TfL announces plans to shake-up London bus networkSome routes will be shortened and restructured while others will be axed, TfL says.
• New government job for rail watchdog bossThe boss of the rail watchdog that strongly criticised the recent timetabling chaos is to join the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The Guardian

• Country diary: a shadow of ash dieback over Derbyshire's dalest’s a common assumption that modern life invariably gets faster as the decades pass: not in Millers Dale. Had I been tramping down past Glebe Farm a hundred years ago, I would have seen an express train to London roaring across the twin viaducts that span the river Wye here, a scene of noise and smoke, the dramatic climax to an engineering magic trick that threaded a major railway through this wildly beautiful gorge.

The Independent

• The Ryanair strike shows how badly companies handle a crisisThe tourism and travel industry has had a difficult time over the past few years, with bad weather, industrial action and terror attacks creating unprecedented levels of chaos and delay.

Times Online

• Glasgow Prestwick airport faces £8m of losses [Subscription]Income at the publicly owned Glasgow Prestwick airport rose by 50 per cent last year but the business remains in the red and reliant on government loans.
• Trains will skip stations to combat leaves on line [Subscription]Rail companies are preparing to run trains early and skip some station stops to overcome autumn leaves on the line.
• £2m bill to remove old signs may stall 20mph plan [Subscription]Taxpayers will face a bill of £2 million for tearing down road signs that councils have only just put up if a plan to impose a lower speed limit across Scotland is approved.
• Scotrail’s losses mount as passengers stay away [Subscription]The operator of Scotrail has racked up its biggest loss since taking over the franchise.
• Commuters not attracted by Scotrail smartcard [Subscription]Scotrail’s “smartcard” system has failed to take off, with only 8 per cent of passengers using it.
• Serco and a rare source of good news [Subscription]There was a rare morsel of good news for the government contracting sector yesterday when Serco said that its revenues, profit and debt would be much better than expected this year.

Daily Record

• You can FLY to these European countries for less than a Scotrail return train ticketDreaming of lapping up the sun rather than standing on an overcrowded train? It might be worth it.

Mail Online

• Pedal power: Cities that are geared up for cycling are attracting an ever increasing number of buyersCycling veterans Sir Chris Hoy and Chris Boardman are on a mission to make our cities bike-friendly.

The Mirror

• Fiona Phillips: Full to bursting trains signal railway failureTrain journeys were once a pleasant experience you looked forward to, but now they are eye-wateringly expensive hell on earth
• Rail bosses to ferry disabled passengers in taxis during TWO-MONTH lift refurbishmentEXCLUSIVE: Wheelchair passengers face 40-minute journeys to stations with step-free access in taxis because of lifts being out of action

Edinburgh Evening News

• ScotRail passengers face train overhaul delayLong-distance ScotRail passengers may have to travel in unrefurbished second-hand trains because of further delays to their overhaul.

London Evening Standard

• Piccadilly line strike: Commuters face more chaos as crippling Tube walkout enters third dayFollow live updates from the strike here
• Revealed: Major revamp of London's bus network planned to tackle pollution and cut congestion... with 33 routes affectedSix week consultation by TfL will see major changes to most bus routes in central London

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Cycling partnership to work as umbrella for cycling organisationsA new Grampian Cycle Partnership will be formed to represent cycling interests across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray.
• Aberdeen Airport’s crash course for cabbies after wheelchair refusal fiascoLiz Mackenzie, 59, was visiting Aberdeen last weekend to spread the ashes of her late parents, Dorothy and David, at Hazlehead Crematorium.
• New roof planned at Aberdeen Railway StationWork has begun as part of a 12-month programme to upgrade and replace the station’s glass roof.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Dudley bus station rebuild expected to start in 2020Long-awaited work to rebuild Dudley bus station is expected to start in 2020, it can be revealed.

Other Regional Press

• Work to start on cycle only crossing in NorwichCyclists in Norwich are set to benefit from better facilities in part of the city as work starts on a new crossing.
• Parish angry over 'lack of consultation' on Church Place bus gate plansSwindon Borough Councils has mooted the change in a bid to ease traffic woes around Rodbourne and the Designer Outlet. They say opening the bus gate will allow drivers to more easily access the Bristol Street car park.
• TfL consults on plans to cancel the 48 bus route and cut length and frequency of 149, 242 and 67TfL has launched a consultation on whether to cancel the 48 bus route and slash the length and frequency of a string of others.
• Budding politician Dylan face of new Better By Bus campaignAspiring spokesman Dylan Smith was chosen to be the face of the Better By Bus campaign 'Vote Bus'.
• We will not get airport provision right in Northern Ireland until we have bold politicians willing to take hard decisionsTwo weeks ago I used one innovative transport company to get down to Dublin. Then this week a different innovative transport company quit Northern Ireland. That one of these two companies, Aircoach, seems to be thriving in its NI bus service, and that the other, Norwegian Air, is quitting the Province are ultimately linked.
• ‘There’s no space at Luton Airport Parkway car park!’ A frustrated commuter claims he is fed up with the lack of spaces at Luton Airport Parkway Station Car Park, blaming TUI employees.
• Luton Airport access road ‘will blight town’A planned new access road to Luton Airport could blight a fifth of the town, it’s been claimed.
• Minister backs reopening Shropshire to Mid Wales rail routeA rail line between Shropshire and Mid Wales could be reopened under plans to grow business and ease pressure on a major road.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Aberdeen station gets new glass roof in £9m upgrade Work to upgrade Aberdeen station as part of a £9m investment to replace the glass roof has begun. Network Rail says this will make the station brighter, improve drainage and enhance the overall appearance of the station, as well as safeguard the listed station building. Network Rail...
• RAIB launches probe into Jubilee Line incident of 11 wide-open doors on moving trainA freak incident on the Jubilee Line which saw 11 passenger doors remaining open whilst the train was moving was caused by a failure in the vehicle’s computerised control system, the RAIB has found. A formal probe has now been launched by the investigator after a passenger filmed the...
• Exclusive: Shutting door to nationalisation 'fetters' rail review and constrains expert advice, says BurnhamThe Greater Manchester mayor has revealed he was disappointed in transport secretary Chris Grayling’s rail review, arguing that the government is limiting the review leaders by ruling out the possibility of renationalisation. In an exclusive interview with RTM, Andy Burnham argued that it...
• West Yorkshire to receive share of £840m funding to upgrade key rail connections West Yorkshire Combined Authority has secured funding for upgrading connections to eight of its rail stations after Theresa May announced that the authority will receive a share of a £840m transport fund. The Department for Transport announced that the combined authority’s successful...

Other News Sources

• FTA welcomes UK government's Brexit 'no-deal notice' for aviation UK supply chain organisation Freight Transport Association (FTA) has welcomed the government's publication of no-deal notices outlining the potential impact of Brexit on aviation, road haulage and the import and export of food products.The notices explain what could happen to various industries if the UK government and the European Union fail to reach an agreement on their future relationships before the country leaves the union in March next year.In the case of aviation, a no-deal scenario could result in flights between the UK and Europe being grounded unless agreements can be forged on a c...