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

Saturday, 13 October 2018

BBC News

• Commuters 'celebrate' Arriva Trains Wales rail franchise endExperts defend Arriva Trains Wales' record despite complaints of overcrowding and late-running services.
• The world's longest non-stop flight takes off from SingaporeThe Singapore Airlines aircraft has begun its near 19-hour, 15,000km flight to New York.
• Train services resume after Stonehaven derailmentThe train derailed at Stonehaven on Wednesday, leading to the closure of the line between Aberdeen and Dundee.
• M26 closure 'deeply frustrating'Freight Transport Association says it is
• Brexit: Eurostar services 'could be disrupted by no-deal'Electricity supplies to Northern Ireland and horse travel could also be affected, the UK says.
• Mobike: Hundreds of Manchester police incidents revealedThe figures are revealed after Mobike left Manchester because of repeated vandalism and theft.
• Three more Northern rail strikes announcedThe RMT will have their 31st strike on Saturday over a long-running dispute over train guards.
• Rest and Be Thankful closed over weekend after heavy rainBEAR Scotland said about 350 tonnes of new debris ended up on the A83 and on the Old Military Road.
• Jamal Khashoggi: Branson halts $1bn Saudi investment talksVirgin boss says the disappearance of a journalist raises questions about dealing with the Saudis.
• The world's longest non-stop flight arrives in New YorkThe Singapore Airlines aircraft flew 15,000km over almost 18 hours from Singapore to New York.
• China car sales slump ripples globallyCar sales in China - the world's biggest car market - slipped in September for the third month in a row.

The Guardian

• Scrapping UK grants for hybrid cars 'astounding', says industry Government ends incentives to buy new hybrids and cuts those for electric vehicles
• 'We will fly again': Nasa to keep using Russia's Soyuz despite failure After Russian-American crew made emergency landing, chief of US space agency predicts return to flight by December
• From rail safety to Spotify access: the key no-deal Brexit notices We look at the areas likely to be most affected by fallout from Britain crashing out of the EU

Times Online

• Businesses support protected Dublin bike lane by a mile [Subscription]Dublin’s first parking-protected cycle lane will send a message that the city is serious about safe bike transport, a leading business organisation has said (Seán McCárthaigh writes).
• Pilots to sue Ryanair over closure of Dutch base [Subscription]Pilots are suing Ryanair over the closure of its base in the Dutch city of Eindhoven, unions said, as they accused it of trying to stop strikes.
• Chinese car sales stuck in reverse [Subscription]Sales of Chinese vehicles suffered their sharpest monthly fall in almost seven years last month as the country grappled with a slowing economy and its simmering trade war with the United States.
• Pulling plug on green car grants will be ‘devastating’ [Subscription]Huge reductions in subsidies for green cars will have a “devastating impact” on attempts to cut roadside emissions, the motor industry warned yesterday.
• Call for cheaper petrol as wholesale fuel prices fall [Subscription]Petrol stations were under pressure last night to reduce prices at the pump after the price of crude oil continued its slide.
• Warning of power blackouts and end to Eurostar trains under no-deal Brexit [Subscription]Eurostar trains could stop running between Britain, France and Belgium while Northern Ireland may face electricity blackouts in a chaotic Brexit, ministers have warned.
• Damage from HS2 ‘will be worse than thought’ [Subscription]The impact of HS2, the railway to link London with the North, will be “far worse” than first feared, the company behind the project has admitted.

City AM

• No-deal Brexit notices: Eurostar trains could stop running after March 2019Eurostar services could stop running between the UK and France, as well as other destinations, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the government warned today.

Mail Online

• Half-hour of horror at 250,000ft: How two spacemen survived 4,700mph rocket explosion as they headed to the International Space Station and plunged back to earth during 29-minute journeyTwo astronauts survived a terrifying rocket explosion at 4,700mph with a 'ballistic descent' that plunged them to the ground in a 7G 'ballistic re-entry'.

London Evening Standard

• Brixton Tube station evacuated after fire alert as delays hit three lines and London Overground during rush hourBrixton station was evacuated during rush hour this morning as commuters faced fresh delays on three lines and the Overground.
• Storm Callum: Thousands of homes left without power and flights cancelled as rain and wind continues to batter parts of the UKThousands of homes have been left without power and transport routes have been affected as parts of the UK and Ireland are battered by Storm Callum.
• Brexit latest: Eurostar trains could be disrupted in the event of leaving the EU without a dealEurostar trains could be disrupted in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to latest government papers on the potential impact of withdrawing from the EU without a deal.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Stansted undaunted by the loss of Primera Air as it explores new frontiers Stansted Airport has denied that the recent collapse of Primera Air was because the flights it was operating from there were loss-making.

Other Regional Press

• Commuters face two years of roadworks when M5 upgrade begins SOMERSET commuters face two years of disruption from the spring as work begins to upgrade one of the busiest junctions on the M5.
• Councillor admits not reading parking charges report properlyTHE Cabinet member responsible for parking charges in council car parks has apologised for allowing a report to be published which put forward massive charging increases.
• Show support for an accessible Biggleswade station, says MPBiggleswade railway station is one step closer to becoming assessible to those with disabilities thanks to a collaborative effort by North East Bedfordshire’s MP, and organisations in the town and beyond – but help is still needed.
• Knife arch operation at Stevenage rail stationA knife arch was in operation at Stevenage Railway Station last week as police looked to tackle offensive weapons in the town.

Rail Technology Magazine

• How will Crossrail 2 be paid for? Boss backs tax hike, says 'we must make scheme more affordable'The managing director for Crossrail 2 has outlined the plans for cutting costs for Crossrail 2, stating that TfL “need to make it more affordable.” Speaking to delegates at an event in Whitehall yesterday, Dr Michèle Dix, managing director for Crossrail 2 at TfL, said she...
• HS2 launches public consultation on Phase 2b route plansHS2 has launched public consultations on the Phase 2b route for high-speed railway between the West Midlands, Manchester and Leeds. The 10-week consultations will give communities the chance to respond to HS2’s plans and designs, and give feedback on HS2’s working draft environmental...
• Rail review: Grayling confirms no major changes until 2020Rail commuters could continue to face disruption until major changes are made to the rail franchising system in 2020, following the transport secretary’s speech to MPs yesterday. Chris Grayling said he “can’t stand by” with the collapse of franchises such as Virgin Trains...
• TransPennine upgrade works will shut down route for almost five yearsTo achieve the improvements envisaged through the TransPennine upgrade, Network Rail will have to close some part of the route for up to a whopping 39 weeks per year for five years – in other words, closures of almost 50 months in total throughout the scheme. In a letter to transport...
• South Yorkshire freight terminal officially opened by Princess RoyalThe first inland rail freight terminal in over a decade has been officially opened by the Princess Royal. The £14m state-of-the-art freight terminal is part of a larger iPort development in South Yorkshire which could create around 5,000 new jobs. Visiting the rail hub in Doncaster today...
• New CAF trains for Northern begin testing in the UKThe first round of dynamic UK testing for rail operator Northern’s new CAF-manufactured trains are underway. Tests are running on the North West network following track testing in the Czech Republic, with the state-of-the-art trains to be launched into service by the end of the...

Other News Sources

• Can HS2 be saved from itself – before it is too late?As one of the first politicians to champion High Speed 2, I have watched with dismay the warning lights flash one after the other   An artist’s impression of Birmingham’s Curzon Street station   It has the support of the three main political parties. It has made good progress through parliament, passing its Commons stage with a huge majority. It is a long way through the preparatory work with the beginning of construction only about a year away. Yet the storm clouds are gathering ominously over HS2. As Bob Dylan once remarked, you don’t need a weather vane to know which w...