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

Tuesday, 16 October 2018

BBC News

• Ryanair replaces Stansted baggage handlers after delaysA baggage handling company criticised after passengers had to wait hours to reclaim their luggage has been replaced at London Stansted Airport.
• Welsh Government guarantees Aston Martin rentA deal means Welsh Government will pay if the luxury car maker leaves its St Athan site vacant.
• Bloodhound supersonic car hits financial roadblockThe UK-led supersonic car project goes into administration. There are just weeks to save the venture.
• Gatwick Airport second runway 'by the back door'Gatwick Airport says its emergency runway could be used
• Ford boss warns on 'disastrous' no-deal BrexitThe car giant's European boss says a no-deal Brexit could affect Ford's UK investment plans.
• UK's railway stations with most train delays revealedTen of Britain's busiest stations have seen more than half of all trains in 2018 delayed, research finds.

ITV News

• Rail minister urged to Oyster card payments to Stansted, Luton and Southend airportsRail Minister Jo Johnson has been urged to back an extension of Oyster and contactless payments to Luton, Stansted and Southend airports ahead of Euro 2020.

The Guardian

• Gatwick accused of making second runway 'by the back door'Airport said to be planning use of emergency runway to add hundreds more flights daily

The Independent

• Bus travel hits 12-year-low as prices rise and services are axedPublic transport campaigners have warned of a “crisis” in bus travel as new analysis shows passenger journeys are at a 12-year low.
• Could Gatwick launch extra runway before Heathrow in the airport expansion race?Answers to the key questions about a possible second runway at the Sussex airport

The Scotsman

• Kezia Dugdale: How to stop trains being over-priced and over-crowded As the skies darken and the temperature drops, rail commuters in Edinburgh have a creeping sense of dread.

Times Online

• Philip Hammond will be forced to raise borrowing in budget, predicts IFS [Subscription]... Its analysts estimated that Mr Hammond would have to raise taxes or increase borrowing to meet even the minimum definition of “the end of austerity”. Without the extra money, he would have to make further cuts to the budgets of non-protected departments, which include education, transport and the Home Office. He would also need to find an additional £7 billion to halt social security cuts that are already working their way through the system.
• Manchester Oxford Road station is worst for delays [subscription]Britain’s worst-performing station has been identified as Manchester Oxford Road. Analysis showed that 77 per cent of trains have failed to leave or arrive on schedule at the busy commuter hub since the start of this year.

City AM

• Tube strike: Industrial action to affect Piccadilly Line again in NovemberThe Piccadilly Line will be hit by strike action next month, the Tube workers’ union RMT confirmed today, as staff prepare to walk out again over an “aggressive and bullying management culture”.

The Mirror

• Two-thirds of trains late or cancelled at UK's worst stationsVirgin West Coast Trains was found by Which? to be the worst-performing operator while the 10 worst stations have been named and shamed

The National

• Edinburgh Airport reports busiest SeptemberEDINBURGH Airport has recorded its busiest-ever September.

Network Rail

• Stations Day – how we’re providing better stations for passengersIt’s Stations Day, celebrating the rail industry’s billions of pounds of investment in Britain’s railway stations
• Electrification to Bristol Parkway a step closer as Network Rail carry out vital upgradePassengers in Bristol are to benefit from more seats, quicker journey times and more frequent trains from next year, as Network Rail makes progress on the delivery of electrification to Bristol Parkway.

Bristol Live

• George Ferguson is questioning whether Bristol should scrap the role of MayorMr Ferguson says the role could be taken over by the 'Bristol and Bath City Region' authority
• First Bus chaos as 'kids can't get to school on time'Commuters say services are simply not turning up
• Bristol Airport is recruiting for hundreds of jobsRoles including retail, customer service, catering and driving positions
• 'Monstrous' and 'distracting' - dozens of Bristolians slam plans for new digital billboards over main roadAs many as 54 people have voiced their concerns on Bristol City Council's planning website

London Evening Standard

• Eurostar passengers suffer two days of delays after freight train breaks down in Channel Tunnel and 'wrong train' sent into secure areaEurostar passengers have been hit with a second day of severe delays and cancellations after a freight train broke down in the Channel Tunnel.
• Piccadilly line strike: RMT Union confirms fresh 24-hour walkout in November amid long-running disputeA fresh strike on one of London's busiest Tube lines has been confirmed for November.
• TfL Tube delays: Piccadilly line part-suspended as disruption hits four lines during rush hourCommuters attempting to travel home during rush hour faced delays on four Tube lines and issues with trains at London Waterloo.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Why Leeds is on a list of the country’s 20 worst travel hotspotsNearly half the trains out of Leeds Station since the beginning of the year have been late or cancelled, according to figures out today.

Cambridge News

• Stagecoach may take over cancelled bus route as student's petition to save it reaches over 2,000 signaturesA Hills Road student shares her worries about getting to school after the X3 bus service is cancelled

East Anglian Daily Times

• Ipswich MP seeks to end anomaly that pushes up London rail ticket costsIpswich MP Sandy Martin has called on the government to end an anomaly that keeps rail fares from Ipswich higher than other stations with commuters to London.

Kent Online

• Kent County Council expresses concern over Thameslink delay for MaidstoneKent County Council has written to the rail minister to express concerns over the delay of the planned new Thameslink service to Maidstone East.

Other Regional Press

• Zero emissions zone: Oxford plan could hit bus company for millionsOXFORD Bus Company has warned that the city’s proposed zero emissions zone (ZEZ) could cost it tens of millions of pounds and risk a reduction in bus services of 80 per cent.
• WELSHPOOL: Plans to expand Welshpool airport go inPLANS have been submitted to extend one of the hangers at the Mid Wales Airport near Welshpool.
• Rethink over link road to luton airport?A plan to build a new link road through the east of Luton to the airport could be shelved, as alternative options are considered following local opposition.
• Luton Airport welcomes 1.5 million passengers in SeptemberMore than 1.5 million passengers came through Luton Airport last month, marking its busiest-ever September.
• Arriva Trains Wales bosses look back on fifteen years with 'pride' as new railways operator takes overBosses at Arriva Trains Wales say they're handing over Welsh railways in 'far better condition' than when they took over as new company KeolisAmey takes the reigns from this week.
• c2c Rail scoops national Rail Operator of the Year award at industry BAFTAsIt might have a twitter account dedicated to parodying its daily delays, but c2c has been named the best train operator in the country at a prestigious rail industry awards night.
• Campaigners accuse HS2 bosses of misleading public after denying project is behind scheduleCAMPAIGNERS against HS2 have accused bosses of misleading the public after they denied the multi-billion pound project was behind schedule.
• Wrexham AM welcomes trains 'revolution' as new franchise replaces ArrivaWREXHAM'S Assembly Member, Lesley Griffiths has spoken of the beginning of a rail revolution in Wales as a brand new franchise, Transport for Wales, takes over the running of the railways from Arriva.
• New train service launched across North WalesTransport for Wales, with partners KeolisAmey, launched the new rail service this morning bringing to an end Arriva's 15 year Wales and Boarder contract.

Train Operators

• On the first National Stations Day South Western Railway confirms £90m investment programmeToday, 15 October is the UK’s first National Stations Day #StationsDay. Our customers sit at the heart of everything that we do so, to mark this day, we are confirming our plans to invest £90M to enhance station facilities across our network. Coupled with the hundreds of millions that we're investing in new and refurbished trains, this will improve our customers travelling experience.
• First images revealed of Lowestoft's new station doors under constructionImages of three new sets of doors being constructed for Lowestoft Railway Station have been released as work continues to restore parts of the iconic building along with the creation of a new public exhibition space.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Rail minister urged to back extension of Oyster and contactless payments at London airportsLondon’s deputy mayor for transport Heidi Alexander has called for Jo Johnson to back the extension of contactless payments across London in preparation for the Euro 2020 football tournament.
• KeolisAmey £5bn Wales and Borders Rail service launches todayKeolisAmey has begun operations taking over the Wales and Borders franchise today, with “transformed” services on the way for passengers according to the Welsh transport secretary Ken Skates.
• Electrification to Bristol Parkway takes one step closer as more upgrades completedCompletion of electrification of lines on the Bristol Parkway route have taken one step closer today following further upgrades by Network Rail.

Railnews

• First Intercity Express reaches NewquayAN HITACHI Intercity Express has arrived at Newquay on the north coast of Cornwall for the first time.

Railway Gazette

• Network Rail agrees Sussex traffic management strategyUK: Network Rail has confirmed its intention to directly award Hitachi Rail Europe a £30m contract to supply a traffic management system for the Sussex area of its South East Route and the East London Line.

The Business Desk

• New MD for Derby rail services firmDerby-based CoMech has appointed Craig Burton, formerly of Bombardier, as its new managing director.

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair appoints third new managing director for LaudaMotionRyanair has confirmed the Irish LCC has appointed a third managing director for Austria-based LaudaMotion. read more
• Monarch Aircraft Engineering secures fundingUK-based maintenance provider Monarch Aircraft Engineering (MAEL) said it has secured “significantâ€� funding from its owner, Greybull Capital, after earlier reports that its future might be under threat. read more
• S7 Airlines takes Russia’s first Boeing 737 MAXRussia’s S7 Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX on lease from Air Lease Corp., becoming the first Russian airline to fly the type. read more
• Spain’s Volotea carries 20 millionth passenger after six yearsLCC Volotea has carried its 20 millionth passenger, six years after its creation, the Spanish airline said Oct. 11. read more
• ANA to expand European network with Vienna serviceJapan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) is expanding its network to Europe with daily Tokyo Haneda-Vienna (Austria) services, starting Feb. 19, 2019. read more

Other News Sources

• First York has a litter problem - 25 mins to clean each busOne of York's bus operators has revealed that it is spending up to 25 minutes removing rubbish from every bus each evening and is therefore urging customers to think before they litter and to take their rubbish away with them.
• Hacan group and Ruth Cadbury MP challenge Government over noise pollutionRuth Cadbury MP has asked the Government to review its decision to go ahead with Heathrow expansion following the release this week of new World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on noise.
• UK rail operator accused of abuse of dominanceA quality assurance scheme provider is seeking an injunction against Network Rail, which owns and operates rail infrastructure in England, Scotland and Wales, for allegedly abusing its dominance by insisting that suppliers use a different assurance scheme.
• 'Shambles' as driver and guard LOCKED OUT of their own train, leaving passengers fuming'I have never heard a crowd cheer for train doors opening before'