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

Friday, 16 November 2018

BBC News

• First of Abellio Greater Anglia new Swiss trains arriveThe first in a fleet of new trains for the East of England has arrived in the region for testing.
• Flybe loss 'would be catastrophic' for Cardiff AirportThe airline's 14 destinations are
• Ryanair reinstates four Glasgow Airport routesThe airline cut 20 of its 23 services out of Glasgow Airport in February amid concerns over air passenger duty.
• Lion Air crash: Boeing sued by victim's family over aircraft designA lawsuit is filed against the US manufacturer over an alleged design fault with its 737 Max jet.
• Japan Airlines tightens alcohol rules for pilotsThe new safety measures follow a string of incidents and delayed flights due to intoxicated pilots.

ITV News

• New trains being tested in the regionThe first of Greater Anglia's new trains being made in Switzerland have arrived in the region. 58 are being manufactured by Stadler. They'll now be tested before coming into service next year

The Guardian

• Aston Martin ready to fly car parts to UK if Brexit deal collapsesAston Martin is ready to fly car parts into the UK and switch to new supply routes across the channel to ensure it can keep production going if the Brexit agreement collapses.

The Scotsman

• Alastair Dalton: What Edinburgh’s new 100-seat monster buses say about public transportThe unveiling ceremony had the razzmatazz reminiscent of the launch of a new train favoured by the likes of Sir Richard Branson of Virgin, writes Alastair Dalton.

Times Online

• Mayor Anne Hidalgo plans to ban cars from centre of Paris [Subscription]A proposal to turn much of central Paris into Europe’s largest pedestrianised precinct has triggered criticism that the French capital would be rendered into a lifeless tourist trap.
• From air travel to health, challenges of a no-deal Brexit [Subscription]AVIATION Worst case Airlines would lose the automatic right to operate flights between Britain and the EU.
• High speed train to Casablanca is 3 years late [Subscription]Africa’s first high-speed rail line was inaugurated along a 120-mile coastal stretch between Tangier and Casablanca yesterday, three years late and amid controversy over its cost.

City AM

• TfL bosses stopped claiming expenses during the summer as the Elizabeth Line hit the rocksTransport for London (TfL) bosses did not claim any expenses over the summer while it was embroiled in troubles regarding the £15.4bn Elizabeth Line.
• Dubai-headquartered airline Emirates suffered its lowest half-year profit in a decade as it warned “the next six months will be tough".Emirates today said its profit plunged 53 per cent to 1.1bn United Arab Emirates dirhams (£240m) while revenue climbed 10 per cent to 54.4bn United Arab Emirates dirhams (£48.3bn).

The Sun

• HIDDEN HEATHROW Behind the scenes at Heathrow Airport – which has its own police HQ, two fire stations and a even a BEEKEEPERHEATHROW is one of the world’s busiest airports but there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that the public never gets to see.

Network Rail

• Signals explainedUpgrades to signalling and train control systems feature strongly in our improvement works and are part of our ongoing plans to install modern technology to improve services for passengers and freight operators.

London Evening Standard

• It’s high time Londoners got a real rail service choiceTwenty-five years ago one of the most unpopular and poorly planned privatisations passed into law. The subsequent failure to get rail policy right has amplified calls for re-nationalisation and consistently put ministers on the defensive. I have a solution which should work and is long overdue.
• TfL Tube delays: Rush hour misery as disruption hits FIVE London Underground linesLondon commuters are facing a miserable rush hour due to delays across five London Underground lines.

Sheffield Star

• Sheffield to Rotherham tram-train ‘already making a difference’, say business leadersAlmost three years late, five times the cost and in a crash on its first day but leaders have insisted the Sheffield to Rotherham tram train is already proving its worth.

Wales Online

• Britain's most powerful speed camera hits the M4 and it can spot offenders from 1km awayBritain's biggest speed camera is set to hit the M4 motorway - and it can film a car from a thousand metres away.
• One in five Transport for Wales trains is damaged by leaves on the track and out of serviceEngineers have to work around the clock to keep the trains running

Other Regional Press

• Kirklees Council to spend £420 million on new roads in next 15 yearsNorth Kirklees Orbital Road is one of a number of projects in the pipeline
• Rise in passengers travelling though Liverpool John Lennon AirportTHE number of passengers flying through Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) rocketed by 5% last month.
• Ryanair reinstates sunshine routes to four popular holiday destinations from Glasgow AirportIt's that time of year again when all anyone can talk about is feasts of food, gingerbread lattes, that flipping Coca-Cola truck and the John Lewis Christmas ad.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• New FirstGroup CEO is Matthew GregoryInterim COO steps up to CEO role immediately as the group reveals more losses in new half-year results, though UK bus performance is good
• Blue Bus in UK CNG minibus firstBlue Bus Innovations has become what is thought to be the first company in the UK to operate compressed natural gas-powered (CNG) minibuses.
• Traffic Commissioner gives Abus decisionTraffic Commissioner, Kevin Rooney, has given a decision on Abus. He said the Bristol operator’s licence will be suspended from 11:59pm on 31 January 2019 unless the way the business is run is changed. Provided the operator is working positively towards restructuring operations to be fully compliant with the law, the suspension date can be varied […]

Coach and Bus Week

• NatEx joins forces with Mobile Onboard for m-ticketsNational Express has partnered with Mobile Onboard to deliver its first mobile ticketing project.
• Hampshire Bristol RE Running DayHampshire Bus Preservation (Rayner family) organised a mini Bristol RE Running Day in Winchester at the end of the season. The event was held on 4 November and paid tribute to this successful and popular model.

New Civil Engineer

• Stansted Airport expansion gets council green lightPlans to increase the number of passengers using Stansted Airport have been backed by Uttlesford Council.

Rail Technology Magazine

• First Greater Anglia FLIRT bi-mode arrives in Norwich for testingThe first of Greater Anglia’s brand-new trains has now arrived in the region, pulling up to Norwich by a locomotive ahead of a programme of testing around the network.

Railway Gazette

• MEPs vote to increase rail passengers’ rightsEUROPE: Members of the European Parliament voted in favour of proposed changes to increase rail passengers’ rights at a plenary session on November 15.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• MPs learn about Bristol's busesMPs have headed to Bristol to hear about the area’s bus services
• A more regulated or franchised system?’Last week I said I would get around to reading the transcript of the first evidence session of the Transport Select Committee’s latest inquiry into the bus industry, but without any expectation of being told anything that I, and the rest of the industry, didn’t already know. I have now read said transcript, and my expectations were spot on.
• Compass Travel takes ZipTrip app from TicketerAfter moving to the latest Ticketer electronic ticket machine (ETM), West Sussex-based Compass Travel is to launch the supplier’s app called ZipTrip.
• Five branded Doncaster buses to showcase the pride of townBuses, showcasing the town’s destinations and businesses, to hit the roads of Doncaster
• New Scania coaches for City Circle (UK)City Circle (UK) MD Neil Pegg, confirmed the order which will see the total number of Scania vehicles purchased by City Circle (UK) reach 98 since 2013, at Euro Bus Expo..
• First Glasgow: Trying to make sense of an LEZGlasgow’s proposed LEZ is set to require Euro 6 compliance across the board for buses in the future. Operator First Bus is already making plans to accommodate that, but a big fleet spend is now needed
• Tourliner with rear-view cameras from Q2 2019MAN Bus and Coach has announced that the Neoplan Tourliner range will be available with rear-view cameras in lieu of mirrors from Q2 2019.
• CPT to hold revamped coach event in CoventryThe Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) is inviting all of its coach operator members to a new-style event that will be held at the Coventry premises of EvoBus (UK) on 5-6 December.
• Judicial Review may be 'days away', says BCAThe Bus and Coach Association (BCA) may seek a Judicial Review into the operation of contracts under section 19 and 22 permits “within days”.
• It's time to get a grip of local emissions policyClean air zone. Low emission zone. Ultra-low emission zone. Call them what you will. They have been one of the topics du jour for the coach and bus industry for some time now.
• Arriva helps raise awareness of hidden disabilitiesA partnership involving Arriva and a Surrey-based charity aims to increase awareness of hidden disabilities and make the operator’s services more accessible for all.
• Alexander Dennis provides Remembrance Day supportAlexander Dennis supported several Remembrance Day events this year.

Aviation Industry

• Joon to offer child-bed ancillary product Air France subsidiary Joon plans to offer a new ancillary product, where parents can pay to convert their children’s economy seats into a small bed and play area. read more
• Brexit teeters on chaos and still no air transport planNo deal, botched deal, backstop. Brexit, a word not coined just a few short years ago, has become a common noun with its own set of adjectives and adverbs. read more

Other News Sources

• The north east of England will gain a new double-daily direct air service to London City Airport from Newcastle with Flybe franchise partner Eastern AirwaysFlyBe franchise partner and potential buyer, Eastern Airways, recently announced it would be adding a morning and evening peak service between London City Airport and Newcastle Airport.
• Cash to go towards road improvements on HS2 route in NorthamptonshireA long list of potential road improvements for areas affected by the upcoming construction of HS2 is being drawn up by Northamptonshire County Council.
• Enhanced TBS adds resilience to Heathrow operationsThe use of Time Based Separation (TBS) for London Heathrow arrivals is continuing to deliver major operational improvements, with the latest analysis revealing the added benefits of new tools introduced earlier this year.
• Map reveals towns in Surrey that could be linked to Heathrow by proposed rail schemeA new map has been released showing how people in Surrey could be able to get trains directly to Heathrow Airport under a proposed new rail scheme.
• Major announcement about the future of the Dawlish rail line made by Network Rail to councillorsNetwork Rail has a programme of improvements to protect the line between Exeter and Newton Abbot to improve resilience over the next century
• Lord Berkeley retires as RFG chair but will continue work in EuropeRail freight sector champion Lord Tony Berkeley has now retired from his role as chairman of the Rail Freight Group (RFG), the industry representative body for the rail freight sector.