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

Tuesday, 18 December 2018

BBC News

• Rail pledge after 'unprecedented' repairs to Welsh trainsEngineers have been working around the clock to fix an "unprecedented" number of trains taken out of service for repairs, according rail bosses.
• Network Rail sets date for axing all train station toilet chargesCommuters are currently charged between 30p and 40p to use toilets at nine Network Rail-run stations.
• ScotRail boss Alex Hynes promises improvementsHundreds of services have been cancelled while ScotRail staff are trained on new trains and routes.
• Branson: Hard Brexit would torpedo some Virgin firmsSir Richard Branson has spoken out against a hard Brexit, warning it would be
• Bloodhound supersonic car project savedThe supersonic vehicle could still race at 1,000mph after an entrepreneur bought the business.
• Jaguar Land Rover struggling to return to top gearBritain's largest carmaker faces a difficult year amid fears that big job cuts are on the way.

The Guardian

• London's new official plan for cycling is bold but has a major flawWith no new infrastructure or funding, questions remain on how to genuinely democratise cycling in a big city
• 'I feel conned': garden bridge donors plan to sue over failed schemePrivate funders owed about £7m from charity behind abandoned London project
• Brussels makes no-deal Brexit plans as EU calls an end to talksStatus quo to be maintained in a few sectors for nine months as No 10’s claims of more talks dismissed

The Herald

• Commuter chaos as ScotRail cancels more than 70 trains across countryA signalling problem has caused rush hour chaos on Scotland's railways.

The Independent

• Jaguar Land Rover to cut 5,000 jobs amid slump in diesel sales and Brexit uncertaintyBritish carmaker hit by falling diesel demand and poor sales in China
• Costs of HS2 'vastly underestimated', whistleblower saysThe cost of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project, intended to increase capacity between London, the Midlands and the north of England, is under fresh scrutiny.

Times Online

• Airlines must come clean over hidden flight costs [subscription]Airlines will be forced to be more transparent about their terms and conditions so that passengers are not hit with “hidden fees”, under government standards designed to improve air travel.
• Britain in electric slow lane after grant cut [subscription]Electric cars are likely to cost more in the UK than other European countries after a cut in government subsidies for green vehicles.
• Worst new diesel cars emit toxic fumes 11 times the pollution limit [subscription]Renault and Nissan are the worst performing motor manufacturers for air pollution, with the average new diesel car they produce emitting 11 times the legal limit, a study has found.

Reuters News

• Siemens, Alstom offer to sell high-speed train technologySiemensand Alstom have offered to sell either one of their high-speed train technology to address EU antitrust concerns about their plan to create a Franco-German rail champion, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

City AM

• Uber to hire team for Jump electric bikes launch in the UKRide-hailing giant Uber is exploring plans to launch operations of its electric bicycle arm in the UK, entering an already-crowded space from the likes of Chinese startups Ofo and Mobike.
• Wizz Air to overtake Easyjet as Luton Airport's largest airline with arrival of new routes from next summerUltra low-cost carrier Wizz Air has said it will overtake Easyjet as Luton airport's largest carrier once six new routes come into force from next summer.
• Don't spend a penny: Network Rail to scrap all toilet charges from April next yearIn March the former chief executive of Network Rail, Mark Carne, pledged to scrap the charge at all of its stations from 2019, saying it was "quite wrong to penalise people when they are in discomfort".

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Big drop in numbers of people commuting to Bradford city centre by trainTHE number of people using train to commute into Bradford city centre plummeted last year, according to new figures.

Bristol Live

• People are 'switching to cars' because buses are so unreliable in and around BristolWith traffic and travel in Bristol a daily struggle for many, campaigners and councillors have told the West of England Combined Authority it needs to speed up its transport strategy

Derby Telegraph

• Major railway line linking Burton to Leicester could reopenBurton's rail link to Leicester could reopen to passengers for the first time since its closure in 1964 if a new campaign wins support.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Edinburgh commuters hit by delays amid Scotrail staffing issuesCOMMUTERS heading in and out of the Capital faced fresh misery yesterday as a signal failure and staff shortages caused widespread disruption on the rail network.

London Evening Standard

• Cycle superhighways rebranded to banish the image of Lycra loutsCycle superhighways are to be renamed in an attempt to
• TfL Tube strike: Central line walkout dates, times and everything else you need to knowCommuters face another weekend of misery as more Tube strikes are planned to take place this weekend affecting both the Central and the Waterloo and City lines.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Council tax set to rise and Link bus cuts expected as part of plans to save £22mThere will be increased charges for some council services, 27 middle management job cuts, and cuts to the NGY youth centre

Yorkshire Post

• The Yorkshire Post says: Compensation scheme welcome but rail passengers just want reliable trainsNewly-appointed rail minister Andrew Jones is entirely correct in his assessment of what the Government and train operators should be aiming for on the network; providing services 
which are reliable, 
punctual and trusted by customers.

Cambridge News

• Demand for new entrance to Cambridge train station to slash trafficCB1 is often packed with private vehicles and taxis driving to the station's one entrance

Doncaster Free Press

• ’It will be one of the best in Europe’ – South Yorkshire mayor Dan Jarvis promises bus review in 10 transport commitmentsMetro mayor Dan Jarvis has claimed his South Yorkshire transport master plan will be ’one of the best in Europe’ once its fully implemented.

Other Regional Press

• Transport for Wales announce free travel for all emergency service workers this Christmas and New YearTransport for Wales is saying ’thank you to our emergency services this Christmas’. The newly created Transport for Wales says “In recognition of their incredible efforts throughout the year, Transport for Wales is granting free travel to all emergency service personnel over the festive period.”
• Passengers on Portsmouth rail replacement bus turfed out a mile away from their stop – and driver tells them ’I don’t know the way’PASSENGERS on a rail replacement bus were left puzzled after they had to direct a driver to their stop because he ’did not know his way around Portsmouth’.
• New Birmingham Airport CEO namedBirmingham Airport has announced the appointment of Nick Barton as Chief Executive. He will commence his new post on January 7th, 2019. Nick was most recently, from 2014 until December 2018, Chief Executive of London Luton Airport.
• Progress on Portishead rail project as council commits £1.4m to schemeThe reopening of Portishead’s railway is ’moving forwards’ after North Somerset Council committed more than £1million to the project.
• When will Merseyside have ticketless rail travel?THE dates for when contactless and ticket-less travel could start on board Liverpool’s train have been revealed by the chief of Merseyrail.
• South Western Railway to offer "flyer" serviceThey may be striking for a couple of days during Christmas week but there's some good news from South Western Railway today.
• We know this isn’t acceptable’: ScotRail explains the reason behind crew shortages causing so many cancelled trainsScotRail has explained why so many trains have been called off as a result of staffing shortages.

Rail Technology Magazine

• HS1 and Crossrail suppliers admit to running 'illegal cartel' for 7 yearsTwo UK rail suppliers to major projects such as HS1, HS2, and Crossrail have admitted to operating an illegal cartel for almost seven years with the goal of increasing prices and reducing competition in the drainage market. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provisionally found that the...
• MPs misled over 'enormously wrong' land costs for HS2, reveals whistleblowerA whistleblowing former executive at HS2 has revealed that the land cost estimate given to MPs before they approved the high-speed rail project was “enormously wrong.” The whistle-blower declared that the decision to approve HS2, which will oversee the biggest land and property...
• Government launches Delay Repay 15 scheme for northern passengersNorthern rail passengers can now claim compensation from train operators for journeys delayed by 15 minutes or more, rail minister Andrew Jones has announced. The Delay Repay 15 scheme acts as an extension to the current compensation package that exists for journeys delayed by 30 minutes or more...

Transportxtra

• Welsh Government backtracks on TfW bus operation function [Subscription]The Welsh Government appears to have u-turned on its intention to make Transport for Wales (TfW) increasingly responsible for bus operations. A White Paper on public transport instead proposes giving local authorities the power to introduce bus franchises.

Aviation Industry

• UK eyes greater liberalization of air traffic rights, airspace modernizationThe British government is looking to pursue greater liberalization of air traffic rights and modernize what it calls obsolete restrictions on airline ownership in a bid to open competition for UK and international air routes.
• Virgin Atlantic to seek injunction against pilots over strike actionUK-based long-haul specialist Virgin Atlantic plans to seek a legal injunction against members of its pilot workforce taking strike action over Christmas.
• Boeing to pay $4.2 billion for Embraer commercial business Boeing and Embraer have hammered out terms of their proposed commercial business merger, including a Brazil-based management that reports to Boeing chairman, CEO and president Dennis Muilenburg, as well as for a joint venture (JV) to make and sell the medium-lift KC-390 military transport aircraft.

Other News Sources

• Bus cuts could cost communities and increase social isolation, West Sussex County Council is warned Cutting funds to some bus services could cost West Sussex County Council more than it saves as it deals with cases of social isolation, councillors have been warned.
• New chief exec at London Luton AirportA new chief executive has been appointed at London Luton Airport (LLA). Alberto Martin, the airport's current planning and investment director has been appointed to the role. Nick Barton has taken the decision to step down to take up the same role at Birmingham Airport in the new year.
• SOUTHEND Airport is celebrating a decade of improvements since the takeover by Stobart with the owners confident the next ten years will be even better.GLASGOW is set to make aviation history as the world’s largest commercial passenger jet prepares to fly into Scotland.
• How Southend Airport has changed in the last (very successful) decadeSOUTHEND Airport is celebrating a decade of improvements since the takeover by Stobart with the owners confident the next ten years will be even better.