Breaking News
Thousands of bus routes 'at risk' of being scrapped, warn councils
Thousands of bus routes in England are under threat because councils have said they cannot afford to pay for them.
Edinburgh tram extension cost soars to £207m
New figures reveal that the cost of extending Edinburgh's tram line out of the city centre has increased by 25%.
ScotRail hit with second remedial plan - for failing to keep passengers happy
ScotRail was today hit with a second remedial plan - for failing to meet passenger satisfaction targets.
Brexit news: No-deal ferry contract awarded to firm with no ships Seaborne Freight scrapped
A controversial ferry contract awarded to a firm with no ships as part of no-deal Brexit plans has been scrapped by the Department for Transport.
Could making bus travel free help cut car emissions and reduce air pollution?
The proposal comes as figures show transport was the biggest contributor to the UK’s carbon pollution problem in 2017.
Saturday, 09 February 2019
BBC News
- Thousands of bus routes 'at risk' of being scrapped, warn councilsThousands of bus routes in England are under threat because councils have said they cannot afford to pay for them.
- ScotRail ordered to improve performance by governmentScotRail has been ordered to come up with a remedial plan after failing to meeting passenger satisfaction targets.
- Chelmsford bus gate signs 'confusing drivers' brains'A psychologist fined for driving through a controversial bus gate has won her appeal after arguing there too many signs for the brain to process.
- New Midland Metro tram tracks laid in Birmingham city centreNew tram tracks are laid in Birmingham city centre as part of a tram extension.
- Keyless cars blamed for West Midlands theft 'epidemic'The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner calls on car manufacturers to make cars safer.
- Edinburgh tram extension cost soars to £207mNew figures reveal that the cost of extending Edinburgh's tram line out of the city centre has increased by 25%.
- ScotRail ordered to improve performance by governmentThe train operator has been hit with a second official notice by ministers unhappy with its performance.
- Ford Bridgend: New Ineos 4x4 contract 'won't secure jobs'The Ineos contract Ford Bridgend hopes to win is seen by some as a
The Guardian
- Overcoming obstacles to access national parksReaders respond to a report which reveals that England’s protected countryside is out of reach for poorer people
- Heathrow stockpiling rubber gloves from EU for post-Brexit searchesLondon airport preparing for no deal by putting aside imported security materials
The Scotsman
- ScotRail hit with second remedial plan - for failing to keep passengers happy ScotRail was today hit with a second remedial plan - for failing to meet passenger satisfaction targets.
The Telegraph
- Half of bus routes could be scrapped because of underfunded free pass scheme [Subscription]Nearly half of bus routes in England could be scrapped due to a lack of funding, councils have claimed.
Times Online
- Tech distractions killing dozens of drivers every yearMore than 700 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes caused by “in-vehicle distractions” last year, leading to warnings over levels of eye-catching technology installed in modern cars.
- ScotRail admonished for second time in two months [Subscription]Ministers have handed ScotRail its second improvement notice in less than two months after passenger satisfaction fell to its lowest level in 15 years.
- Hauliers fear EU lockout over missing permits [Subscription]Thousands of hauliers face being barred from entering the EU after missing out on permits that may be needed after Brexit.
- Here we go again: cost of trams soars [Subscription]The cost of extending Edinburgh’s controversial tram network has jumped by a quarter to £207 million
- Hit new targets and you’ll get €100m payday, Ryanair boss told [Subscription]Michael O’Leary has been given the chance to add almost €100 million more to his fortune.
City AM
- Flybe's ultimatum to shareholders over controversial Virgin bid sends shares crashingFlybe’s low-flying shares lost up to a quarter of their value this morning after the struggling airline’s board warned investors it would wind up the company if they do not approve an unpopular takeover.
The Mirror
- Half of the country's bus routes could be scrapped due to funding crisisNearly half of bus routes are at risk of being scrapped due to a funding crisis, town halls warn as they battle Tory austerity.
The National
- Time to bite the bullet and improve access to Glasgow AirportTHE “Bain Principle” is one of Labour’s biggest weaknesses in Scotland. The SNP has wisely avoided simply rejecting things that others have thought of first. There are ineffective transport systems and effective ones, expensive ones and cheap ones. I would assert it is difficult to find an example of “cheap and effective” – hence the problem for vote-hungry politicians of all hues.
Network Rail
- Grangemouth electrification goes liveOverhead power lines on the railway around Grangemouth freight terminal will be live from Sunday (February 10).
Birmingham Post
- First tracks laid for metro extension in BirminghamLeading figures from across the West Midlands gathered in Victoria Square yesterday (Thursday, February 7) for the laying of the first tracks for the extension of the Midlands metro.
London Evening Standard
- Brexit news: No-deal ferry contract awarded to firm with no ships Seaborne Freight scrappedA controversial ferry contract awarded to a firm with no ships as part of no-deal Brexit plans has been scrapped by the Department for Transport.
Newcastle Evening Chronicle
- Transport Secretary Chris Grayling backs plans for Ashington to Newcastle passenger trainsNorthumberland County Council is developing a project to re-open the freight-only Newcastle-Blyth-Ashington railway line and invited Chris Grayling to look at the proposals
Yorkshire Evening Post
- ‘Leeds Bradford should be the region’s first choice airport’ Transport bosses have called on business leaders to support Leeds Bradford Airport’s aim to become the first choice for Yorkshire jet-setters.
East Anglian Daily Times
- Warning over cuts to lifeline rural bus routes in SuffolkA warning is going out that threatened cuts to rural bus services in Suffolk could leave some elderly and disabled people stranded.
Other Regional Press
- Damaged railway bridge to be closed to traffic for five yearsThe railway bridge, at Eccles Heath, between Attleborough and Snetterton, was left unsafe after being struck by a road vehicle in December 2017.
- ScotRail served remedial plan notice after dip in passenger satisfactionMinisters have handed ScotRail its second improvement notice in less than two months – after passenger satisfaction plunged to its lowest level in 15 years.
- Preston Bus Station boycott diffused by further negotiations Travel firms which operate services from Preston Bus Station have been invited back to the negotiating table by Lancashire County Council in an attempt to diffuse a dispute over how much they pay to use the facility.
- More Coventry council bus gate signs change - after long campaign against drivers' finesCOVENTRY Council has replaced street signs at the Gosford Street bus gate after years of pressure – prompting fresh calls for fined motorists to be reimbursed.
- Bus journeys in North Yorkshire drop by 474,000, figures showPassengers took 474,000 fewer bus journeys in North Yorkshire last year, new figures reveal.
- Could making bus travel free help cut car emissions and reduce air pollution?The proposal comes as figures show transport was the biggest contributor to the UK’s carbon pollution problem in 2017.
- The cost of the Edinburgh tram extension to Newhaven has soared to £207m - and it hasn't even started yetA final business case for extending Edinburgh's trams to Newhaven has seen the cost of the project jump by 25% to £207m.
- Warrington tram system ‘could be operating’ within 10 yearsA CONSORTIUM would put millions of pounds towards a future tram system in Warrington – if the ambitious proposals are backed by Town Hall bosses.
- Authorities 'must close funding gap' before Merton-Sutton tram project can progressAuthorities must close a huge funding gap before progress on the multi-million pound Merton-Sutton tram extension project can go ahead, a council meeting heard.
Rail Technology Magazine
- Proposals for £39bn investment in Northern Powerhouse Rail to be submitted to government A business case for up to £39bn of investment in Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) are to be submitted to the government, marking “the region’s single biggest transport intervention” since the industrial revolution. The board of Transport for the North (TfN), representing...
- HS2 land acquisition costs could spiral five times higher than projected The cost of acquiring land and property for Phase 1 of HS2 could be almost five times the original estimation. Forecasts based on freedom of information requests from an anti-HS2 campaign group have revealed that the total land costs could now be around £5bn, and has already now far...
Aviation Industry
- Brussels Airlines cancels all flights ahead of Belgium national strikeLufthansa Group subsidiary Brussels Airlines has scrapped its entire schedule of 222 flights for Feb. 13 because of industrial action across various stakeholders operating at Brussels Airport, as part of a wider national strike in Belgium. read more
- Flybe to wind up company if shareholders do not back takeover deal UK regional carrier Flybe has told shareholders it had to sell off its operating companies, or face administration, adding that the empty holding company will wind up if shareholders do not back Connect Airways’ takeover offer. read more
- Bill introduced to protect FAA funding in future US government shutdownsTwo key US lawmakers overseeing federal transportation policy have introduced a bill that would keep the FAA fully funded during any future lapse in appropriations. read more
Other News Sources
- Number of Stratford to London trains will doubleSTRATFORD-UPON-AVON commuters received a huge boost last week amid news that the number of direct trains between Stratford and London is set to more than double from May.
- Storm Erik closes Helensburgh to Edinburgh train lineHIGH winds from Storm Erik have forced the train line between Helensburgh Central and Edinburgh to close.
- Cross-party support from MPs for new rail link connecting Slough to HeathrowA group of cross-party MPs including Slough MP Tan Dhesi came together earlier this week to discuss the Western Rail Link to Heathrow (WRLtH).
- Britten-Norman announce plans for 50 new jobs at Solent AirportAircraft Manufacturer Britten-Norman is going to expand its manufacturing and maintenance facilities at Solent Airport, creating 50 new jobs.
- Wigan Council joins forces with fellow authorities to fund £50m Manchester Airport multi-storey car parkWigan council and fellow authorities across Greater Manchester are lining up plans to fund a multi-storey car park at Manchester Airport – at a cost of more than £50m.
- The decision means all 6,000 Access Pass holders in Reading can continue using their passes for free travelDISABLED people in Reading can continue to use buses for free before 9.30am, after plans to cut the scheme were scrapped.
News from Europe
- Italian deputy PM rules out high-speed railway to FranceAs the row between Italy and France worsened this week, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said he would oppose a long-planned high-speed railway under the Alps to France.
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