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

Friday, 15 February 2019

BBC News

• £11m revamp of Far North Line finishedNetwork Rail has completed an £11m two and a half-year project to renew and replace sections of track at 59 sites along the Highlands' Far North Line.
• Call for louder tram horns after pedestrian's death in EdinburghRail investigators issue safety advice after the death of a pedestrian who was struck by a tram in Edinburgh.
• M6 and M56 roadworks delayed to 'benefit drivers'Schemes to improve the M6 and M56 will be delayed, after Highways England
• Airbus scraps A380 superjumbo jet as sales slumpThe aircraft manufacturer ends production of the superjumbo after key buyer Emirates cuts order.

The Guardian

• Greg Clark accused of misleading MPs over £61m payment to NissanLabour says business secretary ‘dodged scrutiny’ by failing to tell parliament about state aid

The Independent

• New £80m sea wall planned in Dawlish to protect trains from wavesRail campaigners have long argued that the money would be better spent on reinstating inland route from Exeter to Plymouth

The Scotsman

• Businesses in Scotland could be fined for failing to comply with parking levyScots firms could face hefty fines over failures to comply with controversial plans for a workplace parking levy, the Tories have claimed.

Times Online

• Big rise in drink-driving deaths triggers calls for a stricter limit [subscription]The number of drink-drive deaths has reached its highest level in eight years, prompting renewed calls for the limit to be lowered.
• Sadiq Khan promises to help low earners scrap diesel cars [Subscription]People with low incomes and polluting cars will be given grants to scrap them under a plan by the mayor of London.
• Sadiq Khan’s fund to scrap polluting cars won’t go far [subscription]Back in the 1990s the RAC Foundation, a policy and research organisation, was born of a growing concern about the need to get a grip on the negative impacts of motoring — congestion, road safety and emissions. Something had to change if we were to continue to enjoy the mobility benefits the car has brought, not least access to employment. That’s true across the country and it’s true even in Greater London, despite the capital’s extensive public transport networks.
• Rail staff training blamed for train cancellations [Subscription]Staff shortages at ScotRail that led to the disruption of more than 50 trains yesterday were caused by training.

City AM

• London's best and worst commuter stations revealedLondon's poor performing trains have been well documented over the past year, but now the best and worst commuter stations around the capital have been revealed.
• Ryanair admits interest in buying Thomas Cook's airport slotsBudget airline Ryanair is interested in buying up some airport slots belonging to embattled Thomas Cook's airline unit, it emerged today.
• Commuters face severe delays on District Line as rush hour misery strikesCommuters are facing rush hour misery this morning with severe delays affecting the District Line.

Daily Record

• Capacity problems on Dumbarton, Balloch and Helensburgh trains "unacceptable"The transport secretary says delivery of new carriages will ease congestion.

London Evening Standard

• Airbus a380 superjumbo production to end sparking 'bitter disappointment' from unionsUnions have expressed
• Marylebone station and Chiltern railways introduce coffee cup recycling scheme to reduce single use plasticCommuters passing through Marylebone station will now be able to dispose of their morning coffee cups ethically after a recycling scheme was introduced.

Northern Transport Summit 2019

• Northern Transport Summit 2019 [Paid Inclusion ]With better transport the linchpin to growth across the Northern Powerhouse, we bring you the third annual summit on this topic, giving an in-depth view of the opportunities and challenges presented by investment in transport. Policy shapers, operators, and developers will all debate the impact of this influential sector.

Other Regional Press

• First electric trains are a 'new dawn' for Bolton commutersELECTRIC trains are operating in Bolton for the first time, nearly a decade after preparation first began and have been declared “a new dawn for Bolton”.
• Hull MP blasts First Group's 'dismissive' attitude to city's struggling rail companyShe had to read the First Group's response to her proposal for an extra train in the Hull Daily Mail
• Time to ditch HS2 – let’s fix our regional railway linesWhy are we going ahead with the HS2 rail link when regional railways could do with an overhaul? Iain Dale suggest we focus on local schemes instead
• East Yorkshire MP David Davis calls for HS2 to be scrapped - this is whyThe former Cabinet minister said the money would be better spent on the existing rail network
• Pay-as-you-go train travel could extend to Guildford and AldershotPay-as-you-go train travel could be extended across Surrey and Hampshire if new plans by the Department of Transport go ahead.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Horseman adds ten PanthersHorseman Coaches, based in Berkshire, has introduced a further ten Plaxton Panthers to its fleet.

New Civil Engineer

• Heathrow southern rail access will need public support, says GraylingTransport secretary Chris Grayling has said that a Heathrow southern rail link will need “public support”, despite the fact that many existing proposals will be entirely privately funded.
• HS2 cost cutting study revealedA High Speed 2 (HS2) commissioned study into how to cut costs on phase 1 of the project between London and Birmingham has been revealed.

Rail Technology Magazine

• TfL awards £220m contract to Balfour Beatty for tube track renewalsBalfour Beatty has won a £220m contract from TfL to carry out track renewals on the London Underground. The four-year contract encompasses all aspects of track renewals including track, points and crossings, and trackside drainage across over 1,000km on the network. Starting from April...
• New TfW director appointed for north WalesTransport for Wales (TfW) has appointed Lee Robinson as its new development director for north Wales. Robinson will lead the business unit in the north of Wales as it supports the delivery of the new franchise and several major schemes in the region. The minister for transport and for north...
• RAIB warns Network Rail over safety recommendations following another near missThe RAIB has written to Network Rail again following an investigation into an incident where two workers walking along the track on the East Coast Main Line were narrowly missed by a train after an undetected planning mistake. The near miss occurred on 20 January when a train operated by...

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Ilesbus UK expands as Atego-based midi is dueDealership here opens new premises in South Wales; will start working with MAN on TGE, TGL soon
• First ignores Greater Manchester sale rumoursFirst UK Bus has refused to comment specifically on rumours that its loss-making business in Greater Manchester is to be broken up and sold.
• Mobility-as-a-Service examined at conferenceThe impact of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) on conventional public transport will be examined at an event to be held at the Inmarsat Conference Centre in London on 20 and 21 March entitled The role of vertical transport providers.
• Stagecoach appoints MD for East of England opsStagecoach has named Michelle Hargreaves as permanent Managing Director of its East of England bus operators. She has been in post on an interim basis since December, when former MD Andy Campbell retired.
• Confused mish-mash of urban policies must stopIt will come as scant surprise to read that London is the UK’s most congested city. In Europe, it is second only to Moscow for the amount of time that is wasted in traffic queues.
• Sponsored content: Practical cycle awareness training for drivers from Cycling ScotlandCycling Scotland, funded by Transport Scotland, is the nation’s cycling organisation. Working with others, it helps create and deliver opportunities and an environment so anyone anywhere in Scotland can cycle easily and safely.
• Successful bidders of Ultra-Low Emission Bus funding announcedWinners revealed, with a first for Wales and significant investment for Manchester

Aviation Industry

• EasyJet in talks with Delta, Italian railway firm for Alitalia investmentUK LCC easyJet has confirmed it is in talks with US carrier Delta Air Lines and Italian railway company Ferrovie dello Stato over the possibility of a joint investment in bankrupt Alitalia. read more
• Chinese drone maker upgrades geofencing technology around airportsChinese drone manufacturer DJI is upgrading the geofencing technology in its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to prevent them from flying close to airports across Europe. read more
• Air France trials biometric boarding enhancements Air France expects enhancements to the biometric boarding pass solution it is trialing to soon enable passengers to proceed from baggage drop-off to boarding without having to show passports or identification cards at all. read more
• DOT approves Norwegian Swedish subsidiaryThe US Department of Transportation has approved Norwegian Air Sweden (NSE) to operate flights to and from the US. read more
• Bombardier Commercial delivered 20 CRJs, 15 Q400s in 2018Bombardier Commercial Aircraft delivered 20 CRJs and 15 Q400s in 2018, and deliveries are expected to remain at the 35-aircraft level for 2019. read more

Other News Sources

• UK drink-drive deaths at highest level since 2009Between 240 and 330 people killed in crashes in 2017 with at least one driver over limit