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

Monday, 18 February 2019

BBC News

• Peak rail fares could go under rail price shake-upTraditional peak and off-peak rail fares face the axe under sweeping changes being proposed for the UK's train ticketing system.
• Cardiff Airport assurances over runway extension fearsExtension is not our intention despite inclusion in our masterplan, says airport boss.
• Aberdeen bypass to fully open on Tuesday morningThe project team say the final section of the road should be available before the morning rush-hour.
• Flybmi: City of Derry Airport urgently seeks new airlinePassengers are left stranded as Flybmi, which operated the route, files for administration.
• Train operators call for fare shakeupTap-in, tap-out fares could be expanded beyond London, according to plans drawn up by rail operators.

ITV News

• Plans to overhaul rail fares system could end split ticketingProposals for a sweeping overhaul of rail ticketing in Britain aim to stop passengers having to buy split tickets to get the cheapest fares for some journeys.

The Guardian

• Rail industry proposes best fare guarantee in pricing overhaulOther suggestions include part-time season tickets and smartphone-based ticketing
• Health and rail plans sidelined ahead of Brexit deadlineCivil servants working on vital health, education and transport policies are redeployed to deal with farming and fishing

The Independent

• Rail tickets: Train firms call for ‘easier fares for all’“Easier Fares for All”: that is the call from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), representing train operators and Network Rail. The group want “tap-in, tap-out” pay-as-you-go systems with built-in fare caps, similar to London’s Oyster card, rolled out across the country.

The Scotsman

• ScotRail begs train drivers to come out of retirementScotRail is so short of train drivers it is trying to persuade retired staff to return to the cab, Scotland on Sunday can reveal

The Telegraph

• Forget HS2 and invest in local rail [subscription]At Westminster, Brexit remains on a knife-edge. The US and China are locked in a tense trade negotiation, upon which the global growth outlook depends. The UK economy slowed during the final quarter of 2018 – but France and Germany slowed even more.
• Cheaper travel for rail passengers signalled as train firms plan end of the line for split rail tickets [Subscription]assengers may no longer have to buy split tickets to get the cheapest fares for some journeys under an overhaul proposed by the rail companies.

Times Online

• Airlines face new rules after Flybmi tourists stranded [Subscription]Rules governing airline failures may be overhauled after hundreds of passengers were left stranded by the sudden collapse of Flybmi.
• End of the line for peak fares in rail price shake-up [Subscription]Traditional peak-time rail fares face the axe under the biggest reform of the ticketing system in more than 20 years.

Network Rail

• Rail services resume as multimillion-pound project to railway in Derbyshire successfully completedNetwork Rail has successfully completed a £13million pound investment into the railway in the Derwent Valley area – with all services between Derby and Matlock resuming on schedule.

Bristol Live

• Bristol MP candidate warns a no-deal Brexit could ground further flights at Bristol Airport"Flybmi is yet another Brexit casualty" said the Lib Dem candidate

Yorkshire Evening Post

• New images released in latest phase of Leeds Bradford Airport rail and road links planningYorkshire was today given a tantalising glimpse of what the future could hold for people making journeys by rail and road to the county’s biggest airport.

Other Regional Press

• Rail boss refuses to guarantee train improvement on Calderdale linesThe leader of Calderdale Council has quizzed rail bosses on whether they will make good on their promise to scrap 'pacer' trains by the end of this year.
• Derry City & Strabane District Council is to write to the Department for Infrastructure demanding better rail links.At its Environment & Regeneration Committee meeting on Wednesday several councillors said they were in receipt of correspondence from Into the West demanding improved investment.
• YouTube now available on Oxford bus and X90 wi-fiBUS passengers in Oxford can now watch YouTube using on-board wi-fi for the first time.
• Bus drivers incorrectly paid below London Living Wage feel 'misled' and 'cheated'Bus drivers paid below the London Living Wage have spoken out about how they feel “misled” and “cheated”.
• Anglesey Council is proposing to stop the 43/47 service which connects estates in Menai Bridge and Llanfairpwll with the mainlandDECISION makers have been urged to reconsider the scrapping of a vital bus link for communities in eastern Anglesey.

New Civil Engineer

• Crossrail refuses to reveal contractor paymentsCrossrail Ltd has refused to say how much it has paid its design and construction contractors for fear that doing so would “drive up the final cost” of the project with contractors potentially demanding even more money.
• Arora sets out plans for rival Heathrow expansion bidArora Group has submitted a scoping document to the Department for Transport setting out plans to expand Heathrow airport.

Railway Gazette

• Commission adopts 'no-deal' Brexit contingency measures for railEUROPE: The European Commission has adopted proposals designed to help avoid major disruption to cross-border rail services between the UK and the European Union in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit. The Commission is working with the European Parliament and Council to ensure the legislative measures can be in force ready for when the UK is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29/30.

Aviation Industry

• UK regional flybmi suspends operationsUK regional carrier flybmi announced on Feb. 16 that it has suspended operations and is filing for administration. read more

Other News Sources

• Merseytravel’s Walrus smartcard will now cover rail season ticketsMove is the latest step towards the creation of a new smart and contactless ticketing system, which can be used across the Liverpool City Region transport network. Tony McDonough reports
• Weymouth's Bluebird Coaches shortlisted for awardA FAMILY-run Weymouth coach company is in the running for a national award to recognise the country's best operators.
• A NEW report is recommending that the New Forest gets a new railway line from Brockenhurst to Ringwood and that the government considers re-opening stations closed under the ‘Beeching Axe’.TRANSPORT bosses at County Hall hope to eventually construct a second footpath linking Northport to central Wareham, in a bid to ease any railway pedestrian crossing issues in the Purbeck town.
• Essex bus consultation: What you need to knowHere’s a confession. As a driver, I take my car for granted. However, many people without cars rely solely on public transport. They have no other option when bus or trains are cancelled.