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

Tuesday, 19 February 2019

BBC News

• Rail customers 'unable to collect pre-paid tickets'Several rail firms are reporting problems with pre-paid ticket collection from machines across the country.
• Honda set to close Swindon car plantHonda is set to announce the closure of its Swindon car plant in 2022, with the loss of about 3,500 jobs.
• Brighton Main Line improvement work 'going well' amid closureWork to "improve reliability" on one of the busiest railway routes in the South East is going "well" amid a nine-day closure, according to rail bosses.
• South Western Railway: RMT suspends strikes after talksThe RMT said there had been a breakthrough in the row, following strikes over Christmas and New Year.
• Flybmi won't be the last airline failure, say analystsThe airline's collapse follows a string of European failures as a perfect storm hits the industry.
• Honda set to close Swindon car plantThe carmaker is set to announce the closure of its Swindon plant in 2022, jeopardising 3,500 jobs, sources say.

ITV News

• Vodafone begins 5G trial at Manchester AirportVodafone has started a trial of 5G mobile technology at Manchester Airport in the latest test of the next-generation communications network.

The Guardian

• Honda confirms Swindon factory closure – business liveCarmakers generally have a five- to seven-year investment cycle for production of each model, but Howells said the decision on what to do in Swindon had “collided with this change to electrification”.
• Once-in-a-generation rail fare reform? More like Ryanair on steroidsThe latest attempt to simplify our crazily complex rail ticketing system, hailed as a “once in a generation reform” is nothing of the sort. It is tinkering at the margins, which will result in some passengers being a little better off, a few a little worse off and Britain’s railway system still egregiously expensive and unfit for purpose.

The Herald

• Rail's green credentials have been forgotten in the ongoing climate change debateIT was good to see the initiative shown by so many young people on Friday demanding more environmentally friendly policies to help prevent disastrous climate change ("Children of the revolution in protests over climate crisis", The Herald, February 16). It is also good to see that there will be a debate in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday entitled Delivering Sustainable and Renewable Transportation for Scotland.

The Scotsman

• David Spaven: Packaging passengers and small freight will benefit rural rail and hauliersUntil the 1980s, a regular ­feature of Highland ­railway operation – on the Kyle and Mallaig lines in particular – was ‘mixed trains’, where the locomotive hauled both passenger coaches and freight wagons in a single trainload.

The Telegraph

• Ford launches on-demand parcel delivery service in London [Subscription]Ford is to launch a new push into on-demand parcel deliveries in a deal with London-based electric van start-up Gnewt.
• These are tough times for European airlines – we must protect passengers from the next failure [Subscription]Back in October the chief executive of EasyJet, Johan Lundgren, predicted that high oil prices would lead to the collapse of more scheduled airlines.

Times Online

• Selling Heathrow’s slots at auctions ‘will push up fares’ [Subscription]Ministers are considering auctioning take-off and landing slots at an expanded Heathrow, despite warnings that such a move would inflate costs for airlines and passengers.

City AM

• MPs hit out at Department for Transport over delayed response to May timetable chaos reviewMPs have hit out at the government for its delay in responding to a report into last year's May timetable chaos, which found that transport secretary Chris Grayling could have done more to avert the troubles.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Leeds Bradford Airport road and parkway rail station plans 'vital' for YorkshireMORE details have been revealed about proposed road and rail improvements to transform journeys to Leeds Bradford Airport have been revealed.

London Evening Standard

• Rail bosses suggest weekly pay-as-you-go cap for London commutersCommuters into London could have a weekly pay-as-you-go cap on their journeys and cheaper off-peak fares for leisure trips, under radical new proposals by rail bosses.
• South Western Railway strike action suspended after 'significant breakthrough' in guard disputeThree planned strikes by workers on South Western Railway have been suspended, the RMT union announced on Monday.
• Heathrow fire: 200 guests evacuated after blaze breaks out at sauna in hotel near airportAround 200 guests were evacuated after a fire broke out at a hotel near Heathrow Airport.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Train line between Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Nottingham could be reopenedA report into how the Maid Marian line could be reopened to passenger trains is set to be carried out.

Wales Online

• Trains to London from south Wales are going to get quicker and more frequentThe benefits of electrification look set to kick in from December this year when one train an hour from Swansea and Cardiff will take 15 minutes less to get to London
• Cardiff Airport boss dismisses plans to extend runwayAn environmental group has expressed concerns about the possibility of aircraft flying 100ft lower over Bridgend, Llanblethian and Cowbridge

Other Regional Press

• Full Council cancelled over ferry funding issueORKNEY Islands Council has cancelled the meeting due to take place this week where councillors would have set the authority’s budget for the financial year ahead.
• Six closed Glasgow train stations that should be reopened to the publicWith debate surfacing last year over the possibility of reopening Finnieston Railway Station, we look at what other stations could be brought back in to use
• Network Rail announces Exeter and Torquay drop-in events to update on South West rail resilience progressNetwork Rail has announced community drop-in sessions in Exeter and Torquay to update local communities on ongoing work to improve resilience of the stretch of railway that connects the South West with the rest of the country.
• Third river crossing, rail improvements and A47 dualling on table for Great Yarmouth transport visionProjects including a third river crossing, railway improvements and dualling the A47 Acle Straight are on the table as part of discussions over the future of Great Yarmouth transport.
• Northern plans to replace pacer trains by end of 2019 - but it's not guaranteedTrain operator says it has a 'robust plan' to remove pacers in West Yorkshire but stops short of guarantee

Construction Enquirer

• Amey Rail appoints former Carillion MD as new chiefFormer Carillion Rail managing director Andy Joy has been appointed to head Amey’s Rail business.

New Civil Engineer

• Route picked for £1.4bn section of Oxford to Cambridge expresswayHighways England has revealed the preferred route for a new 16km dual carriageway, which will form part of the Oxford to Cambridge expressway.
• Government warned of Brexit no-deal impact on project costsThe Construction Leadership Council (CLC) chair Andy Mitchell has issued a veiled warning to government that a no-deal Brexit could send project costs soaring.
• Final green light for Network Rail £35bn CP6 planNetwork Rail has given the green light for its £35bn funding package and spending plan for control period 6 (CP6), which will run for the next five years to 2024.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Scheme to double train capacity on West Norfolk line awarded fundingThe capacity on West Norfolk’s trains is set to double after funding for an extension of trains running between Lynn and Cambridge has been given government approval. Political and business leaders have been calling for eight-coach trains on the Fen Line following complaints over major...
• Rail industry proposes ending peak-tickets in 'radical' overhaul of rail fares Train operators have called for a major reform of the rail fare system which would scrap peak and off-peak ticket pricing and support the rollout of ‘tap-in, tap-out’ travel nationwide. The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) called its proposals a “once-in-a-generation” reform of...
• 40-year-old Pacer trains in East Lancashire gone by end of the year, assures NorthernNorthern has assured passengers that it will replace all of its 40-year-old Pacer trains on the East Lancashire line by the end of year. Concerns were raised at a meeting of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and passengers have expressed doubts over the planned timetable, with the...
• ScotRail expands new Hitachi electric trains to Glasgow routesScotRail’s new Hitachi electric trains are to be rolled out across Glasgow as the operator extends its £475m investment into rolling stock in the wake of its second improvement notice in two months from the government. The new class 385 electric trains were launched at the end of...

The Business Desk

• First Bus announces sale of its Manchester operation for £11mBus operator First has announced it is selling its Manchester operation for £11.2m. The transport giant, which has its headquarters in Scotland, has sold the business to the Go-Ahead group.

Other News Sources

• Heathrow Airport begins review of consumer PR rosterEurope’s busiest airport is inviting agencies to express an interest as part of a full tender review, which is due to be completed in May. The first stage of applications close on Thursday 28 February.
• Shropshire urged to capitalise on HS2SHROPSHIRE needs to do all it can to capitalise on the government’s HS2 rail plans.
• Rail depot ‘should be brought under public control’Union leaders have called on the Scottish Government to take the threatened Gemini Rail Services depot in Springburn into public ownership.