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

Saturday, 23 February 2019

BBC News

• UK tram safety body gets £1.5m fundingThe Department for Transport (DfT) has announced £1.5m funding for a dedicated safety board for trams across the UK.
• Luton Airport to build second terminal in expansion driveA fast-growing airport has revealed plans to build a second terminal as part of an ambitious expansion scheme.
• Virgin pilot is first Scot in spaceScottish pilot Dave Mackay pushes Virgin Galactic's rocket plane faster and higher than it's ever been.
• Car industry: What's behind recent closures?Car manufacturers have recently announced job cuts in the UK.
• Flybe signs Virgin deal despite criticismAirline agrees £2.8m deal with a Virgin Atlantic-led group despite shareholder opposition.
• BMW and Daimler invest €1bn in new car ventureThe German carmakers combine to develop next-generation pay-per-use and autonomous services.

ITV News

• MP meets rail bosses to discuss Easter Lakes Line closureA Cumbrian MP will meet rail bosses today to discuss serious concerns about the closure of the Lakes Line, between Oxenholme and Windermere, over the Easter holidays.

The Guardian

• Life cycle: is it the end for Britain's dockless bike schemes?Three major cycle-sharing companies have pulled out of Britain’s cities in just over a year. Can the schemes ever be sustainable?
• UK driving licences will not be valid in Ireland under no-deal BrexitBritish licence holders living in Ireland would need to get Irish licences before 29 March

The Independent

• The reason why some airports are cheaper to fly from than othersThe only way is Birmingham... or is it?

The Telegraph

• Time to reform the broken compensation system for delayed flights [Subscription]rom time to time, 
well-meaning regulations intended to protect consumers have perverse consequences. A case in point is the regime put in place by the European Commission to compensate airline passengers whose flights are delayed.
• Can a hydrogen fuel-cell car master the 1,000-Mile Trial? [Subscription]Telegraph Cars puts the cutting-edge Hyundai Nexo to the sternest test so far of the technology that supplies electricity without the need for heavy battery packs – at the same time, following in the wheel tracks of the earliest pioneering motorists to prove its feasibility

Times Online

• End of road for cars as capital goes greenTantalising visions of Edinburgh have been conjured up for its councillors, offering a city centre free of cars and a tram system running down to the sea.
• Fear of mile-long Eurostar queues after no-deal Brexit [subscription]Queues for the Eurostar at St Pancras International could reach a mile long in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to a leaked government report.
• German’s BMW and rival Daimler aim to electrify car market [subscription]A German competitor to the likes of Uber and Zipcar is being engineered by BMW and its great rival Daimler, the company behind Mercedes-Benz.

Parliament

• Rail executives give evidence on the economic case for HS2 The Economic Affairs Committee continues its follow up work on HS2, examining the transport needs in the Midlands and the North of England. Tuesday 26 February in Committee Room 1, Palace of Westminster

Reuters News

• EU could cut funds to Italy-France rail link by end of March - officialBRUSSELS (Reuters) - A high-speed rail link project between Italy and France could lose up to 300 million euros ($340 million) of European Union funds if tenders are not launched by the end of March, an EU official said.

City AM

• Government report warns of Eurostar chaos in no-deal Brexit scenarioEurostar train services could face heavy disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit, with a government report indicating that queues could reach up to 15,000 passengers each day.

The Mirror

• No deal Brexit could cause Eurostar chaos with queues of 15,000 passengers a DAYA no deal Brexit scenario could mean Eurostar passengers face huge queues at London St Pancras International

Network Rail

• Final 100mph speed checks on newly electrified Manchester to Preston railwayA test train along the newly electrified railway between Manchester and Preston made its final journey overnight to complete checks for the arrival of 100mph services later this year.
• 180-year-old platform stone revived at Liverpool Lime Street to celebrate station’s pastThe 19th century Yorkstone, which originally came from a local quarry more than 180 years ago, was recovered during Lime Street’s £140m upgrade between 2016 and 2018.
• £4.5 million overhaul of Tring station starts next month to provide step-free access for everyoneWork will start next month to install new lifts, ramps and a footbridge at Tring station to ensure step-free access across all five platforms for the first time.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Mirfield “to get new station”Rail campaigners calling for improvements in Mirfield have been promised a new station.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Edinburgh Council ‘can’t justify’ waiting for tram inquiry findingsThe Capital’s transport chief believes the council can’t justify waiting for findings of the tram inquiry before pressing ahead with extending the line – amid the city’s expected population explosion.

London Evening Standard

• Jamie Oliver: TfL's junk food ad ban is a leap forward for childrenSadiq Khan's decision to restrict junk- food advertising across the entire TfL network is groundbreaking, brave and incredibly exciting. It's a brilliant long-term move that will have a lasting legacy for our kids and their health.

North Wales Live

• British Airways reveals retro Airbus A319 liveryBritish Airways has announced the second design as part of the airline's centenary celebrations

Other Regional Press

• Shropshire councillor in Wem hopes Network Rail meeting will lead to changesA Wem Shropshire councillor believes a meeting held by Network Rail last week will prove to be a worthwhile exercise.
• MP requests meeting with minister over HS2 Golborne linkMP Faisal Rashid has requested a meeting with a transport minister following concerns over HS2’s Golborne link and its ‘flawed’ business case.
• Council reveals new terminal plan for Luton airport Luton Council’s airport company London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL) has today published its preferred option for the growth of the UK’s fifth largest and fastest growing major airport.
• Councillors express relief at decision not to cut use of disabled bus passesCouncillors have expressed relief at the council’s decision not to go ahead with cuts to access passes for the disabled.
• No competition to blame for Arriva axing bus routes says Llay councillorCOUNCILLORS say a bus company's lack of competition is the reason why they continue to cut vital routes and services.

Railnews

• Final test train runs on electrified Preston lineA TEST train made its final journey along the newly-electrified line between Manchester, Bolton and Preston early today, boosting hopes that the delayed project could soon be completed to full specification at last.

Aviation Industry

• Russia allows carriers to use electronic boarding passesRussian airlines will be permitted to issue electronic boarding passes now that a Ministry of Transport decree has come into force, the authority said Feb. 19. read more
• New electronic aircraft records transfer spec lauded Architects of a new standard for electronic aircraft records transfers are confident their work will yield the first real-world paperless transactions in 2019—a key milestone in a years-long effort to simplify aircraft-ownership transfers by cutting down on paper and connecting disparate back-end systems. read more
• Flybe takeover deal finalized; continues normal operationsThe deal to take over UK regional airline Flybe by a Virgin Atlantic-led consortium has completed, the Exeter-based airline said Feb. 22. read more
• Airbus opens innovation center in ChinaAirbus officially opened its first innovation center in Shenzhen China on Feb. 21. read more

Other News Sources

• Reopen rail lines to reconnect Scotland say Lib DemsScottish Liberal Democrats have called for disused rail lines to be brought back into use and new stations opened in towns denied access to the network.
• ANDREW ADONIS: Rail disaster will be nextAfter Honda’s decision to close its Swindon car plant, the former transport secretary says the rail industry will follow.
• Stations skipped most often by ScotRail trains revealedThe statistics, obtained from the Scottish Government by the Scottish Greens, cover the period January 7 2018 to January 5 this year and show 2,131 incidences of stop-skipping.
• Bombardier and Akiem unveil TRAXX DC locomotive in PolandBombardier Transportation, along with Akiem, has unveiled the TRAXX DC3 locomotive in Poland.
• Ebbw Vale train frequency feasibility study re-startsA feasibility study into increasing the frequency of trains from Ebbw Vale to Cardiff has been re-opened by economy and transport minister Ken Skates.
• £3 Billion Heathrow must make contractors pay living wageGMB, the union for Heathrow staff, has urged Heathrow Airport to force contractors to pay the living wage after the airport announced a whopping £3 billion revenue.