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

Monday, 11 March 2019

BBC News

• Businesses urged to 'do more' to win public contractsFirms must help to improve society if they want to win public contracts, the UK government says.
• Boeing: China grounds 737 Max 8 jets after Africa crashThe move comes a day after an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 crash killed all 157 people on board.

The Guardian

• Ethiopian Airlines crash: carriers ground Boeing 737 Max 8 jets in wake of disasterEthiopian Airlines joins China and Cayman Islands in suspending use of the new jets following second tragedy in four months
• Cars are reaching the end of the roadThe decline in the UK of young people taking to the wheel is encouraging, says Bruce Ross-Smith, cars are blighting everything, says Susan Woodford, and David Halley sees an urgent need to get rid of them

The Scotsman

• Union threatens ‘carnage’ for Scotrail passengersScotland’s biggest rail union has threatened a repeat of the “carnage” inflicted on ScotRail last year if it is not offered the same new deal for working on days off as train drivers.

Times Online

• Health chiefs want ban on cars near schools to cut pollution [subscription]Cars should be banned around schools and congestion charges imposed on cities across the country to fight air pollution, public health chiefs will say today.
• Heathrow third runway challenge to say Chris Grayling ignored facts [Subscription]The government faces a court challenge today over a third runway at Heathrow amid warnings that the project will subject millions of people in London and the home counties to higher levels of noise and pollution.
• The Times view on councils and clean air: Live and Breathe [Subscription]Councils must join ministers in fighting the scourge of air pollution
• Ethiopian Airlines crash: Future of new Boeing 737 in balance [Subscription]Airline disasters are now so rare that it was inevitable quick conclusions would be drawn after two new Boeing 737 Max 8s crashed within five months of each other.

City AM

• Sadiq Khan and local councils gear up for Heathrow third runway legal challengeA legal challenge against Heathrow's bid to build the third runway launches today in the High Court.

Liverpool Echo

• All the disused railway stations you could soon catch a train from in our regionStations that have been closed for 100 years could re-open under ambitious rail plans

London Evening Standard

• Stockholm explosion: Driver suffers severe burns after bus bursts into flames in Swedish capitalA natural gas-powered bus that didn't have any passengers on board caught fire from an explosion in Stockholm on Sunday.

Northern Echo

• £20m secured for town centre rail attractions in DarlingtonSIGNIFICANT funding has been secured by a local authority to deliver the region's next major railway attractions.

The York Press

• Still no date for launch of new LNER trainsYORK train operator LNER says it is working to bring its delayed new Azuma trains into service as soon as possible - but it still can’t say when they will be launched.

Lancashire Telegraph

• Northern's train upgrades hit 50 per centRAIL operator Northern has announced it has now refurbished more than half of its trains as its 123rd refurbished carriage set came into service.

Other Regional Press

• Proposed high speed rail test facility could make Leeds a 'global' playerThe plans include an infrastructure test facility where trains would travel at up to 250mph

New Civil Engineer

• NIC launches new infrastructure resilience studyThe National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has launched a new consultation to gather views as part of a new study into the resilience of the UK’s infrastructure network.
• What to expect from Heathrow expansion court caseThose against Heathrow’s third runway will put their case before the High Court over the next two weeks.
• Ousted Crossrail and HS2 chair Sir Terry Morgan bags nuclear roleSir Terry Morgan has been appointed chair of CGN UK’s advisory board, three months after leaving his posts as chairman at High Speed 2 and Crossrail.

Aviation Industry

• Some fast answers needed on second MAX crashIt is not the air transport industry's habit to rush accident investigations, for good reason. But in the case of Sunday's crash of an Ethiopian Boeing 737 MAX 8, there is pressure to get at least some answers as soon as possible.
• Cayman Airways, China's CAAC ground Boeing MAX 8s Cayman Airways pulled its Boeing 737-MAX 8s from service until more is known about the Ethiopian Airlines fatal crash in Addis Ababa earlier in the day ”the second fatal accident involving the aircraft type in less than five months. The Cayman Islands-based carrier's statement came as a Chinese news magazine reported that the country's regulator had ordered its carriers to stop operating MAX 8s for the same reason.

Other News Sources

• £20m Headrow transformation not just about transport and could 'change lives', say backersThe West Yorkshire Combined Authority says the scheme will bring more people into the city centre and boost local businesses
• Scarborough Train Depot On Track To Finish This YearThe train depot in Scarborough is on track to finish this year.