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

Tuesday, 12 March 2019

BBC News

• 'Things will get better' at Belfast International AirportGraham Keddie, the managing director of Belfast International Airport, says things will improve after delays on Monday caused dozens of passengers to miss flights.
• Heathrow third runway 'will be like a new airport'The case against expansion is being brought against the transport secretary at the High Court.
• Tesla to raise prices and keep more stores openThe electric carmaker says prices will rise by 3% and reverses a decision to close stores.
• Boeing: Airlines ground 737 Max 8 jets after latest crashThe move comes a day after an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 crash killed all 157 people on board.
• Ethiopian Airlines crash: FAA says Boeing 737 Max 8 is airworthyAviation officials resist calls to ground the model involved in Sunday's Ethiopian Airlines crash.
• Boeing 737: Singapore bars entry and exit of 737 Max planesThe decision comes in light of two fatal accidents involving a Boeing Max 8 in less than five months.
• Power failure is causing severe rail delays in the East Midlands.No trains ran through Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and the surrounding areas from about 17:00 GMT due to a control centre power loss in Derby.

The Guardian

• Judicial review of Heathrow airport third runway decision beginsHigh court to hear five challenges to plans for UK’s biggest aviation hub

The Independent

• Bank holiday travel: Thousands of rail passengers face disruption over Easter weekendPassengers warned to check for changes before setting out

The Telegraph

• Ryanair gags UK investors to keep planes flying after no-deal Brexit [subscription]yanair will gag British investors in the event of a no-deal Brexit in a bid to keep its aircraft flying.
• Euston works step up a gear as HS2 Ltd signs Construction Partner contractHS2 Ltd and a Mace/Dragados team today signed contracts to deliver the high speed rail project’s landmark terminus at London Euston.
• Eurostar announces delays and cancellations in Paris as French customs officials strike over Brexit Eurostar passengers from Paris to London are facing cancellations and delays of up to two hours due to a strike by French customs workers over what they warn is a lack of preparedness for Brexit.

Times Online

• Heathrow extension ‘will be the size of another Gatwick’ [subscription]Plans to expand Heathrow would in effect create a new airport the size of Gatwick on the edge of London, subjecting households to “severe” noise and pollution, the High Court was told yesterday.
• Rail union threatens carnage if members denied drivers’ deal [subscription]A rail union has warned it will cause “carnage” if its members do not get the same benefits as train drivers.

City AM

• Siemens commits to building Goole factory 'whatever the Brexit outcome'Industrial giant Siemens has confirmed its commitment to building a factory in Goole, east Yorkshire, despite jitters in the manufacturing sector over Brexit.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Public meeting for bus passengers to be heldBUS passengers are being invited to flag up concerns about local services at a public meeting in Otley. MP Alex Sobel (Lab, Leeds North West) has organised the Thursday, April 4 event as a follow-up to a meeting that was held in Headingley in February. Like the earlier event, the Otley meeting will be attended by representatives from bus company First.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Edinburgh commuters ‘crammed in to toilets’ on overcrowded trainTRAIN cancellations and missing carriages left an Edinburgh commuter service so overcrowded fuming passengers were forced to stand crammed into toilets.

London Evening Standard

• Thefts on Tube up 25% with 12 pickpocket victims each dayThefts on the London Underground have risen by 25 per cent in a year with an average of 12 passengers a day having their belongings stolen, new figures show.
• Protest outside Transport for London HQ over bid to move Victoria coach station to BayswaterCampaigners opposed to a proposed relocation of Victoria Coach Station to Bayswater will protest outside Transport for London's headquarters this week.
• Could a car ban at schools reduce air pollution? Public Health England suggests banning idling vehicles around childrenCars should not be allowed to idle with engines on when parked near schools, a report has recommended.
• Heathrow expansion would have 'severe' consequences for Londoners, court hearsControversial plans to expand Heathrow would have

Other Regional Press

• Campaigners reveal how bid to reopen King’s Lynn to Hunstanton railway is progressingCampaigners are set to reveal how their bid to reopen the railway line between King’s Lynn and Hunstanton is progressing.
• Look inside the new Hull Trains hitting the tracks this NovemberHull Trains gave passengers a glimpse into the future last Friday when one of its new Hitachi 802 trains arrived into Paragon Station.
• Direct “peak time” service between Wrexham and Liverpool starting in MayA new direct train service between Wrexham and Liverpool will start this spring.
• New trains for Carlisle to Newcastle lineNORTHERN has unveiled the first of its fully refurbished trains to run on the Carlisle to Newcastle line.
• How will Wrexham communities survive as bus services are lost?As parts of Wrexham are set to see bus service alterations and losses, Leader reporter Rory Sheehan spent a morning in Hightown to meet those who will be most affected by the changes...
• Stagecoach boss gets behind wheel as bus firm demands all hands on double deckers for Cheltenham Festival weekStagecoach managing director Rupert Cox will be getting behind the wheel of a bus this week as the company jumps over numerous hurdles to ensure tens of thousands of punters can get to the Cheltenham Festival.
• Preston Bus say they may still boycott Preston Bus Station over new chargesLancashire County Council had been meeting with operators to discuss changes to how the grade-II listed building is used
• First Bus chief says recruiting enough drivers is a 'huge problem'The region's largest public transport service is having a “huge problem” recruiting more drivers, according to First West of England’s top chief.

Rail Advent

• Blue plaque marks completion of upgrades at Berwick-upon-Tweed London North Eastern Railway has announced that an Official Blue Heritage plaque has been unveiled at Berwick, detailing the history of the station

Rail Technology Magazine

• LNER trains for East Coast Main Line given approval to enter passenger servicesNew LNER rolling stock for the East Coast Main Line (ECML) has received approval for its Class 800 Azuma trains to enter passenger service. The ORR has authorised the operation of the Class 800/1 nine-car trainsets and the Class 800/2 five-car bi-mode units, which were originally due to enter...
• Rail minister gives boost to Hull-Manchester Airport direct rail linkRail minister Andrew Jones has pledged to look at the options for a direct train service from Hull to Manchester Airport. Jones told MPs and business leaders that he would take a strategic look into a direct service, and into a rail link between northern Lincolnshire and London. Hull North MP...
• Mace and Dragados sign £1.3bn HS2 contract to construct Euston stationMace and Dragados has signed a £1.3bn contract with HS2 over the construction of Euston station, ending speculation of a legal challenge from rival bidders who lost out on the contract. The announcement comes just over a month after HS2 revealed the construction teams that had won the...

Railway Gazette

• LNER Azuma Class 800 authorised for passenger serviceUK: InterCity East Coast operator LNER has finally received approval for its Class 800 ‘Azuma’ trainsets to enter passenger service on the East Coast Main Line, subject to the completion of final testing.

Aviation Industry

• French airlines: Government plans to improve competitiveness not enoughGovernment proposals to improve competitiveness in the French air transport sector do not go far enough, the FNAM industry body representing French airlines said March 11. read more
• European airline CEOs anticipate more airline failuresThe CEOs of some of Europe’s largest airlines—easyJet, International Airlines Group (IAG), KLM, Lufthansa and Ryanair—are all anticipating further airline failures, despite reasonably positive market conditions. read more
• Lufthansa Aviation Training sees strong FFS demand Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT) continues to see strong demand for full-flight simulator (FFS)-based pilot training, even though the industry is in its ninth consecutive year of growth. read more
• Some MAX 8s grounded as Ethiopian crash investigation continuesConcern that two crashes involving new Boeing 737 MAX 8s in less than five months may be linked has led operators and regulators to ground about a third of the in-service fleet while investigators work to either connect the two accidents or calm fears. read more
• Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 crash probe eyes Lion Air tiesThe crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 near Addis Ababa March 10 has triggered voluntary groundings of in-service MAX-family aircraft even as investigators only begin their work, as concerns over possible links to last October 2018’s Lion Air MAX 8 crash mount, despite evidence of any clear links between the two crashes. read more
• White House asks for $17.1 billion to fund FAA in FY2020The Trump administration is requesting $17.1 billion to fund the FAA in FY2020, down from the roughly $17.5 billion appropriated for the agency in 2019, according to the White House’s budget request released March 11. read more

Other News Sources

• MP opposes airport expansion in response to public consultationChelsea and Fulham MP Greg Hands has published his response to Heathrow's consultation on Airspace and Future Operations which closed on 4 March.
• London City Airport has a bright new look! Things are getting a whole lot brighter in London's docklands today as the small but perfectly formed London City Airport unveiled a bright and bold new brand identity which its hopes will reflect a more dynamic, vibrant and contemporary look which is synonymous with the modern London it serves.