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

Wednesday, 24 April 2019

BBC News

• M48 Severn Bridge to close for toll removalThe bridge will close on Tuesday night and again for 12 hours on Sunday while work is carried out.
• Tesla's Elon Musk expects 'robotaxis' to start in US next yearThe electric carmaker entrepreneur makes a new promise on driverless vehicles.
• Cathay Pacific to crack down on 'pilferage'Mini tubs of Haagen-Dazs, champagne and cutlery are going missing from the airline's planes.

The Guardian

• Virgin Trains calls for airline-style fares and seating for allUnions say proposal is a ‘recipe for chaos’ and a ‘mirror of the deregulated bus market’

The Independent

• Virgin Trains tells passengers they must have reserved seats‘We believe we should import the airline model into the long-distance rail sector,’ says the train operator
• SpaceX explosion: Leaked video appears to show Nasa astronaut capsule explode during safety testA SpaceX craft designed to take Nasa astronauts to the International Space Station appears to have exploded during tests.

The Telegraph

• Grandmother complains after airport expansion means 50 planes a day taxi at end of her gardenGrandmother has complained after an airport expansion means planes now taxi at the end of her garden.

Times Online

• Road upgrades are quietly scrapped as money runs out [subscription]One in ten road building schemes promised as part of the biggest upgrade of the network in a generation could be scrapped for financial reasons.
• Mobile phone jammer to silence antisocial passengers [Subscription]There can be few bigger irritations on public transport than the sound of tinny music blaring out of a mobile phone or a fellow passenger talking loudly into their handset.

Parliament

• Urgent question on the South Eastern rail franchise Sevenoaks MP, Sir Michael Fallon, asked the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, to give an update on the delay in awarding the South Eastern rail franchise.

City AM

• Transport for London redesigns priority Tube seats to help awkward commutersTube seats are getting a redesign to help London's commuters know whether to give up their perch to somebody standing.
• DEBATE: Is Sadiq Khan ultimately responsible for the ongoing delays to Crossrail?Keith Prince, GLA Conservatives’ transport spokesman, says YES. Londoners are all too familiar with this mayor’s penchant for passing the buck and blaming others for his mistakes. But when it comes to the Crossrail project, Sadiq Khan’s attempt to dodge accountability simply won’t wash.

Network Rail

• Significant milestone reached in Midland Main Line UpgradeA significant milestone in the Midland Main Line Upgrade has been reached as a brand new sub-station has been installed along the route.
• Residents and passengers thanked as railway upgrade work completed in South Wales The railway between the Severn Tunnel and Cardiff has reopened and train services between Bristol, Newport and Gloucester have resumed as normal, following the successful completion of a major phase of South Wales Mainline modernisation work.

London Evening Standard

• A first look inside Tottenham Court Road station shows there's still hope for Crossrail From gold ceilings to smart info boards, we have a first look inside Tottenham Court Road to see what’s coming down the line...
• Southern Rail delays: Commuters hit by severe delays between London and Gatwick as they return to workPassengers travelling between central London and Gatwick Airport are being hit by delays and cancellations because of a major signalling fault.
• Oyster card firm investigating how to jam smartphones to enforce quiet zones on Tube and trainsIT could signal the end of anger felt as fellow passengers blab into their mobiles and earphoneless
• Revealed: First look at London Underground makeover for priority seats on Jubilee line trainsPriority seats on the Underground are getting a makeover after research showed a quarter of passengers feel awkward about offering their chair to someone who might need it more.
• TfL chief 'will not quit' over diluted warnings to Mayor on Crossrail fiascoCity Hall today defended London's transport commissioner after he was urged to consider resigning in the wake of the Crossrail fiasco.

Wales Online

• Bus fares are going up in Swansea and this is how you will be affectedYou may have noticed your bus fares have just got a bit more expensive if you travel in and around Swansea , as a new raft of changes have been implemented by First Cymru.

East Anglian Daily Times

• New bus fleet set to serve Stansted as operator deal sealed A national coach company has retained its contract to provide a shuttle service to Stansted airport following a competitive tender process as a new fleet of buses comes on line.

Other Regional Press

• ScotRail's fleet of electric trains roll into GlasgowRAIL links to and from Glasgow have received a boost after it was revealed new electric trains will be used on more city services.
• Carlisle Lake District Airport named as one of 2019's most exciting international openingsWhat do Carlisle, Istanbul, New Orleans and Beijing all have in common?

Construction Enquirer

• Ex-Crossrail chief Wolstenholme wanted more bonus cash Former Crossrail chief executive Andrew Wolstenholme challenged a decision to withhold part of his bonus just months before it was confirmed the project would bust its budget and miss its opening date.

Aviation Industry

• JetBlue confident for year despite Q1 earnings declineNew York-based JetBlue Airways posted a 2019 Q1 net income of $42 million, down 54% from the $90 million posted a year ago, but operating revenue was up 6.7% to $1.9 billion. The company, posting its first-quarter results April 23, said it was confident of seeing a unit-revenue
• Hong Kong Airlines directors slapped with injunctionIn an ongoing battle to gain control of Hong Kong Airlines, four of its board members have been served with a court order preventing them from making business related-decisions on the airline. read more
• EASA certifies landing alert system for A320 familyEASA has certified a new altitude monitoring function on Airbus A320-series airliners, according to NAVBLUE, Airbus’ flight operations and air traffic management subsidiary. read more

Other News Sources

• Passengers warned to plan ahead for 9-day train line closure over bank holidayTRAIN passengers are being reminded to plan ahead for a nine-day line closure over the second May Day bank holiday.
• £200m East Yorkshire rail manufacturing facility to create up to 700 jobs Rail transit company Siemens Mobility has officially submitted an application for a rail manufacturing facility to be built in East Yorkshire.
• National Express is flying high at London Stansted Airport - Essex-TVNational Express has been successful in retaining its contract to run air-side and land-side shuttle bus services for the transfer of passengers, staff and crew at London Stansted airport.
• Drivers using Slough bus lanes will be hit by £60 finesDrivers using bus lanes in Slough are set to be hit by fines of £60 in a bid to speed up bus journeys across the town.