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

Tuesday, 11 June 2019

BBC News

• Wightlink ferry 50% stake sold to Canadian investorAn international investment firm has bought a 50% share in Isle of Wight ferry operator Wightlink. Fiera Infrastructure has acquired the stake for an undisclosed sum from Basalt Infrastructure Partners, which will continue as co-owner.
• Plane flight tax should be devolved to Wales, say MPsMPs reject claims the move could case
• The M4 and us: How motorway defined 'halfway town' BridgendBetween Cardiff and Swansea, the motorway has helped Bridgend grow in the last 40 years.
• More Glasgow and Aberdeen airport strikesUnite members have staged the second of two 12-hour walkouts, but the operators said there was minimum disruption.
• UK economy hit by 'dramatic' fall in car outputCar factory shutdowns designed to cope with disruption from Brexit meant the economy shrank in April.

The Guardian

• Sinkholes force M25 to close as downpours spark more UK flood warningsTwo sinkholes forced the closure of parts of the M25 in both directions overnight, with chaos expected during the morning rush hour after London and parts of south-eastern England were drenched overnight.

The Telegraph

• Richard Branson's American dream ends in 'baffling' disappointment [Subscription]he end of Sir Richard Branson’s dream of cracking the US aviation market was marked with a coat of paint. It was all rather prosaic, with the red livery of a Virgin America Airbus A321neo being replaced with Alaska Airlines’ blue design, complete with the distinctive Inuit on the tail.
• Uber rival Bolt re-launches in London two years after suspension, but has it changed its ways? [Subscription]Taxi-hailing company Bolt will be launching in London later today, after a two-year battle to be allowed to operate in the city.

Times Online

• Virgin Trains fights for survival with cheap fares and no standing [Subscription]Virgin Trains is launching a bid for survival today with plans for a budget rail service where standing in carriages is not allowed.

City AM

• Virgin launches bid to stay in UK railways with plans for open-access serviceVirgin Trains will attempt to stay in Britain’s railways by applying for an open access service on the West Coast mainline to get around the government’s controversial snub of its franchise bid two months ago.

The Mirror

• Eurostar increases Amsterdam services from UK and celebrates in unusual wayEurostar has increased its services to Amsterdam with a third new direct route from London which kicked off today. The high-speed rail service announced earlier this year that it was adding an extra route due to popular demand, with fares starting from £35 each way.

Network Rail

• Station upgrades are important to our efforts to put passengers at the heart of what we do.Such improvements can range from more room for passengers in the station and on platforms to improved railway infrastructure around the station for better journeys.

Birmingham Mail

• Virgin Trains plans rival service through Midlands after losing West Coast franchiseVirgin Trains is bidding to launch a rival rail service between London and Liverpool via the Midlands after it loses its franchise. Fares would be "at least 10% cheaper" than those offered by competitors and passengers would be guaranteed a seat, according to the firm.

Derby Telegraph

• Sir Patrick McLoughlin says the next Prime Minister 'must commit to HS2'Ex-chief whip Sir Patrick McLoughlin says the country's next Prime Minister must back HS2. The former transport secretary said the high-speed railway is of "vital importance" to the UK economy. He made the comments today on a visit to Derby's key rail suppliers including Bombardier.

Liverpool Echo

• Anger over plans to axe hospital bus route in cut-off area where residents feel "trapped"Residents face being "trapped at home" in an area of Merseyside where depleted bus services to the local hospital and other key areas are being reduced again.

Manchester Evening News

• The tiny Manchester ferry you've probably never seen or heard of - it's been carrying folk across the Ship Canal for free for 100 yearsHidden away, down an overgrown path at the back of an ordinary housing estate, is a little-known ferry that has been taking people across the Manchester Ship Canal – free of charge – for more than a century.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Amended HS2 route will see more houses demolished - but the M1 won't have to be movedResidents of Trowell village have been left "devastated" after being told revised plans for the HS2 route through Nottinghamshire could lead to their homes being demolished.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Sheffield pensioner hands in petition calling on Mayor Dan Jarvis to help reinstate direct bus route to MeadowhallA Sheffield pensioner has pleaded with South Yorkshire mayor Dan Jarvis to help in reinstating a cut bus route. Ellen Berry, aged 83 from Cowley Lane, Chapeltown, handed in a petition with 326 handwritten signatures calling for a direct service to serve Meadowhall once again.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• MP Fabricant slams HS2 plan for pylons at BlithfieldHS2 will erect huge pylons to carry power lines across a Staffordshire beauty spot in a move that has been slammed by a Tory MP.

Other Regional Press

• CANADIAN COMPANY BUY 50% OF WIGHTLINK FERRIESFiera Infrastructure Inc., a leading global midmarket direct infrastructure investor, has acquired a 50% equity interest in Wightlink from Basalt Infrastructure Partners LLP.
• Letter: Watford needs more green spaceAnthony Bramley-Harker’s letter entitled new Life for Rail Line (Letters, May 31) is a heart-warming plea for town planning sanity. West Watford is one of the most heavily built-up parts of the town and more green space is much-needed. The old Croxley rail branch has the potential to become a fantastic ‘linear park’.
• ‘Frightening’ Penketh bus route sparks accident fearsA RESIDENT fears someone could be killed because of a ‘frightening’ bus route in Penketh. Resident Hazel Moss, of Withycombe Road, has raised serious concerns over buses, including double deckers, using the road.
• It is time to give more money and power to the northToday ExaminerLive joins forces with rival publishers across the north to call for Britain’s main political parties to commit to a revolution in the way government treats our communities.

New Civil Engineer

• Network Rail seeks contractor for Hope Valley lineNetwork Rail has launched its search for a contractor to carry out major improvement works on the Hope Valley line which will form the “early building blocks” for a wider £1bn of rail improvements across the north.
• Ex-HS2 technical director 'sets record straight' on speedFormer High Speed 2 (HS2) technical director Andrew McNaughton has “set the record straight” on the speed of the line, after growing pressure to reduce the speed in a bid to cut costs on the project.

Rail Technology Magazine

• A train journey on the Midland Main Line 15 years from now.Chris Hobson, director of policy and external affairs at the East Midlands Chamber, talks in detail about what travelling through the region will look like in 2034. A mere 15 years from now, a description of a rail journey from London to Sheffield could include an explanation of how part of the...
• No excuse for derailing station ITMarie Clutterbuck, CMO at Tectrade, discusses the rail sector’s IT vulnerabilities, particularly at stations, and outlines the benefits of zero-day recovery IT architecture. Are you truly a commuter until you’ve reached a mainline station at 6pm on a muggy summer Friday evening and...
• The skills bottleneck: Dealing with growing apprenticeship demandRichard Turner, head of apprenticeships at Network Rail, details the reasons for growing apprenticeship demand in the rail sector over the coming years. The Network Rail Engineering Technician apprenticeship program develops the technicians, team leaders, supervisors, managers, and engineers of...
• Malcolm Holmes on new stations for the black countryMalcolm Holmes, executive director of the West Midlands Rail Executive, described the new stations set to be built for the Black Country region of the Midlands. The last time the residents of Darlaston or Willenhall could board a train on their doorstep was more than 50 years ago. Since 1965...
• Hitachi trains for Happy trainsScotRail project manager Kirsty Devlin discusses the withdrawal of Class 365s, to be replaced with the brand-new Class 385 fleet. While ScotRail awaited delivery of the Hitachi Class 385s last year, we had to replace some older trains which had come to the end of their lease, and ensure capacity...

Aviation Industry

• US House committee set to advance $7.9 billion TSA budgetA $7.9 billion TSA budget that would expedite the procurement of more effective imaging technology in FY2020 appears set for approval by the House Appropriations Committee on June 10, paving the way for a full floor vote in coming weeks. read more
• American extends MAX-related cancellations through Sept. 3American Airlines has removed its 24 737 MAXs from its flight schedules through Sept. 3, becoming the first US operator to formally plan to be without its newest Boeing narrowbodies through August. read more

Other News Sources

• Travelling By Plane? Starbucks Will Give You A Reusable Cup At The AirportIf you’re flying off on your holidays from Gatwick airport this summer and care about your plastics consumption then Starbucks may have a solution for you: it’s launching a reusable cup trial so you can grab that much needed coffee in Departures without having to carry it on board.
• Virgin wants there to be two fast Liverpool to London trains per hour - with everyone guaranteed a seatHere's why the new services would be 'unique' to the UK rail industry
• Crossrail's £240k-a-year commercial director sets up new businessPaul Grammer, listed as employee in 2019 report and accounts, went in April Crossrail has confirmed that its commercial director Paul Grammer has left the firm – despite being listed in TfL’s draft annual report as a current employee.

EIN News Subscription

• UK Opens ePassport Gates to U.S., Canadian TravelersTravel to the UK just got a bit easier: the destination is now allowing citizens of the United States and Canada to use its ePassport gates. Previously, the gates had only been open to people from the UK and European Union.
• Four European cities leading the way in eco-friendly transportEuropean cities are starting to make headway in green technological initiatives and are transforming urban spaces to reduce carbon emissions. But which cities are making a difference and what are they doing to make mobility greener?