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

Monday, 17 June 2019

BBC News

• Extinction Rebellion postpone Heathrow drone protestExtinction Rebellion threatened to shut down the airport in a protest against its planned expansion.
• South Western Railway strike set to hit Royal AscotThe RMT is planning a five-day strike in a row with South Western Railway over guards on trains.
• 'Pilots were not to blame for 737 crash'The boss of Ethiopian Airlines has rejected the idea his pilots were at fault in 737 Max crash.

The Guardian

• Andy Burnham calls for bus fare subsidies in north to match LondonManchester mayor says there will no northern powerhouse without transport investment
• Heathrow's planes over Richmond Park would 'damage mental health'Locals who use park to boost their wellbeing face up to 47 low-flying aircraft an hour under plan. A psychologist who treats patients experiencing stress and anxiety with a dose of nature in Richmond Park says the expansion of Heathrow airport will be detrimental to mental health.
• Left in a siding: the rail link that could make Heathrow greenerAirport and Department for Transport fight shy of backing new line from Staines that would slash car usage. ife is easy for the toads and bats of Staines-upon-Thames: the disused railway line has formed a woodland corridor that runs north towards Heathrow. Terminal 5 is just a mile or so further on as the bat flies. But to reach it from Staines station would take a hapless rail passenger almost two hours via three trains.
• Painted bike lanes are waste of money, say cycling commissionersEnglish councils urged to follow Scotland in spending money from traffic fines on road safety. The government has wasted hundreds of millions of pounds painting pointless white lines on busy roads and calling them cycle lanes, according to Britain’s cycling and walking commissioners.
• Rail strike over guards to disrupt services in south-west EnglandRail services on some of the busiest routes in England face disruption this week because of a five-day strike in the long-running dispute over guards on trains.
• The depressing lesson of west London's lost cycle routeKensington and Chelsea council has blocked a flagship plan after a campaign based largely on myths
• Rail union in push for more female and BAME train driversJust 6.5% of drivers in England, Wales and Scotland are women, and 8% are an ethnic minority, says Aslef

The Herald

• Misguided decision over Prestwick Airport is now coming home to roostIT was as far back as December 2013, that you published a letter headed "Airport dinosaur." Since then every year has produced correspondence with headlines such as "Report on viability of Prestwick to be kept confidential" or "Airport flight of fancy is never going to take off."

The Scotsman

• Scottish Government is considering plans to electrify the Borders RailwayElectrification of the Borders Railway to cut journey times is being considered by the Scottish Government, The Scotsman has learned. The upgrade is also thought likely to improve reliability and could enable more frequent trains on the Edinburgh-Tweedbank line.

The Telegraph

• Train strikes to disrupt thousands of rail commuters as union declares five-day walkout over guards rowfive-day rail strike threatens to disrupt journeys for hundreds of thousands of commuters from tomorrow as workers walk out in a long-running dispute over the role of train guards.

Times Online

• ‘Substandard’ cycle lanes put riders in more danger [Subscription]Hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money is being wasted on “substandard” bicycle lanes that make cycling more dangerous, the government has been told.
• Goldman Sachs among trio showing interest in Arriva [subscription]Three international investors have lined up in the £3 billion bidding for Arriva, the transport company best known for running Chiltern Railways, Northern and the Cross Country franchised train services around Britain.
• Serco turned down twice in merger approach to BabcockSerco is on the prowl to consolidate the government contracting and privatised public services market after it emerged that it has twice been rebuffed in attempts to merge with Babcock, the Ministry of Defence operator.
• Cross-border deal aims to generate 6,600 new jobs [Subscription]... Transport projects are cited as a key area of collaboration, such as extending the Borders rail line to Carlisle, concessionary bus travel on either side of the border or upgrading roads.
• Welcome to LA and the world’s worst airport [subscription]Passengers flying out of Los Angeles International Airport often experience a feeling of transcendent calm as their plane soars over the glistening Pacific Ocean before setting course for its destination.

City AM

• Kier suspends dividend and unveils plan to cut 1,200 jobs and non-core businessesStruggling construction firm Kier has revealed plans to cut 1,200 jobs and strip back its non-core businesses.

London Evening Standard

• Extinction Rebellion Heathrow shutdown: Campaign group calls off 10-day drone protest at airportExtinction Rebellion has called off plans to shut down Heathrow Airport with a wave of protests during the peak holiday season.

Wales Online

• New rail company wants to run trains between Cardiff and London and you'll get a discount if you can't find a seatGrand Union Trains has submitted an application to operate an hourly service between Cardiff and London

Hull Daily Mail

• The reasons behind the numbers for Hull bus routesStagecoach and East Yorkshire buses have revealed how they number their bus routes

Lancashire Telegraph

• New single-deckers for Blackburn bus routeNEW single-deckers are set to hit the streets for one of Blackburn’s best-used bus routes. Bosses at Transdev say 12 new buses are on order for the number one service, which runs between Blackburn, Darwen and Bolton.

Other Regional Press

• Cardiff bus to hold hourly service to Penarth on weekendsCARDIFF Bus has unveiled its summer service plans, launching later this month.
• Developers should have to pay for rail study say campaignersDevelopers should foot the bill for a new report examining the economic benefits of re-opening the Stratford to Honeybourne railway line, according to the Shakespeare Line Promotion Group (SLPG).

New Civil Engineer

• Natural bridges inspire living structures designResearch is being carried out in to the natural bridges in India to see how they can inspire and inform how living structures can be introduced in towns and cities around the world.
• Glasgow airport put up for saleGlasgow Prestwick Airport is being listed for sale, as the Scottish Government seeks to return it to the private sector.
• Heathrow western rail access scheme takes step forwardThe western rail access into Heathrow Airport scheme has taken a step forward with Network Rail kicking off the search for interested parties to design and build the line.

Aviation Industry

• PARIS 2019: Emirates in talks with Boeing on widebody order changesEmirates Airline is negotiating with Boeing to spread out deliveries of the Boeing 777X over a longer period of time and will likely switch from the larger 787-10 to the smaller 787-9. read more
• PARIS 2019: Boeing MAX service return question dominates air showAs the 53rd Paris Air Show opens, there are signs that Boeing is nearing the next key milestones on its path to getting the grounded fleet back into operational service. read more

EIN News Subscription

• Tax structure a reason for Jet Airways fall: Ajay Singh, SpiceJet chairmanSpiceJet chairman Ajay Singh has replaced Jet Airways’ Naresh Goyal on the board of governors at IATA — an achievement, considering his carrier joined the airline group only three months ago. On the sidelines of IATA AGM in Seoul, Singh told Mihir Mishra that Jet’s demise should be a wake-up call for the Indian aviation industry reeling under high costs, which makes business unsustainable in the long-run. He expects the new government to address those concerns.