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

Wednesday, 19 June 2019

BBC News

• Swanage Railway appeals to restore T3 class locomotiveAn appeal to restore a Victorian steam locomotive has been launched by a heritage railway line. Swanage Railway in Dorset hopes to raise £350,000 to return the London and South Western Railway T3 class locomotive to full working order.
• South Western Railway workers begin five-day strikeCommuters and Royal Ascot racegoers are hit as South Western Railway staff start a five-day walkout.
• Boeing 737 Max: BA-owner IAG signs deal to buy 200 planesAirline group IAG says it has

The Guardian

• Heathrow third runway expansion plans revealedProposals, including lowering M25 and rerouting rivers, raise fears of environmental impact
• UK firms told they face 'deliberate disruption' to hit zero carbon goalState ready to disrupt or phase out the most polluting business activities to meet 2050 target. UK companies must brace for the government to deliberately disrupt or phase out business areas that are unfit for a net zero-carbon economy, according to a report.
• Bike lanes are not a waste of money - LettersThe commissioners claiming that adding cycle lanes to roads is pointless (Painted bike lanes are waste of money, say cycling commissioners, 18 June) are making a serious error in basing this conclusion on measures of how close drivers are to cyclists when overtaking.
• UK climate plan unclear, says European commissionReport says plan lacks key details about how UK will cut emissions over next 12 years. A British government climate action plan is “unclear” and lacks key details about how the UK will reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next 12 years, the European commission has said.

The Independent

• Heathrow expansion: what is the masterplan and what does it mean for passengers?Simon Calder read the whole report so you don't have to

The Scotsman

• Edinburgh Trams: Big pay rise for boss despite £10million lossEdinburgh’s trams recorded a loss of almost £10 million last year – while the managing director was handed a 33 per cent pay rise.

Times Online

• Birmingham and Leeds wait extra year for action on diesel pollution [Subscription]A crackdown on diesel fumes in two of Britain’s biggest cities could be postponed for more than a year after a government failure to deliver crucial technology systems.
• Activist lashes out at ‘cynical’ First GroupThe battle between First Group and its largest shareholder has intensified after the activist investor trying to replace more than half the company’s board accused it of being “dishonest and cynical”.
• Heathrow plans world’s biggest car parks for 50,000 vehicles [Subscription]The biggest car parks in the world will be built as part of a £14 billion expansion of Heathrow amid fresh claims that the scheme will be an “environmental disaster”.
• Heathrow monster that won’t fly [subscription]Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Heathrow’s flying unicorn: a £14 billion third runway project even more fantastic than the mythological beast. None of it makes any sense. But who cares about that? It’s just the thing for batso Brexit Britain.
• Heathrow runway over M25 ‘will cause years of traffic chaos’ [subscription]Drivers are facing years of traffic chaos because of Heathrow’s plan to build a new runway over the M25, motoring groups said yesterday.
• The Times view on Boris Johnson and Heathrow’s third runway: Expansion Rebellion [Subscription]The Tory frontrunner should pledge to halt the development of Heathrow
• Alice promises passengers a pollution-free wonderland [subscription]Passengers in America will be able to travel around the country in all-electric commuter planes within a few years after Eviation Aircraft announced its first orders.

City AM

• British Airways owner signs up for 200 Boeing jets, including the 737-Max model that is currently grounded worldwidePlane maker Boeing has landed a huge order from British Airways parent International Airlines Group (IAG) for 200 planes, as it looks to bring the fight to arch-rival Airbus at the Paris Airshow.
• Andrea Leadsom defends Boris Johnson’s U-turn over HeathrowA key ally of Boris Johnson has defended his apparent decision to drop his opposition to the Heathrow third runway.

Liverpool Echo

• Major Merseyside bus overhaul sparks huge backlash from passengersPassengers and politicians are leading the backlash against planned changes to city centre bus routes, with some calling them 'rubbish' and 'a nightmare'.

London Evening Standard

• Heathrow plans 12-mile 'green loop' around expanded airport for cyclists and pedestriansHeathrow bosses want to create a 12-mile
• British Airways owner announces plans to buy 200 Boeing 737 Max aircraftBritish Airways owner International Airlines Group has announced plans to order 200 of the Boeing 737 Max aircraft, claiming its confidence in its safety.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Olympic cycling hero blasts "substandard" cycle lanes across the country"It's tragic that hundreds of millions of pounds of government money has been spent on substandard cycling and walking infrastructure."

Northern Echo

• New rail freight service is to be launched from port in regionA NEW rail freight service has been launched from a North-East port. PD Ports, which has its headquarters in Middlesbrough, has launched a dedicated rail freight service between Teesport and Doncaster in partnership with GB Railfreight, for its major customer Containerships - Intra-European leader of multimodal transport.

Other Regional Press

• Top Gear visit for MP Sarah NewtonFALMOUTH and Truro MP Sarah Newton visited Top Gear in Penryn to discuss changes to the Cycle to Work Scheme with owner Peter Williams.
• Kensington goes its own way over cycle route after people were outraged at Tfl's plansCycle networks seem to be all the rage in London at the moment with plans being developed for a series of routes branching out from the centre to the outskirts like the legs on a giant spider.
• Council promises to return bus shelter quickly after ‘disappearing’ from DundeeDundee City Council has promised to replace a bus shelter “as soon as possible” after it was removed following a series of traffic accidents.
• Bury St Edmunds bus services among 23 in Suffolk under threat in council subsidy axeTwenty three Suffolk bus services are under threat after the council has announced it is axing its subsidy to those routes in cost cutting measures.
• Kent's most dangerous bus stations - ranked by the number of crimes committedDover, Maidstone and Chatham rank among the most dangerous, according to police figures
• 'Boris Johnson's HS2 opposition means Cheshire East needs plan B'BOROUGH chiefs are being urged to have a ‘plan B’ for Cheshire East’s economy in case the next prime minister pulls the plug on HS2.

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 boss reveals 'high speed' was almost dropped from project nameHigh Speed 2 (HS2) chair Allan Cook has revealed that High Speed 2 was almost rebranded to reflect it solving a capacity challenge rather than speed.

Rail Advent

• Transpennine Express launch free days out for familiesTo give disadvantaged families from across the North a chance to explore some of the great cities or enjoy a trip to the seaside, Transpennine Express have teamed up with the Family Holiday Association.

Rail Magazine

• Hull Trains £60 million Class 802s to arrive from AugustConstruction of five Class 802/3s for Hull Trains remains on schedule, with the first set due in the UK on August 29.
• Redundant HSTs proposed for freight/passenger useHigh Speed Trains could be used for mixed-use passenger and freight trains, according to Intermodality Managing Director Nick Gallop.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Rail union Aslef launches 'On Track with Diversity' report at Houses of ParliamentTrain drivers’ union Aslef launched its On Track with Diversity report at the Houses of Parliament on Monday, as it looks to increase the number of female, BAME and younger train drivers employed within the industry.
• Record number of passenger journeys as UK rail revenue rises to four-year highRecord figures of rail passenger journeys have been recorded in England, Scotland and Wales, according to the most recent quarterly report by the Office of Rail and Road.

Railway Gazette

• Cardiff – London open access planUK: Grand Union Trains has applied to the Office of Rail & Road for a track access agreement which would enable it to launch a Cardiff Central – London Paddington open access passenger service from late 2020. The proposed hourly service would call at Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction and Bristol Parkway, then run non-stop to London Paddington. Trains would also call at the future Cardiff Parkway station once it opens.

Aviation Industry

• PARIS 2019 BLOG: It's a brand I trust: Walsh's very public endorsement of BoeingParis Air Show day two and, shock, some real news! In the best-kept industry secret of the year, British Airways parent International Airlines Group announced a deal for 200 Boeing 737 MAXs.
• PARIS 2019: IAG orders A321XLRs for Aer Lingus and IberiaInternational Airlines Group (IAG) became the third customer for the new Airbus A321XLR when it ordered eight of the ultra-long range narrowbodies for Spanish carrier Iberia and six for Irish carrier Aer Lingus, plus 14 options. read more

Other News Sources

• East Sussex stations set for improvements to encourage rail commuters to cycleFour railway stations in East Sussex are set to receive thousands of pounds from the government for schemes to help encourage rail commuters to cycle.
• Scottish footpaths and cycle routes get £51m boostThe Scottish government has announced that it is making up to £51m available for walking and cycling infrastructure in 2019/2020.

EIN News Subscription

• Why this German city plans to make public transport freeCitizens in Monheim will be able to ride buses without a ticket from April 2020, regional newspaper the Rheinische Post has reported. The radical plan is a bid to reduce air pollution by encouraging more people to ditch their cars and take public transport. The move comes after the German government last year said it was considering free public transport “to reduce the number of …
• WWF reacts: national climate plan assessment from EU CommissionAll the Member States have homework to do. However, the growing support for a 2050 net zero target opens the way to better 2030 plans. Brussels, Belgium - 18 June 2019 Reacting to today’s evaluation from the European Commission of EU Member States’ energy and climate plans (NECPs), Imke Lübbeke, Head of Climate and Energy at WWF European Policy Office said: “All the Member States …