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

Wednesday, 03 July 2019

BBC News

• Glasgow airport strike action suspended for talksThe action was the first of seven planned days in July in an ongoing row over pay and pensions.

ITV News

• 54-year-old loco drafted in to cope with demand in the Rhymney ValleyTransport for Wales has brought in a 54-year-old Class 37 hauled train. The locomotive, which was introduced in 1965, was last used on the network in 2005.

The Guardian

• Ten common myths about bike lanes – and why they're wrongycle lanes have been in the news recently, as have the many often entirely misguided arguments that opponents use against them.
• Stonehenge £2bn road tunnel project funding uncertain, MPs warnA £2bn project to open a road tunnel beneath the Stonehenge world heritage site in 2026 is being put at risk by uncertainty over how it will be financed, MPs have warned.

The Herald

• Students and commuters lose out due to inflation error, Peers toldRail passengers and students are losing out due to an error in calculating a measure of inflation, peers have been told.

The Independent

• Boris Johnson hints he may scrap HS2 over spiralling costs and delays if he becomes PMMr Johnson has ordered a review into the scheme by HS2’s former chairman, Douglas Oakervee, to be completed by December

The Telegraph

• Auditors raise rail red flag over fallout from Arriva's £3bn sale [subscription]Doubts have been cast over the commitment to the railways of one of Britain’s biggest bus and train companies.

Times Online

• Costain’s new strategy rebuilds City’s confidence [subscription]The new chief executive of Costain laid out his plans yesterday to revive the contracting and outsourcing group.
• Stonehenge tunnel could be scrapped, warn MPs [Subscription]The proposed two-mile road tunnel under Stonehenge could be scrapped because of doubts over funding for the scheme, according to MPs.
• Gagging orders silence hundreds of HS2 contractors [Subscription]Gagging orders have been signed by almost 300 contractors, consultants and local authorities involved in HS2.

Network Rail

• Passengers advised to look for purple uniforms in stations for extra helpNetwork Rail’s assisted travel teams in four of the country’s busiest stations now have purple uniforms to make them easier for passengers to recognise.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bus drivers should be friendly and 'make eye contact', claims new reportBus drivers should “make eye contact” with passengers in order to improve perceptions of services, according to a report into public transport use in West Yorkshire.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Old diesel engines increase pollution levels at Edinburgh's Waverley stationCAMPAIGNERS have called on rail bosses to end the use of older diesel trains after a study found excessive air pollution at Edinburgh’s Waverley station.

Liverpool Echo

• Driver stops entire London to Liverpool train to let passengers use the toiletA train driver went the extra mile for his passengers when he brought the entire service to a standstill to let them go to the toilet. The train was travelling from London to Liverpool when it made the unexpected toilet break at Crewe, after the on train toilets were out of service for the duration of the four hour journey from the capital.

The York Press

• Network Rail chief defends decision to carry out Bank Holiday worksTHE managing director of Eastern Network Rail has responded to criticism by several York businesses over the decision to undertake rail work over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Other Regional Press

• Dundee councillor demands local authority reveals details of bus subsidiesA West End councillor is demanding Dundee City Council reveals how much it spends on subsidising individual bus routes in the city.
• Newport council's parking enforcement officers get free bus travel whilst on dutyTHE new council staff tasked with tackling illegal parking in Newport will receive free bus travel around the city as they go about their work.
• St Helens gas-powered hydrogen bus pilot to help fight climate crisisA HYDROGEN bus pilot powered by gas made in St Helens is one of a raft of projects designed to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040.
• Compass Travel and Holmbush Tesco cancel bus serviceA GROUP of elderly people are angry and upset after the cancellation of a bus route that they depend on for their weekly shop.
• Councillors reject call to back Witney to Oxford rail lineCOUNCILLORS rejected calls to back a Witney to Oxford railway, despite claims it could become the country's 'best used' route.

New Civil Engineer

• Europe’s first operational hyperloop tunnel completes first runEurope’s first operational hyperloop tunnel has completed its first test run. Dutch start-up Hardt is behind Europe’s first fully operational hyperloop system, a 30m "low speed" test tunnel in Delft, the Netherlands.
• HS2 Old Oak capable of becoming a terminusOld Oak Common station could handle the volume of people from terminating High Speed 2 (HS2) trains, if the Euston Station section of the line is cancelled in the upcoming Spending Review.
• Heathrow southern rail link may miss third runway openingBackers of proposed southern rail schemes to Heathrow will have to wait until the end of the year to discover how or when the projects will be taken forward, potentially jeopardising plans to open before Heathrow's third runway is built.

Rail Magazine

• Can grass tracks transform Britain’s train and tram routes?Chris Haworth, partner and infrastructure lead at multidisciplinary property and construction consultancy Ridge and Partners LLP (Ridge), explains why the UK has been slow on the uptake of grass tracks and what benefits they could bring.

Aviation Industry

• Analysts revise MAX outlook on extended grounding, delivery haltsMomentum from the Paris Air Show is fading, and Wall Street analysts are quickly taking a sobering financial view of the Boeing 737 MAX issue now that an extended grounding of the aircraft and halt in deliveries could drag into the fourth quarter, at least. read more
• Researchers warn of contrail impact on climate The climate impact from aircraft contrails will triple by 2050, increasing faster than aviation can reduce its carbon emissions, a new study by researchers at German aerospace center DLR concludes. read more

Other News Sources

• TfW begins work to build £100m South Wales Metro depotTransport for Wales (TfW) has commenced works to build a £100m rail depot to support South Wales Metro operations.