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

Friday, 05 July 2019

BBC News

• Lincolnshire PCC 'can't work' in standard rail classLincolnshire's police and crime commissioner (PCC) wants the option to use first class rail travel to allow him to work in private. Marc Jones said train journeys are "wasted time" as he cannot work in standard class without people being able to see "sensitive" papers.
• 'Silent majority' back Bristol Airport expansionA survey has revealed a "silent majority" are backing Bristol Airport's controversial expansion plans. A regional transport board was told the findings of a YouGov poll at a meeting in Exeter on Wednesday.
• Jaguar Land Rover to announce electric car investmentJaguar Land Rover (JLR) will announce later today an investment worth hundreds of millions of pounds in electric vehicle-making.
• South Wales Metro: Cardiff council proposes 'crossrail'It would be in addition to existing South Wales Metro plans but it is unclear how it would be paid for.
• Electric cars 'will not solve transport problem,' report warnsCar use will still need to be curbed, even when all vehicles use clean electricity, a report warns.
• Walking: People in NI walk less than half a mile a dayCar journeys account for 70% of journeys taken in Northern Ireland.
• 'Major disruption' forecast as Salford road needs £490k workMotorists could face delays along a key Salford road during road works proposed for this summer.
• Greater Manchester Metrolink: Sexual assault reports rise fivefold since 2014Manchester's deputy mayor says the rise in reported attacks on Metrolink is being taken very seriously.
• Carlisle Lake District Airport relaunches passenger flightsLoganair are now operating routes to Dublin, Belfast and London Southend.
• 'Grave concern' as sales of low emission cars fallTotal sales of plug-in and hybrid cars drop for the first time in more than two years, the industry says.

The Guardian

• What can start and stop action on climate crisis [Letters]The UK baked in another record-breaking heatwave last weekend, which was made at least five times more likely by climate change (Report, 3 July). Weather bulletins are naturally the first point of information for events like these.

The Herald

• Loganair to provide Carlisle Airport's first commercial flights in 26 yearsSCOTTISH airline Loganair has linked with Carlisle Lake District Airport to launch commercial flights from the airport for the first time in more than 25 years.

The Independent

• Burials should be permitted next to motorways and railway lines, says leading public health expertBurials should be permitted alongside motorways and railway lines, according to a leading public health expert who is advocating a network of “green corridor cemeteries” across the UK.
• Heathrow says it is worried climate change will cause problems to third runwayControversial expansion plans come amid stark new warnings the UK is failing to hit emissions goals

The Telegraph

• Extinction Rebellion say new Heathrow drone attack plan will give holidaymakers two months' notice [subscription]xtinction Rebellion has claimed new plans for a Heathrow drone attack are less disruptive because holidaymakers will be given two months' notice.

Times Online

• Sales of hybrid cars plummet after subsidy cut [subscription]The number of green cars sold in Britain has fallen for the first time in two years after the government cut subsidies. Last month 13,314 “alternatively fuelled” cars were registered, 12 per cent less than in June 2018. Sales of pure electric cars rose sharply but this was offset by a huge decrease in the number of hybrids, which run on a combination of battery power and a conventional petrol engine.
• A far more vigorous response is needed to phase out carbon emissions by 2050 - Matthew Pennycook MP [subscription]Despite fraying on more than one occasion, a remarkable (and at times a little too cosy) cross-party consensus on climate change has held since 2008. Last week, that consensus enabled the UK to adopt a legally-binding target to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 without the need for a vote in parliament.
• London gives green light to Uber rival [Subscription]London’s transport agency has given Ola of India, one of the world’s largest ride-sharing companies, permission to launch its ride-hailing service in London, intensifying competitive pressure on Uber.

London Evening Standard

• Extinction Rebellion Heathrow Airport protest: Climate activist group to vote next week on new two-week shut-downExtinction Rebellion members are set to vote on fresh plans to shut down Heathrow Airport this autumn.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• 'Spiral of decline': Metro chiefs warn of slower journeys and more cancellations without government cashIt is believed a total of £637m is needed to stop Metro 'dropping off a cliff edge'

Northern Echo

• Transport anger in North is "bit of a misunderstanding", Chris Grayling saysTransport Secretary has come under fire for comments made on trip to Tyneside. Anger in the North over under-investment in the region’s rail and roads is a “bit of a misunderstanding”, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling says. Mr Grayling said that while the North did need to play “catch up” with some other parts of the country, Government transport spending in the region was now higher than in the South.

Wales Online

• The maps and full details of Cardiff's £1bn 'Crossrail' plan revealedCardiff has drawn up a blueprint for a £1bn plan to bring tram-trains back to the streets of the city

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Bescot sleeper factory plans to be finally submittedPlans for a controversial sleeper factory in Walsall will be submitted this month, it was today confirmed following a delay of almost two months.

Yorkshire Post

• Put a big-hitter like Michael Heseltine or George Osborne in charge of Northern Powerhouse as HS2 scepticism grows – Yorkshire Post lettersTHANK you to Tom Richmond, your Comment Editor, for referring to the Government’s ‘lip service, sham and tokenism’ relating to the Northern Powerhouse. I can’t recall when this wasn’t the case, perhaps when George Osborne was a force?

Other Regional Press

• South Cambs MP urges Great Northern passengers to have their say on compensation fundThe MP for South Cambridgeshire has today urged Great Northern rail passengers to have their say about how a £15 million compensation fund gets spent at stations used by her constituents.

Coach and Bus Week

• Management buyout at Yellow BusesRATP Dev has announced the sale of its subsidiary Bournemouth Transport Limited (trading as Yellow Buses and Yellow Coaches) to the management team led by David Squire (Managing Director) with Phil Pannell (Service Delivery Director) and Simon Newport (Commercial Director).

New Civil Engineer

• Lower Thames Crossing boss quits projectLower Thames Crossing project director Tim Jones is set to leave his post, New Civil Engineer can reveal. Jones has served as the £6.8bn project’s director for the last two years, taking it through design and public consultation phases.
• British firm wins lead role on Australia’s biggest rail infrastructure jobLeeds-based consultant Turner & Townsend has been named as the programme manager on Australia’s biggest ever rail project.
• Transport union demands DfT ‘comes clean’ on rail enhancement pipelineThe Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) trade union has called on transport secretary Chris Grayling to “come clean” about the £10bn rail enhancements pipeline.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the futureThe move to decarbonise the rail network involves shifting to cleaner modes of traction by 2050. David Clarke, technical director at the Railway Industry Association (RIA), examines how to create a green and efficient future. The need to decarbonise our economy has rightfully become a more...
• LNER Azuma trains to run in Scotland from AugustLondon North Eastern Railway (LNER) plan to run their new Azuma fleet of trains in Scotland from August, the operator announced today. The new trains have been running services on the East Coast mainline since May, but were not able to launch in Scotland due to problems with...
• Plans for Cardiff's £1bn transport network unveiledCardiff City Council’s ambitious plans for a £1bn travel network in the city have been revealed today. The network proposes a new ‘Cardiff Cross Rail’, a new light rail and tram system running from east to west of the city. Speaking at a Welsh Government Conference on...
• TfGM announces contactless payments on Metrolink tramsPassengers will be able to ‘touch-in’ using their contactless cards on Manchester Metrolink trams from July 15, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) announced today. The introduction of the new payment option represents the first aggregated ‘Pay As You Go’ system on...
• £80m Plymouth station refurbishment plan revealedMasterplans for a major refurbishment of Plymouth’s railway station have been revealed. Plymouth City Council approved a £26m funding package in 2018, working with Great Western Railway (GWR), Network Rail and the University of Plymouth to develop a large-scale regeneration project...

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Operators hit back at Manchester franchising planThe city’s bus operators are up in arms after spending the last two years developing plans for a partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
• Pelican announces arrival of the UK’s first full-electric coachWestway Coaches orders the first three of the TCe12, set to be showcased at Coach & Bus UK
• Birmingham and Leeds CAZs six months delayedJuly 2020 likely for Birmingham and June for Leeds; Yorkshire city offers more compliance funding
• Synectics takes security up a level with MirrorEyeNew system sees wing mirrors replaced with cameras for greater visibility, safety and security

Aviation Industry

• US aircraft mechanics seek stronger oversight of foreign repair stationsFour unions representing US aviation safety inspectors and mechanics wrote to Department of Transportation (DOT) secretary Elaine Chao urging the Department to implement three long-delayed Congressional directives intended to boost oversight of foreign repair stations that work on US aircraft. read more
• Australian and UK Virgin carriers get go-ahead to partnerAustralian regulators have given interim approval to a partnership between Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic that will see them cooperate in the Australia-UK market. read more

Other News Sources

• Could £600m of investment in the Midland Mainline ever make it a world-beater?Later this summer a new company will step in to operate the majority of train services in the East Midlands. That company is Abellio. Back in April, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that the Dutch-owned company had been chosen to operate the East Midlands rail franchise from August 18, taking over from Stagecoach-owned East Midlands Trains.
• New trains - why Harrogate rail passengers have to wait longerHarrogate and Knaresborough’s MP has been talking about his frustration at the latest delay to £500 million rail improvements described as a “generational change” for train travel in the North.