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

Wednesday, 17 July 2019

BBC News

• Airport email scam thwarted by UK's cyber-defender NCSCAn attempt to defraud thousands of people using a bogus email from a UK airport was one of a range of cyber-attacks prevented last year.
• Climate change: 'No brainer' fuel change to cut transport carbonMPs say the simple step of adding more ethanol to the UK's fuel mix would be same as taking 700,000 cars off the roads.
• Will ships without sailors be the future of trade?May saw the world's first unmanned commercial shipping operation.
• Ryanair to cut flights after 737 Max delaysThe airline also says it could close bases and axe summer flights next year.

The Independent

• Government should not manage UK railways, review head saysAppointment of a 'Fat Controller' type figure would be 'key for regaining public trust'

The Scotsman

• Multiple offers lodged for Prestwick Airport, government revealsSeveral bids to buy ailing Prestwick Airport have been submitted, the Scottish Government has revealed.

The Telegraph

• Ryanair forced to slash flights by Boeing 737 Max grounding [Transport]Ryanair has slashed flights and may need to close bases as a result of the ongoing crisis with Boeing’s controversial 737 Max aircraft.

Times Online

• Times clean air campaign: Michael Gove vows to cut air pollution [subscription]Air pollution would be radically reduced under a pledge from Michael Gove to introduce a legal commitment to lower the level of toxic particles.
• Emergency services not ready to ditch diesel [subscription]The emergency services cannot be expected to stop using fossil fuel vehicles until electric versions can perform as well as those powered by diesel, an academic said.
• Govia Thameslink facing £1m fine for man killed leaning out [Subscription]The country’s biggest train company is facing a huge fine after a passenger was killed when he leant out of an unlocked window.
• Fat Controller required to stop political meddling [subscription]A Fat Controller for the 21st century is needed to ensure that the railways are run free of political interference, according to the head of a review.

City AM

• UK rail franchising system has ‘had its day’, says review headThe UK’s rail franchising system has “had its day”, the man in charge with reviewing Britain’s railways has said.
• HS2 locks horns with Bechtel in bid to break contract stalemateHS2 has asked the High Court to allow it to push on with the construction of one its London stations despite an ongoing legal challenge from engineering giant Bechtel.

London Evening Standard

• MH370 investigators 'discover mystery load weighing 89kg was added to the cargo flight list' after take-offFrench investigators searching for answers over the disappearance of flight MH370 have discovered a 89kg weight was added to the flight before take-off, it has been reported.
• UK airports strikes: When and how will passengers be affected at Heathrow, Stansted and GatwickBritish holidaymakers face travel chaos this summer as strikes threaten to cripple London's major airports.
• Brexit news latest: £3m spent on permits for driving abroad after UK leaves EUMore than £3 million has been spent on permits which may be required to drive abroad after Brexit, Government figures show.

Yorkshire Post

• Sorry, this is why the August Bank Holiday is best time to shut East Coast Main Line – Rob McIntosh (Network Rail)IT is a privilege to be the in charge of the East Coast Main Line. It’s the route of Flying Scotsman and the Victorian railway pioneers. But it must also be the route of the new Azuma trains and Yorkshire’s cutting edge tech industries.
• Why Rail Review must deliver accountability when Chris ‘Don’t Blame Me’ Grayling quits – The Yorkshire Post saysMOST PASSENGERS will concur with Keith Williams, the industrialist heading the Government’s long-awaited Rail Review, when it comes to issues like simpler ticketing, clearer communication and the day-to-day running of services.
• Rail review boss Keith Williams tells government to "step back from the railway" and give northern leaders a chance to shape servicesThe head of a major review of Britain's railways has called for the Government to step back and release control over vital decisions so that northern leaders and communities can have more of a say on how their services are run.

Other Regional Press

• Longbridge Railway Station reopens after £1.7million revampLONGBRIDGE’S new-look railway station has fully reopened after a £1.7million revamp, writes Roman Filkin. The old station rooms were demolished to create a larger concourse, complete with new flooring, automatic doors, accessible toilet and a bigger ticket counter.

New Civil Engineer

• Track workers involved in ‘unacceptably high’ near misses on railwaysThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has criticised “the ongoing high number of near misses relating to track workers” in its annual rail safety report.
• Plans for Windsor rail link to Heathrow to be revivedPlans to build a rail link to Heathrow via Windsor are to be revived after the scheme was turned down by the Department for Transport last year. The Windsor Link Railway (WLR) scheme, which would provide a southern rail link to the airport in two phases, was rejected by the DfT when submitted as part of the government's call for ideas for private investment – market led proposals (MLPs).

Rail Technology Magazine

• Plans for £20m 'HS2 gateway' in Sutton Coldfield to go to consultationProposals for a £20m transport hub in Sutton Coldfield are set to go to a consultation with the public, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) announced today. Under the proposals, major rail-to-bus connectivity routes would be created and the entrance to Sutton's train station would be redeveloped.
• ORR urges sweeping accessibility and compensation reformsPassengers will be able to claim compensations more easily when their train is delayed, and the rail network will be more accessible to disabled passengers, under proposals by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
• Keith Williams on the Rail Review: an update on progressWilliams Rail Review: an update on progress Keith Williams, independent Chair of the Rail Review, provides an update at a Northern Powerhouse Partnership event.
• Rail leaders respond as HS2 vote passesMembers of Parliament (MPs) have expressed anger at the government for pushing through phase 2a of HS2 through the House of Commons. The Phase 2a High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill passed with 263 votes in favour to only 17 against.
• TfW reveal new long-distance Class 175 trainsTransport for Wales (TfW) has revealed their new fleet of Class 175 trains as part of a major investment in Transport for Wales' long-distance trains. Customers will soon be able to use USB, electric charging points and improved seating as part of the upgrades. The first completed train rolled off the production line in Alstom's Technology Centr...
• 60 new jobs at TfW Rail Services announced60 new jobs at Transport for Wales (TfW) have been announced as part of the rail body's £5bn investment programme in the country. The new jobs will be at Transport for Wales Rail Services, which will be responsible for the day-to-day running of railway infrastructure across the Wales and Borders network.

Aviation Industry

• UK to release aviation strategy later this year The UK government has completed a consultation on its Aviation 2050 strategic plan, with a white paper scheduled for release later this year, as the country prepares to exit the European Union (EU) (Brexit). read more
• Ryanair to close bases, cut staff on MAX disruptionIrish LCC Ryanair will shrink or close poorly performing bases and cut staff as a direct result of the lack of Boeing 737 MAX deliveries, the company said July 16. read more
• Munich Airport International to manage Newark Liberty’s Terminal OneThe Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) has reached an agreement with Munich Airport International (MAI) to operate and maintain the $2.7 billion Terminal One project, which is now under construction at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). read more
• Regulators order inspection of Boeing 757 aileron componentsBoeing 757 operators have been ordered to inspect aileron components following an in-service report of an issue that limited a flight crew’s ability to move the flight-control surfaces. read more
• European airport charges evaluation sees mixed reactionProblems persist in the charges levied by European airports on airlines that use their facilities, but the situation has improved over the past decade, according to a new European Commission report. read more

Other News Sources

• Stagecoach out to help those feeling alone in DunfermlineBUS company Stagecoach East Scotland has been helping to tackle loneliness in Dunfermline. They joined forces with Greener Journeys last week to promote the benefits of using the bus as part of Catch the Bus Week.
• Aberdeen bus passengers facing price hike as First confirms fare riseThe cost of bus fares will increase for passengers travelling in Aberdeen from next week.
• Tim Farron MP: If Boris Johnson is determined to deliver for the North he must pledge to complete HS2Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron writes calling on the next PM to embrace the HS2 project not cancel it, following the remaining stages of the High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill yesterday.
• North East business group launches campaign to upgrade East Coast rail lineA far reaching campaign to improve rail links in the region has been set in motion by the North East England Chamber of Commerce. The chamber – the region’s largest business organisation – has launched the long-term campaign Fast Track East Coast, amid moves to boost the East Coast mainline.
• Rail upgrades in Warrington set to cause two-week travel disruptionUPGRADE work to the West Coast Main Line around Warrington is set to start on Saturday, causing travel disruption for 16 days.
• Jacobs warns Crossrail’s Heathrow branch is facing four months’ delayThe start of Crossrail services between Paddington and Heathrow could be delayed by another four months, according to Jacobs.