Breaking News
Mayors and council leaders call for specific budget for the north
Campaign seeks to secure more money and devolution on infrastructure matters. A group of city mayors and council leaders representing more than 15 million people in the north of England are launching a campaign for the region to have its own specific budget, as a way of spreading economic growth further around the country.
Shapps risks looking a fool on rail bid [subscription]
Chris Grayling was always going to be a hard act to follow. But how nice to see Grant Shapps giving it a go. The new transport secretary had the choice of handing the west coast rail contract to a deep-pocketed consortium of Hong Kong, Chinese and Spanish train operators — or to a combo 70 per cent-owned by the loss-making First Group. No prizes for guessing which one he picked.
Grant Shapps questions whether Heathrow third runway plan ‘stacks up’
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has cast doubt over the Heathrow third runway after he questioned whether the £14bn plan “stacks up”. Shapps, who replaced Chris Grayling when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister last month, said that while parliament had voted in favour of the third runway, there were “questions about whether the whole plan stacks up”.
Thursday, 15 August 2019
BBC News
- Direct rail connection from Llandudno to London plannedPlans for direct trains between north Wales and London have been announced. First Trenitalia, the new operator of the West Coast mainline, also plans to introduce a new fleet of trains between Holyhead and Wrexham which it says will reduce CO2 emissions by 61%.
- Midlands Metro's £137m extension delayed by HS2A £137m extension to West Midlands Metro has been delayed by HS2. The Eastside Metro line would reach to the Digbeth area of Birmingham, passing underneath Curzon Street Station - a yet-to-be-built hub for the proposed high speed rail network.
- Are UK train fares the highest in Europe?The claim: The UK has the most expensive train fares in Europe. Reality Check verdict: The claim is based on very narrow research. The UK has some of the most expensive tickets in Europe if bought on the day of travel but some of the cheapest tickets if bought far enough in advance.
- Almost 60,000 drivers fined at Boots Corner bus gateAlmost 60,000 motorists were fined for driving through a "bus gate" in Cheltenham in the first 10 months of a traffic ban experiment.
- Ryanair pilots based in Ireland are to strike for 48 hoursRyanair pilots based in the UK are also striking next week over pay and conditions.
- EasyJet 'rides storm' of uncertainty with Scottish expansionThe budget airline adds a fifth plane to its Glasgow fleet, with more new routes in the pipeline
- Heathrow says next week's strikes postponedThe airport says walkouts on 23 and 24 August are postponed while union members consider a pay offer.
- FirstGroup replaces Virgin to run West Coast routeFirstGroup and Trenitalia will take over the running of the London-to-Glasgow route in December.
- Rail fares set to rise again by up to 2.8%From January, commuters could pay on average more than £100 extra a year for rail travel.
The Guardian
- Fare rises will drive passengers from railway, unions warnTUC says cost of train travel has increased by twice as much as wages over past decade
- Mayors and council leaders call for specific budget for the northCampaign seeks to secure more money and devolution on infrastructure matters. A group of city mayors and council leaders representing more than 15 million people in the north of England are launching a campaign for the region to have its own specific budget, as a way of spreading economic growth further around the country.
- Bus driver suspended for refusing to drive bus with rainbow numberA bus driver in Norwich has been suspended after refusing to drive a bus decorated with a rainbow-coloured number in celebration of gay pride.
The Independent
- Trains on UK railways now almost entirely state-owned by foreign countriesExtensive state-ownership exists among UK rail operators, it just doesn't involve the British state
The Telegraph
- Grant Shapps casts doubt over Heathrow's third runway after he questions if figures 'stack up' [subscription]Grant Shapps appeared to cast doubt over Heathrow's third runway after he questioned whether the figures "stacked up". The Transport Secretary said while “most people accept we need more south east airport capacity” there were “questions" about plan", which was given the go ahead by MPs in June last year.
Times Online
- Shapps risks looking a fool on rail bid [subscription]Chris Grayling was always going to be a hard act to follow. But how nice to see Grant Shapps giving it a go. The new transport secretary had the choice of handing the west coast rail contract to a deep-pocketed consortium of Hong Kong, Chinese and Spanish train operators — or to a combo 70 per cent-owned by the loss-making First Group. No prizes for guessing which one he picked.
- First Trenitalia’s contract to run west coast line heading to courtThe government’s decision to award the contract to run the west coast main line and HS2 railways to First Group could end up in the courts.
- Rail industry shocked as loss-making Firstgroup wins west coast contract [subscription]The operation of the west coast main line and HS2 has been handed over to Firstgroup in partnership with Italy’s state railway.
City AM
- Lion Air ‘urgently’ needs more Boeing 737 Max jets to support growthIndonesian airline Lion Air “urgently requires” more Boeing 737 Max jets, after two crashes involving the model – one of which was a Lion Air jet – left the entire global fleet grounded in March.
- Grant Shapps questions whether Heathrow third runway plan ‘stacks up’Transport secretary Grant Shapps has cast doubt over the Heathrow third runway after he questioned whether the £14bn plan “stacks up”. Shapps, who replaced Chris Grayling when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister last month, said that while parliament had voted in favour of the third runway, there were “questions about whether the whole plan stacks up”.
- Ryanair’s Irish pilots to strike next week as talks break downRyanair’s directly employed pilots in Ireland will strike for 48 hours next week, after talks failed to produce an agreement over the union’s pay proposals.
- Electric car charging points outnumber petrol stationsThe number of electric car charging points in the UK now exceeds petrol stations, as an increasing number of Brits turn to electric vehicles (EV).
- DEBATE: In the midst of commuter outrage over fare hikes, is rail nationalisation the answer? OpinionCat Hobbs, director of We Own It, says YES. Another year, another eye-watering rail fare hike, with the annual cost of getting to work likely to rise by over £100 for many commuters. And it’s no wonder passengers are angry. We’re being ripped off for the luxury of travelling on packed, delayed trains – if they even turn up at all.
The National
- Leven does not need a £70 million railway linkSO, £70 million to reopen an obsolete rail link to Leven? 750,000 passenger by 2037? Come on, let’s get real here.
Edinburgh Evening News
- Building a short stretch of track would give Edinburgh a third main rail hub – John McLellanThe proposed ‘Almond Chord’ rail line would link the moribund Edinburgh Gateway station with the main Edinburgh-Glasgow line beyond Winchburgh, writes John McLellan.
London Evening Standard
- UK airport strike dates latest: How will passengers be affected at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick?Families embarking on their holidays have been hit with a wave of uncertainty this summer, as a number of strikes have been announced at airports across the UK.
Other Regional Press
- Dalby Forest Cycle Hub encourage cycling for allThere can be few better family days out than cycling through a forest, but what do you do when one of your family can’t manage to cycle on a traditional bike?
- St Pancras station trespasser jailed over 13 hour St George's flag stunt that cost railways more than £1mThe man who brought St Pancras station to a standstill in March by climbing onto the roof of a tunnel wrapped in a St George's flag has been jailed for a year.
- Labour promises free bus travel for people under the age of 25A LABOUR government would introduce free bus travel for people under the age of 25 according to the Shadow Transport Secretary.
Train Operators
- Virgin Trains franchise decision - Richard BransonI received the news this morning of the Department for Transport’s decision that the West Coast Mainline franchise will pass to First Trenitalia. I am devastated for the teams – members of our Virgin family – who have worked tirelessly to become the top-rated franchise by customers in the UK today.
Rail Technology Magazine
- Wherry Lines signalling modernisation work announcedNetwork Rail has announced planned engineering work to be undertaken in Norfolk, as part of a modernisation programme on the Wherry Lines between Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
Aviation Industry
- Heathrow Airport operations staff postpones strike actionAirport operations staff at London's Heathrow Airport have suspended a 48-hour strike, planned for Aug. 23-24, pending a ballot on an improved pay offer. read more
- British Airways trials virtual reality headsets First-class passengers on select British Airways (BA) flights will have access to virtual reality headsets in a trial announced Aug. 14. read more
- France joins Europe’s Iris satellite data link programFrench air navigation service provider (ANSP) DSNA has joined a consortium of European ANSPs participating in the Iris satellite-based data link program, Inmarsat announced Aug. 14. read more
Other News Sources
- Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of expanding Heathrow because our plan stacks upOur plan gives Britain the springboard to succeed in the world and it is exactly what our country needs now – that’s why we’re getting on with delivering it, says Heathrow.
- An accident waiting to happen’: Eastbourne residents fume over new bus laneThe new bus lane in Eastbourne town centre has been lambasted as an ‘accident waiting to happen’. The Herald received hundreds of responses when it published a story highlighting how pedestrians, unaware of the danger, are walking out into the live bus lane in Terminus Road.
- Transport Secretary Grant Shapps casts doubt on Heathrow expansionShapps questions whether third runway 'stacks up' on financial grounds and promises to take 'really, really close look' at case for expansion
- Final bill for Crossrail still up in the air, scheme's boss admitsMark Wild says 'some elements of risk' mean full cost still not known The final bill for completing the central section of Crossrail is still up in the air, the scheme's boss has admitted.
- Rail fare increase: ScotRail commuters face price rises of over £100 in new yearScotRail commuters are facing steep rises in the cost of their annual railway season tickets after it was confirmed that prices will go up by 2.8 per cent in the new year.
- We tested out the all-new cycle ride tour of London making it safer for everyone to use bikes in the cityIt's about making everyone feel safe and confident enough to cycle in the city
- Transport Secretary casts doubt on Heathrow expansionTRANSPORT Secretary Grant Shapps has cast some doubt on Heathrow expansion in his first public comments on the issue. He told Sky News there were questions over whether the whole plan stacked up and that Heathrow had to ensure it generated enough income to justify the billions being spent on the project.
- Stagecoach to continue legal action against Department for Transport as FirstGroup replaces Perth firm on lucrative rail routePerth-based Stagecoach will continue its legal action against the Department for Transport after the lucrative West Coast rail franchise was awarded to a Scottish transport rival on Wednesday.
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