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

Tuesday, 27 August 2019

BBC News

• British Airways strike: Confusion over cancellations continuesCustomers are still struggling to get in touch with BA, as it works through a backlog of 40,000 calls.
• Ministers and HS2 bosses knew railway over budget years agoThe public were not given the full picture about the true cost of the high speed railway, documents show.

The Guardian

• Airline punctuality at UK airports nosedives, finds Which?Ryanair and Easyjet delays double in five years, as Stansted named worst airport for takeoff times
• George Osborne's thinktank to undertake own HS2 reviewNorthern Powerhouse Partnership says study would ensure region is properly heard amid fears HS2 may be scrapped. George Osborne’s northern powerhouse thinktank is undertaking its own pro-HS2 review amid concern that the £55.6bn project may be doomed under Boris Johnson’s premiership.

The Herald

• ScotRail given £1m-a-month bailout by Dutch taxpayersDutch taxpayers have been bailing out ScotRail with loans worth around £1 million a month. The most recent financial figures available suggest Scotland’s national train operator has been kept afloat by its owner, Abellio, a wing of the Netherlands state railway.

The Independent

• British Airways strike: Fares soar on rival airlines during walkout datesExclusive: Two-hour hop from Nice to Gatwick on strike day costs more than London-Australia round trip

The Scotsman

• David Spaven: That’s the spirit – rail plans could whisk loads of Scotch off busy roadsThe recent Scottish ­Government go-ahead for detailed design work on a reinstated passenger train service to ­Levenmouth was welcome news for a neglected corner of Scotland.

Times Online

• Off-duty pilot helps emergency landing after crew member falls ill [subscription]A pilot at the controls of a passenger plane collapsed yesterday, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing. Luckily one of those on board happened to be an off-duty pilot, who was able to help the co-pilot to land the plane safely.

City AM

• Filled with HS2 fever? No? Then let’s think up something betterHS2, the unloved child of British infrastructure, looks like a goner. And while those into trains might spot that there is a review underway, there can be little doubt that this in itself sends a terminal signal to a project that once seemed to offer a glimpse of what a brave new British future might be able to offer.
• Government ’knew for years’ that HS2 will blow its budgetThe government has known for years that HS2, Britain’s controversial new high speed railway, is running over budget and behind schedule, it is reported.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Bus bosses admit meeting Edinburgh Festival schedules is 'impossible' as this year's congestion branded 'worst ever'Lothian bus bosses have admitted meeting their schedules during the Festival season is “impossible” after a users’ group branded this year’s congestion the “worst ever”.
• ScotRail disruption in Edinburgh a 'serious failure' says Scotland's Transport MinisterTransport minister Michael Matheson has branded the disruption experienced by ScotRail customers on Saturday night as a “serious failure”.

Liverpool Echo

• Three "problem" destinations that police are looking at in Manchester airport drunkenness crackdownManchester Airport has rolled out a crackdown on antisocial behaviour - with three "problem" destinations at the centre. Staff at the airport have a stealthy new reporting system that allows them to alert others to any unruly or loutish behaviour within the terminal building.

Northern Echo

• Shildon Station will be artist gateway to world's first rail townGENERATIONS of residents will work on an arts project to celebrate the rail heritage of their home town.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Call to divert £200m rail cash to pay for new north-east stations and road upgradesNew train stations and road upgrades could be built by diverting £200 million that was earmarked to speed-up rail journeys between Aberdeen and the central belt.

North Wales Live

• Arriva accused of 'moving the Welsh border' in bus fair price row The changes to Wrexham zoning arrangements has left quite a few customers confused

Other Regional Press

• Bus gate escape route for cars is down narrow city centre laneWHEN new bus gates start next week Argyle Street and Queen Street will be almost car free. The only way cars will be able to get to parking spaces, including several disabled spaces on Queen Street between Argyle Street and Ingram Street, is if they drive down Mitchell Street and then the very narrow passage of Mitchell Lane.

Rail Magazine

• Older fleets cascaded or set for scrappingThe arrival of new trains means the end of the line for some fleets, while others will be cascaded.
• More than 1,300 new coaches either stored or on test in UKSixteen different train types are represented in more than 1,300 new passenger vehicles that are undergoing various testing and commissioning in the UK, as manufacturers continue to deliver new trains to operators.

Aviation Industry

• UK invests $368 million in ‘cleaner, greener’ forms of air transport The UK has unveiled a more than £300 million ($368 million) government-industry investment to develop “cleaner, greener” forms of air transport, including electric and autonomous aircraft and sustainable alternative fuels. read more
• British Airways recovering after weekend cancellation debacle British Airways (BA) experienced another public relations fiasco over the weekend, after thousands of passengers were wrongly told their flights had been canceled. read more
• UK airports to roll out new 3D baggage scanners by 2022The UK government announced Aug. 25 that new-generation 3D scanners should be installed at all major airports by December 2022, promising faster security checks. read more
• London Southend Airport expands European networkLondon Southend Airport is steadily expanding its route network into central and eastern Europe, with LCCs Ryanair and Wizz Air both announcing services from the UK airport to Bucharest. read more
• Germany plans to fly electric regional aircraft demonstrator in 2020German aerospace center DLR is planning a regional-size electric propulsion flight demonstrator. read more
• Rolls-Royce starts E-Fan X generator ground testsEngineers in Norway have started ground tests of a compact 2.5-megawatt generator, marking a key milestone toward flight tests of the Airbus and Rolls-Royce E-Fan X hybrid-electric demonstrator in 2021. read more

Other News Sources

• Northern leaders push for region's voice to be heard in HS2 reviewNorthern Powership Partnership led by former Chancellor George Osborne said region's infrastructure must be improved