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

Thursday, 10 October 2019

BBC News

• Diamond buses at Tividale depot set on fire in 'arson attack'It comes months after a deliberate fire in which £200,000 worth of damage was caused.
• Obesity: Ban snacking on public transport, top doctor saysEngland's top doctor also wants to see extra taxes placed on unhealthy foods to tackle child obesity.
• Wrightbus fate to be known in hours - Ian Paisley MPEnglish industrialist Jo Bamford is understood to have made a bid for the Ballymena-based company.
• Tube noise levels: TfL driver action cancelledThe RMT union says it has suspended action which was due to begin at midnight.
• MSPs' green light for workplace parking levyPlans for a tax on workplace parking spaces are part of a transport bill expected to be passed at Holyrood.

Financial Times

• Nissan strives to put darkest hours behind itTop Ghosn facilitator retains power in leadership overhaul, while divisions remain with partner Renault
• How my iPhone landed me with a £476 fine and made me a criminalWhen my phone died I couldn't prove that I had bought a bus ticket with Apple Pay

The Guardian

• Thomas Cook stores buyer hopes to re-employ entire 2,500 workforceHays Travel acquires 555 stores and sees a bright future for package holiday sectorA husband-and-wife team who built their tourism business from the ground up say they hope to save the jobs of all 2,500 former Thomas Cook staff, after buying the collapsed tour operator’s 555 shops.John and Irene Hays, who run Sunderland-based Hays Travel, the Just Go Travel operator, snapped up Thomas Cook’s UK travel agency business for an undisclosed fee, in a takeover sealed at 11.53pm on Tuesday. Continue reading...
• BA to offset domestic flight emissions from next yearAnnouncement comes as parent company commits to net-zero carbon flying by 2050 British Airways will offset all domestic flight emissions from next year, after its owner IAG became the first airline group to commit to net-zero carbon flying by 2050.IAG’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, said that the company would reach the net-zero target largely through offsetting but pledged its airlines, including Aer Lingus and Iberia, would also substantially reduce emissions through sustainable fuels and replacing older aircraft. Continue reading...
• Revealed: the 20 firms behind a third of all carbon emissionsNew data shows how fossil fuel companies have driven climate crisis despite industry knowing dangersThe Guardian today reveals the 20 fossil fuel companies whose relentless exploitation of the world’s oil, gas and coal reserves can be directly linked to more than one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the modern era.New data from world-renowned researchers reveals how this cohort of state-owned and multinational firms are driving the climate emergency that threatens the future of humanity, and details how they have continued to expand their operations despite being aware of the industry’...
• Ban eating on public transport to tackle obesity, urges outgoing chief medicDame Sally Davies says government must put children’s health before company profitsThe government should put children’s health before companies’ profits, says the outgoing chief medical officer in a hard-hitting report calling for tough action against junk food, including a ban on eating and drinking on public transport, to tackle obesity.Dame Sally Davies, in her final report as CMO for England, said: “Today’s children are drowning in a flood of unhealthy food and drink options, compounded by insufficient opportunities for being active. Continue reading...

The Telegraph

• Ban everyone from eating or drinking on trains and buses to end snack culture, says chief medical officer 

Times Online

• Ban food on trains, says top doctor [subscription]Chief medical officer warns snacks fuelling obesity Eating and drinking must be banned on commuter trains and buses to tackle obesity, the country’s top doctor has urged.
• JCB chairman’s son Jo Bamford digs Wrightbus out of a hole [Subscription]Jo Bamford, son of Lord Bamford, the JCB diggers billionaire, has emerged as the likely buyer of Wrightbus, which fell into administration last month.
• Dozens of drivers a day stranded on smart motorways [Subscription]Dozens of drivers break down and are left stranded each day in fast-moving lanes of “smart” motorways that have no hard shoulders. Research by Highways England has shown that 19,316 vehicles stopped in flowing traffic on motorway “live lanes” in 2017 and last year, equivalent to more than 26 a day.
• Workplace parking charge survives Labour challenge [subscription]A last-ditch attempt to scrap a controversial tax on workplace parking spaces has failed. The levy will become law today after the proposals survived a close vote at Holyrood. Councils will be given the power to charge businesses for parking spaces but fears have been raised that employers will simply pass charges on to employees.
• Electric bikes to power Glasgow’s green pushGlasgow city council has introduced a fleet of electrically-assisted bicyles for hire to try to encourage more people to use sustainable forms of transport.
• British Airways owner IAG to target net-zero emissionsBritish Airways is to offset carbon emissions for all UK domestic flights from next year as part of a wider commitment by its parent company to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

City AM

• London City Airport checks boarding passes as Extinction Rebellion attempts three-day shutdownLondon City Airport will block anyone from entering the terminal without a boarding pass today as it seeks to thwart the threat of a three-day Extinction Rebellion strike.

Belfast Telegraph

• Wrightbus: Ian Paisley says 'bell now tolls for the landlord' to finalise dealDUP MP Ian Paisley has said a deal to save Wrightbus has been agreed by the banks and administrators, and now

Birmingham Post

• Boss of Derby train-maker Bombardier quits role for personal reasonsPhil Hufton has been replaced by Matt Byrne as president and chairman of firm's UK operations
• Global freight giant planning to relocate central England operation to new site 10 miles awayFreight specialist signs deal to take 27 acres next to junction 11 of the M42

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• 'Quiet voices must be heard' in parking scheme rowGood news stories about parking in Ilkley are being sought amid concerns that quiet voices in the town are not being heard.
• Start date revealed for £2.5 million crossroads schemeA £2.5 million improvement scheme for a busy Wharfedale crossroads is set to start next Spring.

Edinburgh Evening News

• MSPs back parking levy despite claims low-paid will be worst hitATTEMPTS to block powers for councils to introduce a workplace parking levy or hand exemptions to a wide range of people from teachers to RNLI volunteers have been rejected by MSPs.
• Edinburgh bus wars start again as Lothian boosts services to West LothianBUS wars are set to return after Lothian Buses announced new, improved and re-routed services in West Lothian, traditionally the territory of rivals First Group.

Northern Echo

• Car firm Nissan to end night shift at its Sunderland plant Car giant Nissan is to end the night shift at its UK plant, workers have been told.
• Metro extension to 'edging closer to reality' LONG-awaited plans to extend the Metro network towards County Durham could finally be edging closer to reality.

The York Press

• LETTER: HS2 should start and end at King’s Cross An official review of the HS2 project says that the new line should be scaled back and now end at Birmingham.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Flyover plan to leave 'lasting headache'The controversial move to tear down the Perry Barr flyover will leave

Cambridge News

• A14 Huntingdon bypass to open a year ahead of scheduleIt's part of a 21-mile scheme that will save drivers 20 minutes per journey
• Cambridge drivers' time spent stuck in traffic will 'more than double' if something doesn't changeTraffic in South Cambridgeshire will increase by almost 40 per cent in the morning peak, according to council documents

Plymouth Herald

• Crowded trains leaving Plymouth with half the number of carriages neededGWR confirms that sometimes services run with just five carriages

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Petards awarded contract to supply Bombardier TransportationPetards, the AIM quoted software developer of advanced security and surveillance systems, announces that it has been awarded a contract to supply Bombardier Transportation (
• Extra 6,500 passenger spaces a week on Valley linesSpace on trains for up to 6,500 more commuters a week on Valley lines has been announced by Transport for Wales (TfW) from December. But the Welsh Government is to request a delay in introducing new regulations to make trains accessible for people with disabilities. This is due to a backlog in train orders that has an impact throughout the UK. TfW said Valley lines would see more four-carriage trains on peak services. The Welsh Government-owned body is also introducing additional trains right across the Wales and Borders rail network, and carriages on some train services have been upgraded...
• Inverclyde shipyard to be bought by Scottish governmentFerguson Marine is to be nationalised after administrators rejected three commercial bids for the shipyard. The Scottish government, which is operating the firm under a management agreement, is now set to take formal ownership of the yard. Ministers said the three commercial bids were rejected because nationalisation was a better outcome for the yard and creditors. Nearly £50m of taxpayer loans to Ferguson Marine have been written off. A statement issued by the Scottish government said administrators had concluded that three indicative offers for Ferguson Marine were either
• Thomas Cook's 555 shops to be bought by rivalAll 555 Thomas Cook shops are to be bought by rival Hays Travel in a move that could save up to 2,500 jobs. The independent travel agent is buying the shops from the Official Receiver, which was appointed when Thomas Cook collapsed last month. Sunderland-based Hays said it planned to reopen the shops under its own brand with immediate effect. Hays has already offered jobs to 600 Thomas Cook staff and it plans to hire more as part of its rapid expansion. The move is a significant step for Hays, which currently has 190 shops across the UK. John Hays, who set up the the company 40 years ago,...

Rail Magazine

• £15 million scheme to develop Waverley capacityScottish Government has approved a £15 million programme of preliminary work to increase capacity on the approaches to Edinburgh Waverley.
• Europhoenix earmarks ‘91s’ for European freight useUp to 20 Class 91s could be exported to Eastern Europe for freight duties.
• New trains for Northern's Chester-Leeds routeCAF Class 195 diesel multiple units will be introduced onto Chester-Leeds Northern Connect routes from October 21, during the next round of new train introductions on the franchise.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Carlisle extension to Borders Railway making positive progressBorders Railway trains could soon be travelling down as far as Carlisle, after campaigners for the line extension were told their goal is
• Virgin Trains to increase number of body cameras worn by staffVirgin Trains, the first UK train operator to equip all frontline teams with body worn cameras, are rolling out 250 more across the network. Station staff and on-board teams have another layer of protection with body worn cameras issued to a further 250 staff, bringing the total number of people...

Aviation Industry

• Offsetting won’t get us to net zero, says AEF in response to government consultationAEF responded to the Department for Transport’s consultation Carbon offsetting in transport: a call for evidence which closed on 26 September 2019. The consultation outlined a proposal to require all air travel providers and other providers of ticketed travel to …
• ATR launches ATR 42-600S for short takeoffs and landingsATR is targeting customers operating out of space-constrained airports with the formal launch of a STOL (short takeoff and landing) version of the ATR 42-600, for which it has secured 20 commitments. read more
• Elbers: Replacing KLM’s Boeing 737s not a priority KLM Royal Dutch Airlines CEO Pieter Elbers sees no urgent need to decide soon on a replacement aircraft for its narrowbody Boeing 737s. read more
• Air France-KLM: ‘Too early’ to see Delta, LATAM cooperation benefits Air France-KLM chief executives say it is too early to see how the new strategic cooperation between Delta Air Lines and Chile’s LATAM Airlines will affect the SkyTeam alliance and its member-partners. read more
• American pulls MAX through mid-January, narrows 3Q guidanceAmerican Airlines narrowed its third-quarter revenue guidance and said the absence of Boeing 737 MAXs from its operation shaved $140 million off its 3Q pre-tax income and resulted in 9,475 flight cancellations. read more
• China’s airports handle 12.8 million passengers Oct. 1-7China’s week-long national day holiday, known as the Golden Week, saw 12.8 million passenger movements across China, a 5.1% year-on-year (YOY) increase. The Golden Week ran from Oct. 1-7. read more
• Tariffs could involve 15% of Airbus, Boeing backlogs: AnalysisPlanned tariffs on aircraft imports to the US from Europe would apply to about 15% of the Airbus backlog, Aviation Week Fleet Data Services show. read more

Other News Sources

• No Heathrow expansion without new rail link, says councilSurrey County Council has taken a tough stance towards expansion at Heathrow Airport.