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

Friday, 11 October 2019

BBC News

• Video GWR train manager a hit for funny announcementsA train manager described as sounding like "the world’s most outrageously enthusiastic game show compere" has become a hit with commuters for his announcements.
• Birmingham workplace parking levy: Does it pay to ditch the car?What do businesses and motorists make of Birmingham's plans to impose a levy on employee parking?
• Extinction Rebellion: Man climbs on top of plane in climate protestThe Met Police calls the action
• Wrightbus: Jeff Wright 'can't reach deal' for Ballymena firmJo Bamford claims his offer met the asking price, but Wrightbus owner Jeff Wright asked for more money.
• Nissan Europe 'unsustainable' in no-deal BrexitThe Japanese carmaker is concerned about the impact of export duties in the event of no-deal Brexit.
• Dyson has scrapped its electric car projectThe technology firm, which has already built the first cars, says the project is not commercially viable.

ITV News

• HS2 review to conclude next week and East Midlands phase to be scrapped, say sourcesITV News Central has been told that the review into the future of HS2 will give the Government its decision next Friday. It's understood that the section through the East Midlands will not now go ahead.

Financial Times

• Supertanker rates jump after big capacity squeezeUS sanctions on Chinese shipowner contribute to fall in available vessels
• Delta confident about US demand after earnings soarCarrier hails rise in domestic revenues and points to strong bookings for holiday season
• Qantas hopes its ultra-long-haul flights will take offRoutes from Sydney to London and New York force Boeing and Airbus to push innovation

The Guardian

• Wrightbus on brink of liquidation as rescue talks falterNorthern Irish-based maker of New Routemaster bus has until Friday to save 1,200 jobs
• Ban eating on public transport? It’s a human rightThe outgoing chief medical officer wants to tackle our junk food addiction. But watching me inhaling M&S cookies on the train should actively put kids off sugarIn theory, Dame Sally Davies makes plenty of sense with her call to take action against junk food. Pervasive advertising and increasing portion sizes are slowly conspiring to hobble our children. The rates of obesity, tooth decay and diabetes more than prove this. Something, as Davies says, needs to be done.However, one of her suggestions hit me right where I live with the power of an exploding star. It is a suggestion so ludicr...

The Independent

• Nissan warns no-deal Brexit would make entire European business model 'unsustainable'Adding 10 per cent export duties to 70 per cent of Nissan's production would leave European business model 'in jeopardy', boss warns

The Scotsman

• Extinction Rebellion activists glue themselves to floor at London's City AirportHundreds of Extinction Rebellion activists have attempted to shut down a London airport by blocking the main entrance for passengers.

The Telegraph

• British Airways boss says Heathrow is unlikely to get a third runway due to environmental concernsThe boss of British Airways owner IAG believes the £14bn third runway at Heathrow Airport is unlikely to go ahead due to a growing backlash over the environment.
• Extinction Rebellion protester climbs on top of British Airways plane amid security questions for police

Times Online

• Third Heathrow runway is unlikely, says Willie Walsh [subscription]Regulators must ensure that Heathrow passengers do not end up paying for a third runway that is “unlikely to ever actually be built”, Willie Walsh, chief executive of International Airlines Group, has said.
• British start-up Spacebit will send rover to the moonA small robot could soon lift Britain into an exclusive club by landing on the moon. Spacebit, a London start-up focused on the “lunar economy”, revealed plans yesterday to send the rover in 2021.
• Wrightbus war of words as rescue talks collapse [subscription]The future of a Northern Irish manufacturer of London buses employing 1,200 people is hanging in the balance after last-ditch takeover talks fell apart.

Reuters News

• Climate protester lies on plane as London arrests top 1,000A protester lay on top of a plane while another forced a jet to turn around on the runway as climate change activists descended on London City Airport on Thursday, causing some flight disruption as the number of arrests this week topped 1,000.
• UK car insurance premiums fall 1% in third quarter - surveyThe cost of a comprehensive motor insurance policy in Britain fell 1% in the third quarter, pushed down by uncertainty from the personal injury discount rate change in July and the market watchdog's interim report on general insurance pricing practices, a survey showed.

City AM

• Potential loophole paves the way for conflicts of interest at HS2Downing Street is being urged to close a route that could allow former High Speed 2 (HS2) rail executives to become consultants on the project without the usual vetting procedures.

Belfast Telegraph

• Wrightbus: Paisley says deal 'hanging by a thread' as farmland dispute continuesDUP MP Ian Paisley has warned a deal to rescue Wrightbus is "hanging by a thread", as a dispute over farmland appears to be hindering a potential rescue deal.

Birmingham Mail

• Boris Johnson's review into the HS2 high speed rail line is nearing its endReview panel expected to present findings to Government within a fortnight, but that doesn't mean they'll be published

Birmingham Post

• UK's first green jet fuel refinery to be carbon capture readyBritish Airways and Shell backed Velocys has signed up with partner in US and wants to replicate in the Humber
• No-deal Brexit would make Nissan's European model unsustainable"Our industry works with lower margins and if we are in a situation in which tomorrow we have to apply 10% export duties to 70% of our production, the entire business model for Nissan Europe will be in jeopardy."

London Evening Standard

• Dyson scraps electric car project saying it is 'not commercially viable'Sir James Dyson has announced a project to build electric cars has been scrapped.
• Extinction Rebellion protests LIVE: More than 1,000 arrests as activists continue action and descend on London City AirportExtinction Rebellion activists have continued their action in the capital with more than 1,000 now arrested.

Wales Online

• Terrifying figures show how dangerously polluted Wales roads are even with 50mph speed limitsThe Welsh Government has boasted that 50mph speed limits are working to cut pollution - yet levels remain dangerously high

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• 'Infrastructure revolution' highlighted by governmentAn

Coach and Bus Week

• Yourbus ceases tradingHeanor-based Yourbus has gone into administration, leaving many passengers without a service from Friday 4 October
• Purpose-built in SouthallAbellio officially opens its Armstrong Way depot in Southall and provides a detailed update on progress with training, safety and maintenance. James Day reports
• The talk of the industryCBW highlights some of the key presentations from the theatre at Coach & Bus UK this year
• Dews Coaches joins the Guild of British Coach OperatorsThe Guild of British Coach Operators has announced that Dews Coaches of Somersham has been accepted into membership.
• Thames Valley brand combines with Courtney BusesPlans to combine Reading Buses’ Thames Valley and Courtney Buses’ operations in Windsor and Slough have been announced. As the second anniversary of Reading Buses introduction of its Thames Valley services in Slough approaches, changes to take place from 3 November will see an improved offer to customers.
• Blackpool Transport in further deal with ADLAlexander Dennis has announced that it will supply a further 19 new vehicles to Blackpool Transport, adding to the 100 already delivered since 2016
• Free bus network a success in DunkirkThe northern French city of Dunkirk introduced free bus services last year. In a recent study, it was shown to have increased ridership and decreased pollution. The network of frequent express routes to other local towns, and 12 less frequent services within Dunkirk, serves a total population of around 200,000 people, of whom 90,000 live in the city.

Rail Magazine

• Minister dismisses West Coast concernFive Parliamentary Written Questions relating to West Coast Partnership franchise issues such as staff and ticketing have been disregarded by Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris.
• ScotRail targets 12 refurbished HSTs in traffic this yearScotRail plans to have around 12 Inter7City High Speed Trains in traffic by the end of the year, running alongside seven ‘Classic’ sets.
• Northern Powerhouse condemns HS2 reportThe Northern Powerhouse Partnership has criticised a paper on High Speed 2 by the Adam Smith Institute, which claims that the new railway will deliver “limited benefits”.

Rail Technology Magazine

• 'Quick-thinking' ScotRail employee nominated for lifesaver awardToday (October 10), on World Mental Health Day, a ScotRail employee has been nominated for a top award after his rapid response to noticing and helping a vulnerable person. Christopher Harvie, customer service team leader, has been nominated for the Samaritans Lifesaver Award after he intervened...

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Caetano will offer electric and fuel cell to UKCaetano will show its City Gold zero-emission single-deck bus range at Busworld Brussels and says that going forward it will be available in right-hand drive format at 10.7m and 12m lengths and in both battery-electric e.City Gold and H2.City Gold hydrogen fuel cell formats.
• Actia UK showcases telematics and vehicle networking solutionsActia UK had on its stand a timeline of its innovations, CCTV solutions and multimedia tools.
• War on pollution: ‘Euro VI is still a diesel’In a time where all talk is on Brexit and a general election, one thing that can be agreed on is the air quality agenda
• ‘Compete with the car using autonomy’Autonomous buses are coming; don’t forget about the people, says Stagecoach CEO
• McGill’s Buses MD criticises lack of investmentMcGill’s Buses Managing Director Ralph Roberts has criticised local and national government for “favouring the car and train” over buses. He says the bulk of infrastructure money goes to those modes despite buses delivering 74% of public transport journeys.

Transport Network

• TfSE looks to balance economy and environmentThe sub-national transport body (STB) for the South East has launched a 30-year strategy document that warns indulging continued traffic growth is ‘no longer sustainable’.

Aviation Industry

• Mitsubishi eyes more SpaceJet customers by year-end Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. hopes to sign up new customers for its SpaceJet aircraft family program by the end of the year, as it pushes ahead with type certification testing for the aircraft. read more
• Lufthansa’s Hohmeister: Condor takeover unlikely Lufthansa’s executive board member Harry Hohmeister sees “a lot of difficultiesâ€� if the company tries to take over leisure carrier Condor. read more
• European regionals expect tough times to continue European regional airlines are expecting a difficult operating environment to continue in the coming months, with macroeconomic and political uncertainty, as well as hefty fuel bills causing headaches for smaller carriers in a region that has already seen four airline collapses in the past month. read more
• Taiwan startup Starlux unveils new A321neo cabin productsTaiwan’s Starlux Airlines has introduced its Airbus A321neo cabin products ahead of the startup carrier’s launch in January 2020. read more
• Munich Airport CEO sees limited European impact from new global hubsThe recent openings of two global hubs—Beijing Daxing and the new Istanbul Airport—will have a limited impact on Europe’s hub systems, Munich Airport president and CEO Michael Kerkloh said. read more
• American reshuffles management teams after turbulent summer American Airlines is reorganizing its operations and customer service management teams following a tumultuous summer that led to a spike in delays and cancellations. read more

Other News Sources

• Heathrow calls for further industry-wide action on carbon as the airport’s biggest airline commits to net zeroPlans to combine Reading Buses’ Thames Valley and Courtney Buses’ operations in Windsor and Slough have been announced. Heathrow Chief Executive John Holland-Kaye, said: “Heathrow is committed to achieving net zero emissions in aviation and is working to decarbonise airport operations as quickly as possible. IAG’s announcement of net zero emissions from flight by 2050 shows that the aviation sector as a whole can decarbonise and protect the benefits of global travel and trade. We will work with them to achieve this and call on other airlines to follow their lead.”
• Heathrow Airport commits to being net carbon neutralHeathrow Airport said on Friday that it was committed to achieving net zero emissions and that it was hoping to quickly decarbonise its airport operations.
• Councillors lobby for more rail investmentA new foot crossing under, or over the tracks at Swindon Railway Station, more car parking and improved information screens at the station are all on the council’s wishlist.
• Slotting in: The enduring problem of airport capacityThe International Air Transport Association recently warned that governments need to take a more harmonised approach in allocating airport slots. Scrapping archaic slot guidelines might also help to alleviate longstanding capacity issues. airport slot managementIATA recently warned that governments need to take a more harmonised approach in allocating airport slots.
• Havering Council opposes plans for third runway at HeathrowHavering Council has officially opposed plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport and an increase in flights at London City Airport.
• Underlying issues with rail franchise say Transport for the NorthFollowing speculation in the media about the rail franchise operated by Northern, Transport for the North have confirmed their position on a preferred course of action.