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

Tuesday, 17 December 2019

BBC News

• Warrington West: Town's new £20.5m railway station opensRoutes from the station will include two connections to Manchester and Liverpool every hour.
• Greater Anglia: MP criticises 'catastrophic' rail serviceSuffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey calls on the transport secretary to intervene.
• GWR rail signal 'chaos' on first day of new timetableThe new super-fast train from Bristol to London was among services delayed or cancelled.
• Northern and Transpennine rail delays as new timetable beginsCommuters criticise rail firms Northern and Transpennine Express over the cancellations and delays.
• BA strike threat removed after pilot pay dealThe airline and its pilots have struck a deal in a dispute that led to a mass walkout in September.
• Boeing to temporarily halt 737 Max production in JanuaryThe manufacturer says it will stop production of the troubled jet involved in two deadly crashes.

Financial Times

• Boeing to halt 737 Max production in JanuaryDecision threatens ripple effects across manufacturing supply chain
• FirstGroup weighs sale US school bus and public transit unitsUK rail and bus operator under pressure from shareholders after November share plunge
• Pedal v petrol: can a London taxi-bike start-up take on Uber?The race is on as two FT journalists put Pedal Me to the test

The Guardian

• 'Beyond barmy': Irish Rail bans reusable cups over burning fearsNetwork bans passengers from using their own cups because of risk to catering staffIrish Rail bills itself as part of a solution to the climate crisis and pollution, saying clean transport can help avert global warming, rising sea levels and famine.But don’t try using your own reusable coffee cup on one of its trains. Ireland’s national railway network has banned passengers from using their own cups, citing safety concerns. Continue reading...

The Independent

• Boeing to stop 737 MAX production in JanuaryFirm admits it has yet to develop 'appropriate training requirements' for pilots

The Scotsman

• Loganair launch two new international flights from Edinburgh AirportScottish airline Loganair is to launch two new international services to Denmark and Germany as well as increasing its domestic services to the Outer Hebrides.
• Electric car tops prestigious Which? product of the year listAn electric vehicle has fought off competition from an innovative mattress, a resuable coffee cup and a miniscule speaker to be crowned product of the year.

The Telegraph

• Irish Rail bans re-usable cups because of safety concerns
• British Airways pilots who went on strike in September accept new pay deal
• Britain's first zero-emissions street to ban all petrol and diesel cars
• Rail and road users face the prospect of a 'frantic Friday'

City AM

• TfL and Sadiq Khan to write to government in funding bidSadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL) will write to the new government in a bid to secure funding for several big ticket transport projects.

Mail Online

• Busy London road will become the UK's first 24-hour emission-free streetThe rules will be enforced on a 350-metre (383 yards) stretch of Beech Street in the City of London- much of which runs under the Barbican Estate, pending approval by Transport for London.

The Mirror

• Calls to strip Northern rail of its franchise after passengers suffer huge delaysGreater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has slammed Northern for causing "chaos and misery" after 178 of its trains were cancelled or half an hour late on one day

Birmingham Mail

• British Airways pilots accept pay deal after strike throws 1,700 flights into chaosBalpa general secretary Brian Strutton said during the strike that its members had taken "big pay cuts to help the company through hard times"

Bolton News

• Andy Burnham calls for Northern to be removed over train delays RAILWAY bosses say delayed and cancelled trains were not the result of a nationwide timetable change.
• Northern says train delays not down to 'timetable change'RAILWAY bosses say delayed and cancelled trains were not the result of a nationwide change timetable change.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Wales bus pass replacement: Important information and updates ahead of upcoming deadlineTransport for Wales say that 30 per cent of holders who've used their passes in the last 12 months have not yet applied

Liverpool Echo

• Getting rid of Northern Rail should be one of government's 'first acts'Metro Mayor says: 'Enough is enough'
• Major city centre bus changes delayed as popular route is savedThe changes were due to come in January but have been pushed back - with one cancelled altogether

London Evening Standard

• Commuters hit by disruption as new rail timetable comes into forceGreat Western Railway passengers suffered disruption between Reading and London Paddington this morning Northern Rail trains also cancelled due to a shortage of drivers Comes of first weekday of new timetable which promises quicker trains
• British Airways pilots accept revised pay offer after strikesBritish Airways pilots who are members of Balpa have accepted a revised pay offer, the union has confirmed.
• Boeing temporarily halting production of 737 MAX planes after fatal crashesBoeing will suspend the production of its 737 Max planes in January after the planes were grounded following two separate crashes that led to the deaths of 346 people.
• Barbican Estate's Beech Street to become Britain's first 24-hour zero-emissions road under 'radical' new plansPetrol and diesel cars are set to be completely banned from a busy London street under plans for Britain's first 24-hour zero-emissions road.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Thursday's Queen's speech set to include £78billion transport spending for the NorthBrexit withdrawal bill to come to the House of Commons on Friday

The York Press

• New rail timetable marred by disruption Cancellations and delays caused havoc for rail commuters on the first working day of new train timetables.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Part one of new Wolverhampton train station to be completed in weeksThe first part of Wolverhampton's upgraded train station will soon be open with work expected to be completed within weeks.

Cambridge News

• New A14 opening at Girton postponed for second timeThe delayed opening is at the Girton A14 westbound to westbound link

East Anglian Daily Times

• Some Greater Anglia services restored – but Coffey calls for government intervention in rail crisisRural rail services in East Anglia have eased – but now Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey has asked for her cabinet colleague Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to intervene to try to improve things further.
• Rail misery continues as commuters face another day of cancellationsCommuters on one Suffolk line are set for further disruption this morning after Greater Anglia announced the cancellation of a whole day’s services.

Leeds Live

• Northern issue baffling statement as customers hit by cancellations due to new timetablesCommuters in Leeds and beyond took to social media to vent their frustrations as services were delayed and cancelled
• Leeds train station entrance finally finished months after transparent roof installedConstruction has continued for almost three months on the main entrance after the transparent roof was installed above the main concourse
• MP Alex Sobel will not support the expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport "I don't think the airport should expand and we should keep the airport at the current level"

Reading Evening Post

• 'Epic' signal failure sparks commuter 'chaos' on Elizabeth line from Reading to PaddingtonAccording to Great Western Railway (GWR), a signal failure was to blame for the disruption, which was not related to the new timetable

Other Regional Press

• 'A child could be killed' - Parents stage protest after school bus axedParents concerned about the axing of a school bus service have walked the 40-minute journey to demonstrate the danger to children, as it was revealed education chiefs are reconsidering their decision.
• Buses on Christmas Day 2019: bus timetables in Hertfordshire over Christmas and New YearBuses on Christmas Day 2019: bus timetables in Hertfordshire over Christmas and New Year
• Cycle path completion delayed until 2027Construction of the Helensburgh to Dumbarton cycle path is set to be pushed back by as much as three years, documents have revealed.
• More cycling infrastructure coming to Kenilworth after council adopts cycle strategyThe Kenilworth Town Council has adopted a cycling strategy which among its objectives includes increasing the proportion of journeys in town made by bicycle.
• Oxford Bus Company Christmas timetable 2019OXFORD Bus Company will operate a festive service to Gatwick and Heathrow on Christmas Day.
• Redcar gets its Manchester Airport rail link - but the Pacers cling on and not all runs smoothlyNew timetable sees hourly Transpennine Express service to Redcar Central
• 4,400 jobs plan for Teesside Airport 'business park' - if £23.6m in borrowing is approvedLeaders on the Tees Valley Combined Authority will be asked to agree to borrowing to fund building a road and infrastructure for the site
• Changes to rail timetables for Huddersfield passengers revealedIt's due to a maintenance backlog, a delay in crew training and late delivery of new trains

Railnews

• First day of new timetables marred by staff shortages The launch of the December timetables yesterday was marred in some areas, although the problems did not seem to be caused by the new timetables themselves. Great Western Railway said ˜an unusually high number™ of staff had not been available for work. It was the last Sunday but one before Christmas, and Sunday working was traditionally a matter for voluntary working, although this is no longer the case with newer contracts. Even so, the lack of staff meant that many intercity services from London had to be turned short, with some trains to Devon and Cornwall being terminated at Exeter St Davi...

Other News Sources

• 'It's the only bus we've got!' – OAPs asked to donate £1 to save this 'unprofitable' routePensioners are being asked to make a small donation - to keep an unprofitable bus route running. Family firm Scraggs operates the number 44 bus between Hanley and Stanley which is subsidised by Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire County Council.
• Mace lands £750m Iceland airport workMace has been appointed programme manager on a $1bn (£750m) redevelopment of Iceland’s biggest airport. The firm was chosen by Isavia, the country’s airport operator, to oversee expansion of Keflavik International Airport, which currently caters for around 10 million passengers annually.
• Northern rail say train delays not due to timetable changeRAILWAY bosses say delayed and cancelled trains were not the result of a nationwide timetable change.