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

Wednesday, 18 December 2019

BBC News

• Newport M4 traffic jams: Average 50mph limit recommendedThe limit between junctions 24 and 28 would smooth traffic flow, a commission of experts says.
• Rail passengers urged to sign Northern petitionNorthern says track congestion and extreme weather had affected its services.
• Boeing suppliers' shares hit by production pauseThe planemaker's parts-makers have been hurt by the decision to pause production of the 737 Max.

Financial Times

• Can European carmakers accelerate electric transition?New EU emissions standards are designed to wean consumers off larger, petrol-fuelled cars
• Megamerger of Korean shipbuilder rivals draws EU scrutinyBrussels opens in-depth investigation into Hyundai Heavy and Daewoo Shipbuilding merger

The Guardian

• Farewell to Pacers, the rickety old bus-trains of the northThey were held together by string and a prayer – but scrapping them won’t change the regional inequality they represent
• Zero-carbon ships on horizon under fuel levy planClimate groups say 10-year ICS plan not urgent enough to cut carbon from dirty sector. Shipping companies would have to pay a small levy on every tonne of fuel they use under proposals aimed at developing zero-carbon vessels within 10 years, transforming the high-carbon global shipping business. Ships running on hydrogen or ammonia as fuel are thought to be technically possible, but more research and development is needed to bring forward the development of prototypes.

The Telegraph

• Passengers caught up in South Western Railway strike misery should get 'special compensation', watchdog says

Times Online

• Mother of asthma victim Ella Kissi-Debrah accuses Boris Johnson over London air pollution [subscription]The mother of a nine-year-old girl who died of an asthma attack has accused Boris Johnson of failing to protect her from illegal levels of air pollution when he was mayor of London.
• Fare rises force millions off the buses [subscription]Bus travel in Britain has dropped to its lowest level on record amid concerns over rising fares and cuts to routes.
• Trainline on track as sales rise by 18% [subscription]Trainline said yesterday that it was set to hit its annual targets after British and international ticket sales rose by 18 per cent to £2.85 billion.
• The Times view on falling bus travel: The Wheels are Coming Off [subscription]Britain’s network of buses is faltering, leaving many people isolated and unable to get to work. A radical government would consider making bus travel free
• British firms winged by Boeing shutdown [subscription]Boeing’s decision to halt production of its bestselling 737 Max wiped nearly £300 million from the value of three leading British aerospace components manufacturers yesterday as investors worldwide sold out of companies linked to the American aviation group.

City AM

• Shipping sector proposes $5bn fund to cut emissionsThe global shipping industry will this morning submit a proposal to form a $5bn research and development fund for decarbonising [...] The post Shipping sector proposes $5bn fund to cut emissions appeared first on CityAM.

Mail Online

• Journeys on local bus services have hit record lows around the country as ticket prices soar The number of bus trips made in England outside London fell 9 million in 2018-19, official figures show. There were 2.6 billion journeys in the year to March - the lowest since records started in 2004-05.

Birmingham Post

• Bombardier secures £117m deal to maintain Avanti West Coast trainsIt comes after the Derby firm missed out on a contract to deliver new trains for the franchise

Bristol Live

• Woman criticises Bristol Airport's Drop and Go car park over costs and overcrowdingChanges to the airport's 'Drop and Go' were introduced on Monday 28 October

Liverpool Echo

• 'Jail parents who pavement park' says councillor as roads near schools face closure over problemRoads around some schools could be shut as part of plans to tackle the issue

London Evening Standard

• New law will enshrine 'right' of commuters to minimum service during strikes, says Grant ShappsLaws on strikes will uphold the
• TfL Tube delays: Rush hour disruption hits eight routes as Circle, District and Metropolitan lines are suspendedCommuters are facing travel chaos this morning as major disruption continues to blight London Underground lines, as well as Overground, DLR and tram links.
• Old Oak and Park Royal developers scrap plans to buy Cargiant lotThe 54-acre site was earmarked for almost 6,000 new homes.

Wales Online

• Fixed 50mph speed limit proposed for M4 around NewportThe 50mph speed limit would be put in place along an eight mile stretch of the M4

Other Regional Press

• Will the 50mph stretch on the M6 be lifted over Christmas?Highways England has said 800 miles of roadworks will be finished or suspended over the festive season

Construction News

• Crossrail: ‘We do not plan to ask for any more money’Crossrail is not planning to ask for any increase on its latest £18bn budget, the chair of its board has said. Chair Tony Meggs said that the project's leaders have now "got to the bottom of what remains to be done" in order to complete the work.

Railnews

• Northern fallout continues after cancellations Criticism of problems with performance on Northern is continuing after the introduction of new timetables on Sunday, when 38 early morning services were reported cancelled. The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: ˜If the government is serious about supporting the North, then it needs to show it by acting this week to sort out our failing rail services. As a first step, it should strip Northern of its franchise.™ Northern has denied that new timetables were to blame, saying: ˜The small number of delays and cancellations are due to operational issues including driver sickness, signal...

Other News Sources

• Maersk Names CEO for ShippingDanish integrated logistics giant A.P. Moller - Maersk appointed Vincent Clerc as CEO of Ocean and Logistics and Henriette Hallberg Thygesen as CEO of Towage, Manufacturing & Others.“A year ago, we integrated our customer facing roles across the company.
• New MPs muscle in on South Western Railway guard row in bid to end impasse They have been "inundated... from many constituents whose lives are being severely disrupted"
• Epsom rail disruption could last 'weeks rather than days' due to severity of landslip The land beneath the tracks near Epsom station, which slopes down into a wooded area, fell away leaving the line unsafe