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

Thursday, 09 January 2020

BBC News

• Northern leaders call for 'crucial' Manchester rail upgradesImprovements to Manchester's congested railways are
• Ghosn: Decision to flee was hardest of my lifeThe fugitive ex-car boss said his treatment in Japan was against international standards of justice.

Financial Times

• Uber loosens rules for drivers to escape California lawCompany risks $500m hit if it treats contractors as employees, but changes could irk riders
• Iran refuses to give Boeing black box from Tehran crashMystery over cause of Ukraine airline disaster that killed 176
• Britain’s railway mess will not be sorted until pensions are reformedCommuters to face more strikes as large retirement deficit looms
• US airlines rush to secure 737 Max simulatorsBottleneck expected after Boeing says pilots need more training before jet returns to skies

The Telegraph

• Major international airlines reroute flights around Middle East following dangerous US-Iranian tensions

Times Online

• Diesel use driven into reverse by pollution fears and Brexit [subscription]The amount of diesel consumed by road vehicles in the UK has fallen for the first time in a decade after concerns over air quality.
• Boris Johnson signals end of line for West Midlands Trains [subscription]The prime minister criticised Britain’s underperforming rail network yesterday by suggesting that another private operator could lose its contract.

The Mirror

• Iran plane crash pilot 'did not radio for help and tried to turn back' to airportThe Ukrainian International Airlines Boeing 737 plane crashed shortly after takeoff near Tehran, killing all 176 passengers and crew abroad including three Brits

Birmingham Mail

• Driver hit with £100 airport fine - because he waited for car park barrier to riseThe company accused Nigel Wright of parking in a ‘no stopping zone’ at East Midlands Airport

Bolton News

• Bolton bus cuts leaves passengers in Westhoughton 'isolated'CUTS to a bus route taking place later this month will have a

London Evening Standard

• Mystery surrounds Boeing 737 plane crash in Iran that killed 176 including three BritonsThree British citizens were among 176 people killed when a Ukrainian airliner burst into flames shortly after take-off from Tehran.

Northern Echo

• Weardale Railway put up for sale by its American owners VOLUNTEERS at a heritage railway say they are disappointed at the American owners’ decision to sell up.

Wales Online

• Transport for Wales blames 'congestion' for delayed and cancelled trains on Tuesday morningOne commuter was unable to get three trains and said they were left standing on the platform for an hour

Bucks Free Press

• Contactless payment finally comes to Wycombe's buses Getting buses in Wycombe has this week been made easier - with the launch of a new partnership between Arriva and Carousel.

Leeds Live

• Boris Johnson promises big changes to Northern Rail - but his own minister issues warningRail minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP was speaking at a Transport for the North summit in Leeds city centre
• Transpennine Express Leeds cancellations to continue for rest of JanuaryAmended timetable on Liverpool-Edinburgh route extended by another week

Other Regional Press

• Three million passengers ride on Thames Travel buses in a yearMORE than three million passengers took journeys on Thames Travel buses in Oxfordshire last year.
• First chance to see plans for Halifax's new bus stationIf approved the station could be completed by 2023

New Civil Engineer

• Heathrow Southern Railway boss slams airport’s ‘unambitious’ delivery planHeathrow Southern Railway chief executive Chris Stokes has criticised Heathrow Airport Ltd’s [HAL] delivery plan for “lacking ambition”.

Rail Technology Magazine

• £642m deal secured between Alstom and Avanti West Coast The new West Coast Mainline operator, Avanti West Coast, have secured a seven-year deal worth precisely £642 million with Alstom, who will refurbish and maintain the routes 56 electric Pendolino trains. As well as covering a £127 million upgrade programme of the Pendolinos, which is...
• Network Rail awards £8m contract for New Measuring TrainThat is because Network Rail have announced the awarding of an £8m, five-year contract to Loram UK for the maintenance of its New Measurement Train - affectionately known as the Flying Banana because of its distinctive yellow livery.

Railnews

• Alstom and Avanti West Coast sign Pendolino deal A contract to refurbish the 56 Class 390 Pendolinos on Avanti West Coast has been agreed with Alstom, which will carry out the work at its centre in Widnes. The refurbishment deal is worth around £127 million, but Pendolino-builder Alstom will maintain the fleet until 2026, also taking care of the new Hitachi bi-mode trains which are replacing the Voyagers after they have been delivered in two years™ time. When this is taken into account, the contracts are worth a total of £642 million. Alstom said 100 jobs would be created, and that hundreds of existing engineering jobs will also be secured ...
• Survival of South Western Railway franchise in ˜significant doubt™ The South Western Railway franchise could be nationalised this year, after new accounts revealed a loss of £137 million in the year to March 2019. The directors have also warned that cash support of £146 million from SWR™s owners FirstGroup and MTR would probably run out this year. It is possible that the present contract could be replaced by a short-term agreement while various matters are resolved. The RMT is calling for an immediate return of South Western to the public sector.

Other News Sources

• Andy McDonald MP: Rail has suffered a ‘colossal failure of political leadership’ after a decade of incompetence and mismanagementOur rail system is unnecessarily complex, unaccountable and expensive, the Tories must be honest about failing rail contracts and turn off the life support, bringing rail operations and infrastructure back under public control, writes Andy McDonald MP.
• Bus prices will rise in Brighton because of increased congestion A BUS company has been forced to increase its prices due to a “sizeable growth in traffic and congestion in the city centreâ€�.