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

Thursday, 12 March 2020

Government

• Budget 2020: What you need to knowMeasures announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in the Budget. ... 3. Infrastructure

BBC News

• Pavement parking could be banned in EnglandParking on pavements could be banned in England to help pedestrians, the Department for Transport has said.
• Public inquiry into A1 upgrade under way in BanbridgeThe scheme would see four new flyovers developed and right turns prevented from over 20 side roads.
• Manchester adopts plan to halve CO2 emissions by 2025Campaigners welcomed the move but criticised plans to increase Manchester Airport's passenger numbers.
• Ferguson ferries shipyard was 'master of its own demise', MSPs hearAn inquiry hears claims that a shipyard tasked with building two new ferries was
• Almost 200 Swissport jobs at risk following Flybe collapseAlmost 200 baggage handling jobs are under threat at Swissport in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
• Get Britain building, says Sunak in infrastructure planMr Sunak unveiled £27bn of spending on roads, including improved junctions and dual carriageways.
• Coronavirus: China airline passenger numbers fall 84.5%The economic hit from the outbreak lockdown forces the Chinese government to support its airline sector.

Department for Transport

• Action plan announced to boost smart motorway safetyTransport Secretary sets out 18 point package of measures to improve safety and public confidence.

Financial Times

• Coronavirus/airlines: cancellations outweigh cheap fuelCalculations suggest kerosene costs compensate for lower ticket sales only if few trips are cancelled
• FirstGroup launches formal sale of North American businessesUK transport company has come under pressure from US activist to sell school bus and transit divisions
• Oil tanker rates surge after Saudi turns on the tapsCost of hiring a very large crude carrier jumped more than 150% in a week
• Boeing moves to preserve cash and draws down $13.8bn loanAircraft manufacturer’s shares slide 18% as it acts to deal with coronavirus impact
• Norwegian is facing a tough flight to safety as coronavirus hitsAirline’s debt levels and cash reserves raise fears it may breach bond covenants

The Guardian

• Norwegian Air Shuttle crew were shut out of hotel over cash fearsGatwick hotel asked for upfront payment from lossmaking low-cost carrierCrew members from the lossmaking low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle were refused access to their rooms at an airport hotel until advance payment was received from the company. Copthorne hotel at London Gatwick delayed staff accessing rooms on Monday, the Guardian has learned. Continue reading...
• Trump to suspend travel from Europe, excluding UK, amid coronavirus outbreakUK among countries exempt from ban as president faces doubts over measure’s effectivenessDonald Trump has announced that the US would temporarily suspend most travel from the European Union, as the country reckons with the spread of coronavirus and the White House grapples with the severity of the situation.The restrictions, which would begin on Friday and last for 30 days, would not apply to US citizens or to travelers from the UK. The restrictions apply to most foreign nationals who have been in the 26 countries of the Schengen area during the 14 days before their planned arrival in the US. ...
• Key points from budget 2020 – at a glanceRishi Sunak opens the budget on the coronavirus outbreak: “I know how worried people are … what everyone needs to know is we are doing everything we can to keep this country and our people healthy and financially secure. This is an issue above party.”

The Independent

• Electric dreams: How to phase out diesel and petrol carsWith the ambitious target to eliminate polluting vehicles from roadways by 2035, Ashley Fly looks at what must be considered when making our motors eco-friendly
• Coronavirus travel ban: Customers left in the dark after Trump restricts travel from Europe The announcement sparked near-immediate confusion and chaos among US citizens and foreigners alike

The Telegraph

• Smart motorways will be made safer as Government admits more must be done to protect motorists [subscription]Transport Secretary says smart motorways can be more dangerous than conventional roads

Times Online

• Bus stocks fuelled by government’s big transport plans [subscription]Britain’s transport groups were driven higher this morning by news that the government will set aside up to £5 billion to improve local bus services over the coming five years.
• BUDGET 2020: CHANCELLOR RISHI SUNAK OUTLINES PLANS FOR ROADS AND CARSNEW CHANCELLOR of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has been in the job for less than a month, and he arrives at a time of potential economic turmoil. The Covid-19 coronavirus is creating havoc for businesses, with “up to a fifth” of the workforce facing being forced to take time off work, and negotiations with the European Union over our future relationship continue, ahead of our departure from the bloc at the end of the year. So today’s Budget was not only his first real test but potentially the trickiest in years.

City AM

• Jet2 dodges airlines malaise as budget carrier raises profit forecastJet2 owner Dart Group today bucked the current airlines malaise, raising its profit forecast for the second time in six months despite the pressure being exerted on the aviation industry by the coronavirus outbreak.
• Costain shares crash as firm hits up investors for £100mShares in engineering firm Costain plummeted 34 per cent today as it revealed plans to launch a £100m fund raise to bolster its balance sheet.
• Budget 2020: Sunak confirms £600bn in capital investment for UK transport and industryThe Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has pledged £600bn in investment over the next five years for infrastructure and industry in today’s Budget.

Mail Online

• Cycling to work cuts your risk of dying by a fifthCycling to work cuts your chances of dying early - despite the risk of being hit by a car, according to a research team at the University of Glasgow (pictured, stock).

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham Airport reviewing evacuation plan after man in wheelchair left shivering in cold An evacuation at Birmingham Airport on the day of Flybe collapse left 83 year old man out in the cold.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Rail bosses to meet Council as part of review of services in CalderdaleKey rail chiefs will join scrutiny councillors to discuss services and the public’s input will also be welcomed.
• Pedestrian footbridge is 'preferred option' for trunk roadA FOOTBRIDGE should be built for pedestrians who currently have to dice with death to cross a busy dual carriageway.

Bristol Live

• GWR and First Bus carrying out 'extensive' cleaning amid coronavirus outbreakThe companies say there's no reason to stop using public transport
• First Bus off the market after owner agrees to sell North American operations insteadThe possible sale of First Bus, which is owned by First Group, was announced last year

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• £95m Budget boost for Metro will pave way for extra trains and 30,000 more passengers every dayRail bosses are promising more frequent and reliable trains thanks to the new funding – but the region's leaders face tough decisions over what other projects will get the green light

Northern Echo

• Chancellor announces £105m Darlington Railway Station redevelopment will be fundedCHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak has today used his first budget to announce that the redevelopment of Darlington railway station will be approved and fully funded.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Newark bypass, Beeston station and Midlands rail hub - what the budget means for NottsSeveral major projects across Nottinghamshire will receive funding, the new Chancellor has announced in his annual budget.

The York Press

• Plans revealed for more electric vehicle charging spaces in York THE council is set to make at least five per cent of its parking spaces at all car parks into superfast electric charging points - by 2023.

Wales Online

• Trains cancelled after flooding on track between Newport and CardiffServices are waiting for the water level to lower

Yorkshire Post

• Jet2.com owner looks to reduce capacity on flights due to coronavirusDart Group, the owner of Jet2 and Jet2holidays, said momentum has weakened over recent weeks following the coronavirus outbreak and it is monitoring the situation carefully and reducing capacity on some routes.
• What the Spring Budget will mean for Yorkshire's roads and motorwaysSome of Yorkshire's busiest roads will be expanded under major investment announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Cambridge News

• A14 traffic: Should lorries be banned from overtaking?Some drivers thought this rule should be put in place on the M11, while others worried it would cause even more congestion

East Anglian Daily Times

• Could the Copdock queues finally come to an end? Not until 2030!The notorious Copdock Mill roundabout should be replaced by a new junction between the A14 and A12 – and drivers should be able to use a dual carriageway all the way from east Suffolk to Stansted Airport via Braintree. But they will have to wait at least 10 years.

Leeds Live

• Leeds MP's anger over Clean Air Zone delays accuses government of 'dragging its heals'Labour MP Alex Sobel said the delay was 'simply unacceptable'

Other Regional Press

• Sheffield railway station ranked as fourth worst of busiest stations in UKSome journeys to and from the station never arrive on time
• Train services between Bradford and London are to double says LNERIt comes as 65 new Azuma trains are added to LNER's fleet
• This is what Harrogate council is doing to tackle nose-to-tail trafficIts car share scheme will go on for another five years
• Smart motorway fears after 1,200 incidents on M1 branded a potential tragedyEvery stoppage was a "potential tragedy" MP warns in response to shocking new statistics

New Civil Engineer

• Budget | Rail groups back £20M Midlands Rail Hub green lightOrganisations including the Rail Industry Association (RIA) have welcomed the chancellor’s commitment to the Midlands Rail Hub.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Railway Industry Association responds to the 2020 budget Today the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, announced the 2020 budget. Among his announcements, he confirmed reports that the government will increase spending on infrastructure.

Railnews

• Arriva reports £222.6m loss on Northern The Northern franchise run by Arriva lost £222.6 million in the year to March 2019, according to newly-published accounts from Arriva Trains North Ltd. The contract continued until 1 March this year, when it was terminated by the Department for Transport and taken over by the DfT™s Operator of Last Resort. It should have run until April 2025, but transport secretary Grant Shapps told Parliament at the end of January that the operation was ˜no longer sustainable™. The directors™ report says there had been ˜several material and unprecedented challenges™, which included delayed infrastructure up...

Other News Sources

• Software glitches continue to dog CrossrailHeathrow stretch of line hit by teething problems Crossrail is facing new delays in its efforts to get its trains running through the tunnels to Heathrow airport.
• Airlines struggling as coronavirus depresses demand for travelAirlines are struggling to cope with mass cancellations as the virus outbreaks lead to plummeting demand for international flights.