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

Tuesday, 31 March 2020

BBC News

• Coronavirus: EasyJet grounds entire fleet of planes due to virusThe budget airline says it cannot currently give a date for when it will restart commercial flights.
• Coronavirus: Why are planes still flying?A number of global airlines are still running passenger flights amid the coronavirus pandemic.
• Coronavirus: Airport handlers at risk of collapseAviation services companies are calling on the government for urgent assistance due to the pandemic.
• Coronavirus: American Airlines to seek $12bn in state aidThe US carrier says it will ask for government help to survive during the coronavirus downturn.
• Coronavirus: 'Decisive action' taken on rail contractsTwo train operators have been given new franchises by the government to "provide certainty" during the coronavirus pandemic.

ITV News

• HS2 protestors 'self-isolate' in trees to stop woodland being chopped downHS2 protestors have taken to the treetops in Crackley Wood to stop contractors chopping down the ancient woodland.

Financial Times

• Aircraft lessors cheered by US airline bailoutUp to half carriers seeking rent relief on planes because of coronavirus standstill
• Bus companies to be promised coronavirus bailout this weekUK operators seek aid after passenger numbers fall by almost 80%
• Exor to invest $200m in transport start-up ViaOwner of Fiat Chrysler to take 9% of ride-sharing and route-mapping business
• UK to spend up to £75m chartering flights for stranded BritonsAircraft to repatriate ‘tens of thousands’ affected by coronavirus lockdowns 
• Outbreak makes America’s truckers heroes of the highwayDrivers are on the front line as grocery stores struggle to fill shelves emptied by panic buying

The Guardian

• UK announces £75m airlift plan to rescue Britons stranded abroadDominic Raab announces unprecedented operation involving charter flights and seats on commercial airlinesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage. The government has announced a £75m airlift operation to rescue hundreds of thousands of British nationals stranded abroad because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Herald

• Coronavirus in Scotland: Glasgow campaigners call for bus 'buy-out' amid pandemic fearsCAMPAIGNERS in Glasgow are calling on the Scottish Government to “buy out” – not “bail out” – bus operators.
• First Bus provide update to Glasgow customers with monthly passesFirst Glasgow has provided customers with an update for anyone who may have purchased a multi-weekly pass but are unable to travel.

The Telegraph

• Bus operators in line for bailoutBus companies are in line for a government bailout to help cope with an almost 80pc decline in passenger numbers due to the coronavirus crisis.

Times Online

• First Great Western given green light to continue train services to southwest [subscription]The government has extended its agreement with First Group to operate trains on the Great Western main line between London and the southwest for at least another three years.
• Self‑driving cars ‘will boost binge drinking’ [subscription]When engineers dreamt up the idea for driverless cars, they were motivated by the prospect of safer roads. Yet there was one unintended consequence that they may have overlooked.
• Flights from coronavirus hotspots continue to arrive in UK [subscription]Dozens of flights a day are still landing in the UK from coronavirus hotspots such as New York despite a collapse in the aviation industry.
• Mayday at Easyjet as Stelios threatens to sack directors [subscription]The founder of Easyjet has threatened to oust the directors of the company unless they cancel an order for £4.5 billion of aircraft from Airbus.

Reuters News

• Cabin crew swap aircraft aisles for hospitals in UK's coronavirus fightBritain's temporary hospitals are seeking volunteers from airlines, calling on cabin crew members who are currently grounded to use their first-aid skills and calm manner to help get the new Nightingale hospitals up and running.

Daily Express

• Heathrow to become ‘medical supply hub’ to fight CoronavirusHEATHROW AIRPORT is set to be turned into a medical supply hub in the government's wartime effort against coronavirus.

Mail Online

• Virgin Australia goes into a trading haltThe Australian airline, which was struggling financially before the pandemic, is expected to make an announcement later on Tuesday, after trading in the company was paused at 9.52am.

Network Rail

• Railway in Somerset reopens to help keep key workers movingKey workers, including NHS staff, can now get to work on a more reliable and resilient railway after Network Rail completed nine upgrades between Taunton and Castle Cary in Somerset.

Belfast Telegraph

• Coronavirus: 'Dramatic reduction' in bus and train useInfrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has said there has been a "dramatic reduction" in the number of people using bus and train services.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Jet2 among airlines set to fly Britons home JET2 is among the airlines who will take part in a £75 million airlift to get stranded Britons home.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Airbus A350 with missile defence system set to be Angela Merkel's new 'Air Force One'The special aircraft known as 'Regierungsflieger' has come out of the Airbus paint shop
• EasyJet grounds all planes due to Covid-19 - how to get your money backThe airline said all of its 344 planes would be parked

London Evening Standard

• British Airways suspends all flights in and out of Gatwick amid coronavirus crisisBritish Airways is suspending all flights in and out of Gatwick, as airlines continue to battle the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the aviation industry.
• New rail deals signed to 'guarantee services' through coronavirus crisis Follow our live coronavirus updates here Coronavirus: the symptoms
• Stranded Brits being sold 'more vague promises' of flights home, Emily Thornberry saysRead our live updates on coronavirus HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms
• EasyJet grounds entire fleet of aircraft due to coronavirus outbreakFollow our live updates here Coronavirus: the symptoms
• Can I drive my car during the coronavirus lockdown?Coronavirus: the symptoms

Northern Echo

• Durham based law firm proud to help save Weardale railwayA DURHAM based law firm is proud of the part it played in saving a heritage railway when it was placed into administration.
• Workers clear rubbish from railway line after complaintWORKERS from a North-East mine have been pitching in to tidy up a section of railway line that had become cluttered with litter.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Dramatic drop in footfall at Notts train stations during lockdownPlaces are assigned a value of 100 when they are at their busiest, and 0 when they are at their most empty.

East Anglian Daily Times

• End of the line for traditional trains on Greater Anglia routesNearly 175 years of tradition has come to an end on East Anglia’s railways with the last regular locomotive-hauled passenger services coming to an end with no ceremony.

Leeds Live

• New £64m Leeds service station opens in middle of coronavirus crisisIt is currently not running at full capacity because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic

Other Regional Press

• Government announces new plan to get stranded Brits homeBritish Airways, Virgin, Jet2 and easyJet to fly tens of thousands of Brits home in new arrangement

Train Operators

• LNER sandwiches shared with charity fighting food hungerLNER is continuing to support its suppliers and communities during the COVID-19 outbreak by supplying fresh sandwiches that would have been served onboard LNER services to a charity fighting food hunger.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Motorway services are Last week, the Secretary of State for Transport wrote a letter to motorway service areas asking them to remain open and ensure that hauliers are able to access roadside facilities – including showers. CILT has been asked to encourage any of its members, and in particular drivers, to let us know if this is not happening. In his correspondence, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps thanked those who are continuing to provide essential provisions to support the freight and logistics sectors. He also addressed motorway service areas encouraging them to remain open to ensure that our hauliers can sustain...
• Coronavirus: Emergency support for the Scottish bus industryThe Scottish Government will provide bus operators with additional financial assistance to maintain essential services. This is intended to offset the impact that reduced demand is having on the viability of local services for key workers and to protect the industry for the future. The intention is to maintain concessionary travel reimbursement and Bus Service Operator Grant payments at the levels forecasted prior to the impact of COVID-19, where we would typically spend over £260 million every year in supporting bus services. Operators will receive additional payments matching the dif...
• Coronavirus: EasyJet grounds entire fleet of planes due to virusEasyJet has grounded its entire fleet of planes and said it cannot give a date for when they will restart. The airline said it had made the move due to the

New Civil Engineer

• Private sector collaboration needed to meet electric vehicle charging targetElectric vehicle (EV) charging manufacturer Connected Kerb has called for greater private sector collaboration to achieve levels the charging capacity needed in the future.
• Network Rail supports army to deliver NHS frontline face masksRailway workers have driven through the night to deliver two lorry loads of protective medical face masks for frontline NHS workers.
• Irish Sea tunnel could cost £16bn less than bridgeA Northern Ireland to Scotland tunnel could cost up to £16bn less than a bridge, according to the architect who first proposed plans for a crossing.

Rail Technology Magazine

• 370,000 tonnes of vital supplies moved across the railway last week Last week alone key workers from Network Rail helped more than 370,000 tonnes of freight to be moved between west London and Cornwall and into and across Wales to support the economy, the NHS, petrol at the pumps and food in shops. The demand has been met thanks to dedication of Network Rail...
• Free parking for NHS and care workers at two major stations Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool Lime Street stations have made their parking free of charge for NHS and care workers during the coronavirus crisis. Network Rail has relinquished parking charges to display their support and appreciation for their efforts during this challenging time. The...

Railway Gazette

• FirstGroup says new Great Western contract has ‘appropriate balance’ of risk and rewardUK: The Department for Transport has directly awarded incumbent FirstGroup a new three-year contract to continue to operate Great Western services from the expiry of the current direct award on April 1 2020 until March 31 2023, with a possible extension of up to one year at DfT’s discretion.

Other News Sources

• Welsh bus support hinges on free NHS travelCombined support of £69m for bus operator hardship fund   NHS staff will receive free travel on buses throughout Wales in return for hardship funding from the Welsh Government over the next three months. Transport for Wales will receive additional funding support and a hardship fund has been set up to help bus companies as passenger numbers have fallen by up to 90% as passengers follow the stay-at-home rules in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The combined support is worth up to £69m. Free travel is already available on Transport for Wales rail services. This support will give public...
• German state of Baden-Württemberg to run battery-powered trainsThe Siemens Mobility Mireo Plus B two-car electric trainsets can operate on rail routes with or without overhead power lines due to their battery hybrid drive.