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

Wednesday, 06 May 2020

BBC News

• Staffordshire rail freight hub plans approved by governmentPlans to build a new rail freight hub on land off the M6 in Staffordshire have been given the go-ahead by the government. The West Midlands Strategic Rail Freight Interchange will link to the motorway and the West Coast Mainline.
• Coronavirus: How will you commute to work after lockdown?Interest in finding an alternative to public transport is growing as people think about returning to the office.
• Scotland's economic recovery should 'prioritise broadband over roads'The Committee on Climate Change suggests six priority areas for economic recovery from the pandemic.
• Health minister 'shocked' at packed plane imagesAer Lingus is boosting capacity on its Belfast-Heathrow route after a photo showed a packed aircraft.
• Coronavirus: Greater Manchester councils invest millions to help airportsLocal authorities across Greater Manchester agree a financial package for Manchester Airports Group.
• Air fares face turbulence when flights slowly restartPrices should initially fall but then spike by more than 50% if airlines have to keep middle seats free.
• Uber and Lyft sued by California, accused of denying driver benefitsThe state of California said the transportation companies are flouting the law by claiming drivers are independent.
• Coronavirus: Virgin Atlantic to cut 3,000 jobs and quit GatwickThe airline will axe a third of its workforce in response to the

Financial Times

• Virgin Atlantic to cut third of staff to survive Covid-19 crisisAirline to axe up to 3,150 jobs and close London Gatwick operations as it scales back to save business
• Hertz avoids bankruptcy with last-minute dealUS car rental group backed by billionaire Carl Icahn extends crucial payment deadline
• Retro charm of two wheels may not save e-bikes and scootersAfter lockdown, start-ups will need to work with city authorities to keep cars off the roads
• Norwegian Cruise Line raises $2.2bn in fight to stay afloatCompany pledges two ships and two islands as collateral in upsized refinancing plan
• European cities face transport challenges as lockdowns liftMunicipal authorities encourage cycling amid fears networks cannot cope with social distancing

The Guardian

• Virgin Atlantic job cuts were the only route to Treasury coffersBillionaire Branson will have a tough time getting a hearing for the fantastical £500m of state aid he requires. What did he expect?Here’s the bit Sir Richard Branson didn’t mention in his open letter to Virgin employees a fortnight ago: the only possible route to the Treasury’s wallet involves almost a third of the 10,000 staff at the Virgin Atlantic losing their jobs.The jobs decision hadn’t been taken at the time but Branson could still have foreshadowed an obvious threat. Government ministers were never going to throw £500m of taxpayers’ money, or some such sum, in Virgin Atlantic’s direct...

The Independent

• Virgin Atlantic to cut 3,150 jobs and stop flying from GatwickAirline plans to 'reshape and resize' the business

Times Online

• Holiday refunds are a mess and ministers must get tough [subscription]Why have Alok Sharma and Grant Shapps remained silent over the scandal of travel firms denying refunds for coronavirus holiday and flight cancellations?
• Gatwick gets watchdog approval to add 50,000 flights on new runway [subscription]Gatwick airport will push ahead with plans for a £500 million second runway after the scheme passed a significant legal hurdle.
• Virgin Atlantic quits Gatwick as it axes 3,000 staffVirgin Atlantic is to cut 3,150 jobs, about a third of its workforce, and will quit Gatwick airport after failing to secure a government bailout.

Reuters News

• Climate advisers show Britain path to green recoveryBritain should use economic stimulus measures to speed a shift away from fossil fuels and take advantage of low oil prices to raise revenues from carbon taxes without hurting consumers, state-appointed climate advisers said on Wednesday.

Mail Online

• Virgin Atlantic will axe THIRD of its workforceVirgin Atlantic will axe 3,000 jobs and cease operations at Gatwick Airport as it battles for survival amid the coronavirus crisis.

Birmingham Post

• Senior partner of Deloitte in Wales named new chair of Cardiff AirportIt comes as the aviation industry faces huge challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic
• Midland electric taxi maker to create 50 jobs following investmentThe Dynamo taxi is already being used on the streets of London

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Lanes closed to cars and more 20mph zones - major changes to Bradford's streets planned to allow more social distancing BRADFORD Council is set to introduce major changes to many district streets in an effort to make social distancing easier for pedestrians and cyclists.

London Evening Standard

• Tube only able to carry less than 15 per cent of rush hour passengers under social distancing rulesJust 50,000 commuters could board every 15 minutes if they had to keep two metres apart - when rush-hour usually sees 320,000 on board
• Union demands Sadiq Khan make travel free for Tube cleaners who are 'integral' to capital's coronavirus responseUnion bosses have written to Sadiq Khan to demand a reversal of Transport for London's
• Virgin Atlantic to cut 3,150 jobs British airline to make drastic cut to staffing and end operations at Gatwick amid financial fallout from coronavirus pandemic

Manchester Evening News

• What's happening to Virgin Atlantic at Manchester Airport as the airline makes 3,150 job cuts?The airline is in the process of applying for emergency loans from the government

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• 'We won't give up yet', say rail groupCampaigners who have battled against the West Midlands Interchange rail depot say they may push for a judicial review - as they declared they were not ready to give up yet.

Leeds Live

• Speed limit reduced to just 20mph on 101 roads in Leeds city centreAlmost every road in Leeds city centre will be subject to new 20mph speed limits

Other Regional Press

• Plans get underway to reopen routes at Southampton AirportPLANNING is underway to reopen routes at Southampton Airport despite previous concerns that it is fighting for its future.
• HS2 protesters block compounds from Euston to WarwickshireDemonstrators have blocked access to more than a dozen building sites for the HS2 high-speed railway, in protest at construction work continuing amid the coronavirus crisis.
• Bradford Council announces big changes to roads, crossings and pavementsThe council wants to transform Bradford into a healthier city
• Anti-HS2 protesters set up tree-top camp in Warwickshire woods during lockdownThey have spent the last six weeks camping out in ancient trees

C.N.N.

• United Airlines tells staff to take 20 unpaid days off before October and will lay off 30% of themUnited has warned some of its staff that the airline will sharply reduce hours and staffing in the months to come.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Manchester Piccadilly 'super hub' proposed A Manchester Piccadilly ‘super hub’ has been proposed as part of the High Speed North rail project. The ‘Revisiting High Speed North’ report by rail research company Greengauge21 sets out the need to speed up plans for a northern transport revolution, and proposes...
• Cumbrian Coast line damaged by storm set to reopen in one month A section of the Cumbria Coast line, which was badly damaged at the beginning of the year following three consecutive storms, will reopen in one month as repairs come close to completion. High tides, strong winds and heavy rain brought by Storms Ciara, Dennis and Jorge caused structural damage...
• NR: Stay off the tracks. Stay home. Stay safeNetwork Rail has launched a new awareness-raising campaign to warn of the dangers of trespassing on the railway during the Covid-19 outbreak. The ‘Stay off the tracks. Stay home. Stay safe’ campaign will run on commercial radio stations across Scotland and on social media channels...

Railnews

• North™s rail upgrade ˜must not wait for HS2™ A report from the high speed rail pressure group Greengauge 21 is urging the government to improve railways in the north of England soon, and not to wait until HS2 arrives in the 2040s. The group says important work should be carried out over the next five to ten years, to ease congestion in the centre of cities like Manchester and provide frequent ˜metro™ services based on the example of Thameslink in the London area. It points to the building of motorways in the 1960s and 1970s, when new sections were added progressively, and says an ˜incremental™ approach would work for the rail network as...
• TfL confirms earlier warnings about Underground limits The London Underground will not be able to carry as nearly as many passengers as before while social distancing is required, according to a leaked report from Transport for London. TfL™s conclusions essentially confirm those of the London Strategic Coordination Group, whose calculations for several scenarios were leaked last week. The LSCG had warned that the effective capacity of the Underground could be reduced to 15 per cent, even with services restored, and the railway could be ˜rapidly overwhelmed™. The RMT, which is concerned about unconfirmed reports that train services could be increa...

Other News Sources

• Gatwick Airport to proceed with second runway conversionMany airports are recognising that the sort of traffic levels that existed in late 2019 and the first month of 2020 will not be seen again for quite some time, and the measurement is in years rather than months.
• Bus and coach industry thanks key workersTransport minister Baroness Vere and Scotland’s transport secretary, Michael Matheson, add their voices to those thanking bus and coach workers   Anyone who would like to see these messages of thanks should head to CPT’s Twitter feed, @CPT_UK   The Confederation of Passenger Transport along with operators is today thanking everyone in the bus and coach industry for the work they are doing during the Covid-19 outbreak to keep key services running. Coronavirus has resulted in restrictions on movement across the UK, however many people continue to rely on pubkic transport to make ...
• Viking Line Plans to Restart Passenger ServiceFerry operator Viking Line said Tuesday it will restart passenger service for essential travel after the Finnish government annouced plans to gradually ease some restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.Passenger service will be restricted…
• Virgin Atlantic to cut more than 3,000 jobs and leave GatwickJust a week after British Airways announced it was axing almost a quarter of their staff, Virgin Atlantic have now said they too will have to cut thousands of jobs.