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

Friday, 28 August 2020

BBC News

• Coronavirus: Extra 500 bus services in NI to ease school pressuresTranslink says the move will help split pupils and other users to manage the spread of Covid-19.
• School bus services: London commuters warned of delaysFrom 1 September, dedicated school buses will be introduced on the busiest routes for London pupils.
• The Rest and Be Thankful: An infamous road through 'a mountain in torment'The Rest and Be Thankful is carved into the side of a Scottish mountain with a history of landslips.
• Warnings of 'ghost towns' if staff do not return to the officeLocal businesses and jobs will suffer if workers do not return to the office, says the head of the CBI.
• Coronavirus: Rolls-Royce reports record loss as travel slumpsThe company, which makes engines for planes, is cutting jobs and selling assets to bolster its finances.
• Europe to start Boeing 737 Max test flightsEU aviation regulators say clearance by their US counterparts will not automatically apply in Europe.

ITV News

• London bus network to be overhauled as schools go backDozens of extra buses are being laid on for London’s busiest school routes as pupils go back to class next week.

Financial Times

• Apple and Tesla turn spotlight back on stock splitsCompanies may have added fresh fuel to recent market advance
• Rise of the propeller setAs airliners are mothballed, a start-up offering cheap flights in tiny aircraft is enjoying unprecedented demand
• Finnair in first bond sale by European airline since pandemic beganHunt for yield pushes investors into debt issue from struggling sector

The Guardian

• Passenger removed from plane after testing positive for Covid-19Officials say there was ˜little if any risk of transmission as all passengers and crew were wearing face masksCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage. Hazmat-clad officials rushed on board a Ryanair flight moments before it departed from London Stansted to remove a passenger who had tested positive for coronavirus.

The Telegraph

• Government planning to put 'alcolocks' in cars after a rise in drink-driving crashes [subscription]An estimated 5,890 accidents involved at least one driver who was over the alcohol limit in 2018, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.
• Police have issued just 38 fines for not wearing a face covering on public transport 

Times Online

• Drink-drive plan for ‘alcolocks’ in cars after crashes increase [subscription]The government is planning to introduce “alcolocks” in cars and more accurate roadside breathalysers after a rise in drink-driving crashes.

Daily Record

• Moment Glasgow bus is flooded as torrential rain batters cityPassengers filmed water pouring through the windows of the number 61 First bus tonight.

Mail Online

• Hazmat officials board Ryanair flight at Stansted and drag off Covid-infected passengerThree officials clad head-to-toe in hazmat suits boarded the plane as it sat on the tarmac in London Stansted. Ryanair passengers were left gripping their seats in horror.
• British-Israeli woman sues easyJet for £15,000 after they make her move seats twiceMelanie Wolfson, 38, is claiming 66,438 shekels compensation from the low-cost airline in a lawsuit filed on her behalf by the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC).

The Mirror

• Boris Johnson 'betraying' voters if he fails to help car industry, says LabourShadow Business Minister Lucy Powell said the UK’s "world-leading automotive industry has been rocked by coronavirus and livelihoods are on the line"

Birmingham Post

• East Midlands Railway getting back to pre-lockdown servicesOperator bringing back 97 per cent of pre-Covid timetable, co-inciding with reopening of more businesses and schools
• Green light for HS2 Interchange station but work to be done on parkingBorough planning chiefs in Solihull approve scheme to build one of four new stations to serve first phase of high-speed rail line

Bolton News

• Andy Burnham warning as public transport set to be busyA PLEA has been made by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham for people to keep safe as roads and public transport become far busier again.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Keighley Bus Company to resume many normal services this weekendA BRADFORD district transport firm will be running more buses from this weekend, as many of its timetables return to normal.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Welsh Government issues advice about travelling on buses when schools returnThey have urged people to think carefully about when they travel

London Evening Standard

• Evening Standard comment: School buses: exactly the help our city needsThe announcement today by Transport for London that it is to run dozens of special school buses when term starts next month is an imaginative and welcome attempt to help ensure that the planned return to class goes as smoothly as possible.

Manchester Evening News

• Decision to suspend train line from Manchester to Stockport blasted as 'nonsensical'A decision to suspend a train line from Manchester to Stockport has been blasted as ‘nonsensical’ by outraged councillors Councillor for Edgeley and Cheadle Heath ward, Coun Matt Wynne, and Marple south and High Lane councillor, Coun Tom Dowse, have both condemned the planned temporary closure of the line between Rose Hill and Piccadilly.

Wales Online

• Diesel from a train derailment has started washing up in the Loughor EstuaryThe estuary is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and home to many species of wading birds along with other wildlife

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Hundreds of extra bus seats for school pupils and commutersHundreds of extra bus seats are being laid on next month to help children back to school and commuters get to work.

Burnley Express

• Train guard repeatedly punched by passenger at Chorley stationIt's been a busy week for the British Transport Police as they've dealt with a number of concerning incidents on the regions' trains.

Leeds Live

• Major £9 millon road improvement plan unveiled for north Leeds Works to the A660 and A61 will make the roads more friendly for pedestrians and cyclists

Reading Evening Post

• Battered Reading roads set for pothole repairs in £1m projectSix roads will get some much-needed resurfacing

Other Regional Press

• Jet2 cancels all flights to Balearic Islands for the rest of summerFlights and holidays to Ibiza, Majorca and Menorca have been cancelled

Train Operators

• East Midlands Railway to increases services on Robin Hood LineEast Midlands Railway (EMR) is to increase the number of trains it runs on the Robin Hood Line on Monday, September 7.

British Trams Online

• Covid-19 service update – operating systemsIt’s been around two months since we last brought you a summary of the service being run on the tram and light rail systems of the British Isles – so its about time we gave a handy update all in one place. It continues to be an improved picture with all systems now running some sort of service with some now back to the basic pre-lockdown service.
• New Ashton Interchange to open 30th AugustPassengers travelling on Manchester Metrolink will be able to enjoy far easier interchange with buses at Ashton-under-Lyne from Sunday 30th August with the new Interchange due to open for 90% of bus services. The £32.7 million has been built to provide easier interchange between different modes of transport and will be able to accommodate more bus services than the previous bus station as well as providing a centralised concourse which will reduce walking time for passengers.

Bus and Coach.com

• National Express West Midlands reinvests Job Retention Bonus to reduce bus faresNational Express West Midlands has announced it’s to reinvest all of the money received from the Government’s Job Retention Bonus into reducing bus fares. The Birmingham-based bus operator will cut the price of tickets when the current COVID-19 restrictions on public transport are lifted.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Super-green bus trial takes next steps at Go North EastA north-British built full-electric bus from manufacturer Optare has returned to Go North East, the region’s largest bus operator. The bus will be running on the Quaylink Q3 service alongside Newcastle’s Quayside and through the busy city centre. The trial will help shape future thoughts on electric buses and the company’s fleet, as it continues to further improve its environmental credentials, with substantial year-on-year investment, meaning that it now operates over 250 Euro 6 clean diesel buses. In October, Go North East will be introducing the region’s first ful...

Coach and Bus Week

• ADL releases range of virus protection for its vehiclesAlexander Dennis Limited (ADL) now offers a range of semi-permanent and permanent solutions for the protection of drivers and passengers onboard its vehicles. The range of products can be fitted to both new and existing vehicles to reduce the risk of virus transmission.
• Irizar UK to open new National Sales Centre in NottinghamshireIrizar UK is to open a new National Sales Centre this month. Conveniently situated just off the A1(M) in Blyth, Nottinghamshire, the facility gives buyers the opportunity to browse the company’s entire stock of new and used coaches at a single location.
• Leeds Clean Air Zone may not go ahead unless pollution levels rise to pre-Covid levelsCouncillor James Lewis, Deputy Leader and Executive Member with responsibility for air quality, recently provided an update regarding a review of the council’s plans to introduce a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in Leeds.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Enviro400EVs debut on Nat Ex Coventry networkPartnership between National Express and Zenobe Energy has resulted in the introduction of 10 double-decker electric buses in Coventry. It follows the introduction of the first electric buses in Birmingham in July.
• Scottish returning H2S transport: Business as usual, with some changes?Scottish operators have revealed their experiences of resuming home-to-school transport in the wake of COVID-19. Working closely with local authorities is key
• Operators across England move to increase services in anticipation of schools returningOperators across England are preparing for increased services in anticipation of schools returning in September.

Aviation Industry

• Tangled Wings: Living with a runway on my doorstep (2020 edition)Online book (free to download)  The first edition of Tangled Wings told the story of Gatwick from grass runways in the 1930s to the 2010 election when the Coalition Government ruled out …

Other News Sources

• Electric bus returns for further Tyneside trialTrial will help shape future thoughts on electric buses     An Optare Metrocity EV electric bus has returned to bus operator Go North East for a further trial. The bus will be running on the Quaylink Q3 service alongside Newcastle’s Quayside and through the busy city centre. The trial will help shape future thoughts on electric buses and the company’s fleet, as it continues to further improve its environmental credentials, with substantial year-on-year investment, meaning that it now operates over 250 Euro 6 clean diesel buses. In October, Go North East will be introducing the region...
• Scotland launches £9m green bus schemeMove aims to help drive a post-pandemic green recovery     The Scottish Government has opened a new Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme. This year, the scheme will provide £9m to help bus operators invest in ultra-low emission vehicles to help drive a green recovery out of the COVID-19 crisis while improving air quality. This Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme is an evolution of the Scottish Government’s Green Bus Fund. Through the Green Bus Fund, £17m was invested between 2011 and 2018 to help operators overcome the initial capital costs of new buses. This successful scheme s...
• Rail upgrade is ‘really bad news’ for area, says transport expertA TRANSPORT expert says the planned £589 million upgrade of the Trans-Pennine rail route is ‘really bad news’ for passengers at Greenfield and Mossley.
• The London Underground station that's further from London than any otherIt's easy to play fast and loose with how big London actually is. Everywhere within one of the 32 boroughs seems like the obvious choice, but the land-grabbers among you might suggest everything within the M25.
• Full steam ahead for plan to use old rail route to link two East Renfrewshire villagesPLANS to use an old railway line to create a new path linking Neilston and Uplawmoor for walking, cycling and wheeling are firmly on track.