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

Tuesday, 27 October 2020

BBC News

• Why Transport for London's finances are far from healthySadiq Khan has clashed with his mayoral predecessor Boris Johnson over claims made by the prime minister that Transport for London (TfL) was "effectively bankrupt" even before the Covid crisis. Mr Khan rejects this, and has called Mr Johnson a "liar". He insists he was balancing the books until the UK was crippled by the coronavirus pandemic. What is the bigger picture?
• US firm to take control of Bombardier in NIKansas-based Spirit Aerosystems will take over Bombardier's NI operations on Friday.
• Driverless trains 'poor value' says leaked TfL studyBoris Johnson is calling for driverless trains to be a condition of future funding for TfL

Department for Transport

• Department for Transport gives green light to £12.7 million for A595 upgrades in CumbriaThe government is set to enhance the safety and capacity of the A595 at Grizebeck, Cumbria, in the latest step towards levelling up transport infrastructure in the North.

Financial Times

• Auto industry no longer needs more stimulus, says VW chiefVerdict from world’s largest carmaker follows stronger-than-expected recovery in sales
• UK shipping boss welcomes ‘clear message’ to would-be stowawaysSeven arrested after oil tanker stormed by special forces off Isle of Wight

Times Online

• PM’s promises on buses have failed to turn up - Robert Goodwill MP [Subscription]The coronavirus crisis has caused brutal damage to virtually every sector of our economy but the bus and coach industries have felt the strain more than most. The rules on social distancing have reduced passenger capacity, the prohibitions on unnecessary travel have meant lower passenger numbers, and the overall hit to the economy has meant that order numbers for new buses have fallen by 30 per cent.
• The Integrated Review must revolutionise our approach to data [subscription]The Integrated Review is an opportunity to unlock the power of our technology and data. This is not about state surveillance. The government already has the data necessary to build understanding and make the best decisions. However, our data is not sufficiently connected.

City AM

• UK legal case launched against Fiat Chrysler over diesel emissionsAuto giant Fiat Chrysler (FCA) is facing a £5bn UK legal challenge over claims that the carmaker concealed the true The post UK legal case launched against Fiat Chrysler over diesel emissions appeared first on CityAM.

Mail Online

• Transport for London hands out nearly 500 fines to 'selfish' passengers not wearing face masksPassengers in Lambeth - which includes Waterloo Station - were the most common rulebreakers as 127 were caught between July and September.ured, the Jubille Line this morning).

Birmingham Post

• Steamship Company gears up for first online shares auctionLondon-based Asset Match will begin trading shares in Isles of Scilly Steamship Company

London Evening Standard

• Blow to bid for driverless Tube trains after leaked TfL report claims it would be 'poor value'Boris Johnson’s ambition to change London Underground to driverless trains took a blow today with a leaked report claiming it would cost £7 billion and show “poor value for money”.

The York Press

• York bus windows to stay open - no matter how cold the weatherBUS passengers in York may need to keep their coats, hats and scarves on during the coming winter - the city's biggest bus operator has revealed that windows will need to stay open, no matter how cold the weather.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Number of Leeds railway station users unmoved despite lockdown restrictionsThe number of people using Leeds railway station over the past couple of months has barely changed, despite the introduction of new local lockdown regulations for the city back in September.

Cambridge News

• Robin Heydon on the 'wonderful' new cycle bridge built over the A14Our favourite cycling guru talks about his recent trip to the supermarket using the new A14 bridge

Other Regional Press

• Railway expansion planned by Network Rail between Portsmouth and SouthamptonTWICE as many trains could be heading from Portsmouth to Southampton and the surrounding area, subject to a council decision later this week.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Installation of UV light devices on Tube escalators is latest step in TfL’s extensive anti-viral cleaning regimeAs Londoners adapt to life in Tier 2 of the Government’s COVID alert levels, Transport for London (TfL) has introduced a further measure to make the transport network cleaner than ever.  Following a successful six-week trial earlier this year using ultraviolet (UV) light to clean the handrails on escalators at Heathrow T123 Tube station, more than 200 sanitising devices are being installed on 110 escalators in the coming weeks, meaning almost a quarter of all escalators on the network will be fitted with the devices. Designed to supplement TfL's existing extensive anti-viral clean...
• GB Railfreight announce LINEAS partnership extensionGB Railfreight (GBRf) has announced an extension to their European freight operation in partnership with LINEAS, the largest private rail freight operator in Europe. The existing traffic flow from Antwerp through to Irvine will continue for an additional two years. This announcement marks the extension of the existing contract which will now run until the end of December 2021, marking a 5-year relationship with LINEAS for this ’hook and haul’ flow. The service has so far averaged around 30 trains a year and will continue to run approximately between two and three times per month. ...
• Admin fees removed for COVID disrupted rail travel on Advance ticketsRail passengers will have extra protections to ensure they are not left out of pocket from COVID related local restrictions. Passengers who have bought an Advance ticket which they can subsequently no longer use as a result of COVID restrictions changing will not have to pay the administration cost of rearranging travel for a ticket purchased prior to any announcement. As new travel restrictions come into force in different parts of the country, passengers are more at risk of having to change travel plans. The government has worked closely with train operators to build consumer confidence and...

New Civil Engineer

• HS2’s modular bridge installed in 45 minutesWork on High Speed 2 (HS2) has reached an engineering milestone with the installation of a 914t bridge over the A446 in Solihull.
• TfL was carrying out tram safety audit at time of Croydon crashTransport for London (TfL) had launched an internal safety audit of the Croydon tram network three weeks before the fatal crash which killed seven people in 2016, it has emerged.
• ’Good progress’ at Bond Street puts station back on track for Crossrail openingCrossrail Ltd chief executive Mark Wild has revealed that Bond Street station is again “anticipated” to open with the rest of the Central London stations along the planned Elizabeth Line.

Railnews

• Government heeds protests about unused Advance tickets Protests from passengers who were unable to use Advance tickets because of lockdown restrictions but simply lost their money when they did not travel on the booked date have been heeded by the Government.
• Monday essay: Thank you minister – up to a point Passengers who bought Advance tickets have been angered by the refusal of train operators to recompense them when they could not travel as a result of a lockdown. The government, which controls the policy on this, has now given way and says that unused Advance tickets can be rebooked for up to a year ahead, without the usual administration fee. But Sim Harris suggests that this concession does not go far enough.

Other News Sources

• Increase in flights over Guildford from Farnborough Airport riles resident who says locals weren't consultedGuildford resident Clive Bratchell said the increased number of flight movements over his home is "so disruptive"
• Cyclists offered chance to avoid fine with Sussex PolicePOLICE have introduced a scheme to engage with cyclists who ride without lights in the dark.