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

Friday, 09 April 2021

BBC News

• Freight traffic between Welsh and Irish ports rises after slumpTraffic through Welsh ports had halved at the start of 2021 after the UK fully left the European Union.
• Covid: Coach firm not planning trips abroad in 2021A Welsh operator says it is one of many who will not be taking holidaymakers abroad this year.
• What will self-driving trucks mean for truck drivers?Trucking is a big employer but autonomous trucks are on the horizon - are they a threat?

The Guardian

• Climate campaigners call for halt to regional UK airports expansionMinisters must consider cumulative impact of proposals ‘likely to compromise’ emissions targets

Times Online

• Ministers treating our industry with contempt, say airline chiefs [subscription]The leaders of some of the world’s largest airlines have accused Nicola Sturgeon of treating them with “disdain” over attempts to discuss reopening the travel and tourism industry as part of the coronavirus recovery.
• 81% of motorists don’t feel safe on smart motorways [subscription]The vast majority of drivers feel unsafe using smart motorways, a study has found, placing more pressure on the government to halt their expansion.

City AM

• Virgin Voyages to launch in UK for vaccinated passengersVirgin Voyages has today announced that it will finally launch its long-delayed debut cruises this summer – but only for fully vaccinated passengers.
• IT weight mix-up leads to 'serious incident' on Tui flightA flaw in one of its IT systems saw a Tui flight take off with the wrong weight calculations after female passengers using the title “Miss” were registered as children.
• Wizz Air replaces ops chief after he told team to list pilots for redundancy who 'caused grief'Wizz Air has replaced its flight operations chief after he was recorded telling his team to draw up a redundancy The post Wizz Air replaces ops chief after he told team to list pilots for redundancy who 'caused grief'

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• TransPennine Express announces new timetable with more trains from Newcastle as restrictions liftThere will be more trains to North East stations including Newcastle, Morpeth, Darlington, Middlesbrough, and Redcar

Blackpool Gazette

• Plastic ribbon caused train to be sidelined at PoultonRail operators took a safety-first approach when a train arrived on the Fylde coast with a flapping piece of plastic ribbon attached to it.

Bucks Free Press

• New coach turning circle approved for Great Missenden school A NEW coach turning area to enable the safe transportation of schoolchildren has been approved.
• HS2: Protesters in Wendover camp out in woodland on railway route A resistance camp has been set up on London Road in Wendover on the direct route of HS2.

Coach and Bus Week

• 102 new buses for Transport for Cornwall servicesNew Euro VI buses have entered service on Transport for Cornwall services, and a reduced fares pilot scheme is to be launched later this year
• Nottingham City Transport wins environmental improvement awardNottingham City Transport (NCT) won the the Environmental Improvement Award at The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Awards for Excellence. The ceremony was held virtually, to celebrate and honour the best individuals and organisations who have played an integral part in delivering logistics and transport throughout the last 12 months.
• CPT pushes for more support for Wales’ coachesAlongside its Coach Strategy document for England, the CPT launched a similar document for Wales, a the importance of coach tourism to the country. Coach tourism “will be crucial for the Wales’ long-term environmental targets and economic recovery. The industry is ready to work with the next Welsh Government and Parliament to raise the profile of coach travel with individual passengers, local areas and society as a whole.
• Bus Users helps guide dog puppies get on-bus trainingBus Users, Guide Dogs and bus operators across England have joined forces to provide on-bus training for guide dogs during the pandemic.

New Civil Engineer

• Initial cost focus can prevent projects gaining from technology adoption benefitsToo much focus is being placed on the initial costs when it comes to investing in new technology and the sector must start to look at the gains made over the asset lifetime, according to Bentley Systems CEO Greg Bentley.
• Last chance to submit evidence to smart motorway inquiryTomorrow is the deadline for contributions to an official inquiry by MPs into the benefits and dangers of smart motorways.

Rail Magazine

• Concerns raised over French state support for EurostarTalks regarding the future of Eurostar were continuing as this issue of RAIL went to press, with reports suggesting figures of £400 million to £500m as being the focus of negotiations.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Ticketer: Democratising technology for public transportFor Ticketer, software as a service (SaaS) doesn’t just deliver a stream of updates and improvements – it builds a platform from which the whole industry benefits
• Post-restart demand signs ‘encouraging’, says National ExpressNational Express (NX) has seen strong initial demand for its limited timetable of scheduled coach services since a restart on 29 March. It says that around 70% of available seats were sold during the first week of reintroduced services, a figure that grew to 80% over the Easter weekend.
• Coach tourism collapse’s impact on unemployment highlightedUnemployment in constituencies that include the UK’s top 40 coach tourism hotspots rose on average by 141% between February 2020 and February 2021, research conducted by trade body RHA has shown. That is 26 percentage points above the national average of 115%.
• Go-Ahead Group extends solar panels trials to SingaporeSuccess with a trial of roof-mounted solar panels on 18 members of its Bluestar fleet in Southampton has led the Go-Ahead Group to extend the concept to its operation in Singapore.
• Mark Fowles retires from Nottingham City TransportNottingham City Transport (NCT) Managing Director Mark Fowles retired on 1 April after 27 years with the operator, including 20 as MD.
• Berlin places firm order with ADL for 198 Enviro500 tri-axlesBerlin public transport provider Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) has converted options for 198 Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro500 tri-axle double-deckers into firm orders.
• Mellor criticises decision to exclude minibuses from ZEBRAMellor has questioned the decision made by the Department for Transport (DfT) to exclude minibuses with a capacity of less than 23 passengers from the Zero-Emission Buses Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme in England.

Other News Sources

• Heathrow Airport’s western rail link put on holdPlans for a western rail link to Heathrow Aiport have been paused by Network Rail.
• Plans submitted for £150m rail centre near YstradgynlaisThe creation of a £150 million rail testing centre in the county has taken another step forward with the submission of plans to Powys County Council.