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

Tuesday, 13 April 2021

BBC News

• France moves to ban short-haul domestic flightsFrench lawmakers have moved to ban short-haul internal flights where train alternatives exist, in a bid to reduce carbon emissions.
• World's wealthiest 'at heart of climate problem'The so-called “polluter eliteâ€� must change their lifestyles to tackle climate change, a report says.
• Rail operator Abellio ScotRail posts losses of £64.5mTrain operator Abellio ScotRail has blamed the early impact of the pandemic on widening losses in its latest annual accounts.

Financial Times

• Dubai strikes deal with Cruise to roll out self-driving taxis Contract is the first in the world between a city and an autonomous car manufacturer
• Virgin Atlantic boss warns on long-term hit to business travelShai Weiss questions whether corporate trips will ever fully recover from pandemic
• United Airlines to repay some of its US government bailoutCarrier taps investors for $9bn and says it will pay off a $520m portion of its debt to taxpayers
• Heathrow to treble taxi pick-up fee from JulyDrivers warn rise in passenger collection charge from £3.60 to £10 will be devastating for business

The Guardian

• Visually impaired users complain after rail websites go greyscale for Prince PhilipGesture backfires as customers highlight accessibility issues, with one saying UK has completely lost the plot. A leading sight charity has stressed the need for inclusive web design after rail websites switched to black and white to mark Prince Philip's death, leaving partially sighted people struggling.Network Rail and National Rail websites turned from colour to greyscale in a tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh.
• Transport for London retires last heritage service of Routemaster busesFall in usage and lack of step-free access on the classic front-engined doubledeckers cited as reasons for permanent withdrawal. Transport for London has retired its iconic fleet of hop on, hop off Routemaster buses on the number 15 route, the capital's last running heritage service. Citing reasons including falling ridership across the central London network and the lack of step-free access on the classic front-engined doubledeckers, TfL confirmed the service had been permanently withdrawn.

The Independent

• National Rail failed to see issues with Prince Philip website tributeNational Rail has said that it will address its “internal accessibility process” after it failed to pick up issues with its tribute to Prince Philip.

The Telegraph

• Heathrow risks boardroom split over plan to raise £2.8bn [subscription]Heathrow is facing the spectre of a divided boardroom over its plan to raise billions of pounds from airlines and customers by increasing airport prices.

Times Online

• Countdown for ensuring Britain’s space programme takes off - Mark Garnier MP {subscription]nation like Britain needs a strong space sector and our well-developed economy should always strive to improve productivity. Space is a sector that, necessarily, has the most advanced requirements for technical skills, and is one that provides a vast array of services.
• France bans short flights if there’s a train [subscription]Flights to domestic destinations that can be reached by train in two and half hours are to be banned under measures approved by French MPs.
• Train app helps passengers to avoid busiest carriages [subscription]Rail passengers will be able to avoid overcrowded carriages under plans for technology that provides real-time information about the busiest trains.

Reuters News

• Trading clunkers for electric bikes: France moves to offer financial incentivePARIS (Reuters) - France is offering the owners of old, exhaust-belching cars the opportunity to hand over their vehicles for scrap in return for a 2,500 euro ($2,975.00) grant to buy an electric bicycle.

City AM

• TfL passenger numbers jump as retail and hospitality reopenPassenger numbers on Transport for London (TfL) services jumped this morning as people rushed to back to the capital’s shopping hotspots following the lifting of some lockdown restrictions.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• DalesBus summer services return to the Yorkshire Dales DALESBus summer services return to the Yorkshire Dales starting on Saturday with the return of the popular 74 service.

Bucks Free Press

• HS2 asks to close A413 at Little Missenden for two weekends Part of a major A-road in Bucks could be closed over two weekends for HS2 works.

Other Regional Press

• Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership achieves government accreditationTHE Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership (CRP) has achieved government accreditation for its high standards.
• Action plan over disruption drawn up by East West RailCompany acknowledges that scale of activities has increased in recent weeks

New Civil Engineer

• Crossrail | Growing list of work being deferred sparks concernCrossrail project representative Jacobs has raised concerns about the growing list of work that is being deferred on the project.
• Restoration of historic Yorkshire viaduct completeWork to restore the world-renowned Ribblehead viaduct for rail passengers and tourists in North Yorkshire is now complete.
• West Wales rail lines turns to crowdfunding in bid to reopen axed routeCampaign group Traws Link Cymru has launched a £5,000 crowdfunding appeal on justgiving.com in a bid to raise funds to support the work to reopen the Beeching-axed West Wales Rail Corridor.
• Southampton Airport expansion approved as council overrules its own committeeSouthampton Airport’s expansion plans have been given the green light, after Eastleigh Borough Council overruled its own area committee.

Rail Magazine

• International travel hopes: Eurostar targets Paris upliftGovernment aims to set out its plans for international travel early next month, including whether people can begin travelling abroad from May 17.
• Hull Trains resumes East Coast Main Line passenger servicesOpen access operator Hull Trains restarted its passenger service on April 12, following a third hibernation period in response to the pandemic.

Railway Gazette

• Alstom selected for ‘milestone’ Danish electric train contractDENMARK: National passenger operator DSB has named Alstom as the winner of a contract to supply at least 100 electric multiple-units in 2024-29, saying the order marks an important milestone in the transition to more climate-friendly and sustainable public transport.

Other News Sources

• End of number 10 bus route through Windsor and Slough... Financial support for these routes has mainly come from Heathrow Airport Ltd, and under the current economic conditions, they withdrew their funding for bus routes into the airport from January.
• Torquay rail station getting major upgradeNetwork Rail has been investigating improvements at the listed Victorian station for more than a decade
• TfL: Passenger numbers up as businesses reopen doorsThe number of passengers using Tube and bus services in London rose this morning as lockdown restrictions eased, initial data has revealed.
• 'Compelling case' to level up economy through rail innovationGreater investment in rail research could be used to help level up the economy in the north of England, according to a report by economics and policy analysts Perspective Economics.
• France to ban short domestic flights that can be replaced by trainsFrench MPs voted on Monday to ban short domestic flights that can be replaced by train journeys lasting two and a half hours or less.
• The rail industry is suffering from a mental health crisis: What can, and should, we do about it?Mental health and wellbeing are finally getting recognised – but with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating the problems, the rail industry still needs to do more. At Atkins, April Welsh and Tom Buick learnt about the mental health crisis after setting up a Mindfulness At Work group and discovered how the industry can do better.