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

Wednesday, 14 April 2021

BBC News

• South Western Railway train guard dispute finally endsA long-running dispute over the role of train guards which caused widespread passenger disruption on South Western Railway (SWR) has ended.
• Coronavirus: What's the risk on transport?How safe are trains and buses? A lot of the risk depends on how crowded a bus or train is, and how much distance you can keep from other people.

Financial Times

• Virgin Atlantic boss warns of long-term hit to business travelShai Weiss questions whether corporate trips will ever fully recover from pandemic

The Independent

• Government urged to halt regional airport expansion after Southampton given green light to extend runwayUK’s climate advisers say there should be no new net airport expansion if country is to meet net-zero 2050 target
• Passengers unable to book some train journeys more than eight days in advanceExclusive: Rail passengers wait to book London-Manchester tickets for next month, while British Airways sells flights on the route almost a year ahead

The Telegraph

• Boeing beats Airbus sales for first time in two years [subscription]US plane manufacturer clocks up 282 quarterly orders while rival Airbus is dented by Norwegian Air cancellations
• Ever Given stuck again: Container ship impounded over $900m Suez Canal claim [subscription]Legal challenge to ship as waterway operator battles for huge compensation over lost transit fees and damages

Times Online

• Ferry figures show the Scottish government is sailing in troubled water [subscription]fter last week’s column about the latest disturbing developments at Ferguson Marine on the Lower Clyde and the Scottish government-owned yard’s protracted struggles to finish two new ferries for the CalMac fleet, a worried reader on one of Scotland’s islands contacted me. His email included a revealing spreadsheet.
• Taxpayer to foot bill for Monarch rescue flights [subscription]Taxpayers will foot the £40 million bill for repatriating thousands of stranded Monarch customers when the airline collapsed in 2017.

City AM

• Exclusive: Former TfL safety panel chief hammers rail watchdog over Croydon crash investigationA former Transport for London (TfL) board member has written to the boss of the UK’s rail accident investigation agency demanding that the body revise the conclusions of its report on 2016’s fatal Croydon tram crash.

Birmingham Post

• Jaguar Land Rover's sales suffer Covid-19 reverse despite fourth quarter riseThe car making giant is set to report its financial results next month

Bristol Live

• Bristol e-scooter trial 'has to be seen as a success'"We’re rapidly heading towards a million kilometres of scooter ride distance"

Edinburgh Evening News

• ScotRail: Workers called ‘reckless’ after threatening industrial actionStrike action is supported by workers as the union Unite accuses Albellio ScotRail of failing to make a meaningful pay offer.

London Evening Standard

• Transport for London scraps last heritage service of iconic Routemaster busesrTansport for London has permanently halted its heritage service of 10 iconic Routemaster buses on the number 15 route.

Bucks Free Press

• HS2's plans to close A413 at Little Missenden thrown out A major Bucks A-road will not be closed over two weekends for HS2 works after the plans were thrown out.

Other Regional Press

• Stagecoach in Oxfordshire appoints new boss Rachel Geliamassi Stagecoach has appointed Rachel Geliamassi as new managing director of its operations throughout Oxfordshire and in the west of England.
• Heathrow Airport's massive drop in passenger numbers for March highlights impact of Covid pandemicPassenger numbers travelling from Heathrow Airport dropped by more than 80 per cent in March compared to this time last year, bosses have confirmed.
• Council give alternative transport options to residents as ReadiBus has funding cutTHE council has offered alternative transport services to residents after funding cuts mean ReadiBus will soon no longer be running.
• Long-awaited transport interchange for Flitwick could be completed by the end of the yearWork could start shortly on a long-awaited transport interchange for Flitwick and be completed by the end of the year, a meeting heard.

New Civil Engineer

• Latest Blackwall Tunnel blaze could prompt fire safety rethink A leading fire safety expert has called for a review of guidelines around tunnel fire safety systems after footage emerged of a blaze inside London’s Blackwall Tunnel last week.
• HS2 contractors begin work on key East West Rail bridgeContractors working on High Speed 2 (HS2) have begun construction of a key bridge where the East West Rail line will cross the high speed rail route in Calvert, Buckinghamshire.
• Electrification should be prioritised to deliver West Wales Metro transport benefitsPriority must be given to electrification of the rail line between Cardiff and Swansea to create region benefits, according to transport thinktank Greengauge 21.

Rail Advent

• £31m of upgrades completed on the railway between London and ScotlandOver the Easter period, Network Rail completed a number of upgrades to the railway in a £31m project.

Rail Business Daily

• Metrolink trams offer customers breath of fresh air in fight against COVID-19An in-built ventilation system on Metrolink’s trams constantly circulates fresh air, helping to limit the risk of aerosol transmission of viruses, such as COVID-19, a leading independent study has found.
• Survey reveals public’s travel plans post-COVIDCars will continue to be the preferred mode of transport for around half of journeys post-COVID, a survey of travel plans has revealed, putting climate targets and a fair economic recovery at risk according to leading sustainable transport charity Campaign for Better Transport.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Greater Manchester Mayor pushes for city wide rail accessibility by 2025Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has urged Network Rail to make all Greater Manchester stations fully accessible by 2025 if he is to be elected for a second term as Mayor.

Other News Sources

• East West Rail launches ‘live chat’ and webinars as part of next stage of consultationEast West Rail Company (EWR Co) is launching a series of live chat events and webinars as part of the latest phase of its consultation.
• Neuron, which operates scooters in Newcastle, has made changes to ensure the vehicles are used properly in the UK city.Further restrictions on e-scooters have been introduced in Newcastle to prevent them being used after nights out as the city’s pubs and bars reopen for the first time this year.
• Cutting crowding would boost public transport demand – surveyLess crowding is the number one measure that would increase the use of buses and trains, a new survey suggests.