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

Wednesday, 16 June 2021

BBC News

• Cardiff Bay tramline plan to create links between communitiesA plan to replace rail services to Cardiff Bay with a tramline could see more links created between old and new communities in the area.
• Belarus plane: Ryanair boss says pilot had no choice but to land in MinskMichael O'Leary says the crew was warned that a bomb would explode if the plane stayed on course.
• Unvaccinated passengers from GB to Ireland face 10 day isolationArrivals into the Republic of Ireland from GB face 10 days of isolation if they have not been jabbed.
• Boeing-Airbus trade row set to end after 17 yearsThe agreement, after 17 years, means taxes on $11.5bn of goods will be removed for five years.
• UK could be left behind in the electric car race, warns reportThe UK might soon be reliant on electric vehicles imported from abroad, warns an influential group.

Financial Times

• Coronavirus latest: US business travel will not recover till 2024, industry group says
• Emirates posts $5.5bn loss as pandemic takes ˜tremendous tollAirline cuts workforce by 30% and turns to Dubai government shareholder for $3bn injection
• Lufthansa: debt ballast reduces climb rateGermany’s flag carrier needs a jumbo-sized recovery to pay off liabilities, and soon
• Brittany unveils plans for cross-Channel electric flying ferriesOperator in talks with US start-up about introducing 180mph seagliders by end of decade
• UK government lays out plans to end emergency railway funding Services to be curtailed as financial scheme not sustainable, says recovery group
• Global shipping summit all at sea over carbon emissionsTensions within UN regulator on climate change threaten progress on industry tax

The Guardian

• Rail employers and unions agree to talks over £2bn of cuts and job lossesTrain operators, Network Rail and unions have agreed to talks over cutting rail services and axing thousands of jobs to save the industry up to £2bn a year as it plans for a post-Covid future of fewer passengers.
• Ryanair boss: airlines must fly over rogue states despite Belarus hijackingMichael O'Leary tells MPs of hostile and threatening actions towards flight crew.

The Independent

• ‘Scrap Air Passenger Duty to save aviation,’ urges Ryanair bossMichael O’Leary warns of higher European air fares for up to four years

The Scotsman

• New London-Glasgow rail speed record to be attempted by Avanti West CoastA new rail speed record between London and Glasgow is to be attempted by Avanti West Coast, sources have told The Scotsman.

Times Online

• Heathrow expansion thrown off by pandemic [subscription]A third runway at Heathrow may no longer be needed because of a collapse in the number of people travelling by air, according to the head of a government review into airport expansion.
• Flying ferries to speed over Channel on a cushion of air [subscription]A new generation of electric “flying ferries” could take to the seas within seven years to dramatically reduce cross-Channel journey times and eliminate emissions.

City AM

• Rail industry puts service and job cuts on the line amid warnings that government support 'not unlimited'The rail industry is taking steps to trim services and cut jobs in a bid to save £2bn a year as it warned that the government’s current support for the sector was “not unlimited”.
• Moody's downgrades TfL's debt, says pandemic damage 'unlikely to be reversed'Credit agency Moody’s has this evening downgraded Transport for London’s (TfL) debt, saying that the transport network’s finances have “been durably and materially weakened by the pandemic”.
• Rail industry puts service and job cuts on the line amid warnings that government support 'not unlimited'The rail industry is taking steps to trim services and cut jobs in a bid to save £2bn a year as it warned that the government’s current support for the sector was “not unlimited”.

Network Rail

• Levenmouth rail link plans unveiledDouble tracking and electrification to be progressed and station locations confirmed.

Northern Echo

• Darlington Bank Top Station's development was "crucial" to treasuryDARLINGTON Bank Top Development was key to the relocation of the treasury as Government wanted

The York Press

• E-scooter thrown into river in YorkRENTAL e-scooters and e-bikes could be here to stay until at least March 2022, with the number available for hire increasing to up to 1,000.
• Campaigners plan go slow cycle protest through city centreCYCLE campaigners plan to stage a˜go slow protest ride in York city centre today.

Wales Online

• Cardiff Airport sees biggest drop in passengers across the UKIt's another huge blow for the stricken airport

Other Regional Press

• First look at £2.4m investment transforming Chiltern Railways stationThe project has taken 15 months to complete.
• Transport for Wales launches new bus service in FlintshireWorking in partnership with Transport for Wales and P&O Lloyd Coaches, Flintshire County Council will be introducing the new flexible bus service in Holywell on June 21.
• Rail Minister digs in to help stations and local youngsters bloomRail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris dug in today with young people taking their first steps into a horticultural career by working on landscaping projects at Thameslink and Great Northern stations across London.
• New scheme could see improvements to local bus services, councillor saysA new scheme could see improvements for people who travel by bus across Lichfield and Burntwood.
• Bus Back Better scheme: What could it mean for the Isle of Wight?There are bold intentions to shake up the bus service nationally – including reducing prices and upping frequency. There’s also talk of on-demand alternatives to take you to your door. Here’s an outline of what’s up for discussion
• Brittany Ferries' interest in latest 'seaglider' technologyBRITTANY Ferries is exploring the potential for a new high-speed passenger 'seaglider' which could be skimming over the English Channel by 2028.
• £10m Huddersfield railway station plan scuppered by Network RailAn unfortunate clash in timelines has left the council looking for new ways to spend millions before a 2023 deadline

Business Live

• New £12m bus station for Merthyr Tydfil revealedWork on the project, close to the town’s existing train station, was carried out by Morgan Sindall Construction of behalf of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
• Brittany Ferries works on plan for high-speed "seagliders" to fly to FrancePlymouth-headquartered company partners with US tech firm on development of 'sea-skimming, flying ferries'

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Birmingham's Clean Air Zone charging beginsCharges have come into force for drivers entering Birmingham's Clean Air Zone (CAZ). The zone was officially launched on 1 June, but there was a two-week delay to charges to give motorists

Rail Magazine

• Recovery Group lays out plans for government rail funding cutsNetwork Rail, train operating companies and unions have agreed to undertake “meaningful discussions” over how emergency government funding can be reduced. 

Railway Gazette

• Elastic project stretches tram technologyITALY: Three trams and three tram stops in Firenze have been equipped with sensing, computation and communication capabilities as part of the Software Architecture for Extreme-ScaLe Big-Data AnalyticS in Fog CompuTIng ECosystems project to develop autonomous tram technology.

Transportxtra

• Where is the Integrated Rail Plan, asks TfNTransport for the North (TfN) has urged the Government to stop stalling over the long awaited Integrated Rail Plan. The Integrated Rail Plan is due to outline commitment to HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) and other rail projects. 

Aviation Industry

• CFM Unveils ‘Open Fan’ Demonstrator Plan For Next-Gen EngineCFM International joint venture partners GE Aviation and Safran have launched an aggressive technology development program to pave the way for a new generation of fuel-efficient unducted—or open fan—engines to enter service around the mid-2030s.

Other News Sources

• Hydrogen planes, electric propulsion and new regulations: Aviation is changing From the Wright brothers’ historic flight in 1903 to the development of supersonic aircraft, the history of aviation has been driven by technology and ambition.
• JLR to begin first hydrogen car tests this year Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has unveiled plans to test a prototype hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) this year, as part of its vision to deliver zero tailpipe emissions by 2036.