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

Wednesday, 29 September 2021

BBC News

• Covid: Travel industry workers set up online support networksStaff from the aviation world come together to support each other through one of its toughest times.
• Scotland's lockdown bike crime problemA surge in demand for cycling during the Covid restrictions sent the rate of cycle thefts soaring.
• North West bus drivers prepare for strikes over pay disputeStagecoach and Arriva bus drivers in the North West are to vote in a row over pay.
• Petrol prices at eight-year high amid fuel crisisThe RAC says drivers are facing a
• Key workers struggling to travel amid fuel crisisPanic buying of petrol has left some key workers unable to get fuel to travel to work.
• Petrol supply: Army gets ready to assist as PM reassures driversBoris Johnson says the fuel situation is

Financial Times

• Southeastern mess is a fitting farewell to UK rail franchisingGo-Ahead will be operating under a cloud while investigations continue with the threat of further penalties

The Guardian

• The Southeastern train arriving on platform 3 is £25m lateLatest rail franchise to hit the buffers at least arrived at the destination via an unconventional route. Government to take over Southeastern State takeover will amplify calls for rail reform. The conventional way for a company to get stripped of a rail franchise is to over-bid massively and inflict such misery on the shareholders that it is cheaper to forfeit the supporting bond and force the government's hand.

Times Online

• Boris Johnson orders investigation into safety of smart motorways [subscription]A reporter working undercover for six weeks in a control room recorded a colleague saying: “We’ve got no signals, you’re all going to die. Whichever God you believe in, start praying now.”
• Is it the end of the line for privatised railways? [subscription]The great experiment has been fraying for years, says Robert Lea. Southeastern could be the death knell
• Go-Ahead’s Southeastern rail franchise vanishes down a tunnel [subscription]Rail franchise derailments are nothing new. GNER, National Express and the Stagecoach-controlled Virgin Trains all got shunted off the east coast main line after running out of financial fuel. And last year the government took charge of Arriva’s Northern Rail: the prelude to the Covid decision to slam the entire unloved franchising system into the buffers.
• GB stickers reach the end of the road [subscription]The United Nations said in July that it had received “a notification stating that the United Kingdom is changing the sign that it had previously selected for display in international traffic on vehicles registered in the United Kingdom, from GB to UK.”
• Go-Ahead hid £25m from Treasury [subscription]Go-Ahead operates the commuter network into London from Kent, as well as the Javelin regional fast train services along the Channel tunnel rail link into St Pancras in a joint venture with Keolis, a company controlled by SNCF, the French state rail operator. It is understood that some of the money involves taxpayer subsidies given to Go-Ahead to help it to access charges to use the high-speed rail link to the tunnel that it should have repaid.

City AM

• Shareholder turbulence: EasyJet reigns slip from billionaire founder SteliosThe founder of EasyJet, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has reportedly lost his power to veto decisions made the board on behalf of The post Shareholder turbulence: EasyJet reigns slip from billionaire founder Stelios appeared first on CityAM.

Network Rail

• Network Rail and Vivarail bring the next-generation battery train to COP26Network Rail and Vivarail today announced that Vivarail’s next-generation battery train will be launched at COP26 and will run daily services throughout the international climate change conference.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham Airport calls for Covid testing to be axed completely for double-jabbed passengersBosses at Birmingham Airport have welcomed new travel rules which will make holidays cheaper - but say further changes to testing requirements are needed.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Jet2 teams up with Carluccio's to offer Italian snack boxesJET2.com has teamed up with Carluccio’s, the Italian restaurants, deli and online store, to offer an exciting Italian snack box on its in-flight menu, making it the first UK airline to help customers experience a taste of Italy in the sky.

London Evening Standard

• Northern Line extension described as ‘missed opportunity’ for accessible transport after teething problemshe two new Tube stations on the £1.1 billion Northern Line extension have been described as a “missed opportunity” to offer fully accessible transport after a wheelchair user described difficulties getting around.

Metro

• What type of fuel do trains in the UK use?The petrol crisis has led to chaos across Britain, with pumps running dry across the country and traffic brought to a standstill in many areas as queues for petrol stations cause huge tailbacks on the roads.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Shares plunge in Newcastle company accused of 'serious breach' of rail franchiseOne of the North East’s largest companies has had to delay its annual results and seen shares plunge after being accused of a “serious breach” of a rail franchise agreement.

Northern Echo

• Darlington-built loco rescues luxury train Northern BelleDARLINGTON-built railway locomotive Tornado will steam to the rescue of Britain’s poshest train on a sell-out journey from the North East this weekend.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Former Stanton Ironworks site could be brought back to life with new rail hub development planNew details for a huge scheme to bring the long-derelict, former Stanton Ironworks site back to life have been revealed.

Cambridge News

• Cambridge is the UK's bike theft hotspot, figures revealMore people have had their bicycles stolen in Cambridge than any other town or city nationally

Other Regional Press

• London Underground: New station on Tube map is scrapped and locals are furiousEast London residents are angry after the government's "shocking" decision to pull funding for a new Overground station in their area.
• Last chance to have your say on the future of Cottingley Rail StationPeople are being invited to have their say on the future of Cottingley Rail Station, Leeds, before a public consultation being held by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in partnership with Leeds City Council, Munroe K and Network Rail closes at midnight on Monday (4 October 2021).
• North East MP slams Durham Coastline Northern Rail, calling it worst train service in the UKEasington MP Grahame Morris hit out at the service after saying overcrowding left a number of passengers on the platform in Seaham.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Network Rail and Vivarail bring next-generation battery train to COP26Network Rail and Vivarail have announced that Vivarail’s next-generation battery train will be launched at COP26 and will run daily services throughout the international climate change conference.   The zero-emission train uses new batteries, developed by Vivarail, to combine maximum range with the ability to recharge quickly.     The result is a train that can travel for up to 80 miles on battery power and recharge in only 10 minutes using Vivarail’s patented Fast Charge system.   Fast Charge’s development was supported by an Innovate UK grant and will sh...

New Civil Engineer

• ‘Revolutionary’ track form unveiled for Coventry Very Light Rail schemeA first of its kind track form has been showcased as part of proposals for the Coventry Very Light Rail (Coventry VLR) scheme.
• Cardiff Crossrail to Wylfa: Six Welsh infrastructure projects at risk from new climate change rulesPlans for a Cardiff Crossrail, Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station and a third Menai Crossing are among projects that could be affected by new rules requiring future developments and infrastructure projects in Wales to pass a climate change test.
• Cardiff Crossrail to Wylfa: Six Welsh infrastructure projects at risk from new climate change rulesPlans for a Cardiff Crossrail, Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station and a third Menai Crossing are among projects that could be affected by new rules requiring future developments and infrastructure projects in Wales to pass a climate change test.

Railnews

• New Hull Trains managing director named TUESDAY BRIEFING: New Hull Trains managing director named ++
• Go-Ahead shares dented by Southeastern's 'breach of trust' WEDNESDAY BRIEFING: Go-Ahead shares dented by Southeastern's 'breach of trust' ++

Railway Gazette

• Grand Paris Express appoints shadow operatorFRANCE: Following an international tender, Sociйtй du Grand Paris and transport authority Оle-de-France Mobilitйs have appointed a consortium of Transamo, Transdev and Strides International as shadow operator for the capital’s driverless metro network.

Sustrans

• Work set to begin on improvements to Bristol and Bath Railway Path in South GloucestershireOn Monday 27 September, improvement works began between Staple Hill and Mangotsfield on the popular Bristol and Bath Railway Path in South Gloucestershire.

The Business Desk

• Eddie Stobart to move into new £75m East Midlands campusDeveloper Prologis is set to build a new, two-unit campus at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (Prologis RFI DIRFT) for haulage firm Eddie Stobart, to allow the company to expand its road and rail operations.

Aviation Industry

• Bristol Airport trials new electric airside bus to reduce emissionsAs part of the airport’s efforts to become net zero by 2030, Bristol Airport has announced that it is trialling a new electric airside bus, which will operate between its terminal building and the aircraft.

Other News Sources

• Southend Pier: New trains arrive ahead of being opened to visitorsThe new Southend Pier trains have now arrived and are set to be opened to the public soon.
• Research unveils that commuting by rail improves passenger’s work ethicAcademic research conducted by UCL Professors and the rail industry has revealed that commuting by rail significantly improves a passenger’s workday, including their productivity and wellbeing.

News from Europe

• Five of Europe’s airports are 'emitting more CO2 combined than Sweden'The CO2 emissions from five of Europe’s biggest airports combined surpass those of the whole of Sweden, an airport emissions tracker shows. Largely tax-free, the total emissions from London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt, Amsterdam Schiphol and Madrid Barajas amount to 53 million tonnes of CO2. In 2020, Sweden emitted some 45.4 million metric tonnes of CO2, fewer than the year before.