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

Saturday, 07 May 2022

BBC News

• Sky walkway proposal for Edinburgh's Radical RoadIt is one of the options being considered to tackle rock falls at the historic path in Edinburgh.
• Travel limits on international music tours to be easedUK hauliers with another base abroad will be able to make unlimited stops from late summer.

Department for Transport

• Sunbelievable – enough tickets sold in rail sale to reach the sunRunaway success Great British Rail Sale sees more than 128 million miles of discounted journeys travelled on UK railways this spring.

Financial Times

• BA cuts flights as it struggles to rehire after axing 10,000 staffUK carrier reduces equivalent of 8,000 round trips just as passengers begin to flood back

The Scotsman

• ScotRail among train firms 'failing dismally' to help families travel with young childrenRail companies are “failing dismally” to help families with young children travel, according to a new report.

Times Online

• Post-Covid take-off delayed as IAG cuts flightsStaff shortages, prospective new cabin crew stuck in recruitment red tape and chaos at its home airport of Heathrow have led the owner of British Airways to pare back its flying ambitions for the year.
• P&O Ferries boss: I hope I can survive the next few months [subscription]The boss of P&O Ferries has said he hopes “he can survive the next few months” at the helm of the disgraced operator.

Daily Record

• Eurostar to expand to new destinations - including three cities in GermanyEurostar will expand its destinations - including three cities in Germany - after announcing a mrder. The deal between the operator and French-Belgian high-speed operator Thalys has been approved by the European Commission, and will allow passengers to travel by rail to Germany.

The Mirror

• Ryanair apologises after 'made up rule' bars boy, 15, from boarding planeZak Schoneville's family had been told at Glasgow Prestwick Airport that the teenager was unable to travel because his passport had expired - even though it had five months to run

Office of Rail and Road (ORR)

• Regulator ramps up holding to account of Network Rail and National HighwaysAs the country recovers from the operational and financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has launched its business plan for 2022/23, explaining how it will ramp up holding Network Rail and National Highways to account.

Sky News

• Rail companies 'failing dismally' to help families with young children travel on trainsAvanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Grand Central and ScotRail were deemed to have failed to provide enough dedicated space for unfolded pushchairs, step-free access, baby changing facilities and information for families.

Other Regional Press

• ScotRail staff threatened to boycott Glasgow route due to behaviour of 'young team'ScotRail staff threatened to boycott troubled routes plagued by unruly passengers - after a ticket examiner was left 'traumatised' trying to eject brawling teens from a train.

New Civil Engineer

• Building Crossrail: The twists and turns en route to openingIt's official: Crossrail trains will carry passengers on the Elizabeth line from 24 May. The reveal comes more than three years after the line's original December 2018 opening was delayed and the project has been subject to continual setbacks and cost overruns since.

Rail Advent

• TransPennine Express launch sign language service for rail customersTransPennine Express (TPE) revealed that its customers throughout the North of England can now utilise a brand new British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation service which has been designed to offer extra support for passengers travelling on the railway.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Andy Burnham’s one-man mission to transform Manchester’s rail stations and the great debate of nationalisation within the private sectorGreater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is looking to take control of all 98 stations in Greater Manchester and with Network Rail's 'patch-them-up budget' to maintain them, after his accusations of the railway industry ‘failing’ the city. This has come shortly after Transport for Greater Manchester took control of Horwich Parkway Station, claiming that this would provide a blueprint for future plans. Burnham has labelled the state of the city centre stations as “embarrassing” to the industry.
• New hydrogen-driven train could signify the future of rail travelDeutsche Bahn (DB) and Siemens Mobility have unveiled their new hydrogen-powered train, dubbed Mireo Plus H, which is designed for the H2goesRail project in Germany. This project will signify a landmark achievement in rail travel, creating an environmentally friendly improvement to the already greenest mode of public transport available.
• Network Rail to face scrutiny from ORROver the course of the recent Covid-19 pandemic, the UK was hit hard when it comes to the operational and financial impacts of the rail industry. As the nation recovers, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has launched its business plan for 2022/23, in which explains how they will hold Network Rail accountable.

Other News Sources

• Sustainable Shipping Company Launches 2022 Sailing ScheduleDutch shipping company EcoClipper has announced this year’s sailing schedule of the newly purchased ship: De Tukker. De Tukker is the first in a fleet of low-impact sailing ships which will transport cargo and passengers using the wind as a main source of propulsion. The schedule focuses on the North Sea, the Channel and Bay of Biscay.
• Royal Mail to double rail freight service between England and ScotlandRoyal Mail is to add three new England-Scotland parcel freight trains as part of its delivery network. The parcels will be taken from the new parcels centre in Daventry, Northamptonshire to the depot in Shieldmuir near Motherwell for onward delivery.
• Poll shows 81 per cent of passengers want more rail routes opened to EuropePolling for HS1 Ltd has found that over 80 per cent of passengers would be more likely to travel to Europe if more routes were available.
• Blocked up railway tunnel ditched as cycleway into GarstangPlans to re-open an old blocked up railway tunnel under the busy A6 near Garstang for pedestrians and cyclists have been ditched.