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

Friday, 10 June 2022

BBC News

• ScotRail agrees 5% pay deal with train drivers' unionAslef, the union representing the drivers, agrees a 5% pay deal after fresh negotiations with ScotRail.
• Manchester Airport appoints new boss after queue chaos and delaysNew Managing Director Chris Woodroofe says he looks forward to leading Manchester Airport's recovery.
• Train drivers to join other rail workers on strikeAslef union members will walkout over over pay after RMT announced 40,000 members would strike.
• Petrol prices: Calls for more help as cost to fill a tank hits £100Fuel prices continue to hit new records, increasing the pressure on household budgets.
• Wizz Air boss sparks backlash over fatigue requestAirline chief Jozsef Varadi called on staff to work when tired to stop flight cancellations.
• Refineries cash in as petrol prices soarA lack of capacity to process crude oil has helped to drive fuel prices to record levels

Department for Transport

• Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail: legislative changes to implement rail reformSeeks views on primary legislative changes required to effect rail reform as set out in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail.

Financial Times

• Hyundai and Posco’s operations hit by intensifying South Korea trucker strikeFour-day walk out is swelling, snarling supply chains in Asia’s fourth-biggest economy
• FirstGroup rejects £1.23bn offer from private equity bidderUK's biggest train operator says proposal from I Squared Capital significantly undervalues business
• Airlines have made promises they are unable to deliverCompanies should trim flights now to prevent a summer of chaos
• Pilot unions hit back at Wizz's call for staff to go the extra mile when tiredChief executive says budget airline needs to take down fatigue rate that has led to flight cancellations

The Guardian

• Tesla investigation deepens after more than a dozen US Autopilot crashesRegulators to look with enhanced scrutiny after cars with driver-assistance function crashed into parked emergency vehiclesUS federal regulators are deepening their investigation into Tesla's Autopilot function after more than a dozen Tesla cars crashed into parked first-responder vehicles over a period of four years.
• Rail managers could join strikes across network in BritainTSSA union ballots could lead to complete national shutdown by time of Commonwealth Games in JulyManagers and train drivers could join the strikes across the railway, potentially setting up a complete national shutdown by the time of the Commonwealth Games in July.

The Telegraph

• Electric car drivers feel the pinch as Green-run Brighton raises charging fees

Times Online

• Haulier kicks up stink over ferry ban [subscription]A leading haulier has claimed that their lorries carrying fish have been “banned” from a CalMac ferry because the smell upsets tourists.
• Drivers join rail strikes as ballots set to spreadCo-ordinated union action to increase disruption

City AM

• ‘Summer of discontent’ looms as THIRD rail union threatens to strike and plunge country into travel mayhemThe country has been plunged into further travel mayhem with rail drivers union TSSA set to join the train alongside RMT and Aslef. The organisation served notice to ballot hundreds of staff for strike action at Avanti West Coast, over pay, conditions and job security. Transport and Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) General Secretary Manuel Cortes [...] The post ‘Summer of discontent’ looms as THIRD rail union threatens to strike and plunge country into travel mayhem appeared first on CityAM.

Great British Railways Transition Team

• Developing a long-term strategy for rail (WISP)In May 2021, the government announced its plans for the biggest reform to the railway in three decades through the publication of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail. The Plan for Rail commissioned a 30-year strategy for the railway, setting the strategic context and key priorities for the sector, which will be developed for Ministers by Great British Railways.

Liverpool Echo

• People's patience is really wearing thin with MerseyrailReduced timetables, disruption and an interminable wait for new trains are causing anger and frustration to boil over, writes Liam Thorp

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• The eight new North East railway lines that could transform our region's train services by 2035An upgrade strategy set to be signed off next week includes a raft of ambitious improvements including new Metro lines and a main line service to Newcastle International Airport

Cambridge News

• Fuel prices hit record high as RAC warns it could cost £100 to fill up your carRishi Sunak is currently facing calls to slash VAT on fuel

Reading Evening Post

• Newbury link road through major new development has been approvedHere is all you need to know about the final layout

Other Regional Press

• HS2 'lied' about pledge not to close roads near CoventryIt's claimed HS2 has broken its promises in relation to the Burton Green section of the project

Coach and Bus Week

• FlixBus continues expansion in WalesFlixBus has announced another new partnership, this time with Welsh operator Bella Road Services (BRS). Based in Pontyclun, BRS has been operating in South Wales since 2016, and joined the FlixBus network from Friday 27 May.
• Wrightbus lands German deal for up to 60 hydrogen busesCologne operator RVK has placed an order for up to 60 Kite Hydroliner single-deckers from Wrightbus
• Accessibility auditedDawn Badminton-Capps, Director for England at Bus Users, discusses the outcome of the charity’s recent Accessibility Audit and how the industry could improve

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 | Construction begins on first modular ‘green tunnel’HS2 Ltd has begun putting together its first ‘green tunnel’ at Chipping Warden in Northamptonshire.
• Procurement launched for largest rail electrification project in the worldPublic procurement has begun for the design and build of the energy subsystem for the 870km high-speed Rail Baltica project connecting Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which will be the largest railway electrification project in the world.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Leanne Clowting appointed new Membership Director for CPTThe Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has appointed Leanne Clowting as its new Membership Director.
• Deep integration with existing bus services ‘is key to Sprint BRT’Heavy integration of bus rapid transit (BRT) services and their associated infrastructure with existing routes can greatly increase the number of users that investment in BRT benefits, attendees of a BRTuk lunchtime session on 26 May heard.
• TfL opens consultation on central area bus service reductionsTransport for London (TfL) has opened a consultation into proposed changes to some bus services that largely radiate from the central area, including the entire withdrawal of a number of routes where alternative provision and capacity is available.
• Passenger adds flexible recurring ticket payment app capabilityApp and website provider Passenger has introduced a flexible, recurring ticket payment app capability for bus operators and local authorities to accommodate the growing prevalence of hybrid working. 
• National Coach Network opens partnership with BPNational Coach Network (NCN) has opened a partnership with fuel company BP that it says will allow coach operators “to benefit from a range of exclusive discounts and benefits.” 
• Martijn Gilbert to leave The Go-Ahead GroupGo North East (GNE) Managing Director Martijn Gilbert is to leave The Go-Ahead Group. He will take up the role with FirstGroup as MD of its Hull Trains and Lumo open-access train operating companies in September.
• First Glasgow to grow EV charging at Caledonia to 350 vehiclesFirst Glasgow has opened plans with Ofgem and Scottish Power Energy Networks to expand battery-electric charging capacity at its Caledonia depot to 350 vehicles.