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

Friday, 08 July 2022

BBC News

• Ryanair returning to Belfast International AirportThe Irish airline announces it will operate 12 new routes from the airport from summer 2023.
• Manchester Airports Group posts £320m annual lossManchester, London Stansted and East Midlands passenger numbers are still down on pre-Covid levels.
• Boeing boss warns over risk to 737 Max 10 futureThe Max 10 is the latest and largest plane in Boeing's 737 family of jets, which has come under scrutiny.

ITV News

• Workers at Britain's biggest rail franchise vote to join RMT industrial disputeWorkers at Britain's biggest rail franchise have voted to join the RMT national rail dispute in what the union as described as an 'emphatic' ballot result.

Financial Times

• Jet2 warns UK airports are woefully ill-prepared]for holiday seasonAirline and tour operator says it invested to avoid staff shortages that are causing disruption
• Rolls-Royce reports signs of recovery in long-haul jets demandBritish aero-engine maker joins Airbus in raising hopes of aviation sector revival
• British Airways strike called off after new pay offerIndustrial action at Heathrow averted as unions agree to vastly improved deal

The Guardian

• Threat of BA strike at Heathrow suspended after airline agrees pay dealUnite union to ballot members on vastly improved offer for check-in staff while Jet2 announces 8% salary increases. The dispute that threatened to cause a strike by British Airways check-in staff at Heathrow airport during the summer holidays has been suspended, after the airline made a vastly improved pay offer.

The Scotsman

• Scotland’s buses need to be less like the Knight Bus in Harry Potter and more like the French – Alastair DaltonThe cabin crew announcement oozed an air of unexpectedly infectious excitement and expectation.

Times Online

• Strike by BA check-in staff is off after pay victory [subscription]British Airways check-in staff at Heathrow will not walk out this summer after the company made an improved pay offer, unions said.

Birmingham Post

• Bristol Airport and Switzerland's national airline announced new flight routeSwiss International Air Lines (SWISS) will begin operating a direct service between Bristol and Zurich next year
• Sales at Jaguar Land Rover hit by computer chip shortage and China lockdownsThe company has UK sites in Whitley, Gaydon, Solihull, Manchester, Castle Bromwich, Wolverhampton and Halewood
• Hydrogen world leader Air Products teams up with VPI for Immingham production planTransatlantic union to further clean up South Bank refining cluster
• Port of Tyne returns to profit and hails strategic milestonesThe port had seen two years of losses as it switched away from traditional cargoes

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Leeds Bradford Airport offers free security fast track on some flightsLeeds Bradford Airport is offering free fast track through to security on select flights.

Liverpool Echo

• Brace for 'continued failures' on the Merseyrail network as problems continuePassengers should brace themselves for “continued failures” that have dogged the Merseyrail network in past weeks.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Alternative transport options being considered as popular Nottinghamshire bus service axedNottinghamshire County Council says it is exploring alternatives to ensure thousands of residents are not left isolated as bus provider Trentbarton plans to axe its 141 service from September. Numerous concerns have been raised about the company’s plans from residents and politicians alike, with more than 3,000 people signing an online petition calling for the plan to be scrapped.

Wales Online

• Cardiff Bus is reducing its timetable for summer and passengers aren't happyCardiff Bus has announced that it will introduce revised timetables during the school summer holidays "to reflect demand". From July 25, the bus company has said that it will operate using a Saturday timetable on weekdays until September 2.

Other Regional Press

• The five cities Crewe must beat to become Great British Railways HQThe Government announced this week that Crewe has been shortlisted in the search for the home of Great British Railways. The new public organisation, which will oversee the nation's rail infrastructure, will be based in Crewe, Newcastle, Birmingham, Derby, York or Doncaster.
• Controversial bell bollard to be removedAfter more than a decade of accidents, near-misses and minor injuries, it's the end of the road for a notorious bollard.

Coach and Bus Week

• £48m to help Welsh bus industryThe Welsh Government has revealed that it will continue to offer a support package to bus operators across Wales
• Transport for London issues update on Government fundingA Transport for London (TfL) spokesperson has given an update on the support funding it receives from central Government, which is subject to ongoing discussions around making its services more economically sustainable

New Civil Engineer

• Government outlines £3.8bn cycling and walking investment strategyThe government has revealed how it will invest up to £3.8bn in active travel schemes by March 2025 to help achieve its new walking and cycling objectives.
• HS2 details interface points with Northern Powerhouse RailA senior figure at HS2 Ltd has detailed points on the Phase 2b Crewe to Manchester section of the high-speed line where it will interface with Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Zero Emission Coach Taskforce publishes first reportLack of certainty around which technology will best suit zero-emission coach operation is the biggest barrier to adoption of such vehicles, a report from the Confederation of Passenger Transport’s Zero Emission Coach Taskforce (ZECT) has said.
• Reliance sees benefits from Ticketer Road Restriction AlertsReliance Motor Services of York has seen success with its rollout of Road Restriction Alerts from Ticketer to counter risks to its vehicles, customers and staff from archways and other architecture.
• Per-bus patronage at Go North West back to pre-pandemic levelPer-bus patronage at Go North West (GNW) has reached parity with 2019 levels, the operator has announced. It comes while the business is running 90% of the service level that it provided before the pandemic and follows a recent “surge” in returning demand.
• BEAR5 provides further £5m for emission reduction in ScotlandUp to £5m has been made available by the Scottish Government to a fifth phase of the Bus Emissions Abatement Retrofit Fund (BEAR5). It will go towards upgrading coaches and buses in Scotland to Euro VI standards or better, with applications open until 28 July.
• NCT celebrates biogas bus anniversary as 23 more dueNottingham City Transport (NCT) has celebrated five years of biogas bus operation, with the operator saying that it expects its fleet of Scania Alexander Dennis Enviro400CBG double-deckers to increase to 143 late this summer.

Other News Sources

• Rethink on Woking's ambitious Victoria Arch widening scheme as cost rockets to nearly £170mThe arterial road could have to close for two-and-a-half years
• London's ULEZ expansion proposal would 'push most polluting traffic into Spelthorne'Council tells TfL the ULEZ expansion could make Spelthorne's air quality worse
• Gatwick Airport expands Asian connections with new route to VietnamAN AIRPORT has expanded its Asian connections with a new Hanoi route.