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

Thursday, 18 June 2020

BBC News

• Cost of Cairngorm funicular repairs could run to £15m

Financial Times

• Eurostar to roll out facial verification for passengersBiometric system would reduce need for passports but brings privacy concerns
• UK rail bailout hits £3.5bn and set to rise furtherTrain operators in talks over extending state support for at least another year

Times Online

• Stagecoach challenge hits the buffers with defeat in High Court [Subscription]Stagecoach has lost a legal challenge that sought to overturn the government’s block on the company from bidding for key rail franchises.
• HydroFlex: Full steam ahead for the train that runs on hydrogen [Subscription]A train powered by hydrogen will run on the main line for the first time under plans to reduce reliance on diesel.
• Eurostar face scans introduce passport-free travel to Europe [Subscription]Eurostar passengers will be able to check in and board without showing passports after the introduction of facial recognition technology.

This is Money

• Sir Richard Branson loses Virgin Trains High Court battleIn another blow for the billionaire tycoon, a judge dismissed a case brought by Virgin Rail, Stagecoach and France's SNCF against the Department for Transport over various franchise bids.

Birmingham Post

• Funding secured to trial emissions reduction tech on diesel trainThe Eminox SCRT technology will be fitted to a train operated by East Midlands Railway
• University of Birmingham secures new funding for green train developmentInstitute is using funds to continue development of hydrogen with industry partner Porterbrook

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Metro warning after busiest travel day since lockdown beganMetro officials are conscious that trains will soon be at their maximum safe capacity with social distancing measures in place and it will be harder for passengers to stay two metres apart

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• HS2 minister starts roundtables on integrated rail planHS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson is hosting a series of virtual meetings with leaders from across the north and Midlands, ensuring regional representatives can voice their priorities for the integrated rail plan (IRP) and the current plans for HS2, Northern Powerhouse rail (NPR) and Midlands Engine Rail. As part of the decision to proceed with HS2 announced in February (2020), the government has committed to drawing up an integrated rail plan, informed by an assessment from the National Infrastructure Commission, in order to look at how to deliver transformational rail improvements to the north...
• Hitachi Rail begins new phase of manufacturing at UK factory with East Coast Trains orderManufacturing of five 100% electric East Coast Trains has begun, signalling the start of a new phase of train building at Hitachi Rail’s Newton Aycliffe factory. The construction of the new intercity trains for the open access operator (East Coast Trains Limited) incorporates a more extensive manufacturing programme than previous fleets. The increased scope will see the highly skilled workforce create a new state-of-art fleet from empty aluminium shells. Despite the impact of Covid-19, Hitachi Rail has continued to work diligently and safely in preparing the factory and is now ready to ...

Railnews

• Rail bailout has cost £3.5bn so far – but there™s no end in sight The cost of keeping the passenger railway operating during the Covid-19 pandemic has reached £3.5 billion, according to rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris. He was answering a Parliamentary question raised by Labour MP Ian Mearns. The minister admitted that there is no definite end in sight for the emergency measures which are supporting franchises for the time being.
• Stagecoach loses claims for franchise compensation Stagecoach has lost its battle for compensation against the Department for Transport after its bids for three franchises were ruled ˜non-compliant™ in April 2019 because they attempted to reduce pension risks

Other News Sources

• Stagecoach to ‘move on’ after court rulingGroup challenged disqualification from franchise competitions – but High Court has sided with secretary of state for transport     The High Court has ruled against Stagecoach Group’s claims against the secretary of state for transport regarding decisions to disqualify it from three rail franchise competitions. The disqualifications saw the group exit the UK rail franchising market. The Perth-based group decided to sue the government after last year being disqualified from bidding for the East Midlands and West Coast Partnership franchise competitions, and the abandoned co...