Breaking News
Rail bid by Virgin and Stagecoach was 'naive', say MPs
The Transport Committee says a bid by Virgin and Stagecoach to run the rail franchise was inadequate.
Wednesday, 12 September 2018
BBC News
- M4 relief road at Newport 'old solution' to congestionMoney for the M4 relief road should go on public transport - including the Metro - says a new report.
- British Airways: Suspect code that hacked fliers 'found'The code, found lurking on the British Airways website, may be how hackers stole data on 380,000 transactions.
- P&O stops transporting calves following BBC investigationThe ferry operator will no longer sail very young cattle abroad after concerns were raised by a BBC investigation.
- Piccadilly Line Tube drivers to hold 48-hour strikeRMT union members on London's Piccadilly Line will walk out at the end of September.
- May's Ł106m drive to push green vehiclesThe prime minister announces new funding for developing zero-emission car technology.
- Ryanair cancels German flights ahead of strikeThe budget airline cancels 150 flights out of 400 on Wednesday on routes to and from Germany.
- Brexit: Jaguar boss issues stark warning for jobs and profitsThe chief executive of Britain's biggest carmaker say a
- Rail bid by Virgin and Stagecoach was 'naive', say MPsThe Transport Committee says a bid by Virgin and Stagecoach to run the rail franchise was inadequate.
ITV News
- Government ‘must take responsibility’ for Virgin Trains East Coast failureVirgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) may have survived if the Department for Transport (DfT) had assessed its bid properly, MPs have found.
- Failed Virgin Trains East Coast franchise 'ran out of money'A damning report by MPs has found the Virgin Trains East Coast franchise failed because they ran out of money.
The Guardian
- MPs criticise DfT's lack of scrutiny of East Coast rail franchise bidReport finds encouragement of overbidding led to Vtec’s failure to pay premiums
- 'Tens of thousands' of jobs at risk, Jaguar Land Rover boss tells PMBritain’s biggest car manufacturer, Jaguar Land Rover, has launched a blistering attack on Theresa May’s handling of Brexit as leading Eurosceptics claim there is “nothing to fear” about crashing out of the EU without a deal.
The Independent
- No-deal Brexit: Met Police preparing for disorder at ports if UK crashes out of EU, Cressida Dick admitsScotland Yard chief admits to concerns around ports in Kent and other parts of the UK
Times Online
- East Coast Main Line plan criticised by MPsThe plan for the struggling East Coast Main Line trains risks making the route even worse, according to MPs.
City AM
- British Airways suffers turbulence as brand perception dropsLast week, British Airways (BA) made headlines as 380,000 customer payment cards were affected by a severe data hack which compromised the personal and financial details of several customers.
- Jaguar boss warns of job losses in event of bad Brexit dealThe boss of the UK’s largest car maker has warned that a bad Brexit deal could lead to tens of thousands of job losses.
Mail Online
- Troubled East Coast franchise was doomed from the start says new report which slams Virgin boss Richard Branson for ‘cynical’ attempt at shifting the blameAn over-optimistic bid by Stagecoach and Virgin and the decision by government officials to accept it, are blamed for triggering the demise of the franchise for the third time in just twelve years over the summer.
The Mirror
- Chris Grayling’s Transport Department blasted over the East Coast mainline failureHighlighting the flop of the East Coast franchise, Transport Committee chairwoman Lilian Greenwood said: “Naivety, over-optimistic expectations and a mismanaged bid process all played a role in the failure of this franchise – the third in little over a decade
London Evening Standard
- Chris Grayling pledges thousands more charging points in electric cars pushTransport Secretary Chris Grayling today hailed a
- Piccadilly line strike: TfL Tube drivers to stage 48 hour walkout in dispute over 'breakdown' in industrial relationsPiccadilly line Tube drivers are set to stage fresh strikes later this month.
Manchester Evening News
- What rail passengers had to say after BBC One aired Chris Grayling's apology for a summer of chaos in the northTransport Secretary said sorry after summer of problems on Northern Rail and Transpennine servives
Yorkshire Post
- Robert Walker: The passengers forgotten in the trans-Pennine rail crisisTHE May 2018 rail timetable changes and franchise change have brought massive disruption to the Colne Valley villages of Marsden and Slaithwaite.
- The Yorkshire Post says: This is how not to run a railway. Franchise lessons need learning ANOTHER DAY – and another damning report which can be succinctly summarised as ‘How not to run a railway’. This is the only conclusion that can be drawn from today’s Transport Select Committee inquiry into the financial collapse of the East Coast Main Line franchise run by Virgin and Stagecoach before the troubled route had, once again, to be taken back into public control.
Other Regional Press
- How graffiti vandal covered entire 71m train as it sat at CleethorpesTranspennine Express said graffiti artists caused up to Ł5,000 of damage to a train at Cleethorpes Railway Station
- Rail staff ‘fear for their safety’ as TransPennine Express passengers’ frustrations boil over, says Yorkshire MPPassengers on trains run by under-fire TransPennine Express have become so frustrated at the widespread delays and disruption on their services that the rail operator’s staff are fearing for their safety, a Yorkshire MP claimed today.
Rail Advent
- Almost 20,000 respond to public rail fares consultationANOTHER DAY – and another damning report which can be succinctly summarised as ‘How not to run a railway’. This is the only conclusion that can be drawn from today’s Transport Select Committee inquiry into the financial collapse of the East Coast Main Line franchise run by Virgin and Stagecoach before the troubled route had, once again, to be taken back into public control.
Aviation Industry
- Virgin Australia completes biofuel trial at Brisbane AirportVirgin Australia has just completed a major biofuel trial at Australia’s Brisbane Airport, and the carrier is planning further tests in the near future. read more
- Cyberattack risk poses biggest threat to airports, aviationA senior official from Tampa International Airport (TPA) told US lawmakers the risk of cyberattack “without question represents the preeminent and persistent threat” to global aviation. read more
- Ryanair braces for another strike, threatens to close German basesRyanair pilots and cabin crew have called for a one-day strike Sept. 12 at the airline’s German bases, forcing the Irish LCC to cancel 150 out of 400 daily flights. read more
- British Airways to lease Air Belgium A340s as 787 Trent engines are inspectedContinuing problems with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines on its fleet of Boeing 787s has forced British Airways (BA) to contract leased-in help to maintain its schedules. read more
- Ryanair to begin service from Exeter in April 2019Ryanair said it would start flying from Exeter Airport in Devon, south west England to three European destinations from April, its first flights from the airport. read more
Other News Sources
- Chris Grayling's department ‘must share blame’ for collapse of East Coast rail franchise, say MPsMinisters cannot shirk responsibility for the collapse of the East Coast rail franchise, a new report from MPs has said.
Recent Archives
- Tuesday, 11 September 2018
- Monday, 10 September 2018
- Sunday, 09 September 2018
- Saturday, 08 September 2018
- Friday, 07 September 2018
- Thursday, 06 September 2018
Latest News
Useful Links
Conferences & Expo's
- MAR 19 Innovation in Railway Traction - 19 March 2024 - London
- Adapting Railways for a Sustainable Future: Rebalancing, Resilience, and Realisation - 30 April 2024 - London
- Coach and Bus UK - 12-14 November 2024 - Birmingham
- Interchange - 27 February 2024 - Manchester
- Rail CyberSecurity UK EU Annual Conference 27-28 February 2024 - London
- Rail Infrastructure Networking - 12 September 2024 - Derby
- Rail Live - 19-20 June 2024 - Long Marston
- Rail Scotland Conference 2024 - 7 March 2024 - Glasgow
- RIA Innovation Conference - 26-27 March 2024 - Newport
- TransCityRail Midlands - 29 February 2024 - Birmingham
- Transport Ticketing Global - 5 March 2024 - London
All Transport
- Department for Transport
- European Commission (Transport)
- Greater London Authority - Transport
- Merseytravel (Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive)
- Metro (West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Exectutive)
- Nexus (Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive)
- Plymouth Transport
- South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
- The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK)
- The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT)
- Transport East
- Transport for All
- Transport for Cornwall
- Transport for Greater Manchester
- Transport for London
- Transport for the North
- Transport for the West Midlands
- Transport for Wales (Trafnidiaeth Cymru)
- Transport Scotland
- Urban Transport Group
Bus and Coach
Campaign Groups
- Airportwatch
- Aviation Environment Federation
- Campaign for Better Transport
- Friends of The Earth
- Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign
- HACAN ClearSkies
- London City Airport Fight the Flights
- Railfuture
- Save Our Buses
- Stop Stansted Expansion
Friends of TransportInfo
Logistics
Passenger Representatives
Trades Unions
- ASLEF (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen)
- BALPA (British Airline Pilots Association)
- RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport Union)
- TSSA (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association)
- Unite
Aviation
Motoring
Rail
- Freight on Rail
- Heathrow Southern Rail
- Network Rail
- Rail Freight Group
- Rail Partners
- Railway Study Association
Shipping & Waterways
- British Ports Association
- Canal & River Trust
- Chamber of Shipping
- Marine Traffic (tracker)
- UKMPG (United Kingdom Major Ports Group)
News Media