Breaking News
Rail tsar says stop taking customers for granted
Keith Williams criticises micromanaging by government as one of the failings driving passengers away
FirstGroup reportedly considering selling its bus division in Greater Manchester
First Manchester is one of the largest bus operators in the region with a network of routes across the city region
Swansea Bay Metro project needs to be far more than just a new parkway station
A parkway station should be part of changing the regional make-up of rail transportation in Swansea Bay
Wednesday, 06 February 2019
BBC News
- GWR boss out of touch with its problems, says Labour MPA rail company boss is "out of touch" with some of the problems faced by his firm, a Welsh Labour MP has claimed.
- Germania airline files for bankruptcyThe Berlin-based carrier transported more than four million passengers a year.
ITV News
- Train conductor leads the way with 'twitter' updates for passengersA Greater Anglia train conductor who started live tweeting his passengers to keep them up to speed while they're onboard could pave the way for others to follow.
Financial Times
- Shipping giant Maersk steams ahead with break-up plansCEO transforms Danish conglomerate into leaner group in drive for profits and growth
The Guardian
- Rail tsar says stop taking customers for grantedKeith Williams criticises micromanaging by government as one of the failings driving passengers away
The Telegraph
- Driverless cars to be on Britain's roads by the end of the year, government reveals [Subscription]ully driverless cars are expected to be on Britain's roads by the end of the year, it has been revealed, as the government plans to scrap the requirement for a dedicated safety driver.
Times Online
- Wake up to damage caused by dirty air, doctors warn parents [subscription]Mike Penrose, executive director of Unicef UK, said: “Children have a fundamental right to grow up in a clean and safe environment that gives them the best possible start in life. The persistent, illegal breaches of air pollution limits across the UK are an unacceptable violation of this.”
- HS2 bosses reveal designs for £1bn rail station to serve 250,000 a day [subscription]New designs for a £1 billion “super-hub” that will become the second busiest railway station in Britain have been revealed by HS2.
- Online shopping drives up transport emissions [subscription]The boom in online shopping has helped to make transport the sector with the highest greenhouse gas emissions.
- Driverless cars on UK roads by end of the year [subscription]Ministers plan full trials with no human control. Fully driverless cars are expected to take to Britain’s roads by the end of the year under government plans to scrap the requirement for a dedicated safety driver.
City AM
- TfL urged to be 'open' with Londoners about Northern Line extension delayTransport for London (TfL) has been told to be "open" with Londoners about the reasons behind the Northern Line extension delay after boss Mike Brown said a revised opening date would have "no material impact" on its revenues.
- HS2 releases CGI images of Old Oak Common station designHS2 has released a batch of images showing what the Old Oak Common interchange will look like once the high speed railway opens in 2026.
- Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance considering self-driving tie-up with Google's WaymoA trio of major vehicle manufacturers is said to be in advanced talks with Google's autonomous driving unit Waymo on utilising the division's tech for transport services.
The National
- Letter Joined-up thinking is required when planning links to Glasgow Airport“BETRAYAL!” bray the out-of-date silo thinkers of Scottish Labour, rushing to the defence of their prohibitively expensive pet project of a rail link between Glasgow Airport and Glasgow Central Station.
Bradford Telegraph & Argus
- Cycle tunnel could bring 'international attention' to Bradford - Council bosses toldTURNING Queensbury Tunnel into a cycling route would bring “national and international” attention to Bradford, campaigners have told Council bosses.
Edinburgh Evening News
- ScotRail cuts more than 40 trains a day over winter due to staff shortagesMore than 1,200 ScotRail services were cancelled in the space of less than a month over winter due to staff shortages at the train operator, official statistics have revealed.
London Evening Standard
- Designs unveiled for £1bn HS2 hub on site of former depot near Wormwood ScrubsThe first designs for the £1 billion “super-hub” High Speed 2 train station at Old Oak Common were revealed today.
- Designs unveiled for £1bn HS2 hub on site of former depot near Wormwood ScrubsThe first designs for the £1 billion
Manchester Evening News
- FirstGroup reportedly considering selling its bus division in Greater ManchesterFirst Manchester is one of the largest bus operators in the region with a network of routes across the city region
Wales Online
- Swansea Bay Metro project needs to be far more than just a new parkway stationA parkway station should be part of changing the regional make-up of rail transportation in Swansea Bay
Wolverhampton Express and Star
- Consultation over plans to tackle bus yobsWest Midlands Mayor Andy Street wants to give police more powers to take action against troublemakers on buses, amid fears people are being put off public transport because of the threat of abuse or harassment.
Doncaster Free Press
- Passengers drive Doncaster bus changesChanges will be made to buses in Doncaster and across South Yorkshire, following a public consultation on how often and where services should run.
Other Regional Press
- Cycle path opened in Guildford as part of '£100m' project to improve travelThe aim of the project is to improve journeys and encourage economic development in Guildford
- Plans for more cycle routes in Cornwall welcomedNEW plans to create a series of multi-use cycle trails around Cornwall have been given a warm welcome.
- Residents react to Hastings EU-funded ‘mini-tram’ schemeA plan to run a mini-tram along Hastings seafront has received mixed reactions since the news broke this week.
- North-east residents’ fury as council-supported bus services axedCommunity groups have called on residents to have their say after some council-supported bus services are to be scrapped.
- Hull Trains lost millions in profit as it battled 'worst ever year'The future for the operator looks brighter however, with a £60m fleet of five state-of-the-art new trains arriving in November
- No option to pick a different site but you can influence decisions over this site says Network Rail as they unveil £20m Soham station plansThe public will get their first chance to see future plans for a £20million rail station at Soham THIS Month when Network Rail stages an exhibition over two days.
- ScotRail says no to Helensburgh MSP's compensation discount callHELENSBURGH’S MSP has reacted angrily this week after ScotRail said it won’t be bringing in extra compensation for commuters fed up with months of disruption to the town’s train service.
- Millions of pounds worth of investment and new jobs coming to WorksopHarry Needle Railroad Company (HNRC)which repairs and hires locomotives is investing around £6 million in development and operations on the twelve-acre site off Babbage Way with plans to create 45 new jobs.
- Virgin Trains reveal plans to overhaul Penrith train station to cope with increase in demandVirgin Trains has announced their plans to upgrade Penrith’s railway station due to increased demand.
Construction Enquirer
- £2.3bn London HS2 station contracts awardedHS2 has named its preferred construction partners to deliver its two major station projects in London.
Rail Technology Magazine
- Introducing the new Passenger Assist appJacqueline Starr, managing director of customer experience at the Rail Delivery Group, explains how a new app developed for the rail industry will revolutionise passenger assistance for customers. In a first for Britain’s transport sector, the rail industry is pressing ahead with an app...
- Flying Banana reaps the fruit of its labourSteve Quinby, Network Rail’s head of data collection, gives us the rundown on the state-of-the-art ‘Flying Banana’ train. Managing a railway stretching 20,000 miles – from Wick to Penzance, Lowestoft to Aberystwth, and the hundreds of cities and towns in between –...
- Vivarail unveils plans to build new hydrogen trainsTrain manufacturer Vivarail has unveiled their new plans for hydrogen trains, revealing new designs and visuals for their emissions-free rolling stock. The modular hydrogen train is currently in production, with two motor cars powered by batteries and instead of a diesel genset, the train will...
- TrackWater: Embracing data in flood prevention Mike Harding, from Lancaster University’s Data Science Institute, introduces us to TrackWater: an innovative project between Lancaster University and Transport Systems Catapult. Network Rail estimates that, between 2008 and 2018, more than three million ‘delay minutes’ were...
- High-speed rail cannot stand in isolationLast year, the Scottish Government announced two feasibility studies to better understand the economic and environmental implications of options to improve capacity between the country and London. Frazer Henderson, head of high-speed and cross-border rail policy at Transport Scotland, talks about...
- Williams Rail Review: The end of saying sorry?Keith Williams’ ongoing Rail Review presents a golden opportunity to rebuild the industry’s weakened relationship with its users and set it on a better track for the future, argues David Sidebottom, passenger director at Transport Focus. Passengers waiting at stations today are not...
- Old Oak Common to be UK's best-connected rail interchange as HS2 reveals new station designs HS2 Ltd has unveiled its plans for the Old Oak Common station, releasing designs for the new “landmark piece of architecture” including high-speed platforms located underground. The design plans say that Old Oak Common will be the UK’s best-connected rail interchange, with the...
- Northumberland unveils £3.5m rail project to bring back passenger services A county council has unveiled a new plan to reintroduce direct trains between Newcastle and south-east Northumberland, bringing back passenger services to a current freight line in a £3.5m investment. Northumberland County Council said it is “determined” to reintroduce the...
Railnews
- World Class’ Old Oak Common images unveiled by HS2 THE most detailed images yet of the future rail interchange at Old Oak Common in west London have been published by HS2.
Aviation Industry
- Op-Ed: Elected Officials Must Not Damage Aviation’s Culture Of Safety Kevin Mitchell US House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) is reportedly drafting legislation which, in potential future federal government shutdowns, would carve out FAA, preventing its employees from being furloughed or working without pay. read more
- Germania files for bankruptcy, ceases operations after funding efforts failGerman leisure carrier Germania filed for bankruptcy Feb. 4 and halted flight operations the same evening following months of increasing financial difficulties. read more
- Stobart Air to operate KLM Cityhopper flights to AmsterdamIreland-based capacity provider Stobart Air—the airline involved in an attempted Virgin Atlantic-led takeover of UK regional operator Flybe—has won a contract to operate flights to Amsterdam Schiphol on behalf of KLM Cityhopper. read more
- FlightSafety asks for 90-day extension to modify simulatorsFlightSafety International has requested a 90-day extension of a mandate to modify full-flight simulators for extended envelope flight training, citing the recent US government shutdown for delaying FAA approval. read more
Other News Sources
- Greg Hands, Chelsea and Fulham MP, invites residents to Heathrow Airport Q&A this ThursdayThe MP for Chelsea and Fulham, Greg Hands, is inviting local residents to a public Q&A about Heathrow Airport’s future airspace allocation and expansion being held on Thursday.
- The next generation in tanker shipping steps forwardThe news that Euronav chief executive Paddy Rodgers is retiring is indicative of the changeover of generations in tanker shipping
- ‘Blistering barnacles’ and shipping’s big gas questionNatural gas alone will not help shipping cut greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study, which means that alternative fuels and even barnacle-resistant paint will be needed to meet ambitious climate targets.
- ‘Poor quality cycle lanes won’t cut it,’ says Paralympic gold medallist Dame Sarah StoreyBritain’s painted, poor quality cycle lanes won’t cut it if we want more women to cycle, according to Paralympic gold medallist Dame Sarah Storey.
- MP's praise for proposals to include Atherton on tram networkMP Chris Green has welcomed plans to expand Greater Manchester's tram network to include Atherton
- More trains, more buses: How to send UK transport emissions into reverse gear When it comes to transport, the UK's emissions reduction journey is going backwards - but campaigners believe a massive expansion of rail and bus travel could help solve the problem
- 3i sells stake in Thameslink company Cross London Trains for £333mInvestment firm 3i Infrastructure plc has announced an agreement to sell its stake in Cross London Trains for £333m.
- TfL cuts opening hours of new Southwark tube entranceThe proposed new entrance to Southwark Underground Station in Greet Street would be closed during Night Tube hours under revised plans put forward by Transport for London.
- ‘Terrible decisions’ were made at Bognor Railway StationFurther calls for improvements at Bognor Railway Station have been made this week.
- £4.8bn railway reopening plan proposed to link disconnected communitiesThe Government has been urged to invest £4.8bn in expanding Britain’s railways to “the most disadvantaged and disconnected communities” in a new report from transport campaigners.
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