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

Saturday, 27 April 2019

BBC News

• South Wales travel warning as roads and rail close this weekendRoads in central Cardiff, part of the Heads of the Valley road and the Severn Tunnel shut this weekend.
• London's Tube and bus system 'soiled thousands of times'Buses were reported as
• How 'digital twins' make a factory more efficientThe
• SAS pilot walkout leaves thousands strandedThe airline cancels 673 flights affecting more than 72,000 passengers.
• 737-Max hits American Airlines forecastThe US airline cut its profit forecast by $350m following 737-Max jet groundings.
• Failed airline FlyBMI 'owed £37m' when it collapsed, say administratorsThe airline collapsed in February, owing millions to suppliers and passengers.

The Guardian

• Crossrail could be delayed beyond 2021 target, admits chiefThe new 2021 target for the opening of Crossrail is liable to slip further due to continuing uncertainty about the software behind the new rail line, its chief executive has admitted.

The Scotsman

• Transport minister demands more powers to run Scotland’s railwaysScotland’s transport minister has stepped up demands for Holyrood to be granted further powers over the running of the country’s railways.

The Telegraph

• Why people are attacking driverless cars with rocks and knives [subscription]o most people, self-driving cars are the stuff of science fiction, but for the residents of Phoenix, Arizona, they are a part of everyday life.

Times Online

• Row over leak threatens to derail East Midlands train franchise [subscription]The government is facing pressure to scrap a rail franchise award amid mounting criticism over the leak of sensitive information to a rival bidder.
• No need for passports as Heathrow goes hi‑tech [subscription]Passengers travelling from Heathrow will be able to check in and board their flight without showing a passport from this summer.

Mail Online

• Heathrow passengers won't have to show a passport or boarding card at check-in from this summer thanks to new facial recognition technologyPassengers flying from Heathrow will no longer have to show a passport at check-in from this summer. Britain’s largest airport is installing permanent facial recognition technology in the hope that travellers spend less time going through checks. Boarding passes will also no longer be needed.

London Evening Standard

• TfL 'set to lose £1bn' from two-year delay on troubled CrossrailThe two-year delay in opening the troubled Crossrail line could cost Transport for London £1 billion in lost income, it was feared today.

Northern Echo

• Government 'can't tell Siemens where to build trains' following Hitachi snubA MINISTER has said the Government "can't tell Siemens where to build its trains" following revelations that firm will build the majority of a new London Underground order in Austria.

Yorkshire Post

• Yorkshire rail passengers get 'bullet train' ride for first time on Kings Cross servicePASSENGERS in parts of Yorkshire are about to get their first experience of a Japanese bullet train, when the new fleet of Azumas gets underway.

Other Regional Press

• ScotRail treat West Fifers with 'utter contempt' as peak services cancelledWEST FIFE commuters arrived back after the Easter break to find two peak services had been cancelled back-to-back on the Fife Circle line on Tuesday morning.
• £1.6 million upgrade will help improve Aberdeen rail servicesA £1.6 million depot upgrade in Inverness will help improve rail services between Aberdeen and the Highlands, it’s been claimed.
• Search launched to find operator for Exeter's new £8m bus stationThe new Exeter Bus Station will include covered waiting and boarding areas and high quality facilities, and will replace the current station which was opened in 1964.
• Plan to restore key Southport to Manchester train route through Wigan backed by MPPlans by a train company to bring back the axed Southport to Manchester Piccadilly service running through the borough have been backed by Wigan's MP.

Airportwatch

• Network Rail goes loco as drone films Flying Scotsman [subscription]Rail enthusiasts could face a £2,500 fine after a drone came dangerously close to hitting Flying Scotsman.

Rail Technology Magazine

• 'No justification': Buckinghamshire councils demand government halt HS2 prep work until Notice to Proceed givenCouncils across Buckinghamshire have agreed to pass a special motion calling on the government and HS2 to halt all current site work in the county. Aylesbury Vale and Chiltern district councils and Buckinghamshire County Council said they were “pilling pressure on the government” to...
• Crossrail to open by March 2021 as bosses confirm new timetable without Bond StreetThe Elizabeth Line will open by March 2021 at the latest as a new six-month delivery window for the Crossrail’s crisis-hit central section is revealed by the project’s bosses. The announcement confirms that Crossrail, already heavily delayed and overbudget, will be completed at least...
• Virgin Trains proposes radical new airline-style model for fares and franchisingVirgin Trains has put forward radical new proposals to manage rail services using an airline-style model, abolishing standing on trains and forcing passengers on long-distance journeys to pre-book seats. The train operator wants to introduce a brand-new ticketing and franchising model and say...

Aviation Industry

• US parent of UK’s Eastern Airways faces bankruptcyUK regional carrier Eastern Airways declined to comment on its future in light of the financial problems facing its parent company, US-based Bristow Group. read more

Other News Sources

• Transport Scotland accused of ‘delaying tactics’ over north boatsA PROMISE to include “in-built flexibility” in the next Northern Isles ferry contract to amend services in response to changing demand has been called a “delaying tactic” by the chairman of Shetland’s transport partnership ZetTrans.
• First Bus Moves Ahead with Maintenance ModernisationLeading Public Transport Operator Selects Infor and Sapphire Systems to Boost Asset Management Efficiency and Enhance the Customer Experience

EIN News Subscription

• Hyperloop- travel between Amsterdam, Frankfurt airports in 30 minutes - NL Times … transport system, the feasibility of which is being investigated between major European airports … as an alternative to short distance air traffic. Given …