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

Sunday, 12 May 2019

BBC News

• Flying Scotsman trespassers spark track ban threatPeople are risking their lives to catch a glimpse of the world-famous locomotive, rail bosses say.
• North West 200 roars to its 90th yearAs the famous motorbike race turns 90, it's getting bigger and faster than ever.

The Guardian

• Matt Hancock launches study into 'deadly poison' of air pollutionReview will assess impact of dirty air on health and will support NHS efforts to go green

The Independent

• Rail bosses apologise after pornography broadcast over train's loudspeakers'At least someone's enjoying the commute to work,' observes social media user

The Scotsman

• Caledonian Sleeper fined £177k for failing quality standardsCaledonian Sleeper has been fined £177,000 for failing tough quality standards in the first year that official inspections have carried penalties.

The Telegraph

• No, Amber Rudd. The next PM must recognise HS2 for the wasteful vanity project it really is - David Davis [Subscription]he past year has seen a number of hammer blows to the public’s perception of HS2. Despite this, last week both George Osborne and Amber Rudd threw their support behind pushing ahead with the project. Rudd even went so far as to say that any new PM must fully commit to HS2, saying it was a “very good example of thinking long term”. Turning that into non-emotive language: they must believe the return on investment will be beneficial to the UK. Really?
• German rail giant launches second legal attack on Grayling [Subscription]ne of the world’s biggest transport companies is suing Chris Grayling over his governing of the railways, opening a second front against the embattled Transport Secretary over his controversial disqualification of train operators.

Times Online

• Drivers plugging into an electric future will need a lot of chargers [subscription]As petrol and diesel cars are phased out, we need to invest £100bn by 2030 to support their replacement — who is going to pay for it all?
• Coast Capital moves to derail FirstGroup boardMost of the board of the ailing bus and rail giant FirstGroup could be ousted under the plans of an activist investor.

Mail Online

• Axeing controversial HS2 project would fund 28 vital transport links - and here's what you'll get for your £50billion savingScrapping the controversial HS2 project would free-up enough cash to bankroll 28 critical transport projects across Britain, a report will claim this week.

The Mirror

• Rail bosses spend taxpayers' cash on UK flights instead of taking the trainThe number of internal UK flights taken by Network Rail star soared by almost 10 per cent last year - rather than using their own train networks

London Evening Standard

• South Western Railway investigating after driver 'broadcasts porn on train tannoy'South Western Railway is investigating after a driver appeared to broadcast porn on a train's tannoy, much to the bemusement of the passengers on board.

Other Regional Press

• MP calls Network Rail plans a 'major blow' for Cumbrian economyMP Tim Farron has written to the chief executive of Network Rail calling for a rethink of plans to close a large section of the West Coast Mainline during the summer.
• ScotRail's 'complex' compensation scheme slammed by Ross MPScotRail has been criticised for its complex compensation scheme for delayed passengers, with research revealing that the process is among the UK’s most complicated.

Other News Sources

• Residents to get free bus travel at Bath Road Central, Slough, until AugustSlough residents can get free bus travel for the next three months. The Bath Road Central buses ferry workers between Slough train and bus station to Slough Trading Estate during the morning and evening rush hours
• A cracking good Easter helps Heathrow break April recordsA cracking good Easter helped London Heathrow break passenger records during the month of April, the UK's busiest airport revealed this week. It was the 30th month of consecutive growth and 3.3% more passengers travelled through the airport in April 2019 than in April 2018.

EIN News Subscription

• Bulgaria's Transport Minister: Enough Speculation, there is no Favorite Investor to Sofia AirportThere is no favorite for the 35-year concession at Sofia Airport and each of the candidates has equal chances with the rest". Thus, Transport Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov commented in Burgas the statement of BSP leader Kornelia Ninova a few hours ago,