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

Friday, 07 June 2019

BBC News

• 'Post-Ford Bridgend' plan needed, says small firms bodyBusiness leaders and politicians urged to show leadership as the town's top employer prepares to leave.
• NPP: Businesses want 'Northern Crossrail' investmentThe government is considering a plan for a £39bn high-speed rail link across the north of England.
• Glasgow and Aberdeen airport strikes set to beginTwo-12-hour walkouts are planned by Unite members but the operators say it will be
• Passenger trust in rail firms declinesDissatisfaction over punctuality and reliability has eroded trust in rail operators, research suggests.
• Five reasons the car industry is strugglingCarmakers are facing a range of challenges, from slowing demand in China to stricter rules on emissions.

ITV News

• Changes to HS2 route could see high speed trains between Manchester and LiverpoolChanges to the proposed HS2 route have been announced to connect the line with Northern Powerhouse Rail.

The Guardian

• Northern firms throw weight behind HS2 and new east-west rail lineBusinesses overwhelmingly support plans for two new high-speed lines, research finds

The Independent

• London bus cuts to reduce tourists’ options and increase crowding on surviving servicesThe prime scheduled bus service for tourists in London is to be axed, while three other key routes are to be curtailed – reducing the options for visitors to the capital.
• Tui owes thousands in compensation after wrecking start of cruise – but tells passengers to 'claim on insurance'Exclusive: UK's biggest holiday company gave travellers letter for insurance claim, even though each was owned hundreds of pounds

The Scotsman

• Tour buses are great but they must set an example - Alastair DaltonThey were the bane of my life when I lived in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile many years ago. Audible from our fourth floor windows overlooking the High Street, the regular stream of open-top tour buses chugged slowly past, churning out both diesel fumes and commentary from the guides, amplified by loudspeakers.

Times Online

• Fiat blames Macron for failure in Renault merger talks [subscription]France appeared to be keen to revive a projected merger between Renault and Fiat Chrysler yesterday after the Italian-American carmaker broke off talks, blaming interference by the Macron administration.
• HS2 to link with Northern Powerhouse line [subscription]HS2 trains will be able to run across northern England under plans for a fully integrated high-speed network.
• Rail investors receive green signal from Go-Ahead [subscription]An unexpectedly upbeat message from Go-Ahead Group, the London commuter operator, has boosted investors’ appetite for the struggling rail sector.
• Lord Adonis: ‘Use £5bn road fund to reverse Beeching cuts to rail network’ [Subscription]Billions of pounds earmarked for road-building schemes should be diverted to reopen almost 100 railway stations that were shut as part of the Beeching cuts, ministers are to be told.
• Airless tyre will stop drivers going spare [subscription]It is every motorist’s worst nightmare. Struggling by the roadside, jack in hand, trying to wrestle the flat tyre from the side of your stricken car.
• Grayling gets ready [Subscription](scroll down screen to view this item ) Not another franchise derailment, surely. Look at this. Chris Grayling’s Department for Transport has changed the name of one of its “operator of last resort” companies: the sort that steps in when a rail outfit fails, just like it did on the east coast main line. A Companies House filing shows that DFT OLR2 has been renamed SE Trains.

City AM

• Go-Ahead shares thrive as it predicts higher salesGo-Ahead expects revenues to be higher than originally thought in its London and international bus division, it said today.
• IAG kickstarts search for best budding aviation start-upsBritish Airways owner IAG has launched its latest global accelerator programme for budding aviation startups.
• Chris Grayling launches HS2 review to boost links with northTransport secretary Chris Grayling has kickstarted a review into how the second phase of HS2 could be more efficient and cost effective as the project’s fate hangs in the balance with the ongoing Tory leadership election.
• Go-Ahead appoints interim chief financial officer Elodie Brian as finance bossThe Go-Ahead Group has appointed former Southeastern finance director Elodie Brian as its chief financial officer.

Birmingham Mail

• Anger after Government says future of HS2 high speed rail project is uncertainThe next Prime Minister will make a decision about HS2, according to Treasury Minister

London Evening Standard

• Tube strike looms as pay talks collapse and union threatens to 'bring London to a halt'Furious RMT Leaders today threatened to

Manchester Evening News

• HS2 changes could create a new quicker rail route between Manchester and LiverpoolGovernment bosses also want to relocate two proposed ventilation shafts in south Manchester

Nottingham Evening Post

• East Coast Main Line set for severe disruption as £1.2bn upgrade planned to improve servicesTrack renewal is taking place at Newark over the Bank Holiday weekend in August

North Wales Live

• Fans line North Wales coast railway to see veteran steam locomotiveLeander was built in March 1936 for London Midland Scottish Railway and was based in Crewe

Other Regional Press

• New million pound bus station in Telford has frequent power cuts and 'tiles falling off the walls'Telford's new million pound bus station has "tiles falling off the wall" and frequent power cuts caused by water seeping through leaks in the building.
• New rail depot will be a great asset to the townBack in January, the Harry Needle Railroad Company acquired the 12-acre former DB Schenker site in Worksop, fulfilling it’s aspiration of owning a large-scale rail depot, writes Coun Simon Greaves.
• Chiltern Railways named one of the most trusted operators in countryA REPORT has found that a rail operator that provides services in Oxfordshire is one of the most trusted railway operators in the country.

Coach and Bus Week

• HCT Group relocates after expansionHCT Group, transport social enterprise has recently relocated to a bigger office in central London after a recent period of growth.
• Harrogate Bus Company wins Environment awardThe Harrogate Bus Company was recently awarded the Environment Award in the UK Better Society Awards. The awards held in London on 23 May recognised other big household names such as Warner Bros, Deloitte and ITV.
• A deal from mutual admirationNFI Group and Alexander Dennis have provided more details on the story behind the deal announced last week, and what it means for the future of both companies.
• Hyundai unveils electric double-deckerSouth Korean car manufacturer Hyundai has unveiled its first ever electric double-decker bus at the country’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Technology Fair.

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 boss defends procurement strategy in face of High Court battleHigh Speed 2 Ltd (HS2 Ltd) chief operating officer Richard Robinson has hit back at accusations that the project’s procurement strategy is encouraging a “race to the bottom”.
• HS2 reveals plan to share lines with Northern Powerhouse RailThe first steps to fully integrating the second phase of High Speed 2 (HS2) with the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) scheme have been announced as HS2 launches its phase 2b design refinement consultation.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Stronger protection needed for coaches following attack on Ridleys Coaches at Wembley StadiumCalls have been made for stronger protection for coaches and passengers when transporting football supporters to matches, following an incident involving Warwick-based Ridleys Coaches.
• No clarity on permit use anywhere in sight yetOnce again, the issue surrounding the operation of competitively-tendered contracts by holders of Section 19 and Section 22 permits has raised its head, this time in the House of Lords.
• Lords: Lack of guidance leaving CTOs 'in limbo'Non-commercial interpretation remains in the air until Judicial Review decision comes during 2020. The government has been criticised in the House of Lords for proceeding with changes to bring the UK in line with EC Regulation 1071/2009 while a Judicial Review (JR) brought by the Bus and Coach Association (BCA) is ongoing.

The Business Desk

• Government looking at new rail route between Liverpool and ManchesterThe government has announced it is looking at a new rail route between Manchester and Liverpool. The government has launched a consultation on the long awaited second phase of the high-speed rail link between London and the north of the UK.

Aviation Industry

• IAG invites startups to showcase air travel innovationsInternational Airlines Group (IAG) is inviting startups to demonstrate how their products and innovations can transform the travel industry during a 10-week accelerator program. read more
• US lawmakers advance $17.7 billion FAA budget proposalThe US House Appropriations Committee has approved legislation granting $17.7 billion to FAA in FY2020, advancing the bill to the full chamber where it is scheduled to be taken up later in June. read more
• US government further limits non-family Cuba travelThe US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) moved to further limit non-family travel to Cuba as part of an administration-wide effort to assert greater pressure on the country over its human rights record and support for the regime of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. read more
• Finance group completes takeover of ASL AviationEuropean fund manager STAR Capital Partnership has completed the acquisition of aviation group, ASL Aviation Holdings. read more
• Southwest pilots endorse FAA’s proposed MAX training Southwest Airlines pilots are “comfortableâ€� with proposed training updates for the Boeing 737 MAX fleet and did not recommend any changes to FAA’s draft standards during the public comment period. read more

EIN News Subscription

• Murdo Fraser: Don't let the killjoy Greens trash our transport heritageOne of the pleasures of a Scottish summer is enjoying a sunny day on our rural roads behind the wheel of a convertible, alive to the sounds and smells of the countryside in a way which is never possible when fully enclosed within steel and glass. And if that convertible is a classic British sports car or tourer, then so much the better.
• Airlines battle polluter stigmaIn Lorna Greenwood's London home, there is a shelf lined with travel guides. But the 32-year-old mother and former government employment lawyer has given up flying.
• 5 Under-recognized Impacts of Air PollutionMost of the rising global attention to air pollution focuses on the impacts that ozone, particulate matter and other pollutants have on human health.
• How the EU wants countries to tweak transport policyThe European Commission unveiled a whole series of country-by-country recommendations on Wednesday (5 June), including guidance on how to improve transport links and boost sustainability through shrewd investments.
• Airport Passenger Screening Systems Market Overview Along with Industry Size, Key Drivers, Major Manufactures and Regional Trends 2023Global Airport Passenger Screening Systems Market Research Report Covers Historical Market Trends, Current Market Dynamics, Market Valuation by Segmentation as Well as Region, Country-level Analysis for Every Segment, Key Player's Market Share Analysis, Competitive Landscape and Supply Chain Analysis.
• Copenhagen among European ports with highest cruise ship pollutionWith each passing year bringing a record number of cruise ships to Copenhagen, the tourism organisations in the capital are increasingly pleased as more and more guests disembark to enjoy the Danish capital.