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

Friday, 02 August 2019

Government

• New Midlands Engine Champion Robert Jenrick backs the Midlands from the heart of governmentLocal Government Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP is the new Ministerial Champion for the Midlands Engine.

BBC News

• Birmingham railway station project receives £15m fundingIt is hoped to reopen Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell stations along the old Camp Hill line.
• Call for London to be car-free by 2030The report says one measure that needs considering is an equivalent of Uber run by Transport for London.
• BMW boss says PM should rule out no-deal BrexitThe German carmaker, which builds the Mini in the UK, says Boris Johnson should listen to business.
• Post-Brexit plans unveiled for 10 free portsBoris Johnson believes that the zones could create jobs in

Department for Transport

• £24 million to beat rush hour traffic in Wokingham approvedNew development to reduce congestion, boost employment and promote greener forms of travel.

The Guardian

• World's oldest electric suspension train reopens in GermanyThe world’s oldest electric suspension railway has reopened in the western German city of Wuppertal after the longest closure in its history for extensive repairs.

The Independent

• Train from Manchester to London costs more than flights to New York'Something's very wrong with our railways'

The Scotsman

• This is what it’s like to travel on LNER’s new Azuma trains – Alastair Dalton
• Emergency brake used to halt 'runaway' Caledonian Sleeper train after it overshoots Waverley Station in EdinburghAn overnight train from London carrying 120 passengers had to be halted with an emergency brake after being unable to stop at Waverley Station today. The incident around 7:30am caused major commuter disruption after the Caledonian Sleeper service came to a halt at a junction in Abbeyhill, blocking the east coast main line.

Times Online

• Air pollution: London scrappage scheme targets as few as 1 in 55 dirty carsMinisters are under renewed pressure to drive polluting cars off the road after it was revealed that the country’s biggest scrappage scheme will target only a fraction of them.
• Why car scrappage schemes are stuck in first gear [subscription]Vehicle scrappage schemes are seen as one of the most effective measures for removing polluting vehicles. They typically offer owners about £2,000 off a new car if they trade in their dirty, older model.
• Kier builds up investor confidence by cutting down debt pile [subscription]The troubled contractor behind some of Britain’s biggest infrastructure projects won back some investor confidence today after it said that it had reduced its debt by more than expected and was in talks to sell its housebuilding division.

City AM

• Brexit warnings reach fever pitch as BMW and Ford sound the alarmBMW and Ford have become the latest manufacturing giants to warn Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the perils of a no-deal Brexit.

The Mirror

• Train tickets simplified on 100,000 routes as terms such as "any permitted" are scrappedEfforts to make language clearer will also include replacing grouped stations such as ‘London Terminals’ with specific station names

Sky News

• Freeports plan unveiled to boost post-Brexit tradePlans to create up to 10 duty-free or low-tax ports and airports across the UK – promised by Boris Johnson in his Tory leadership campaign – are being launched by the government.

Birmingham Mail

• Boris Johnson has appointed a new official 'champion' of the MidlandsLocal Government Secretary Robert Jenrick is the 'Ministerial Champion' of the Midlands in the Cabinet

Liverpool Echo

• Liverpool John Lennon Airport braced for bank holiday chaos as hundreds of staff prepare to walk out on strikeHolidaymakers could face travel chaos as hundreds of staff at Liverpool John Lennon Airport prepare to walk out on strike on one the airport's busiest weekends of the year.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Newark MP Robert Jenrick named as the official 'champion' of the MidlandsNewark MP Robert Jenrick has been named as the official 'champion' of the Midlands in Boris Johnson's new-look Government. He has been named as the new Ministerial Champion for the Midlands Engine, which is tasked with encouraging investment in the region and making it a better place to live, work, study and do business.

The York Press

• Trainspotters' dream - new webcam gives bird's eye view of York Railway StationA NEW webcam giving a bird’s eye view of York railway station has gone live today. The camera, fixed on top of Network Rail's rail operating centre, aims to give passengers an insight into how trains are performing.

Yorkshire Post

• Work on Leeds-to-Manchester high speed rail set to speed up to meet autumn deadline after Boris Johnson backs projectTransport bosses may need to speed up their work designing the proposed high speed rail route between Leeds and Manchester after Boris Johnson used his first domestic policy speech as Prime Minister to back the project.

Other Regional Press

• Rail bosses say new move to cut jargon will help passengers buy the right ticketChanges being made by rail companies from next week will mean jargon has been slashed on tickets for over a million routes, which bosses say will make it easier for passengers to buy and use the right ticket.
• Coachbuilder Plaxton to host its first coach rally at Scarborough factoryCoachbuilder Plaxton will host its very own coach rally at its Scarborough factory on Thursday August 8, an event that is set to be attended by hundreds.

Coach and Bus Week

• Transport Focus: Reading Buses growth ‘could be replicated’Reading Buses recently hosted a visit from Transport Focus, a watchdog for transport passengers and road users, which learnt about the ways that the operator’s success could be replicated in other areas of the country.
• Lothian introduces Contactless and Capped SystemLothian has introduced the first contactless and fare capped public transport payment system in Scotland, in partnership with Flowbird Transport Intelligence.
• 21st Century fits first bus in TfL area with SmartVision21st Century has announced that it has fitted the first bus in the Transport for London (TfL) area with its SmartVision Camera Monitoring System (CMS). The Metroline ADL vehicle has been fitted with the camera system which replaces wing mirrors for improved safety.
• Wrightbus searching for investors after ‘financial downturn’Manufacturer is working with Deloitte and considering restructuring options Wrightbus has confirmed in a statement on its website that it is working with professional services network Deloitte to ‘explore the potential of bringing onboard an investor.’
• New PM pledges to improve the UK bus network “as a matter of urgency”Boris Johnson has pledged to improve the UK’s bus network and bring in a raft of changes Within the first three days of being in his new position as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson gave a speech at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry about developing the Northern Powerhouse rail project.

New Civil Engineer

• India set for world’s first hyperloop projectThe first hyperloop project in the world has been approved by a regional government in India. Plans to build a hyperloop transportation system between Pune and Mumbai have been rubber stamped by the Government for the state of Maharashtra in Western India
• Government commits £344M to bolster transport in no-deal Brexit planThe government has committed millions to preparing for a potential no-deal Brexit, including bolstering transport infrastructure around ports in Kent. The money is part of a wider £2.1bn no-deal Brexit preparation fund from HM Treasury, some of which will be spent on improving transport infrastructure around ports.

Rail Magazine

• September 16 launch for Class 801 Azumas on London-Leeds routeClass 801/1 Azumas will make their passenger debut on September 16, when a pair is introduced on the London King’s Cross-Leeds route.

Rail Technology Magazine

• New Camp Hill Line stations receive £15m funding boostConstruction on the three new rail stations being built on the Camp Hill line, in Birmingham, is progressing well following a £15m funding boost from the Department for Transport.
• Boris Johnson not looking to scrap HS2 despite £100bn costPrime Minister Boris Johnson has said despite estimates suggesting the HS2 high speed rail line will cost more than £100bn, he was not currently intending to scrap any major infrastructure projects.
• Local government secretary Robert Jenrick backs Midlands investmentHaving been named the new ministerial champion for the Midlands Engine, local government secretary Robert Jenrick MP has confirmed he will lead ambitious plans to boost prosperity across the Midlands.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• CBUK to host Belkommunmash electric bus debutOne of Coach & Bus UK (CBUK)’s many new exhibitors this year will be Belkommunmash, an electric bus manufacturer from Belarus.
• Lothian is first Scottish firm to cap contactlessTap on method on city network charges ‘best day ticket price’ after three journeys in the same day
• Go-Ahead: Serious about getting more womenGo-Ahead has committed to doubling its female workforce by 2025. To help achieve that, it has launched the Women in Bus network this week

The Business Desk

• £15m boost for new railway stationsA £40m project to open three new train stations in Birmingham has been given a £15m boost from the government. The funding from the Department for Transport progresses plans to get passenger services resumed on the Camp Hill Line calling at Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell Stations.

Aviation Industry

• Fixing latest MAX computer issue will not involve hardware changesFixing the latest Boeing 737 MAX flight control system anomaly flagged by FAA will not require hardware changes, and design differences between the MAX and its 737NG predecessor mean the issue presents far less risk on older 737s, ATW has confirmed. read more
• Airlines react to mixed bag of Korea-Japan market demandWhile South Korean airlines are responding to demand declines on routes to Japan, Japanese major airlines are not seeing drops in traffic on flights between the two countries. read more

Other News Sources

• East Midlands Airport business park full after flurry of new lettingsA business park at East Midlands Airport is now full after the agents marketing the scheme secured a flurry of new lettings. The business park, known as the Air Cargo Centre, is situated next to the Castle Donington airport, which is one of the busiest freight airports in the country
• Campaigers issue postcards against airport's proposal for weekend flightsThousands of households living under London City Airport's flight path are set to receive postcards as part of a campaign to prevent the weekend aircraft ban being lifted.
• Local MP speaks to HS2 officials about the controversial developmentNorth East Derbyshire's MP has told us he's speaking with the government and project leaders about people's concerns over the controversial HS2 development
• Mike Amesbury MP blasts further delay to two trains an hour for Northwich passengersNORTHWICH MP Mike Amesbury has written to the new Transport Secretary after plans to introduce two trains an hour for Northwich passengers were again put on hold.