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

Friday, 17 January 2020

Government

• Electric taxis to go wireless thanks to new charging tech trialWireless charging for electric taxis to start in Nottingham.

BBC News

• Cardiff road safety scheme sees school streets closed to carsCars are to be banned from streets outside five Cardiff schools.
• Cardiff congestion charge: 'Not tax on valleys'Cardiff's leader Huw Thomas insists proposed £2 charge for motorists is about changing habits.
• Union anger at Hial's planned shake-up of air traffic controlProspect says controlling traffic at some regional airports centrally in Inverness puts jobs at risk.
• County Down railway line: A 'rail' piece of historyTake a train trip back in time on the old Belfast to County Down line, 70 years after its closure.
• Flybe: Ryanair's Michael O'Leary threatens legal action over rescueMichael O'Leary writes to the chancellor criticising the government's rescue of the regional airline.
• Flybe: Viable business or destined to fail?The airline has been through several restructurings - can this latest rescue save the company?
• Flybe boss says government loan is not a bailoutHowever the airline is

Financial Times

• New shipping fuel rules push specialised oil towards $100 a barrelLow-sulphur grades in high demand after switch that also boosts owners of vessels fitted with ‘scrubbers’
• Ryanair’s O’Leary wades into Flybe debatePart-owner Stobart says EU delays contributed to need for airline’s rescue
• Bombardier shares suffer deep fall after guidance slashedCompany hit by problems with rail unit and delays in deliveries of aircraft

The Guardian

• Ryanair demands same 'tax holiday' amid Flybe rescue deal backlashCEO Michael O'Leary says bailout of Flybe's ˜billionaire owners breaches competition and state aid laws otherwise. Ryanair has demanded that the government extend any ax holiday granted to Flybe to other airlines or be in breach of competition and state aid laws.In the growing industry backlash against the rescue of the regional carrier, the Dublin-based airline said that it had written to the chancellor, Sajid Javid, to request the same treatment as Flybe's billionaire owners who include Sir Richard Branson and Delta Airlines.

The Independent

• Has Flybe axed Heathrow to Newquay flight?Local MP announced flagship service would end after less than a year – but then rowed back on his original statement

The Scotsman

• Lothian Buses just the ticket for charity’s mental health driveLothian Bus group has announced that the leading mental health charity ­Support in Mind Scotland has been chosen as the company’s Charity of Choice for the next two years.

The Telegraph

• Hong Kong Express Airways says sorry after forcing passenger to take pregnancy test
• British Airways emits most carbon emissions compared with rival carriers, study reveals

Times Online

• Electric cars given a boost with wireless charging pads [subscription]Wireless chargers that can power up electric cars without the hassle of plugs and leads are to be introduced on British streets for the first time.

Reuters News

• Bombardier reviews minority stake in Airbus JV, flags writedown; shares tumble(Reuters) - Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO) shares shed nearly third of its value on Thursday after the company warned its 2019 profits would be lower because of problematic rail contracts and said it might have to write down the value of a plane partnership with Airbus (AIR.PA).

Birmingham Post

• Stobart Group to invest up to £9 million in Flybe rescue dealDowning Street has since insisted there has been "no state aid to Flybe" and any support that is given to the firm would be on "strictly commercial terms"
• Siemens boss: £200m rail village to put Goole at forefront of sectorThe development, in East Yorkshire, has the potential to create hundreds of new jobs and put Goole at the forefront of the UK's rail industry

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Cycling and walking routes endorsed by transport committeePROPOSALS to designate a new cycle route in the South of Bradford have moved one step closer.

Bristol Live

• Town centre bypass and second railway station in Yate being considered“Yate is an area that has seen a huge amount of growth already"

London Evening Standard

• Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary threatens legal action over Flybe rescueRyanair boss Michael O'Leary has threatened to launch legal action against the Government over the help given to regional carrier Flybe.
• British Airways accused of emitting up to 45% more carbon per passenger compared to rivalsBritish Airways has been accused of emitting up to 45 per cent more CO2 per passenger compared to its rivals.

Sheffield Star

• Letter: The leaked “findings” of the HS2 review make for dismal readingThe leaked “findings” of the HS2 review make for dismal reading particularly in relation to how Sheffield appears to be being treated in this evolving sage. The latest plan for the HS2 project effectively put Sheffield and Chesterfield in a passing loop on the new line between London and Leeds and points North. Effectively it implies Sheffield is reduced in status. This is not an acceptable position.

Wales Online

• Why this Victorian railway footbridge in Burry Port is heading to a workshop in CardiffThe structure's future was in jeopardy six years ago
• The concerns raised about Cardiff's planned £2-a-day congestion chargeThe way the charge has been suggested has been described as 'a tax on the Valleys'
• Horse boards a bus after it escapes on to A48 in CardiffPolice have shared a picture of the horse on board the Cardiff Bus service which was travelling to the University Hospital of Wales

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Shocking photographs show horrific damage to Azuma LNER train following Leeds Station depot crashThese are the shocking photographs of damage to an Azuma train after a crash on the tracks outside Leeds Station depot last night.

Yorkshire Post

• Northern admit 'teething problems' have left their new trains needing repairs alreadyNorthern have admitted that a number of their 52 new trains have already broken down and been taken out of service.

Get Surrey

• Planned Gatwick flight path change will mean 'misery' for Reigate and Redhill, says campaign group The Civil Aviation Authority is consulting on proposed changes to Route 4

Leeds Live

• HS2 will devastate woodlands and 'push nature to the brink', claims reportThe Wildlife Trust says the project cannot go ahead because it will "cost nature far too much"

Other Regional Press

• More electric car charging points could be installed in PortsmouthMORE charging points for electric cars could be installed in the city in a bid to improve air quality.

Coach and Bus Week

• Worthing Coaches gain ceased West Sussex coach operators workWorthing Coaches, part of the Lucketts Group, has gained the work of Round and About Ltd of Horsham, West Sussex.
• Go Cornwall Bus to operate 130 additional buses from AprilCornwall Council has awarded a new package of supported services to Go Cornwall Bus, a subsidiary of Plymouth City Bus which in turn is owned by the Go-Ahead Group
• H2Bus consortium launches new hydrogen-powered bus options for EuropeA new bus consortium has been launched to specifically develop and produce Hydrogen fuel cell buses for the European market
• “Welcome to the Welsh embassy in Cornwall”In June 2013, Edwards Coaches bought the down-at-heel Portbyhan Hotel in Looe in Cornwall. The industry raised its collective eyebrows. But as Stuart Render reports, a commitment to quality and community has brought positive results
• A new approachTap to Board may be new to the bus industry, but its creators most certainly aren’t – and have already set about shaking up the ticketing market. John Lewis spoke to one of its directors, Lee Davies
• National Express West Midlands announces network changesNational Express West Midlands has announced changes to its bus network in West Dudley, Wolverhampton, and Staffordshire, following feedback on the proposals. As a result, new direct buses between Wombourne and Merry Hill will continue with an increased frequency of every 20 minutes, Himley will continue to be served by buses up to every 20 minutes to Wolverhampton and Merry Hill via Wombourne, Wall Heath, and Kingswinford, and Gornal and Stickley will retain a direct bus link to Stourbridge and Dudley.
• Go North West’s Manchester’s Orbits launchA £1million investment in buses for Manchester hit the road on 4 January. Go North West has invested in a fleet of buses for Manchester’s Orbits, the bold new identity for bus routes 52 and 53 in the city.
• Keolis consortium to operate Paris electric bus route

Rail Technology Magazine

• £1.7m investment from Network Rail to protect famous viaductThe viaduct which was been featured in the Harry Potter series, is the latest Network Rail project. Work has begun the protect the railway from possible landslips and rock-falls from the hillsides and embankments. £1.7m has been invested by Network Rail to protect the iconic Glenfinnan...
• South Western Railway welcomes their newly refurbished trains South Western Railway customers will now be able to see the new ‘Class 442’ refurbished trains across passenger services. These trains since the new year have been running fast journeys from London to Portsmout via Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield & London to Poole route via...
• Vivarail's Class 230 achieves UK first with 40-mile battery-powered tripVivarail achieved a UK first yesterday (Jan 15) as their Class 230 train travelled 40 miles on battery power alone. It comes during a time of desperate need for a cleaner, greener train network as the UK strives for net zero carbon by 2050. During testing runs in the autumn of last year, the...

Railnews

• Doubts grow over future of HS2 between London and Birmingham There are renewed concerns from council leaders that Boris Johnson could be poised to scrap Phase 1 of HS2 between London and Birmingham, diverting the money to other transport projects further north. The eastern spur from Birmingham to the East Midlands and Leeds could also be at risk. A meeting of politicians in Westminster has been told that the choice should not come down to better railway services in the North of England or HS2, because both are needed.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Zero emission ‘the endgame’ for coach in the long termZero emission (ZE) will gain prominence in the coach industry in the 2020s, but on long-distance work it is reliant on the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell power.
• Stagecoach names new Regional Director for ScotlandSam Greer has been appointed as the new Regional Director for Stagecoach Scotland after Robert Andrew announces retirement.
• Buses Minister to address industry at CPT Annual DinnerBuses Minister Baroness Vere will be guest of honour at the Confederation of Passenger Transport’s (CPT) Annual Dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on 30 January.
• Reading Buses appoints Chief EngineerFormer Head of Engineering at RATP Dev London, Bill Gough, has been appointed as Chief Engineer for Reading Buses.
• Two new Traffic Commissioners named by DfTGerallt Evans (pictured) has been appointed Traffic Commissioner (TC) for the North West of England and Victoria Davies has been appointed TC for Wales. Both take up their positions next month.
• Stagecoach South Enviro400s mark fleet upgradeA batch of high-specification Enviro400s have been delivered to Stagecoach South. They were supplied by Alexander Dennis
• Bakers Dolphin: Twelve drivers graduate from academyBack in 2018 Bakers Dolphin launched its own training programme in a bid to tackle the nationwide driver shortage. It is now reaping the rewards with 12 drivers graduating and going out on the road.

Other News Sources

• Bombardier's stock suffering biggest-ever plunge after warning of revenue declineShares of Bombardier Inc. BBD.B, -31.84% plunged 30% in afternoon trading, toward the lowest close in nearly 4 years, after the Montreal-based planes and trains maker warned of a surprise decline in revenue, citing challenges faced by its transportation business
• 13 astonishing facts about Heathrow Airport you never knew The airport has some intriguing secrets