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

Friday, 20 March 2020

BBC News

• Edinburgh Airport to cut 100 jobs over passenger number warningsEdinburgh Airport has warned of
• Coronavirus: 40 London Underground stations to be closedThe night Tube will be stopped from this weekend as part of new contingency plans across London.
• The steampunk model railway enthusiast having designs used by HornbyA model enthusiast has had his own steampunk designs patented by the British railway brand Hornby.
• Coronavirus: EasyJet staff may no longer be given food on shiftsThe airline wants pilots and cabin crew to accept sweeping changes to their terms and conditions.

Financial Times

• Jaguar Land Rover to suspend operations at all UK plantsMove follows announcement by big US carmakers of nationwide shutdown
• Lufthansa warns it will emerge from pandemic as smaller businessWorld’s second-largest airline has already grounded 700 of its 763 planes
• Airlines push back on payments to air traffic controllersCarriers want to defer charges as they face deepening cash crisis
• BA pilots hit with 50% salary cut over coronavirusUK airline moves to reduce costs as international flights grind to a halt
• UK train services to be halved in revised schedulesOperators warn they will struggle to meet franchise agreements as passenger numbers plunge

Times Online

• National Express puts dividend under review [subscription]National Express has decided to put its recently announced full-year dividend under review.
• Coronavirus in Scotland: Jobs at risk as Edinburgh airport braces for empty spell [subscription]Scotland’s busiest airport begins redundancy talks with staff today and is shutting parts of its terminal as it prepares for a period of “virtually zero” passengers.

City AM

• Sadiq Khan: More Crossrail delays from coronavirus are 'inevitable'Sadiq Khan has said it is “inevitable” that the coronavirus outbreak will further delay the opening of Crossrail.
• Norwegian Air offered 3bn krone rescue package from officialsNorway’s government has ridden to the rescue of beleaguered Norwegian Air with the offer of a credit guarantee of 3bn krone.

Daily Express

• National Rail announces reduced services NEXT WEEK amid UK coronavirus pandemic NATIONAL Rail has announced its trains will be running on a reduced service next week in a bid to help fight against the growing coronavirus pandemic spreading across the UK.

Belfast Telegraph

• UK rail services to be reduced as demand plummets during coronavirus crisisBritish rail services will be gradually reduced from next week as demand drops away during the coronavirus outbreak.
• Eurostar running fewer than a fifth of schedule as demand plummetsEurostar has slashed its timetables due to demand collapsing.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• MP Spellar in call over bus contractsThe Government has been urged to ensure that all new electric buses for the country's roads are built by British firms.

Yorkshire Post

• Older people in Leeds and West Yorkshire can now use free bus passes at any timeOlder passengers and others with free bus passes can now use them at any time of day after transport bosses in West Yorkshire lifted restrictions.

Cambridge News

• A14 roadworks: Major section of the M11 will be closed all weekendThe full diversion route which is in place from Friday until Monday has been listed below

Other Regional Press

• Coronavirus: Great Western Railway reduces trains Great Western Railway is reducing its service due to coronavirus.

British Trams Online

• Heritage organisations start to shut down after latest government advice **updated 19th March**The situation with closures and changes to openings of heritage tramways and museums continues to change rapidly as the Coronavirus pandemic continues to make itself felt. It is inevitable, sensible and understandable that these decisions have to be made and the below list gives all the details as know at the moment. At a time when government advice is that we should be exercising social distancing and only undertake essential travel it is no surprise that these decisions are made and hopefully the situation will improve in the coming months.

Business Live

• Bombardier puts in plan to maintain productionThe firm's Derby site is currently building a record number of trains

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• TfL announces planned services to support London’s critical workers during the COVID-19 pandemicFollowing the Government’s advice to stop non-essential social contact, the Mayor of London has asked Transport for London (TfL) to make a number of changes to services to ensure a safe and reliable service to enable London’s critical workers who need to make essential journeys. The Mayor of London and TfL are urging all other customers to follow the Government’s advice and not make anything but essential journeys. From tomorrow, up to 40 London Underground (LU) stations that do not interchange with other lines will be closed until further notice. Anyone who needs to make es...
• Coronavirus: 40 London Underground stations to be closedUp to 40 stations on the London Underground network are to be shut as the city attempts to reduce the effect of the coronavirus outbreak. Transport for London (TfL) announced there would be a partial shutdown of the network from Thursday morning. Additionally, there will be no night Tube and bus services will also be reduced, TfL said. It comes after Boris Johnson said the virus was spreading faster in London than other parts of the UK. Latest government figures show there have been more than 900 confirmed cases of coronavirus in London and 34 people have died in the city as a result of th...
• Government and airlines working to get British passengers affected by Coronavirus back to the UKThe government and UK airlines are continuing to work closely together to ensure British passengers overseas are able to return home through commercial means in light of the impact on overseas travel. Many countries have introduced border restrictions and closed hotels since the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began and during a call today (18 March 2020), both the airline industry and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps underlined their commitment to helping those currently overseas to return to the UK. The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, chaired the calls with major airlines and airports e...

Coach and Bus Week

• CPT reacts to school closuresConfederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) Chief Executive Graham Vidler has issued a statement reacting to the Government’s decision to close schools across the UK as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Operators issue updates on Coronavirus precautionsAs the coronavirus gains momentum, coach and bus operators are communicating with their customers to ensure them that they are taking the necessary precautions to ensure vehicles are clean and safe for them to travel on
• Stagecoach unveils Greater Manchester’s first electric double-deckersStagecoach has revealed Greater Manchester’s first double-decker electric buses as part of a £16.5m investment. The 32 ADL buses will operate on routes 111 and 43, connecting Manchester city centre with Manchester Airport, five hospitals and three universities. The zero emission buses can travel 190 miles on a single charge and will help to ease pollution on some of Europe’s busiest roads.
• Coach and bus industry reacts as COVID-19 crisis deepensCoach and bus operators across the UK are currently addressing the COVID-19 pandemic situation after Boris Johnson released further advice and voluntary travel restrictions on all non-essential travel. Many operators have acted immediately by cancelling tours and coach holidays from the end of this week, whilst some bus operators are scaling back operations due to passenger numbers falling following advice from the Government to work from home where possible.

Rail Advent

• East Midlands Railway to suspend seat reservations as new livery upgrade startsEast Midlands Railway is advising passengers travelling between Liverpool and Norwich that they will not be able to reserve seats from 25 April – 12 December 2020.

Rail Technology Magazine

• The rail industry's response to Coronavirus With coronavirus sweeping the headlines and the country over the past few weeks, Rail Delivery Group (RDG) have issued a statement regarding the rail industry. They began by saying, “the health and wellbeing of everyone who uses the railway and our staff is always our priority. We know...

Railnews

• Coronavirus: TfL set to close up to 40 Underground stations Transport for London is reducing public transport in the capital, with up to 40 Underground stations expected to close within 24 hours. Headways on Underground and Overground lines will be longer, and all-night services will be suspended on both systems. Night buses are to continue running. The Mayor has urged Londoners not use TfL services unless their journeys are essential.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• £1bn among coronavirus support package callsThe Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has called for a £1bn government support package to help the coach and bus industry to secure jobs and services over the next three months during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
• McGill’s Yutong e-bus order first in ScotlandMcGill’s Buses has become the first Scottish operator to place an order for a Yutong battery-electric bus.
• Transdev Happy Travels campaign launchedTransdev has introduced a Happy Travels promise. It gives customers their next ride on one of its buses free of charge if they are not happy with their current journey for whatever reason.
• Buses main subject at Transport QuestionsCan buses operations elsewhere in the country really be the same as the London bus model? Buses were a central topic for discussion at Transport Oral Questions last week in the House of Commons.
• Wave electric bus launch set for Euro Bus ExpoDesign and manufacturing company CAD CAM Automotive (CCA) and Belarusian company BKM Holding have founded a joint venture called Wave Industries that will see electric bus models for both the UK and export markets produced in Coventry.
• Stagecoach Manchester Enviro400EV fleet into serviceStagecoach Manchester has launched 32 BYD ADL Enviro400EV battery-electric double-deckers in the south of the city. They represent an investment of £16.5m.
• Ensignbus fits hand sanitisers on busesEssex-based Ensignbus has fitted hand sanitiser dispensers to its entire fleet in response to the coronavirus crisis.
• Wales buses bill: Franchising among proposalsFranchising for buses in Wales and the creation of local authority (LA)-owned operators in the country are among powers that are proposed in the Bus Services (Wales) Bill, which was published on Monday 16 March.
• Leeds CAZ to launch on 28 SeptemberLeeds City Council (LCC) has confirmed that the city’s delayed Clean Air Zone (CAZ) will go live on 28 September.