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

Wednesday, 17 June 2020

BBC News

• Probe into Aberdeen Airport collision between two planesThe nose of one of the aircraft ended up wedged under the engine of the other at Aberdeen Airport.
• UK inflation rate at fresh four-year low as fuel prices slumpFuel costs fell sharply in May, pushing the inflation rate down to a fresh four-year low of 0.5%.
• Europe pushes ahead with 'dune buggy' Mars roverAirbus-UK wins a contract to advance the design of a robot for the Red Planet with four big wheels.
• Menzies Aviation workers face redundancy after global travel slumpMenzies Aviation puts more than 300 staff on notice of imminent redundancy in Glasgow and Edinburgh

Financial Times

• Are we ready to fly again?From temperature checks to luggage, Michael Skapinker on the challenges that lie ahead

The Telegraph

• Travel latest: Air bridges to be announced by end of June

Times Online

• Easyjet puts off delivery of jets as flights resume [Subscription]Easyjet has delayed part of a multibillion-pound aircraft order that is at the centre of a row between the company’s board and its founder.
• Cuts to ferry capacity raise fears for Arran economy [Subscription]Concerns have been raised that the Isle of Arran will suffer economically because social-distancing rules will cut the daily number of ferry passengers by 90 per cent this summer.
• Oil demand will be poor ‘for at least two years’ [Subscription]Global demand for oil will not recover from the lockdown until 2022 at the earliest as the “dire situation” in the aviation industry drags into next year, the International Energy Agency has forecast.
• Air bridges to Spain, Portugal and others are expected this month [Subscription]Agreements for quarantine-free “air bridges” are expected to be in place by the end of the month to allow holidaymakers to travel abroad. Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, said yesterday that the government was close to signing off on travel agreements between Britain and other countries.
• Boris Johnson’s jet has patriotic paint job [Subscription]The military jet used by Boris Johnson to travel overseas on official business is being painted with a Union Jack design, according to sources.

Reuters News

• Johnson wants unrestricted travel to France, Spain as soon as possibleBritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday he wanted to see unrestricted travel to Spain and France

Daily Record

• 318 Glasgow and Edinburgh airport workers face axe as redundancy talks startThe firm which provides baggage handling and other airport services has been hit hard by the collapse of travel industry due to virus crisis.

Mail Online

• RAF jumbo jet gets paint job in red, white and blue for Prime Minister to use on trips abroad The grey Voyager aircraft is being painted in the colours of the Union Jack at an airport in Cambridge. The cost of repainting the plane is expected to be in the tens of thousands of pounds, sources said.
• New British green number plates could allow drivers to use bus lanes and park for free Drivers of electric cars are to be given green number plates that could allow them to use bus lanes and park for free.
• Quarantine-free 'air bridges' allowing Britons to holiday and not isolate could arrive in two weeksQuarantine-free 'air bridges' are set to be put in place by the end of June which would allow Britons to travel abroad without the need to quarantine for a set period of time upon arrival.

The Mirror

• Give aviation industry a coronavirus rescue deal, urges Labour's Keir StarmerEXCLUSIVE: The party boss called for a package that saves jobs but forces airlines to make environmental commitments
• Coronavirus infects dozens more in Beijing as flights cut to curb 'second wave'Flights and railway services to the Chinese capital have been reduced following a new outbreak of coronavirus which has been traced back to imported salmon at a food market

Birmingham Mail

• Inside Birmingham Airport - from safety measures to thermal imagingBirmingham Airport are using a thermal imaging arch to check temperatures - while face coverings are mandatory through security

Birmingham Post

• Eastern Airways resumes Manchester to Southampton routeAs restrictions begin to ease, services will be re-introduced with extensive cleaning measures on-board and throughout all aspects of Manchester Airport
• New £1.5m funding boost for VivarailDesigner and manufacturer of hybrid train products teams up with MEIF for loan
• New electric era starts at North East train builders Hitachi RailThe firm is building a fully electric fleet which will soon link London and Edinburgh
• Over 100 jobs to go at aerospace supplier due to Rolls-Royce woesUnion fears more SMEs in the sector could suffer without government intervention
• EU regulators set deadline for Alstom’s takeover of BombardierFrench firm is still pushing ahead with plans to buy firm which has UK factory in Derby
• HS2 teams up with Innovation Birmingham for new ideas acceleratorTeam behind high-speed rail project is working with city's tech campus to bring new ideas to fruition which will drive efficiencies on scheme

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Face mask rules on Bradford buses spark concern and confusion Bus drivers in Bradford say they have been left confused as to whether they should abide by the law or their bosses when dealing with public transport face covering rules.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Airbus workers helping make life-saving ventilators to miss out on furlough helpHundreds of staff are working on the UK Government's Ventilator Challenge at AMRC Cymru
• Roads flooded as thunderstorms bring huge downpours and lightning - recapA number of roads in Wrexham are impassible due to the weather
• Major scheme to improve A55 junction gets underwayThe three-month-long roadworks aim to make the junction safer for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians

London Evening Standard

• Congestion charge to rise to £15 next week and apply at evenings and weekends, Sadiq Khan confirmsThe congestion charge will rise to £15 from next week and apply in the evenings and weekends to tackle rising levels of traffic in central London, Sadiq Khan confirmed today.
• 'Your criticism is unjustified': BA chief hits back at MPs who slammed airline's treatment of staff
• Norwegian Air to restart UK flights from start of July as airline industry fights backNorwegian Air will restart flights to and from UK airports from July 1

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Hitachi Rail starts work on electric East Coast trains in County DurhamFive trains will be manufactured at the County Durham plant and will enter service in autumn next years
• Newcastle Airport boss reveals changes returning passengers can expectNewcastle International Airport chief executive answers ChronicleLive's questions on changes for passengers and the airport's financial health

The York Press

• US fighter pilot killed in crash off Yorkshire coast is named as Kenneth Allen A US fighter pilot who died when his jet crashed into the North Sea off the East Yorkshire coast has been named by the US Air Force, as his heartbroken wife paid tribute to him.

Cambridge News

• Latest holiday advice from Martin Lewis as travel prices are slashedHuge discounts on flights and hotels have tempted some travellers to book their dream holiday

Reading Evening Post

• Huge sinkhole opens up on major roadEyewitnesses described hearing a loud 'metallic bang' before a large crack appeared in the middle of the A4 in Castle Hill

Other Regional Press

• Dismay as level crossing breaks down and stays closed for daysRedcar's West Dyke Road crossing is not expected to reopen until Thursday
• Rail line closure at Templecombe for landslip repairPassengers are reminded that a section of railway on the Waterloo-Exeter line which passes through north Dorset is currently closed until this Sunday, June 21.
• Inside Birmingham Airport after the coronavirus pandemicQuarantine rules and social distancing measures mean it will likely be a slow return

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Green number plates get the green light for a zero-emission futureGreen number plates are set to be rolled out from autumn, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed, under plans to drive a green economic recovery. As part of the government’s plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, drivers will be encouraged to make the switch to electric vehicles through the introduction of green number plates. The plates will make it easier for cars to be identified as zero emission vehicles, helping local authorities design and put in place new policies to incentivise people to own and drive them. For example, drivers could benefit from local initiatives suc...
• Temporary changes to the Congestion Charge vital to secure safe and green recoveryThe Mayor and TfL have confirmed temporary changes to the Congestion Charge, which were brought forward in accordance with TfL’s funding agreement with Government. These temporary changes will ensure the capital’s recovery from the pandemic is not restricted by cars and congestion. The latest data shows that even with the Congestion Charge back in place and many people still working from home, there are as many cars in the zone as there were before the lockdown began. If traffic is allowed to continue to grow, roads will become unusably congested. Analysis indicates that as the G...

Coach and Bus Week

• Go-Ahead and CitySwift unveil AI-based technology to help passengers make travel plansThe Go-Ahead Group has announced it is to roll out a new AI-based ‘When to Travel’ tool for customers nationwide. Along with social distancing, wearing face coverings, enhanced cleaning and hygiene, it aims to restore confidence in buses as customers return to work and school.
• Northern Ireland Infrastructure Minister pledges £30m for low-emission busesIn a statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon announced a £30m investment in low-emission buses as part of a package of measures to kick start the nation’s economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Railnews

• Vivarail confirms expansion after borrowing £1.5m Train rebuilder Vivarail™s plans to expand have received a boost after it was able to secure a loan worth £1.5 million. The company is moving from its original site within the Quinton Rail Technology Centre at Long Marston to a new and larger home at Southam, near Leamington Spa, where five more jobs are to be created.
• Rail bailout has cost £3.5bn so far – but there™s no end in sight The cost of keeping the passenger railway operating during the Covid-19 pandemic has reached £3.5 billion, according to rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris. He was answering a Parliamentary question raised by Labour MP Ian Mearns. The minister admitted that there is no definite end in sight for the emergency measures which are supporting franchises for the time being.

Aviation Industry

• Jet Zero Council: AEF open letterIn a surprise announcement at Friday’s government Covid-19 daily briefing, Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, revealed plans for a ‘jet zero’ council, that will include representatives from the aviation industry, Government and environmental groups. Its goal, he …

Other News Sources

• Low-emission coach grant funding proposed by LowCVPA bright spot for the coach industry has been presented by the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP). It is working with stakeholders to establish Low Emission Coach (LEC) and Ultra Low Emission Coach (ULEC) schemes. Each has the potential to offer grant funding towards new vehicles.
• Spain underpins car sector bailout with green goals The Spanish government unveiled on Monday (15 June) a €3.75bn aid package for the domestic auto industry, which includes a scrappage scheme with green strings, a bigger focus on electric charging points and funding for hydrogen power.
• Rail platform extensions at Goring, Lancing and CooksbridgeRAIL bosses say there will be more seats on trains when station platforms are made longer.
• Plans for cycle routes and road closures in East Sussex WIDER footpaths and more cycle routes are among plans to enable more cycling and walking at a safe distance during the coronavirus pandemic.

EIN News Subscription

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• Continued govt relief measures needed to get airlines through winter: Iata The International Air Transport Association (Iata) warned that the airline industry faces a … 2019 net profit margin for European airlines followed the normal seasonal … subsidizing domestic operations, and waiving airport and air traffic control charges.   • …