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

Thursday, 23 July 2020

BBC News

• Stagecoach tries to innovate as bus passenger numbers fallThe bus operator, based in Perth, forecasts that customer behaviour will lead to a further drop in the number of bus passengers.
• Airlines push for virus testing to save holiday seasonIndustry leaders are to hold urgent talks with the government about introducing testing at airports.
• Last Qantas 747 jet says goodbye with 'flying kangaroo' in skyAustralia says farewell to an era of aviation with the retirement of the final Qantas Boeing 747.

Financial Times

• Stagecoach prepares for future with fewer journeysCEO of London-listed group says pandemic will leave lasting effect on public transport

The Guardian

• Stagecoach plans job cuts and predicts bus passenger reduction is long termOperator expects pandemic effect to continue as people work and shop from homeThe coronavirus pandemic will lead to a long-term reduction in the number of people travelling to work or the shops, one of Britain’s biggest bus operators has warned.Stagecoach, which runs major bus services across Britain, said on Wednesday that it did not expect passenger numbers to return to 2019 levels for several years. It plans to cut an undisclosed number of jobs in office-based roles to save £9m. Continue reading...

Times Online

• Ireland’s green list for travel ‘is really an orange list’ [Subscription]The government’s travel green list is “essentially an orange list,” according to an infectious disease specialist.
• Ryanair takes aim at Ireland’s ‘idiotic’ green list [Subscription]Ryanair has dismissed Ireland’s green list for travel as useless and idiotic, describing it as a “Father Ted” list.
• Air bridge to open up Portugal holidays likely within days [Subscription]Quarantine-free travel between England and Portugal is likely to be confirmed within days as the government prepares to update its “air bridge” policy.

Mail Online

• Government officials have started work on plans for Boris's £20bn bridge from Ulster to ScotlandMr Johnson revealed in January his desire for a combined bridge and tunnel connection at the narrowest, 20-mile gap between Northern Ireland and the British mainland.
• Furious passengers complain of social-distancing 'chaos' at HeathrowPassengers described a scene of 'chaos' at Heathrow Airport on Sunday, with no room for holiday-makers to obey social distancing rules in Terminal 2.
• Government could introduce 'regional' air bridgesPortugal and the Maldives could seen be added to the list of destinations English passengers can travel to quarantine free. It comes amid talk of 'regional' air bridges with certain countries.

The Mirror

• Portugal 'to be added to air bridge virus list' opening up travel from EnglandTransport Secretary Grant Shapps is reportedly expected to add Portugal to the 59 countries exempt from 14-day quarantine on returning to England after lobbying from the holiday favourite's government

Bolton News

• Northern railway network to benefit from £600m boostA £600m boost to the northern rail network has been announced alongside the establishment of an organisation to accelerate transport investment in the region.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Network Rail issues warning about misusing railway crossingsA RAIL operator has reminded people about the dangers of trespassing on the tracks by releasing a CCTV image showing three teenagers casually risking their lives.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• New train converted from London Underground stock finally spotted in North WalesThe Class 230s should have entered service on the busy Wrexham to Bidston line last year

London Evening Standard

• Qantas's last Boeing 747 draws kangaroo in sky on final journey from Australia

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• £600m pledge to deliver 'modern, reliable public transport system' in the NorthThe cash will create all-electric services to operate between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, York and Newcastle

The York Press

• York station plans to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists over cars PLANS to revamp the front of York railway station have been revised.

Wales Online

• How the Government's 'Western Gateway' scheme could boost NewportNewport is teaming up with cities including Cardiff, Bristol, Swansea and Salisbury in the new economic region
• Government spent £1m on M4 relief road land weeks before project axedIn total more than £15m was spent on property before the M4 relief road was scrapped

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Uber waits for decision on Supreme Co...Seven justices have reserved a ruling after a virtual two-day Supreme Court hearing.

Other Regional Press

• LETTER - Surprised Southampton Airport is pursuing its runway expansion planI WAS surprised to see that Southampton airport is still pursuing expansion plans when most aviation infrastructure changes seem to be at least on hold during the pandemic downturn and the climate emergency concerns.
• Council join forces in Transport for the South East COUNCILS in the South have joined forces in a bid to transform transport across the region.
• 'They won't take cars off the road': 'E-scooter' benefits questionedCouncillors say the scooters would only ever replace short journeys usually carried out by foot or on a bike
• Frustration at bus passengers who refuse to wear face masksThe two biggest bus companies on Teesside support drivers in refusing travel to those who don't wear face coverings
• Safety work starts on 'one of UK's most dangerous roads'A multi-million pound upgrade of a road dubbed one of the most dangerous in the country has started following a string of fatal crashes.
• Government confirm £589m grant to improve main Yorkshire railwayTrack capacity to be doubled at bottlenecks and network to be electrified as part of Northern Powerhouse kickstart funding
• Swanage Railway launches S.O.S. campaign to surviveTHE Swanage Railway is continuing its ‘Save Our Service’ (S.O.S.) Appeal to raise £360,000 to help the popular heritage line survive in the wake of the economic effects of coronavirus.
• Letter: We don't need Western Relief Road No, we don't need a new road to Portland, nor do we need an

Railnews

• Crossrail costs rise again, and new delays are likely The price of Crossrail has risen by another £140 million, and rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris described the further increase as ˜very disappointing™. It also seems likely that completion of the project will be delayed yet again. The extra funding is needed to complete the surface sections in east and west London, which are run by Network Rail, and there is no connection with the coronavirus pandemic, because it has emerged that the additional costs were calculated before lockdown. However, work on Crossrail sites was paused for a while until ˜safe working™ could be introduced, and this may ...
• Transpennine boost as £589m budget is announced The Department for Transport has announced a budget of £589 million to launch work on upgrading the Transpennine main line between Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester. A Northern Transport Acceleration Council is being set up today, which will be ˜dedicated to accelerating vital infrastructure projects and better connecting communities™ in the north of England, the DfT said. Labour responded: ˜Whilst we welcome an announcement of devolution of transport powers, we™ve heard all this before.™

Other News Sources

• Stagecoach revenues plunge 25%Pandemic and loss of final two rail franchises behind move   Stagecoach’s revenues plunged by 25% in the 53 weeks ending May 2 as the loss of its final two UK rail franchises and the coronavirus pandemic took their toll on the Perth-based group. Turnover fell from £1.88bn to £1.42bn, while operating profit, adjusted for one-offs, tumbled from £161m to £119.7m. It’s a bitter blow for the group which revealed that its regional bus revenue trends were improving prior to the pandemic; it had experienced 2.7% like-for-like revenue growth in the 14 weeks ended February 1, 2020. Desp...
• No trains will run between Southampton and Winchester this weekendRAIL passengers are facing more disruption following a major incident at a Hampshire station earlier this year.
• Boris Johnson outlines £750m green spending for heavy industry and aviation Boris Johnson has unveiled a £350m funding pot for technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen alongside a £400m sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) pledge, to be spent as part of the UK's Covid-19 recovery effort.

EIN News Subscription

• Ireland releases its 'green list' for travel which has one notable exception … the coronavirus pandemic - with European holiday destinations like Italy and … has previously led to the budget airline, Ryanair, cancelling thousands of flights …
• Regional airports receive €2.5m in grants from exchequer … awarded to three regional airports for safety and security upgrades, the Department … of Transport has announced. Kerry airport will … . Under European state aid rules, airports with fewer than one million passengers must …
• Heathrow blames social distancing chaos on passengers arriving 'too early' … zero instruction." Flight passengers have been airing worries at the growing … . Data analyst James Allison on Thursday compared Heathrow to the Spanish airport … . Heathrow Airport appears to be getting busier, as some popular European destinations like …
• Regional airports receive €2.5m in grants from exchequer … airports for safety and security upgrades, the Department of Transport … has announced. Kerry airport will receive … at the Department of Transport. Ms Naughton highlighted that … 2019. Under European state aid rules, airports with fewer …
• Airlines push for virus testing to save holiday season … bring coronavirus testing to airports. Companies say testing … hours. The Department for Transport declined to comment. Sources … holiday operations to popular European holiday destinations about a … rigorous testing programme in airports, something the aviation …