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

Tuesday, 04 August 2020

BBC News

• New Isle of Man ferry to provide 'more space for passengers'A new ferry serving the route between the Isle of Man and Lancashire will have "considerably more passenger space", the operator has said.
• Ryanair refused to stop Cardiff flights 'unless airport shut'The company refused to stop flights from Cardiff in July despite ministers' lockdown concerns.
• Boeing's 737 Max moves closer to flying againUS regulators have put forward a list of changes needed before the ill-fated planes can restart flights.

The Guardian

• BP slashes dividend as Covid pushes it to record $16.8bn lossCompany to shift towards clean energy after writing down value of its oil and gas assetsBP has cut its dividend for the first time since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill after plummeting to a multibillion-dollar loss and slashing the value of its oil and gas assets.BP halved its shareholder payout from 10.5 cents to 5.25 cents per share for the second quarter after reporting a record loss of $16.8bn (£12.8bn), compared with a profit of $1.8bn for the same period last year.

Times Online

• Tui is going to the max with deal for new aircraft [subscription]Europe’s biggest travel group is buying five more new aircraft in a sale-and-leaseback deal worth $226 million.
• Fly London to New York in 90 mins on jet [subscription]Virgin Galactic has formed a partnership with Rolls-Royce to develop a supersonic business jet that will fly at three times the speed of sound — making the journey from London to New York only 90 minutes.

City AM

• Fuel prices rise for second consecutive month as oil price steadiesThe average price of petrol and diesel rose for the second consecutive month in July, adding nearly £2 to a The post Fuel prices rise for second consecutive month as oil price steadies appeared first on CityAM.

Daily Record

• Services in Wishaw beginning to return to pre-Covid levels say bus operatorBus operator JMB Travel which runs local services in Lanarkshire announced that weekday timetables were running at “near normal” from Monday this week with enhanced hygiene measures in place on vehicles.

i News

• Coronavirus in Europe: Eco-friendly sleeper trains back on track, with ministers in Austria, France and Sweden supporting themTransport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said that overnight connections between Paris and Nice, as well as with Tarbes in the Pyrenees, would be restored by 2022

Mail Online

• Virgin Galactic's supersonic jet capable of speeds over Mach 3Virgin Galactic released the first concept images of its supersonic jet that will shuttle up to 19 people around the world at Mach 3 speeds. The firm is collaborating with Rolls-Royce to design the craft.

Birmingham Post

• Work starts on expansion at Toyota’s UK car factory in DerbyshireThe firm is adding storage capacity at its vast Burnaston site

Edinburgh Evening News

• 'It's like a warzone' - Leith locals react to Edinburgh tram works on Consitution StreetThe unfinished tram site was shut down by Edinburgh City Council at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic - but now construction has resumed.

Manchester Evening News

• 'Alarming' Metrolink near miss after driver's 'temporary loss of awareness'He's no longer driving trams

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Farewell to old Wolverhampton train station as demolition beginsWork to bulldoze Wolverhampton's old train station after decades in the city has begun.

Yorkshire Post

• Sheffield Supertram emergency funding announcement due 'shortly'An announcement over whether Yorkshire's only city tram network will have enough funding to continue will be made in the coming days as MPs lobby the Government over its future.

Cambridge News

• I cycled the new Dutch-style roundabout and this is what I honestly thoughtAs an avid cyclist who understands the anxiety that often comes with navigating busy roundabouts, I was excited but apprehensive to try out Cambridge's newest

Other Regional Press

• MP welcomes £12.3m Very Light Rail investment for DudleyDUDLEY North's MP Marco Longhi has welcomed news of a £12.3million investment which will enable Dudley's ambitious very light rail scheme to get back on track.
• Old Oak station site handed over for constructionA NEW milestone was reached last week in the construction of HS2’s Old Oak Common inter-change station.
• Orkney Ferries make funding plea after ‘unsustainable’ drop in incomeThe COVID-19 pandemic poses an existential threat to Orkney Ferries who are battling an “unsustainable” income shortfall.

C.N.N.

• What Hong Kong's iconic trams and ferries could look like in a post-Covid worldHong Kong (CNN) — Hong Kong's public transit system has long been regarded as one of the most efficient in the world, so it's no surprise that a ride on the famed tram, MTR or Star Ferry is a must on every traveler's bucket list.

New Civil Engineer

• Station upgrade complete year early on £1.2bn East Coast Main Line upgradeA £40M project to upgrade Stevenage station has been completed a year ahead of schedule.
• DfT defence against £27bn roads challenge bolstered by HS2 rulingThe Court of Appeal’s decision to throw out TV presenter Chris Packham’s legal challenge against High Speed 2 (HS2) will have implications beyond the rail project.
• Crossrail | ‘Lack of urgency’ to complete job emerged before Covid-19 lockdownA lack of urgency to get Crossrail completed on time and budget emerged in the month before the country went into lockdown, Crossrail board minutes reveal.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Network Rail partners with Cycling UK for new initiative Network Rail and Cycle UK have launched a partnership today (Aug 8) in light of a fifth of Brits saying they would consider cycling to work. A new YouGov study, commissioned by Network Rail has revealed that 20% of people are now likely to consider cycling to work, with nearly 60% of commuters...
• Rail passengers benefit from £40m Stevenage station platformA new £40m platform and track improvement made at Stevenage station has seen significant improvements to the frequency and reliability of services, as well as allowing better long-distance connections for passengers.
• Overhead electric line overhaul to improve passenger journeysPassenger and freight journeys are set to be made more reliable in Lancashire and Cumbria as part of a £3.4m investment into the overhead 25,000-volt electric cables which power trains.

Other News Sources

• Old railway station to be given multi-million pound revampTransport Scotland will be tasked with improving the High Street station in Glasgow.
• Funding for firm to develop technology for fairer rail faresBristol-based Esoterix has secured £380,000 funding to accelerate the development of technology that aims to underpin fairer fares on rail. The Department for Transport have awarded the grant through Innovate UK as part of the First of a Kind in Rail 2020 competition.
• Alstom Starts Dublin Tram DeliveryAlstom delivered the first of eight new Citadis trams to Dublin as part of its partnership with the Transport infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Transport Authority (NTA). A total of 26 more tram vehicles will also be expanded.
• Almost 50,000 stopped for not having a face mask when boarding London transport
• Transport for Wales bus pilot extends to DenbighshireTransport for Wales (TfW) is working in partnership with Denbighshire County Council, M&H Coaches and Townlynx to extend the ‘fflecsi’ pilot scheme to Denbigh and Prestatyn.
• Plans to reinstate Welsh railway line scrapped as part of Beeching ReportAn inland rail line scrapped 55 years ago as part of the infamous Beeching Report could be reinstated.
• Will councillors lead by example and get on their bikes? From recent announcements I see that Herefordshire Council intend to introduce temporary traffic measures linked to the Covid-19 emergency in towns within the county.
• British Airways resume flights to 17 destinations - here's where British Airways has restarted flying to more destinations across Europe and beyond in time for the summer holidays.
• 4 things that would improve with Reigate Station upgrade and 3 things that won't changeA consultation on a major upgrade to the station so it can be added to the Thameslink route has been completed