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

Wednesday, 19 October 2016

BBC News

• Two hurt in Manchester Victoria Station roof collapseTwo people suffered minor head injuries when part of the roof collapsed at Manchester's Victoria Station because of heavy rain.
• Welsh budget: Follow the money on road-building journeyCan the Welsh Government budget make a real difference to the economy? Here is a look at how it works on one �223m road project in south Wales.
• Tesla told to dump Autopilot brand in GermanyTesla is told to drop the Autopilot brand name, which it uses to promote its driver-assistance software, in Germany.
• Petition calls for Abellio to lose ScotRail operationA petition calling for Abellio to be stripped of the ScotRail contract is to be presented to transport minister Humza Yousaf.
• Theresa May's options for Heathrow expansion decisionA decision on whether to back expansion at Heathrow or Gatwick is expected imminently, but it is not straightforward for the Prime Minister.
• Bus use across England falls to lowest level in decadeBus use has fallen across England again, with London also recording its first drop since 2012
• Rail freight firm DB Cargo plans to cut 900 jobsA rail freight firm confirms plans to cut up to 900 jobs due to what it says are
• Eurostar to cut services from DecemberEurostar is to drop a number of services from December as it introduces longer trains, with 80 jobs set to be lost.
• Airports expansion decision to be made next weekThe government will next week announce its decision on whether to favour expanding either Heathrow or Gatwick airport, after decades of delays.

Financial Times

• Osborne blocked plan to clamp down on diesel carsEnvironmental lawyers attempt to force government action on pollution
• Theresa May signals favouring Heathrow expansionCabinet free to speak out against final decision
• Ryanair cuts profit forecast on weak poundAirline says situation could worsen if sterling falls further
• Ryanair: cutting fayresIrish airline’s shares have done less badly than its rivals. Expect that trend to continue

The Guardian

• Two injured in roof collapse at Manchester Victoria stationHuge wave of water lands on platform, says witness, as panels on refurbished railway station’s roof give way following heavy rain Two people were injured after heavy rain caused roof panels to collapse at Victoria railway station in Manchester.The panels within the roof linking the Grade II-listed station buildings buckled owing to rain water, witnesses said. The incident at the city’s second largest mainline railway station came after recent refurbishment work to the roof. Continue reading...
• May puts Heathrow vote on hold to avoid Tory resignationsPM tells cabinet they can continue voicing public opposition to favoured airport expansion until vote next winterTheresa May has retreated from holding a parliamentary vote on airport expansion this autumn after the government was warned that Tory MPs could resign their seats if ministers backed a third runway at Heathrow.

The Herald

• Airport expansion delayed for at least another yearPrime Minister Theresa May has been accused of dithering after No 10 confirmed that plans to expand either Gatwick or Heathrow will be delayed for at least another year.

The Telegraph

• Heathrow: Theresa May will not make final decision for at least a year while allowing Boris Johnson to speak out against third runway

Times Online

• May delays Heathrow decision [subscription]●Third runway given nod but final vote won’t be until 2018 ● Ministers free to campaign against government ruling

Reuters News

• Britain to make long-delayed decision on airport expansion next weekLONDON (Reuters) - Britain will make a long-awaited decision next week on where to allow airport expansion near London, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokeswoman said on Tuesday, with ministers who oppose it given the rare opportunity to publicly voice their dissent.

Mail Online

• Roof collapses at Victoria station in Manchester Witnesses described seeing a 'tidal wave' of water drenching around 30 commuters after several plastic roof panels fell to the ground at the rail station in Manchester today.
• Boris Johnson has a 'special' chance to slam the final verdict on Heathrow expansion A special sub-committee of the Cabinet will decide whether to expand Heathrow or Gatwick 'next week', No 10 revealed today.
• Ryanair's latest wheeze: Now passengers must pay��6 to check-in more than four days before a flight It means holidaymakers going away for more than a few days will have to pay to check in for their return journey before they leave or find an internet connection abroad.

This is Money

• Ryanair's latest wheeze: Now passengers must pay��6 to check-in more than four days before a flight It means holidaymakers going away for more than a few days will have to pay to check in for their return journey before they leave or find an internet connection abroad.

Birmingham Mail

• Winter chaos warning for Birmingham Airport with baggage handling firm set to pull out Trade union Unite calls for swift resolution after baggage handling firm Aviator announces it will withdraw staff from airport at the end of next month

London Evening Standard

• Revealed: 50 TfL bosses receive �100k 'golden goodbyes'Transport for London executives have been handed six-figure "golden goodbyes" as part of Sadiq Khan's bid to slim down the organisation.
• Oxford Circus: Furious commuters slam 'dangerous' queues as station closes due to overcrowdingHundreds of furious commuters faced "dangerous" queues on one of the capital's busiest shopping streets as Oxford Circus Tube station closed due to overcrowding.
• Tories in revolt over Heathrow: Zac Goldsmith poised to stand as anti-Heathrow candidate in by-electionTheresa May faced a sensational revolt today as local Conservatives backed Zac Goldsmith to stand as an independent anti-Heathrow candidate in a by-election.
• Southern Rail strikes: Drivers to be balloted on fresh industrial actionPassengers on strike-hit Southern Railway already are braced for further disruption with drivers set to be balloted on fresh industrial action.
• Woman tells of 'nightmare' racist assault in the back of UberA young woman today told of how she fears to get in a minicab again after an Uber driver punched her in the face and racially abused her in a row over drop-offs.

Manchester Evening News

• Two people hurt by 'tidal wave' of falling water after roof panel ruptures at Victoria stationThe pair were treated at the scene by paramedics, but are not thought to have been seriously injured

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Newcastle Airport insists baggage carrier exit won't cause 'Christmas chaos' for passengersBaggage carrier Aviator is set to leave the airport where it employs 145 people, and union Unite fears festive flyers may be affected

Northern Echo

• Virgin bowled over as 15,000 apply for 78 East Coast train driver jobs MORE than 15,000 applications have been received by Virgin Trains after it advertised for 78 new drivers on the East Coast Mainline, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Sheffield Star

• VIDEO: Rare Deltic loco passes through DoncasterA rare locomotive has passed through Doncaster - to the delight of rail buffs.
• Sheffield Supertram poll: Where should we have a new route?People have until the end of the month to have their say on the future of Sheffield's trams.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Automatic renewal plan for senior bus passes in South YorkshireOlder people in Sheffield will no longer have to renew their bus passes.

Wales Online

• Passengers stopped from getting on board as packed trains and signal problems cause morning misery Trains were delayed and postponed on the Valleys Line and packed between Newport and Cardiff         

Yorkshire Evening Post

• King’s Cross design guru is on board with Leeds City Station redevelopment schemeHe is the design genius who spearheaded the dazzling transformation of King’s Cross Station in London.

Yorkshire Post

• Doncaster-based rail firm to shed 900 jobsDONCASTER-based rail freight firm DB Cargo is planning almost 900 job losses in the UK after a “dramatic decline” in markets such as coal.

Crewe Chronicle

• Council ignores pleas to consider children's safety and axes free buses Schoolchildren from Nantwich and Macclesfield joined together to protest outside the council's HQ but their pleas - and those of their headteachers, parents, councillors of all parties, and MPs - made no difference

East Anglian Daily Times

• Road contract extension backed but decision set for new debateSuffolk County Council’s road maintenance contract with Kier is to be extended for another five years after its cabinet backed the proposal.

Other Regional Press

• Call for rail passengers in Wales to get on board compensation scheme for 15 minute delays A PASSENGER watchdog group is calling for rail travellers in Wales to be compensated as soon as possible if they suffer delays of at least 15 minutes.
• Bus strikes suspended as drivers hold out for improved pay offer BUS driver strikes remain suspended while discussions continue to try to find a solution to the row.

Bus and Coach.com

• Journey planning and mobile ticketing from Find My Bus

Buying Business Travel

• May under pressure as runway decision loomsCabinet set for showdown over Heathrow or Gatwick expansion
• Ryanair cuts profit forecast after drop in poundAirline blames Brexit for downgrading profit forecast
• Qatar Airways unveils first class amenity kitsAvailable to premium passengers on selected A380 services

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Apprenticeship boost as Network Rail offers 140 new opportunitiesThe Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) is delighted to announce that First Bus has become Platinum Corporate Members of the Institute. First Bus is the first passenger transport sector organisation to hold the grade of Platinum membership. Corporate membership will enable First Bus to engage selected staff across many regional activities of the Institute, as well as a national network of members including the Institute’s Young Professionals Forum (YPF). Membership of CILT will provide opportunities for First Bus staff to enhance their professional development, increase...
• First Bus reach new heights with CILT Platinum Corporate MembershipThe Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) is delighted to announce that First Bus has become Platinum Corporate Members of the Institute. First Bus is the first passenger transport sector organisation to hold the grade of Platinum membership. Corporate membership will enable First Bus to engage selected staff across many regional activities of the Institute, as well as a national network of members including the Institute’s Young Professionals Forum (YPF). Membership of CILT will provide opportunities for First Bus staff to enhance their professional development, increase...

Rail Technology Magazine

• Proposals submitted for Crossrail upgrade of Ilford stationIlford station will get a new building in the latest stage of improvements as part of the Crossrail project. The Network Rail proposals, now submitted to Redbridge Borough Council, include a new, spacious station building with a glass façade to let natural light through. It is intended to...
• May's industrial strategy 'must address Brexit skills impact on HS2'HS2 could suffer from a loss of foreign workers after Brexit unless the government makes addressing the shortage part of its industrial strategy, Balfour Beatty has said. The infrastructure company’s newest briefing paper said that the 2.2 million EU nationals working in the UK have...
• Southern strike goes ahead despite new GTR offerRMT launched another three-day strike on Southern today despite Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), the parent company, repeating its offer of a £2,000 bonus if staff accept the revised deal. Yesterday GTR brought back its offer to RMT in a last-ditch attempt to stop the strike, and also...
• Rail industry honours Olympic heroes Star Olympic and Paralympic athletes travelled from Manchester to London for victory celebrations thanks to free transport from the rail industry. The athletes took part in a parade in Manchester yesterday to celebrate their achievements, after Britain won 67 Olympic medals and 147 Paralympic...
• DB Cargo to cut up to 900 jobsUp to 900 jobs could be cut at rail freight firm DB Cargo as it struggles to cope with a declining freight sector. In a statement today, the company said it was consulting on proposals including cutting 893 jobs, downsizing its locomotive and wagon fleet, and revising the number and locations of...

Railnews

• 'Transformative' Greater Anglia franchise starts A new nine-year franchise has been launched for the East of England, under the title of Greater Anglia. The operator is Abellio, which has run two short contracts in the region since 2012, when it replaced National Express. A new 'accord' between the franchise and Network Rail has also been announced, under which both sides have undertaken to work together at a practical level to improve infrastructure. The new deal includes the replacement of Greater Anglia's existing fleets by new trains within the next three to four years, and faster journeys which will include 'Norwich in 90'.

Aviation Industry

• UK runway decision delayed againThe decision on provision of additional runway capacity for the congested southeast of England will be delayed a little longer, after an anticipated decision by the UK government’s cabinet was postponed. read more
• US airlines protest new DOT consumer rulesThe US Department of Transportation (DOT) has outlined a collection of regulatory initiatives it is characterizing as consumer protection for airline passengers, including expanding airlines’ monthly operational performance reporting requirements and beginning the process for developing a rule on compensation for delayed checked baggage. read more

Other News Sources

• Sam Tarry: Southern Rail fiasco tells us what “taking back control” should really mean – railways owned by the publicChris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, has been summoned to the Commons to answer for his department’s role in the Southern Rail fiasco but, Sam Tarry, political officer at TSSA and head of communication and strategy during Jeremy Corbyn’s last leadership election, explains only Labour has the plan to deal with the Tories’ rail fail.
• Economy secretary Ken Skates pays visit to multi-million pound works on M4 Brynglas TunnelsSTAFF working to restore the M4 Brynglas Tunnels received a special visit from Economy Secretary Ken Skates last night, as overnight works on the site progress.
• Network Rail announces 140 new apprenticeship places The rail operator has encouraged young people to apply for the positions with 16 places available south of London
• Heathrow or Gatwick airport expansion decision won't go before MPs for more than a year And there will be yet another public consultation before a final decision is taken in late-2017 or early-2018
• If it's not Heathrow then it's Dover for freight shipments, warns FTAFailure to keep Britain connected with its world markets through a global hub airport will see freight imports and exports passing through the ...
• Ministers accused of sitting on £100,000 report which could help to solve Sussex rail crisis GOVERNMENT ministers have been accused of sitting on a £100,000 report which could detonate the “long-term capacity time-bomb” of Sussex’s failing rail service.