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

Tuesday, 22 November 2016

BBC News

• Follow our example, Welsh Government tells chancellor"We have delivered," said the Welsh economy minister. "We expect UK government to deliver as well." If you're reading this after a lengthy, congested commute home, you may want to know that Ken Skates was talking about infrastructure in north-east Wales.
• Travel chaos as cars submerged in winter floodsFlooding has closed roads and disrupted rail services in England and Wales.
• Yousaf to make ScotRail statement to MSPsScotland's transport minister is to explain to MSPs how he plans to improve the country's train services.
• Flybe terminates contract with LoganairFlybe is bringing to an end its franchise agreement with Scottish airline Loganair.
• Belfast Airport de-icer plane crash to be investigatedAn investigation is to be launched after a de-icing vehicle crashed into an Easyjet plane at Belfast International Airport.
• Southern 'providing more trains' for latest RMT strikeSouthern rail passengers facing disruption from the latest RMT union strike are told 62% of the normal timetable will be operating.
• Why parking a car can be a tight squeezeCars are getting bigger, but new research suggests parking spaces are not keeping up - and it is causing problems.
• Costain: 'Time to build new engineering talent pool'A report, backed by construction giant Costain, calls for a

Financial Times

• Lorry driver shortage rings Christmas alarm bellsRetailers and recruiters fear gaps in supply chain as pool of workers shrinks

The Guardian

• No room for bikes: how one street shows the UK-wide failure over cyclingThis blog is sometimes criticised for focusing too much on events in London. At risk of seeming more parochial still, I’m about to write about my own London street. But stay with me: the failings in my part of SE5 contain lessons for the wider lack of safe cycling across the whole country.
• Government promise of fast, cheap Wi-Fi on trains goes off the railsDespite pre-election pledge, standard specification is only one megabit a second with many firms failing to offer free access
• A commute of over two hours each way? SuperAs workers are priced out of inner cities, a growing number are becoming ‘super-commuters’, gaining solitude, time to read, space to think – and a foot on the housing ladder
• A modern rail network in Scotland is long overdueWhy does it take 80 minutes by train south from Edinburgh to Newcastle, but an hour longer the same distance north? Barely six months into the job, Scottish transport minister Humza Yousaf is under fire from opposition politicians and the public alike for the poor performance of Scotland’s creaking rail network. With winter setting in, punctuality has plummeted and improvements to the main Edinburgh-Glasgow express line, already scaled back at the request of SNP ministers, are behind schedule.

The Herald

• Transport minister to make emergency statement on ScotRail as operators turn on SNP governmentTHE crisis engulfing ScotRail deepened yesterday, as the Transport Minister agreed to make an emergency statement and the operators blamed the government for overcrowding.

Birmingham Post

• The oldest roundabout in the world and 14 other historic facts about ErdingtonSome things you probably didn't know about Erdington

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Probe launched into two bus firms formerly directed by banned GHA Coaches brothers Public inquiry into RJ's of Wem and RML 2418 will examine vehicle maintenance records and whether banned pair are involved with the companies

London Evening Standard

• Mayor Sadiq Khan plans crackdown on slow roadworks in London Sadiq Khan today announced plans to tackle growing congestion on London's roads including cracking down on roadworks by increasing fines on utility firms.
• Southern Rail admits 'absolutely shocking' campaign against striking RMT was mistakeA boss of crisis-hit rail company Southern has admitted an "absolutely shocking" campaign which pitted customers against the RMT union was a mistake.
• London train delays: Commuters battle to get home from Waterloo after heavy rain sparks rail chaosThousands of rush hour commuters crammed onto the station concourse at London Waterloo as they battled to get home after bad weather wreaked havoc on the capital's rail network.
• London weather: 'Absolute bedlam' hits rail network as flood alerts remain in placeCommuters said they are "sick of excuses" as the aftermath of Storm Angus wiped out dozens of mainline services causing pandemonium on railway platforms.

Manchester Evening News

• EasyJet's �1 coffee chain could open up to 20 stores in Manchester Budget coffee chain easyCoffee is set for an 'aggressive roll out'

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Green light for next stage of plans to improve safety at Newcastle's most dangerous junctions Newcastle councillors keen to make progress with multi-million-pound overhaul of Gosforth roads

Sheffield Star

• Rail users face delays on trains between Sheffield and ManchesterRail users travelling between Sheffield and Manchester face delays today after yesterday's torrential downpours.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Transport minister to make statement on ScotRail fiascoEmbattled Transport Minister Humza Yousaf will make a statement to parliament on the ScotRail crisis after demands he be hauled before MSPs to explain himself.

Wales Online

• Trains cancelled and buses delayed as torrential rain causes major flooding across Wales Rail and bus services have been severely impacted due to heavy flooding

Get West London

• Heathrow Airport 'confident' legal challenge from councils will not stop third runway constructionLast week several councils and Greenpeace gave the government 14 days to withdraw its backing of heathrow's new runway

Other Regional Press

• Rail chaos hits passengers as trains hit by cancellations and delays Rail chaos hits passengers tonight as trains hit by cancellations and delays
• A volunteer bus service is tackling social isolation - and here's how you can help them help even more people A COMMUNITY bus service is going from strength to strength.

Buying Business Travel

• Airports call for better transport links in Autumn StatementReport from the AOA shows the UK economy could benefit by �1.9 billion with greater investment to airports
• Airline execs renew calls for scrapping APDChief executives from airlines including Easyjet,

Rail Technology Magazine

• Embrace technology or risk falling behind, rail leaders warnBritain’s railway must take advantage of new technology in order to improve services, 27 rail industry leaders have urged today. In an open letter to the Times, they argue that despite being midway through a sustained programme of improvement, making it the fastest growing in Europe...
• Abellio accepts ScotRail failings but apportions blame to government contractAbellio has insisted it has “no problem” with competing for a public sector body for the ScotRail franchise, but emphasised that regardless of what type of operator runs the franchise, they still do it to a “tightly specified” contract determined by ministers. The...
• GTR to produce report on feasibility of flexible ticketingGovia Thameslink Railway (GTR) will produce a report on the feasibility of “innovative flexible ticket types” throughout the franchise, the transport minister said today. Answering a written question from Baroness Randerson, the Liberal Dem spokesperson for transport in the Lords...
• �5m upgrades completed at Whitton stationA £5m upgrade programme at Whitton station was completed today with the opening of a fully accessible footbridge, featuring two lifts for passengers. The refurbishment programme, which began in March 2015, has provided the station with renewed platforms, canopies and station buildings, a...
• Train driver not at fault in Grimston Lane crossing fatality, RAIB concludesThe RAIB’s investigation into the death of an elderly pedestrian on a level crossing near Felixstowe launched earlier this year has found that the pedestrian was struck by the train after he started to cross the track when he had insufficient time to do so. The fatality occurred at 12.19pm...
• Rail services in the south disrupted due to floodingRail passengers in the south and Wales have been warned of disruption as a number of lines were flooded. Great Western Railway (GWR) services between Liskeard and Looe will be suspended for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, trains between Swindon and Bristol Parkway are being diverted via an...

Railnews

• Scottish Government considers rail nationalisation The Scottish Government has signalled that it could be poised to terminate the present ScotRail franchise, which has been run by Abellio for the past 18 months.

Railway Gazette

• Grand Est agrees TET transferFRANCE: Meeting in plenary session on November 18, the Grand Est regional council approved an...

Aviation Industry

• Airbus A350-1000 first flight scheduled for Nov. 24The Airbus A350-1000, the larger variant of the A350 slated to seat 366 passengers in a typical three-class configuration, will fly for the first time Nov. 24, according to an Airbus statement. read more
• Lufthansa Group faces strikes Nov. 22-23Lufthansa Group will be affected by two strikes Nov. 22-23. read more
• Boeing names GE’s McAllister new Commercial Airplanes CEOBoeing has named GE Aviation Services president and CEO Kevin McAllister the new president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, replacing Ray Conner. The leadership change is effective immediately, but Conner will remain as a Boeing vice chairman through 2017 and “will work closely with McAllister in the months ahead on a purposeful hand-off of customer, supplier, and community and government relationships, and to ensure continuity of operations and customer support,” Boeing said in a statement. read more