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

Monday, 18 September 2017

BBC News

• Train carriage dedicated to WW1 rail staffA newly-restored train carriage is to be dedicated to the memory of rail staff who served in World War One.
• M4 Brynglas tunnel closed for upgrade workA stretch of the eastbound motorway at Newport is closed from Saturday evening until Monday.
• Manchester Airport plane evacuated after catering van crashAn aircraft is involved in a collision with a truck at Manchester Airport.
• Parsons Green Tube bomb: Police still questioning suspectsTwo men remain in custody on suspicion of terror offences over Friday's attack, which injured 30.
• New Zealand jet fuel shortage leaves passengers strandedFlights have been grounded at the country's busiest airport after a burst pipe hit fuel supplies.
• Ryanair cancels flights after 'messing up' pilot holidaysThe budget airline is cancelling 40-50 flights every day for the next six weeks.

Financial Times

• Container shipping: surf's upNow that the industry is rationalising, how high can prices go?
• Refining NZ, Air New Zealand fall on Auckland airport pipeline leak

The Guardian

• Rise of the ebike: how going electric could revolutionise your rideAn electric bike can help tackle congestion and air pollution, reduce commuting costs, and make long, uphill rides a doddleEbikes could help tackle congestion and make your daily commute cheaper and less stressful, and yet, if you are reading this, the chances are you are one of the 75% of people who don’t know what one is. But you probably will soon.An ebike (also known as a pedelec) is a bicycle with a battery and electric motor that assists when you’re pedalling – up to 15.5mph in the UK. You still get the benefits of pedalling, but your speed gets a boost. Continue reading...
• British Airways plane held in Paris over 'direct security threat'BA flight to Heathrow was stopped at Charles de Gaulle airport and surrounded by police and fire enginesA British Airways plane has been evacuated at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris for security reasons, after passengers were told a “direct threatâ€� had been made towards the aircraft.Flight BA303 was due to take off on Sunday bound for Heathrow in London when the incident occurred, with police and fire engines surrounding the plane on the tarmac. Continue reading...
• Ryanair tries to appease passengers with list of flights cancelled until ThursdayTravellers still want to know which flights will take off over next six weeks after airline warned of up to 2,000 cancellationsRyanair has tried to appease angry customers by publishing lists of all flights to be cancelled until Wednesday, after 82 failed to take off on Sunday, with the airline admitting it had mismanaged the planning of pilot holidays.However, this will do little to calm nerves as travellers are demanding to know which flights will be cancelled over the next six weeks when Ryanair has said there would be up to 2,000 cancellations. Up to 400,000 passengers could be affected. ...
• Airbus launches internal corruption investigation after Guardian expos Exclusive: Already facing bribery allegations, group looks into transactions that led to unexplained payment. Airbus, Europe's largest aerospace multinational, has launched an internal investigation into possible corruption after the Guardian uncovered a series of questionable financial transactions resulting in an unexplained payment.

The Huffington Post

• Ryanair Cancels Up To 50 Flights Daily After Pilot Holidays Blunder Budget airline Ryanair is cancelling up to 50 flights daily for the next six weeks, potentially up to 9,000 passengers a day, after it “messed up” the planning of pilot holidays. Kenny Jacobs, chief marketing officer, said the company was “working hard to fix” the problem, after it announced a 2% reduction in scheduled flights until the end of October. He said: “We apologise to all affected customers for these cancellations. We have messed up in the planning of pilot holidays and we’re working hard to fix that.” Ryanair said air traffic contro...

The Independent

• Welsh factory worth £9.6m set to open to produce London hybrid taxi partsNorwegian aluminium company Sapa is set to reopen its factory in Bedwas, south Wales, and plans to create more than 200 jobs
• Stansted is the worst-hit airport, with Manchester also seeing multiple cancellationsRyanair has revealed it will cancel 164 flights over the next three days, potentially affecting 30,000 passengers.
• British Airways flight held at Paris airport because of 'security threat'Passengers informed of "direct threat" to flight bound for London Heathrow

The Telegraph

• British Airways flight held at Paris airport after 'security threat'
• British business class fliers pay £400 million more in tax than European travellers 

Times Online

• Passengers vent fury over Ryanair cancellations [subscription]Ryanair is facing a customer backlash amid demands to publish a full list of the flight cancellations it has planned over the next six weeks.
• Putting railways under state control ‘would be a disaster’ [Subscription]The boss of Britain’s last state-owned train operator today attacked Labour’s plans to renationalise the railways, insisting that the move would dramatically force up fares.
• Track stars: a celebration of Britain’s most spectacular railway stations [subscription]For much of the past century, stations seemed, like the railways of which they were part, in long-term decline. Railways were a mode of transport fast giving way to cars and planes. Stations were their fading presence in the community. Almost all were Victorian buildings and, as such, represented all that the 20th century was expected to leave behind.

City AM

• British boatbuilders all at sea over Brexit worries as uncertainty hits business confidence despite growthBusiness confidence among Britain's boat manufacturing sector is on the slide as rising inflation, input costs and Brexit uncertainty has buffeted optimism, despite steady growth among firms.
• Piccadilly Line's Night Tube troubles could continue until end of the year after unions warn of driver shortageNight Tube services on the Piccadilly Line are being derailed by fewer trains being run than scheduled, leading Transport for London (TfL) to draw up an amended schedule in an effort to minimise disruption.
• Transport for London quietly increased the cost of Uber's licence to operate in the capitalUber's cost of operating in London is set to rise even further after the transport regulator pushed forward with new plans that are set to add nearly £1m to its bill.
• City ramps up pressure on politicians to push ahead with Heathrow expansion after fresh jitters over delaysThe City has issued a rallying cry to MPs to push ahead with Heathrow airport’s expansion, warning that delays could hamper financial and professional services firms’ ability to do business globally.

The Mirror

• HS2 campaigners threaten legal action unless rail route through their Yorkshire village is suspendedResidents in Crofton say the plans make the community feel 'worthless and valueless'
• HS2 campaigners threaten legal action unless rail route through their Yorkshire village is suspended Residents in Crofton say the plans make the community feel 'worthless and valueless'

London Evening Standard

• Ryanair admits it 'messed up' as it cancels 82 flights in one day to clear pilot holiday backlogRyanair has cancelled 82 flights in one day, admitting it "messed up" after it was revealed a backlog of pilots' holiday was causing the sudden spike in grounded planes.
• CCTV shows man 'leaving Surrey home' with Lidl bag hours before Parsons Green Tube attackCCTV showing a man carrying a Lidl bag just before the explosion on the Tube at Parsons Green has been given to police.

Morning Star

• Just 1 Person On Duty When Bomb Went OffPARSONS Green station was staffed by just one person on the day of last week’s terrorist attack and is sometimes left without any Tube staff at all, according to a union source.

Nottingham Evening Post

• One Notts MP only ever travels first class on the trainA Nottinghamshire politician is on a list of 22 MPs who together claimed a total of £75,000 on first-class rail travel last year - while NEVER travelling standard class.

East Anglian Daily Times

• School transport cuts in Essex have not delivered large savings, campaign group claimsA council is spending more on getting children to school despite introducing a policy to cut costs by £4million, according to an action group.

North Wales Live

• Merseyrail guard "saved the day" when autistic boy became distressed during train journeyMum wants to thank woman who helped when noisy football fans sent young son into a meltdown

Rail Magazine

• Virgin Trains' first repainted Pendolino back in trafficThe first repainted Virgin Trains Pendolino has entered traffic following its release from Alstom’s Widnes facility.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Enabling the Great North Rail ProjectMark Bellew writing on behalf of Network Rail discusses progress on the company’s Great North Rail Project, and the signalling that underpins the major infrastructure schemes.
• A challenge for the rail industry?Tim Bellenger, director of policy and investigation at London TravelWatch, discusses the opportunities and challenges the draft mayor’s Transport Strategy poses for the sector.

Aviation Industry

• Russia's northern airport completes runway reconstructionRussia's Norilsk Alykel Airport, which completed runway reconstruction Sept. 15, can handle passenger aircraft using the entire l 3,430-meter (8.4-mile) runway length.

Other News Sources

• Driverless bus trial at Queen Elizabeth Olympic ParkAdmittedly the thought of being a passenger on a driverless bus is not particularly comforting, however perceptions are being challenged at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
• Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) joint venture has secured a further franchise term of seven years to operate and maintain trains in the Australian city.The franchise, which is held by a joint venture comprising MTR Corporation (60%), John Holland (20%) and UGL Rail Services (20%), will transfer to the new contract on 30 November 30, 2017.