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

Wednesday, 17 January 2018

BBC News

• Carillion A55 road contract defended by Welsh Labour ministerThe Welsh Government went ahead with a contract with Carillion after a warning about the company's health last year.
• Transport for the North unveil £70bn travel masterplanA £70bn plan to overhaul transport across the north of England has been met with a mixed response.
• Carillion: Welsh minister accuses Tories over outsourcingWales' Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford accuses the Tories of expecting the public to pay for the mistakes of outsourcing, following the collapse of contractor Carillion.
• Doubts over Northern transport plan fundingThe plan includes building new rail lines to cut journey times and ease congestion on the roads.
• Detroit Motor Show: Autonomous vehicles move centre stageAt the home of US motor manufacturing, Ford is showing off the driverless car being used in a joint venture to deliver pizza's for Domino's.
• TVR sports car firm stake bought by Welsh GovernmentWelsh Government has bought a 3% stake in the firm ahead of production starting in Ebbw Vale.
• Carillion was left with just £29m before going bankruptCarillion held rescue talks with the government since October in a bid to stave off collapse, says boss.

Financial Times

• Interserve under government watch on financial health fearsCollapse of Carillion puts focus on UK outsourcing industry
• Carillion a ‘watershed’ for outsourcing, says CorbynLabour leader vows to ‘put an end to rip-off privatisation policies’
• Qantas named most polluting transpacific airlineLow passenger loads and reliance on large aircraft lead to poor fuel efficiency
• Uber curbs working hours for its UK driversRide-hailing company introduces safety measure ahead of licensing appeal in London
• Grayling’s East Coast experiment risks coming off the railsTransport secretary accused of ‘shabby bailout’ of franchisees for political reasons

The Guardian

• Heathrow to unveil shorter third runway plan in bid to cut costsProposal sees 300 metres cut from runway in effort to help reduce costs to £15bn, but opponents say move changes forecasted economic benefitsHeathrow is to unveil proposals for a shorter, cheaper third runway in a public consultation to help push its expansion plans through.The airport will propose cutting 300 metres from the length of the northwestern runway, a scheme approved by the government following the Airports Commission process, in an attempt to cut costs. Continue reading...
• Subcontractors lay off staff as Carillion crisis spreadsThreat of contagion likened to re-run of banking crisis with up to 30,000 small firms in supply chain owed moneyThe dramatic collapse of Carillion has started to hit thousands of the firm’s suppliers, as the real world impact of the demise starts to emerge.Subcontractors owed money by the construction and services giant are already being pressurised by their banks and have begun laying off workers, as the threat of contagion afflicting the sector was likened to a near re-run of the banking crisis. Continue reading...

The Telegraph

• Why trains in Japan will bark like a dog and snort like a deer
• Heathrow suggests routing M25 through a tunnel under third runway

Times Online

• John Prescott calls transport strategy a ‘bloody fraud’ [Subscription]A wide-ranging plan to upgrade transport across northern England was branded a “bloody fraud” by Lord Prescott yesterday amid claims that it is not backed by government funding.
• Direct ferry service takes freight from Ireland to Spain [Subscription]Ireland and Spain are to be linked by a direct ferry service for the first time.

City AM

• "The taxpayer will foot the bill": Here's what 11 City analysts say about the Carillion collapseThousands of jobs were at risk this morning after construction giant Carillion said it had begun liquidation proceedings.
• Boris Johnson to face grilling by London Assembly Committee over abandoned Garden Bridge projectFormer London mayor Boris Johnson will appear before members of the London Assembly over the scrapped Garden Bridge, after the foreign secretary agreed to face questions over the failed project.
• TfL doesn't "fully understand" why passenger numbers are falling, says London Assembly Budget CommitteeLondon Assembly members are not convinced that Transport for London (TfL) "fully understands" why its passenger numbers are falling, according to a report out today.
• British Airways owner IAG "remains hopeful" of wrapping up Niki acquisitionBritish Airways owner IAG said today it "remains hopeful" of being able to complete the acquisition of Austrian airline Niki, after a back-and-forth over where insolvency proceedings should be handled.
• Norway's massive sovereign wealth fund sells out of BAE Systems and eight other companies in an ethics pushNorway's massive $1.1 trillion (£777bn) sovereign wealth fund has pulled its investment in UK defence company BAE Systems, as it continues an ethical push.
• Uber will introduce a cap on driver hours in the UK from next weekUber will introduce a cap on the number of hours drivers can work in the UK after MPs criticised working conditions and raised concerns about safety risks from working long hours.
• Heathrow launches consultation on expansion plans including raising runway over the M25Heathrow Airport has revealed its latest plans for expansion after pledging to trim £2.5bn off costs, including options on how to deal with Britain's busiest motorway.
• London's air quality has stuck within legal limits for the longest in a decadeFor the first time since records began ten years ago, London has entered the third week of January without having breached legal air quality limits.

Manchester Evening News

• Transport boss behind new plan for the north slams his own Manchester commute - and calls for change "I want my children to be able to have a fulfilling life in the north of England."

The York Press

• Journey times between York and major northern cities could be cutPASSENGERS from York could see big cuts in their rail journey times to other northern cities under a new strategy unveiled today (Tuesday, January 16).

Wales Online

• Busy Cardiff road bridge to close for three weeks Splott Road Bridge is being replaced by Network Rail
• Minister admits value for money of electrification of Great Western line is now 'not great'Jo Johnson was challenged on the benefit-cost ratio of the controversial electrification project

Other Regional Press

• Welsh Government takes out stake in TVRTHE Welsh Government has bought a three per cent stake in prestigious car manufacturer TVR, which is opening a plant in Ebbw Vale.
• COLUMN: On Yer Bike - Investing in cycling is a 'no brainer' to cut pollutionLAST Friday I went to the Oxford Friends of the Earth meeting on Climate Change and Transport. The Wesley Memorial church was full, a great display of the energy and commitment to tackling climate change.
• Round three for East West Rail consultationCHANGES to East West Rail project to connect Oxford, Bicester, Milton Keynes and Aylesbury are back under the microscope.
• Is it possible to ride 33 bus routes in a day? The 'extreme commuter' has found out... EXTREME commuter Adham Fisher set himself a tough challenge - riding 33 Oxford Bus Company routes in a day.
• Plan unveiled to revolutionise transport in the northHere's how the rail network could be improved
• Pellet gun sniper targets FIVE buses in Salendine Nook in just four weeksPolice and bus company trying to identify the culprits

New Civil Engineer

• Supply chain prepares to bid for South Wales Metro workTransport for Wales (TfW) is seeking bids from the supply chain for a place on a framework to build the South Wales Metro.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Work begins to 'future-proof' Ashford International for new Eurostar trainsWork has begun on a £10m project to prepare Ashford International station for the new e320 Eurostar trains. The upgrades are backed by Kent County Council and Ashford Borough Council, with funding coming from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership’s local growth fund. Network...
• Strike action on GTR has cost taxpayers £22m to dateIndustrial action on Southern, Great Northern and Thameslink services to date has cost £22.2m in losses to the farebox, the government has this week revealed. Jointly run under the GTR franchise, the loss was disclosed by rail minister Paul Maynard in parliament in an answer to a question...
• Govia services blasted by customers in latest surveyGTR’s services made up two of the bottom three in this year’s annual Which? passenger survey, with the other spot taken by South Eastern, also run by Govia. Southern rail finished bottom of the ranking for the third year running, piling more pressure of the already troubled service...
• Colossal rail event continues to break recordsCategory sponsorships for UKRIA 2018 are selling quick following last week’s big announcement of comedian and actor Rufus Hound as host. This year’s event is headlined by HS2 chief executive Mark Thurston, who was revealed as keynote speaker last month, with 2017’s keynote Sir...
• Cardiff Central set for upgrade in £180m transport hub redevelopmentCardiff Central station could be involved in major redevelopment work as plans to redevelop the city’s transport hub are set to be agreed. The deal was agreed in principle today by the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) – a group responsible for devolution plans in the Welsh capital. It...
• TfN reveals Northern Powerhouse Rail plans in £70bn strategyTransport for the North (TfN) has published its long-awaited Strategic Transport Plan which includes plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), a network connecting the north’s six biggest cities. Stretching from Liverpool to Hull, the new network would include a new line running between...

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair renews interest in NIKI takeover Ryanair has confirmed the Irish LCC has contacted the Austrian administrators of bankrupt airberlin subsidiary NIKI, expressing interest in participating in the insolvency process and potential purchase of remaining NIKI assets, head of communications Robin Kiely told ATW. read more
• Airbus progresses with Bombardier CSeries dealAirbus has indicated that talks with Bombardier to acquire a stake in the CSeries program are expected to close in the second half of 2018. read more
• Enders: Brexit will do more damage than TrumpAirbus CEO Tom Enders has given a hard-hitting speech, voicing strong concerns over the “double whammyâ€� of protectionism under US president Donald Trump and the UK’s decision to exit the European Union (Brexit). read more

Other News Sources

• Rail delays after freight train derails between Sunderland and HartlepoolCommuters are facing delays today after a freight train derailed between Sunderland and Hartlepool.