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

Monday, 05 February 2018

BBC News

• Airlines probed over 'confusing' seating policyA review will examine whether passengers are deliberately split up so they pay to sit together.
• Heathrow 'monopoly must end', says IAG bossWillie Walsh says allowing other firms to operate terminals would cut costs for passengers.

Financial Times

• British Airways owner calls for break-up of Heathrow monopolyLet third parties build and run new facilities, says IAG’s Willie Walsh
• Ryanair to buy back €750m shares as quarterly profits rise 12%

The Guardian

• British Airways owner calls for breaking up Heathrow monopolyBritish Airways’ owner has called on government to break up Heathrow’s “monopoly” of infrastructure, suggesting that other companies could run the different terminals to create competition and cheaper flights for consumers.

The Independent

• South Carolina train crash: Amtrak facing questions after second deadly collision in a weekAmtrak is under mounting pressure after two of its employees were killed and 116 passengers injured when a passenger train hit stationary freight cars – the second deadly incident involving the company in a week.
• Airlines investigated over claims they deliberately split up groups then charge for allocated seatsAre you sitting comfortably? You might be but on planes these days you might also be feeling lonely, with your partner, friends or colleagues seated some distance away. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced a consultation into airlines’ seating policies, following a survey in which 18 per cent of passengers said they had been separated from their travelling companions when they chose not to pay to sit together.
• Terminal rivalry: can intra-airport competition work at Heathrow and elsewhere?British Airways’ parent company, IAG, has demanded that Heathrow be split up, with terminals run by rival operators. How might it work? And if it’s such a great idea, why has no-one done it before? These and other key questions answered.

Times Online

• How Virgin boss Richard Branson relies on taxpayers for his empire [Subscription]Much of the Virgin tycoon’s group revenues in Britain come from work paid for by the government
• Waste plastic ‘could be turned into fuel’ by Oxford spinout [Subscription]Waste plastics could be transformed into high-quality fuels using a technique being developed by a new Oxford University spinout company.
• Motorway tunnel puts Stonehenge dig at risk [Subscription]Prehistorical remains at the longest continuously occupied site in Britain will be destroyed by construction of the Stonehenge tunnel, archaeologists have warned.

City AM

• Heathrow has revealed the latest rankings of the noisiest and dirtiest airlines at the airportHeathrow Airport said today that regional airline Flybe has soared to the top of its rankings of the cleanest and quietest airlines, after making some drastic improvements.

Mail Online

• Stonehenge road tunnel row over fears of damage The Government has backed plans to put the A303 into a tunnel as it passes the neolithic stone circle in Wiltshire as part of measures to ease congestion and improve the setting of Stonehenge.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Skipton to Lancashire rail line could reopenA new study into the potential reopening of a historic Skipton to Lancashire rail line was announced yesterday by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling.

London Evening Standard

• New images show progress of huge £600m revamp at Bank station to simplify 'spaghetti maze of tunnels'New images show the progress of a huge £600 million revamp of Bank Station which will see 1,500 metres of tunnels created 27 metres under the City of London.
• South Western Railway delays: Passengers hit with barrage of disruptions after multiple incidentsPassengers attempting to travel in and out of London were hit with a barrage of delays and disruptions after key routes were plagued with problems.
• Night Tube services will not run on the Bank branch of the Northern line until 2022, TfL confirmsThe Night Tube will not be extended to the Bank branch of the Northern line until 2022, Transport for London bosses have said.
• Airline seating policies investigated because passengers don't know if they have to pay more to sit in groupsAirlines' seating practices are under investigation by the aviation watchdog amid concerns seats allocation for groups is unclear.

Manchester Evening News

• First look inside easyJet's new 'super quiet' eco plane at Manchester AirportThe A320neo is part of easyJet’s plan to reduce harmful carbon emissions and slash noise pollution

Sunderland Echo

• Check out the new Northern Rail trains set for the region Rail passengers in the North East will soon be travelling on brand new trains thanks to a multi-million pound investment from Northern Rail.

Other Regional Press

• Why HS2 may not take us straight from the Midlands to ParisThe claims in the House of Commons came as an MP launched a last-ditch bid to block it
• Hundreds more brightly coloured bikes set to flood the city as dockless cycle firms plan expansionOXFORD is set to be flooded with even more brightly coloured dockless bikes after two of the city's operators revealed plans to expand ahead of the summer months.
• Purbeck District Council says NO to Wareham railway bridge proposalsDistrict planning chiefs have refused to back contentious proposals for the pedestrian bridge at Wareham railway station.
• Community bus service could expand to plug gap left by possible Stagecoach depot closureA community bus service could expand to plug the gap left by the potential closure of a major bus company’s King’s Lynn depot.

Construction Enquirer

• Transport for Wales launches £700m railway frameworkTransport for Wales is to hold a bidders day to outline plans for specialist rail civils contractors to provide engineering design, construction and maintenance services to enhance and maintain the rail services.