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

Thursday, 27 October 2016

BBC News

• What about other UK airports' expansion plans?Heathrow's third runway may have got the go-ahead, but what expansion plans do the UK's other major airports have?
• M4 relief road: Impact of projects on Pontypool questionedA major study of a valleys town says big infrastructure projects like the M4 relief road offer
• M4 relief road 'would offer little' to valleys townsMajor projects like the M4 relief road and Metro offer
• Heathrow rowPrime Minister Theresa May once told constituents she opposed a third runway, but her government has now approved expansion at Heathrow. Does this put her at loggerheads with the people of Maidenhead?
• Repair work on the Forth Road Bridge wins engineering awardRepair work on a structural defect in the Forth Road Bridge wins an engineering award.
• New Heathrow runway may be built above the M25The transport secretary says Heathrow's new runway could be built above the existing M25.
• British Transport Police wants armed officers to use the TubeBritish Transport Police wants its armed officers to travel around London on the Tube network within the next few months.
• Boeing set to deliver more planes in 2016Shares in Boeing rise after the plane maker said it would deliver more aircraft than expected this year.
• Tesla reports first quarterly profit for three yearsElectric car maker Tesla reports net income of $21.9m (�17.9m) for the third quarter after 13 consecutive quarterly losses.
• Drivers 'face rising insurance bills'Motorists are facing higher car insurance premiums than a year ago, a report from the AA suggests.
• Plans for Cardiff Bay 'box city' of shipping containersThe Welsh Government has given initial approval to lease a small piece of land to developers DS Properties. Economy Secretary Ken Skates said it could become the first development of its kind in the UK.

ITV News

• Heathrow airport expansion could benefit JerseyAirlines and politicians in Jersey are hoping the expansion of Heathrow could benefit the island.

Department for Transport

• Lord Ahmad outines benefits of Heathrow expansion to ScotlandA new runway at Heathrow would boost jobs across the UK, lead to more flights and better connections, and link Scottish businesses to expanding global markets, Aviation Minister Lord Ahmad said at Glasgow Airport today (26 October 2016).
• Lord Ahmad outlines benefits of Heathrow expansion to Northern IrelandHeathrow expansion would boost Northern Irish economy.

Financial Times

• ‘Milestone’ for Tesla as it posts surprise profitShares race ahead after electric car maker posts first quarterly profit since 2013
• Google’s self-driving cars on the road to autonomyAs standalone unit of Alphabet, auto business could be candidate for spinout
• Row looms as regulator demands Heathrow hold charges flatAirlines want Heathrow to promise it will not raise passenger charges
• Airbus ‘master’ salesman eyes 2018 retirementJohn Leahy has played a key role in securing group 50% of large commercial jet market

The Guardian

• AA reports rise in car insurance premiumsAverage annual policy costs rise 16% year-on-year, with expensive technology on cars and whiplash claims cited as reasonsDrivers are paying almost �82 more for car insurance than a year ago and are likely to see premiums rise further, according to the latest figures from the Automobile Association (AA).The average annual cost of a new policy rose to �586 in the three months to the end of September, a 16.3% increase on the same period in 2015, the motoring group said. Continue reading...
• After 30 chaotic years on Manchester's privatised buses, it's time for changeAn effective transport network is essential to keep a region moving, to create access to jobs, training, public services, and to support a region’s sustainable economic growth.
• Heathrow third runway: public bill up to £10bn hidden, says Tory MPFormer transport minister Stephen Hammond urges government to ‘come clean’ over probable bill to taxpayers

The Herald

• Humza Yousaf in plea for control over Network RailTransport Minister Humza Yousaf has repeated his calls for control over Network Rail to be devolved to Scotland following a report criticising its handling of major infrastructure projects north of the border.

The Independent

• There won't be anyone using Heathrow's extra runway if Brexiteers have their way on immigrationTo ensure her ‘Global Britain’ vision becomes reality, Theresa May will have to stand up to the Brexiteers who feel more comfortable with splendid isolation

The Scotsman

• Bill Jamieson: Turbulence trouble over Heathrow The on-going row over an airport runway in London could eventually be enough to trigger a general election, says Bill Jamieson

Times Online

• Heathrow overvalued by £86bn [subscription]The economic benefits of expanding Heathrow airport were overstated by up to £86 billion, buried government figures reveal.

Daily Record

• Abellio warned contingency plans in place for ScotRail franchiseTransport Minister Humza Yousaf said while he is confident Abellio will make improvements to its services, he warned if performance worsens, “there are some very serious measures that I can take and I will take if necessary”

Mail Online

• Heathrow expansion will mean the demolition of hundreds of homes and businesses Villages such as Poyle, Colnbrook, Brands Hill, Longford (pictured), Harlington, Sipson and Cranford Cross, face demolition and abandonment if the new runway goes ahead.
• Runway on a ramp: Heathrow's new airstrip could be built OVER M25 to avoid digging massive tunnel and causing years of traffic chaos Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has backed a 'sensible' plan to have a sloping runway constructed on top of the existing road instead of hearing up the motorway and putting it in a tunnel.

The Huffington Post

• 30 Years Of Tory Bus Privatisation And There’s No Reason To CelebrateIt’s 30 years to the day that our buses were deregulated by the Conservatives. An anniversary it may be - but no cause for celebration.

The Mirror

• Drivers to be hit by massive rise in car insurance - and worse is to come Recent hike in insurance premium tax also to blame for pushing up the cost of driving

Birmingham Post

• Opinion: Why Theresa May got it wrong about the West Midlands devolution deal The Prime Minister says the West Midlands has the 'biggest devolution deal' - but it doesn't.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Heathrow's third runway can benefit North Wales economy The giant infrastructure project is welcomed by business and political leaders

London Evening Standard

• Official: Heathrow Airport expansion threatens to worsen London's air qualityA third runway at Heathrow threatens to worsen air quality in central London, according to the Government's own analysis.
• Letters to the editor: Heathrow choice is full of benefitI am pleased that Heathrow has been chosen for airport expansion because it is in the right place at the right time, with the right connections.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• A96 dualling option through rural Moray countryside ‘unlikely’ to go aheadA controversial route to dual Moray’s busiest road by cutting through the rural countryside is “unlikely” to go ahead.
• Transport minister admits he is not an expert – on transportThe man in charge of Scotland’s roads and railways has admitted he is not an expert on the topic.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• 'Seize moment' and expand Birmingham Airport: Tory mayoral candidateIt is time to 'seize the moment' and expand Birmingham Airport, the Conservative candidate to be the first West Midlands mayor has said.
• New HS2 boss Roy Hill is MD of firm bidding for rail contractsThe new interim chief executive of the HS2 rail project works for a company that is bidding for millions of pounds of contracts on the line, it has been revealed.

Other Regional Press

• Dundee bus operator driving improved resultsBus firm Xplore Dundee’s operating company Tayside Public Transport has delivered progress in its financial improvement journey.
• Dorset County Council proposing new model for school bus transportDORSET County Council will be looking to avoid mistakes of the past when school bus contracts come up for renewal next year.
• Scottish ministers have plan to run railway if ScotRail fails to improveThe Scottish Government has a plan in place to take over the running of the country’s railways if ScotRail fails to hit improvement targets.
• Minister warns Abellio it could lose ScotRail franchise if performance gets worseTransport Minister, Humza Yousaf, told MSPs that Transport Scotland would be ready and able to take over running the services if the franchise was terminated early when there is a break in the contract.
• Delays to Heathrow expansion project will cost Glasgow investment warns city MPDELAYS to the Heathrow Airport expansion project could cost Scotland thousands of jobs a Glasgow MP has warned.
• State of the art rail link is on the right trackLuton’s ambitious plans for a £200 million Mass Passenger Transit system linking London Luton Airport with Luton Airport Parkway railway station will be displayed at two forthcoming public exhibitions next week.

Rail Magazine

• Flexible seating plans for West MidlandsBidders for the West Midlands franchise will be able to remove seats from trains providing they meet certain criteria.
• New Anglia franchise: operator relishing the challengeLaunching the new Anglia franchise on October 17, Greater Anglia Managing Director Jamie Burles speaks a huge weight of responsibility to “get it right”.
• Could HST cascade be delayed? Cascaded HSTs are still expected to enter traffic with ScotRail from spring 2018, despite concerns over GWML electrification.
• Jim Steer to speak at RAIL’s National Rail ConferenceSteer Davies Gleave's Founder and Director will speak at the NRC in Manchester on November 1

Rail Technology Magazine

• Digital Railway at risk of further eroding supplier confidence and investmentIf plans to enhance network capacity through Digital Railway are so over-ambitious that they later need to be scaled back, Network Rail risks discouraging future investment in the UK by rail suppliers – and further eroding confidence in the market, the Transport Select Committee has...
• Network Rail chooses Barnardo's as charity partnerBarnardo’s will be Network Rail’s Charity of Choice until March 2019, it was announced today. Network Rail will support the charity through fundraising, volunteering, gifts in kind and payroll giving. There’s no doubt that Barnardo’s is a very worthy choice. Founded in...
• Performance data will be 'granular' and operator-specific in CP6, NR revealsThe rail industry is preparing itself to introduce “newer metrics of performance” in the next control period so that passengers can access more “granular information” relevant to their type of service, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. Speaking at a...

Aviation Industry

• Flybe CEO Saad Hammad steps downFlybe CEO Saad Hammad has stepped down, effective immediately, by “mutual agreement,” the UK regional airline said in a statement. read more
• Airbus Group 3Q profits drop 87% as new variants ramp upAirbus Group recorded a third-quarter net profit of €50 million ($56 million), an 87% drop from the year-ago figure of €376 million. read more

Other News Sources

• Campaigners call for MPs to ‘take control’ of busesCampaigners are calling on MPs to ‘take control of our buses’ by opposing the Government ban on new public bus companies.
• I’m no transport expert, says Scotland’s transport ministerScotland’s Transport Minister has said he is not a “transport expert” as he defended the SNP’s response to growing public anger about the state of the country’s overcrowded and late-running trains.