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

Thursday, 12 October 2017

BBC News

• Cardiff Airport £4m terminal upgrade work to startThe £4m upgrade will see a new coffee shop and pharmacy created in the departures lounge.
• Bombardier: Belfast workers to press MPs on Boeing rowWorkers from Belfast meet MPs to press the government on the Boeing trade dispute.
• New road laid around parked car in Rusholme, ManchesterBemused residents say the road
• Approval for road tunnel under Thames delayed by a monthThe delay will allow the Transport Secretary to consider the environmental impact of the project.
• Airports group chief executive Amanda McMillan to step downAGS Airports says the move by Amanda McMillan follows a

ITV News

• Hitachi unveils first UK built commuter train at Newton Aycliffe facilityHitachi will unveil its first ever UK-built commuter train which was built at the firm's Newton Aycliffe site.

Department for Transport

• New £48 billion funding for Britain’s railwaysRailway investment to boost reliability and punctuality, for major upgrades and for new, faster, more comfortable trains.

Financial Times

• Greybull eyes profit from Monarch collapsePrivate equity group in line to gain from airline’s failure, FT calculations show

The Guardian

• Monarch: MP urges change in law to protect pension schemesFrank Field reacts to report that airline owner Greybull Capital could collect ‘bumper profit’ while workers lose outThe chair of parliament’s work and pensions committee has called for a change in the law following reports that the owners of collapsed airline Monarch may end up with a profit while the company’s pensioners lose out.The Labour MP Frank Field expressed concern over claims that private equity group Greybull Capital could avoid losing money while the carrier’s pension fund – which is owed £7.5m – could be among creditors left with nothing. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Business leaders' shock as airport chief steps down.BUSINESS leaders have expressed their surprise after Glasgow Airport Managing Director Amanda McMillan abruptly announced she is stepping down from the role after almost a decade in charge

The Telegraph

• Horseshoe bus seats encourage chat

Times Online

• Network Rail to be stripped of upgrades monopoly [Subscription]Network Rail will be stripped of its monopoly to upgrade the railway today as the government unveils a multibillion-pound package that is designed to improve punctuality and combat overcrowding.
• Oxford will be first British city to ban all polluting vehicles [Subscription]Petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned from the centre of Oxford under plans to create Britain’s first “zero-emission zone”.

Mail Online

• The government ploughs £4.2bn of taxpayers' money into Britain's railways, new figures reveal The government ploughed £4.2billion of taxpayers' money into the railway industry in the past year, new figures reveal. And it has poured £839million into the controversial HS2 railway link alone, new numbers reveal.
• Dubai Airport replace security check with virtual aquarium The tunnel, which will be introduced at Dubai International Airport next summer, uses 80 hidden cameras to collect biometric data as a person passes through it.

This is Money

• Match-making app for empty lorries! Heathrow's wacky plan to ensure trucks always arrive at the airport with a full load Heathrow Airport is developing a match-making app for trucking firms so they can share lorries to deliver cargo and curb pollution.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham's answer to Boris bikes are on their wayPlans to place 5,000 'Street Bikes' for loan across the region

Birmingham Post

• London Midland loses rail franchise: We put YOUR questions to new operator We ask West Midlands Trains so of the key questions which commuters will want to know two months ahead of service launch

Liverpool Echo

• MP warns Liverpool airport passengers face being caught unawares by bridge tollsMike Amesbury says drivers will not be able to make informed choice about journey without updated signs on Cheshire motorway network

London Evening Standard

• 'Chaos' at Euston Station after trespassers on track cause all lines to be suspendedHuge crowds have been left stranded at Euston Station after all lines were suspended due to trespassers on the track.
• Transport bosses scramble to upgrade all ticket machines to stop taking old £1 coinsTransport bosses were today scrambling to upgrade ticket machines to accept the new £1 coins before the old ones become worthless.

Other Regional Press

• Network Rail to consider plans to reopen the Newton Abbot to Heathfield railway lineA campaign to reopen a disused railway line is gathering steam as Network Rail will consider a proposal to bring back into use the Teign Valley line.
• 'Clunky, heavy, slow and smelly' - New trains set to run though Leicester blastedThey've been put forward after the electrification of the Midland Mainline was cancelled
• 'Sofa buses' will be part of the 'world-class welcome' to the new Westgate on October 24VISITORS will get a 'world class welcome to a world class shopping centre' once the Westgate opens but need to make 'smart travel choices' to avoid congestion.

Buying Business Travel

• Heathrow reports record passenger numbers77m fly through hub in last 12 months
• Airlines accused of ‘limiting competition’Consolidation reduces consumer choice, says report

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Leeds welcomes electric double decker bus trial Following a successful trial in York, First Leeds has launched its trial of a new fully electric double decker bus. The “Metrodecker EV” is being trialled by local bus operator First Leeds and will be seen serving the Park & Ride sites at Elland Road and Temple Green.  The zero-emission and fully electric bus has the capacity to carry 99 passengers and has a range of nearly 150 miles from one overnight charge. The new vehicle is being trialled as part of First Leeds’s commitment to investing £71m in 284 new ultra-low emissions buses for the city. Paul Matth...

Rail Magazine

• Debate on Welsh Valley lines futureThe risks involved in transferring ownership of the Welsh Valley lines to the Welsh Government (WAG) are being considered by Network Rail, according to Rail Minister Paul Maynard.

Rail Technology Magazine

• UTG: Rail investment 'high value for money'Investment in the regional rail network can represent “high value for money” as well as providing “transformative benefits” to surrounding areas, a report from the Urban Transport Group (UTG) has concluded. The new study aimed to solidify arguments around rail investments...
• State-of-the-art signal work set to start in West YorkshireWork to upgrade signalling in West Yorkshire to a new state-of-the-art system will begin on 28 October. The operations are part of the Great North Rail Project and represent phase two of a three phase plan which will change all the signalling in the area from traditional lineside signal boxes to...
• RIA: rail finance figures for 2016-17 represent 'big opportunity'The RIA have today stated that the latest ORR annual statistical report indicates a “big opportunity” for suppliers. The report shows that while government funding was down 12.6% compared to 2015-16, private investment had a real-term increase of 13.2% to £925m. This figure...

Railnews

• Speculation grows about Network Rail funding THE government is expected to reveal details of its delayed Statement of Funds Available for railway maintenance and enhancements between 2019 and 2024 by the end of the week. Network Rail is waiting to see which projects could be restarted, after a cull of electrification schemes which was prompted by sharply rising costs. Both the Office of Rail and Road and NR now need to know where they stand, because several crucial budget landmarks will fall in 2018. Network Rail CEO Mark Carne has already said that he wants more private sector investment in the railway, and fair contributions from thir...

Aviation Industry

• Aircalin firms Airbus orderAircalin, the Noumea-based carrier in the French territory of New Caledonia, has firmed up its order for two Airbus A320neos single-aisle and two A330-900 widebody aircraft. read more
• Icelandair joins economy fares trendIcelandair has joined the increasing number of airlines segmenting their economy-class fares with the announcement of a new pricing structure. read more
• CityJet posts losses as expansion continuesIrish carrier CityJet posted a pre-tax loss of €30.2 million ($35.8 million) for 2016, as a result of financing new aircraft, acquiring airlines and creating a new base in Scandinavia. read more
• CBP testing biometric facial recognition with TSA at JFK Terminal 7US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) initiated a 30-day test of facial recognition biometric technology at a TSA international checkpoint at New York-JFK airport’s Terminal 7, the agency said Oct. 11. read more

Green Miscellany

• Cyclists in Ireland are having a hard time of itCyclists in Eire and Northern Ireland are having a hard time of it. First came the news this summer that electrically-assisted bicycles in Northern Ireland have no legal classification and as a result are considered in law to be little different from mopeds and as such require insurance, and MOT and VED to be paid. Over the border, the transport… The post Cyclists in Ireland are having a hard time of it appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Anger over rail plans for bonfireTHE decision to stop people going to Lewes Bonfire by closing railway stations has been condemned by an MP.