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

Thursday, 18 July 2019

BBC News

• Should I offset my summer holiday flights?As more of us worry about our carbon emissions, how can you offset your air travel?
• Govia Thameslink fined £1m over Gatwick Express window deathSimon Brown died after leaning from the window of a Gatwick Express train in August 2016.
• Ferry companies warn of gridlock in no-deal BrexitFreight companies have told Newsnight they will refuse boarding to lorries that do not have the right paperwork.
• KLM breastfeeding policy causes turbulenceDutch airline KLM has asked mothers to cover up when breastfeeding, in response to complaints.
• Electric car models to triple in Europe by 2021An European transport body says the range of electric car models available to consumers is getting better.

The Guardian

• Govia Thameslink fined £1m over passenger killed leaning out of windowThe train operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has been fined £1m after a passenger was killed when he put his head out of a carriage window.
• Northern rail could lose franchise after year of passenger miseryThe government could terminate the Northern rail franchise if performance does not improve, the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, said, after more than a year of misery for passengers.
• Young drivers may be banned from road at night under safety planScheme aims to reduce number of drivers involved in accidents during first years behind wheel
• Air France could face trial over 2009 crash of Rio-Paris flightProsecutors say airline knew of problems with Airbus A330 plane that crashed, killing 228 people
• KLM tells breastfeeding women they may be asked to cover upAirline provokes outcry with response after woman says she was asked to cover herself with a blanket

The Independent

• Delta to carry Narcan on planes after passenger 'carried out in body bag' following overdoseExperts tell airlines to practice 'harm reduction' by carrying the drug meant to reverse overdoses on each flight
• Fire near Waterloo Station causes travel chaos on some of UK's busiest train linesNine platforms closed with 'significant damage' expected following lineside blaze
• The road to change: How roadside flowers are saving the beesA third of the UK's wild bee and hoverfly species are declining. Olivia Norfolk explores how roadside wildflowers are saving wildlife across the nation
• Cheap flights blamed as skin cancer rates soar by 45 per cent in a decadeJetting off to warmer climes increases chances of permanent sun damage, with men and under 50s seeing biggest melanoma rise
• Environmental damage caused by travel and tourism to be assessed by MPsEnvironmental Audit Committee will consider the local impact of 'over tourism' and the global effects of the travel industry

The Scotsman

• Staff on Scotland to Northern Ireland ferry fail drug and alcohol testsStena Line ferry staff are being investigated after failing drug and alcohol tests on board a vessel
• Claire McVicar: Driving home the message of green, environmentally friendly transportMore than four million visitors come to Edinburgh each year to sample its unique heritage combined with its world class
• New average speed cameras to track motorists on key route to HighlandsAverage speed cameras are to be deployed on a key route to the Highlands

Times Online

• The Times view on graduated driving licences: Drive Safe [Subscription]Restrictions to keep new drivers safe work elsewhere and are worth exploring here
• Clean air campaign: Motorway speed limits could be cut when pollution level soars [Subscription]Speed limits on hundreds of miles of motorway could be temporarily lowered to tackle sudden increases in pollution in nearby towns and cities.

City AM

• Our next Prime Minister should understand how crucial infrastructure projects are to the economy - Helen Brand is the chief executive of ACCATory members are electing their new leader and the next Prime Minister. Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt’s premiership will be dominated by a few issues – solving the Brexit deadlock in parliament, funding public services, and healing the country’s divides.
• Chris Grayling admits Cabinet overruled him on Eurotunnel ferry settlementTransport secretary Chris Grayling has said he personally wanted to fight Eurotunnel’s legal challenge against the government’s no-deal Brexit ferry strategy in court but that Cabinet collectively decided to settle it.
• Easyjet grows revenue in ‘robust’ quarter as new COO joinsEasyjet boosted revenue 11 per cent to £1.8bn in its third quarter, the airline revealed today, saying it is on schedule to hit market expectations on profit.

i News

• Chris Grayling claims his greatest achievement is Heathrow’s third runway — but it hasn’t been builtTransport Secretary admits mistakes during his three year tenure in what was likely his final committee appearance

London Evening Standard

• 'Abusive' passenger ordered to pay £85k after RAF jets escort Jet2 plane back to StanstedA passenger who allegedly tried to storm the cockpit of a Jet2 plane has been sent an £85,000 bill by the airline.
• KLM airline facing backlash after warning that breastfeeding mothers might be asked to cover upAn airline is facing backlash after warning that breastfeeding mothers might be asked to cover up to avoid offending fellow passengers.
• Waterloo delays: Passengers face major disruption after lineside fire closes nine platformsCommuters are facing travel chaos on some of the country's busiest routes after a lineside fire forced the closure of nine platforms at London Waterloo station.
• Young drivers could be banned from roads at night under government plansYoung drivers could be banned from the road at night under plans to improve safety, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.

Sheffield Star

• HS2 parkway station in South Yorkshire set to be scrapped as mayor unveils "landmark" vision for county's rail servicesStalled plans for a £300m parkway station as part of the HS2 route through South Yorkshire look set to be scrapped entirely after proposals were unveiled for a separate facility as part of the high-speed Northern Powerhouse Rail project.

Yorkshire Post

• Why these eight broken promises over Pacer trains here are Chris Grayling’s legacy of failure – Tom RichmondCHRIS GRAYLING’S policy failings are now so numerous that it has become impossible to keep pace. They are just as frequent, if not more so, than a clapped-out train running late here.

Doncaster Free Press

• Mayor Dan Jarvis commits to Doncaster Sheffield Airport station, Hickleton bypass and tram-train but new HS2 station is 'nail in coffin for Mexborough'A new transport plan shows Doncaster could soon have tram-train services, a station at Doncaster Sheffield Airport and a road new bypass but a proposal for a new HS2 station in Barnsley puts ‘another nail in the coffin’ for Mexborough, a councillor has said.

Other Regional Press

• Light rail link to Heathrow Airport from Staines moves a step closerA light railway line that would connect Staines town centre with Heathrow Airport has moved a step closer. Spelthorne Borough Council has been given the nod to proceed further with its bid for a Southern Light Rail scheme which will form part of the Oyster card network.

Construction Enquirer

• Track maintenance crash reveals design flaws in rail kitRail investigators have highlighted “alarming weaknesses” in maintenance equipment design after a track crash left a worker with life-changing injuries.

New Civil Engineer

• Motts picks up major Solihull transport schemeMott MacDonald and HawkinsBrown Architects are to develop the Solihull Station Integrated Transport Hub to meet the demands of a population due to grow by 10% in the next 15 years.
• Rail review chair considering ‘arm’s length body’ to direct sectorThe chair of the government’s rail review is considering recommending an “arm’s length body” to direct the sector. Rail review chair Keith Williams said he was looking at the idea closely after many organisations argued in favour of it following a call for evidence.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Conwy Valley Line to partly reopen tomorrowNetwork Rail has announced that the Conwy Valley line is set to reopen for passengers ahead of the National Eisteddfod in Llanrwst. Llandudno Junction to Llanrwst North will re-open for passengers tomorrow and the remainder of the line will reopen on Wednesday 24 July.
• Campaign for Windsor Link Railway to be revivedA campaign for a rail link between Windsor and Heathrow Airport is to be revived, after the scheme was turned down by the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2017. The Windsor Link Railway (WLR), laid out in several phases, proposes a rail link connecting Heathrow Airport to the south and west of the country, as well as easing congestion between t...
• Maritime Transport launch new rail servicesMaritime Transport has launched two new rail services from DP World London Gateway to its rail terminals in Trafford Park and Wakefield. It marks further efforts to expand into the intermodal market in response to rising customer demand in the sector. Operating since 24 June, the two daily services hauled by DB Cargo UK are Maritime's fifth and...

Aviation Industry

• AirAsia’s cargo unit co-invests in EasyParcelAirAsia is trying boost its cargo and logistics business by investing in and partnering with a Malaysia-based e-commerce and parcel delivery company. read more
• Wizz Air cuts frequencies on A320 delivery delay Central and Eastern European airline Wizz Air will reduce frequencies on some routes from Kiev (Ukraine) and Warsaw (Poland) in August because of an aircraft delivery delay. read more
• El Al set to retire remaining Boeing 747s El Al Israel Airlines will retire its remaining three Boeing 747-400s by the end of October, the carrier said July 16. read more

Other News Sources

• HS2 faces crunch ruling on Old Oak Common start dateRailway will hear in September whether challenge by Bechtel will stop it awarding job to Balfour Beatty team

EIN News Subscription

• European Commission gives full approval to railway electrification project … 347 mln provided under the EU-funded project (including EUR 318 … with the European Union’s requirements and national regulatory documents (Transport Development … rail network and to boost the international competitiveness of the Latvian railway …

News from Europe

• Reducing car traffic could be the only solution to reduce air pollutionThe massive reduction of car traffic could be the best solution to sustainably improving air quality, according to a report published by France’s health and food safety agency on Tuesday (16 July). EURACTIV’s partner le Journal de l’Environnement reports.