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

Thursday, 23 April 2020

BBC News

• Coronavirus: London transport 'may run out of money by end of month'London mayor Sadiq Khan calls on the government to step in, warning services will otherwise be cut.

Financial Times

• Norton Motorcycles to revive glory days with big investment driveBritish brand ridden by Clint Eastwood emerges from administration  with new owner
• Ryanair will not return to flying if middle seats must be empty, says chiefO’Leary expects 80% of flights to resume by September unless social distancing rules are introduced
• UK set to bail out cities train and tram networksLondon Underground and other locally run services were excluded from previous coronavirus aid packages

The Guardian

• Bailout expected for UK city transport networks crippled by Covid-19Manchester, Liverpool and London in talks to secure emergency government funding. The government could bail out rail and tram networks in cities such as London and Manchester as soon as this week, as public transport revenues almost entirely disappear during the coronavirus lockdown.

The Telegraph

• Car industry told it can sell vehicles despite lockdown controls [subscription]Relief for automotive industry after sales collapsed following lockdown

Times Online

• Lifting the ban on skywriting sends a terrible message [Subscription]... For 60 years we have been allowed to look at the sky and see only birds, clouds and the odd plane. But horrors! The Department for Transport, under its boss Grant Shapps — a keen amateur pilot perhaps worriedly thinking of a retirement job — says it plans to allow skywriting again

City AM

• Transport for London 'in line for Tube bailout'Urban transport operators including Tube operator Transport for London are in line for government bailout as the complete collapse in passenger numbers due to coronavirus raised questions over their survival.
• Ryanair will not resume flights if middle seat must be left empty, says Michael O'LearyRyanair will not resume flights if it is forced to leave the middle seats empty in order to comply with The post Ryanair will not resume flights if middle seat must be left empty, says Michael O'Leary appeared first on CityAM.

Daily Express

• Lockdown to end? Rail union claims government planning to ease curfew by mid MayA RAIL union has claimed that the government has

Birmingham Mail

• Train delays after fire at city railway stationThe blaze was said to have begun accidentally and no-one was injured

Birmingham Post

• East Midlands Railway staff making PPE in spare time for NHSWorkers manufacturing vital items from homes and garden sheds

London Evening Standard

• Comment: Why Heathrow is staying open despite the Covid worriesBy Emma Gilthorpe, Heathrow chief operations officer
• Heathrow pivots to run cargo flights for PPEIf you've wondered who is on the smattering of planes still flying over London, the answer is simple — apart from the flight crew, probably no one.

Manchester Evening News

• £3m government bailout to prevent Metrolink shutdown would 'only keep it ticking over'Andy Burnham warned Metrolink could be mothballed without government help

Cambridge News

• Air pollution could lead to more virus deaths, Cambridge study claimsAreas with higher air pollution levels appear to have also registered more coronavirus-related deaths

East Anglian Daily Times

• Decision made on £90 price hike for post-16 transport in SuffolkA £90 increase in fees for post-16 school transport in Suffolk has been agreed despite objections from parents.

Other Regional Press

• Blackford behaving ’like Lord Voldemort’ alleges Jacobite train operatorThe operator of the Jacobite steam train, which doubled as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter movies, has accused Lochaber MP Ian Blackford of acting like the famous boy wizard’s sworn enemy Lord Voldemort in a row over bookings during the coronavirus lockdown.
• Motorists breathe sigh of relief as road reopensWeeks of gas repairs will finally come to an end tomorrow when part of the busy A2 reopens to cars.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Unipart announces annual results and expects continued growth in 2020Unipart Group has announced its financial results for the year ended 31st December 2019. Group turnover rose to £799.2m  at an increase of 11.7%. Group profit before defined benefit pensions, interest and taxation, and other exceptional items also grew by 5.4% to £27.3m. Commenting on the results, Unipart Group Chairman and Chief Executive John Neill said:
• New rail freight service launched despite economic downturnDB Cargo UK and CEMEX delivered a positive boost to the UK’s rail freight sector this week with the launch of a brand-new service. Despite the ongoing economic uncertainty caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, a train carrying 1,684 tonnes of aggregates made its inaugural journey from CEMEX’s site at Peak Forest in Derbyshire to Small Heath in Birmingham. The train consisted of 22 MMA box wagons carrying aggregates for use in Birmingham’s construction sector and the development of HS2. The launch of the new weekly service at a time when the industry is experiencing a general...
• Coronavirus: EasyJet to leave middle plane seats emptyEasyJet plans to keep the middle seat on its planes empty to allow for social distancing once the Covid-19 lockdown has been lifted. The airline grounded its entire fleet at the end of March. EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren expects the seating measure will encourage more people to fly.

New Civil Engineer

• Rail industry disappointed with infrastructure projects list updateThe rail industry has expressed disappointment at the updated Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) list and says it fails to detail rail enhancements and upgrades.

Other News Sources

• Lack of flights into Gatwick so costly for Sussex economyA STARK warning has been issued over the economic repercussions of reduced traffic at Gatwick Airport due to the coronavirus pandemic.