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

Friday, 02 August 2024

BBC News

• Preferred partner for Newquay Airport revealedCornwall Council has confirmed its preferred commercial partner to help develop the Newquay Airport estate.
• Safety officers get power to fine rowdy passengersSafety officers are set to patrol buses to target badly behaved passengers they will have the power to fine.
• Toiletless trains blamed for forced door openingsPassengers trapped on Elizabeth line trains for up to four hours were "violently trying to force the doors open" due to a lack of onboard toilets, a report has found.
• Great British Railways HQ could be built next to new arenaThe developer behind a new arena in Derby has urged the government to bring the headquarters of Great British Railways (GBR) to brownfield land in the city centre.
• In pictures: Praise for 'beautiful' train stationThe man behind one of Britain's "nicest" railway stations has been praised for his work.
• Doubt cast over plan to reopen line to passengersPlans to reopen a rail line between Sheffield and Chesterfield have been put on hold after the government announced a spending review of all infrastructure plans.
• Pilots' action 'to cost Aer Lingus €55m'Recent industrial action by Aer Lingus pilots is expected to cost the airline at least €55m (£46.5m), the airline has said.

Financial Times

• Wizz Air shares drop as plane groundings hit profits Budget airline cuts forecast as it hires spare planes to fill holes in flight schedules
• Maersk raises guidance for the third time since May on the back of Red Sea disruption Container shipping group forecasts higher profits for third time since May
• BA owner IAG restores dividend for first time since pandemic after beating forecasts Airline group abandons efforts to buy Spain’s Air Europa over EU competition concerns

The Guardian

• How Rolls-Royce’s winning run could go on and onReturn to engines for narrow-body aircraft, and order for small modular reactors, could propel firm forwardThe main news in Rolls-Royce’s half-year numbers was obviously further proof that the engine-maker and defence group, which was virtually bust during the Covid pandemic, is now in soaraway financial form.Dividends are coming back; the chief executive, Tufan Erginbilgiç, increased forecasts for profits and cash generation; and the shares went on another tear. Congratulations if you caught the bottom at 40p, around the time of the 2020 rescue rights issue – the price is now 481p, up 7% on T...

The Herald

• Scottish train stations see huge uplift in retail spendingSpending on food, beverages, groceries and other retail items at Scotland's two busiest train stations soared in the first quarter of this year, leading the way in the portfolio of properties managed by Network Rail Property.

The Independent

• Heathrow sees second Just Stop Oil arrests in a week as protesters block search areaAirport brands the action ’irresponsible’ and says it led to no significant delays

The Telegraph

• Just Stop Oil Heathrow airport protest fails – again. [subscription]Demonstration follows several other attempts to block holidaymakers at airports this week

City AM

• Shell kicks off £2.74bn share buyback as earnings beat expectations Shell kicked off a new share buyback programme today as it posted better-than-expected numbers for the second quarter despite a previously announced $2bn (£1.6bn) impairment and a slide in revenues.

Local Government

• Get there ’Pronto’ with additional evening journeysPassengers on the Nottingham to Mansfield Pronto bus service will now be able to travel later into the evening thanks to a service extension part-funded by the county council.
• Buses are backThe county council and Lincolnshire’s bus companies are making bus travel big again with more frequent, easier and improved services.

Birmingham Post

• Rolls-Royce sees profits soar as 'transformation' pays offThe FTSE 100 firm has implemented a raft of cost-saving measures as it works to turn around the business
• Airbus profits plunge as space division weighs on performanceThe results come as the firm reportedly holds talks with Thales and Leonardo over its space activities
• Harland & Wolff scraps Scilly Ferries service before maiden crossing The stricken shipbuilding firm made the announcement as it agreed a $25m loan to support the 'stabilisation' of the business

Bolton News

• YASMIN QURESHI MP: Time to fix Britain's broken railwaysIf, like me, you’re a commuter at Bolton railway station, then it’s likely that your patience is often tested.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford to Leeds tram plans will have 'naysayers'THE new tram system planned for West Yorkshire will attract a lot of “naysayers” – a Leeds Councillor has claimed.

Edinburgh Evening News

• City council’s priorities wrong on transport spending - Sue WebberReaders of this column will know what a battle I’ve had to persuade Transport Scotland to fund the construction of a new railway station at Winchburgh.

Manchester Evening News

• Could the Piccadilly Gardens bus station be moved?No decisions have been made on rumoured plans to move the bus station away from Piccadilly Gardens, the mayor has said.

Nation. Cymru

• Children to lose out on free bus passes as council looks to cut costsThe spiralling costs of busing children to school has prompted a council to propose taking away free bus passes from pupils it thinks should walk.

Oxford Mail

• Oxford resident slams reversal of Woodstock Road bus laneA county council decision to change the direction of a bus lane into the city centre "defies any kind of rational explanation", a householder has said.

Other Regional Press

• Is this the end of the line for Portishead’s railway?Portishead is waiting to find out whether it is the end of the line for a plan to bring back its railway.
• Stourbridge railway campaigners bag naional awards for second yearA group of community railway campaigners have bagged a prestigious national award for the second year running.
• Plans for Devizes and Corsham Railway Stations dealt blowCouncillors are “disappointed” after government funding cuts delivered a blow to plans for two new Wiltshire railway stations.

The Economist

• Britain’s railways go from one extreme to anotherWhen britain’s railways were nationalised for the first time, in 1948, politicians steamed. Conservative peers called it “a most ghastly mistake” and “by far the biggest measure of Socialism which had ever been proposed in the world outside Russia”.

Rail Magazine

• Train cancellations close to worse ever, ORR report showsThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has released its annual assessment of the industry, highlighting that overall performance of the network had stabilised during the last year (excluding the Wales and Western Region) however, it did warn that Network Rail had work to do on coping better with severe weather.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• McGill’s overhauls leadership as Tony Williamson takes CEO roleMcGill’s Group has announced changes to its senior management team that have seen Tony Williamson (pictured) succeed Ralph Roberts at CEO and the departure of former Group Managing Director Alex Hornby.
• REL plots ongoing coach fleet investment as further growth dueCoach industry investor REL Group has taken delivery of new vehicles for its Davian Coaches and Redwing Coaches brands in what Director Andy Scott (pictured) says represents the first part of an ongoing fleet investment plan.
• Women in Bus and Coach names Kerry Turner in mentee positionFirst Travel Solutions Head of Operational Delivery Kerry Turner has been selected by Women in Bus and Coach for a one-year position on its board of directors via a mentee programme.

Other News Sources

• Dorchester South wrongly included in SWR programmeHopes have been dashed after a railway station in Dorchester was mistakenly included in a major investment programme.
• Taking the high road: Scotland’s new electric bus and coach investmentLast month, the Scottish Government announced its latest investment package to encourage the uptake in new electric buses and coaches, as well as associated charging infrastructure.
• Calls for improvements to ’sparse and underfunded’ rail services in the East MidlandsLeaders across the East Midlands region have come together to call for a long-term plan for improving regional rail services, following a report from Transport for the East Midlands (TfEM) that shines a spotlight on the opportunity to improve regional rail services.
• Early wins can be gained from the All-Island Rail Review – Swann & ButlerRobin Swann, the South Antrim MP and his party colleague Robbie Butler, the Lagan Valley MLA, have written to Louise Haigh asking that she works urgently with the Northern Ireland Executive and Irish Government on the early wins that could be gained from the All-Island Rail Review.
• Network Rail retail sales jump 12.6% across 19 stationsThe latest quarterly figures (Q4 covering January to March 2024) released by Network Rail Property have revealed a like-for-like (LFL) retail sales* increase of +12.6% across its retail portfolio of 19 managed stations throughout Great Britain.