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

Thursday, 12 November 2015

BBC News

• Bombardier staff face two-year pay freezeBombardier workers in Northern Ireland are being asked to accept a two-year pay freeze, with the company telling them it is
• Under-11s to travel free on London railChildren under 11 will enjoy free travel on all National Rail services in London from 2 January, the Mayor of London announces.
• Nottingham-to-Derby tram link backed by councilsA multi-million pound project to extend the Nottingham tram system to Derby is being treated as a "priority", the BBC has learned.

Department for Transport

• Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin reappoints 2 members of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) boardTransport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin today (12 November 2015) announces the reappointment of 2 members of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Board — David Gray and Michael Medlicott.
• Passengers invited to have their say on South Western train franchiseResponses to a consultation will shape plans for rail services between London and the south-west.
• North Wales rail summit to drive forward rail modernisation to the regionUK Government Ministers attend rail summit to ensure North Wales benefits from the Northern Powerhouse

Financial Times

• German probe deepens diesel car fearsRegulator looking at 16 carmakers including Daimler, BMW, General Motors’ Opel and Ford
• GrabTaxi steps up Uber rivalry in SE AsiaMalaysia-based taxi-hailing app to launch carpooling service in the region
• Has the commercial aviation bubble burst?At the Dubai air show, the long boom in the passenger jet market is showing signs of abating

The Herald

• Hospital bus lane camera issues more than one quarter of city's finesA BUS lane camera has been branded a 'cash cow' by a motoring group after issuing more than one quarter of the capital's fines to motorists this year.

The Telegraph

• Ten things no one tells you before you become a train commuterDominic Utton looks back at everything no one explained before he bought his first season ticket, from the need for a good pair of headphones to the surprisingly fluid nature of time
• Boris Johnson unveils London's new transport fares for 2016Free travel for under 11s will be extended to national rail services in the capital, but overall fares will increase by 1 per cent

Times Online

• Heathrow exporters look towards China [subscription]The value of goods exported to China through Heathrow has more than doubled in a year. Figures show that more than £7 billion of exports was flown out of the airport to China in the past 12 months, a rise of 117 per cent from a year earlier.

Daily Record

• Scottish airports continue to grow with record passenger numbers GLASGOW AIRPORT reported its busiest October in eight years with a 14 percent increase on October 2014.
• Roads in north-east of Scotland are the most dangerous in the UK A REPORT has revealed Banff and Buchan had the highest rate of deaths or serious injuries on the roads relative to population and more than double the national average.

Mail Online

• Egyptian jet crash investigators uncover intelligence about 'two-hour timer' They are analysing the theory that a bomb was planted near the fuel line to cove up the explosives on the Metrojet flight, from Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg, which crashed in Sinai.

Network Rail

• Stations mark Armistice Day with services and silenceNetwork Rail-managed stations across Britain briefly fell silent today, to mark Armistice Day, as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives while serving their country in the Armed Forces.

Birmingham Post

• JLR set to create 'special ops' base New project in Warwickshire wins council backing and is expected to house skilled engineering staff

Bolton News

• High-speed Pendolino train could take commuters from Bolton to London in 2017 COMMUTERS could soon be hopping on to a high-speed Pendolino train to get into work from Bolton, it has been revealed.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• BUS ROW: Tempers flare at public meeting as tearful residents are told their bus service is 'not making money' BOSSES at First Bus have been branded heartless for stopping an essential service in East Bowling, Bradford.

Derby Telegraph

• Experts look at possibility of Nottingham-to-Derby tram in...THE idea of creating a tram link between Derby and Nottingham is being investigated by experts.And the leader of Derby City Council, Ranjit Banwait, said that local authorities were "committed" to trying to get the route up-and-running.Nottingham Express Transit (NET), which runs the city's trams is carrying out the investigation, paid for by £200,000 from the UK Government and Europe.NET has been commissioned by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, a partnership of...

London Evening Standard

• Revealed: Facelift for Bruce Grove station in TottenhamCommuters in north London�will soon be swiping their oyster cards through a swanky new Bruce Grove station.
• Tube stations where people have to wait for up to an hour just to buy a ticketPassengers are being forced to queue for up to an hour following recent ticket office closures across the network, finds survey
• Sadiq Khan pledges four-year freeze of all fares if elected MayorSadiq Khan today called for a fares freeze ahead of an expected one per cent rise in London’s Tube, train and bus prices.
• Lib-Dems to fight Mayor’s Uber curbsLib-Dems are set to challenge key parts of Boris Johnson’s plan to rein in Uber.
• Evening Standard Comment: Procrastination is not a sensible aviation policyThe Government was meant to make its final decision on the Davies Commission’s recommendation to back a third runway at Heathrow this month.
• Cabinet ‘falling behind’ on Heathrow expansion decisionThe Cabinet decision on Heathrow’s third runway is slipping behind schedule, it was claimed today.
• Copycat penis pothole graffiti prankster strikes in PakistanA Surrey graffiti artist who drew penises around potholes in a revolt over road repairs has been emulated by a likeminded protester - in Pakistan.�

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post commented Could a tram line link Nottingham and Derby?A new tram line could link Nottingham with Derby, after key politicians said they were "committed" to getting the route up and running. Nottingham Express Transit (NET), which runs the tram network, is carrying out an investigation into the idea thanks to £200,000 from the UK Government and Europe. NET has been commissioned by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, a group of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire business leaders, local authorities, training providers and community...

Sheffield Star

• Council to debate Sheffield bus changes after thousands back petition U-turn callAn urgent call to reverse controversial bus cuts in Sheffield will be debated by councillors after more than 5,000 people signed a petition in less than a week.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leaf it out! Passengers see red over Northern Rail autumn tweetsRAIL bosses have attracted ridicule for tweeting colour-coded pictures of autumn leaves likely to delay the trains.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Train repairs cause dozens of rail cancellations across Suffolk and Essex todayRail services between Ipswich and Felixstowe, and Marks Tey and Sudbury are being cancelled this morning, as a result of more trains than usual needing repairs.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Regions to be offered legal powers to transform transportProposals to put bodies like Transport for the North on a statutory footing. Government plans to give the regions new powers to transform transport in their areas took a major step forward this week with the publication of proposals in Parliament. As part of the government’s drive to deliver economic growth across the country, including the creation of a Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine, organisations like Transport for the North (TfN) are now closer to becoming statutory bodies. The legal powers and duties being offered as part of this commitment to devolution will allow groups...
• Network Rail set to make big progress on the Railway Upgrade Plan this ChristmasHundreds of thousands of passengers and freight users will benefit from one of the biggest Christmas and New Year investment programmes ever carried out on Britain’s rail network. New station facilities, longer platforms, extra tracks, new junctions and thousands of pieces of new, more reliable equipment will be installed and delivered in a £150m investment programme to expand and improve the railway, beginning in the very early hours of Christmas Day, once the last trains have run. Almost 500 individual projects will be carried out at 7,500 sites across Britain over the festive p...
• Aer Lingus to expand long-haul fleetAer Lingus is set to expand its long-haul services after new parent company IAG confirmed an order for two Airbus A330-300 aircraft. British Airways’ parent company added that it was confirming an order for two Airbus A330-200s which will be used by Iberia to expand its long-haul fleet. Aer Lingus is set to receive its two aircraft next year, while Iberia will take delivery in 2017 and 2018. “The modern, fuel efficient aircraft will bring both cost efficiencies and environmental benefits to the airlines,” said IAG in a statement. IAG has also confirmed a firm order for 15...
• British Airways to start Heathrow-Inverness serviceBritish Airways is launching a daily Heathrow-Inverness service from next year. The route, which is resuming more than 15 years after BA ended it for commercial reasons, will start on May 3. The year-round service will depart Heathrow T5 at 0955 and arrive in Inverness at 1130. The return journey leaves at 1210 and arrives back in London at 1340. It will be operated by a 143-seat Airbus A319. British Airways head of UK customer service and operations, Denize Mcgregor, said: “British Airways’ daily flights will benefit the Inverness economy by linking the business community of t...
• Royal Mail and Alibaba deal helps Chinese sellers ship to UKRoyal Mail and Alibaba are cooperating further to link Chinese exporters directly to UK online shoppers. They already work together because Royal Mail have a shopfront on Alibaba’s Tmall. AliExpress, Alibaba Group’s global retail marketplace for consumers, will offer Chinese exporters new Royal Mail shipping solutions. Delivery will be within two weeks. The press release says that both AliExpress merchants in China and online shoppers in the UK will benefit from the new shipping solutions. Upon purchase and selection of the Royal Mail delivery option, items will be airfreighted t...
• Priority Freight Enhances Operations in Central EnglandPriority Freight, a leading global provider of contingency logistics solutions, has invested £2 million in expanding its Midlands operations in the UK, to coincide with the company’s 10-year anniversary in the region. The business opened its Coventry office in 2005 and has since gone from strength to strength. In response to the growing demand for its services, Priority Freight will open a new hub, located in Coventry, providing a 24-hours a day service, seven days a week, starting January 2016. In addition to a larger control centre, the state-of-the-art facilities will enable Pr...
• Freight operator to increase Irish Sea sailings due to Liverpool2 terminalPort owner Peel says end users and shippers will benefit from the economies of scale provided by the £300m facility. An Irish Sea freight operator its increasing the frequency of its sailings to and from the Port of Liverpool thanks to the new Liverpool2 container terminal. The changes by BG Freight, in response to the creation of Liverpool2 and customer demand, involve the deployment of an additional ship, allowing customers in Scotland and Ireland to tap into the benefits of deep sea vessels calling at Liverpool2 via an integrated approach to short sea shipping and cargo handling. Th...
• Port of Felixstowe bigger quay opensAn extension to the quay at the UK's biggest container port means it can now unload two
• FTA: Road safety won't improve with rush-hour lorry banBanning lorries from city streets during rush-hour will have little impact on improving road safety in London, according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA).� The London Assembly called for the ban, subject to the completion of a full impact assessment.� However, the FTA said action would be required in a wide range of areas to make roads safer, including more effective enforcement against non-compliant HGV operators, as well as improvements to vehicle design and technology, driver training, road infrastructure and a better culture of road safety awareness for all drivers.� Head of urba...
• DB Schenker Rail UK and CILT launch Dissertation AwardDB Schenker Rail UK has teamed up with the CILT to sponsor a Master’s degree final year student dissertation. The theme is ‘Rail Freight Logistics – the role of rail freight in the intermodal supply chain of the future’. Entering the award gives students the opportunity to work on a real-life project for their dissertation and provides opportunities for them to make contacts with potential employers in the logistics industry. DB Schenker Rail UK Head of Marketing Steve Pryce said:

Freight on Rail

• Take rail freight into account in rail industry restructuring.In advance of the Shaw Review, Freight on Rail warns that the Government needs to ensure that rail freight, which is a network-wide industry, is not overlooked in any restructuring or devolution of Network Rail 1.

Rail Magazine

• RFG calls for equal billing with passenger trafficRegionalisation of Network Rail would not be beneficial for freight, according to a survey carried out by the Rail Freight Group.
• Great Western electrification could be TWO years lateElectrification of the Great Western Main Line could be two years late and cost three times as much as original estimates suggest sources close to the project.
• Network Rail plans to divide into eight unitsNetwork Rail is planning to divide itself into eight units based on its current routes, in order to benchmark its performance.
• Carne opposes five-year funding cycle for big projectsNR's Mark Carne told the PAC “there is no doubt at all in my view” that GWML electrification should have been managed the same way as Crossrail and Thameslink.
• Contactless payment to Gatwick AirportOyster and contactless payment will be introduced at Gatwick Airport from January, the Department for Transport has confirmed.
• PAC questions role of Office of Rail and RoadThe Public Accounts Committee questioned the role of the ORR, with PAC member Nigel Mills asking ORR Chief Executive Richard Price why the regulator was needed.
• WiFi now at 250 London Underground stationsThere are now 250 stations with WiFi connectivity on the London Underground.
• Metrolink offers Get me there appMetrolink launched its Get me there ticketing app on November 10. The App enables Apple or Android smartphone users to buy tickets before boarding a tram.
• New Community Rail Partnership for the HighlandsThe Highland Main Line Community Rail Partnership was launched at Pitlochry on November 9.

Aviation Industry

• Lufthansa Passengers Stranded as Dispute With Cabin Crew HardensDeutsche Lufthansa AG canceled hundreds of flights, impacting 100,000 passengers, as flight attendants began a three-day strike in a hardening labor dispute that has already led to a record series of walkouts by cabin crew. The airline early Wednesday lost a court bid to stop the strike at its main hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, forcing the German carrier to drop 931 flights.
• UK airports see passenger numbers soarRecord growth at Heathrow, Manchester and Stansted

Other News Sources

• Business leaders echo FTA’s call for a decision on HeathrowAs Heathrow Airport announces a 117% increase in British exports to China in 12 months today, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has once ...
• TfL claims extra £20bn needed to cope with Heathrow third runwayTransport for London has raised concerns over whether the capital’s transport system could cope if a third runway is built at Heathrow, saying it would need an additional £20bn to handle the spike in journeys.
• CAA decision on Gatwick Airport airspace departures reviewToday the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced the conclusions of its review of the impact of a 2013 airspace change for departures from Gatwick Airport.