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

Tuesday, 19 April 2016

BBC News

• Taxi cab group leader loses appealThe chairman of Cardiff's taxi cab association loses his appeal against suspension after being accused of refusing to take short-distance fares in the city.
• VIDEO: Stand-only escalators 'ease congestion'An experiment by Transport for London has found congestion is eased when commuters stand on, rather than walk up, escalators.
• Government-backed bike scheme mothballedScotland's first government-backed bike hire scheme has been mothballed, BBC Scotland learns.
• Rail route investment costs outlinedA council report has outlined details of the financial commitment given in order to "maximise the economic benefits" of the Borders Railway.
• Dublin tram drivers suspend strike actionDrivers on the Luas tram system in Dublin have called off strike action planned for this weekend.

Financial Times

• Half of hit and run drivers justify fleeingMany claim they thought the incident was not very serious or did not need to be reported
• Network Rail: no easy optionsSelling assets to plug funding gap will be complex and controversial

The Guardian

• Government vows to tighten rules on drones after Heathrow incidentLabour and pilots have called for action including a possible register and ‘geo-fencing’ following collision with BA plane
• Govia Thameslink takes Aslef union to court over longer trains disputeGatwick Express service operator launches legal action after drivers refuse to operate new 12-carriage trains without guardsThe operator of the Gatwick Express train service is taking the Aslef union to the high court after its drivers refused to carry passengers on new longer trains.Govia Thameslink Railway has launched legal action over what it described as the “baffling” refusal of drivers to run the 12-carriage trains without guards. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Union warns ScotRail 'playing fast and loose' with passenger safetyTRADE union bosses have accused ScotRail of "playing fast and loose with passenger safety" after running a number of train services with only a driver on board.

Birmingham Mail

• The five best 'easter eggs' of Tesla all-electric cars How Tesla is adding ‘owner surprises’ to its cars.
• Cyclists scratching heads over Birmingham's shortest 'cycle lane' Markings have appeared next to the tram lines in Corporation Street, but are NOT cycle lanes

Birmingham Post

• Government announces £150 million connected roads trial Highways England to trial radar and wireless data systems in bid to improve UK roads.
• Parking levy 'would hold back Birmingham's growth' Business leaders issue stark warning over the possible introduction of a levy on workplace parking by council chiefs striving to combat congestion

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Ffestiniog Railway train steams 80 miles through Snowdonia Six steam locomotives used on the run between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Caernarfon

Liverpool Post

• Bootle MP set to demand answers from Government over rail links to Liverpool's portBootle MP Peter Dowd is to demand answers from the Government over rail links to Liverpool’s expanding port.

London Evening Standard

• Holborn 'standing only' escalator trial gets off to rocky start as Londoners simply ignore the signsA "standing only" escalator experiment at Holborn Tube station got off to a rocky start today as hundreds of Londoners ignored advice and walked anyway.
• MP: drones like the one that hit Heathrow plane pose risk of causing mass casualtiesA London MP has called for high-powered drone owners to be forced to sign a register after a British Airways flight was struck by a device as it came in to land at Heathrow Airport.
• London Victoria station: Train services resume after major signal failureTrain services to and from Victoria station have resumed normal service after a signal failure closed seven platforms during the morning rush hour.
• Gushing Gatwick 'can supply 25% of UK's oil'The Gatwick Gusher and associated oil reserves in the Weald Basin could account for more than quarter of the UK's daily oil needs, respected professional services firm EY has said.
• Govia Thameslink launches legal action in row over new Gatwick Express trainsGovia Thameslink Railway has announced it will take legal action against Aslef over its members' refusal to drive new Gatwick Express trains.

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink bosses spend �20,000 on safety kit to stop motorists driving on to Holt Town tracksStopping them in their tracks: new bollards and signs among new measures

The York Press

• New �4m roadworks for York: These 63 streets are affected The city's transport boss has approved the plan for 2016/17

Yorkshire Post

• Andrew Adonis: Why it must be full speed ahead for HS2HS2 is the biggest infrastructure project in Europe; it is remarkable how rapid the progress has been from conception to the verge of construction, thanks to effective policy and project planning and strong cross-party support.

North Wales Live

• Government announces �150 million connected roads trial Highways England to trial radar and wireless data systems in bid to improve UK roads.

Other Regional Press

• Nicola Sturgeon: We will allow Scottish public-sector bids for our rail servicesA PUBLIC-SECTOR rail operator will be able to bid for the future rail franchises in Scotland, under SNP plans to be unveiled today.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Scania Touring HD tri-axle for Fourway CoachesLeeds based Fourway Coaches has recently taken delivery of a new Euro 6 Scania Touring HD to full executive specification. The equipment fitted includes 57 seats with leather headrests and three-point seatbelts, toilet, Bosch Professional Line audio/visual system and alloy wheels.  The investment sees the introduction of the first Scania tri-axle vehicle into this prestigious fleet. The Touring HD provides excellent leg room and specification and as such the operator found that this vehicle would meet their needs completely and found it to be excellent value. The vehicle was supplied by...
• STAT launched to address skills gap in transport sectorThe government has launched a Strategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce (STAT) to group together employers as a response to the skills gap that has appeared in the transport sector. STAT aims to support the government's initiative to treble the number of apprenticeships in the industry over the next four years. Members of the taskforce met up for the first time on 15th April with stakeholders to share ideas on best practice and the priorities of the group. So far, it's assumed that work will include helping the development of high-standard transport apprenticeships in client organisations a...
• New rules will see out-of-date road signs torn downPower will be given to local councils to tear down pointless road signs that cause distractions for those on the road. These out-of-date signs will be allowed to be torn down from 22nd April and will help to make sure that traffic signs are visible on unlit roads. Taking down these road signs will also stop temporary messages from being cluttered with adverts and distracting logos. According to the Department for Transport, signs on English roads have more than doubled from 2.45 million in 1993 to 4.57 million in 2013. Now, town halls will have the power to take down signs they feel are unnece...
• May Day rail investment programme promises improvements in AngliaWork that will improve the reliability of journeys to and from London during May Day will aim to be minimally disruptive, while they deliver benefits for passengers who consistently use this line. Services will only be affected during 1st and 2nd May between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield, meaning that the Saturday of the bank holiday weekend will be completely uninterrupted by the upgrades. More than 11,000 members of Network Rail's engineering team will be working over the long weekend, delivering vital elements to the company's �40 billion Railway Upgrade Plan. Some of the work takin...

Rail Magazine

• Vivarail’s first rebuilt D-Train close to main line runThe first D-Train is entering the final phase of testing and approvals, ahead of running on the main line.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Helsinki-Tallinn rail tunnel: a future European link? Plans for a rail tunnel between Helsinki and Tallinn accelerated after the Estonian and Finnish ministers signed a memorandum of understanding promising to push ahead. The undersea tunnel could treble travel and boost trade between the two cities sig…
• Sepura Group to Provide Complete Communications Solution for Brasilia Metro Teltronic, part of the Sepura Group, has been selected to provide a complete communications solution for Brasilia Metro.
• Crossrail 2: London’s next ‘necessary’ rail project Crossrail - or the Elizabeth Line - is still three years away from commencing full operations. But, as concerns regarding the ability of the rail network to function in the face of a growing population intensify, another development has emerged: Cros…

Railnews

• Repeated attacks by rail cable thieves trigger appeal A spate of attacks on railway cables in the Nottingham area has prompted an appeal for information from British Transport Police and other industry bodies. The damage caused by attempts to steal cable has disrupted 331 passenger and 27 freight or engineering trains, some of which had to be cancelled while others ran late, with the total of disruption minutes standing at 2,654, or more than 44 hours. The cost to the industry has been put at almost �120,000.

Railway Gazette

• Qatar Rail reveals horse-inspired metro and dhow-style tram designsQATAR: The designs for the future Doha Metro cars and Lusail Light Rail Transit vehicles were...

Aviation Industry

• Easyjet ‘considers’ bid for Monarch GroupReports suggest Easyjet could make move for fellow UK aviation firm