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

Friday, 01 July 2016

BBC News

• Second Gatwick runway 'threat to heritage', campaigners warnBuilding a second runway at Gatwick Airport would be
• Anger over airport expansion decision delayScottish Chambers of Commerce expresses anger after the UK government again delayed a decision on expanding airport capacity around London.
• Airport expansion decision on holdA decision on airport expansion in south-eastern England is to be delayed until
• Siemens UK warns that Brexit vote could hit investmentOne of the UK's biggest industrial companies, Siemens UK, tells the BBC that future investment could be hit in the wake of the Brexit vote.

Department for Transport

• 20 years of the theory test making roads saferThe driving theory test is today (1 July 2016) marking 20 years of helping to make Great Britain’s roads safer.
• Cash boost for cleaner, greener vans and lorriesTransport Minister Andrew Jones announces £19 million funding to help freight industry cut vehicle emissions and unveils accreditation scheme.
• First of new generation of high-tech trains takes maiden voyage on Great Western RailwayTransport Secretary looks 'back to the future' as new government-funded trains take a step closer to entering passenger service.

Financial Times

• Tesla reveals first self-driving car deathRegulators probe role technology may have played in accident
• Stagecoach: train painTransport group must be careful not to overbid for UK rail franchise renewal
• Stagecoach warns of post-vote uncertainty
• Hong Kong trams struggle to moderniseElderly network of ‘Ding Dings’ must compete with efficient buses and metro
• Gatwick tops 40m passengers for first timeTerminal operator predicts continued growth in 2016 despite Brexit

The Guardian

• Tax new diesel cars up to £5,000 to cut pollution, says reportMoney raised should be spent on improving public transport, cycling and walking, advise researchersThe purchase of highly polluting diesel cars in the UK should be discouraged with a tax of up to £5,000 to help tackle the public health emergency of air pollution, according to a new report. The policy could be particularly important following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, which until now has set most pollution rules. Continue reading...
• Tesla driver dies in first fatal crash while using autopilot modeThe autopilot sensors on the Model S failed to distinguish a white tractor-trailer crossing the highway against a bright skyThe first known death caused by a self-driving car was disclosed by Tesla Motors on Thursday evening, a development that is sure to cause consumers to second-guess the trust they put in the booming autonomous vehicle industry. The 7 May accident occurred in Williston, Florida, after the driver, Joshua Brown, 40, of Ohio put his Model S into Tesla’s autopilot mode, which is able to control the car during highway driving. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Prototype train gives passengers sneak peek inside revamped Caledonian SleeperPASSENGERS have been given a sneak preview of how the inside of the revamped Caledonian Sleeper will look after Transport Minister Humza Yousef toured a specially-constructed prototype.
• No decision on new Heathrow or Gatwick runways 'until at least October'NO decision will be taken on a third runway at Heathrow until a new Conservative leader is elected, the Government confirmed.
• Nicola Sturgeon calls for 'meaningful discussions' to end rail strikeThe First Minister has said she is

Times Online

• Shame of worst rail operators [Subscription]Commuter satisfaction in the railways has fallen to a five-year low amid claims that overcrowding is now so bad that many passengers struggle simply to board trains.
• We need far stiffer fines when rail passengers suffer - Christian Wolmar [subscription]Train companies are getting away with too much
• Heathrow backers hit a dead end [subscription]Have Britain’s business lobby groups gone mad? How else to explain the rush of press releases yesterday urging the government to get a move on and build a third runway at Heathrow?
• Islamists issue terror warningto Heathrow [subscription]Islamists that claim to support Isis have used Twitter to threaten an attack on Heathrow airport.

The Mirror

• Tesla confirms first death involving Autopilot car after vehicle smashes into tractor trailer The driver was killed while operating in Autopilot mode in Williston, Florida, in what the company has described as "extremely rare circumstances"

Network Rail

• Welsh school children encouraged to consider careers in rail industry during first-ever Rail Week eventEmployees from Network Rail visited a number of Newport schools this week in a bid to bridge the skills gap and inspire a new generation of children into rail careers.

Birmingham Post

• Plan to axe hard shoulder on the M6 and M42 'are dangerous and must be stopped' MPs slam plans to speed up traffic on Midland motorways by axing hard shoulders

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Cycle Superhighway linking Bradford with Leeds is officially opened ORGANISERS of the �29 million Cycle Superhighway have officially launched the long-awaited project which promises a safe cycling route to connect Bradford with neighbouring Leeds.

Derby Telegraph

• Has Derby train-maker Bombardier won deal to supply hundreds of new carriages? DERBY train-maker Bombardier is still waiting to hear whether it has won a deal to supply hundreds of new carriages for a key UK rail franchise.

Liverpool Echo

• Plans to build SECOND railway footbridge in Lincoln still set to go ahead Network Rail has confirmed it is still planning to build a second footbridge over the railway line in Lincoln - even though people aren't using the new £12m bridge in the High Street. Read more: http://www.lincolnshireecho.co.uk/plans-to-build-second-railway-footbridge-in-lincoln-still-set-to-go-ahead/story-29462774-detail/story.html#ixzz4D9LnjNn4 Follow us: @LincsEcho on Twitter | LincsEcho on Facebook Read more at http://www.lincolnshireecho.co.uk/plans-to-build-second-railway-footbridge-in-lincoln-still-set-to-go-ahead/story-29462774-detail/story.html?#RRuqxVUmAvy5udVk.99

London Evening Standard

• Crossrail station in King's Road costing �1bn 'would pay for itself in 20 years'A planned �1 billion Crossrail 2 station in Chelsea could pay for itself within 20 years through a surge in stamp duty revenues, a study claimed today.
• Heathrow Airport runway decision delayed again in the wake of David Cameron stepping down as PMFury erupted among business leaders today as the Government yet again postponed making a decision on a new runway at Heathrow.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• North Shields gets new £2.5m academy to help train engineers of the futureThe Connect Academy, at the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate, was opened by Northern Powerhouse Minister James Wharton
• Hard-hitting report slams North East devolution deal after inquiryNo way of making sure money is spent wisely - and the region forced to have a mayor, say MPs on devolution

Sheffield Telegraph

• HS2 is ‘new era’ of co-operationA Sheffield business leader has hailed a new era of co-operation after the success of the campaign to bring HS2 to the city centre.
• BBC calls on Sheffield rail enthusiasts to take part in three-day live trainspotting TV showA three night live broadcast on trainspotters is to be shown live on BBC next month - and Sheffield rail enthusiasts are being urged to take part.

Wales Online

• Carwyn Jones says Leave campaigners are 'clueless' and major projects are 'in difficulty' because of Brexit vote The First Minister was speaking in an interview with the BBC

Yorkshire Post

• “We will not let the Northern Powerhouse die” - business leaders rallying cryOpportunities for investment and devolution in the North of England must not be allowed to become casualties of any increased wave of austerity in the wake of Britain’s decision to exit the European Union.
• Video: Cyclists urged to give newly opened multimillion pound Leeds to Bradford route a rideBullish councillors have urged cyclists to give the Leeds to Bradford cycle superhighway a ride amid criticism of the multimillion pound project.

The Shields Gazette

• Work to start on major South Tyneside transport schemeMotorists are being reminded that a major highways improvement project is to get underway..
• Joy for drivers as A1 roadworks finally end - and extra lanes openDrivers will see an end to months of misery as works finally come to an end on a stretch of the A1.

Other Regional Press

• Workers given written warnings for arriving late after using Southern trains, MPs claimWorkers are being given written warnings by their bosses because they are consistently late for work as a result of the "shambles" of a service provided by Southern Railway, MPs have claimed.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Stephen Glaister reappointed as chair of the ORRTransport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin reappoints Stephen Glaister as chair of the Office of Rail and Road until December 2017. Professor Stephen Glaister CBE FICE FTRF FCGI has been reappointed as the chair of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) until December 2017, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced today (30 June 2016). ORR is the UK’s independent rail regulator and strategic roads monitor for England. Accountable to Parliament, it protects the people who work on, use, or interact with the railway. It also advises the government in ensuring Highways England carries out it...
• Airport expansion decision on holdA decision on airport expansion in south-eastern England is to be delayed until
• Guided Busway earns national awardTransport leaders in Greater Manchester have earned a prestigious award for a pioneering investment programme. At the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport North West Awards on 24 June, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) was named best in Transport Policy, Planning and Implementation for its Leigh to Ellenbrook Guided Busway. The category recognises organisations that have demonstrated outstanding achievement in transport planning for the benefit of passengers, business and the environment. TfGM’s TravelSafe Unit was also highly commended in the Safety category. Design...
• First of new generation of high-tech trains takes maiden voyage on Great Western RailwayTransport Secretary looks 'back to the future' as new government-funded trains take a step closer to entering passenger service. The first of a fleet of state-of-the-art new trains which will transform rail travel in the south-west and Wales was unveiled today (30 June 2016) in a ceremony attended by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin. Great Western Railway (GWR) introduced the new train by running a special service to celebrate 175 years of the opening of the Great Western Main Line. The Class 800 train, specially designed and built by Hitachi for the government’s £5.7 billion...
• UK has “best possible tools to tackle challenges ahead”, says transport secretaryBritain’s transport infrastructure has given it the “best possible tools” to properly adjust following the UK's decision to leave the European Union, according to transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin. Delivering his first speech since the outcome of the EU Referendum, Mr McLoughlin, who backed the Remain campaign, said that Britain now faced “unpredictable times” and a period of economic, social and political adjustment, but did so from “a position of strength” and as one of the world’s strongest economies. Brexit has left huge question marks over whether Heathrow Airport will get the go-ahe...
• Scrapping the hard shoulder would compromise motorway safety, says committeeConverting the motorway hard shoulder into a permanent driving lane is not a safe solution to Britain’s increasingly congested roads, MPs comprising the Transport Select Committee have recommended. Around 300 miles of motorway could see their hard shoulder converted into a permanent traffic lane before 2025 under 30 schemes currently being proposed. However, the Transport Select Committee has called for plans for ‘all lane running’ to be dropped amid safety concerns.   Committee chair Louise Ellman MP said that the permanent loss of the hard shoulder would be “a radical change and an unaccepta...
• Network Rail designs new railway around badgersBadgers will not be disrupted or hurt during upcoming work to install new overhead lines on London railways, Network Rail says. Gantries that support the overhead electricity lines require deep foundations which could threaten badger setts when they're put in place between London Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria. However, rather than shift the badgers, which can be a lengthy and costly process, designers have been able to use a detailed survey to work around the badger dens, which are regularly found along the railway network. It is considered a win-win outcome with Network Rail saving t...
• BT is “London's worst roadworks offender”, says TfLBritish Telecom (BT) has been forced to pay out almost £8,500 for causing disruption on London’s roads and compromising pedestrian safety during work carried out between January and March this year. Transport for London (TfL) successfully prosecuted the telecoms operator, which pleaded guilty, over unsafe street works on Brixton Road, as well as failing to serve necessary statutory works notices following the completion of work on Clapham Road. A lack of proper planning and safety measures during the work meant that pedestrians were forced to walk on the carriageway while workers just stood an...

Rail Magazine

• More capacity for Anglia with second locomotive hauled set A second locomotive-hauled set is to be introduced in East Anglia.
• Is HS2 under threat from Brexit?Suggestions have been made that HS2 is under threat of being cancelled, following the UK’s vote to leave the EU.
• Watchdog highlights Southern dispute's impact on passengersTransport Focus (TF) highlighted the ongoing problems suffered by passengers on the Southern network, caused by ongoing industrial relation problems.
• Caledonian Sleeper reveals prototype Mk 5 interiorsCaledonian Sleeper unveils the interiors of its Mk 5 Sleepers.
• First glimpse of brand new Scottish Mk 5 sleeper coachesCaledonian Sleeper unveils its Mk 5 Sleeper prototype.
• GWR runs first bi-mode IEP Class 800 to PaddingtonGreat Western Railway unveiled its first Intercity Express Programme (IEP) Class 800 at Reading today, carrying invited passengers to London Paddington.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Southern and Southeastern have lowest satisfaction rates as passengers 'feel the strain'Southern and Southeastern have the lowest ratings for passenger satisfaction in the latest survey from Transport Focus, raising concerns about pressures on passengers in London and the south east. Southern and Southeastern both had 69% of passengers saying they found their service satisfactory...
• Prof Stephen Glaister to serve another year as ORR chairThe interim-chair of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has been reappointed to serve for a second year. Professor Stephen Glaister CBE, a non-executive director of the ORR, was initially appointed as interim chair at the end of last year, replacing previous chair Anna Walker. Transport...
• TOCs issued warning over driver mobile phone use A warning has been issued for train operating companies (TOCs) to ensure that drivers do not use their mobile phones while operating a train, following an investigation into an incident last year when a passenger’s hand was trapped in a door. The incident occurred at 1.10pm on 25 July 2015...

Transport Times

• UK aims for 57% cut in emissions [Subscription]Britain has set out plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by more than half by 2032 as the government indicated that it would not dilute its tough climate-change commitments after the Brexit vote.

Aviation Industry

• Malaysia Airlines appoints Peter Bellew as CEOChristoph Mueller moves forward his resignation and will depart on July 1
• Airport expansion decision ‘delayed until October’No decision until after the election of a new Conservative leader

Other News Sources

• At 'delicate stage' of bid to re-open long-closed railway stationMuch of the infrastructure for a railway station at East Linton remains in place
• More buses with wi-fi are added to city’s fleet BRIGHTON and Hove Buses is putting 24 new buses into service - meaning that half its fleet now has a wireless internet connection.
• Decision on Gatwick expansion deferred until new Tory leader elected The decision on expanding airport capacity in south-east England has been deferred until a new Conservative leader is elected, the Government confirmed.
• Greater Cambridge City Deal Board to decide on smart transport projects On 13th July the Greater Cambridge City Deal Board will decide on smarter transport plans that include work towards integrated ticketing, online ticket purchase and feasibility work on driverless vehicles. This will support the recently-agreed eight-point plan for tackling congestion in Cambridge.
• Stone King advises on Gatwick expansion projectCambridge law firm Stone King has advised on a major project to double passenger lounge waiting capacity at Gatwick Airport.