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

Friday, 19 August 2016

BBC News

• Reduced West Coast Mainline train services plan opposedThe option to reduce some train services across part of the West Midlands network are rejected by regional transport bosses.
• Tay Road Bridge marks 50th anniversary of its openingArchive footage shows the Tay Road Bridge since its inception through to the present day.
• Edinburgh Trams: Inquiry could lead to prosecutionsThe inquiry into the Edinburgh trams fiasco could lead to criminal prosecutions, the judge chairing the investigation says.
• Routes unveiled for Sheffield-Manchester road tunnel planFive possible routes for a road tunnel between Sheffield and Manchester are unveiled.
• Manchester Airport terminal evacuated after unattended bag foundManchester Airport's terminal two was evacuated after a unattended bag was found which turned out not to be suspicious, police say.
• Train ceiling panel falls on London-bound passengersA ceiling panel falls on top of passengers on board a London-bound train, Southern Rail confirms.
• Harley-Davidson in $12m emissions penaltyHarley-Davidson is paying US authorities $12m (�9m) to settle allegations its motorcycles polluted the air at higher levels than allowed.
• Uber to deploy self-driving cars in PittsburghRide-sharing firm Uber will begin allowing users to hail a self-driving car in a US city later this month, it confirms.
• Night Tube finally arrives in LondonThe first Night Tubes will roll on to London Underground platforms past midnight on Friday - almost three years since the plan was first announced.

Financial Times

• Pubs and clubs hope night Tube will arrest declineNew service begins with Victoria and Central lines
• Uber and Volvo to make self-driving carsRide-sharing app and Swedish premium carmaker announce $300m partnership to make cabs and cars

The Guardian

• Uber riders to be able to hail self-driving cars for first timeRide-sharing firm to trial autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh as it also announces tie up with Volvo to develop driverless carsUber passengers in Pittsburgh will be able to hail self-driving cars for the first time within the next few weeks as the taxi firm tests its future vision of transportation in the city.The company said on Thursday that an unspecified number of autonomous Ford Fusions will be available to pick up passengers as with normal Uber vehicles. The cars won’t exactly be driverless – they will have human drivers as backup – but they are the next step towards a fully automated fle...
• May reboots 'northern powerhouse' with £24m cycling pledgePM says government will underwrite Yorkshire’s bid to host cycling world championships as she revives George Osborne’s pet projectTheresa May pledged to support a bid to bring the cycling world championships to Yorkshire as she vowed her government would press ahead with George Osborne’s “northern powerhouse” project.After Team GB’s extraordinary medal success in the cycling events at the Rio Olympics, the prime minister used an article in the Yorkshire Post to promise that the government would underwrite the UK’s bid to host the world championships and provide £24m of investment. Continue rea...
• DVLA disputes £400m revenue loss following abolition of tax discFreedom of information request reveals huge drop in vehicle excise duty but agency calls the figure ‘misleading’The decision to scrap paper car tax discs cost the government more than £400m in revenue in the first 12 months after the change came into effect, official figures suggest.Data obtained by the Financial Times through a freedom of information request shows that in the 12 months following the abolition, from October 2014 to September 2015, the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency collected £5.71bn in vehicle excise duty (VED). This was a reduction of around £412m on the previous 1...

The Herald

• Axing air travel tax would be 'obvious' move, says think-tankSCOTLAND risks being "out of step" with the rest of the EU if controversial SNP plans to scrap a tax on air travel are not put into action, a think tank has warned.
• Edinburgh trams inquiry could lead to criminal prosecutions, says investigation chairThe inquiry into the Edinburgh trams fiasco could lead to criminal prosecutions, the judge chairing the investigation has said.

The Scotsman

• Edinburgh Trams inquiry could lead to criminal prosecutionsThe inquiry into the Edinburgh trams fiasco could lead to criminal prosecutions, the judge chairing the investigation has said.

The Telegraph

• New ordeal for Southern Rail passengers as ceiling collapses inside train carriage
• Night Tube: the strangest facts about the London Underground
• Long-awaited Night Tube service launches this weekend as London Underground boss says it is 'not just for revellers'
• 370 miles of roadworks to be stopped over August Bank Holiday in boost for drivers
• Britain’s longest road tunnel could feature palm trees and fake clouds to keep drivers calm

City AM

• I quit government over Heathrow expansion: This is why I changed my mindI resigned as parliamentary private secretary to the minister of state at the Home Office and Treasury in 2009 over government proposals for expansion at Heathrow.
• Heathrow is to slash landing charges for the quietest aircraft as it seeks to show it can tackle noise pollutionHeathrow is to reduce landing charges for the quietest aircraft arriving at the airport as it bids to tackle fears around the noise impact of expansion.

Daily Record

• Edinburgh trams inquiry could lead to criminal prosecutions AN inquiry into how the Edinburgh trams ended up costing around £1billion for a shorter route than originally planned has heard criminal charges could be brought.

Mail Online

• Southern Rail trains are literally falling apart, right on top of us! London commuters were given a shock this morning when the ceiling of a�Southern Rail train carriage collapsed between Purley Oaks and South Croydon, south London yesterday morning.

Bolton News

• MP slams Government for spending 6 times more on transport in London than in North West A CAMPAIGNING Bolton MP has slammed the government after new figures showed the Tories are spending six times more on transport projects in London than in the North West.

London Evening Standard

• Southern rail: Shocked commuters injured as ceiling of rush hour train carriage crashes to floorCommuters were left shocked and hurt this morning as a ceiling crashed to the floor of a busy train service.
• Night Tube: Underground bosses in fresh row amid claims 24-hour service 'excludes' wheelchair usersThe Night Tube is facing fresh criticism after it is revealed only seven out of the 52 stations open 24-hours have disabled access.
• Train derailment at Paddington 'may have been caused by driver fasting for Ramadan'Rail safety chiefs have investigated whether a train derailment at Paddington station was caused because the driver had been fasting for Ramadan.
• Night Tube: Londoners hail arrival of 24-hour Underground service launching tonightLondoners have expressed their delight as the Night Tube finally launches this evening.
• Night Tube: Rail fan begins bid to spend 24 hours on the UndergroundA rail enthusiast is today aiming to become the first passenger to spend 24 hours on London Underground by taking advantage of the Night Tube services.
• Heathrow Airport unveils new noise reduction bid to appease angry localsPlanes coming in to Heathrow are to change the way they land to cut noise for west London residents.
• Uber is ‘wasting taxpayers’ money’, rival company claimsThe boss of a black-cab hailing app today accused Uber of “wasting taxpayers’ money” by launching a legal challenge to tough new private hire rules.

Manchester Evening News

• What happened at Manchester Airport? Manchester Airport was evacuated after a 'suspect bag' was found at terminal two

Northern Echo

• Loco build on track in Darlington as apprentice engineers gain North-East experience A £5 MILLION project to build Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive is on the right track thanks to a team of young apprentices.

The York Press

• UPDATED: Yorkshire bids for world-class cycling event, backed by huge Government support YORKSHIRE is bidding to host another of the world's top cycling events, backed by multi-million-pound support from the Government.

Wales Online

• Rail passengers have been warned to check before they travel over August Bank Holiday Extensive works will require a temporary closure of the lines in both directions between Bristol Parkway and Swindon, Newport, Bristol Temple Meads, Gloucester and Severn Beach

East Anglian Daily Times

• Reader letter: Get rid of rail franchisesThe hundreds of people who have signed the NOR4NOR (Norfolk for Nationalisation of Rail) petition would certainly express their surprise and disgust that Abellio has been given another nine years franchise in the region.


North Wales Live

• Manchester Airport terminal two evacuated after reports 'suspect bag' found in departures area - recap The building was cleared on Thursday evening, an airport spokesman confirmed
• Joe Anderson says 'business as usual' as city cabinet meets to make key decisionsCouncillors set to approve radical city centre roads shake-up and next step in new cruise liner terminal

Other Regional Press

• Richmond Council leader dismisses Heathrow's claims that neighbouring boroughs support airport's expansionRichmond Council leader Lord True has laughed off Heathrow’s suggestion there is support for the airport’s expansion in neighbouring boroughs as “nothing more than PR spin.”

Buying Business Travel

• Delta launches business class suitesDelta Air Lines will introduce a new business class product in 2017 when it takes delivery of its first Airbus A350
• United makes executive appointmentsAndrew Levy has joined as executive VP and chief financial officer and Julia Haywood has been named executive VP and chief commercial officer

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Trans-Pennine tunnel’s benefits highlighted in government studyFive potential routes for the Manchester-to-Sheffield Trans-Pennine tunnel have been outlined after a new study verified the tunnel’s safety and economic benefits. The project to build a tunnel beneath the Pennines has been labelled the UK’s most ambitious road scheme since the first motorways were built in the late 1950s. A government-led study launched in autumn 2015 has concluded that the tunnel would halve journey times between the two northern cities, and could provide safer, faster and more reliable journeys for motorists travelling, as well as an economic boost for both cities and the s...
• Options for Oxford-to-Milton Keynes link road outlined in DfT studyA new link road between Oxford and Milton Keynes would improve journey times by up to 30 minutes and support local economic growth, so says a new study published by the Department for Transport (DfT). The report suggests three possible road routes connecting the two cities, passing by Aylesbury, or Bicester and Buckingham. A sub-route linking Bicester and Abington has also been suggested. DfT claims that the new expressway would benefit commuters and businesses in Cambridge, Oxford and Milton Keynes - some of the fastest growing areas in the UK - but also have a wider positive impact on Britai...

Rail Technology Magazine

• DfT updates HS2 safeguarding directions after Commons scrutinyThe DfT has updated the safeguarding directions to local planning authorities situated along the phase 1 route of HS2 after a number of changes agreed during the House of Commons Select Committee scrutiny. The improvements to the route made during the committee process will mean fewer properties...

Aviation Industry

• Cathay Pacific: 71 widebody aircraft on orderHong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific has 71 widebody aircraft remaining on order through 2024, the carrier reported this week. read more
• British Airways cabin crew back industrial actionBritish Airways’ (BA) cabin crew, represented by the Unite union, has voted 91% in favor of industrial action in protest against a new performance system. read more

Other News Sources

• Majority of residents in 12 local constituencies support expansion at HeathrowMore than half of residents in constituencies close to London Heathrow Airport have shown support for its expansion, a new poll conducted by Populus has revealed.
• Pledge to bring in earlier trains as Abellio win rail franchiseEARLIER trains from Braintree station have been pledged by the company running the region’s rail service until 2025.
• M25 collapsed manhole causes trouble for rush-hour motoristsQueues are stretching back for four miles while emergency repairs are being carried out on the M25 clockwise near Clacket Lane Services
• DfT figures prove road freight industry is more efficient than everDepartment for Transport (DfT) figures out today show continued improvements in the effi-ciency of HGV, helping meet the growing demand for ...