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

Thursday, 17 November 2016

BBC News

• Bristol's 'poo bus' plan goes down the panPlans to roll out a fleet of "poo buses" have gone down the pan after the government turned down a funding bid.
• 'I want to build as never before', says Ken SkatesWales' minister responsible for transport, Ken Skates, says he wants to build like
• Welsh councils make �13.8m from car parking chargesCar parking charges make Welsh councils a combined profit of �13.8m in 2015/16, figures from the RAC Foundation show.
• Airbus crew train in Stornoway crosswindsOne of the world's biggest commercial airliners is in Stornoway, making use of the strong crosswinds on Lewis for a training exercise.
• ScotRail to halt rush-hour 'stop skipping'ScotRail is to stop late running trains from skipping stops in order to improve punctuality during rush hour.
• London Underground workers will not strike in Tube safety rowThousands of London Underground staff will not go on strike but will instead refuse to work overtime or rest days in a dispute over safety.
• Croydon tram crash: Driver 'doing 43.5mph in 12mph zone'The tram that derailed in Croydon killing seven people was travelling three and a half times the speed limit, investigators say.
• Investment boost for Prestwick AirportAn aircraft maintenance firm announces plans to invest �8.5m in a new centre of excellence at Prestwick Airport.
• Whiplash plans to 'cut car insurance premiums by �40'Millions of motorists could see their car insurance premiums cut by about �40 as a result of plans to cut compensation for whiplash injuries

Department for Transport

• Government announces £10 million funding for rail resilience in the south-westAdditional £10 million to help strengthen the resilience of the railway line from Exeter to Newton Abbot via Dawlish confirmed.
• Government moves to make rail claiming compensation easierReport shows almost £45 million of compensation paid out to successful rail claimants in 2015 to 2016.

Financial Times

• Oxford-Cambridge rail link could create UK ‘Silicon Valley’Britain should create its own high-tech Silicon Valley with new rail links and housing between the university cities of Cambridge and Oxford, the Infrastructure Commission has recommended.
• EasyJet sets out plan to navigate turbulent pathEurope’s second-biggest low-cost airline buffeted by terrorism and Brexit vote
• Croydon tram travelling at 3 times speed limitInvestigators tell London’s transport authority to improve signposting

The Guardian

• An Amnesty billboard or a poppy – which was ‘too political’ for rail bosses?Take a stroll down the traffic-clogged streets of any British city and your already overloaded senses are going to be bombarded by dozens of not-so-subtle entreaties for you to buy something.
• Croydon tram going three times speed limit when it derailed, investigators sayInterim Rail Accident Investigation Branch report on crash that killed seven people says tram was well in excess of 12mph limitA tram that derailed in Croydon, killing seven people, was travelling at more than three times the speed limit when it overturned on a sharp bend, according to investigators. Data from the black box recorder showed that the tram was travelling at a speed of approximately 43mph when it entered the curve, having slowed only slightly and too late from the 50mph it was travelling at in a tunnel just before. Continue reading...

The Telegraph

• Croydon tram was travelling at almost four times the speed limit, investigation report finds
• Philip Hammond prepares to pump up the 'Jams' with a fuel duty freeze
• Passenger plane approaching Heathrow 'in near-miss with drone 650ft to the east of the Shard'

Daily Record

• Jobs boost as flight maintenance firm reveals �8.5m plan to create 82 posts at Glasgow Prestwick Airport CHEVRON Aircraft Maintenance says it will establish a "world-class centre of excellence" at the Ayrshire facility.

Mail Online

• Croydon tram was travelling at three-and-a-half times the speed limit when it derailed The tram arrived too fast at a sharp bend in Croydon, south London, and careered more than 80ft on its right side, shooting off the track at 43.5mph when the top permitted speed was 12.5mph.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Residents call for help to curb 'alarming' speeds on inner-city street ‘ALARMED’ residents are calling for urgent council action to combat speeding drivers they claim are blighting their community.

London Evening Standard

• Heathrow Airport releases Christmas advert to rival John Lewis and M&SHeathrow Airport has joined the ranks of high street stores and supermarkets in the competition to produce the most heart-warming Christmas advert.
• Northern line Night Tube to launch on FridayThe Northern line is going 24-hour from this weekend as it becomes the fourth route to be incorporated into the Night Tube service.
• TfL spends millions on 'conflict courses' for London bus drivers Millions of pounds is being spent on sending the capital's bus drivers on role-playing courses to help them deal with angry passengers.
• Croydon crash tram that claimed seven lives hit bend at 43.5mph in a 12.5mph limitThe Croydon disaster tram was being driven at almost four times the permitted speed when it crashed killing seven passengers, investigators revealed today.

Northern Echo

• Plans to extend Durham Station to accommodate longer trains
• Tyne and Wear Metro apologises after tannoy announcer heard to tell beggar: 'You might do it in your country but you're not doing it in here' A TRAIN operator has been forced to apologise after an alleged racist remark was made over a station tannoy.

The York Press

• New blitz on York & Selby drivers who cheat death at level crossings OFFICERS from British Transport Police will visit level crossings across Yorkshire in coming weeks to urge the public to stay safe.

Wales Online

• Could Merthyr Tydfil become a 'growth hub' to rival Cardiff?The Bevan Foundation argues that easier commuting to Cardiff is not enough to boost prosperity
• Arriva Trains Wales is answering your questions about the issues travellers faceWe received more than 180 questions for Arriva Trains Wales
• An aviation business in North Wales is expanding and creating 37 jobsA manufacturing business is investing £2.8m to expand its operations on Deeside Enterprise Zone in a move that will create 37 jobs. Electroimpact UK specialises in the design, manufacture, maintenance and repair of automated assembly equipment and tooling for the aerospace industry.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds could become new breeding ground for pilots thanks to Heathrow Airport expansion - so say flying instructors from PTT AviationAn expanded Heathrow Airport could mean Leeds becomes a breeding ground for new pilots, writes Neil Hudson
• Transport police urging people to stay safe at level crossings in YorkshireOfficers from British Transport Police will be out in force over the next fortnight urging people to stay safe when using level crossings.

Yorkshire Post

• Network Rail pulls adverts for Human Rights Act for being 'too political'Network Rail has pulled adverts for the Human Rights Act at the last minute - deciding they are 'too political' to run - according to charity Amnesty International.
• Anger as ministers shelve Yorkshire rail upgrade plansPLANS TO electrify Yorkshire’s railway network have suffered another blow after the Government quietly scrapped the upgrading of the line between Selby and Hull.

Blackpool Gazette

• Underthreat bus services could be saved for another yearLancashire’s subsidised bus services could be thrown a 12-month lifeline, despite the county council’s need to cut public spending.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Hundreds of frustrated drivers take part in roadworks surveyMore than 1,000 people have taken part in the Star’s travel survey amid growing frustration over roadworks and rush-hour delays in Ipswich.

Other Regional Press

• Loop line renewal is 'short-term pain worth long-term gain of rail boost' writes MerseyTravel chiefAS COMMUTERS prepare for weeks of disruption in the New Year, Merseytravel committee chairman Cllr Liam Robinson explains why the short-term pain of the £340m track renewal project will be worth the long-term gain...
• New Merseyrail station "shows what is possible"MP Bill Esterson praises Merseytravel with new station to open in May 2018
• "Peacemaker" Barry Sheerman wants independent probe into town centre bus gatesMP urges Kirklees to agree to an independent inquiry
• Port Talbot's new £13m train station 'a mess' COMPLAINTS have been made about cleanliness of Port Talbot's new train station despite it only opening three months ago.
• AMs call for crossing tolls to be scrappedA CALL to demand the UK Government scrap tolls on the two Severn Crossings has won the backing of AMs of all parties. ...
• Calls for Newport to Ebbw Vale link to be Metro priority - Newport East AM Jayne Bryant..NEWPORT West AM Jayne Bryant has called for a Newport to Ebbw Vale rail link to be a priority in the development of the South Wales Metro project.
• AMs question Ken Skates on improvements to train servicesThe frustrations of rail passengers in Caerphilly County Borough have been voiced in the Senedd by local Assembly Members.

Rail Magazine

• Croydon Tram speeding at 43.5mph in 12.5mph zoneInitial investigation shows tram that crashed killing seven people was more than three times over speed limit

Rail Technology Magazine

• Skanska and partners win £453m contract for Waterloo and South West Upgrade Sweden-based Skanska and partners have secured a £453m contract from UK-based Network Rail to design and construct the Waterloo and South West Upgrade on the South West Trains network in southern England.
• Arriva takes control of London Overground rail network Arriva has assumed full control of operating the London Overground suburban rail network, where more than 180 million journeys are taken every year.
• Future-Proof Products for Birmingham International The biggest TFT passenger information displays ever designed and manufactured by Infotec are now in use at what Virgin Trains is calling 'the station of the future' - Birmingham International.

Aviation Industry

• Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines aims to reduce costs as tourism slumpsTurkish low-cost carrier (LCC) Pegasus Airlines is undertaking a major cost reduction program as it battles to offset the continuing effect of slumping inbound tourist traffic to the nation. read more

Other News Sources

• $1bn US consulting giant keen to follow success of Bechtel and CH2M as it sets up UK teamEngineering giant Louis Berger is targeting work on some of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects and hopes to emulate the success of other US firms that have entered the domestic market, the company’s international head has said.