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

Friday, 18 November 2016

BBC News

• Paper bike helmet wins Dyson awardA cheap, foldable cycling helmet made of paper wins the international James Dyson award.
• Tribute paid to Borders Railway campaignersA commemorative stone to mark the efforts of campaigners who fought for the Borders Railway is to be unveiled.
• FM Nicola Sturgeon says sorry for Edinburgh rail problemsScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says sorry to rail commuters following the breakdown of a train that has caused serious disruption across the rail network.
• Night Tube services to begin on the Northern LineNight Tube services will begin on the Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line later.
• RMT criticises Southern rail over holiday pay 'bullying'Southern rail is accused of bullying after it asks staff to sign a pledge not to strike in exchange for getting backdated holiday pay early.
• Heathrow Airport expansion: London councils issue legal action threatFour London councils threaten to begin legal action if the government does not withdraw its support for Heathrow Airport expansion in 14 days.
• Malaysia Airlines turnaround challenge 'unprecedented'The boss of Malaysia Airlines says turning round the business after the MH370 and MH17 crashes is an
• MPs call on government to cut air travel tax by 50%Air passenger duty should be halved in the Autumn Statement to boost post-Brexit trade, MPs say.

Financial Times

• Are we about to see the return of supersonic travel?Boom aims to test new superfast business class airliner next year

The Herald

• Kezia Dugdale tackles First Minister on ScotRail performanceScottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale called on Nicola Sturgeon to apologise after a train breakdown in Edinburgh caused travel chaos for commuters on top of ScotRail's ongoing performance troubles.
• ScotRail cancels Glasgow services due to broken down trainA broken down train has forced ScotRail to cancel trains bound for Glasgow.

The Scotsman

• Leader comment: Runaway row over a broken down trainA train breaking down on Scotland’s busiest line has resulted in a “mea culpa” apology from Scotland’s First Minister and a call for a Scottish Government minister’s head.
• Sturgeon faces calls to sack Yousaf after rail chaosNicola Sturgeon is facing calls to sack transport minister Humza Yousaf after a train breakdown in the “worst place” in the country led to travel mayhem yesterday with thousands of commuters left stranded.

Times Online

• HS2 is bringing a boost to Birmingham and beyond [Subscription]The government this week confirmed the route for the second phase of the high-speed rail line, HS2, which will run from Crewe to Manchester and from the West Midlands to Leeds. Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, also insisted that the project be completed on time by 2033. So what could this latest endorsement of the £56 billion railway mean for the UK housing market?
• Sturgeon hardens line after train chaos [subscription]Nicola Sturgeon has given her clearest warning yet that she intends to nationalise Scotland’s railways after another day of chaos when tens of thousands of commuters were affected by cancelled trains and delays.
• £100m a year in rail refunds is not claimed [Subscription]Ministers have ordered rail companies to make dramatic improvements to the compensation system for late and delayed trains after figures showed that two thirds of passengers fail to make a claim.

Daily Record

• Nicola Sturgeon urged to get a grip on Scotrail after another day of 'shambolic' delays hit commuters A single broken down train between Edinburgh's two main stations caused chaos across the central belt and on the wider rail network across Scotland.

Mail Online

• Pilots warn it is only a matter of time before one causes a fatal collision� The British Airline Pilots Association has issued a stark warning that it is only a matter of time before a drone causes a fatal incident. It comes after one was flown close to a plane descending into Heathrow.

The Mirror

• Revealed: Which motorways are most likely to be closed each month as frustrated drivers face huge delays Closures across the UK are forcing motorists to travel an extra 14 miles to get to their destination, with 90% of 2,000 people polled saying they have experienced maintenance road closures

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Business soars for Jet2 airline group THE owner of airline and package holidays business group Jet2 are confident that the Brexit vote will not dent its growth following a strong summer season.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Talks over THIRD Menai Strait crossing have begun reveals senior AM ...and the Welsh Government wants to split the cost of the project with the National Grid to make the structure suitable to carry cars as well as cables

London Evening Standard

• Sadiq Khan formally confirms Tube and bus fares will be frozen until 2020Sadiq Khan today formally confirmed he will freeze fares across the Transport for London network until the end of 2020.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Hopes that �7.5 billion contract to build giant high speed trains may come to North EastSedgefield MP calls on the Government to award huge HS2 trains contract to Hitachi in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham

Northern Echo

• Joy as Dalesbus saved from axe.

Wales Online

• Commuters face two years of further problems on key Arriva Trains Wales services, warns expert"There isn't an easy answer because there are very few trains around"

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Uber: The stats on app’s use in Leeds as it marks second birthdayUber has revealed a huge surge in the taxi app’s popularity since launching in Leeds two years ago.
• All you need to know about the giant floating body in Leeds train stationA giant ethereal figure will shine a light onto the hustle and bustle at Leeds train station this Christmas.
• Leeds trolleybus and Supertram promoters had “unrealistically high ambitions”A planning expert has given a damning verdict on the role played by decison-makers in Leeds’s failed NGT trolleybus and Supertram schemes.

Yorkshire Post

• Rural areas are missing out on tourism boom, MPs told Opportunities are being missed to attract international visitors to the British countryside, Sir Gary Verity told MPs.

Other Regional Press

• CAUGHT: Tougher punishments for phones at the wheel says chief as police lead crackdown VEHICLES should be 'electronic-free zones' to prevent drivers becoming distracted and causing crashes on our roads, the boss of Thames Valley Police has said as his officers led a crackdown on the city streets.
• Could HS3 scupper plans for faster trains out of Huddersfield?Kirklees councillors reveal fears over Transport for the North

Bus and Coach.com

• MAN reports landmark sales at Euro Bus Expo
• West Midlands bus passengers raise concerns over impact of congestion
• Tim O’ Toole, First Group chief executive.
• Nottingham councillors back removal of Clause 21 in Bus Bill

Buying Business Travel

• Virgin Trains reveals ‘futuristic’ revamp at Birmingham InternationalVirgin Trains has unveiled what it is calling its vision for the station of the future at Birmingham International.Over £1m has been invested in to the new ticketing area, with the traditional booking office window replaced by a welcome desk supported by individual “service pods”.
• British Airways: new credit card fees up to �20Travellers to be charged a 1 per cent fee of their total ticket price, up to a maximum of �20
• Sadiq Khan backs Heathrow legal challengeLondon mayor openly opposed to expansion and favours Gatwick

Rail Technology Magazine

• CBTC Connectivity Solutions The overall performance of a rail rapid transit system depends largely on the performance of the automatic train control (ATC) system employed. A communication-based train control (CBTC) system is devised by adding modern communication technologies t…
• 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.
• UK awards £900m contracts for Phase I of HS2 project The UK Government has awarded contracts worth £900m for enabling Phase I works of the High-Speed 2 (HS2) project linking London with the West Midlands.
• GB Railfreight acquisition completedEQT Infrastructure II has completed its acquisition of GB Railfreight Ltd from Groupe Eurotunnel. It was announced last month that Group Eurotunnel was considering the offer from EQT for its subsidiary company, which is the third largest freight rail operator in the UK. The transaction was...
• TOCs will now have to monitor passenger compensation awarenessFour months after the ORR promised to continue its drive to improve compensation, the DfT has revealed it will monitor rail franchisees to check that they are keeping passengers informed of their right to compensation. The department published its response today to an ORR report into passenger...
• Network Rail secures �10m resilience fund after 2014 Dawlish damageThe government has confirmed today that an additional £10m of funding will be provided to Network Rail to help it strengthen the resilience of the railway line between Exeter and Newton Abbot. The infrastructure owner has outlined proposals to improve the route after it was ravaged by...
• ORR confirms commitment to 'incremental' shift towards route-based regulationThe ORR has confirmed it is pressing ahead with introducing regulation for each of Network Rail’s individual routes as it published the initial findings from its 2018 periodic review consultation – but as a result of industry concerns, promised changes would be...
• Second city crossing on its way Peter Cushing, Transport for Greater Manchester's (TfGM's) Metrolink director, gives RTM an update on the Second City Crossing project.
• Chancellor urged to focus on small rail improvements in Autumn StatementCampaign for Better Transport (CBT) has urged the chancellor to use the Autumn Statement to invest in small and local rail projects. The pressure group’s submission to the statement, which will be made on 23 November, was focused on the theme of ‘Fix It First’, where Philip...

Railnews

• New speed restrictions following tram crash The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has issued urgent advice to Transport for London following the fatal crash east of Croydon town centre on 9 November, in which seven people died in an overturned tram and 51 were hurt, eight seriously. The interim report reveals that the tram was travelling approximately three and half times faster than the 20km/h speed limit through the curve at Sandilands Junction. The driver was arrested after the accident on suspicion of manslaughter, and he has since been bailed pending further police enquiries. A witness appeal has been launched.

Railway Gazette

• Gauge-changing train decision next yearJAPAN: JR Kyushu, which was successfully listed on the stock market on October 26, expects to...
• High speed rail forum addresses challenges of a changing societyINTERNATIONAL: The ability of high speed railways to generate economic benefits and transform...
• Nadeem VelaniNadeem Velani has been named Vice-President & Chief Financial Officer at Canadian Pacific,...

Aviation Industry

• Boeing proposes new Gatwick commercial maintenance hangarBoeing plans to build a commercial aviation maintenance hangar at London Gatwick Airport, Boeing UK said Nov. 17. read more
• Japan’s Peach orders Airbus A320neos & more ceosJapanese low cost carrier (LCC) Peach Aviation has signed a firm order for 10 Airbus A320neos and three A320ceos, it was announced Nov. 18. read more

Other News Sources

• Tram crash: 30p from every Croydon Advertiser sale will go towards appeal supporting victims' families30p from every copy sold of the Croydon Advertiser released on Friday will go directly to an appeal supporting victims of the fatal tram crash