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

Wednesday, 23 November 2016

BBC News

• The confusion caused by driverless carsDriverless car technology seems to be advancing at breakneck speed, but the changes this will mean for the rules of the road are proceeding at a slower pace.
• Greater Manchester road study considers M60 congestion reliefA new link road to join two motorways, an orbital corridor and widening junctions are considered in a study to tackle congestion in Greater Manchester.
• Southern rail strike enters second day in dispute over conductorsPassengers using Southern rail services face further disruption as the RMT strike enters its second day.
• MSPs to question Humza Yousaf over ScotRailMSPs are to question Scotland's transport minister over his plans to improve the country's rail services.
• German car chief Matthias Wissmann warns over BrexitThe government is urged to clarify its Brexit policy by the head of the German motor industry body.
• Lufthansa strike starts after failed court challengeA strike at German airline Lufthansa begins after a legal challenge failed, forcing the cancellation of 900 flights.

The Guardian

• Many Ryanair flights could be free in a decade, says its chiefMichael O’Leary says he hopes to offer zero fares – with the airline making money from sharing revenues with airportsMany seats on Ryanair flights could be free in a decade’s time, the airline’s chief executive has said.Michael O’Leary said his ambition was to offer zero fares – with the airline making its money from sharing revenues with airports where it had attracted passengers. Continue reading...
• Lufthansa strike: nearly 900 flights cancelled in pilots disputeCarrier warns of disruption affecting 100,000 passengers as pay campaign continues, while Eurowings crew also walk out in Hamburg and DüsseldorfGermany’s flagship carrier Lufthansa said it would cancel nearly 900 flights on Wednesday because of a strike by pilots, causing travel disruption for tens of thousands of passengers in the latest escalation of a long-running pay dispute.The stoppage, called by the pilots’ union Cockpit, would start at midnight and affect Lufthansa flights at airports across Germany. Continue reading...
• Uber drivers stage go-slow protest through central LondonDrivers seek to put pressure on the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, to insist that the US minicab company pays the minimum wageMore than a hundred Uber drivers have mounted a go-slow protest through central London to put pressure on the city’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, to insist the US company guarantee the minimum wage.At least 100 Uber minicabs drove at walking pace down Edgware Road and Park Lane towards Westminster on Tuesday, honking their horns and blocking traffic as drivers angry at low pay for long hours stepped up direct action against the San Fransisco-based firm. Continue reading...
• BA boss shocked to find out that third Heathrow runway will raze his HQAirline chief Wille Walsh furious about not being told of demolition – and about fact he will ‘end up paying for the destruction’The boss of Heathrow’s biggest customer, British Airways, only discovered that building the airport’s planned third runway would require the demolition of his airline’s head office after looking at a map.Willie Walsh, the chief executive of BA’s parent company IAG, claimed that despite the group being responsible for about half of all flights at the London hub, he received no formal warning of the proposed demolition. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Transport Minister accused of fresh gaffe ahead of emergency ScotRail statementTRANSPORT Minister Humza Yousaf has been accused of being “out of touch with reality” after insisting ScotRail is “not a poor service” despite continued delays for commuters.

The Scotsman

• Scott Macnab: Transport minister is a poisoned chalice roleHumza Yousaf’s brief has been among the toughest posts in Scotland since devolution says Scott Macnab

Times Online

• BA will not expand Heathrow flights [subscription]There is “zero chance” of British Airways operating any new domestic flights from an expanded Heathrow, the head of the airline’s parent company has warned.
• Attention passengers: trains aren’t that bad - [Subscription]Christmas is coming, so let’s play a game of “Confess Your Unpopular Opinion”. Some of us are in the happy position of being spoilt for choice when it comes to this particular parlour game. So, for instance, sweatshops in the third world are a sign of progress; sectarianism in Scotland is a massively overhyped problem; the Liberal Democrats actually have a path towards a viable future; cricket is better than football and, this week of all weeks, rail privatisation has been a tremendous success.
• Minister ‘out of touch with reality over ScotRail’ [subscription]Humza Yousaf, the Scottish transport minister, has been accused of being out of touch with reality after he claimed that ScotRail “isn’t a poor service”. Criticism of the company that runs the country’s main railways has been mounting in recent weeks as commuters hit back at delays and overcrowding.
• £1 makes a difference as flyers pick bus over tram [subscription]The proportion of travellers taking the tram to and from Edinburgh airport has fallen with three times as many using buses, according to a report.
• Tide of investment worth £800m could flow from Aberdeen deal [subscription]More than £800 million of investment could be unlocked for Aberdeen following the signing of a landmark city region deal.

Daily Record

• Scotrail services to and from Ayr hit by rush hour disruption after object caught on overhead wires STAFF from the rail operator are on site assessing the problem as rush hour services get set to be affected by disruption.

Mail Online

• Southern Rail driver issues personal apology to passengers for the state of the line Passengers applauded as the driver of a delayed Southern Rail service from London Victoria made a heartfelt apology over the loudspeaker for any problems they experienced on the line.
• Ryanair's Michael O’Leary wants to make fares free within five years Michael O’Leary said his ambition was for Ryanair to give away tickets and make all its money by sharing income from airport shops and restaurants, and has been striking deals across Europe.
• Driverless car owners could take blame for crashes even if technology is to blame The Association of British Insurers called for legislation forcing car makers to collect key data to be used after an accident to establish whether the driver or the car was to blame.

Birmingham Mail

• Virgin Trains Black Friday sale set to launch - with tickets from �5 THOUSANDS of seats up for grabs courtesy of the train company
• Autumn Statement: £5 million to provide ten new rail services an hour to Birmingham Treasury cash to improve Birmingham rail infrastructure will allow more services across the region

Birmingham Post

• Rail chaos warning at New Street station ahead of nightmare Black Friday travel weekend Thousands of extra passengers expected on trains for string of big events

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Cyclist hits out after crash on 'superhighway' A BRADFORD man who uses the new �29 million cycle superhighway between Leeds and Bradford regularly says the lack of maintenance along the route makes it dangerous to use after he came off his machine because of a build-up of fallen leaves.

London Evening Standard

• Finsbury Park commuters vent their anger yet again at overcrowded Tube stationFurious commuters faced huge crowds again at Finsbury Park this morning as delays hit the capital's transport network.
• Southern Rail strike: Commuters' fury at packed platforms at start of 48-hour walkoutSouthern Rail commuters were plunged into fresh chaos this morning amid the latest walkout by RMT union members.
• Southern Rail strike: Brighton & Hove Albion chief demands government step in 'before someone gets hurt'A football club CEO has called on the Government to intervene in the ongoing Southern Railway dispute before someone gets seriously hurt "or worse."

Wales Online

• 'Arriva Trains Wales bosses should travel on our trains to see what we have to put up with' This is what you said about overcrowding on Arriva Trains Wales

Plymouth Herald

• Plymouth 'not cut off' from rail network - but main line out action 'until at least Thursday' The main railway line to the South West will out of action until Thursday because of flooding at Cowley Bridge, Exeter - but Plymouth and Cornwall are not 'cut off', Network rail has said.

Reading Evening Post

• Second phase of A33 bus lanes in Reading expected to be approved Councillors are expected to approve plans to put the next phase of work out to tender at a meeting this week

The Shields Gazette

• North East bus services hit by congestion crisis, warn transport bossesThe North East's bus services are being hit by a congestion crisis, transport bosses have warned.

Other Regional Press

• New rail line to London 'now complete' The final countdown to the launch of a new Chiltern Railways�service between Oxford and London Marylebone after the latest railway upgrade was finished on time.

Buying Business Travel

• Lufthansa cancels 900 flights as pilots strikeLong and short-haul flights will be hit

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• University and council research project to help authorities land the best public transport systemsNorthamptonshire County Council and University of Northampton have received a significant share of €1m European funding to help shape policy for local authorities wishing to purchase public transport systems. There’s an increasing global demand for sustainable and innovative transport in cities, but many authorities use out-of-date methods to choose and buy transport systems – which means they are missing opportunities to purchase the system that’s best suited for their urban areas, the people who live there, the environment and the public purse. To help address the pro...

Rail Magazine

• Railway to bring benefits to the South WestTask Force Report cites resilience, faster journey times and improved connectivity as key

Rail Technology Magazine

• UK Government under Pressure to Legislate for Higher Train Wi-Fi Speeds Louise Haigh, Labour's digital economy spokeswoman, has pushed the UK government to commit to fast rail broadband through legislation. According to reports in The Guardian newspaper, the MP for Sheffield Heeley is planning to table an amendment to th…
• Train driver not at fault in Grimston Lane crossing fatality, RAIB concludesThe RAIB’s investigation into the death of an elderly pedestrian on a level crossing near Felixstowe launched earlier this year has found that the pedestrian was struck by the train after he started to cross the track when he had insufficient time to do so. The fatality occurred at 12.19pm...
• Network Rail appoints new contracts and procurement directorNetwork Rail has announced that Andy Haynes has been appointed as its new contracts and procurement director. Haynes has extensive experience in working for Network Rail, having most recently worked as project director on Network Rail’s Greater West programme. Haynes has been an employee...
• NR lays down Oxford tracks ahead of London Marylebone service in DecemberNetwork Rail has finished building a section of new track in Oxford ahead of Chiltern Railways’ launch of its new train service between central Oxford and London Marylebone. The track upgrade between the old city centre station in Oxford and the new Oxford Parkway station was completed on...
• Northern leaders call for clarity on NPR in Autumn StatementChancellor Philip Hammond has been urged to make Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) a top priority and clarify when it will be delivered in tomorrow’s Autumn Statement. Mayoral candidates and council leaders representing the north’s major cities wrote to Hammond asking him to use the...
• Southern to run up to two-thirds of services as RMT strike startsThe latest 48-hour strike on Southern has started, with the company promising to put more trains on the tracks in order to keep almost two-thirds of services running. The strike action, which began at midnight and will run until Wednesday, is the latest in an ongoing dispute about plans to...
• Free wi-fi on trains still sluggish or not yet delivered by TOCsTrain companies will only have to provide basic wi-fi for customers despite the government’s pledge to introduce free internet connections on trains to enable commuters to “keep up with work”. In February of last year the DfT announced £50m of funding for several...
• TfL seeks bidders for �3.6m contract to repair Piccadilly Line rolling stockTransport for London (TfL) is seeking bidders for a contract to overhaul the brake parts and vertical suspension damper mounting brackets for London Underground’s Piccadilly Line rolling stock. The contract is divided into five lots, which will be distributed through a maximum of three...

Railnews

• New DOO walkouts disrupt Southern services The first of more strikes by conductors on Southern is under way today, and there seems to be little sign of a peace settlement between Govia Thameslink Railway and the RMT. The RMT said the response to its latest action has been 'rock solid and determined', while GTR said 62 per cent of its services were running. Commuters have tweeted angry messages, describing 'rammed' trains once again. More walkouts are planned between tomorrow and 2 January.

Aviation Industry

• Airberlin to hire 500 additional flight attendantsAirberlin is set to recruit more than 500 additional flight attendants related to the airline’s growth plan for long haul routes, especially to North America. read more
• Stobart Air buys out its lessorUK-based Stobart Group, operator of regional carrier Stobart Air, is taking complete ownership of leasing company Propius Holdings. read more
• SAS studies possible leisure-oriented offshootScandinavian Airlines (SAS) is exploring the possibility of creating a new subsidiary that would tap into the growing European leisure sector. read more

Green Miscellany

• Helmet cam footage can get cars crushedHelmet cam footage that shows drivers overtaking dangerously close can be used get the offending vehicle crushed. Police in London have warned motorists who drive too close to cyclists that their cars could be confiscated and crushed. Section 59 of the Road Reform Act allows the police to give drivers a warning if they use their vehicle in a manner… The post Helmet cam footage can get cars crushed appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Southern Rail commuters hit by new two-day strike by RMT union The latest walk-out by RMT members is over a dispute over the over the role of conductors on trains
• Cambridge passengers have their say on local bus servicesPassenger champion, Bus Users UK, is holding a Your Bus Matters event in the centre of Cambridge this Friday (November 25).