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

Tuesday, 10 January 2017

BBC News

• 'Smart motorway' offenders could be offered retrainingDrivers caught offending on
• Southern rail: New strike by drivers gets under wayThe latest Southern train drivers' strike begins, with passengers told to travel only
• 'Sleepless nights' complaint over West Calder bridge replacementHomeowner complains of months of sleepless nights due to railway bridge replacement work in West Lothian.
• Reaction from passengers on the last United Airlines flight from Belfast - New YorkReaction from passengers on the last United Airlines flight from Belfast - New York
• Tube strike: London travellers hit by crowdingCommuters pack pavements and a railway station is evacuated due to 24-hour London Tube strike.
• Google Waymo self-driving minivan tests to startGoogle's Waymo is to launch the first public road tests of its self-driving minivans later this month.
• The chief executive of Rolls-Royce cars calls for Brexit 'clarity'The chief executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Torsten Muller-Otvos, wants
• Jaguar Land Rover and Rolls-Royce car sales riseJaguar Land Rover and Rolls-Royce report strong rises in sales as the luxury market recovers.
• Toyota plans to invest $10bn in USJapanese car giant Toyota says will invest $10bn (�8.2bn) in the US over the next five years - the latest car giant to announce major investment plans.
• BA cabin crew start two-day strike at HeathrowA two-day strike by some of BA's cabin staff may disrupt flights at Heathrow airport on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Financial Times

• South-east braced for second day of transport chaosSouthern rail strike expected to halt services for more than 300,000

The Guardian

• Latest Southern rail strike expected to cause severe disruptionTrains on network will be cancelled on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, with knock-on effect also expected on Thursday
• London Underground strike knocks confidence in capital's new mayorWith TfL’s funding slashed and the promise of a fares freeze to deliver, Sadiq Khan finds himself in a tricky positionThis wasn’t supposed to happen under Sadiq Khan, but the first major tube strike under the new mayor shows that winning the battle over closing ticket offices and slashing jobs may have only been a pyrrhic victory for Transport for London. Monday’s strike was an echo of January 2016’s walkouts, when Boris Johnson was in full flow. Then, 900 jobs were shed and ticket offices axed across the capital. Since then, most of the public appear to have accepted the closures, however con...
• Tube strike brings manic Monday to commuters in gridlocked LondonLondon Underground and rail unions say they are prepared to resume talks after 24-hour walkout closed stations across capitalLondon Underground and the rail unions said they were prepared to resume talks later this week over safe staffing levels on the tube, after a day in which millions of commuters were affected by a strike across the network. Representatives from the TSSA union, who represent station staff, will meet on Wednesday and talks could resume afterwards. The unions have an ongoing mandate from a ballot in the autumn that allows them to call further strikes in the coming weeks, but...

The Herald

• Two MSPs record objection to Cromarty Firth ship-to-ship oil transfers before planned Holyrood protestTWO constituency MSPs have voiced their opposition to ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Moray Firth as campaigners prepare to lodge a protest outside the Scottish Parliament.

Mail Online

• Network Rail is fined �800,000 after worker was struck by 80mph train while working on 'high-risk' section of track� Former Network Rail employee Alan Evans has had more than 20 surgical operations since he was almost killed in June 2014 when he was hit by a train travelling from Brighton to London.
• DAILY MAIL COMMENT: When WILL ministers take on the unions?� In London, militant unions brought the city to its knees with a 24-hour Tube walkout. Today, drivers on Southern Rail will begin three days of strikes cynically timed to cause maximum disruption.
• Volkswagen sued by 25,000 British car owners in just ONE day to over 'dieselgate' Thousands of Britons signed up to a multi-billion pound class action in just a single day as the VW scandal erupted, with compensation packets of �3,000 per car set to be dolled out.
• Aslef admits trains without any conductors ARE safe The militant union behind the Southern rail strike told its members that services could continue even if conductors were unable to continue through 'sickness, assault or arrest'.

Birmingham Post

• Jaguar Land Rover enjoys another record yearWest Midlands car manufacturer sells almost 600,000 vehicles across the world - representing a 20 per cent increase

London Evening Standard

• �300m emergency fund for Southern rail improvement workA �300 million emergency funding package is being rushed out to reduce delays on the Southern and Thameslink rail networks.
• Drivers caught by London's most prolific speed camera 'unfairly fined'Motorists caught by London's most prolific speed camera called today for their penalty tickets to be refunded after documents emerged indicating they had been unfairly penalised.
• London hops on two wheels to beat the Tube strikeThousands of Londoners took to two wheels today to avoid nightmare journeys to work on the strike-hit Tube.
• Drivers 'could be fined up to �200 for passenger litter'Drivers may be fined up to �200 for littering even if a passenger throws rubbish from their car.
• Disabled BBC journalist Frank Gardner stranded on Gatwick easyJet plane for half an hourA disabled BBC journalist was stranded on a plane at Gatwick Airport when wheelchair assistance workers failed to show up.
• Network Rail fined �800,000 after worker hit by train on London to Brighton lineNetwork Rail has been forced to pay �800,000 after a track worker was left with life-changing injuries when he was hit by a train on the London to Brighton line.
• Tube and Southern Rail strikes 2017: Tube network to resume full service as Southern Rail walkout gets underwayTransport bosses said London's Tube network would return to normal on Tuesday morning after a 24-hour strike brought travel chaos to the capital.
• Southern Rail strike: Commuters face fresh chaos as three-day walkout beginsSouthern commuters are facing another week of chaos on the railways after workers started a three-day walkout on Tuesday in their bitter row over driver-only trains.
• Tube boss thanks Londoners for their 'patience' during strikeThe Tube's boss has thanked Londoners for the "patience" they showed during yesterday's crippling strike action.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Parking boost for rail commuters at busy West Yorkshire stations Seven commuter railway stations in West Yorkshire will get extra parking spaces as part of a major transport scheme.
• Scottish shuttle flight from Leeds Bradford sees surge in popularityAn internal flight from Leeds Bradford Airport has been named as a Scottish airline's fastest-growing route.

Blackpool Gazette

• Trains cancelled or delayed due to signalling problemsA�signalling problem�between Manchester Oxford Road and Salford Crescent has led to delays and cancellations on several rail routes throughout the North West this morning.

Other Regional Press

• Heathrow: consent for a Colnbrook Runway could be achieved as early as 2020Heathrow has begun geeing up airport workers in the past few weeks with internal messages that suggest it could still gain development consent for a new runway as early as 2020.
• MP accuses rail company of ripping off Preston passengersAN MP has accused Virgin Trains of “ripping off” rail users in Lancashire.

Buying Business Travel

• London City reports record annual passenger numbersAirport increased traffic by 5 per cent in 2016
• Pilots warn of increased risk in mid-air drone collision69 reported incidents of drone near-misses

Railnews

• 'Four out of ten' Underground stations closed by strike Many London Underground stations were closed on 9 January -- particularly in central London -- because of a 24-hour strike by station staff. Transport for London said 60 per cent of the system's stations remained open, and that services were running on most lines, although there were no trains on the Victoria or Waterloo & City. The action, which continued until 18.00, went ahead after last-minute talks between London Underground, the RMT and TSSA broke down. The unions are protesting at cuts in station staff, especially the closure of nearly all ticket offices. London Underground has concede...

Aviation Industry

• AAPA: Asia-Pacific sees modest air freight recovery in 2016Asian airlines’ international air cargo traffic for November increased 5.3% year-over-year (YOY) to 6.1 billion FTKs, a 1.3% rise in FTKs from October, according the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA). read more
• Norwegian pilot provider inks labor accordOSM Aviation, the Norwegian firm that supplies pilots to low-cost carrier (LCC) Norwegian, has signed a labor agreement with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). read more

Green Miscellany

• Knog Oi bicycle bell rings in the changesWhat better way to ring in the changes of a new year than a beautifully engineered titanium bicycle bell? Unlike a traditional bicycle bell, the Oi bicycle bell wraps discreetly around the handlebar in a way that looks as good on a vintage ride as it does on a road bike. As well as reexamining the way a traditional bicycle… The post Knog Oi bicycle bell rings in the changes appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Network Rail fined nearly �1m after railway worker hit by 90mph train near RedhillWorker Allen Evans survived the impact but may have to have his arm amputated, having already gone through 22 surgical procedures
• Shepperton station fire: Network Rail investigating cause of blaze that lit up skiesResidents capturing the scene on camera on Saturday morning as huge flashes of light could be seen over the town
• Southern Rail strike: The time has come to end this futile dispute once and for all - for the good of Surrey's commuters As Surrey passengers brace themselves for another six days strike action, Get Surrey is today (Tuesday) calling on the unions and Southern Rail to
• Rolls Royce renews commitment to BritainWhile London’s commuters were crammed on to buses or forced to walk or cycle, there was better news for those who don’t rely on public transport. Rolls Royce has renewed its commitment to Britain, after seeing a jump in sales and revenue.
• Network Rail fined �800k after 80mph train hits worker on Brighton main line Network Rail has been fined �800,000 after a track worker suffered life-changing injuries when he was hit by a train travelling at 80mph.
• Walkouts by drivers piles on the misery for Southern Railways commuters A WALKOUT�by train drivers will continue to cause misery for commuters for three days this week.