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

Friday, 13 January 2017

BBC News

• Severn crossings £3 toll plan from UK governmentCars, vans and small buses will pay just £3 in tolls when the Severn crossings go into public ownership, under UK government plans.
• Google confirms end of internet drone projectGoogle has confirmed it has closed its internet drone project Titan, three years after it bought the business.
• Forth Road Bridge crash raises questions over pressure on lorry driversThe crash which closed the Forth Road Bridge raises questions over the pressure being put on lorry drivers.
• Noise from night flights to be cut, ministers sayThe government says tighter rules at three London airports will mean quieter aircraft are used.
• RMT warns of more Tube strikes over ticket office closuresStrike action will be escalated by London Underground (LU) workers from 6 February unless a dispute over ticket office closures can be resolved, a union has warned.
• Southern rail: Train drivers stage third strike day of weekSouthern rail train drivers begin a third day of strike action this week, bringing severe disruption.
• Regional airport operator Hial reports record figureHighlands and Islands Airports Limited says its passenger numbers rose to a new record level last year.
• Iran welcomes Airbus as first post-sanctions airlinerNew planes from Airbus and Boeing following sanctions deal will replace Iran's ageing fleet.
• Car insurance 'gender divide widens'Male motorists typically pay �101 more a year for their car insurance than women, a comparison site suggests.

Financial Times

• Global oil flow trackers set to keep Opec honestAttention has shifted to whether cartel will deliver promised cuts
• New Tube strike looms as RMT threatens escalationFurther wave of disruption from February 6 unless demands on station staffing are met

The Guardian

• Fiat Chrysler used software to cheat diesel emissions testing, EPA allegesThe car company installed software in multiple models that ‘increases air pollution’ for three years, in violation of the Clean Air Act, EPA claims
• How do Southern Rail passengers regain their self-respect? By going on strike | David BoyleAfter eight months of appalling service, one commuter decided that the only way to fight back was through nonviolent direct action – and cakeImagine you went to a restaurant and found they couldn’t provide you with the menu, or maybe with any food at all – but you still had to pay for the steak tartare you ordered even though you only got a cheese sandwich and waited an hour.Imagine that, as an extra humiliation, you also had to prove you had paid when you left, by handing over your receipt to a security guard. Continue reading...
• Transport trouble ahead as air, rail and tube strikes loomBritish Airways and Southern rail staff to walk out in coming weeks, while RMT issues ultimatum to London UndergroundMore strikes are looming across a range of British transport services, with fresh action announced on British Airways and Southern rail, and an ultimatum issued for another tube strike next month. Up to 2,900 cabin crew from BA’s “mixed fleet” branch at Heathrow will strike again for three days next week in a row over pay, while conductors on Southern will walk out for 24 hours on Monday 23 January, just ahead of three more days of strikes by drivers that will completely halt it...
• Cyclists don't count as road users, argues transport secretaryChris Grayling’s response to question in House of Commons draws fire from cycling groups and accusation of ‘astonishing lack of knowledge’ of his briefThe transport secretary, Chris Grayling, has been accused of showing “an astonishing lack of knowledge” of his brief after arguing in the House of Commons that cyclists do not count as road users.Grayling, shown in a video last month knocking a rider off his bike by suddenly opening the door to his ministerial car outside Westminster, made the comment on Thursday morning. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Under-fire ScotRail records 90 per cent punctuality ratingsUNDER-FIRE train operator ScotRail has seen its annual performance figures rises to 90 per cent, with its punctuality the second best in the UK.
• ScotRail chief says attacks on railways have become personalTHE head of under fire ScotRail has admitted that criticism of the railways had become personal after details of his contract became the centre of media reports.

The Scotsman

• ScotRail buys time but clock is still tickingThe latest performance figures for train punctuality in Scotland show that some progress has been made since public and political dissatisfaction reached a peak towards the end of 2016.

The Telegraph

• Chris Grayling brands Labour a 'disgrace' for supporting their union backers despite commuter misery

Times Online

• Hydrofoil taxis set to cut capital congestion [subscription]Is it a boat? Is it a plane? Or might it just be a pioneering way to zip around congested cities — a half-floating, half-flying river taxi set to revolutionise urban travel for commuters and tourists alike?
• Night flights ban for jumbo jets to cut noise at busiest airports (subscription)Britain’s biggest airports will be hit by new restrictions on night flights amid warnings that poor sleep caused by noisy aircraft can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of a heart attack.
• Dreamer takes the line of beauty [Subscription]For many users of our transport network, it would be enough to have a train that runs on time, a bypass where the traffic flows and an aviation policy where decisions are made in months rather than decades. Not for John Hayes. That would be too functional. A transport network must be a thing of beauty.
• Berth debacle ‘shows ferry must stay put’ [subscription]An attempt to transfer a historic ferry service must be sunk after a vessel appeared to become lodged against a harbour wall, according to campaigners.

Reuters News

• Heathrow Airport cancels 80 flights on snow forecastsLONDON (Reuters) - Heathrow Airport said it will cancel 80 flights out of the 1,350 scheduled on Thursday as it prepares for forecasts for snow later in the day.
• British Airways cabin crew to stage second strike next weekLONDON (Reuters) - British Airways

Mail Online

• No ticket? No problem... in Melbourne! Bizarre ad campaign uses smiling inspector telling commuters they WON'T be fined on the spot if they evade the fare Advertising for Melbourne's train network has confused commuters after announcing on-the-spot fines would be abolished to be more 'lenient'.
• EU car insurance premiums set to rise so that UNINSURED drivers can get compensation� The European Union has ruled that even motorists who break the law by driving without insurance should be protected if their car is damaged.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• English tests may get tougher for would-be cabbies TOUGHER English tests for would-be cabbies could be introduced across West Yorkshire, according to a new report.

London Evening Standard

• Londoners face further Tube strikes as early as next month, RMT union announcesLondoners face more crippling Tube strikes next month, the RMT union announced today.
• Southern rail strike bosses accused of being 'dictators'Union bosses were accused of acting like "dictators" with the Southern rail strike which hit thousands of commuters today despite train drivers coming back to work.
• Revealed: London commuters foot �4m bill for union officialsLondon commuters are footing a �4.4 million payroll bill for trade union officials, including militants "inflicting misery" on the Tube, it was revealed today.
• Bank Junction: Black cab drivers bring City of London to a standstill during major rush hour protest as snow lashes capitalA black cab protest has sparked gridlock in the capital bringing the City of London to a standstill during rush hour.
• Row erupts over night flight plans for London airportsPlans to cut noise from night flights over London will make "little difference" to the lives of residents, campaigners have warned.
• British Airways cabin crew set to stage three-day strike later this monthBritish Airways cabin crew will stage a fresh 72-hour walk-out, it has been announced.
• Southern rail drivers go on strike for the third time this weekSouthern rail drivers have started their third day of strike action this week, bringing fresh misery to hundreds of thousands of commuters.

Manchester Evening News

• Passengers anger at 'Sardine Express' rail service to Manchester Customers getting on at Littleborough and Smithy Bridge have said they are crammed on the Northern trains - with some unable to actually get on or off

Blackpool Gazette

• ‘Hole’ lotta help for roadsMore than £1.5m to improve roads has been awarded to Blackpool Council by the Government.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Ryanair adds nine new destinations to summer schedule at Stansted AirportRyanair has announced the launch of nine new routes from Stansted Airport, including daily services to Copenhagen, Naples and Nice.

Other Regional Press

• Dundee railway station redevelopment is still on track, say contractorsThe £28 million redevelopment of Dundee Railway Station is still on track to for completion by the end of the year.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• First Manchester launch new Vantage cross-city bus service First Manchester is continuing to increase the offering of its premium Vantage bus service by adding a new route from 29th January. The new V3 Vantage service will launch on 29th January, and will run hourly every day, to and from Manchester Royal Infirmary. The popular V1 and V2 Vantage services will continue to operate, but there will be minor changes to the timetable to allow the services more time to complete their journeys during peak times. Numbered V3, services will run from Leigh along the four and a half mile traffic-free guided busway. Bus lanes on the East Lancs Road then mean a f...
• Metal 3D printing: Technology of the future for lighter and more compact Renault truck enginesA team of Renault Trucks engineers and designers is working on an additive manufacturing process – metal 3D printing – that is set to boost the performance of engines. Technology of the future is fast becoming a reality, as can be seen from the complex parts that have already been successfully tested inside a Euro-6 engine. The Renault Trucks Lyon Powertrain Engineering department has focused on using metal additive manufacturing as a future engine manufacturing process. As a result a prototype DTI 5 4- cylinder Euro-6 step C engine has been designed exclusively using 3D printing...

Rail Magazine

• Shotts Line to be wired in �49 million dealCarillion Powerlines Ltd wins �49m deal to electrify Shotts Line.

Rail Technology Magazine

• GTR takes to the Supreme Court to block further Aslef strikes on SouthernAfter launching a failed legal challenge at the High Court in December and subsequently losing its appeal case at the Court of Appeal, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is now taking its legal action against drivers’ union Aslef to the Supreme Court in the hopes of finally curtailing further...
• RMT extends DOO dispute to Northern and MerseyrailThe RMT has widened its dispute with Northern Rail as it has given the franchise’s operator Arriva Rail North two weeks to clarify whether trains will retain their guards or risk dispute. The union is already balloting its members for strikes on Northern Rail due to a dispute over an...
• Network Rail awards Carillion �49m Scottish electrification contractNetwork Rail has agreed a contract with Carillion Powerlines Ltd to deliver the electrification of the Shotts Line between Holytown Junction and Midcalder Junction. The £49m contract will see the delivery of 74km of electrified railway as part of the Scottish government’s wider...
• 'Saga of strike misery' to continue as RMT plans 23 January action on SouthernThe RMT has announced that guards on Southern will hold another 24-hour strike on 23 January as the union’s dispute with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) presses on. The action marks the latest development in the long-running row over Southern’s proposed introduction of driver-only...

Railnews

• DOO appeal set to be heard by Supreme Court The long-running dispute over driver-only operation on Southern is set to move to the Supreme Court. The result of the hearing will affect the lives of many thousand of commuters in Sussex and neighbouring counties whose daily journeys have been disrupted by the ASLEF walkouts, involving around 1,000 drivers. Twelve drivers who belong to the RMT have also been joining the action. Govia Thameslink Railway has already argued without success in the High Court that the ASLEF strikes are breaching European law. The RMT said its position was 'perfectly clear' -- it will not agree to any extensions ...

Aviation Industry

• Airbus responds to weaker A380 demandAirbus is evaluating a higher-density Airbus A380 layout and is seeking to cut the program’s fixed costs and slow down production to counter weak demand. read more
• Southwest CEO Kelly: ‘We don’t have an heir apparent’ CEOSouthwest Airlines chairman and CEO Gary Kelly said this week’s executive suite shuffle at the Dallas-based carrier does not mean his successor has been appointed or that he will be ceding responsibility for the company’s direction anytime soon. read more

Other News Sources

• This Man Plans To Hire A Train During Southern Strikes Fed up with the Southern strikes? Why don't we hire a train. That's the idea of one West Sussex man, who's hoping to take matters into his own hands.
• Guards at Southern Railway to stage fresh 24-hour strike over staffing Southern Railway guards are to stage a fresh strike in their long-running dispute over staffing, threatening more chaos for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
• Passengers wrongly told they weren't entitled to compensation after computer error A COMPUTER glitch led to long-suffering train passengers being wrongly told they were not entitled to compensation for delays.