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

Wednesday, 05 April 2017

BBC News

• 'Inconsistent' services for disabled taxi passengersTaxi services for disabled people are 'inconsistent', warns a Welsh council transport official.
• Driverless shuttle bus to be tested by public in LondonOver the next three weeks, about 100 people will travel in a prototype vehicle on a two-mile route.
• Diesel cars: 'It turns out we were wrong'A new plan to tackle pollution in London
• PM hints at help for diesel car owners over 'toxin tax'Theresa May says she will take those who own diesels
• Night Tube strike for weekend called offThe train drivers were due to walkout this weekend in a dispute over full-time positions.
• Glasgow landslip causes week-long rail disruptionScotRail says tonnes of mud and stone washed onto the track, weakening a footbridge at Lambhill in Glasgow.

The Guardian

• Diesel vehicles will disappear sooner than expected, says EU industry chiefEuropean parliament backs tougher rules and €30,000 per vehicle fine for carmakers to prevent repeat of VW emissions scandalDiesel vehicles will disappear from roads much faster than expected, according to the European Union’s industry commissioner.Elżbieta Bieńkowska spoke after the European parliament backed tougher rules to prevent manufacturers selling cars that produce far more toxic pollution when driven than in official tests. Continue reading...

The Telegraph

• Handouts for diesel cars hit by 'toxin tax'

Times Online

• Motorists in city centre will face £24‑a‑day charge [subscription]Owners of diesel cars that are less than two years old will have to pay up to £24 a day to drive in central London from April 2019 under the toughest crackdown by any major city on polluting vehicles.
• Scientific advice promoting diesel ‘was wrong’The chief scientist under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown has admitted successive governments were wrong to encourage people to buy diesel vehicles.
• HS2 hires 17 firms to make its case [Subscription]Seventeen public relations companies have been on the High Speed Two payroll, prompting allegations that it is wasting taxpayers’ money.
• Noise complaints soar over Dublin airport [Subscription]The number of noise complaints about aircraft using Dublin airport has almost trebled this year.

Daily Record

• Daredevils will get chance to climb Forth Road Bridge as part of new £10m plan Network Rail want to create a bridge climb for 80,000 visitors a year to climb the 127-year-old crossing.

Mail Online

• COMMENT: Diesel drivers pay the price of green zealotry As confessions of incompetence go, the admission by Sir David King (pictured) that he was absolutely wrong to advocate diesel cars could hardly be more damning.
• Theresa May: I'll protect diesel drivers The Prime Minister stepped in as diesel owners face a nightmare of increased congestion charges, hikes in road tax and poor resale values.
• Man behind dash for diesel called C02 'worse than terror'  Professor Sir David King, 77, was the architect of the policy to cut fuel duty for diesel cars as Tony Blair’s personal scientist. Yesterday he admitted he got it wrong.

Network Rail

• American railway boss praises ‘life-changing’ investment in London’s railways after fact-finding missionFrom moving record numbers of passengers on Victorian infrastructure to rebuilding major railway stations, Network Rail and US railway company Amtrak have much in common.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Your help needed by replica trolleybus project A MAJOR project is being launched to build a replica of a trolleybus which operated in Keighley a century ago.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Wrexham to Chester railway line upgrade finally complete after major delaysFour level crossings between Wrexham and Chester are also being upgraded with safer obstacle detection systems
• Airbus A380 super-jumbo to squeeze in another 80 passengers...and this is how they'll do it The aerospace giant has revealed how new design could accommodate nearly 600 passengers

London Evening Standard

• Night Tube strike called off by Aslef and RMT unionsA planned strike on London's Night Tube has been called off by train drivers.
• 17 of the worst things you do on the Tube that make people hate youDon't make these monstrous mistakes

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink bosses say they are 'open to discuss' a 4am tram but claim there's not enough demand Despite Metrolink’s doubts over ‘sufficient demand’, the late tram idea was a hit with readers on Facebook
• Calls for tougher rules on drones after devices were used to spy on sunbathers and look into homes There were more than 400 reported incidents involving the devices in Greater Manchester last year

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• New £30m Morpeth Bypass officially opens to drivers after two years under construction After nearly two years of work the ribbon has been cut on the new road which could help create thousands of jobs

East Anglian Daily Times

• Passengers angered by £3,000 mix up which saw Clare bus stop moved 50 metresPassengers who have caught buses from the same location in their west Suffolk town for more than 40 years were left confused and annoyed when the bus stop was moved about 30 yards up the road without anyone being notified.

Other Regional Press

• Bishop's Stortford Goods Yard: Network Rail "disregard for motorists" says Labour Party The Labour Party for Bishop's Stortford and Sawbridgeworth has raised their concerns about the Goods Yards development, accusing Network Rail of having a "disregard for motorists."
• Wrexham to Chester railway line could receive £10m cash injectionTHE Wrexham-Chester railway line could receive a £10m cash injection for further improvements. As the £49m project to redouble a section of the Wrexham to Chester railway line enters its final stages, the Welsh Government is examining options to increase capacity and “improve flexibility” on the line
• Diesel action on April 1 leaves everyone looking foolish IT’S either a bad April Fools or the worst PR stunt ever.
• 'Smart lampposts' could be on the way as electric vehicle charge points approved THE first wave of new electric vehicle charging points across Oxford have been approved by transport bosses, with the first set to arrive within months.
• Should Kirklees Council's roads policy do more to back cyclists?Campaign group hits out at car only plans
• Right turn ban considered as Dorchester transport scheme moves forward RIGHT turns out of a Dorchester road – and left turns into it – look set to be banned as a transport scheme takes another step forward.

Airportwatch

• Familiar face takes on new role at Nexus Huw Lewis took up his new role at the public body which owns and manages the Tyne and Wear Metro on April 1.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• New figures show the full extent of the rail industry’s contribution to WalesThe rail industry, including Network Rail and Arriva Trains Wales, are working together to deliver a record £50 billion plus investment in Britain’s railway. This investment supports jobs and growth. It also drives development, re-generation and unlocks housing supply.

Rail Magazine

• MPs debate reliability of ECML wiringNetwork Rail and Government discuss ways to improve East Coast Main Line overhead wire reliability
• No plans to devolve NR in ScotlandRail Minister confirms no plans to devolve Network Rail to Scottish Government
• Mail Rail to open its doors to the public in July Tickets includes ride on bespoke trains on 2ft-gauge railway

Rail Technology Magazine

• Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing: From Policy to Practice Before developing a suitable drug and alcohol (D&A) testing policy, there are a number of factors for a business to consider which will drive the most appropriate course of action, specific to its own requirements.
• Xplore Technologies Appoints Mark Holleran as CEO Rugged tablet PC supplier Xplore Technologies has revealed that its board of directors has selected Mark Holleran to serve as the company's president and CEO, effective 3 April 2017.
• NR timetabling shake-up to repurpose almost 5,000 freight paths for passenger useA massive timetabling change is being implemented on the rail network over the next two years by Network Rail, which will see 4,702 allocated freight paths per week be relinquished to free up capacity for passenger services. The infrastructure owner says that the vacant paths – slots...
• Nexus takes back operation of Tyne and Wear Metro from DB RegioNexus has resumed responsibility for the operation of services on the Tyne and Wear Metro this week, taking back control from operator DB Regio, part of the Arriva Group, who had run services on behalf of Nexus since April 2010. Starting from Saturday 1 April, Nexus, the public body who deliver...
• Northern braces for nightmare Grand National with less than a third of trains runningNorthern has today released its reduced timetable for Grand National day this Saturday when RMT drivers and guards go on strike – revealing that only 32% of its normal service will be in operation. The news comes on the same day as RMT are set to sit down for talks with Southern in the...

Railnews

• Sheffield tram trains to be tested in service soon Trials have begun of tram trains in Sheffield, and tram passengers are being advised that the new Vossloh Citylink vehicles are under test on the city's tram network, although out of service for the time being. The long-awaited introduction of tram trains, which can run on tramways and also heavy rail, has been delayed by several years, having been announced in 2012 when they had been planned to enter service in 2015.

Aviation Industry

• AIX 2017: Airbus unveils A380 new cabin stairs option Airbus has unveiled the latest in a series of cabin upgrades for the A380, which together will allow airlines to add around 80 more seats and boost revenues, the Toulouse-based manufacturer said. read more
• AIX 2017: Airbus appoints Gogo as lead connectivity supplier Airbus has named inflight connectivity provider Gogo as a lead supplier for its high bandwidth connectivity (HBC) program, paving the way for Gogo’s 2Ku satellite technology, which allows passengers to access streaming-video speeds on board, to be line-fit to Airbus A320 family, A330 and A380 aircraft. read more
• Alitalia cancels flights ahead of April 5 labor strikeItalian national carrier Alitalia has preemptively canceled 60% of its scheduled flights for April 5 in preparation for a 24-hour strike action called by trade unions. read more
• AIX 2017: Panasonic launches new IFEC platform, NEXT Panasonic Avionics Corp. has unveiled a new inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) platform called NEXT, which will launch on the Boeing 777X. read more
• Aircraft Interiors Briefs-April 4, 2017Aircraft Interiors Briefs-April 4, 2017 read more

Other News Sources

• Airport celebrates world autism awareness day
• Speed cameras are turned off... but ssh! It’s a secret ON TUESDAY it was announced that a new average speed camera would start operating along the busy A259 Marine Drive in Brighton.