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

Wednesday, 12 April 2017

BBC News

• Uber PR boss Rachel Whetstone latest to quit companyUber’s head of communications has become the latest executive to leave the embattled ride-sharing firm.
• Broughton branch of Marshall Aviation Services to closeMarshall Aviation Services began a 45-day consultation with the 126-strong workforce in March.
• Glasgow Airport passengers numbers soarNearly a million passengers used the airport while Glasgow and Aberdeen also saw passenger numbers rise.
• Queen Street rail services resume after landslipThe line from Glasgow Queen Street station is open after a week of engineering work.
• Can airlines "bump" people off flights?Rachael Thorn explains what
• Canada to tackle overbooking on flightsThe law is expected to set out compensation rules for passengers denied their paid airline seats.
• United Airlines shares fall after passenger removalShares in United Airlines finish down despite recovering some ground after an apology from its boss.
• Bombardier and Siemens 'in train deal talks'Shares in the two manufacturers rise on reports they are discussing a tie-up of their train businesses.

Department for Transport

• Boaters warned to register vessels or face courtBoaters on the Great Ouse river face fines for flouting registration rules.
• New Lower Thames Crossings to cut congestion and create thousands of jobsPreferred route for a new Lower Thames Crossing and A13 widening announced.
• Over £109 million of funding for driverless and low carbon projectsGovernment drives funding of more than £109 million to driverless and low carbon projects across the UK.

Financial Times

• United CEO reverses course and apologises after PR crisisOscar Munoz responds to anger after Asian-American doctor was dragged from flight

The Guardian

• ‘Nice’ is more than a destination: what Ryanair can teach United AirlinesThe budget Irish carrier had a terrible reputation for customer service until its notorious boss had a change of heart. Then the profits took off …When I interviewed Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary six years ago, he denied his budget airline had an image problem. “Ryanair is responsible for the integration of Europe by bringing lots of different cultures to the beaches of Spain, Greece and Italy, where they couple and copulate in the interests of pan-European peace,” he said.“There hasn’t been a war in Europe for 50 years, because they’re all too busy flying on Ryanair. I should get the ...
• Six jumbo jets long … the £2.4bn ship that can lift an oil rigAs the Pioneer Spirit prepares for a record-breaking lift for Shell, we look at its role in cleaning up the North SeaFestooned with cranes, oil pipelines and manned by a crew of several hundred, the Pioneering Spirit sits in the port of Rotterdam like a giant marine version of a forklift truck.Next month this vessel, one of the world’s largest ships, will arrive in the North Sea and attempt to remove the 24,500-tonne top of a Shell oil rig installed during the oil boom years of the 1970s. If successful it will be the heaviest ever single lift of a rig’s “topside”, and only the second by this p...
• United Airlines CEO tries softer apology after company's stock nosedivesClose to $1bn wiped off holding company’s value before stock rallies, after a man was violently removed from a flight by aviation policeThe CEO of United Airlines has issued a second public apology about the man who was forcibly removed from a flight on Sunday, calling the incident “truly horrific”. Related: United Airlines CEO calls dragged passenger 'disruptive and belligerent' Continue reading...

The Huffington Post

• United Airlines Passenger Being Dragged Away Isn't Their Only PR FailUnited Airlines has faced a huge backlash after a video emerged of a passenger being violently dragged off a plane - but this isn’t the the airline’s first PR fail. A United passenger, who said he was a doctor, was pulled from his seat and dragged away with a bloodied lip after being randomly selected to be ejected from the overbooked flight. At one point he managed to run back on board the plane with his face covered in blood, saying “just kill me” and “I need to go home”, according to witnesses. In an extraordinary email to company staff, United&rs...

The Scotsman

• United Airlines boss finally apologises as passenger namedThe CEO of United Airlines has issued a stronger apology about a passenger who was dragged off a United Express flight, calling the confrontation “truly horrific.”

Times Online

• Train operator drops plans for northeast cuts[subscription]Plans to reduce CrossCountry train services to and from northeast Scotland have been scrapped.
• Dutch bidder hopes to ride off with Raleigh [subscription]Everyone remembers their first Raleigh. Whether it was the Chopper, with its thrilling wobble at high speeds, or the Burner or Grifter models, Raleigh bikes have been a staple of British households for decades.
• Stuck in a traffic jam? Get ready for take‑off [subscription]Flying cars will be sold to the public by the end of the year under plans for the world’s first mass-market vehicle capable of taking to the skies.

Reuters News

• Siemens, Bombardier in talks about rail JV -sourcesFRANKFURT/BERLIN, April 11 Germany's Siemens and Canada's Bombardier are in talks to combine their rail operations, two people close to the matter told Reuters on Tuesday, an action that could strengthen their hand against Chinese state-backed market leader CRRC Corp .

Mail Online

• Diesel drivers face new 'pay as you pollute' charges Diesel owners could be charged for where and when they drive under new ‘pay as you pollute’ plans as part of the UK's Air.Car project,
• Bike lanes make Cambridge UK's slowest city for drivers Traffic crawls at an average speed of 13.73mph in an area compounded by narrow streets, one way systems and pedestrianised areas, as well as a steady stream of tourists.

The Mirror

• United Airlines boss apologies for THIRD time over passenger dragged off flight promising 'we will do better'Beleaguered CEO Oscar Munoz, 57, has come under severe pressure over his handling of the incident
• United Airlines apologises for dragging passenger off flight but the internet won't let them off the hook that easilyJimmy Kimmel led the gags, creating a mock safety video that he suggested should be used by United, which has been mocked mercilessly on social media
• Smelling bad, dressing inappropriately and being too fat are among dozens of reasons airlines can eject youYou may not have noticed these conditions - the contract of carriage documents can be up to 37,000 words long

This is Money

• How Heathrow plans to make a success out of Brexit The airport has seen cargo volumes soar. It handled 148,000 metric tonnes of cargo last month - up 13 per cent on March 2016. That was the strongest increase for more than five years.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• String of cab firms run into problems with grand designsA STRING of local cab firms hoping to give transport giant Uber a run for its money have run into problems with a new branding idea.
• M606 named the UK's third slowest motorwayTHE M606 has been named as the third slowest in the UK.

Derby Telegraph

• Is Derby train-maker Bombardier set to merge with rival Siemens? Reports have suggested that Derby train manufacturer Bombardier is in talks with German rival Siemens about combining their train-making businesses.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Plans to cut north-east rail services scrappedThe train company CrossCountry has now withdrawn a proposed timetable that would have resulted in four of the six services operating between Aberdeen and Edinburgh cut from December 2017.

Plymouth Herald

• Map of ambitious 'Plymouth Metro' network with new train stations revealed A new train line between Plymouth and Tavistock could be in place within five years, connecting up with a cross-city tram-style Metro system by 2024.

Other Regional Press

• Here's how £19m of investment into Dorset's roads will be spentA MULTI-MILLION pound investment into Dorset's roads is set to resurface those deemed to be 'failing' - and prevent others falling into decline.

C.N.N.

• Angry airline passengers and how they got so fed up (Opinion)Angry airline passengers: Research shows that fliers are more miserable than ever. Why? It has a lot to do with perception of treatment.

Airportwatch

• UK inflation rate remains at 2.3%UK inflation held steady last month, as rising prices for food and clothing were offset by lower air fares.

Buying Business Travel

• Flybe routes boost Heathrow domestic trafficPassenger numbers up 5% in March
• Manchester airport adds 2.7m passengers in 12 monthsFigures show it’s the second fastest growing large airport in Europe

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Think tank provides guide for rail development Drawing on international and national best practice, a new report by the Independent Transport Commission (ITC) –
• Over £109 million of funding for driverless and low carbon projectsBusiness Secretary Greg Clark and Transport Minister John Hayes have awarded £109.7 million of government funding, alongside significant funding from industry, to help develop the next generation of driverless and low-carbon vehicles, as part of the Industrial Strategy and the government’s Plan for Britain. Seven innovative projects will share grants from the latest round of funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), the joint industry-government programme to put the UK at the forefront of low carbon vehicle technology. The projects, led by BMW, CNH Industrial, Ford Motor...
• Hitachi on track to recruit for 250 jobs at newly built Doncaster rail depot Hitachi Rail Europe (HRE), the company building and maintaining new intercity trains, is on schedule to employ 250 people at their newly built Doncaster depot. The depot is hiring a brand new team to maintain new fleets of intercity trains inspired by Japanese bullet trains, which are due to start running next year, connecting northern cities to London and Scotland. Hitachi has invested £80m in the Doncaster site to create a facility that is clean, light and packed with the most advanced industry technology. The leading rail firm has breathed new life into the region’s rail sec...

Rail Magazine

• Introducing the Big Rail Diversity Challenge 2017 - June 9

Rail Technology Magazine

• New study to consider extending Borders railway to CarlislePlans to potentially extend the Borders railway to Carlisle are to be considered, as Transport Scotland has commissioned a new report looking at ways to improve public transport services in the region. Subject to completion of the mandatory standstill period, Jacobs UK Ltd has been awarded the...
• Hendy: Rail industry must learn to relate to the world outside of itThe railway must be adaptable, relatable and must improve its planning processes in order to grow wider economic growth in the future, a report by the Independent Transport Commission (ITC) backed by Network Rail chair Sir Peter Hendy has stated. The report, ‘Classic Rail and Connected...
• ORR to request process for improving NR route risk managementThe ORR is to request that Network Rail puts in place a process to improve risk management at a local level across all its devolved routes, ensuring that any changes occur safely and in compliance with health and safety law, its business plan for 2017-18 has stated. The regulator also said that...
• Digital service to reunite passengers with lost valuables trialled in WalesCustomers pulling their hair out at constantly leaving their valuables on the train may be in luck, as an innovative new system may help them track down their possessions. The system, FindMyLost, is a digital service which allows passengers and railway staff who find an item to put it online...

Railnews

• Borders Railway could be extended to Carlisle The Borders Railway could be restored completely to Carlisle, as one of a series of projects which is set to be examined by Transport Scotland. TS said it intended to award the contract to�carry out�the study to Jacobs UK. The�study is expected to take about seven months to complete, and the prospect of reopening the rest of the line beyond Tweedbank through Hawick to Carlisle will be welcomed by transport campaigners.

Railway Gazette

• Electrification fabrication facility to support just-in-time delivery UK: VolkerRail and Unipart Rail have opened a third overhead electrification equipment preassembly...
• RENFE poised to join Virgin’s HS2 franchise bidUK: Spanish national operator RENFE is understood to be the front runner to join the Virgin Rail...

The Business Desk

• Derby train maker in Siemens merger talksBombardier, the Derby-based train maker, could be about to merge with Siemens according to reports.

Aviation Industry

• Jet Time chairman acquires 20% of airBalticDanish entrepreneur Lars Thuesen, who is 100% owner and chairman of Danish wet-lease operator Jet Time, has acquired 20% of airBaltic from German businessman Ralf Dieter Montag-Girmes. read more
• United’s Munoz issues full apology for bumped passenger incidentJust hours after commending employees and saying they followed proper procedure, United Airlines’ CEO has issued a full apology for the incident in which a bumped passenger was violently dragged off an aircraft. read more

Other News Sources

• Contractors partner with operators for £5bn Wales and Borders franchise bidsExclusive: Four of the UK’s biggest rail contractors have partnered with train operating companies as part of a bid for the £5bn Wales and Borders franchise contract.
• Supporters of a civil engineering plan that involves repurposing defunct London rail track say it could provide better value for money than the floundering Garden Bridge scheme.This unloved-looking bridge (pictured above) forms part of a derelict rail route that could be brought back into use as a flower-filled walkway under plans backed by an influential coalition of London businesses, E&T can reveal for the first time.
• South West Trains passengers warned of disruption during Easter bank holiday due to engineering work Rail users have been warned to check before they travel  due to planned work around Waterloo and Twickenham
• Siemens, Bombardier to merge their rail operations? (From DW, Germany)Germany's Siemens and Canada's Bombardier are in talks to combine their rail operations, media reports have said. If successful, the move would strengthen their hand against the market leader from China, CRRC.
• Siemens shares spike on reports of Bombardier mergerGerman industrial giant Siemens chugged higher on Tuesday after reports that it has entered negotiations with Bombardier to merge the two companies’ train operations.
• Nationalism may derail Bombardier deal logicNEW YORK, April 11 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Combining the Canadian firm's rail unit with Siemens' - and perhaps Alstom's - would help them compete with a Chinese rival. Past merger talks have failed, though, and growing government involvement in Bombardier signals the difficulty in keeping these discussions on track.
• TSX ends lower despite Bombardier shares rising on merger reportCanada's benchmark stock index ended barely lower on Tuesday as financial stocks weighed, while a flight to safety helped gold miners and shares of Bombardier Inc jumped on reports it was discussing a merger of rail operations with Siemens.
• Shares of Bombardier rise after reports of merger with SiemensMONTREAL -- Shares of Bombardier were up more than four per cent Tuesday following a report that the company and German-based Siemens AG are in talks to merge their train businesses.
• Siemens, Bombardier Said in Talks to Combine Rail UnitsSiemens AG and Bombardier Inc. are in talks to combine their rail operations, according to people familiar with the matter, potentially creating a business that could better fend off increasing competition from China.
• 'I’ve never had a career plan, I just did what I enjoyed' says Crossrail 2 chiefSpeaking to members of the Institution of Civil Engineers at the second Inspiring Engineers event, Michele Dix, Managing Director of Crossrail 2, gave a personal account of her career and what being an engineer means to her.
• London Stansted Airport publishes March traffic figuresLondon Stansted saw nearly 1.9 million passengers pass through the airport in March 2017.