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

Thursday, 20 April 2017

BBC News

• Cycling to work can cut cancer and heart disease, says studyWant to live longer? Reduce your risk of cancer? And heart disease? Then cycle to work, say scientists.
• Comedy signs aim to combat 'neglect' of country roadsThe 170 hoax messages have been put up to counter the problem of empty signposts.
• London Euston trains halted by trackside fireThe station is evacuated and rail services are suspended due to a trackside fire.
• BMW strike halts Mini car productionThe action is part of a wave of strikes at the carmaker over the closure of a final salary pension scheme.
• Malaysia Airlines to track planes with satellitesIt comes three years after MH370, bound for Beijing, disappeared with 239 people on board.

Financial Times

• Emirates cuts US flights after heightened securityReduction by airline is strong sign that Trump measures are hitting big Gulf carriers

The Guardian

• Fire causes delays for commuters at London's Euston stationRush hour commuters have faced delays after a fire caused widespread disruption at one of London’s busiest transport terminals.
• UK unprepared for surge in electric car use, thinktank warnsGreen Alliance says simultaneous charging could potentially damage electronic equipment unless action is taken by 2020

The Independent

• Cycling to work ‘could halve risk of cancer and heart disease’'There’s an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists,' says cycling charity
• The fines will increase depending on the severity of the speedingMotorists caught exceeding the speed limit from April 24th will be hit with fines of up to £2,500, which is significantly more than the current maximum of £1,000.

The Telegraph

• Fire at Euston Station causes nationwide rail disruption

Times Online

• Cycling can cut cancer risk by half [subscription]Cycling to work, rather than driving or taking public transport, could cut a commuter’s risk of dying early by 41 per cent, according to a study.
• HS2 boss admits failures over conflict of interest [subscription]The head of High Speed Two told MPs that he and his executives had done no checks and had not monitored a former HS2 chief of staff at the centre of a conflict of interest fiasco with its key contractor on the £55 billion London-Birmingham rail line.
• Plugging in six electric cars may cause local power cuts [subscription]Electric cars could cause local power shortages if just six vehicles are plugged in to charge on the same street, a leading think tank has warned.

Reuters News

• On your bike - Cycling to work linked with large health benefitsLONDON (Reuters) - People who cycle to work have a substantially lower risk of developing cancer or heart disease or dying prematurely, and governments should do all they can to encourage more active commuting, scientists said on Thursday.

City AM

• Bolstering regional infrastructure will add £175bn to the UK economy by 2024, says CBIUnlocking higher productivity through bolstering regional infrastructure links could add £175bn to England's economy by 2024, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
• Asleep at the wheel: MPs and campaigners blast transport top dogs over botched HS2 contractA whistleblower exposed a conflict of interest at the heart of a £170m High Speed 2 contract, it emerged yesterday, triggering fresh criticism of the government’s handling of procurement on its flagship £56bn rail project.
• HS2 boss David Higgins and transport secretary Chris Grayling to face grilling from MPs as Bechtel named for controversial £170m contractTransport secretary Chris Grayling and HS2 Ltd chairman Sir David Higgins are set to face a grilling by MPs today over the handling of a controversial contract that has seen a winning bidder withdraw its interest.

Mail Online

• Cycling to work 'halves risk of heart disease and cancer' Their risk of dying prematurely from any cause is 41 per cent lower – despite the dangers of cycling on roads.
• Tory MP: Let drivers swap diesels for rail season ticket During a Commons debate, MPs raised pressure on the government to come to the aid of millions of motorists who were encouraged to buy diesel cars by the previous government.

The Mirror

• Children can't safely cross the road until they are over 14 years old, scientists warn About 1,500 pedestrians under the age of 15 are killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads each year

Belfast Telegraph

• HS2 Ltd vows to 'tighten up' procurement process after conflict of interest rowHS2 Ltd has pledged to "tighten" the way it awards contracts following a row over alleged conflicts of interest.

Birmingham Mail

• Cycling to work cuts risk of cancer and heart disease by almost half - expertsBrum's cycle city plans are underpinned by new health stats

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham Airport passes 12m passenger mark Record numbers pass through terminal which has seen a 14.3 per cent increase over the past 12 months

London Evening Standard

• Euston delays: Engineers work overnight in bid to avoid fresh morning rush hour chaos after fireIt is not known if Thursday services will also be hit
• Euston delays: Station evacuated after track fire causes travel chaos until end of the dayOne of London's busiest rail stations was evacuated after a power cut caused by a track side fire - leaving trains in chaos for the rest of the day.
• 'You are a joke Virgin Trains': Gary Neville blasts firm after Euston ticket blunder means he misses trainEx-England defender Gary Neville branded Virgin Trains a "joke" after a ticket blunder meant he missed his train to Manchester.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Better transport links in North East could be worth �5.5bn, business group saysCBI report finds 60% of businesses in the North East are dissatisfied with the state of transport infrastructure in the region

Nottingham Evening Post

• The companies that will design and build the HS2 station at Toton have been revealed The companies that will design and build the HS2 station at Toton have been revealed. Architect Weston Williamson & Partners (WWP) and engineer Aecom have won the contract for the East Midlands Hub railway station, which forms part of the high-speed rail network's second phase and will be on the branch linking Birmingham and Leeds.

Get West London

• Investigation launched into alleged Heathrow Airport parking scam in Yiewsley and West DraytonTrading standards is investigating after hundreds of parking tickets were given out in two Hillingdon car parks

Buying Business Travel

• Birmingham airport hits passenger traffic milestoneMidlands airport breaks the 12 million annual passenger mark
• Emirates cuts US flights as Trump travel policies hit demandAirline to reduce flights to five of the 12 cities it serves to the states

Rail Technology Magazine

• Seisenbacher-Customised Metal Interior Systems for Rail Cars Seisenbacher offers turnkey rail interior solutions that are highly efficient due to the company's end-to-end in-house control of projects. The company guarantees high-quality standards throughout the supply chain and short time-to-market.
• NR completes crucial Sheffield tram-train track connection Network Rail has reached a landmark point on the delayed tram-train project in South Yorkshire as engineers installed the physical link between the tram and the heavy rail network over the Easter weekend. The critical piece of track sits at the start of a new 400m section of track, the Tinsley...
• RMT announces second Northern strike for April RMT will once again strike against Arriva Rail North on 28 April after talks between the union and the operator broke down. Little progress was made when the two parties met last week, the RMT claims, as Arriva “dug its heels in” on the issue of having a second staff member on-board...
• Bechtel awarded HS2 phase 2b contract after CH2M pulls outUS firm Bechtel has been chosen to deliver the £170m phase 2b development partner contract that was previously being completed by CH2M.

Railnews

• Bechtel wins controversial HS2 contract Bechtel has won the controversial HS2 Phase 2 contract which was relinquished by CH2M Hill in March after allegations of conflict of interest, but the House of Commons Transport Committee will be questioning transport secretary Chris Grayling and HS2 chairman David Higgins today. One of the other contenders, UK firm Mace, had reportedly threatened to apply for judicial review of the decision by 3 April unless there was a rethink. In the event, USA-based CH2M announced its withdrawal on 29 March, saying it remained fully committed to working with HS2 Ltd on delivering Phase 1 on time and with...

Aviation Industry

• Alitalia staff to vote on new dealAlitalia’s workforce begins voting April 20 on a deal that will decide whether the struggling airline receives a fresh infusion of cash. read more
• Air Canada A330 loses wheel on takeoffCanada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) is looking into an incident in which an Air Canada aircraft lost one of its undercarriage wheels prior to takeoff on a transatlantic flight April 16. read more

Other News Sources

• Former MP Vince Cable to stand again in Twickenham after PM’s shock election announcementHe promised to make education, social care and Heathrow central issues of his campaign to unseat Conservative MP Dr Tania Mathias.
• Local elections: What the Spelthorne candidates think about Heathrow, street lights, roads and more Six parties will be on the ballot paper, as well as two independent candidates
• Bechtel has been selected to replace CH2M on phase 2b of the HS2 high speed rail project.Bechtel has been named by HS2 as its preferred supplier for the £170m contract to be its development partner to help develop plans for the line from Birmingham to Leeds and Crewe to Manchester.
• Mace accuses HS2 of 'misleading' taxpayers and 'favouring' US firmsMace has accused HS2 of “misleading taxpayers and the press” over the client’s claim that the procurement of phase two’s development partner contract was “robust and fair”, Construction News can reveal.