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

Friday, 21 April 2017

BBC News

• Bromsgrove rail passengers face using bus serviceSome services are already full when they arrive at the station forcing passengers to get a bus
• Belfast Bikes dumped in River LaganPictures emerge of what appear to be several Belfast Bikes dumped in the River Lagan.
• London's Oxford Street bus routes cut by 40%Transport for London says the changes will reduce congestion and improve reliability.
• Can China's electric cars kill off petrol?How are three big carmakers going about cracking China, the world's biggest car market?
• GM says Venezuelan car plant is seized by governmentThe US car giant says it will 'take all legal actions' to defend its interests.
• BMW profits boosted by Intel map investmentThe German car giant says the value of its stake in the Here map service rises by 183m euros.
• Tesla recalls 53,000 cars over brake issueSome Model X and Model S vehicles are affected, but there have been no reports of accidents.
• Car insurance premiums jumped by 8% in past yearThe average UK car insurance premium rose by 8% in the past year to £462, the ABI says.

Financial Times

• Uber faces paying £2.1m to operate in LondonTransport for London plans to raise operating licence fee from current level of £2,826

The Independent

• Why we Should Prioritise High Speed Rail in the UKTravel talk this week has been dominated by overbooking. But one notable transport undertaking had plenty of spare seats.
• Gatwick and Heathrow airports both failed to get a one-star rating in a new survey on airport punctualityJust three out of five flights arriving and departing from Gatwick kept within 15 minutes of their scheduled time, according to a wide-reaching survey by the travel intelligence specialist OAG.

Times Online

• Private parking firms pursue one million more motorists [subscription]The number of motorists hit with “extortionate” penalties of up to £100 by private parking firms has soared by more than a million in 12 months, causing renewed anger over the government’s failure to crack down on cowboy operators.
• Rail firm builds small head of steam [subscription]Sometimes, no news is good news and so it was for Go-Ahead yesterday. Shares in the transport group had their best day in months as the company behind the shambles at Southern Railways said things have got no worse.
• Mace goes on attack over HS2 tender [subscription]High Speed Two came under renewed attack from the losing bidder for a key project management role, a day after MPs were told details of embarrassing failures in the tender competition.

Mail Online

• 'Bully boy' parking firms buy car details from DVLA Motoring group RAC estimates that almost £500million in penalties may have been issued by parking companies in 2016/17 after obtaining motorists' records from the DVLA.

London Evening Standard

• Cyclists 'could be banned from Oxford Street when it is pedestrianised'Cyclists could be banned from Oxford Street when it is pedestrianised, London's walking and cycling tsar has revealed.
• London cyclists slam suggestions commuting by bike 'halves cancer risk' following studyLondon cyclists have slammed suggestions that commuting on two wheels could halve the risk of developing cancer and heart disease.
• Uber may face £2.1m minicab licence feeUber could pay up to £2.1 million for a five-year licence under proposed changes to minicab fees announced by Transport for London today.
• Tube strike: Underground workers announce 24-hour walkout on May 7 over sacked colleagueTube staff have voted for a 24-hour strike over the sacking of a worker who tackled a fare dodger.
• Southern Rail counts cost of year's rail disruptionService has "stabilised" on the Southern Rail network where strikes have caused misery for thousands of commuters, franchise operator Go-Ahead Group insisted on Thursday.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Improvements to regional airports and other transport infrastructure could boost East of England’s economy by £23bn, CBI claimsInfrastructure improvements will play a vital role in securing a £23.2bn boost to the East of England’s economy, a business organisation has claimed.

Other Regional Press

• This is why we should ALL by cycling to workWalking to work is also good for you, although it does not offer the same benefits as taking a bike

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Transport for London confirms changes to bus routes in central London The reliability of the bus network in central London is set to be improved, cutting congestion and helping tackle air pollution, as Transport for London (TfL) confirmed that it will implement a range of changes to bus routes. The changes to 23 routes in central London follow a wide-ranging consultation and will ensure services are more closely matched to changing demand.  Bus demand on Oxford Street is shifting, as people choose different travel options, including cycling and walking. The opening of the Elizabeth line in late 2018 will further transform how people travel across central...

Rail Magazine

• Find out more about the new National College for High Speed RailWith doors at the new opening in September 2017, Chief Executive Clair Mowbray is set to speak at this year’s National Rail Conference

Rail Technology Magazine

• TetraFlex for Rail and Metro Communications Simplifying advanced communications for Public Transport. Meet the increased demands on safety and operational efficiency within large public transport systems with the TetraFlex TETRA radio infrastructure.
• Space-Saving Benefits of Remote Breaker Resets in Rail Remote breaker reset technology can create extra room in passenger carriages, while bringing additional functionality to circuit breakers and reducing total cost of ownership for rolling stock operators.
• How Energy Storage Technologies are Moving from Concept to Reality on Europe's Electrified Rail Networks Energy storage innovations are leading to smarter energy architectures for more sustainable, cost-effective rail networks.
• South East Flexible Ticketing programme soars millions over budgetThe South East Flexible Ticketing Programme (SEFT) has gone millions over budget and has failed to hit a number of its original key targets, a review of the programme conducted by the National Audit Office (NAO) has found. Originally, the programme aimed to enable part-time workers to buy...
• Passenger revenue stabilises on GTR services despite a year's worth of strikesPassenger growth has slowed on Southeastern rail services, whilst passenger revenue growth on strike-ridden GTR has now stabilised, the third quarter trading statement from Go-Ahead has today announced. The statement from the company, who are behind GTR, London Midland and Southeastern, found...
• Councils call for DfT to move forward on 'crucial' Crossrail 2 plansCouncils across London and the south east have come together to put their support behind plans for Crossrail 2 and have urged the government to fully support the project. Authorities from Cambridge to Portsmouth and the representative for London’s 32 Borough Councils, London Councils, have...

Railnews

• Services returning to normal after Euston cable fire A fire in signalling cables at South Hampstead caused serious disruption to services at London Euston last night, and the station had to be closed for a time. Operators said the effects of the incident were felt all the way down the West Coast Main Line as far as Liverpool.
• NAO highlights smart ticketing failings The National Audit Office has delivered a damning verdict on the progress of smart ticketing on National Rail, accusing the Department for Transport of failing to live up to promises made only a few years ago. In a new report, it says: The Department has paused and reconsidered its approach to the Programme, and changed its scope and objectives on a number of occasions.� The cost of setting up the back office systems to support smart ticketing was originally put at �45 million, but this rose to �54 million. Even so, the resulting systems are only being used to about 5 per cent of their capac...

Railway Gazette

• Open access operators launch Alliance of Rail New Entrants EUROPE: The Alliance for Rail New Entrants was launched on April 20 to bring together non-incumbent...
• HS2 rolling stock procurement moves forwardUK: The competition for a £2.75bn contract to design, build and maintain trainsets for High Speed 2...

Aviation Industry

• Virgin America receives first A321neo as Alaska mulls future fleetThe first Airbus A321neo, the largest and longest-range variant of the Airbus family of re-engined narrowbody aircraft, has been delivered to Virgin America. read more
• Former American Airlines CCO to advise Nigerian startupNigerian startup Green Africa Airways has appointed former American Airlines CCO Virasb Vahidi as a senior executive advisor. read more
• Canada’s WestJet plans to launch ULCC subsidiary Calgary-based low-cost carrier (LCC) WestJet, Canada’s second largest airline, said it will launch an ultra LCC by the end of 2017. read more
• Lufthansa to receive five A320neos in 2017 Lufthansa Group will take delivery of five Airbus A320neos instead of the 10 originally planned to be delivered this year, Lufthansa spokesperson Joerg Waber confirmed to ATW. read more

Other News Sources

• Heathrow needs Devon businesses to build £16billion airport expansion Small businesses are being called on to help build a bigger Heathrow Airport. Bosses behind the £16billion expansion project to create a third runway are launching a regional tour to get small and medium sized firms across Devon, Cornwall and the wider South West involved in the supply chain, creating an estimated £170 million for the economy.