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

Saturday, 13 May 2017

BBC News

• Reality Check: What does nationalising the railways mean?A draft of Labour's leaked election manifesto pledges to bring Britain's railways back into public ownership. Reality Check has been looking at how this renationalisation might work.
• Drone warning to enthusiasts over Flying Scotsman visitSteam enthusiasts have been warned of the dangers of trespassing on railway lines or using drones as the Flying Scotsman prepares to visit Scotland.
• Whistleblower sparks Hyundai and Kia recall of 240,000 carsIt is the first time South Korea's government has ordered a compulsory recall, which affects 12 car models.
• Car finance deals soar to new recordMore than a million new cars were bought on finance deals in the past year, figures show.

The Guardian

• Time to test the track record of privatisation [Letter]The Conservatives claim to favour market competition. By gradually taking the existing rail franchises back under public control when each runs out (Report, 11 May), we will be able to compare how well public and private management of this key public service perform.

Times Online

• Transport costs drive prices up by 0.9% [subscription]Prices rose at the fastest yearly rate in four years during April, heightening fears that stronger wage demands could stunt Ireland’s competitiveness, a leading economist has warned.
• Police profit from new £75 motorway speeding coursePolice chiefs have been accused of profiting from motorists after hundreds of drivers were enrolled on a new £75 course for breaking variable speed limits on motorways.
• Island-hoppers can now hail an Uber [subscription]First it was London’s black cab drivers in the firing line. Now Uber is targeting water taxis and ferry companies.

Daily Express

• 'I imagine you’ve done your figures Diane!' Dimbleby mocks Abbott over railways pledgeA BBC presenter has taken a swipe at Diane Abbott during a live panel debate show over her numbers on Labour’s plans to nationalise the railways.

The York Press

• Claims ticket office to be self-service venueA UNION claims the ticket office at York railway station will be shut down and replaced with an entirely self-service area.

Yorkshire Post

• Tom Richmond: A clear signal, so why isn’t rail upgrade now on track? “WE made promises and we endeavour to keep our promises.” So said Transport Secretary Chris Grayling during a campaign visit to Wakefield this week when he reaffirmed the Tory party’s commitment to overhauling the region’s railway infrastructure.

Plymouth Herald

• Commuters set to get jam-busting train service Rail bosses are planning to introduce a commuter rail service from Okehampton to Exeter, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has revealed.

Other Regional Press

• Popular cycling trail is not an ‘active’ routeA POPULAR Aberystwyth cycling trail cannot be promoted as an “active” or “safe” route because it does not utilise a pedestrian crossing just metres away.
• Rail failures highlighted in new surveyTHE extent of overcrowding and delays on Britain's rail network has been highlighted by a new survey.
• BMW boss hints at moving Mini production out of Oxford THE TOP boss of BMW has hinted Mini production could be moved out of Oxford and Britain if a favourable Brexit deal is not struck.
• Rail services at their ‘worst level’The dispute between Southern and unions has lasted for more than a year

Bus and Coach.com

• Campaign for Better Transport attacks “inadequate” air quality plan
• New eight-year contract to be approved for York park-and-ride

Buying Business Travel

• Expedia buys majority stake in SilverrailOnline travel firm makes investment in rail technology specialist

Global Rail News

• Expedia ‘ready to be part of digital rail revolution’ as it acquires majority stake in SilverRailThe transaction of SilverRail, which builds digital infrastructure for the global rail industry – such as the rail ticketing platform SilverCore – is expected to be finalised by the middle of 2017.
• Alstom awarded €355m contract to supply light rail vehicles for Greater Toronto and HamiltonOntario government agency Metrolink has submitted a €355 million order to Alstom for 61 Citadis Spirit light rail vehicles.

Rail Technology Magazine

• HS2 contracts 'not possible' to win without improving diversityCompanies hoping to win contracts with HS2 have this week been warned that it will be impossible to do so without improving their organisation’s record for diversity and inclusion. The message was sent by Mark Lomas, head of equality, diversity and inclusion at HS2, talking at Railtex 2017...
• Passengers report overcrowded, late and dirty trains in surveyOver half of passengers (53%) could not get a seat on a train due to overcrowding at least once during the last six months, a Which? survey has today stated. The survey asked passengers about their experiences with train delays and overcrowding over the past six months. It found that...

Railnews

• Network Rail takes next key step towards devolution The organisation of Network Rail is evolving today as the company takes another landmark step towards devolution, which means that nearly all investment decisions will be taken at route level from now on. The reform, which had been planned well before the election was called, is happening in the wake of the renewed debate about railway ownership which was sparked by the premature publication this week of Labour's manifesto and its plans to renationalise passenger operators, and is also taking place against the background of planning for the next budget period CP6.

Aviation Industry

• EasyJet bases 12th aircraft at Berlin SchoenefeldThe carrier plans to launch new routes to Bastia, France, beginning June 26; to Pula, Croatia, starting June 27; and to Varna, Bulgaria, from June 28. read more

Other News Sources

• Adaptable train carriage ready for UK trialsA reconfigurable train carriage system designed to allow trains to automatically switch between passenger and cargo modes is poised to undergo trials on the UK rail network. Developed by Cambridgeshire product development firm 42 Technology the so-called ‘Adaptable Carriage’ system allows the seats and tables within a passenger train carriage to be automatically stowed to […]
• London Stansted Airport sets new passenger record for AprilLondon Stansted welcomed over 2.1 million passengers to the airport during its busiest ever April, an increase of 11% over the same month in 2016 and passing the previous high for the month set in 2006.
• Rail services at their ‘worst level’TRAIN services run by a strike-hit operator have plummeted to their worst levels since a watchdog began monitoring performance.
• Extra “Bubble Car” services scheduled to say farewellIn response to increased interest from customers wishing to travel on the heritage class 121 Bubble Cars before they are retired on 19 May, Chiltern Railways has announced additional services for the final week of service.

EIN News Subscription

• US, EU in urgent talks on expanding laptop ban on international flights … to include planes from the EU. The Associated Press reports the … threat prompted the proposal, says European Commission transport spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, who … and passengers in France’s airports, is predicting “chaotic” scenes initially …