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

Thursday, 18 May 2017

BBC News

• Southern rail drivers announce new overtime banPassengers face more disruption as Aslef union announces new industrial action.
• US and EU reject expanding laptop ban to flights from EuropeBut after a meeting to discuss aviation security, officials say other measures are being considered.

Financial Times

• Brussels softens rules on airport subsidiesCommission hopes changes to state aid regime will boost infrastructure

The Guardian

• Air pollution kills more people in the UK than in Sweden, US and MexicoWHO figures show people in Britain are more likely to die from dirty air than those living in some other comparable countriesPeople in the UK are 64 times as likely to die of air pollution as those in Sweden and twice as likely as those in the US, figures from the World Health Organisation reveal.Britain, which has a mortality rate for air pollution of 25.7 for every 100,000 people, was also beaten by Brazil and Mexico – and it trailed far behind Sweden, the cleanest nation in the EU, with a rate of 0.4. Continue reading...
• Dutch king admits he held part-time job as airline pilotWillem-Alexander co-piloted commercial KLM flights twice a month, saying it had been a ‘relaxing’ hobbyThe Dutch king has revealed that for more than two decades he has, alongside his royal duties, held down a part-time second job. In a newspaper interview published on Wednesday, King Willem-Alexander said that he recently ended his role as a regular “guest pilot” after 21 years on KLM’s fleet of Fokker 70 planes and before that on Dutch carrier Martinair. Continue reading...

The Independent

• Harvesting big data could bring about the next transport revolutionThe future of transport appears full of fun and flashy possibilities. From super-fast hyperloop transport systems, to self-driving cars and hovering taxis, new technology promises to move us further and faster than ever before. Yet for cities facing everyday problems such as congestion, air pollution and under capacity, the most effective solution could be the humble bus – coupled with the power of data.

The Scotsman

• Prestwick Airport won't pay off rescue loans until 2032Prestwick Airport will take nearly 20 years to repay taxpayer loans which have kept it from closure, MSPs were told today.

The Telegraph

• Dutch king reveals secret life as commercial co-pilot

Times Online

• Electric cars will not dent global oil demand, says BP [subscription]Electric vehicles will spur demand for gas for use in power plants, BP has claimed, as it tried to shrug off concerns over their impact on its oil business.

The Sun

• LIGHTNING POD What is the Hyperloop, how fast can Elon Musk’s transport system go, is it coming to the UK and what does it look like?A NEW supersonic train called Hyperloop One is being built that could transport passengers from London to Edinburgh or LA to San Francisco in half an hour.

Derby Telegraph

• General Election 2017 - Chris Grayling talks of transport and potholes during Derby North visit Transport Secretary Chris Grayling would like to see electrification of the Midland Mainline happen "sooner rather than later" and has said he wants to see new trains replace "smelly" diesel "as soon as possible".

London Evening Standard

• Southern Rail passengers face fresh misery as union resumes overtime banSouthern Rail commuters face a return to daily travel misery after a union brought back an overtime ban — meaning hundreds of services could be cancelled and delayed.
• Docklands Light Railway: Transport bosses announce 43 new trains with air conditioning and USB pointsLondoners are set to benefit from an influx of new Docklands Light Railway trains featuring air-conditioning and USB charging points.

Wales Online

• The 44 key points in the Liberal Democrat 2017 election manifestoThe manifesto states: “Among other powers which we would devolve are funding of Network Rail in relation to the Wales network, allowing the Welsh Government to set its own bank holidays and giving the Children’s Commissioner for Wales the power to examine issues that affect children in Wales but are not within the control of the Welsh Government.”
• A hospital consultant has spent his nights in his garage inventing a self-balancing electric unibikeBy day he is a consultant at Morriston Hospital, and by night an inventor - and now he’s hoping to inspire youngsters to get into computer programming and engineering with his wheely good creation.

Other Regional Press

• Reduced-size bus service from Guildford town centre to Bellfields causing 'increase in isolation of the most vulnerable'Arriva Buses introduced new minibuses on its service between the town centre and Bellfields in April, but a petition has been launched to bring back the old vehicles
• Campaigners for cleaner air and better public transport will be rallying in Gravesend tommorrowThe rally will see protesters board a ferry to campaign in Tilbury and Gravesend against the lack of public transport across the Thames and the so-called ‘toxic triangle’ falling inside the area between the Dartford Crossing, A2 and the new Lower Thames Crossing.

C.N.N.

• Ferry between Russia and North Korea starts regular serviceA cargo-passenger ferry service linking Russia and North Korea completed its first trip Thursday.

Forbes

• Google Racking Up More Patents Than Most Automakers On Connected And Self-Driving CarsIf you expected automakers to lead in patenting intellectual property for connected and self-driving cars, you'd be wrong. Looking at patents for the past five years, Google is in a dead heat with Audi for most patents in that category.

Buying Business Travel

• BA says domestic Club Europe is a ‘real hit’Airline introduced business class on internal UK flights last month
• Union threatens legal action over Uber licence renewalGMB wants Transport for London to impose conditions on taxi-hailing service
• Lib Dems promise no new runways in the UKParty also wants government to take over the running of “failing” rail franchises

Rail Magazine

• Vivarail reveals new D-Trains will be available in 2018Vivarail confirms first two completed D-Trains will be available for delivery early next year.
• Discount available for rail travellers to Rail Live Visitors travelling by rail to this Rail Live can benefit from a 15% travel discount, courtesy of Great Western Railway.
• Transport for London seeks new trains for DLR43 Docklands Light Railway (DLR) trains to be ordered by Transport for London. Will enter traffic from 2022.
• Still time to sign up apprentices for High Speed Rail collegeBusinesses are being urged to act quickly to sign up employees for the National College for High Speed Rail’s higher apprenticeship scheme.

Rail Technology Magazine

• RMT confirms triple strike action to set up day of misery for passengersUnion RMT yesterday confirmed that its members will walk out in dispute with three operators across the country on Tuesday 30 May. Drivers and guards working on Southern, Arriva Rail North and Merseyrail services will strike for 24 hours the day after bank holiday Monday, meaning that commuters...
• ScotRail ramps up station security with 300 new CCTV camerasScotRail has today announced that it is looking to crack down on crime at its stations by increasing the amount of new CCTV cameras being installed. Over 300 new cameras have been installed across the ScotRail Alliance’s 359 stations to help passengers and staff feel more secure whilst...
• TfL starts search for supplier of new DLR trains TfL has today announced that it has begun its hunt to find a supplier to build the “new generation” of Dockland Light Rail (DLR) trains. The new carriages will be rolled out from 2022 and will increase capacity on the DLR by over 30%. TfL also said that the new rolling stock will be...

Aviation Industry

• EU-US laptop ban talks to continueA meeting between European Union (EU) and US officials over a potential widening of the ban on laptops and tablets in hand luggage has ended in agreement to hold further talks in Washington DC, during the week of May 22. read more
• Air France aims to launch Boost with five A320sAir France has given more details of its Boost project, revealing plans to launch the new airline with five Airbus A320s in winter 2017. read more

Other News Sources

• How might the future of British transport change post-election?For your interest and convenience, Justin Fox explains for EuroTransport what the three main political parties in the UK are proposing in the forthcoming election with relation to public transport.
• Lib Dem manifesto: Ambitious new laws for emissions reductions, green transport and the circular economyLeader Tim Farron spoke of the Lib Dems’ “positive vision for the future” at the official manifesto launch earlier this evening (17 May). A headline pledge to deliver a second EU referendum that “gives the final say to the British people” is backed up by a vow to incorporate existing EU environmental protections.
• Magna shines a light on blind spots with ClearView vision systemsStatistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that nearly 840,000 blind spot accidents occur each year in the United States, resulting in 300 fatalities. Magna International, a leader in camera-based advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and mirrors, has developed ClearView™ to help improve visibility while changing lanes, backing out of a parking space, or driving with a vehicle full of cargo.