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

Friday, 14 July 2017

BBC News

• Bus lane camera nets £1m in six months for Sandwell CouncilThe camera in West Bromwich is already among England's most lucrative.
• St Mellons private rail station welcomed by Chris GraylingWales' first privately-owned station Cardiff Parkway would link to Cardiff and Newport city centres.
• Waste products, not crops, key to boosting UK biofuelsThe UK should focus on making fuel from chip fat, whiskey dregs and forest waste and not from crops like wheat
• Qatar Airways CEO sorry for calling US air hostesses 'grandmothers'Akbar Al Baker called US flight attendants “grandmothers” and boasted his had an average age of 26.
• Uber and Yandex combine forces in RussiaYandex, known as the Russian Google, will take over part of Uber's business as Uber recalibrates its global strategy.
• Air Zimbabwe lays off half its workforce amid financial woesThe job losses are part of a strategy to bring the struggling airline back into profitability.
• Rail passenger satisfaction 'little changed in a decade'Rail firms handle passenger complaints almost as badly as they did a decade ago, says Which?

Department for Transport

• Work gets underway on ‘Halton Curve’ to boost Liverpool City Region, Cheshire and North Wales rail linksAlun Cairns: Improvements will help unlock economic growth opportunities for North Wales
• Update on the Airports NPS and a decision on night flightsProgress on the Airports National Policy Statement and the decision on a new night flight regime for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports.

Financial Times

• Delta’s third-quarter outlook falls short of expectationsUS carrier’s disappointing guidance contrasts with rosy forecasts from rivals

The Guardian

• Electric cars to account for all new vehicle sales in Europe by 2035Falling battery costs to drive sales but European carmakers will lose out to rivals in the US and Asia, forecasts Dutch bankAll new cars sold in Europe will be electric within less than two decades, driven by government support, falling battery costs and economies of scale, a Dutch bank has predicted. However, ING warned that with battery-powered vehicles accounting for 100% of registrations in 2035 across the continent, European carmakers would lose out to their rivals in the US and Asia who already lead on battery production. Continue reading...
• Pay-per-mile road tax plan wins £250,000 Wolfson economics prizePrizewinner Gergely Raccuja, 27, aims to scrap vehicle tax and fuel duty to help fund all road repairs with more eco-friendly scheme collected by insurersA graduate transport planner has won a £250,000 prize for a plan to improve Britain’s ailing roads with a proposal to scrap fuel and vehicle taxes and replace them with a pay-per-mile charging scheme.The scheme would reward users of lighter, cleaner vehicles and ensure a steady stream of revenue to the exchequer (pdf), with the £27bn received annually from fuel duty now jeopardised by electric vehicles. Continue reading...
• Uber’s practices are morally unacceptable – but a boycott won’t help | Hannah LownsbroughWith the company’s licence to operate in London expiring in September, now is the time for consumers to demand that it mends its ways• Hannah Lownsbrough is executive director of consumer group SumOfUsLabour’s business secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey, finds Uber’s business practices morally unacceptable and refuses to use the company. I agree with her, but boycotting the app isn’t the best way to take on Uber. Related: Uber is not morally acceptable, says shadow business secretary Continue reading...

The Telegraph

• Southern rail passengers face more misery as drivers vote to strike in August

Times Online

• Supersonic commuter sledge passes its first test — at 70mph [Subscription]Transport pioneers who hope to fire commuters from one side of Britain to the other in 12 minutes have had their Wright Brothers moment.
• Southern rail train drivers to strike despite 24% pay offer [Subscription]Train drivers have voted to strike over pay despite being offered more than £11,000 extra over four years for a four-day week.

City AM

• Government sets out new night flight rules for London airports Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted to tackle noise troublesThe government has unveiled a series of measures in an effort to clamp down on night flight noise from London airports.
• Southern rail faces summer strike saga as train drivers' union Aslef announces fresh walkouts for AugustTrain drivers' union Aslef has announced fresh strike dates for August, in a dispute with Southern rail.
• Rail passenger satisfaction ratings are still nearly as low as they were 10 years agoThere has been virtually no progress on low satisfaction ratings among rail passengers in the past 10 years, according to new analysis.

Network Rail

• New mobile warning system for Scottish level crossings as number of near misses rise over summer holidaysNetwork Rail and the ScotRail Alliance are rolling-out a new system at high-risk level crossings that uses mobile phone signals to warn people to stay aware when near the railway.

Sky News

• Futuristic transport system Hyperloop One declares first successful testThe company succeeds in making a vehicle travel at 70mph through the Nevada desert using magnetic levitation.

Birmingham Mail

• This travel comparison website says it can save you HUNDREDS on train tickets a yearBut a new travel website reckons it can save you a fortune - thanks to a "ground-breaking" algorithm.

Birmingham Post

• Highways bosses say sorry over Aston Expressway roadworks gridlock Thousands of drivers caught out by closures heading towards city centre

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Sparks fly at Council meeting as controversial new rules for cabbies are agreed A RAFT of new rules for private hire car firms and hackney carriages in Bradford were given the go ahead at a tense meeting today.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Direct rail link from North Wales to Liverpool takes giant step forward today Work gets underway on the Halton Curve that could transform rail links in the area

London Evening Standard

• £13.4m fine for Southern Rail over poor performance slammed as 'slap on the wrist'The multi-million pound fine handed to Southern rail's parent company has been branded "a slap on the wrist" by unions.
• 'Here we go again': Weary passengers vent frustration after train drivers vote for summer strike on Southern Rail and Gatwick ExpressCommuters are facing three days of disruption in August

Yorkshire Post

• Yorkshire's Doncaster Sheffield Airport wins top award for soaring passenger numbers Yorkshire's Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) was on cloud nine today after winning a European industry award for soaring passenger numbers.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Night flight noise crackdown at Stansted Airport from governmentNoisy night flights from Stansted Airport will be tackled in a new crackdown, a government minister has pledged.
• Roads minister sees the need for improvements to major Suffolk routesRoads minister Jesse Norman was shown the need for two major projects in Suffolk during a quick tour of two of the county’s most significant blackspots.

Other Regional Press

• Bring back our trains, Arlene!A mock-up of how a railway station in Enniskillen might look with Lidl and Cole’s Monument in the background (Courtesy Headhunters Railway Museum Collection)
• STEPHEN LLOYD MP: I’ll always be ‘unreasonable’ for EastbourneThe pressure is building over the government’s (inept) handling of the Southern Rail dispute, which is causing so much damage to our local economy as well as tremendous inconvenience to many Eastbourne rail users.
• Why Gloucester's £7.5m new bus station is being quietly scaled backBentinck House, attached to the NCP car park will stay standing for a lot longer than first expected
• Transport Secretary says commitment to third runway at Heathrow Airport is as 'strong as ever'The Transport Secretary has said the government’s commitment to building a third runway at Heathrow Airport is as ‘strong as ever’.
• Businessman wants to clean up our act by launching revolutionary transport technologyA businessman based near Grantham believes he is close to launching two technologies which will change the face of transport forever.
• Railway plans could put Oxford at heart of transport networkTHE next stage of the rail link between Oxford and Cambridge, combined with regeneration of the railway station, could put the city at the heart of the country's transport network.
• New transport group 'major step forward' for Isle of WightA NEW regional body, representing the Isle of Wight and the rest of the south east, hopes to directly influence how government cash is spent to improve transport issues.
• Work gets underway on ‘Halton Curve’ to boost North Wales, Liverpool City Region and Cheshire rail linksWork has started on the 1.5 miles of rail track, known as the ‘Halton Curve’, that will unlock leisure and business opportunities between the Liverpool City Region, its airport, Cheshire and North Wales.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• TfL to enhance frequency on the Elizabeth line (Image Source: Crossrail) Services on the Elizabeth line are set to be even more extensive and frequent than originally planned when the line becomes fully operational in December 2019, Transport for London (TfL) announced.  Off-peak services between Paddington and Whitechapel will be increased from 16 trains as previously planned, to 20 trains per hour - a 25 per cent increase. An additional two trains per hour will run between Paddington and Shenfield and a further two trains per hour between Paddington and Abbey Wood will also be introduced in the off-peak. Peak services to destina...

Rail Magazine

• Latest drone-borne technology helps NR monitoringNetwork Rail has hailed a drone-borne railway infrastructure measurement and monitoring system from Plowman Craven as a “game-changer
• Network Rail and development partner to regenerate brownfield site in DerbyAround 3,300 permanent jobs expected to be created
• No difference in risk for DCO, says RSSBResearch suggests individual train operators are adept at managing specific risks

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.
• Lilian Greenwood named new transport select committee chairLilian Greenwood has been narrowly elected as the new chair of the Transport Select Committee in the House of Commons. The MP for Nottingham South fought off competition from four Labour party colleagues – Geraint Davies, Clive Efford, Bridget Phillipson and Gavin Shuker to be given the...

The Business Desk

• Sales soar at Jet2 owners but pre-tax profits take a diveRevenues have taken off at Jet2 owners Dart Group, but major investments over the year into airport bases have taken their toll on pre-tax profits.

Transport Network

• Greenwood promises 'challenging' approach as Transport Committee chairThe MP for Nottingham South has replaced her Labour colleague Louise Ellman as chair of the Commons Transport Select Committee following an election on Wednesday.

Aviation Industry

• EasyJet bases Airbus A320neo at London Gatwick UK low-cost carrier (LCC) easyJet is to base its second Airbus A320neo at London Gatwick Airport, after basing its initial aircraft at London Luton. read more
• Rootliep named as new KLM Cityhopper CEODutch carrier KLM has announced that Warner Rootliep, who is currently KLM general manager Great Britain & Ireland, will be the next CEO of regional airline KLM Cityhopper. read more
• Delta posts $1.2 billion 2Q net profit; takes first A350-900Delta Air Lines posted a $1.2 billion net profit for the second quarter of 2017, down 21% from $1.5 billion in net income for 2Q 2016. read more

Green Miscellany

• What causes numb hands while cycling?Numbness in your fingers while riding a bicycle can occur if your riding style or seat position results in too much pressure being placed on your hands. According to Imperial College London, handlebar palsy, also referred to as cyclist’s palsy, can be caused by prolonged compression of the ulnar or median nerve. This compression syndrome can affect all cyclists, but… The post What causes numb hands while cycling? appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• HS2 and PageGroup recognised for equality and inclusionRailway organisation HS2 and recruitment business PageGroup (pictured) were among the organisations recognised for inclusive and equal workplace practices at the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion (ENEI) Awards 2017.
• Our train crossing are 'high risk'The number of accidents or near misses at level crossings have soared in the last five years.
• Has 'Work Experience Eddie' turned around public opinion about Southern Rail.....? One firm thinks so The teenage Twitter sensation has "more than doubled" positive sentiment towards the rail firm, at least according to an analytics company
• FTA members make strides in improving emissions performanceWith emissions standards front and centre of the air quality debate, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has today (13 July 2017) shared the ...
• Navigating the new car industry‘Massive and dramatic’ disruption of the auto industry presents issues for incumbent carmakers, says an article co-authored by experts from Cambridge Judge Business School and Jaguar Land Rover.
• London Stansted sets new passenger record for June as cargo total hits all-time highLondon Stansted welcomed over 2.3 million passengers to the airport during June this year, up 7.9% over the same month in 2016 and a new record for the month of June, surpassing the previous high set 11 years ago in 2006.