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

Friday, 21 July 2017

Government

• Drivers to benefit from free Severn crossings from 2018Welsh Secretary announces Severn tolls will be abolished by the end of next year

BBC News

• Bicester's level crossing may shut for 34 minutes an hourBarriers at a level crossing could be down for the majority of every hour if a major rail project goes ahead.
• Severn tolls abolished by end of 2018, says Alun CairnsTolls on the Severn bridges between Wales and England will be scrapped by the end of next year, the UK government has announced.
• UK air traffic controllers warn of over-crowded skiesAir traffic controllers are warning that UK skies are running out of room for record numbers of planes.
• Wales and Borders rail franchise delay 'could cost £3.5m'Welsh ministers say the UK Government should pay after delaying the search for a new train operator.
• First electric car showroom opens in Milton KeynesThe UK's first electric car showroom aims to
• Laptop ban: US lifts restrictions on Saudi Arabian flightsSaudi Arabian Airlines says US authorities have lifted restrictions on laptops in cabins at two airports.
• FTSE 100 rallies but EasyJet shares slipEasyJet shares fall 6% despite the airline raising its full-year profit forecast.
• Rail electrification plans scrapped by governmentWales, the Midlands and the North will no longer see their lines upgraded after a government review.

Department for Transport

• Government sets out vision for future of UK aviationLaunch of plans to develop a new UK Aviation Strategy to help shape the future of the aviation industry to 2050 and beyond.

Financial Times

• Technology that aims to prevent the car text crashAs road deaths rise, software is being developed to deal with distracted drivers
• JLR opens first engine plant outside UK in ChinaCarmaker cuts shipping costs as it ramps up international expansion
• A train that proclaims China’s global ambitionAs Beijing pushes westwards, the Atlantic century makes way for a new Eurasian age
• EasyJet warns of tough market from rising competitionLow-cost carrier lifts full-year profit forecast after strong third quarter
• UK abandons rail upgrades and delays decision on network fundingElectrification of lines to cut costs and reduce carbon emissions abandoned
• Elon Musk excites followers with Boring tweetsBillionaire takes to Twitter to lobby for approval to build superfast train tunnel

The Guardian

• Trainy McTrainface: Swedish rail firm approves name following online pollMTR Express allows name following public vote, saying news will bring joy to many – and ‘not just in Sweden’A Swedish rail operator has vowed to name one of its trains Trainy McTrainface after a public vote, saying it would bring joy to people disappointed when Britain rejected the name Boaty McBoatface for a polar research ship following a similar poll. Trainy McTrainface won 49% of the votes in the naming competition, conducted online by train operator MTR Express and Swedish newspaper Metro, beating choices such as Hakan, Miriam and Poseidon. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Tram to run all night on Saturday's during the Edinburgh festivals periodEdinburgh's tram system is to operate around the clock at weekends during the city's festival season.

The Scotsman

• EasyJet upgrades profit forecast after strong EasterBudget airline EasyJet has upgraded its annual profit forecast after a strong Easter helped boost third-quarter revenues.

The Telegraph

• British silence on public transport 'makes it harder to stop sexual assault'British silence on the rail network is making it harder for women to speak up about being sexually assaulted, campaigners have said.

Mail Online

• Electrified rail lines axed over cost The government promised five years ago to make the railway network faster and greener by electrifying lines in Wales, Midlands and the North.

This is Money

• The new cars where a diesel is cheaper to buy than petrol With surcharges soon to be enforced and more set to come to discourage people from using them in built-up areas, diesel cars have fallen from grace with buyers, with sales plummeting recently.

Birmingham Post

• West Midlands mayor Andy Street brings in leaders from business, academia and local government to raise billions for the region West Midlands mayor wants funding for jobs, homes and transport but says the region can't just rely on government grants

Bolton News

• 2 busy junctions set for SIX months of major �1.9 million roadworksA �1.9 million scheme to improve two major Farnworth junctions will start on Monday.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• 'Dismay' as heritage railway's fares almost double for pensioners HERITAGE railway bosses have apologised for almost doubling fares for local pensioners following a complaint from a regular traveller.

Bristol Live

• The 'ambitious’ £8.9bn transport plan for Bristol includes underground trains, autonomous vehicles and new roadsFrom underground rail and new motorway junctions to autonomous vehicles and new MetroBus routes – a new £8.9billion transport vision has been drawn up for the Bristol region.

Liverpool Echo

• OPINION: How proper mass transit can make a great city even better "Whether trains or trams, a revamped system would cost money, but it would pay for itself in the end."

London Evening Standard

• easyJet dives amid competition worriesThe fight for business in booming summer holiday destinations has hit easyJet as its shares tumbled today amid competition concerns.
• Transport app Citymapper launches first ever night bus serving east London party-goersTransport app Citymapper is launching its first commercial bus route through east London's night spots.
• London commuters call for total ban on food on the Tube, following plan in New York A proposed ban on smelly food on New York's subway has sparked calls among London's commuters for similar action on the Underground.

Manchester Evening News

• Work is starting on a new £1bn 'super-terminal' at Manchester Airport and this is what it will look likeWork on a new 'super-terminal' begins today - on what's expected to be the busiest day on record for Manchester Airport

Nottingham Evening Post

• Plan to build as many as 500 homes in Stapleford submitted one day after HS2 route approvedDesigns for 253 homes have been submitted, but the scheme could be expanded

Yorkshire Post

• YP Comment: Rail users are betrayed again - Broken promise on £500m plan The Government’s cancellation of the planned upgrade of a key railway line between Yorkshire and London represents nothing less than a £500m broken promise to this county and its long-suffering train passengers.

Other Regional Press

• Fury as Government 'shortchanges' Leicester and Leicestershire by axing Midland Mainline electrification'Bi-mode' trains signal the end of major investment in rail route
• STEPHEN LLOYD MP: A break in the Southern Rail impasse? I have often told people who ask me that the key to being an MP was not that we have a lot of power - we don’t - but we have ‘access’ to power and if you know how to use the access, you can move mountains.
• Merseyside travel chiefs hit back at Globe columnist's 'keep the guards' articleOUR columnist Peter Grant obviously rattled a few carriages at Merseyrail with his article saying he personally hopes the organisation has second thoughts about getting rid of guards on trains.
• Sneak peek inside Lincoln's £30m transport hub1,000-space multi-storey car park and modern bus station project is catalyst for growth
• More electric car charging points could be introduced in NewportCHARGING points for electrical and hybrid vehicles could soon be available in council-run car parks in Newport.
• Grayling sparks fury by scrapping rail electrification plansPlans to electrify three rail lines across the United Kingdom have been scrapped by the government, prompting an angry response from public sector stakeholders.

Forbes

• How BWM And Parkmobile Are Changing The Way We Park Our CarsAs our cars and our cities are getting smarter it offers opportunities for automation and innovation. Here we look at how BWM, in collaboration with Parkmobile, are innovating and automating the way we park our cars.

Buying Business Travel

• Stansted boosted by return of transatlantic flightsPrimera Air announces services to New York and Boston in 2018
• BA cabin crew to extend strike periodUnion Unite announces further 14-day stoppage in August
• Easyjet Europe begins first flightsNew airline subsidiary starts operations after securing AOC

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• New improvements for rail passengers in Wales, the midlands and the north Passengers in Wales, the midlands and the north will get faster and more comfortable journeys quicker under new plans announced by the government. The Department for Transport is setting out plans for new trains on the Midland Main Line, Great Western Main Line and in the Lake District with increased seats and better on-board facilities. Modern bi-mode trains will be used on Great Western and Midland Main Line, with passengers in Wales benefiting from new Intercity Express trains which will each deliver over 130 more seats and faster services. Long distance journey times from Nottingham a...
• Unions suspend strike action on Southern Rail (Image Source: PA) ASLEF and the RMT have suspended planned strike action on Southern Rail on 1, 2 and 4 August and lifted a ban on overtime and rest day working. This follows nine repeated offers by Transport Ministers to meet with ASLEF and the RMT if they called off strike action, beginning in November 2016. The Transport Secretary wrote to the unions with this offer most recently on Tuesday 18 July. The Transport Secretary will meet with ASLEF and the RMT shortly to discuss a solution that ensures passengers receive the high quality rail services that they deserve. Transport Secretary ...

Global Rail News

• UK Department for Transport to extend East Midlands rail franchise until August 2019East Midlands Trains (EMT) will now run services on the UK’s East Midlands franchise until at least August 2019 after the Department for Transport (DfT) took up an option to extend the contract for another year.

Rail Technology Magazine

• ECI-2 reveals key areas to embrace change to deliver Digital RailwayThe Digital Railway has taken another step forward this week as bosses responsible for delivering the transformative project have unveiled how they could incorporate next-generation technology into rail from new suppliers and the non-railway sector.
• New bi-mode fleet a requirement for East Midlands as consultation opensThe DfT has this week launched its public consultation on the new East Midlands franchise, including specifications for a new bi-mode fleet of intercity trains, whilst at the same time revealing that plans to electrify the Midland Main Line north of Kettering have been abandoned.
• Free Public WiFi at Cardiff Central Railway Station Travellers expect Wi-Fi connection at every stage of their journey. Arriva Trains wanted to further improve what Cardiff Station offered by installing a free Wi-Fi service so that travellers could easily check e-mails, catch up with friends and famil…
• DfT promises CP6 renewals boost, but pushes funding deal to OctoberTransport secretary Chris Grayling has agreed to a higher volume of renewals activity in CP6 in order to “maintain safety and improve on current levels of reliability and punctuality” – but has pushed back the announcement of a funding envelope for the control period, citing the...
• ORR: Network Rail 5% less efficient than three years agoThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has today stated that there has been a significant decline in efficiency from Network Rail during CP5, as the infrastructure owner is carrying out its work 5% less efficiently than it did three years ago. In its annual report on Network Rail’s performance...
• HS2 admits to 'serious error' in £1.76m redundancy payments overspendHS2 has already exceeded rates set by the DfT for the costs of redundancy pay by £1.76m, a report on the company’s accounts by the NAO has today revealed. Despite work not yet starting on the high-speed rail line, and assurances from directors at HS2 that it was sticking to time and...
• Grayling throws three major electrification plans out the windowThe government has decided to call off plans to electrify a string of major routes based on the premise that bi-mode trains already provide seamless transfer from diesel power to electric, in a move the Welsh government argued “amounted to years of broken promises”. In a statement...

Railnews

• Rail network now full in many areas Network Rail spent £3.9 billion on enhancing the railway network last year, but its chairman has warned that congestion is causing delays. The increasing number of trains is one of the causes of deteriorating performance, along with poor weather and industrial action. Network Rail's new annual report also records that the exceptional safety record has continued, and that the reliability of infrastructure and equipment is now the best on record, although bearing down on costs remains challenging.
• DfT scraps electrification schemes Electrification schemes between Cardiff and Swansea, Kettering, Nottingham and Sheffield, and between Windermere and Oxenholme have been cancelled by the Department for Transport. However, Network Rail said that electrification still has its place in certain cases.

Railway Gazette

• High Level Output Specification for Control Period 6 publishedUK: On July 20 Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling published the High Level Output...
• Sheffield, Swansea and Windermere electrification cancelledUK: The government confirmed on July 19 that it had cancelled the planned 25 kV 50 Hz...

Aviation Industry

• AEF launches new campaign: Why the third runway plan can’t flyAEF has published a new infographic setting out why the draft airports National Policy Statement (NPS) fails to address key environmental and public health challenges associated with the Government’s plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport. AEF urges MPs …
• Air France names Boost airline ‘Joon’French Skyteam carrier Air France has christened its new lower-cost airline, which was previously known as the Boost project, as ‘Joon’ and named Jean-Michel Mathieu as CEO. read more
• EasyJet Europe launches operationsUK low-cost carrier (LCC) easyJet has confirmed EasyJet Europe has launched operations after securing an air operator’s certificate (AOC) and an operating license by Austrian aviation authorities. read more
• British Airways cabin crew extend strike to four weeksBritish Airways (BA) cabin crew has announced a further 14-day strike, to follow immediately on the heels of the current 14-day walkout. read more
• Delta launches biometrics boarding at Washington NationalCertain Delta Air Lines customers now can use fingerprints instead of their boarding pass to board any Delta aircraft at Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). read more

Green Miscellany

• British urban jungle loses 60 street trees every dayGiven outdoor air pollution in Britain contributes to around 40,000 deaths every year, it seems odd that so little is done to reduce pollution. The challenge of protecting our clean air can seem insurmountable, but only because there is so little joined-up thinking in government. Take as one tiny example, the removal of street trees, which are being felled by… The post British urban jungle loses 60 street trees every day appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Christian Wolmar: Is it worth it? Labour should think long and hard about the spiralling cost and dubious benefits of HS2HS2 seems to be moving inexorably forward with the letting this week of several initial contracts to the tune of £6.6bn for tunnels and preparatory work. While the project has not quite reached the point of no return, it is certainly odds-on that the first section, the line from London to Birmingham, will go ahead
• Labour force a key concern for transport industry in Brexit negotiationsThink tank Independent Transport Commission’s (ITC) report How Will Leaving the EU Affect EU Transport? Key Issues considers the concerns the British transport industry has arising from the vote to leave the European Union.
• New report proves devolved rail networks work for passengers and the areas they serveA study of devolved rail services in the UK has identified a strong trend of dramatic increases in performance, reliability and satisfaction levels among passengers since responsibilities for local rail services were devolved from Whitehall.
• Shanghai bourse quizzes Cosco Shipping about OOIL takeoverThe Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) has asked Cosco Shipping Holdings to provide more information about its takeover bid for Orient Overseas (International) Limited (OOIL), the parent of liner operator Orient Overseas Container Lines (OOCL).
• Ruth Cadbury MP, Caroline Russell AM and John Stewart of HACANOn Tuesday 18 July 2017 BASH held their second public meeting at St John’s Community Hall, Isleworth with speakers John Stewart (HACAN), Caroline Russell (London Assembly Member for the Green Party), Ruth Cadbury (local MP for Brentford & Isleworth) with an introduction by BASH co-ordinator David Waller. Air Quality Brentford summarised the event.