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

Saturday, 19 August 2017

BBC News

• Borders railway extension to Carlisle seeks renewed supportScottish Borders Council is being urged to reaffirm its support to extend the region's new railway on to Carlisle.
• Northern, Southern and Merseyrail strikes set for SeptemberThe RMT said no progress had been made over the future of the role of guards, due to safety and job loss fears.

ITV News

• Passenger numbers treble on seaside rail lineThe number of travellers using a rail line that links Norwich with the Norfolk Broads and the seaside and was once threatened with closure have tripled in the past 20 years.
• Freight train derails leading to major disruptionA freight train has derailed between Ely and Peterborough leaving the line blocked and causing major disruption for commuters.

The Herald

• Nasa to mark 40 years since launch of Voyager spacecraftForty years after blasting off, Earth’s most distant ambassadors – the twin Voyager spacecraft – are still going.

The Telegraph

• Rail strike chaos to go on into the autumn as Southern Rail announce yet more walk outs

Times Online

• Sir Brian Souter: bean-counter who built bus empire aims to help others achieve success [subscription]Sir Brian Souter, global entrepreneur, is setting his sights on helping the next generation
• Exeter fares put firmly on the rails [Subscription]The threat of higher ticket prices on rail journeys between London and Exeter has been shunted into the sidings after Great Western Railway and South Western agreed to a price cap.

Mail Online

• LGA says drivers spend 5 days a year stuck in traffic Drivers spend a total of almost five days a year stuck in traffic because of mounting congestion on the roads, a report released today reveals. Sitting in traffic costs each of us £968 a year.

Birmingham Post

• Eurostar train becomes virtual classroom for future rail engineersBirmingham’s new high speed rail college took delivery of a refurbished Eurostar power car - to be used as a virtual classroom for developing the next generation of train engineers.

London Evening Standard

• Commuters in Waterloo chaos to be hit by union demo over driver-only trainsThousands of commuters hit by upgrading disruption at Waterloo are set to face a demonstration there on Monday by rail union members.
• Night Tube to mark one-year anniversary with eight millionth journeyThe Night Tube is set to run its eight millionth journey this weekend as the service marks its one-year anniversary.

Northern Echo

• Trainbuilder Hitachi Rail Europe tests East Coast fleet to be made in Newton Aycliffe A TRAINBUILDER has ramped up testing on rolling stock destined to be made in the North-East.

The York Press

• Plea to save historic York railway buildingNETWORK Rail is being urged not to demolish a 19th century building which forms part of York’s railway history.

Wales Online

• 16-mile cycle link moves up a gear with £130,000 funding boost The new path will carve through the Towy Valley in Carmarthenshire

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Plea over new parking charges at station near LeedsRail users are calling for a rethink on plans to introduce car parking charges at a station near Leeds.

Reading Evening Post

• Crackdown on unruly boaters after moorings 'abused' in ReadingA private company has been brought in to enforce mooring charges at four locations in Reading

Other Regional Press

• Forum says Spalding train service must improve to justify fares riseRail services need to be hugely improved in Spalding to justify any major increase in fares, according to the chairman of a local user group.
• Meeting being held to rally support for Borders Railway extension plea A meeting is to be held in Hawick next month as part of moves to push for the extension of the Borders Railway to the town and on to Carlisle.
• Goodnight and thank you...rail operator is now departingA RAIL operator is bowing out of running a train service after 21 years – as passengers endured yet more delays on the Weymouth-Waterloo line.
• "Customers had a bargain": Bus chief defends fare increase amid backlash from residents A bus company’s decision to increase its ticket fares in Weymouth for the second time this year has sparked a backlash from residents. 
• Stagecoach handing over South West Trains operation after travel chaosStagecoach will operate its last South West Trains service on Sunday after a tumultuous period of travel for commuters.
• South Western franchise passes from South West Trains (Stagecoach) to new operator First/MTRA RAIL operator is bowing out of running a train service after 21 years – as passengers endured yet more delays on the Weymouth-Waterloo line.

Buying Business Travel

• Rail prices to be capped on London-Exeter routeDeal with competition regulator clears way for takeover of South Western franchise

Rail Magazine

• Testing takes IEP train to Scotland for the first timeIntercity Express Programme trains reached Scotland for the first time on August 16, when the first IEP ran to Dunbar for testing.

Rail Technology Magazine

• 'All in it together' pure alliance nudges Ordsall Chord to final phaseThe alliance taking forward the Ordsall Chord under a multidisciplinary partnership approach has been celebrated as the chief reason behind the scheme’s punctual progress towards the last stages of work before its December debut. Speaking exclusively to RTM, Mike Heywood, project director...
• 'Victoria' chopped and unscrewed after Crossrail completionThe final Crossrail tunnelling machine, Victoria, is being broken up and recycled after “finishing her journey” under the capital. The machine – whose self-explanatory name honours Queen Victoria’s involvement with the birth of modern railways – is being dismantled...
• New Elizabeth Line trains bugged by insect problem in early testingThe wind screen wipers on TfL’s new Class 345 rolling stock to run on the Elizabeth Line encountered some difficulties in early testing from a build-up of insects, RTM can exclusively reveal. Despite being tested in a state-of-the-art facility in Austria at the start of this year that...
• CMA accepts fare caps on Exeter-London route due to 'lack of competition' Price caps will be imposed on unregulated fares between London and Exeter after the Combined Markets Authority (CMA) raised concern about a lack of competition on services. Last month, the CMA found problems with a lack of competition on the route, as FirstGroup MTR was awarded the South Western...

Aviation Industry

• AEF briefing highlights failure of Heathrow NPS to address climate changeBuilding on our infographic on the Airport NPS, AEF have published our first topic-based briefing setting out the key environmental challenges facing Heathrow expansion. Heathrow third runway: climate change details the Government’s failure to properly address C02 emissions as a result …
• Airberlin delays 2Q financial results following bankruptcy filingAirberlin will delay its 2Q results presentation, which had been expected Aug. 18, because of the German carrier’s bankruptcy filing earlier this week. read more
• New terminal opens at Norway’s Bergen Airport Norway’s Bergen Flesland Airport has opened a new terminal with capacity for up to 10 million passengers a year. read more
• British Airways, Loganair confirm new codeshareBritish Airways (BA) and Scottish regional airline Loganair have concluded a new codeshare agreement, the two carriers have confirmed. read more
• DOT approves American Airlines’ Beijing route extension requestThe US Department of Transportation (DOT) has granted a request from American Airlines for an extension to begin daily Los Angeles-Beijing flights. read more
• Edinburgh Airport kicks off $103 million investment programScotland’s Edinburgh Airport (EDI) has started construction work on a terminal building extension, as part of an £80 million ($103 million) investment program. read more

Other News Sources

• 800 trains and 100,0000 passengers heading to Surrey and Gatwick disrupted by rail track trespassersA helicopter will be patrolling south east trespassing hotspots this weekend (August 19-20)