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

Saturday, 14 October 2017

BBC News

• Arriva North West bus drivers set to strike over 'pitiful' pay offerUnite union says its members are
• Gatwick Express services cancelled in case of leavesTimetables have been revised during the day and no trains will run overnight.
• UK mobile coverage 'deplorable', says Lord AdonisThe national infrastructure commission head also warns the UK faces gridlock on roads, railways and in the skies.

The Guardian

• Uber launches appeal against loss of London licenceUber has lodged its legal appeal against Transport for London’s decision not to renew its private hire licence, as the ride-hailing app steps up its campaign to keep operating in one of its biggest markets.
• Great Western mainline: what does a £10bn rail upgrade buy you?The huge project overran and cost far more than planned, but passengers can expect more services and faster journeys

The Independent

• Heathrow third runway a 'ridiculous glory project', says British Airways bossThe boss of British Airways’ parent company has lambasted Heathrow’s expansion plans as a “ridiculous glory project”.

The Telegraph

• The whole of the UK is ‘suffering’ from Heathrow delay, says infrastructure chiefThe entire country is “suffering” from the paralysis around Heathrow’s expansion, the National Infrastructure Commission has warned, in a sweeping report detailing the problems with Britain’s road, rail, energy and digital networks.

Times Online

• CBI chief backs independent Yorkshire [Subscription]The leader of Britain’s biggest business group has backed a plan for the devolution of Yorkshire. Civil servants have drawn up proposals to turn Yorkshire into a “country within a country” with a powerful mayor to rival London.
• Gridlock, pollution and slow broadband are failing Britain, Lord Adonis says [Subscription]Britain faces gridlock on its roads, railways and in the air unless the government pushes ahead with big transport improvements, the country’s infrastructure tsar has warned.

City AM

• Transport for London could cash in on open data expertise through new consulting armTransport for London (TfL) has shed more light on the role of its consultancy arm in the works, saying today that it is exploring new commercial avenues through releasing open data.
• Heathrow expansion and better broadband: Britain's key infrastructure priorities from now to 2050The head of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) said today that Heathrow expansion is “perhaps the most serious infrastructure failure of all” as he sets out the most pressing needs for Britain from now until 2050.
• Uber launches appeal against the loss of its London licence on deadline day in row with Transport for LondonUber said today it had filed its appeal against Transport for London's (TfL) decision not to renew its private hire licence for operating in the capital.
• This London Tube map shows how much house prices have changed in the capital over the past 10 yearsYou may already be poring over the festive Underground map in anticipation of Christmas (even though Halloween hasn't happened yet).
• Wider Night Tube rollout draws a step closer with upgrade of Circle and Hammersmith & City LinesThe wider rollout of Night Tube services across the London Underground has drawn a step closer, as Transport for London (TfL) said today that upgrade work on the sub-surface Tube lines has progressed.
• British Airways owner IAG is eyeing collapsed airline Monarch's Gatwick slotsThe boss of British Airways owner IAG has confirmed he's interested in pursuing Gatwick slots left by collapsed airline Monarch.

Daily Express

• Taxpayer shells out an 'outrageous' £84million for Southern Rail strike action chaosTAX payers face an £84million bill to pay for the Southern rail strike misery, it has been revealed.

London Evening Standard

• Uber formally lodges TfL appeal - hours before London deadline which would have seen drivers forced to stop workUber today filed an appeal against Transport for London's decision to strip the cab-hailing app of its licence — hours before a deadline that would have grounded thousands of drivers.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• A senior Government advisor has criticised the delay building Heathrow's third runwayExpanding Heathrow is vital for the North East economy but nothing has happened almost a year after the Government backed a new runway

Plymouth Herald

• The 75mph upgrade which could improve train journeys to PlymouthTask force hopes Government will grasp ‘opportunity of a lifetime’

Other Regional Press

• 'Zero-Emissions Zone doesn't go far enough, soon enough' GREEN groups have said the proposed Zero Emissions Zone for Oxford city centre is not enough.
• Row erupts over Hardings Way bus lane gate move A new row has erupted over moves to change the rules governing the use of a Lynn bus lane.
• Ancaster railway station and The Poacher Line were among the prize winners at a rail awards.The Poacher Line Community Rail Partnership, which runs between Nottingham and Skegness, received three prestigious awards at the Association of Community Rail Partnership’s (ACoRP) Community Rail Awards.
• Residents fear station revamp will ruin their communityTHE scale of Oxford Station's £125m redevelopment has been increased to lure private investors after Network Rail warned there was a lack of funding for the project.

Buying Business Travel

• Uber lodges TfL ban appealDrivers can continue service through process

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Brand new Tube signalling successfully tested for the first timeThe transformation of London Underground’s sub-surface lines has taken a significant step forward, with multiple test trains running on the brand new signalling system for the first time in London.   The new computer-based signalling and control system from Thales will allow trains to run closer together, meaning a more frequent service, shorter waiting times and a massive boost in capacity for the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines.    Customers will start to benefit from the improvements from as early as next year, when the first section of t...

Rail Magazine

• Record levels of private investment in UK railPrivate companies invested a total of £925 million in Britain’s rail network in 2016-17, the highest figure recorded since 2006-07.
• Eight Bombardier-built Class 345 Aventras accepted for TfL RailFourteen Class 345s built for Crossrail so far says TfL, with eight accepted for passenger traffic.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Councillors consider £500m Leeds station upgradeProposals to make £500m worth of changes to Leeds Station to build a central hub for HS2 have been discussed by councillors this week. The plans, which relate to both the high-speed rail and Northern Powerhouse projects, include an increase in the number of entrances and the creation of a...

Aviation Industry

• Qantas to use biofuel on Australia-Los Angeles flightsAustralia’s Qantas Airways has made a major move toward renewable fuels, announcing plans to use biofuel in its aircraft that stop at Los Angeles International Airport. read more
• FAA adopts Stage 5 noise standard on new aircraft designsFAA has adopted a new noise standard that will result in a volume decrease of seven decibels (dBs) for certain newly designed subsonic aircraft. read more
• Finnair rides Asian expansion waveA significant expansion of Finnair’s capacity to Asian destinations has been the major factor behind the airline’s improved financial figures in 2017, the carrier’s CCO said Oct. 13. read more

Other News Sources

• Stagecoach boss agrees to look closer at issues with bus services in Dover following shake-up to services which left many strandedHoards of people voiced their concerns about the new timetable and now Stagecoach have said they will keep reviewing the local services
• Bus manufacturers commit to bring cleaner ‘soot-free’ buses to 20 megacitiesFour of the world’s largest bus and engine manufacturers have committed today to make it easier for major cities to purchase buses equipped with low emissions technologies, in order to tackle climate change and toxic air pollution. BYD, Cummins, Scania and Volvo Buses will ensure ‘soot-free’ engine technology is available for purchase in 20 megacities beginning in 2018. The manufacturers will each release through their websites a full product portfolio available in each city and will begin publicly reporting the number of soot-free buses sold in each year.
• Phases two of Gloucester's new bus station is almost completeThe taxi rank outside Grosvenor House has been temporarily moved, foundation works for the bus station have commenced and work has started on Market Parade.
• Chester bus interchange wins regional design awardChester’s controversial new bus interchange at Gorse Stacks is now an award winner.