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

Tuesday, 20 March 2018

BBC News

• Carillion finance directors to be probed by regulatorTwo former Carillion finance bosses are to be investigated by the UK's accountancy watchdog.
• Thousands of miles of UK roads in poor conditionMotoring firm says bad weather means many local roads now pose a
• Passenger train struck rail left on track near InvernessThe London-bound train struck a 130m long rail left after engineering work but was undamaged
• Uber halts self-driving car tests after deathA pedestrian was killed after being hit by a self-driving Uber car in Arizona.

Department for Transport

• Invitation for investors to invest in rail infrastructureInvestors are invited to propose schemes that could enhance and expand the rail network.
• New Heathrow rail link to lead the way for future transport funding schemesGovernment invites local authorities and private sector companies to invest in the rail network.

Financial Times

• UPS moves to using only electric vehicles in LondonA ‘smart grid’ will allow a large fleet to charge at once
• Fatal Uber collision turns spotlight on Arizona regulatory regimeMore than 600 self-driving vehicles now testing in state after 2015 green light

The Guardian

• Self-driving Uber kills Arizona woman in first fatal crash involving pedestrianTempe police said car was in autonomous mode at the time of the crash and that the vehicle hit a woman who later died at a hospitalAn autonomous Uber car killed a woman in the street in Arizona, police said, in what appears to be the first reported fatal crash involving a self-driving vehicle and a pedestrian in the US.Tempe police said the self-driving car was in autonomous mode at the time of the crash and that the vehicle hit a woman, who was walking outside of the crosswalk and later died at a hospital. There was a vehicle operator inside the car at the time of the crash. Continue reading....

The Scotsman

• Self-driving Uber car kills woman in ArizonaOne of Uber's self-driving vehicles has struck and killed a pedestrian in a suburb of Pheonix, Arizona, police said.

Times Online

• Private railway to Heathrow from Waterloo [Subscription]A new privately built railway line would be constructed into Heathrow from Waterloo station in London under government plans to expand Britain’s rail network without using taxpayer money upfront.
• 24-hour buses proposed for Dublin streets [Subscription]Twenty-four hour bus services could be coming to Dublin for the first time. Dublin Bus and the National Transport Authority are in talks over introducing the service on several routes in the capital later this year in response to what they believe is a growing demand for services to run through the night.
• Budget Travel [Subscription]Last year road crews filled in a pothole every 21 seconds. That sounds fast, but it was by no means fast enough. The number being filled is falling as the proportion of minor roads officially in poor condition rises. Twelve per cent of the local network, or 24,500 miles of road, will need repairing within the next 12 months. A fifth of the network will need attention within five years, and at this rate its disrepair will only worsen. A new study suggests it would take £9.3 billion and 14 years to clear the backlog.
• Uber suspends self-driving tests after car kills pedestrian [subscription]A self-driving Uber car has killed a woman in what is believed to be the first fatality involving a pedestrian and an autonomous vehicle.

City AM

• Why doesn’t London build an RER network, like Paris did?I’ve heard many people make many different complaints about the Parisian transport system. That it does a bad job of linking a rich, white city with its poorer, more diverse suburbs. That, even as subway systems go, it’s a hostile environment for women. That the whole thing smells distractingly of urine.
• Sadiq Khan says London has hit "milestone" of 100 charging points for electric vehicles across cityLondon's mayor Sadiq Khan has today unveiled 100 rapid charging points for electric vehicles, as the capital moves closer to its target of becoming a zero-emissions city.
• Lack of women in top roles means TfL pays men a fifth more than womenMale employees at Transport for London (TfL) are paid a fifth more than their female colleagues, according to gender pay gap data released by the the Greater London Authority (GLA) today.
• Former Labour peer Tony Berkeley warns costs of first phase of HS2 could double DfT's budgetFormer Labour peer Tony Berkeley has written to Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, warning that a "lack of detail" over the expense of the first phase of HS2 could mean it costs double what the Department for Transport (DfT) has estimated.
• Uber suspends driverless cars after fatal accident in ArizonaBloomberg reported that the company had suspended all driverless vehicles in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Toronto and the greater Phoenix following the incident and pending an investigation.

The Mirror

• Woman killed by Uber self-driving car as she was crossing street with bike identified Elaine Herzberg, 49, was crossing a four-lane road in Phoenix, Arizona, when she was struck and killed

Network Rail

• Fifteen-foot icicles block railway lineNetwork Rail engineers are working to remove 15ft-long icicles which have formed in a railway tunnel between Manchester and Buxton.

Birmingham Mail

• Uber suspends self-driving car testing after pedestrian killed The self-driving testing has been taking place in Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto

London Evening Standard

• TfL Tube strike: drivers to stage 24-hour walkout on District lineTube drivers have voted to stage a 24-hour strike next week after accusing TfL of treating their colleague unfairly over alleged safety breaches.
• Self-driving Uber car runs over and kills pedestrianA self-driving Uber car has struck and killed a pedestrian in the first accident of its kind in the US.

Northern Echo

• Region's biggest taxi firm farms out calls to EGYPT because it can't get the staff SOME callers to the North-East’s biggest taxi firm are being diverted 2,500 miles away to Egypt, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Other Regional Press

• Virgin Trains celebrate Charles Rennie Mackintosh by naming a train after himVIRGIN Trains have revealed the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Express; their first train to be named after a Scot in 15 years!
• PICTURES: Engineers remove FIFTEEN-FOOT icicles from Buxton rail line tunnel
• Free school transport for disabled children could be cut under new council plan DISABLED youngsters could be forced to find their own way to school as a cash-strapped council looks to slash free transport.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Major Network Rail contractor appoints new rail bossDyer & Butler, one of Network Rail’s principal contractors, has announced the appointment of a new rail director, set to focus on the upcoming CP6 framework. Chris Darlow, who has worked for a number of other major rail and engineering firms in his 20-year career, is expected to build...
• Work begins to tackle drainage of one of country's longest rail tunnels Network Rail has confirmed a major programme of work to upgrade the Sevenoaks tunnel and the railway running through it. Leaks and poor drainage have been a major issue for the Victorian tunnel since its construction, and as a result, water build-up has damaged the track, signalling and...
• Winners of £500,000 Data Sandbox competition revealed by RSSBThe Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has revealed the winners of its £500,000 competition, aimed to help develop novel ideas and solutions to key network performance challenges. The ‘Data sandbox: Improving network performance competition’ was launched in October 2017 via...
• RAIB issues safety advice after Inverness passenger train collides with unattached railThe RAIB has issued urgent safety advice after an incident in February that saw a passenger service run into an unattached 130 metre length of rail near Inverness. Investigators said the train was travelling at around 53mph when it collided with the rail, which had been left across the track by...

Railnews

• TfL to charge Heathrow premium on Elizabeth Line Transport for London has announced that there will be ˜special single fares™ on Elizabeth Line trains to London Heathrow Airport but, as the terminals will stay in Zone 6 for other purposes, Travelcards will be valid and contactless fare capping will continue to apply. Standard TfL fares will apply elsewhere on the Elizabeth Line in Zones 1 to 6. The first step in the changeover comes in May, when TfL takes over Heathrow Connect services between Paddington and Heathrow. For the time being the existing trains will be used and the half-hourly frequency to the airport terminals will be maintaine...

Railway Gazette

• John Laing sells Intercity Express Programme stakeUK: Following the receipt of final bids earlier in the week, John Laing Group plc announced on...
• Amber Train to link the Baltic StatesEUROPE: The freight businesses of the national railways of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have...

Aviation Industry

• ICAO reappoints secretary general for a second termICAO has extended secretary general Fang Liu’s mandate for a second three-year term, building on her initial appointment that started on Aug. 1, 2015. read more
• Virgin Atlantic posts 2017 net loss on operational, economic challengesUK company Virgin Atlantic Group posted a £48.5 million ($67.6 million) net loss for 2017, reversed from a £187.3 million net profit for the year-ago period. read more
• Pilot union signs protocol to unite Ryanair's European pilotsThe European Cockpit Association (ECA), which indirectly represents over 38,000 pilots across Europe, has signed a protocol, which it says will give pilots at Irish LCC Ryanair a pan-European voice. read more
• Biometric boarding begins for Lufthansa LAX departuresLufthansa has begun using biometric self-boarding gates at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the carrier said March 19. read more
• China's Ruili Airlines begins international serviceChina's Ruili Airlines is scheduled to open its first international route March 25 from Kunming to Sihanoukville, using a Boeing 737. read more
• SWISS works through CSeries engine mods Lufthansa Group subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is working with Pratt & Whitney through a modification program for the geared turbofans that power its fleet of Bombardier CSeries. read more

Other News Sources

• New trains to replace pacers on Harrogate lineThey've been drafted in to replace aging pacer trains and will be fitted with power sockets and air-conditioning.
• Huge new rail freight depot in Leicestershire would create 8,400 jobsBut it is likely to have a massive impact on the environment and road network
• Scotland’s rail investment strategy for next decade publishedTransport Scotland has today published its strategy for investment in rail improvements over the next decade.