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

Wednesday, 24 August 2016

BBC News

• London Bridge upgrade offers relief for rail passengersSections of a new concourse at London Bridge station are set to open, providing relief for passengers.
• Judges overturn government ruling on freight terminalJudges overturn a Scottish government decision to grant planning permission for an expanded rail freight terminal in North Lanarkshire.
• Virgin challenges Jeremy Corbyn train footageVirgin Trains questions footage showing Jeremy Corbyn sitting on the floor of a

Financial Times

• Corbyn claim on ‘ram-packed’ train disputedRail operator releases CCTV pictures showing Labour leader ignored empty seats
• Virgin exposes Corbyn’s tale on the trainThe Labour leader becomes embroiled in a dispute with a powerful businessman, writes Sebastian Payne

The Guardian

• Southern rail staff to stage 48-hour strike over role of guardsRMT union announces members will walk out on 7 and 8 September amid dispute over driver-only train operationWorkers at Southern rail are to stage a fresh 48-hour strike in the long-running row over the role of guards.The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union announced that its members will walk out on 7 and 8 September, causing further travel problems for passengers. Continue reading...
• Jeremy Corbyn fends off Branson's attack over 'ram-packed' Virgin trainVirgin releases CCTV footage they say disputes Labour leader’s claim that no seats were available, but Corbyn camp says he could not sit next to his wifeJeremy Corbyn was drawn into an extraordinary row with Virgin Trains after the rail operator disputed the Labour leader’s filmed account of having to sit on the floor of a “ram-packed” train, releasing CCTV images of him walking past free seats beforehand and sitting down shortly after the film was shot.Backed up by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, the train operator said it had to “take issue with the idea that Mr Corbyn wasn’t able ...
• How London might have looked: from Regent St monorail to a straight ThamesThe London skyline has been saved from some questionable designs over the years – including a massive stone pyramid in Trafalgar Square. Thankfully none of these grand schemes ever got off the drawing board, says Ian MansfieldFor centuries mankind has built mighty monuments dedicated to their endeavours, and while today we may lean towards huge infrastructure projects as opposed to war memorials, the exuberance, and on occasions ridicule, they engender can still excite the public imagination.Over the years, many grand schemes have been hatched that would have transformed the face of London. En...

The Herald

• Virgin Trains releases CCTV footage to counter Corbyn claim JEREMY Corbyn has denied the insinuation that he gave a misleading account of not being able to find a seat on a “completely ram-packed” train to bolster his argument to renationalise Britain’s railways.
• Herald Picture Archive: Steaming into Glasgow from PerthPEOPLE used to be smarter dressed when they travelled by public transport. That striped scarf the chap sports may well be his old university scarf. How splendid.

The Huffington Post

• Virgin Trains Might Be In Trouble For Releasing CCTV Of Jeremy Corbyn To Prove His Train Wasn't RampackedVirgin Trains might be in trouble for releasing CCTV footage of one its trains to claim Jeremy Corbyn was wrong to say it was “rampacked”.

Mail Online

• Sitting comfortably, Jeremy? Corbyn under fire as Branson reveals proof Labour leader DID have a seat on Virgin train - despite releasing video of him sitting on floor of 'ram-packed' carriage The Labour leader was filmed sprawled on the floor on a Virgin service from London to Newcastle last week for hustings against rival Owen Smith, but the operator claims there were seats.

London Evening Standard

• Southeastern delays: Commuters left stranded on train platforms after signal failure closes linesCommuters were this morning left stranded on train platforms as rush hour services were cancelled.
• Southern strikes: Fresh chaos for commuters as RMT announces another walkoutSouthern Rail workers have announced another 48-hour strike for September in a fresh blow to commuters.

Sheffield Telegraph

• First class photo show set for Sheffield stationPortrait of Britain art exhibition, focusing on public face on an unprecedented scale, is scheduled to arrive soon at Sheffield rail station.

Wales Online

• Jeremy Corbyn 'walked past empty seats before filming himself on the floor of a ram-packed train'Jeremy Corbyn's team have said the statement by Virgin Trains is "a lie"

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Did Jeremy Corbyn really ‘walk past empty seats’ before his packed train claim?CCTV images have been released appearing to show Jeremy Corbyn walking past empty unreserved train seats before he was filmed sitting on the floor complaining about “ram-packed” carriages.

Yorkshire Post

• Twitter users go loco over Jeremy Corbyn ‘traingate’ allegationsJeremy Corbyn was mocked on social media after his claim that he was forced to sit on the floor of a packed rail carriage was challenged by Virgin Trains.
• How Corbyn’s ‘ram-packed’ rail journey unfoldedHere is a timeline of Jeremy Corbyn’s Virgin Trains journey from King’s Cross to Newcastle on August 11.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Virgin Trains say there were plenty of seats on train through Peterborough and Grantham which saw Jeremy Corbyn sit on the floorVirgin Trains has said there were empty seats on the train which Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn travelled on by sitting on the floor and said was ‘ram-packed.’

Other Regional Press

• First TransPennine Express welcomes China linkYorkshire tourism is due to get a boost with direct flights from Manchester Airport to China
• Rail fares set to rise for Bedford and Kempston commutersRail fares are set to go up again for Bedford and Kempston commuters, with the Government announcing that another 1.9 per cent increase is on the cards.

Rail Magazine

• September re-opening for Dover-Folkestone lineThe railway between Dover and Folkestone will re-open following the completion of a nine-month repair project.

Rail Technology Magazine

• European Test Services-Environmental Testing and Test Facilities European Test Services' (ETS) core business is maintaining and providing test facilities and delivering environmental test data to European industry. European Test Services (ETS) manages and operates...
• May tells Camden Council leader she is 'fully committed' to HS2Camden Council has accused the government of ignoring residents’ concerns about HS2 after both prime minister Theresa May and transport secretary Chris Grayling reaffirmed their commitment to the project. Camden, which is the home of Euston station, has repeatedly raised concerns with HS2...
• Network Rail holds discussions about new station at NorwichNorwich could get a second railway station after Broadland District Council and Network Rail confirmed they are considering the option of improving rail connections to a local business park. Broadland District Council said it was interested in building a new station close to Broadland Business...
• HS2 announces shortlist for phase 2 consultant contracts worth �520mHS2 Ltd has announced the shortlists for two new contracts for phase 2 of the high-speed rail project. The first contract, worth £350m, is for civils design and environmental services for the sections of the route from Crewe to Manchester and from Birmingham to Leeds via Sheffield and the...
• Southern set for 'unjustified' 48-hour strike in SeptemberSouthern services will be disrupted yet again at the beginning of September as RMT announced it is holding another strike. The union said it would instruct its members not to work between 7 and 8 September, as part of the ongoing dispute over Southern’s plans to introduce driver-operated...

Railway Gazette

• Swiss railways railways to improve maintenance efficiencySWITZERLAND: The government is to provide SFr13�2bn to cover maintenance and renewals on the...

Other News Sources

• Critical Software and Alstom Transport Develop Scanner for Train CarriagesTrains work hard and need to be safe, which means operators must keep them in optimum condition. Currently, this requires comprehensive visual checks, completed by an overnight workforce. This can cause delays, and be costly and open to human error.