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

Wednesday, 26 July 2017

BBC News

• Boy, 10, adopts Clarbeston Road railway stationDylan will file reports on problems at the Clarbeston Road stop and give improvement suggestions.
• Anger over Hamilton station 'mosquito' deviceScotRail says an upsurge in anti-social behaviour is behind the decision to install the device at Hamilton.

ITV News

• Tory MP for Bolton West says Crossrail 2 backing 'difficult to take'ITV Granada has obtained a letter written by Tory MP Chris Green to the Transport Secretary urging proper investment in the North.

Financial Times

• Hong Kong to allow Chinese officials at new rail stationCritics say territory’s autonomy undermined by police and immigration officers

The Guardian

• Southern rail gets lowest satisfaction score in passenger surveyOnly 72% of Southern passengers were satisfied with their last journey, closely followed by other Govia-operated south-east commuter services
• Five highline parks created from abandoned transport routes – in picturesRelics of an earlier transport age loom over our cities. But abandoned railways and decaying flyovers need not go the way of the wrecking ball. They are increasingly being reinvented as aerial parks and catalysts of urban regeneration. Here are five examples from around the world of cars and trains giving way to pedestrians, cyclists and community projects
• Here in the north, we’ve put the cross into railThe Conservative manifesto promised ‘northern powerhouse rail’ – but Chris Grayling has crushed those electric dreams

The Independent

• Petrol-diesel car ban: Government plan dismissed as 'smokescreen' after key air pollution policies dumpedGreen groups and opposition politicians unite in criticism of suggested hypocrisy

Times Online

• Satisfaction with ScotRail rises to 90% [Subscription]Passenger satisfaction with Scotland’s rail services has improved over the past year, although fears over personal security on board are growing, according to a survey.

City AM

• The RMT union wants fresh meetings with a raft of train firms spanning Greater Anglia to Southern rail to avoid UK-wide strikesThe Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union is seeking "urgent talks" with a raft of train companies it is rowing with over so-called driver only operation (DOO).
• HS2 station bids: Norman Foster's and Richard Rogers' firms shortlisted for London Euston and new Old Oak Common stationThe architects behind bids for HS2 stations including Euston and Old Oak Common have been named, and include Gherkin architect Norman Foster’s firm.

Daily Express

• Most train passengers feel they are being ripped off, national survey revealsMOST train passengers feel they are being ripped off, a national survey revealed.

Mail Online

• Train travel is 'not good value for money' claims new poll Only 38 per cent who use Southern – which has been plagued by strikes and disruption for more than a year – Southeastern and Thameslink believe they are getting a good deal.

Bolton News

• Bolton West MP Chris Green has reassurances from government over rail 'downgrade' plansBOLTON’S Tory MP says he has received assurances from his government that it remains committed to improving rail services in the north.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Passengers fairly happy with Northern rail journeys but not its lack of WiFi, watchdog reveals PASSENGER satisfaction on Northern trains has remained stable, despite a series of strikes over its planned introduction of driver-only trains.

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyrail tops customer poll again - despite HALF its network being downThe local operator has boasted a 94% satisfaction rating - even though customers voted while the entire Wirral line was closed

London Evening Standard

• Official: commuters in London and south east have worst rail service in the countryLondon and south east rail commuters suffer the worst rail service in the country, according to an official survey published today.

The York Press

• Calls to scrap plans for HS2 station that would bypass YorkCOUNCILLORS have hit out after the latest HS2 proposals continued to suggest a new parkway station could be built to the west of York.
• 'Ban ministers from Yorkshire councils over Great Rail Betrayal'GOVERNMENT ministers should be banned form Yorkshire council buildings until rail cuts are reversed, campaigners have said.

This Is Local London Network

• Southern Rail have the least satisfied passengers in the country, according to Transport Focus' surveySouthern Rail has the least satisfied passengers in England, according to a watchdog's report.

Wales Online

• Top Labour politician accuses Tories of scrapping electrification in 'retribution' against Wales Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell made the claim as he visits two Tory-held West Wales constituencies today

Bucks Free Press

• MP: ‘It is important Wycombe can rely on a fast and reliable rail service’This week Wycombe MP Steve Baker writes exclusively to Bucks Free Press readers:

Cambridge News

• Cambridge MP says Crossrail 2 railway improvements will bring £1.8 billion boost to the regionTransport Secretary Chris Grayling has also backed the project that will speed up rail links between Cambridge to London

East Anglian Daily Times

• Rail bosses must pledge not to shut ticket offices – MPRail bosses should pledge not to shut any of its East Anglian ticket offices, according to a Norfolk MP.

Get West London

• Sadiq Khan slams government plan to hike rail fairs as 'woefully out of touch'Commuters living in Zone 6 could be hit by an annual travel increase of £84

Other Regional Press

• WATCH: First look at newly-revamped trains heading for HuddersfieldKeep your eyes peeled to spot refurbished trains passing through Huddersfield Railway Station

Buying Business Travel

• Satisfaction rates increase for UK rail passengersSurvey finds that Southern ranks at the bottom of satisfaction rankings

Rail Technology Magazine

• Cut first class to ease congestion: could it work? In a recent interview UK Transport Secretary Chris Grayling brought up the idea of cutting first class on busy intercity routes to add much-needed capacity at rush hour.
• Northern uproar as Grayling backs Crossrail 2 after ditching electrificationTransport secretary Chris Grayling has this week publicly put his backing behind Crossrail 2. In a joint statement from Grayling and mayor of London Sadiq Khan, it was revealed that the pair agreed that the capital needed new infrastructure to ensure its growth as the UK’s economic...
• TransPennine electrification and Piccadilly upgrade now also in doubtTransport authorities in West Yorkshire have said it is “very disappointing” that electrification may not be completed along the entire TransPennine route as planned. Last Friday, transport secretary Chris Grayling announced the cancellation of key parts of three major...
• Transport investment must be 'fairly weighted towards small stations'Investment in transport infrastructure and passenger experience in London needs to be spread more evenly across the system and focus on small stations as well as medium and large ones, a new report has argued. In the study, published by consumer champion London TravelWatch – about which...
• Triple electrification cancellation - a misstep from Grayling?Following last week’s comprehensive set of announcements about HS2 and the closure of Parliament for recess, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there wouldn’t be any more news about major rail projects on the horizon anytime soon. But having sparked anger after cancelling key...

Railnews

• Crossrail 2 sparks anger in regions Transport secretary Chris Grayling has indicated qualified support for Crossrail 2 in London during a meeting with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, but the news has roused anger in several regions of England and Wales, where electrification schemes have been cancelled in favour of bi-mode trains. Campaigners have made fresh demands today for a �Crossrail for the North�, and a petition has been launched. There have also been protests in south Wales, where electrification between Cardiff and Swansea has been cancelled.

Railway Gazette

• DB Cargo and Siemens sign locomotive telematics contractEUROPE: As part of a programme to equip its locomotive fleet with telematics equipment to support...

Other News Sources

• Vivarail announces grant to develop new battery trainVivarail, the designers and manufacturers of the Class 230 DEMU, today announces new investment to develop their ground-breaking battery D-Train.
• It's time for Crossrail NorthThe North is livid. The government’s decisions to either cancel or cast doubt on a number of rail electrification projects for the North, while committing to Crossrail 2 for London has us incensed. That they tried to spin this as investment in ‘bimodal’ trains, that simply have the ability to shift from diesel to electric, adds insult to injury. Furthermore, this raises important questions of accountability given that investment in northern connectivity was in the Conservative Party manifesto, while Crossrail 2 was not.
• Bombardier, Inc. Is Facing Questions Ahead of its Quarterly ResultsOn Friday, it was revealed that Bombardier, Inc. (TSX:BBD.B) and German automation conglomerate Siemens are close to a deal that would combine rail operations.