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

Friday, 23 February 2018

BBC News

• Network Rail blames 'rodent damage' for signal problemsRats chewing through power cables were responsible for "very severe" rail delays between South Wales and London.
• RMT announces Southern rail strike date in MarchMembers will walk out on 12 March in the ongoing dispute over the role of guards and DOO trains.
• Rail regulationLabour wants to bring Britain's railways back under public control, but 75% of the industry is already nationalised.
• Is nationalisation the answer for Britain's railways?Labour wants to renationalise Britain's railways but 75% of the industry is already under public control.
• Barclays takes £127m hit from Carillion collapseThe bank reveals how much the collapse of the outsourcing giant cost it, but its profits still rose.
• British Rail could be revived under LabourThe shadow chancellor says a Labour government would bring together tracks and trains again.

ITV News

• Did Sadiq Khan just apply the brakes to the idea of driverless trains?London's Mayor appeared to apply the brakes to the idea of driverless trains operating on parts of the Tube.

Department for Transport

• Work under way on Phase One of HS2 a year on from Royal AssentOn the first anniversary of Royal Assent, eligible homeowners are encouraged to apply for payments which are still available under the Homeowner Payment scheme.

Financial Times

• MPs turn fire on KPMG and Deloitte over CarillionAuditors told to account for failure to spot warning signs at collapsed contractor

Times Online

• Warning over runaway rail station costs [Subscription]Painful lessons from the five-year redevelopment of London Bridge station must be heeded in the £4 billion rebuild of London Euston for HS2, MPs have said (Robert Lea writes).
• HS2 boss’s old firm wins Euston deal [Subscription]The inextricably intertwined lives of the HS2 boss Sir David Higgins and the Australian construction giant Lendlease took another twist as HS2 confirmed that the Australian builders would lead the £4 billion redevelopment of London Euston.
• MPs demand answers on ‘false market’ in Carillion [Subscription]Shares warning draws advisers into firing line

City AM

• MPs warn lessons need to be learned from £7bn Thameslink programme delays for successful delivery of HS2The government must learn lessons from the £7bn Thameslink programme delays - particularly with complex work on HS2 looming - MPs warned today.
• HS2 chooses Lendlease to develop "a masterplan" for Euston revamp that could lead to 1,700 new homesHS2 said today the firm behind the 2012 London Olympic Athletes' Village will lead the massive revamp of Euston in a deal that could fuel the development of up to 1,700 new homes.
• MPs warn lessons need to be learned from £7bn Thameslink programme delays for successful delivery of HS2The government must learn lessons from the £7bn Thameslink programme delays - particularly with complex work on HS2 looming - MPs warned today.
• Labour: British Rail vision will deliver “a more effective and safer railway”Labour has set out its vision for the renationalisation Britain’s railways – a strategy bringing “efficiencies” to train journeys and “a more effective and safer railway”.
• The Night Overground extension to north London starts tomorrowThe extended Night Overground will kick into action tomorrow, including Canonbury and Highbury & Islington stations for the first time.

Mail Online

• Union announces new strike on March 12 for Southern Rail Workers on Southern Railway are to stage a fresh strike on March 12 in the long-running dispute over the role of guards, the RMT union has today announced.

London Evening Standard

• Sadiq Khan brands driverless Tube trains 'madness'Sadiq Khan has branded the prospect of driverless Tube trains "madness".

Sheffield Star

• Long-awaited Sheffield to Rotherham tram-train project hits further delays The long-awaited tram-train link between Sheffield and Rotherham has been hit with further delays after planned engineering works due to be carried out this weeked has been cancelled.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Sleeper blows hole in Serco’s financesHigher-than-expected operating costs for Caledonian Sleeper trains have blown a £47million hole in the balance sheet of operator Serco, prompting a warning from the company it may seek an early exit from the 15-year franchise.

Other Regional Press

• Suffolk and Essex commuters on region’s mainline face rail delays due to over-running engineering worksRail commuters on the region’s mainline this morning are likely to face disruption after the over-running engineering works closed the line between Stratford and Liverpool Street.

The Business Desk

• Rail freight hub opens within 337-acre iPort logistics hubiPort Rail in Doncaster, the UK’s newest intermodal inland rail freight hub, has opened and is fully operational.

Other News Sources

• Winchester entrepreneur James Zorb steps in to help struggling rail commuters with new app RailBuddyA WINCHESTER entrepreneur has vowed to give commuters power to fight back against delays through a major app.
• Lilian Greenwood: “There’s a real danger that transport becomes about engineering. It isn’t, it’s about what it enables”With the DfT facing questions over the failures on the East Coast Mainline and the decision to scrap rail electrification upgrades, Transport Select Committee chair Lilian Greenwood is determined to find answers.