Breaking News
Are flying cars the future?
A first glimpse of the flying car backed by Google co-founder
Row erupts as French rail firm SNCF launches bid to run London to Birmingham HS2 services
A furious row erupted today after French state-owned rail operator SNCF launched a bid to run new high speed services from London to Birmingham.
Chance to have say on who will win rail franchise
RAIL users are being urged to have their say on train services before the Welsh Government awards the Wales and Borders franchise to one of four bidders.
Tram components 3D printed on demand
GERMANY: Siemens is using 3D printing to reduce its lead times for the supply of customised tram components from weeks to days while eliminating the cost of specialised tooling and the need to keep parts in stock.
Wednesday, 26 April 2017
BBC News
- Southern rail: Seven facts about the disputeFrom the financial hit on drivers to the effect on house prices - here are seven facts you may not have known about the Southern rail strikes, which began a year ago.
- Scottish aviation tax bill passes first Holyrood voteMSPs back the general principles of a bill for a devolved aviation tax, but many call for more details.
- Heathrow Airport meet and greet cars given parking ticketsOwners thought their cars would be parked in a secure area but they were left in a council car park.
- Talks to resolve Southern rail doors row adjournedBoth sides hope to resolve a dispute over driver-only operated trains.
- ScotRail warns of months of disruption to evening trainsJourney times are likely to be longer on some trains operating after the peak evening rush.
- Are flying cars the future?A first glimpse of the flying car backed by Google co-founder
- The drones which help solve air accidentsThe BBC's Richard Westcott looks at accident investigators' latest weapon in the battle to find out why ships and planes crash.
Department for Transport
- South Eastern franchise public consultation events cancelledEvents planned as part of the public consultation for the South Eastern franchise have been cancelled.
Financial Times
- France’s SNCF joins bidding for UK’s HS2 rail lineGroup behind French bullet trains teams up with Britain’s Virgin and Stagecoach
- Steady start for Eddie Stobart in market returnCompany known for its distinctive lorries lists in Aim’s biggest float of the year
- How a piece of paper may seal the fate of AlitaliaCountry’s flag carrier on brink of collapse as unions pin hopes on bailout
- Wizz, Wow and Scoot are no joke for long-haul rivalsNew wave of aggressive low-cost airlines add to the problems for traditional carriers
The Guardian
- Driverless pods plot new course to overtake humansAutonomous cars used at Heathrow and being trialled in south-east London now beg the question - should humans be banned from driving?
- The Stonehenge tunnel: ‘A monstrous act of desecration is brewing’Planners claim that a dual carriageway under the prehistoric monument will ease congestion. But campaigners warn that it will have a disastrous impact on one of the world’s most fascinating landmarks
- We must leave the EU to renationalise rail [Letter]Caroline Lucas of the Green party tells Sky News she wants to renationalise the railways.
- Virgin, Stagecoach and France's SNCF link up for HS2 bidGroup to challenge First Group and others to run trains from London to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow The French state railway SNCF is to partner with Virgin Trains for a bid to run the first HS2 high-speed trains.The competition for the West Coast Partnership franchise will pit the Virgin, Stagecoach and SNCF consortium against First Group and the Italian state-owned Trenitalia, with other potential bidders still to come forward.
The Herald
- Ministers confident cutting air departure tax will boost Scottish economyScottish Government ministers are convinced plans to first cut and then abolish the tax paid by air travellers will deliver
- Delays and disruption ahead as next phase of rail improvements get underwayRAIL commuters are being warned to expect delays and cancelled services as the next phase of a Scotland-wide programme of upgrades gets underway.
- New combined quick pick-up and drop-off zone launches this week at Glasgow AirportA new combined quick pick-up and drop-off area will be introduced at Glasgow Aiport this week.
The Telegraph
- China launches first home-built aircraft carrier
- United Airlines in fresh PR nightmare after rabbit set to be world’s biggest dies on UK flight
City AM
- HS2 ramps up conflict of interest checks in bidding process revamp after CH2M contract controversyHS2 plans to bolster measures to tackle potential conflicts of interest by June, developing stricter bidding processes for firms hoping to win contracts on the £56bn project.
- Government delays publication of report on Southern rail troubles until after the electionThe publication of a report into Southern rail troubles has been delayed until after the General Election, leading MPs to criticise the government for sitting on the findings.
Mail Online
- Giant rabbit dies in new PR disaster for United Airlines� Simon, a ten-month-old 3ft�continental giant rabbit, was found dead in the cargo hold of a United Airlines flight form London to Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
Birmingham Post
- Virgin Trains teams up with French operator for HS2 bid SNCF has thrown hat into the ring as battle hots up to run InterCity West Coast franchise and high-speed services
Bradford Telegraph & Argus
- Controversial new rules for cabbies to be decidedA DECISION is expected tomorrow on controversial changes to regulations for cabbies operating in the district.
London Evening Standard
- Revealed: Record £250m left unused on Oyster cardsThe pile of money left on unused Oyster cards has reached a quarter of a billon pounds, official figures show.
- Row erupts as French rail firm SNCF launches bid to run London to Birmingham HS2 servicesA furious row erupted today after French state-owned rail operator SNCF launched a bid to run new high speed services from London to Birmingham.
- MPs raise Crossrail 2 pressure on ministers with Commons moveA new Commons bid was launched today to pile pressure on the Government to press ahead with Crossrail 2.
- Uber plans to launch electric flying taxis by 2020Uber has said it plans to invent electric flying taxis which can soar above traffic jams to get around busy cities.
The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)
- Call for “step change” to improve Highland rail serviceAn Inverness business leader has called for a “step change” to improve rail services on the Highland Main Line (HML) between the city and Scotland’s central belt.
The York Press
- 300 buses to operate during new strikeYORK-BASED train operator Northern says it expects to run about 40 per cent of rail services and more than 300 additional rail replacement buses when it faces its latest day of industrial action on Friday.
Get West London
- Live near HS2? Find out how to check if you are eligible for thousands in mitigation paymentsOne of the ways the government is trying to mitigate the negative impact of the high-speed rail link from London Euston to the West Midlands is to offer payments to those living and working in the worst affected areas.
Other Regional Press
- Chance to have say on who will win rail franchiseRAIL users are being urged to have their say on train services before the Welsh Government awards the Wales and Borders franchise to one of four bidders.
- New �11.8m link road beginning to take shape in South OxfordshireDRAMATIC new pictures show work on the new �11.8m link road in South Oxfordshire is taking shape.
- New bus route for Dorchester, Weymouth and Crossways A NEW bus route has been introduced to once again link the communities of Weymouth, Crossways and Dorchester.
C.N.N.
- China launches its first homegrown aircraft carrierThe first aircraft carrier designed and built exclusively in China was launched Wednesday amid streamers and champagne.
Buying Business Travel
- US considers laptop ban on flights from UKTrump could ban large electronic items in hand luggage on US-bound flights from Europe
Rail Technology Magazine
- Stadler to deliver 22 EMUs to Stockholm Transport Swiss rail vehicle manufacturer Stadler has secured a CHF232M ($233m) contract to build 22 customised electrical multiple units (EMU) for Stockholm Transport (SL).
- Raildar’s interactive maps: a bird's eye view of UK rail networks By tapping into National Rail’s vast data resources, Raildar creates an interactive, live map of trains that passengers can follow for the most up-to-date information on their train, delays included. Founder of Raildar, Rob West, explains the platfor…
- Virgin and Stagecoach join with SNCF on HS2 WCP franchise bidOperators Virgin Trains and Stagecoach have today announced that they will launch a joint bid for the West Coast Partnership (WCP) HS2 franchise alongside state-owned French rail company SNCF. The franchise will run from 2019 and will include the first few years of operation of HS2, meaning the...
- Merseyrail prepares for more strike action as RMT talks fail again Yet more strike action is expected to be announced on Merseyrail services as talks between the operator and the RMT union broke down yet again. The dispute over driver-only operated trains caused drivers and guards to walk out earlier in the month on 8 April – Grand National day –...
- Crucial work to link Bolton station and interchange hits milestone Considerable progress has now been made on the project to upgrade Bolton’s transport interchange and build a new ‘skylink’ bridge between the building and Bolton rail station. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that the first steel span making up the bridge...
Railnews
- SNCF joins bid for West Coast Partnership It has been revealed that French state operator SNCF has joined Stagecoach and Virgin in a consortium bidding to run the West Coast Partnership, which is due to start in 2019 and is also intended to run trains on Phase 1 of HS2 from 2026. All three have been working on the expression of interest, which was lodged with the Department for Transport yesterday (Monday). SNCF will have a 30 per cent stake. �Thrilled� Virgin said the agreement would put the consortium in the �best possible position� to win the franchise but the RMT has condemned the plan, calling for the next West Coast franchise t...
Railway Gazette
- Bombardier places ‘breakthrough’ order for ABB transformersAUSTRIA: Bombardier Transportation has placed the first contract for ABB’s Effilight roof-mounted traction transformer design, ordering 42 transformers for installation on 21 Talent 3 electric multiple-units which it is to supply to Austrian Federal Railways for use in the Vorarlberg region.
Railway Gazette
- Tram components 3D printed on demandGERMANY: Siemens is using 3D printing to reduce its lead times for the supply of customised tram components from weeks to days while eliminating the cost of specialised tooling and the need to keep parts in stock.
- Stagecoach and SNCF lead Virgin-branded bid for HS2 operationsUK: On April 24 a consortium led by Stagecoach Group with SNCF and Virgin Holdings as minority...
Aviation Industry
- Investigators examine Air France A340’s abnormal takeoffs Thierry Dubois Over a four-week period, an Air France-operated Airbus A340-300 had two abnormal takeoffs from Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport. read more
Other News Sources
- Milton Keynes: Wirelessly charged electric busesArriva operates eight Wrightbus StreetLite electric buses as part of a multi-stakeholder project to demonstrate the UK’s first all-electric route and the first UK application of inductive charging. Taking a significant step towards meeting UK emissions targets within the transport sector.
- ABB Fast “Opportunity Chargers” Enable Nonstop Electric Bus Service In Harrogate (UK)ABB has won the contract to provide fast chargers that will support the 8 fully electric Volvo buses being brought to the city of Harrogate in northern England.
- Commuters speak out over a year of hell on Southern RailAFTER a year of strikes on Southern Rail, commuters have expressed their dismay that the industrial dispute which has brought such misery to so many still rumbles on.
- Barricades are down around Cambridge railway station and it looks impressiveCambridge's railway station area has passed the halfway mark in its 21st-century transformation
- Network Rail chief exec Mark Carne joins CN Summit 2017Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne will deliver a keynote speech at this year’s Construction News Summit.
- Innovate to keep ahead of the competition, FTA urges logistics industryFailure to adapt to new technology and the solutions it offers could be a massive lost opportunity for freight and logistics operators, according ...
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