Breaking News
VW scandal: emissions cheats could face criminal charges
Transport minister unveils new measures allowing government to prosecute carmakersCarmakers who cheat emissions rules with illegal devices could face unlimited fines and criminal charges for deceiving environmental tests under new measures set to be introduced in the wake of the Volkswagen scandal.The transport minister, Jesse Norman, launched a consultation on Friday to outline the crackdown, although any law will not be retrospective so could not be used to target Volkswagen.
I have lost all confidence in HS2 - Sir Kevin Barron MP
For many years, I have supported HS2 as I truly believed that it would help bridge the divide between the north and London.
Friday, 02 February 2018
BBC News
- Passengers evacuated from burning train in FifeThe small fire took hold underneath a train carriage at Cupar railway station.
Financial Times
- Rail stations to install drinking fountainsGovernment aims to promote refillable water bottles and cut plastic waste
The Guardian
- VW scandal: emissions cheats could face criminal chargesTransport minister unveils new measures allowing government to prosecute carmakersCarmakers who cheat emissions rules with illegal devices could face unlimited fines and criminal charges for deceiving environmental tests under new measures set to be introduced in the wake of the Volkswagen scandal.The transport minister, Jesse Norman, launched a consultation on Friday to outline the crackdown, although any law will not be retrospective so could not be used to target Volkswagen.
The Herald
- Rail passengers demand a decent level of comfort as well as value for moneySTEPHEN Joseph (chief executive officer of Campaign for Better Transport) has forcefully exposed the need for adequate passenger consultation on seat design for the new Hitachi Class 800 Azuma trains intended for the Aberdeen/Inverness-Dundee-Edinburgh/Glasgow East Coast route to London next year ("Comfort upgrade for travellers as 7,000 carriages introduced", The Herald, January 29).
The Scotsman
- Caledonian Sleeper postpones ban on strangers cabin-sharing A ban on travellers sharing with a stranger on the Caledonian Sleeper has been postponed following a passenger outcry.
- Alastair Dalton: This is ScotRail’s Achilles’ heel The railways are a hugely complex operation, prone to disruption from a myriad range of causes.
- Revealed: The most dangerous roads in Scotland and the UKThe most dangerous roads in the UK have been revealed in a new study.
The Telegraph
Times Online
- Ministers threaten unlimited fines for emissions test cheats [Subscription]Carmakers who cheat emissions tests were threatened with unlimited fines yesterday under anti-pollution rules being drawn up in Westminster.
Reuters News
- Britain proposes unlimited fines for car emissions cheaters(Reuters) - Carmakers that try to cheat vehicle emissions tests could face unlimited fines and criminal charges under proposals set out on Thursday by the British government.
City AM
- The end of lost luggage? This airline is bringing real-time bag tracking to its London flightsWorried about the prospect of never seeing your luggage again once it's been loaded onto a flight?
- London transport chief says Capita is "performing like a strong organisation" as shares slump continuesLondon's deputy mayor for transport said she had "no concerns" with Capita and its Transport for London (TfL) work at present, but added that TfL always has a "contingency step-in plan" if issues were to arise.
- Crossrail 2 progress stalls as independent funding review won't wrap up until the autumnProgress on the £31bn Crossrail 2 project has stuttered, after Transport for London (TfL) said today an independent financing review sought by the government will not be completed until the autumn.
Daily Record
- Passengers evacuated from train as carriage catches fire at railway station No one was hurt in the incident which happened just before 3pm today.
Belfast Telegraph
- Network Rail attacks ‘stupidity of lorry drivers’ after four bridge strikesThere were 1,774 bridge strikes in 2016/17, up 32 on the previous 12 months.
London Evening Standard
- Notting Hill Gate station: Woman fighting for life after getting trapped in Tube doors and dragged under trainA woman who was dragged under a Tube train after getting trapped in the doors at a busy station is fighting for life in hospital.
- ES Views Letter of the Day: The Tube is terrible value for money Have your say Twitter: @esviews Email: esviews@standard.co.uk
East Anglian Daily Times
- MP warns of level crossing dangers after teenage girl involved in near-miss incidentThe MP for Suffolk Coastal has urged the public to use level crossings safely, after a teenage girl narrowly missed being hit by a train at Halesworth last month.
Other Regional Press
- Ascot Racecourse hosts public consultation over possible runway expansion at Heathrow AirportHeathrow Airport embarked on its latest public consultation by hosting a drop-in event at Ascot Racecourse.
- Plans to replace trains with trams between the Hythe and Colchester labelled 'a load of rubbish'TRAINS between Colchester Town and Hythe stations could be replaced with a tram or bus service as part of the development of garden communities.
- Helensburgh's MSP blames ScotRail for fall in station usageHELENSBURGH’S MSP says ScotRail’s “poor service” is to blame for a decreasing use of railway stations in the area, writes Julie McLaughlin.
- HS2 tree supplier based in Lincolnshire appoints new director'I knew it was just what I have been looking for'
- Ebbw Vale railway line praised by independent report for cutting air pollution and creating jobsAN INDEPENDENT report has found that the re-opening of the Ebbw Vale railway line has been highly successful in increasing access to the jobs market and cutting greenhouse gases.
- Oxfordshire at cutting edge of electric tech as new factory openedA NEW electric motor production facility for car makers has been officially opened by Business Secretary Greg Clark.
- East’s electric vehicle sector ‘could strengthen ties with China’The burgeoning electric vehicle industry presents an “exciting opportunity” for the East of England to strengthen its economic relationship with China, according to an enterprise leader.
Bus and Coach Buyer
- Autonomous vehicles on the horizonAre we heading towards driver-free buses and coaches? Some may think autonomous vehicles are science fiction and it is fair to say they are a long way from being rolled out fully in commercial fleets.
- Mellor: new Rochdale unit could start up in MayRochdale-based coach Mellor says expansion of its Miall Street facility by acquisition of an adjacent site (BCB 13 October 2017) could produce results in spring.
- Nippy Bus director is disqualifiedDirector and Transport Manager of the now defunct Nippy Bus, Sydney Philip Hardy – who fired his staff overnight and closed the company – has been disqualified by the Traffic Commissioner for the West of England, Kevin Rooney.
Buses Magazine
- Stagecoach and the Omnibus Society celebrate Stratford BlueStagecoach, in conjunction with the Omnibus Society, has honoured the heritage of Stratford-upon-Avon’s bus transport network by unveiling an Alexander Dennis Enviro400-bodied Scania N230UD painted in historic Stratford Blue livery.
- Autism Berkshire is Reading Buses’ charity of the yearStaff at Reading Buses have voted overwhelmingly voted Autism Berkshire as their chosen Charity of the Year for 2018.
- 10th birthday celebrations next Saturday at Hull Paragon InterchangeStagecoach East Midlands, Hull City Council, TransPennine Express and East Yorkshire Motor Services have joined forces to celebrate the 10th birthday of the Hull Paragon Interchange.
Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
- New app gives Plymouth bus users more control of their journeyBus travel has been made even more convenient for Plymouth residents thanks to the new Plymouth Citybus travel app. On 1st February 2018, Plymouth Citybus launched its free mobile app, which allows users to plan, track and follow their bus in real time and buy tickets before boarding. The new app features powerful real time information with journeys displayed on an interactive map. Users can input their destination and find the fastest journey option, including walking times and when the next bus is due to depart. An intelligent real time bus tracking feature allows passengers t...
Coach and Bus Week
- Driving aheadRepowering buses can bring big benefits, says John Lewis Cascaded down through fleets and relocated from busy city centres to quieter rural districts, buses can have a long shelf life.
- A showcase in ticketingAs Transport Ticketing Global celebrates its tenth year, James Day reports on the latest developments in payment technology on show.
- New mobile app launch for Oxford Bus CompanyGo-Ahead-owned Oxford Bus Company has launched a revamped mobile phone app.
- Sn-ap digital platform adds Bristol – London to its offeringOn-demand coach digital platform Sn-ap has expanded from its Nottingham to London route to serve the Bristol – London corridor using vehicles run by independent operators.
- Wroxham Barns wants coaches – both drivers and their passengersAward-winning North Norfolk-based visitor attraction Wroxham Barns is keen to welcome coach drivers and groups to its facility.
- VDL wins Stadtwerke Osnabrück tenderDutch manufacturer wins significant contract for electric buses in Germany
- Rotala buys Central BusesRotala has announced the acquisition of Central Buses and its 31-strong fleet for £1.95 million.
Rail Technology Magazine
- Elizabeth Line hit with major challenges after electrical explosion pushes back testingThe energisation of eastern sections of the Elizabeth Line was pushed back in November after a transformer meant to connect separate electrical appliances exploded, causing testing to be delayed. The problems, coupled with the complex nature of the project and the scale on which it is being...
Route One (Bus and Coach)
- Operator taken to Tribunal for protective awards breachSix employees, who lost their jobs when a Norfolk coach firm went into liquidation last year, have been awarded a total of at least £22,000 combined.
- Van Hool to build US plantVan Hool is to build a bus manufacturing plant in Tennessee, USA, as it aims to penetrate the public transport market.
- Euro 6 for WolvesWest Midlands Combined Authority has launched a consultation on the Wolverhampton City Centre Advanced Quality Bus Partnership, planned to come into force on 30 September 2018.
- Passenger Plus puts pride and joy into its new uniformrouteone award-winner, Surrey-based Passenger Plus, has appointed Pride and Joy as its uniform supplier.
- You must have a written mobile phone policy, says TCThe necessity for operators to have written policies for drivers over the use of mobile phones when driving, and other matters, was emphasised by Traffic Commissioner (TC) Nick Jones.
Aviation Industry
- IATA: 2017 air freight traffic up 9%, expected to slow to 4.5% in 2018Strong demand for manufacturing exports stoked the air freight sector to its best performance in seven years, as global cargo traffic grew 9% year-over-year (YOY) in 2017, according to IATA’s December Air Freight Market Analysis, released Jan. 31. read more
- Wizz Air 3Q profit falls 57% on rising fuel, labor expenses Central and Eastern European LCC Wizz Air reported a third-quarter net profit of €14 million ($16.8 million), down 57% on the year-ago period, despite strong ticket and ancillary revenues as well as passenger growth. read more
Green Miscellany
- Why can cars break the speed limit?Why do we allow the sale of motorised vehicles capable of breaking local and national speed limits? Nobody would suggest that cars driven within speed limits present no road danger, but we have yet to hear a rational argument for why cars need the ability to exceed the speed limit. Four in 10 drivers admit they sometimes break 30 mph speed limits… The post Why can cars break the speed limit? appeared first on ETA.
Other News Sources
- Bucks MP votes against the second phase of HS2A Buckinghamshire MP has voted against the next part of the HS2 project, north of Birmingham. While the route through Buckinghamshire was covered in the Phase One plans, Dame Cheryl spoke at length on the rising cost of the project to the taxpayer, pointing out that:
- I have lost all confidence in HS2 - Sir Kevin Barron MPFor many years, I have supported HS2 as I truly believed that it would help bridge the divide between the north and London.
- South Western Railway chaos after THREE broken down trains bring network to a standstill in Surrey Routes between Alton and Waterloo and lines in the Wimbledon and Surbiton areas have been worst affected, with disruption forecast until close of service on Thursday (February 1)
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