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

Thursday, 14 April 2016

BBC News

• EU to harvest more air passenger dataThe EU plans to give police more powers to see airline passenger details, in a major counter-terrorism initiative.
• Check your fuel levels, urge M-way bossesMore than 350 drivers ended up stranded on Greater Manchester's smart motorways in the last 12 months after running out of fuel, new figures reveal.
• Plane turned around for 'last goodbye'A pilot allows an elderly couple to get off a plane moments before take-off so they can visit their dying grandson in hospital.
• 'Daydreaming' tram driver hit pedestrianA tram driver who struck a pedestrian in Manchester

ITV News

• Thousands of jobs could be created at new rail hubPlans for a new West Midlands rail hub which could create thousands of jobs will be unveiled today.

Department for Transport

• Lydd Airport made permanent home of search and rescue helicopters in the south-eastThe Department for Transport has today (13 April 2016) announced that Lydd Airport will be the permanent base for the UK Coastguard’s search and rescue helicopter services in the south-east.
• Lydd Airport made permanent home of search and rescue helicopters in the south-eastThe Department for Transport has today (13 April 2016) announced that Lydd Airport will be the permanent base for the UK Coastguard’s search and rescue helicopter services in the south-east.

Financial Times

• Kenya Airways to seek fresh capitalChief executive Mbuvi Ngunze eyes new route to success after failed expansion plans

The Guardian

• Jeremy Corbyn to urge 'warts and all' backing of EULabour leader to say he has concerns about European Union but believes it to be best way to tackle global challengesJeremy Corbyn is to urge supporters to back the European Union “warts and all” as he tries to allay fears among remain campaigners that a failure to motivate Labour voters could leave Britain at risk of crashing out of the EU.The party leader’s long-trailed intervention in the debate over the UK’s future comes as former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg called on Labour to issue a “clarion call” to its supporters, warning that he believed the June referendum could now be lost. Con...
• Germanwings crash: families sue flight school for pilot check failuresAirline Training Center in Arizona did not address Andreas Lubitz’s medical history, which showed him to be a ‘suicide time bomb’, says lawyerThe families of victims killed when a suicidal co-pilot flew an airliner into a mountainside in the French Alps in 2015 filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the US flight school where he was trained, alleging the school failed to properly screen his medical background.The suit was filed in US district court in Phoenix against the Airline Training Center of Arizona. It is owned by Lufthansa, which is also the parent company of Germanwings, a regional Euro...

The Scotsman

• Transport challenge to promote ‘healthy, green and cheap alternatives to driving’ A sustainable transport charity is launching a challenge for workers in Scotland to compete to clock up the most walking, cycling, public transport and car-sharing journeys in May.

Mail Online

• Manchester Airport lets in four out of five suspect passengers amid high alert Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration David Bolt found that of 50 sample cases studied at Manchester Airport, only 10 travellers who raised suspicions were quizzed by border guards.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Ffestiniog Railway launches observation carriageBuilt at Boston Lodge to commemorate the railway’s 150th anniversary of passenger service Carriage 150 is ready to enter service
• Airbus aircraft 'sardine can' plan has been...canned Airline idea to squeeze 840 passengers on an A380 has been dropped with order cancellation

London Evening Standard

• Hundreds of Tube workers in fresh strike ballotLondon Underground workers are threatening strike action in a row over a major housing project which may see a Tube depot demolished.
• 'Ban all diesel vehicles from capital's centre,' say over half of LondonersMore than half of Londoners want diesel buses banned from the city centre to cut toxic air pollution blighting the capital, a new poll reveals today.
• Drone pilot 'breaks every rule in the book' with incredible video footage of LondonStunning drone footage shot over London has sparked an angry row after the pilot was accused of "breaking every rule in the book".
• Disused Tube stations and tunnels open up for Hidden LondonLondon Transport Museum is opening up a host of disused sites

Manchester Evening News

• Passengers enter Britain without passport checks at Manchester Airport, watchdogs find One of the passenger allowed in was a USA national professional poker player who wanted to meet a woman he had met on Facebook

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Business chiefs hail Inverness Airport rail station planBusiness leaders and politicians yesterday hailed the “real momentum” behind plans to build a £2million railway station at Inverness Airport.

The York Press

• Bus driver flattens lamp-post in York after taking wrong turn A HOMEOWNER had a lucky escape�when a lamppost was knocked over into their garden.

Wales Online

• Trains stopped after fire deliberately started at Portakabins near garden centreNetwork Rail stopped trains on the line near the fire at Wyevale Garden Centre in Bridgend on Tuesday evening
• Just how many potholes have been repaired in Cardiff - and why did it take 164 days to repair one? A Freedom of Information request has shown the number of potholes being repaired has fallen since 2013-14

Yorkshire Post

• Angela Smith: Think like the Victorians if road and rail is to be fast-trackedTHE economic case for new transport infrastructure between Sheffield and Manchester is very strong.

Bucks Free Press

• 'Root and branch' overhaul of public transport promised Residents are being asked to help shape Buckinghamshire's transport services for the future as Bucks county council takes a “root and branch look

Get West London

• Back Heathrow call on 'Captain Cameron' to land Heathrow expansion as soon as possibleCampaign director Rob Gray asked for "no more delays" to the decision, as a crowd of pro-third runway supporters took to Westminster

Sleaford Standard

• Rail crossing barriers stuck down on Sleaford to Metheringham line after signalling failureTraffic is said to be backing up due to level crossing barriers being stuck in the down position between Sleaford and Metheringham.

Other Regional Press

• Fears Southern passengers using contactless payment are being overcharged without them realising THE rail company running the Gatwick Express and Southern services has promised to investigate after at least two passengers were charged £11.80 more than they should have been by using contactless payments between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria.
• Early-hours Gatwick Airport bus could be withdrawn from use A small hours bus service to Gatwick Airport from the coast via the A22 at Hailsham, Uckfield, Nutley, Forest Row and East Grinstead could be withdrawn this month.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Dublin airport to build a second runway by 2020Dublin Airport has confirmed that it is to build a second runway at a cost of 320m euros (£259m). The 3,100 metre runway will be built 1.6 km north of the existing main runway. It is expected to be operational in 2020. The airport received planning permission in 2007 to build a new runway. However, that was put on hold due to the economic downturn and a fall in passenger numbers. The latest announcement had been expected after passenger numbers hit a record 25m last year, beating the previous record of 23m set in 2008. There are expectations that the airport may increase passenger c...
• Peel Logistics Announces First Tenant at Port Salford Peel Logistics has announced Culina Group as the first major tenant at its National Import Centre being developed on the multi-million pound Port Salford site - the UK’s first tri-modal inland port facility and distribution park, accessible by rail, road and short sea-shipping. The food and drink logistics giant will occupy the first warehouse unit comprising 26,022 sq. m. (280,000 sq. ft.) of accommodation, including ancillary offices, service yard and parking. 280 jobs will be created at the distribution centre, which is expected to be completed by April 2016 and fully operational by ...
• Gunning for growth: film promotes Northern Powerhouse to the worldA new film showcasing how the North of England and Wales is ripe for investment is being promoted across the world. The video highlights how the natural beauty and iconic sights of the Northern Powerhouse, combined with its skilled workforce and cutting edge, makes it the ideal investment hotspot. The government is investing £150 billion on health, £45 billion on schools and £13 billion on transport in the Northern Powerhouse over this Parliament to help build on these strengths and make it an even more appetising prospect to investors. The film is being promoted by British...
• Passengers and community thanked for their patience as latest phase of railway electrification work between Bath and Bristol is completedNetwork Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) have thanked passengers and people living near the railway for their patience following the completion of the latest phase of work to prepare the railway between Bath and Bristol for a brand new fleet of electric trains. The work forms part of Network Rail’s £40bn Railway Upgrade Plan to provide a bigger, better, more reliable railway for passengers and involved the ‘orange army’ working round-the-clock to prepare this section of the Great Western Main Line for the arrival of a new fleet of longer, faster, quieter and greene...
• Roads Minister opens A138 Chelmer ViaductNew £32m road bridge is officially opened by Roads Minister. Roads Minister Andrew Jones officially opened a new £32m road bridge in Chelmsford, Essex today (13 April 2016), which will increase capacity and help deliver better journeys for drivers. The new 3 lane A138 Chelmer Viaduct is 900 metres long and has been completed on time and on budget - and will help boost the local economy. It replaces the old 2 lane 1930s bridge which is now due to be demolished. In total, around 1,800 tonnes of steel, worth over £3.6m and including 104 beams, was used to build the new viaduct...
• HS2 Ltd launches regional Supply Chain Roadshows 2016Dates announced for HS2 regional Supply Chain Roadshows 2016. HS2 Ltd, the company responsible for the design, engineering and construction of Britain’s new high speed rail network has today (12th April) announced dates and locations for its regional Supply Chain Roadshows 2016. Starting in May, HS2 Ltd will visit 11 regions across Britain to meet businesses large and small, to explain the types of work packages that will be available and to advise firms on how to get in the best position to bid for billions of pounds worth of contracts with HS2. Beth West, HS2 Ltd Commercial Director,...
• Stagecoach places £97million orders for new vehiclesStagecoach Group has announced new vehicle orders worth £97million. A new fleet of around 480 vehicles, many equipped with free wifi, will be introduced in the coming 2016-17 financial year as the company continues its policy of reinvesting profits in improving services for customers. The latest announcement takes Stagecoach Group's total orders of new buses and coaches to more than £1billion since 2006/07, delivering more than 6,500 new vehicles for passengers. This year’s orders mean around £82million of new buses and coaches will be introduced
• Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2016 – 2035 approved by MinisterThe National Transport Authority has announced that its work in preparing a Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area (GDA), 2016-2035 has concluded (in accordance with Section 12 of the Dublin Transport Authority Act, 2008), that it has been approved by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, and has been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Strategy will guide decisions on transport throughout the region and will contribute to the economic, social and cultural progress of the Greater Dublin Area (counties Dublin, Meath, Wicklow and Kildare) by providing for the efficien...

Rail Magazine

• 125mph trains ordered for TransPennine operationsNineteen five-car bi-mode trains were ordered ahead of the new TransPennine Express franchise that started on April 1.
• EXCLUSIVE: HMRI explains decision to lift West Coast Railways prohibitionAn exclusive Q&A with Ian Prosser, ORR Director of Railway Safety and HM Chief Inspector of Railways

Rail Technology Magazine

• Presto Geosystems-Soil Stability for the Rail Industry The Presto Geosystems GEOWEB system has been successfully employed in the railroad industry worldwide for over 30 years to solve challenging soil stability problems. Whether for new construction or repair work, the GEOWEB system is a trusted, versati…
• Grand Central suffers biggest PPM decrease in period 13Grand Central had the biggest public performance measure (PPM) decrease this month compared to last year, latest figures from Network Rail show. Grand Central’s PPM for 6 March to 31 March (period 13) 2016 was 84.2%, compared to 91.6% at the same point last year. However, only 11% of...
• Rail must be funded by private sector, not concessions - HendyThe “obvious way” of paying for railway upgrades in the near term is getting the digital railway done by the people who install it, paid for by private finance rather than run as concessions, Sir Peter Hendy, the chairman of Network Rail, has said. Delivering his keynote speech at...
• MP calls for HS3 to extend to South YorkshireHS3 must be extended to include South Yorkshire as a critical necessity in the redevelopment and economic resilience of the north of England,the MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge said in a House of Commons debate. Angela Smith said that HS3, which received the green light in the most recent...
• Manchester accident shows dangers of trams in pedestrian areas - RAIBMore awareness is needed of the risks of pedestrians and trams sharing space, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has said in a report into a collision which seriously injured a pedestrian in Manchester last year. The type M5000 tram hit the pedestrian at 11.13am on 12 May 2015, 25m to...

Railnews

• New trains boost to deal with 'unprecedented' demand Six extra 4-car units are due to enter service with c2c this year, which the operator says will provide an additional 13,000 peak hour seats. The 387s are arriving three years ahead of a larger tranche of new trains, and are being leased until 17 4-car sets can be delivered in 2019. c2c needs more trains to deal with consistent growth in demand over the past few years which has strengthened to 'unprecedented' levels, c2c said.

Railway Gazette

• c2c to lease Electrostars from Porterbrook speculative build UK: Essex to London commuter operator c2c announced on April 13 an agreement with the Department...

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair takes hit from Brussels terror, French strikesRyanair warned on Tuesday it will take a hit of up to a 20 million on the back of deadly terror attacks in Brussels and air traffic control strikes in France. DUBLIN: Ryanair warned on Tuesday it will take a hit of up to a 20 million on the back of deadly terror attacks in Brussels and air traffic control strikes in France.
• Ryanair makes renewed push to attract business travellersIrish carrier unveils third part of its customer service improvement programme
• Brussels airport strikes force flight cancellationsAround 50 flights cancelled today due to air traffic controller walkout

Other News Sources

• Massachusetts Becomes First State to Have the Largest Travel Time Network in the US SES America (SESA) has completed the manufacturing of over 300 solar-powered embedded dynamic message signs to be installed as part of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's 'Go Time' project. Once completed, the project will provide the la…
• Shoreham tragedy: Display pilots get stressed in front of crowds and will be given training AIRSHOW display pilots can get stressed performing in front of crowds and will be given training to prevent more tragedies like the Shoreham Airshow disaster.
• Europe considers visa-free travel suspension for US and CanadaGBTA says move would damage jobs and economic growth
• Portman launches traveller tracking product‘SafeTrack’ integrates advice and alerts from Foreign Office