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

Tuesday, 10 February 2015

BBC News

• Life left in 30-year-old Pacer trainsThe Prime Minister said they were history but 30-year-old Pacer trains may not disappear from the North's railways
• Bike share scheme offers trainingA new public bike share scheme is aiming to get more people cycling in and around Belfast city centre.
• Tube tunnels for bikes 'ludicrous'Cycling campaign groups criticise a concept design proposing cyclists use disused Tube tunnels to get around London safely.
• Mayor calls for underground roadsThe mayor of London announces plans to redesign some of London's busiest roads by building tunnels underneath the city.
• Labour commits to Glasgow CrossrailJim Murphy commits Scottish Labour to funding the Glasgow Crossrail scheme if it wins the 2016 Scottish election.
• EU probes rail project fraud claimAn EU fraud investigation opens into the Lyon-Turin high-speed rail project, after Green MEPs complained of serious misspending.

Financial Times

• New Indian airlines lobby to fly overseasReform plea pits start-ups against longer established airlines
• Rail manufacturers enjoy upturnCrossrail project leads buoyant industry in UK

The Guardian

• Kenji Ekuan, industrial designer of bullet trains and soy bottles, dies85 year old designer designed iconic objects including the Kikkoman soy sauce bottle, Yamaha motorcycles and a Komachi bullet trainJapanese industrial designer Kenji Ekuan, whose works ranged from a bullet train to the red-capped Kikkoman soy sauce dispenser as familiar as the classic Coca-Cola bottle, has died, his company said. He was 85.A former monk, Ekuan crafted a tabletop bottle for Kikkoman Corp. in 1961, winning international popularity both for the handy, flask-shaped dispenser and of course for the salty brown condiment flavoring many Asian cuisines. Continue reading...
• Uber introduces 'panic button' in IndiaSan Fransisco-based taxi firm’s app will allow riders to notify police in case of emergency, and users to share location details with up to five peopleUber is introducing two new safety features for riders in India in response to concerns about safety that followed a passenger reporting she had been raped by a driver.The San Francisco-based taxi alternative company says it will launch a “panic buttonâ€� in its ride-hailing app that allows riders to notify the police in case of an emergency, and a “safety netâ€� feature that will allow users to share trip details and their location with as many as ...

The Herald

• Cyclists call for Glasgow to become next 20mph cityCYCLE campaigners in Glasgow have been left baffled after a petition to create a

The Telegraph

• Council loses £1m in fines after 'forgetting' to turn on bus lane cameraEssex County Council admits it never activated a bus lane camera installed five years ago and no drivers have been fined
• Driverless cars may bring city centres to a halt unless Highway Code is re-writtenDriverless cars could clog up Britain's roads because they take Highway Code too literally

Mail Online

• Network Rail figures reveal women with luggage should take most care An analysis by Network Rail has shown that women in killer heels are particularly in danger of suffering an accident - sometimes fatal - when boarding or getting off a train.

Network Rail

• Minding the gap – platform safety to improve as rail industry launches collaborative strategyOver the past five years rail passengers have stepped on and off trains more than 15 billion times. While Britain has the safest railway in Europe, tragically during this time 18 people have lost their lives and almost 7,000 injuries have occurred following falls from the platform, or while boarding and alighting trains.
• York – Scarborough passengers reminded to check before you travel this half termRail passengers are being reminded to plan ahead this half term as significant improvements ate made to Scarborough Rail Bridge - including replacing the bridge deck.
• Wolvercote residents invited to drop-in event about upgrades to the railway between Oxford and BicesterWolvercote residents are invited to attend a drop-in event to find out more about the work in their area to upgrade the railway line between Oxford and Bicester.
• Manchester Airport station reopens after work to build a fourth platform is completedManchester Airport station has reopened after work to install track and signalling as part of the new fourth platform was completed.

Bolton News

• Driver's fury over yellow lines A BUSY junction in Farnworth has been branded

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Campaign starts for new safety restrictions on young drivers A BRADFORD MP who has campaigned against the massive motor insurance premiums which affect some parts of the city has joined a new campaign aimed at keeping young drivers safe.

Derby Telegraph

• Community railway linking Derby and Matlock praised in national reportA railway in Derbyshire has been praised in a national report which highlights how community partnerships are enhancing travel.

London Evening Standard

• Drivers will have to pay toll for tunnel that could replace Hammersmith flyover Motorists will have to pay to use a new west London road tunnel that could replace the decaying Hammersmith flyover, it emerged today.
• Cyclists stage 'die in' protest in memory of bike rider killed in collision with truck Hundreds of cyclists staged a “die inâ€� protest on a busy high street where a bike rider was knocked down and killed.

Manchester Evening News

• LIVE: Greater Manchester Police clampdown on bad behaviour by cyclists and drivers Follow live updates as police look to deal with bad manners on Manchester's roads during Operation Considerate
• Metrolink strike is OFF: Staff will not walk out on Wednesday after tram bosses and Unite agree dealServices were expected to be severely hit but tram bosses say a last-minute deal has now been made

The York Press

• Big cuts for York bus services KEY bus services in York could be cut as they are not being used enough, transport managers have warned.

This Is Local London Network

• Going underground? A3 at Tolworth could become a tunnel, says Boris Johnson The junction, currently a traffic hotspot and easily congested, is one of five locations across the capital which could be sunk into an underground tunnel.

Blackpool Gazette

• Protests over plans to use old trains on north routesRail union chiefs are to hold a ‘day of action’ in protest at plans to “dump” refurbished London-based trains on some of the north’s busiest lines.

Doncaster Free Press

• All aboard for mini railway festival fun in DoncasterRailway modellers and enthusiasts gathered in Doncaster for one of the biggest events in their annual calender.

Other Regional Press

• Bus usage in decline, but rail thrivesIn preparation for the General Election, there is a movement to secure commitments to retain the bus pass for the elderly and disabled, free of charge at the point of use.

Aviation Industry

• New report finds expanding Heathrow or Gatwick would reduce regional airport growthA report by the Heathrow All Party Parliamentary Group has found that expanding Heathrow or Gatwick would only re-distribute growth away from regional airports. Growth at Heathrow would be offset by up to 28% loss in regional passengers or a reduction of 207,000 regional flights a year
• Softer demand hits Air France-KLM GroupAir France-KLM Group said passenger traffic and average fares both fell in January amid softer demand on routes to emerging markets. Group-wide traffic - passengers times the distance flown - fell 0.1 percent, paced by a 5.4 percent drop on flights to Africa and the Middle East.
• United Airlines preparing new websiteChicago-based United Airlines this week plans to begin testing a major redesign of its website that will look the same on a range of devices. Chicago-based United Airlines this week plans to begin testing a major redesign of its website that will look the same on a range of devices.
• Jet Airways hails turnaround plan successIndia’s Jet Airways has posted a net profit of $0.5 million in the third quarter of FY2015 compared to a $46 million loss a year ago, its first quarterly profit since 2012. read more
• IAG’s £1.36bn Aer Lingus takeover facing oppositionConcerns from unions and MPs over jobs and routes guarantees

Other News Sources

• FTA conference to provide essential advice on meeting the climate change challengeReducing carbon emissions continues to be a key challenge for the logistics sector with European and UK policy to address carbon emissions from ...
• 1,700 Southern Rail trains late last month, but commuters could only claim compensation for 59 of them DESPITE almost 1,700 trains being late last month, frustrated passengers could only claim compensation for 59 of the journeys.
• Uber launches ‘panic button’ in IndiaTaxi-booking app responds to concerns over safety with new features