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

Saturday, 02 May 2015

BBC News

• Airbus to sue over German spying rowAviation giant Airbus says it will file a criminal complaint over allegations in the media that German spies helped the US carry out industrial espionage.
• Road to be rebuilt over safety fearsA new road outside Inverurie is going to have to be partially rebuilt over council safety fears.
• Tesla unveils battery to power homesUS electric carmaker Tesla Motors unveils batteries that can power homes and businesses in a bid to expand beyond its vehicle business.
• Uber office in Guangzhou 'raided'Private online car-hire service Uber has its offices in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou raided by authorities, according to reports.
• Hornby signals move back into profitModel train maker Hornby, which also owns the Scalextric and Airfix brands, says it is set to report its first annual profit for three years.
• Evans Cycles changes hands for £100mEvans Cycles has been sold in a deal thought to value the retailer at about £100m.

Financial Times

• Rail operator bolsters Berkshire profitsImproved results for poorly performing arm greet investors gathering for Omaha annual meeting
• US and Canada toughen oil transport rulesSafety regulations come after spate of serious accidents from shipping oil by rail
• Crossrail passes Canary Wharf milestoneTrains not due to arrive at underground station until 2019
• TAP-Air Portugal pilots begin strikeGovernment and unions warn stoppage could destroy the debt-laden national airline

The Guardian

• Tesla announces low-cost batteries for homesElon Musk claims at launch that two billion large batteries could provide enough electricity to meet the world’s needsThe electric car company Tesla has announced its entry into the energy market, unveiling a suite of low-cost solar batteries for homes, businesses and utilities, “the missing pieceâ€�, it said, in the transition to a sustainable energy world.The batteries, which will retail at $3,500 in the US, were launched on Thursday at a Tesla facility in California by the company’s ambitious founder, Elon Musk, who heralded the technology as “a fundamental transformation [in] how energy is d...
• Car hire calm or chaos? Whatever, get the passcode before you set offOur story about the DVLA scrapping the paper counterpart of the driving licence set the phones buzzingWill scrapping the paper counterpart of the driving licence really cause chaos at car hire desks this summer? That’s the question many of you have posed, after reading our lead story last week. Guardian Money’s phones have been running hot all week with calls from readers worried the changes could leave them without a hire car and fuming at the airport rental desk.If you missed it, the DVLA is ending the paper counterpart that is currently issued alongside the credit card-style plastic licence...
• US aviation authority: Boeing 787 bug could cause 'loss of control'More trouble for Dreamliner as Federal Aviation Administration warns glitch in control unit causes generators to shut down if left powered on for 248 days The US air safety authority has issued a warning and maintenance order over a software bug that causes a complete electric shutdown of Boeing’s 787 and potentially “loss of controlâ€� of the aircraft.In the latest of a long line of problems plaguing Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, which saw the company’s fleet grounded over battery issues and concerns raised over possible hacking vulnerabilities, the new software bug was found in plane’s generator-co...

The Herald

• Record passenger numbers for Glasgow Subway thanks to Games boostPASSENGER numbers on the Glasgow Subway hit record levels last year, but still remain more 500,000 behind target.

The Telegraph

• Rail chaos reminds us that trains aren't better in public handsTelegraph View: The nightmare commute through south London yesterday demonstrates that the service is fragile and over-stretched
• Bank Holiday misery forecast with major roadworks, rail closures and rainThe 14.5 million motorists expected to take to the roads this weekend have been warned to avoid peak times and plan their journeys in advance

City AM

• ECI Partners cycles off with Evans CyclesThe 90-year-old bike shop Evans Cycles has been sold by former owners Active Private Equity to another private equity firm ECI Partners for an undisclosed sum.ECI Partners said it will hold a "significant majority stake" in Crawley-based bike chain, which has 56 stores and employs around 1,200 people. This will leave its management with the remaining minority stake.News of the deal follows earlier reports that a deal with ECI would value the Evans Cycles at about £100m. Graphite Capital was said to be one of several suitors vying for a controlling inter...

London Evening Standard

• London rail delays: ministers call for 'proper compensation' for commuters caught up in train chaos Ministers today called for “proper compensationâ€� for commuters caught up in the latest train chaos in London.
• Canary Wharf Crossrail: Milestone reached as public roof gardens open in new flagship station London’s new Crossrail railway line passed a milestone today as a unique roof garden opened to the public at Canary Wharf.

Manchester Evening News

• How do I get my air tax money back now it's scrapped for children under 12? Manchester Airport welcomes newsManchester Airport welcomes Air Passenger Duty abolition which could save families hundreds but wants more done to extend it to adult fares

Other Regional Press

• Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye speaks of plans for airport's futureCleaner air, expansion plans and making Heathrow one of the best airports in the world are on the mind of chief executive John Holland-Kaye.

Bus and Coach.com

• Bus Users launches manifesto for buses
• Industry gets behind UK Coach Rally
• Row over use of New Routemaster for election launch
• New Enviro200s for Colchester park-and-ride
• Accessibility Zone gathers support at Coach & Bus Live 2015
• Slower growth and strike impact on Go-Ahead
• New PIP aims to improve South Yorkshire buses
• Optare to drop its AIM listing
• Volvo announces the arrival of the B8R with SC5 body

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• EV adoption on the rise among van fleet operatorsAdoption of electric vehicles (EV) among van fleet operators is set to increase over the next two years, according to the findings of new research from GE Capital.  The firm's latest quarterly Company Van Trends report specified that 34 per cent of fleet operators are looking to increase their fully electric fleets, with a further 29 per cent hoping to use more electric range extender vehicles. Strong levels of support for hybrid and hydrogen powered trucks were also revealed, with 22 per cent and 16 per cent of companies looking to these solutions respectively.  Fleet LCV leader at GE Capital...

Rail Magazine

• Southeastern ‘spring cleans’ its trainsWork is part of £5.7 million scheme to improve trains and stations by October 2016

Rail Technology Magazine

• Artesyn to Showcase New SIL4 COTS Fail-Safe System for Train Control and Rail Signaling at Railtex At the Railtex exhibition, Artesyn Embedded Technologies will showcase its ControlSafeâ„¢ Platform, one of the first embedded computing systems to use commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components to create a fail-safe computing platform designed to be SI…

Aviation Industry

• Walsh attacks UKs lack of aviation policyIAG boss expresses doubt over progress on airport expansion
• Jet2.com launches ‘Twilight’ check-in serviceService being trialled at Manchester airport

Other News Sources

• Candidates unite against Heathrow third runway at Hayes & Harlington hustingsAll candidates spoke out against Heathrow Airport expansion plans to audience members who may lose their homes if third runway goes ahead
• Election 2015: Your Spelthorne parliamentary candidates on major constituency issuesHeathrow expansion, the risk of flooding and people being reliant on foodbanks are all concerns to Spelthorne residents so we asked election candidates for their stance on the issues.
• Safe Loading Pass Scheme – setting higher standardsA new Safe Loading Pass Scheme has been launched today by UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA), and is to be managed by the Freight ...
• Rail ‘farce’ was ‘unacceptable’ Rail bosses admitted services have not been up to scratch as investigations continued into a fault which caused hours of delays.