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

Thursday, 07 May 2015

BBC News

• Flight delays rise at UK airportsPassengers faced an increase in flight delays last year, figures from the Civil Aviation Authority show.
• Tycoon sells tyre firm for £50mOne of Scotland's most successful entrepreneurs has sold his tyre-fitting business for £50m to Michelin.
• Tesla loss narrows as orders riseElectric car maker Tesla reports better-than-expected first quarter results, sending shares up more than 5% in trading after US markets had closed.

Financial Times

• Longest German rail strike begins to biteDispute at Deutsche Bahn draws attention to growing influence of smaller unions

The Guardian

• Signalling problems signal misery for South West Trains passengersRail firm the target of fury after passengers get stuck in trains for two hours – with some forced to stand in toilet – as unions hit out at lack of debate on transport in electionPassengers stuck in trains for up to two hours because of signal failures at Surbiton, south London, and Waterloo vented their fury at South West Trains as it struggled to restore normal service.Passengers were forced to stand in the toilet on one overcrowded train, while platforms at Surbiton were packed on Wednesday. Related: Chaos at Clapham Junction after rail power supply problem Continue reading...
• Germanwings crash: co-pilot practised descent move on previous flightInterim report by France’s air accident investigation agency finds that Andreas Lubitz reduced altitude on outbound flight from Düsseldorf to BarcelonaThe Germanwings co-pilot suspected of deliberately crashing a jet in the Alps in March entered the fatal descent settings several times on an earlier outbound flight, investigators have said. A report on the crash by the BEA, France’s air accident investigation agency, showed that Andreas Lubitz had set the altitude dial on the Airbus A320’s autopilot to 100ft (30 metres) five times while alone in the cockpit on the previous flight, from D&u...

The Independent

• Gatwick named worst airport in the UK for delays as passengers across UK experience fall in punctuality, according to CAAAirport had the worst punctuality record of 10 major UK airports with 74 per cent of scheduled flights on time

The Scotsman

• Delays rise at Edinburgh and Glasgow airportsFLIGHT punctuality at Edinburgh and Glasgow airports dipped last year to its worst since 2010, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reported today.

The Telegraph

• South West Trains rush-hour chaos brings commuter misery: as it happenedPassengers were stuck on packed platforms as signal failures at Surbiton and Waterloo stations caused travel misery for commuters
• Travel chaos hits London's commuters yet againPassengers took to standing in the toilets to make it to work on time as journeys were delayed over two hours

Mail Online

• Gatwick named worst UK airport for delays while Heathrow is tied for second last... but London City is No 1 with 88% of flights on time Passengers experienced more delays at UK airports last year, with Gatwick Airport being named the worst offender in an official report.
• Rail passengers crowd in toilets on overcrowded trains over London delays Delays, diversions and cancellations caused chaos to rush-hour South West Trains services, which were hit by signal failures at Surbiton in south-west London and at Waterloo station.

The Mirror

• Foreign lorries crashing on UK motorways up fourteen per cent in three yearsStudy shows Polish, German and Spanish HGVs are the most accident-prone with more than 1,100 accidents last year

Birmingham Post

• Finance Birmingham agrees funding deal for Contact TransportThe investment will allow the company to continue growing, following a 60 per cent increase in turnover to nearly £20 million in the last 12 months

Bolton News

• Work gets under way on the new Radcliffe bus station TRANSPORT bosses have promised a significantly improved service for passengers after construction work began on Radcliffe’s new bus station.

London Evening Standard

• Clapham rail delays: track repair work caused delays for thousands of commuters Last week's rail chaos in Clapham was caused by a section of track that became misaligned after engineers worked on it overnight, it emerged today.
• Easyjet passengers coming back to London suffer nightmare seven-hour delay Holidaymakers were forced to endure seven hours of 'nightmare' delays trying to get back to London from Spain.
• Surbiton rail delays: Passengers stand in toilets on packed trains as signal failure causes rush hour chaos for commuters London commuters were hit by another blast of rush hour misery this morning, with some forced to stand in a toilet because their carriage was so crowded.
• Thomas Cook plane bound for Turkey makes emergency landing at Gatwick after 'drunk passengers became rowdy' A passenger plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Gatwick Airport after a group of drunken travellers became rowdy.

Newcastle Journal

• Karen Boswell named as new managing director of Hitachi Rail EuropeKaren Boswell was managing director at East Coast Train for five years, until the Virgin Trains franchise took over in March

Northern Echo

• Teesside air show returns - and here's what you can see A MAJOR airshow is set to return to the region after a 25-year absence, organisers have confirmed.

Wales Online

• Carwyn Jones warns Cardiff not to compromise on public transport in Central Square redevelopmentFirst Minister Carwyn Jones urged Cardiff council not to allow Wales' capital to repeat the mistakes seen in his constituency Bridgend when the bus station was closed
• Carwyn Jones warns Cardiff not to compromise on public transport in Central Square redevelopmentFirst Minister Carwyn Jones urged Cardiff council not to allow Wales' capital to repeat the mistakes seen in his constituency Bridgend when the bus station was closed

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Roads must be cycling safe for all, says Leeds cycling championRoads needs to be made safer in a bid to transform Leeds into a “safe cycling city”.

Other Regional Press

• Bus stop a ‘road smash risk’A FURIOUS homeowner says a decision by transport bosses to place a bus stop outside her home is “an accident waiting to happen”.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Register now for your free visit to the UK’s premier rail eventRailtex 2015, the UK’s showcase for railway technology, products and systems, will soon be opening its doors, so now is the ideal time to register for your free visit via the show website www.railtex.co.uk.  Railtex takes place at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham from 12 to 14 May. More than 450 companies will be taking part, making this the biggest of these popular exhibitions in over a decade – and an event not to be missed by anyone involved in managing, maintaining or equipping main line or urban rail networks. Busy supporting programme As well as showcasing...
• Hitachi Rail Europe to launch interior concepts for a British bullet train: NEC, Birmingham, 12-14 May, Stand J11Hitachi Rail Europe will be showcasing its headline vision for the future of high speed rail in the UK at this year’s Railtex. The vision encompasses Hitachi’s expertise in delivering rolling stock for HS1 and the iconic Shinkansen trains in Japan. Following extensive user research and passenger studies, Hitachi has developed a conceptual train interior in which the central focus is user experience. The design draws upon key influences from existing and influential rolling stock in the UK and looks forward to address the needs of future passengers, providing a train that has the ...
• National Express on track to meet expectationsNational Express remained on track to meet annual expectations as revenue grew across the board in the first four months of 2015, the transport services operator said on Wednesday. Group revenue rose 4% on a constant currency basis, while passenger volumes climbed 2% across the group's divisions and headline profit was higher than in the corresponding period in 2014. The FTSE 250 group said its businesses in the UK were on a steady footing, driven by rising passenger demand and cost controls in the division, while its c2c rail franchise had started well, as passenger volume grew 4% and revenu...
• Heathrow Express installs platform gap-fillersHeathrow Express (HEx) has become the first rail company in the UK to install platform gap-fillers at its stations to reduce the risk of passenger accidents. The bespoke gap-fillers sit along the edge of station platforms reducing the size of the gap between the train and platform edge. Stepboard accidents are a concern of the whole rail industry. They occur when a passenger falls between the train and the platform edge. They are responsible for 48 per cent of the overall fatality risk to passengers, and cause knock-on delays to train services while the passenger’s welfare is being look...
• Logistics innovation driven by customer habitsLogistics providers are increasingly expected to offer innovative services to link retailers with their customer base.  Speaking to delegates at the 3PL Conference in Birmingham, head of e-commerce at Hermes Eoin Kenneally said his firm is supporting its clients' retail brands with the development of new services, Logistics Manager reports. Trends such as click and collect - where customers collect packages from nearby stores - are expected to continue growing at a strong rate. Related services such as Sunday deliveries have also taken off over the past six months.  Contact centre manager at H...
• DPD marks Chancellor's visit with new £150m jobs pledgeThe Chancellor George Osborne today visited DPD to hear about plans for a new £150m investment which will create over 750 new jobs. On the final day of campaigning ahead of the 2015 general election the Chancellor called in on DPD's state-of-the-art depot in Raunds, Northamptonshire as part of a 24 hour tour of businesses across the country. The Chancellor set out the Conservatives' plans to carry on backing businesses and help them to create 140,000 new jobs across the East Midlands. In turn, DPD announced that, as a result of its £250 million investment in its UK business over...
• Innovation takes centre stage at record breaking Multimodal showA 100% recyclable pallet, which slashed one customer’s C02e by 9,000 tonnes, bringing commercial savings of around £5 million over a year, was just one of the innovations showcased at last week’s Multimodal show.     The Alternative Pallet Company demonstrated its lightweight pallet, known as the Pallite and made from paper and glue, by lifting a one tonne load as part of the Multimodal Seminars, which included insight from 64 industry thought leaders over three days of workshops.      Multimodal 2015 was a record breaker for the eight-year-old show, ...

Rail Magazine

• Karen Boswell appointed Managing Director of Hitachi Rail EuropeFormer East Coast MD among senior level appointments.
• TransPennine Express introduces new staff training schemeFirst TransPennine Express introduces new customer service training.

Aviation Industry

• EU passenger rights revision faces two-year setbackThe revision of European Union (EU) passenger rights bill Regulation 261 is on the brink of stalling, with airlines fearing continued financial risk and potential safety issues if it is not passed by June. read more
• Germanwings brand to stay until pilot union dispute is resolvedLufthansa Group, which had planned to retire its low-cost carrier (LCC) subsidiary Germanwings brand by integrating it into Eurowings by the end of the year, will keep it until the dispute with pilot union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) is resolved, a Germanwings spokesperson told ATW. read more
• Gatwick claims London backing for expansionYouGov polls show Londoners prefer Gatwick over rival Heathrow
• Virgin Atlantic opens Clubhouse lounge at LAXEntry is complimentary for Upper Class passengers or those with a Flying Gold club card

Other News Sources

• Elum-Smith breaks silence on Heathrow expansionLabour’s candidate for Colnbrook with Poyle has finally commented on Slough Council’s controversial support for a Third Runway through the village, insisting that expansion elsewhere could impact jobs in the area but he will ask residents what they want.
• Bicycling: the Marmite means of transportHarry Mount is exhilarated by cycling — but finds Paul Smethurst’s history of the bicycle disappointingly stodgy
• Icelandair Traffic Data April 2015The Company carried around 190 thousand passengers on international flights in April.nbsp; The number of passengers was up by 8% as compared to April last year.nbsp; The capacity increase in...