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

Monday, 11 May 2015

BBC News

• Council staff electric car 'anxiety'A Scottish local authority admits its staff are reluctant to use its pool of electric cars, for fear of being stranded with a flat battery.

The Scotsman

• Jacobite steam train saved after track ban liftedTHE summer season of Jacobite steam train services on the Fort William-Mallaig line will go ahead as planned on Monday after a ban was lifted, operator West Coast Railways (WCR) announced today.
• Alastair Dalton: Borders Railway could set exampleIT HAS been hailed for its major tourist potential and will be the longest new line in Scotland for a century, but the Borders Railway also threatens to become a classic example of how not to build a railway.
• Scots railway chief unveils improvement plansA CHARM offensive to woo passengers and a significant cut in delays will be at the heart of a major shake-up of Scotland’s railways from today, The Scotsman can reveal.
• Infrared beams ‘to help ScotRail ease congestion’INFRARED beams are to be used by ScotRail in an attempt to reduce overcrowding on trains. The technology will be fitted to carriages to detect how full they are, so passengers can be diverted to empty seats elsewhere on the train. It will also enable the firm to add extra coaches to services when there is sudden high demand.

The Telegraph

• Greener, quieter and more efficient - has Rolls-Royce created the train of the future?Aero engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce is developing a hybrid power system for trains that could mean quieter lives for those living near railway lines

Times Online

• If you want to stay a great trade nation, give us a third runway [Subscription]With the election over, Heathrow’s boss will soon learn whether his long campaign to expand London’s biggest airport has been successful
• Pilots demand jail threat to curb flying crazeNew laws should be introduced to regulate Britain’s drone craze, including prison terms for people flying the devices close to airports, ministers will be told today.
• Rail strike brings Germany to a haltA UNION leader has been dubbed “the most hated man in Germany” after emerging as the figurehead of a wave of strikes that have shattered the country’s image as a haven of industrial harmony.

Belfast Telegraph

• Cuts to bus routes on hold as union works on a rescue dealTransport bosses have parked plans to cut town centre bus services in a bid to chart a new route through the Stormont spending constraints.

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham Airport ban for ageing black cabs Taxis which have passed their tenth birthday will not be allowed to use rank at airport form next month

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph published 10,000 fines issued to Derby bus lane and bus stop offendersDERBY'S Labour leadership says its spy camera crackdown on drivers misusing bus stops and lanes is "fully justified", after statistics revealed more than 10,000 fines had been issued in less than five months.The comment comes after the city's Conservative opposition questioned whether the CCTV cameras enforcing the law on three bus lanes and the bus stop by the city's train station should stay.Labour says the city council's move means people can use the bus stop safely and that bus...

London Evening Standard

• Passengers temporarily stranded as double-decker rail replacement bus gets stuck on traffic islandPassengers on this marooned double-decker, laid on in lieu of a suspended Tube line this afternoon, might have been better off walking.
• Train station cafe 'facing closure for not being trendy or rustic enough'The owner of a humble train station cafe has claimed London Overground bosses want to force him out for not being sufficiently "trendy and rustic".

Manchester Evening News

• Watch: M60 lorry driver caught reading a book at the wheel as police launch undercover lorry to tackle bad drivingPolice started using the truck, loaned from Highways England, to tackle aggressive or dangerous driving by HGV motorists

Sheffield Star

• South Yorkshire Police officers run road safety course for bikersMotorcyclists are being offered the chance to enrol on a new road safety course run by police officers in South Yorkshire.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Off-duty police tackle bus yobsOff-duty police stepped in more than 50 times in the first three months of this year to help public transport users and staff deal with poorly behaved passengers.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds commuters pay high price for travel timeNew figures have highlighted the extent to which the dreaded commute is eating into the routines of people across Leeds.

Rail Magazine

• Transfer to rail freight would slash HGV traffic, says CBTMore focused efforts to switch freight off road and onto rail and waterways could cut Heavy Goods Vehicle traffic on the busiest roads by up to 21%,
• British Transport Police team dedicated to c2cA British Transport Police sergeant and three constables to provide what the train operator calls “a more visible security presenceâ€� for passengers.

Aviation Industry

• United Increases Passenger Capacity and Sees More Empty SeatsUnited Airlines and United Express added flights faster than they increased passenger traffic in April, leading to more empty seats. The company said Friday that passengers flew 16.68 billion miles last month, a 0.4 percent increase over April 2014 despite a drop in U.S.-Europe travel.
• Singapore Airlines Limited - Strategy and SWOT Report - New Market Study PublishedThe report covers the company's structure, operation, SWOT analysis, product and service offerings and corporate actions, providing a 360deg view of the company.
• Lufthansa adds A350s on Munich routesGerman carrier has ordered 25 Airbus A350-900s which will operate from hubs Frankfurt and Munich in late 2016

Other News Sources

• See When Your Train is Late With LED Lights and Raspberry PiAt this point, there are tonnes of apps that let us know when our trains are running late. But apps aren’t nearly as pretty as an LED light strip set up to blink when something’s wrong with your commute.
• Gatwick worst major UK airport for delays GATWICK was the worst performing major airport for passenger delays last year, new figures reveal.