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

Thursday, 28 May 2015

BBC News

• Road works could reveal battle relicsWork to dual the A9 between Inverness and Perth could uncover relics of a battle fought more than 300 years ago.
• Trams inquiry hearing date revealedA date is set for the first preliminary hearing of the public inquiry into the Edinburgh Trams.
• Five-year-old 'ran across rail line'Children as young as five have been seen running across the railway line between the platforms at a station in Edinburgh, it emerges.
• Planes spotted flying under bridgePolice investigate report that two seaplanes may have flown under Kessock Bridge in
• Tourism 'crucial' to Borders railwayThe author of a book about the Borders to Edinburgh railway says tourist and leisure passengers could be
• Lawyers warn of cyclists' tram riskLawyers representing cyclists injured on Edinburgh's tram tracks have warned the city council it must take action to prevent a fatality.
• State got 'best deal' in airline bidThe Irish government is accused by opposition leaders of trying to
• Night Tube policing details revealedMore than 100 police officers will patrol the London Underground network when night time Tube services begin in September.
• No-helmet suspects 'avoid arrest'Suspects riding motorcycles and mopeds adopt a new tactic to avoid being arrested, the BBC has learnt.
• Lamborghini confirms SUV launchSports car maker Lamborghini confirms the launch of an SUV and signs a deal to build the car in Italy.
• Aer Lingus bid 'compelling' says IAGIAG head Willie Walsh calls his company's takeover offer for Aer Lingus

Financial Times

• Apple eyes car as ‘ultimate mobile device’Executive at iPhone maker hints at group’s ambitions in the automotive industry
• O’Leary has whip hand over Aer LingusRyanair chief must strike a careful balance to maximise the benefits to be extracted from IAG
• Call for planes, trains and cable fundingBusiness leaders push for institutional backers to fund creaking infrastructure
• IAG chief eyes deals in Europe not AsiaGroup to leave eastern acquisitions to others that know market better or are ‘braver’
• US airlines: Here we go againIndustry discipline is breaking down

The Guardian

• MH370 search is like 'mowing a wheat field with a household mower' – criticsThe Dutch firm leading the year-long, multi-million dollar search is using the wrong equipment and the wrong people, say critics in the marine industryNearly a year after embarking on a multi-million dollar quest to solve one of aviation’s greatest unsolved mysteries, authorities and search teams are being criticised over their approach to finding Flight MH370 in the remote southern Indian Ocean. The Australian-led search, already the most expensive in aviation history, has found no trace of the Malaysia Airlines jet or its 239 passengers and crew, prompting calls for a rethink into the way th...

The Herald

• Flights alert amid runway rivalryTHERE could be fewer direct flights in and out of Scotland if plans to expand Heathrow Airport get the go-ahead, the boss of a rival London airport has claimed.
• Aviation regulator appeals for more info to probe Highland bridge 'daredevil stunt'Police are investigating reports two planes flew underneath a landmark Highland bridge in an alleged daredevil stunt.

The Independent

• Commuting for more than 20 minutes makes you 'stressed and cynical'It's (more) bad news for commuters – research has shown that travelling for more than 20 minutes to get to work leaves you more susceptible to chronic stress, or 'burnout', and may even make you more cynical.

Reuters News

• Car production dips slightly in April as exports fallLONDON (Reuters) - British car production fell slightly in April compared with the same month last year, as stronger demand at home failed to outweigh a fall in exports, an industry body said on Thursday.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Shipley Glen Tramway enjoys Bank Holiday success SHIPLEY Glen Tramway had a bumper Spring Bank Holiday with a huge spike in travellers during the long weekend.
• Tory group leader calls for transport planners to give more heed to motorcyclists THE new leader of the Conservatives on Bradford Council has questioned a lack of reference to motorcycles in a new £1 billion transport plan for the region covering the next 20 years.

Derby Telegraph

• chrispeddy published Chemical leak alert at Rolls-Royce in DerbyAn incident response unit has been called to Rolls-Royce in Derby after a reported chemical leak. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service received a call just after 5pm and sent the response team to the engineering manufacturer's Raynesway site – home to the marine power unit. Three ambulances, a police car and a police van were all also seen at the scene. *Read more of today's top news stories here. Follow us on Facebook and TwitterLooking for a new job? Visit our Jobs Channel to see all...
• Derby Telegraph published New layout could end traffic misery for firms near Derby's...DERBY City Council has revealed details about how it hopes to tackle traffic problems around Raynesway Recycling Centre.It has released a detailed plan which shows changes to the layout of the centre, creating more queuing space for vehicles so they do not block access to businesses on Raynesway Park Drive.The changes will cost about £65,000 and have been welcomed by firms near the recycling site.Wayne Deley, owner of Raynesway Tile Warehouse, said constant traffic outside had...

London Evening Standard

• More than 100 officers set to patrol 'Night Tube' after sexual and violent crimes rise on Underground More than a hundred police officers will patrol the “Night Tubeâ€� as new figures show that sexual and violent crimes are up on the Underground.
• Ramping up: how the new Alphabeta office building and 8 St James’s Square are redefining the workplace Cycling into work takes on new meaning at the Alphabeta office building. When it opens next month workers will be able to ride their bikes straight inside the building down a narrow cycle ramp. Inside is a massive atrium whose cliffs of projecting glass boxes evoke the morphing cityscape of Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster Inception. At the atrium’s foot there’s a place to grab a flat white on the way up to the office.
• Prudential RideLondon: 70,000 cyclists to ride along car-free streets Record numbers of Londoners will take to the streets on two wheels as organisers of the capital’s largest cycling event today announced that it will be bigger than ever.
• Abellio Greater Anglia to spend £30m on cleaning after claims of 'flea infested seats' A rail operator is spending £30m on cleaning trains following claims of “flea infested seatsâ€� and disgusting conditions.
• This is what a London Underground station platform could look like in the future Londoners are being invited to step into the future of the Underground as part of a new exhibition.
• Pilot orders pizza to calm angry passengers after plane delayed on runway A US pilot ordered scores of pizzas to calm angry passengers as their plane was delayed for several hours on the runway.

Wales Online

• Wales' real life Top Gun fighter pilots captured in action in an exhilarating set of photographsWalesOnline photographer Rob Browne took these striking images from the top of a Mid Wales valley as the fighter pilots flew low beneath him

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Fury as disabled children to be left without school transportSeverely disabled children will no longer be offered transport to their school, sparking fury among parents and teachers.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Another life lost on the Crowland road where fate is at a premium“The road is a highway to death, a monument to muddled and inept planning, a cruel indictment of successive county councils and Governments that have refused to face facts or even listen.”

The Shields Gazette

• South Shields MP calls for government intervention over Metro delaysSOUTH Shields MP Emma Lewell-Buck has written to the Government’s transport minister expressing fresh concerns over the performance of the Tyne and Wear Metro system.

Other Regional Press

• South Downs MP raises concerns over ‘unacceptably poor’ train service with rail ministerArundel and South Downs MP Nick Herbert raised concerns over an ‘unacceptably poor’ train service with the rail minister this week.
• Bexhill and Battle MP raises problem of overcrowd trains with rail ministerBexhill and Battle MP Huw Merriman raised the problem of overcrowded trains with the rail minister this week. He was one of several MPs to meet Claire Perry, the minister at the Department for Transport with responsibility for the railways, on Tuesday to lobby for improvements to Southern services.
• wbchris published Mother's fury after daughter struck by hit-and-run cyclistA SCHOOLGIRL was left nursing a broken wrist after she was violently struck by a cyclist who had mounted the pavement in Redruth.Nine-year-old Ashleigh-Joan Fearn Jones was walking to Treloweth School on Thursday morning with her older brother Caiden when the cyclist hit her before remounting his bike and cycling off.Ashleigh-Joan's furious mother Becky has slammed the cyclist calling him "irresponsible"."Ashleigh-Joan, Caiden and another friend were walking to school when they...
• Call for action after cycle lane gets blocked by delivery vans lorries SUPERMARKET chain Sainsbury’s has been accused of making a revamped roundabout in Oxford a danger for cyclists.
• Traffic getting busier on Kirklees roads - see the figures hereRecord amount of traffic on UK roads says study
• Main road in North Dorset set to close overnight for resurfacing works MOTORISTS are warned a main road in North Dorset will be closed at night next week for resurfacing.
• Pictures: Jaguar's new £1.2 million E-type - the most expensive Jag ever made Channel 4 documentary goes into Coventry's Browns Lane factory to see how the car was built

C.N.N.

• Singapore Airlines jet loses power in a storm

Airportwatch

• Heathrow cuts flight delays in half by closing gap between landing aircraft [subscription]Flight delays are being halved after the introduction of an air-traffic control system designed to eradicate gridlock in the skies.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Teesport operators Brookfield Ports grow pre-tax profits to £6.3m on increased cargo volumesTeesport operators Brookfield Ports says pre-tax profits have increased to £6.3m across its UK operations. The group, which also runs sites around the country, saw pre-tax profits rise from £4.8m to £6.3m in 2014. More than 90% of the company’s profit is derived in the North-east, which has seen growing cargo volumes, group chief financial officer Dermot Russell has said. Revenue across the group also increased from £127.8m to £133.43m during the year, on the back of investment activity in its Teesport site — particularly Container Terminal 2. The ...
• WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff and Department for Transport looking for your highway cycle solution recommendations WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, on behalf of the Department for Transport, is compiling a set of Case Studies that exemplify high quality cycle infrastructure in the UK and the processes used to achieve it. The company is calling for your recommendations on highway cycle solutions that the DfT could publish within this set of Case Studies. These Case Studies will be published on the forthcoming DfT Cycle Proofing Working Group website. They are particularly interested in your suggestions of good cycle infrastructure schemes and of the process taken to achieve them and these should be focussed on h...
• Peel submits plans for huge 175,000 sq ft industrial unit in South LiverpoolProperty giant Peel has put forward plans for a huge 175,000 sq ft industrial unit in South Liverpool – as the logistics market gears up for the launch of Liverpool2 later this year. Peel Logistics, a division of Peel Land & Property, has submitted a planning application for the unit, designed by AEW Architects, at Liverpool International Business Park. Demand for industrial and logistics space is expected to soar in the coming years following the opening of the Liverpool2 deep water port facility which is designed to handle most of the world’s biggest container ships. Peel ...
• Edinburgh Tram board gets transport veteran leaderThe man behind London’s Oystercard will be chair the board of Edinburgh Tram in a major shake up the leadership of public transport in the city. A host of new faces are set to take on top jobs at Transport for Edinburgh, as management of Lothian Buses and the city’s tram system are brought closer together. The appointment of the first non-executive directors of the tram will bring its corporate structure into line with Lothian Buses for the first time. And in a sign that the council is seeking to put the damaging boardroom row between former bus company chief executive Ian Craig ...
• M&S looks for logistics boostMarks & Spencer is looking to improve gross margins in its General Merchandise with the completion of the single tier logistics network and GM4 systems implementation. 'We see a significant gross margin improvement opportunity, with modest sales growth,' it said in its results for the year to 28th March. 'In the year ahead we will continue to deliver gross margin benefits through a combination of a more direct approach to sourcing and improved trading capabilities. 'Our M&S.com web site and e-commerce distribution centre will help us drive online sales growth and improve our profita...
• Cycle City : Active City – member discount!25-26 June 2015, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Utility cycling – for work, shopping and other everyday trips – is on the up in Britain, and not just in London.  The original £94m Cycle Ambition Grant launched in 2013 has received match-funding to take it to almost £200m. This has now been extended, with a further £114m announced at the end of 2014.   Cycle City : Active City is the UK’s annual gathering of cycling expertise.  Delegates at this event will: Learn how schemes from around the world are getting more people to cycle and walk for everyda...
• Ireland to sell Aer Lingus stake to IAGThe Irish government has agreed to sell its 25% stake in Aer Lingus to IAG, the owner of British Airways. The board of the Irish airline is also recommending IAG's €1.36bn (£961m) takeover offer for Aer Lingus. While the Irish government is now supporting the takeover offer, the other big shareholder in Aer Lingus, Ryanair, is yet to make a decision. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary recently said his company would consider any offer from IAG. A spokesperson for Ryanair, which owns a 29.8% stake in Aer Lingus, said on Tuesday: 'The board of Ryanair has yet to receive any off...
• Manchester Quality Partnership Scheme consultationTransport for Greater Manchester has launched an eight-week consultation with bus operators on a new quality partnership scheme which would come into effect alongside a £122million bus priority package for key corridors linking Leigh, Atherton, Salford, Middleton and East Didsbury with Manchester. TfGM says bus operators and other stakeholders are being asked for their views on plans to ensure that passengers are guaranteed the highest quality of service once the bus priority package is delivered. “The partnership will lock in quality standards on the main routes operating along t...
• ByBox reports 12% revenue increaseByBox increased its turnover by 12 per cent to £73 million in 2014, according to the firm's latest financial data.  This comes in the wake of a strategy focus, which saw the company place a greater emphasis on its B2B field support and global click and collect locker technology services.  More than 500 engineers are available all over the country as a result of ByBox's investment in its technical services division, Logistics Manager reports.  The logistics and supply chain management company - which specialises in locker storage - recently appointed Steve Huxter as its new...
• New international delivery service launched by myHermesA new international delivery service has been launched by myHermes, which targets small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular.  Dubbed myHermes International, the international network incorporates countries such as Australia, China and the US, as well as all major European states, Logistics Manager reports.  The service was launched in the light of a report that identified high demand, as 78 per cent of shoppers in the UK, France and Germany have ordered products from a foreign retailer.  Chief executive officer of myHermes Carole Woodhead said this trend is making t...
• Crime on TfL hits record lowCrime on London's transport network has fallen by 8.3 per cent over 2014 to 2015, compared with the corresponding figure recorded for the same period one year previously.  The latest data from Transport for London (TfL) shows that 2,502 fewer offences have taken place - and the rate of crime down to seven offences per million passenger journeys.  Crime fell by a further 12.4 per cent on the London Underground and Docklands Light Railway network - making this the ninth consecutive year of reduced crime. Managing director of London Underground Mike Brown said this is particularly welco...
• Queen’s Speech 2015The government's legislative plans for the year ahead have been unveiled in the Queen's Speech to Parliament. Here is a guide to the bills that will influence our industry. Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill This paves the way for powers over housing, transport, planning and policing to be devolved to England's cities as part of government plans for
• Network Rail calls on public to help secure future of south-west lineDog walkers, bird watchers, amateur photographers and beach users of the south-west are being called on by Network Rail to provide their experiences of historic local rail line.  Members of the public with knowledge or historical evidence of the coastline between Exeter and Newton Abbot in Devon are asked to contribute their views and experiences of local weather and the effects this may have on the railway.  Over the course of its 175-year history, the line has ered the effects of coastal flooding, erosion and cliff instability. Now, Network Rail wants to take action to make it more...
• Bank holiday work sees changes to London Bridge stationA raft of changes have been made to London Bridge station in the capital as part of work that was carried out over the bank holiday weekend (May 23rd to 25th).  Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Waterloo East and part of London Bridge had been closed for the full three days, re-opening at 4am on the morning of the 26th.  This comes as part of the wider £6.5 billion government-sponsored Thameslink Programme.  Platforms 5 and 6 on London Bridge have been demolished to make way for the station construction team to continue with improvement work.  The track has been dug up an...

Rail Magazine

• TIMELAPSE VIDEO: Three-day closure of London Bridge comes to an end after Bank Holiday work Network Rail moves track for Charing Cross trains and rebuilds bridge
• Huge rise in Class 67 reliabilityClass 67 performance has increased by more than 100%
• Crime falls on London’s transport networkAs the number of incidents drops overall on capital’s network, TfL unveils Night Tube policing plan

Transportxtra

• The Queen's Speech: devolution to England's cities, Scotland and WalesThe powers on offer in England, however spelt out in briefing notes on the speech, include bus franchising powers - leading the legislation to be dubbed the 'Buses Bill' - were seen as "genuinely radical" for those areas opting to have an elected mayor. They include a general power of competence for the mayors and will also allow local authority governance to be "streamlined" - if agreed by councils.

Aviation Industry

• IAG wins Irish government backing for Aer Lingus offerInternational Airlines Group (IAG) will make a €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion) formal takeover bid for Aer Lingus, after winning crucial backing from the government of Ireland and the carrier’s board. read more
• IAG edges closer to Aer Lingus deal25% sale of stake in Irish carrier could be approved this week
• British Airways offers bonus Avios for Exec Club membersEarn extra points on domestic and international flights
• London City starts £16m departures ‘transformation’Work to reconfigure the Western pier will be completed in 2016

Other News Sources

• Hydrogenics and Alstom Transport sign a deal worth over €50m for hydrogen powered trainsHydrogenics Corporation has signed a 10-year exclusive agreement to supply Alstom Transport with hydrogen fuel cell systems for regional commuter trains in Europe.
• Heathrow expansion: will the Tories fast-track a new runway? RBusiness leaders in the UK have urged the new Conservative government to fast-track plans for a new runway in the southeast of England. But the group doesn't answer the big question: where should the runway be built? Read more: http://www.theweek.co.uk/london-airports/56121/heathrow-expansion-will-the-tories-fast-track-a-new-runway#ixzz3bPc94uct
• Updated European Road Transport Guide now available from FTAThe Freight Transport Association has published the 20th annual edition of its ever popular European Road Transport Guide, providing information ...
• Heavy hitters form 'Align' JV to bid for HS2 packagesThree major contractors have become the latest to confirm their plans to bid for High Speed 2 enabling and main works packages.
• Exclusive: Major contractors shortlisted for £3.6bn TfL development frameworkSixteen companies have been shortlisted for a new development framework with Transport for London, worth up to £3.6bn.