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

Wednesday, 08 July 2015

BBC News

• A bicycle tale of two citiesCardiff and Utrecht: The joy and dread of cycling
• The big yellow railway headacheThe 'factory on wheels' which delayed rail electrification
• Sixteen hurt as buses and cars crashSixteen people are taken to hospital after two buses and four cars crash on a south-east London high street.
• Why are we braced for a Tube strike?It is set to be the biggest Tube strike since 2002, but why is it happening?
• Talks to avert Tube strike failTalks fail to avert a 24-hour Tube strike due to start on Wednesday evening - and no further negotiations are planned.
• 'Good progress' in ScotRail talksTrain drivers' union Aslef and the owners of ScotRail say good progress has been made in talks over pay and conditions.

Financial Times

• Stagecoach fails to win South West Trains franchise extensionStagecoach suffered a blow on Tuesday after it failed to reach a deal with the UK government over the renewal of its lucrative South West Trains rail franchise
• Stagecoach in franchise extension blowShares dip after DfT ends talks over contract add-on
• London Tube managers fail to avert strikeCommuters encouraged to walk, cycle or get the bus

The Guardian

• Rail strike leads to warning over significant disruption to busy routesRMT members at First Great Western walk out over jobs and maintenance of new Hitachi trains, hitting services between London and Wales for first Ashes TestTrain services on some of the country’s busiest routes will be significantly hit from Wednesday night because of a strike by rail workers.Thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at First Great Western (FGW) will walk out for 48 hours from 6.30pm. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Untitled PAY talks between ScotRail management and train drivers' union, Aslef, will resume tomorrow with both sides saying

The Independent

• Stagecoach hit buffers on rail franchiseStagecoach’s hopes of being awarded an extension to its South West Trains franchise without competition have been dashed after talks between the company and the Government collapsed.

The Telegraph

• Tube strike July 2015: when does it start and how bad will disruption be?Full details and information on the London Tube strike, including the best alternative transport options

Mail Online

• Rolling Stones logo banned from London Underground for being lewd The advert, which had to be edited, had their trademark logo of a cartoon mouth and protruding tongue covering the crotch of a woman seemingly naked other than her underwear.

The Mirror

• First Great Western strike: Train services will be 'significantly' hit from tonight due to industrial action Thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will walk out for 48 hours from 6.30pm

Network Rail

• Take the lead - Dog walkers level crossing campaignKeep your dog on a lead or you’re on dangerous ground, urges new level crossing campaign

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Rowdy airline passenger who forced flight to divert faces £5,000 bill A ROWDY passenger who forced an airline to divert a flight to Spain has been ordered to pay almost £5,000 for the costs of the diversion.

Derby Telegraph

• CarolineJones commented Neil Harvey: Tributes pour in after ex-Bombardier director dies...TRIBUTES have been pouring in for Neil Harvey today after it was announced the former Bombardier director had died suddenly.Former Mayor of Derby Lisa Higginbottom said her husband would "be mourned by thousands" following his sudden death in Derby yesterday. She said the 62-year-old suffered a heart attack at work and was previously "a healthy man".Mr Harvey was director of communications at Bombardier Transportation between 1999 and 2012 and recently became the general...

London Evening Standard

• Blow for Stagecoach over South West Trains franchiseStagecoach’s hopes of being awarded a new South West Trains franchise without a competition have been dashed after talks between the train operator and the Government collapsed.
• Tube strike: 'A needless show of sour grapes' Tomorrow the unions will try to shut down London. They are planning to pull the plug on the Tube in a needless strike that’s all about politics.
• London Tube strike 2015: how to avoid underground chaos London Underground is set to come to a standstill this week in the most chaotic strike in a decade. If you’re worrying about how to navigate your commute this week, here’s how to stay calm in the crisis, make your way to work and survive the strikes over the next few days.
• Virgin Atlantic’s new LAX Clubhouse - review I’m about to take a sip of a champagne mojito when I realise I can see the Hollywood sign out over the baking Tarmac of LAX. I am in the brand new £2.5m Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse waiting for my return flight to London - but boy, oh boy, it does not feel like a wait at all.
• TfL Tube strike: Walkout confirmed with no service on entire London Underground network from Wednesday evening The entire Tube network will grind to a halt on Wednesday evening as Underground workers mount their biggest strike in more than a decade.

Manchester Evening News

• Stop the #NorthernPowercut: We don't just want a timetable, we want to know the job will be done properly We need to be sure that our share of the £38.5bn five-year plan for the railways and the creation of the Northern Powerhouse is delivered as promised, says Tony Miles, who  writes for Modern railways Magazine and Rail Business Intelligence.

Blackpool Gazette

• Chauffeur cars firm set for take-off at Airport siteA new name in business has landed at Blackpool Airport with plans to create jobs and raise its profile.

Carlisle News & Star

• New proposals to cut speed limits on Copeland roads A number of roads in Copeland could see their speed limits lowered.

North Wales Live

• Bus operator Stagecoach sees rise in Merseyside passenger journeys Key growth spots covered by the firm’s Merseyside and South Lancashire division include its Birkenhead depot which has witnessed a 20% year-on-year rise

Other Regional Press

• Heathrow expansion means more than 70,000 new homes and 56 schoolsMore than 70,000 new homes and 56 new schools will be needed if Heathrow is expanded, aviation experts have heard.
• Kent MPs meet transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin to discuss alternative to Operation StackSeven of the county's MPs have met the transport secretary in a bid to thrash out an alternative to Operation Stack.
• Rail links and electrification vital for Kirklees economy claims councillor New plea to Government and backing for Examiner campaign over trans-Pennine line

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• First Bus launches employee Excellence Awards First Bus has begun the search for the best people and teams from across its operating areas.    Building on the success of an annual internal award event in North England, First Bus is taking its employee ‘Excellence Awards’ nationwide with events planned in July in Stirling (Scotland), Leeds and Reading.  The awards are designed to reward and recognise teams and colleagues who live the company’s values and who go the extra mile.  Colleagues were invited to submit nominations throughout the Spring across 13 different categories.  The company receiv...
• DB Schenker Rail UK teams up with PD Ports for new intermodal serviceDB Schenker Rail UK has collaborated with PD Ports in a completely new offering for the market, believed to be the first time that a rail freight company has partnered directly with a port to serve the Intermodal sector. From Monday 3rd August DB Schenker Rail UK will run a direct daily service (Monday to Friday) from the PD Ports owned Teesport in Middlesbrough to Mossend and Grangemouth in Scotland. The onward leg to Grangemouth from Mossend has been enabled through close collaboration with WH Malcolm’s. The service will transport containerised traffic. Les Morris, Head of Sales at D...
• Iconic new Routemaster to be trialled in ReadingA two week trial by Reading Buses of the iconic New Routemaster bus from London is to be one of the latest exciting models on the market that the company will be testing this summer.   The stylish New Routemaster will be in service in Reading on their flagship purple 17 route from August 17.  A dedicated crew will include a conductor who will take fares from people as they board.   The Reading Buses summer bus trials are designed to look at new and different types of buses which will shape their future vehicle purchasing as well as deciding interior specification.   As a ke...
• Apprenticeships 'only offered by 1 in 3 SMEs'Just one in three small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) up and down the country currently offer apprenticeships, according to the findings of new research.  Published as part of the Close Brothers Business Barometer, the study emphasised the advantages offered by the training scheme, noting that two-fifths of companies that do offer apprenticeships believe it gives them access to the best young talent.  Concerns have been raised by Engineering UK that the country does not currently have the capacity or growth rate to meet the forecast demand for skilled engineers. However, apprent...
• Refrigerated vehicle emissions 'more polluting than diesel trucks'Up to 29 times more potentially carcinogenic particulate matter is emitted by refrigeration vehicles than by modern modern Euro 6 diesel truck engines, according to the findings of a new study.  Carried out by cold technology firm Dearman, the research specified that the 84,000 transport refrigeration units on UK roads emit up to 49,125 tonnes of CO2, 163 tonnes of NOx and 22 tonnes of particulate matter onto the streets of London every year.  The machines are primarily diesel powered and currently unregulated, prompting Dearman to call on the government to step in and legislating fo...

Railnews

• Rail industry mourns 'unrivalled' spokesman The death has been announced of Neil Harvey, who was familiar as a leading railway industry spokesman and supporter. Mr Harvey was most recently general manager of the Derby & Derbyshire Rail Forum, but before that he was communications director at Bombardier Transportation in the city for many years. Friends and colleagues have been paying tributes to his professionalism and speaking of their 'great sadness'.
• Disruption ahead as union members prepare to strike First Great Western and London Underground are gearing up for the effects of strikes this week, as workers stage protests over a claimed threat to jobs and the working conditions of drivers. The RMT is concerned about the future of train managers on First Great Western intercity services, while changes to working hours on London Underground when 'Night Tube' services start running in September have sparked disputes with four unions.
• Stagecoach to rebid for SWT after talks fail Talks have broken down between the Department for Transport and South West Trains, which is owned by Stagecoach Group, over a proposed direct franchise award of 26 months which would have allowed SWT to continue until 2019. The franchise will now end between February and August 2017, and Stagecoach will have to compete with other contenders for the next contract instead of carrying on unchallenged. Direct awards have been used for several years by the DfT as a way of regaining control of its refranchising timetable after the Intercity West Coast competition collapsed, and this is the first ti...

Aviation Industry

• United Airlines to introduce new inflight amenity kits with a distinctly English touch
• Brussels Airlines eyes cargo growthBrussels Airlines has teamed up Air Logistics Group (ALG), as it seeks to further develop its cargo business and increase tonnage 6% in 2015. read more

Other News Sources

• Idox acquires Cloud Amber for £4.95mSoftware and services supplier Idox has acquired Cloud Amber, a provider of solutions for the management of road traffic and public transport, for £4.95m.
• Heathrow announces procurement strategy for third runway Heathrow has announced it is developing a procurement strategy for the construction of a third runway at the airport.
• Cut fuel tax or face the consequences, FTA tells ChancellorThe Freight Transport Association (FTA) is warning the Chancellor that failing to freeze or cut fuel duty in tomorrow’s Budget could sabotage the ...
• FTA tells Prime Minister that Calais crisis requires urgent attentionThe Freight Transport Association has told David Cameron that the death of a migrant on a freight train at Calais highlights the need for urgent ...
• UPDATED: Bus driver told his supervisor he felt unwell before taking to the road A BUS driver who is in a coma after a major crash had told his supervisor he was feeling unwell before driving.
• Airport bosses launch formal challenge GATWICK bosses are launching a formal challenge over the Airports Commission inquiry which they claim was “heavily biasedâ€� in favour of rivals Heathrow.