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

Tuesday, 25 August 2015

BBC News

• New restrictions placed on air showsCivil Aviation Authority announces
• Commuter groups angry at train 'cuts'It is "crazy" that 17 electric trains will be shifted from routes in Greater Manchester to the Midlands, a rail passenger group has said. TravelWatch NorthWest said it was "aghast" at the loss of 17 electric trains from three routes from April.
• MP wants 24-hour work on road holeA Manchester MP says round-the-clock work is needed to fill a huge hole that appeared in a flood-damaged road in the city.
• London congestion 'worst in Europe'London is the most congested city in Europe, according to research by the transport information company Inrix.
• Tube strike suspended by unionsTwo 24-hour Tube strikes planned for this week are called off after talks between unions and London Underground managers.

Financial Times

• CAA curbs aerobatics after Shoreham crashSussex Police say death toll could rise to 20
• London Tube strike postponedDeal hopes rise over night service after progress in talks

The Guardian

• Our public transport is facing its biggest crisis since Dr BeechingBus travel in London may be in rude health, but across the country Tory cuts have led to a massacre of routes and services – leaving thousands of low-income passengers isolated
• Tube strikes postponed after progress in talksRMT, Unite and TSSA call off this week’s planned strikes while talks continue but announce new dates of 8 and 10 SeptemberTwo planned tube strikes that threatened to cause fresh transport misery in London this week have been postponed.Last-ditch talks between London Underground management and unions at Acas over plans for a 24-hour service at weekends have progressed sufficiently for the unions to agree to suspend the industrial action for now. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Rail passengers to face travel chaos in run-up to Glasgow Summer SessionsRAIL passengers are being warned they may face travel chaos in the run up to two huge outdoor gigs.

The Independent

• Airport rooftop terraces: A stroll outside should be the upside of being airsideFrom Heathrow and Gatwick to Newcastle, Teesside, and Edinburgh, many British airports used to have rooftop terraces. However, they were all closed because their apparently benign presence was deemed a security risk.
• Tube strike: Unions announce new dates for walkout by London Underground workers New dates have been set by workers' unions for the Tube strikes that were due to take place this week.
• Tube strike suspended: Unite Union calls off walk-out in 'act of goodwill' Strikes by London Underground workers that were due to take place this week have been suspended.

The Telegraph

• London is named the most congested city in EuropeCapital overtakes Brussels to become the most gridlocked city on the continent
• Shoreham Air Show disaster: Everything we know about plane crashThe victims, the crash, the pilot, the aftermath - here is everything we know about plane crash on A27 in West Sussex feared to have killed 20

Daily Express

• Only one in 20 UK-bound cars is checked at CalaisRUTHLESS criminal gangs are COMMENTARY into Britain because only one in 20 tourist vehicles is checked when leaving France, it was claimed last night.

Mail Online

• Air show safety rules called to be reviewed after Shoreham crash disaster The Civil Aviation Authority has launched an urgent review after a Hawker Hunter jet ploughed into traffic on the A27 in West Sussex in Britain's worst air show disaster in a generation.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham Airport flight scare as jet turns back to runwayEmergency services were placed on standby at Birmingham Airport when a plane heading to Inverness was forced to turn back following a mechanical scare.
• Advertising screens to scan public at New Street station Three screens around Grand Central are designed to survey passengers before deciding which advert to display

Birmingham Post

• Richie Porte to open 2015 Cycle Show Australian Team Sky rider will cut the ribbon plus ten other things to see and do at this year's event
• 'Eyes' have it at New Street station development Concept Sign and Display install giant media screens over three main entrances in what is believed to be a UK first for this type of project

Bolton News

• Major milestone reached in £48 million transport interchange project A MAJOR milestone has been reached in the creation of Bolton’s £48 million new transport interchange.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Renewed calls for Bradford rail investment following latest congestion report RENEWED calls for transport investment have been made after a survey revealed that Bradford's roads are among the most congested in the country.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Reintroduction of Barmouth Bridge toll should be considered to prevent closure, says councillorThe closure of the bridge to pedestrians and cyclists, which Gwynedd council says would save £30,800 a year, is to be put out to consultation
• Bus service to GreenWood Forest Park is reinstated The service will stop outside the Gwynedd park several times a day from Monday to Saturday, including the school holidays

London Evening Standard

• Major plans for Danish-style cycle link through Camden Town unveiledPlans were unveiled today for a major cycle route linking Swiss Cottage to Canary Wharf and Barking that will include Danish-style segregated lanes in Camden Town.
• Tube strike suspended: mixed reactions from Londoners as Tube strike is postponed until SeptemberLondoners spoke of their joy this evening after it was announced that two planned 24-hour Tube strikes had been called off.

Manchester Evening News

• Three commuter rail routes from Manchester to lose 17 electric trainsPassenger groups have reacted with fury to the decision which will affect the Northern Rail lines to Crewe via Handforth and Manchester Airport; to Stoke via Macclesfield and to Hattersley via Glossop and Hadfield

Nottingham Evening Post

• TracyWalker published What does the new tram extension mean for Beeston?The struggles faced by the people and businesses of Chilwell and Beeston during the tram works is no secret.But what was once a building site has now been replaced by a fresh new tram line, with 15 stops, starting in Stapleford in the south-west and reaching Hucknall in the north, via Nottingham railway station.Commuters, shoppers and visitors and patients at Queen's Medical Centre can catch the tram at the new park and ride site at Toton Lane, south of Bardills roundabout in Stapleford.The...

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Wolverhampton buses stopped as licence revoked over 'grave concerns about road safety'A bus firm has had its licence revoked because of 'grave concerns about road safety'.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Highways to tackle Leeds Festival jamsTHEY are expected to come by coach, car, rail and air to see the likes of Metallica and Mumford & Sons at Leeds Festival over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Bucks Free Press

• Free guided bike rides aim to get residents in the saddle this summer Summer may not have thrown up the best of weather conditions so far for outdoor pursuits, but a new cycling initiative hopes to get residents off the sofa and into the saddle over the next month.
• How would you spend the county's transport budget? How would you spend the county council’s multi-million pound transport budget? Now is your chance to have your say with a new online tool as county hall plans its new long term policy. to keep Bucks on the move

Plymouth Herald

• Plymouth disused airport operator tells MP: "We'll let pilot fly his plane out" THE leaseholders of Plymouth City Airport have told an MP they are prepared to let a plane, “impounded” for the last fortnight, fly out using the runway - with take-off scheduled for Friday.

Other Regional Press

• Rethink means Norwich night bus is given partial reprieve from the axeNorwich’s night bus service between the railway station and the University of East Anglia has been handed a partial reprieve from the axe.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Prices for transport peak at all-time highTransport prices currently stand at an all-time high, having increased by 10.4 per cent in the second quarter of the year, compared to the corresponding figure for Q1.  This is according to the findings of the 24th edition of the Transport Market Monitor by Capgemini Consulting and Transporeon, which assesses the market dynamics in transport and haulage throughout Europe.  However, declines were reported in the diesel and capacity indexes, with diesel decreasing by 5.3 per cent on the quarter and 10.6 per cent year-on-year.  Capacity dropped by 34.8 per cent, which is the lowest level the meas...
• Ongoing Channel disruption prompts FTA to seek compensationThe Freight Transport Association (FTA) has called on the French government to distribute compensation to the various UK freight operators that have been affected by the ongoing disruption at Calais.  An estimated £21 million is thought to have been lost over the course of the 28 days between June 23rd and August 2nd, when Operation Stack was in effect.  Operation Stack sees lorries parked along the M20 during cross-Channel disruption. Loss of business, spoilt cargoes, missed export deadlines or the percentage of journeys diverted at additional cost are not included in the figure.  Deputy chie...
• RFG welcomes additional security measures for rail freightThe Rail Freight Group (RFG) has welcomed the news that home secretary Theresa May and French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve are considering a deal to provide greater security measures to protect Channel freight traffic from being disrupted by people seeking entry to the UK.  It is hoped that better security and policing arrangements will help to avoid future loss of business and delays to production that are currently being experienced by hauliers, suppliers and customers alike.  A statement released by RFG emphasised the fact that these disruptions are also having a severe impact on cro...

Rail Magazine

• Nottinghamshire presses for MML to be prioritisedAn “assurance that no approval will be given for the electrification of any additional routes before work has started on the Midland Main Lineâ€� is being sought
• Mass burial site unearthed by CrossrailA mass burial site has been unearthed at Crossrail’s Liverpool Street site.
• First homes built above CrossrailThe first homes to be constructed above a new Crossrail station have been completed by Berkeley Homes in Woolwich.
• Thameslink charter raises £9,000A train chartered by Thameslink for rail enthusiasts has raised £9,000 for charity.
• Vivarail begins testing on first converted D-StockFirst driving car rebuilt as part of project to convert ex-London Underground D-Stock into diesel electric multiple units undergoes testing at Long Marston.
• Platform improvements at MoorfieldsThe first of three platform upgrades station has been completed.
• First DB Schenker Class 66 for saleDB Schenker offers heavily damaged Class 66 for sale
• More IEP vehicles arrive in UKFinal four vehicles for first East Coast IEP arrive in UK
• South West trip for ‘RBF Tracker’The Branch Line Society’s charity fundraising railtour, the ‘RBF Tracker’, has been confirmed for November 7.
• Network Rail adverts advise on Bank Holiday WorkRailway workers feature in new engineering work adverts

Rail Technology Magazine

• Schlatter Group Rail Welding Machines at Railway Interchange 2015 The Schlatter Group is an internationally leading manufacturer of stationary rail welding machines for rails and for turnouts.

Aviation Industry

• The US airlines that have the fewest flight delaysAlthough delays are hard to avoid when traveling, there are certain airlines that are less likely to have delays than others. The US Department of Transportation recently released its Air Travel Consumer Report , which documents the airlines that consistently arrive on time -
• TUI Group disposes remaining airberlin sharesGerman tour-operator TUI Group has disposed of its remaining shares in Germany’s second largest carrier and oneworld member airberlin. read more
• Wizz Air still eyeing cargo potentialBudapest-based budget carrier Wizz Air has investigated the potential of carrying cargo “several times,â€� but has not yet found a way to make the model work. read more
• U.K. regulator seeks action against Wizz AirUK aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will push Hungary-based LCC Wizz Air to extend its time limit for paying compensation to passengers affected by flight delays to six years, from the current two-year deadline. read more
• Etihad Airways offers some secondment pilots permanent contractsEtihad Airways is offering pilots seconded from its partner airlines the opportunity to transfer to permanent contracts. The pilot secondment program is part of Etihad´s strategy for international expansion, the carrier said in a statement. read more
• Ryanair to appeal delay claims rulingAirline cannot cut the amount of time a passenger has to claim from six years to two

Other News Sources

• Jeremy Corbyn signals the return of Labour’s Heathrow warsQuelle surprise, Jeremy Corbyn has come out against a third runway at Heathrow. The Labour leadership favourite has indicated in an interview with the FT that under him, the party would not support expansion at Heathrow:
• Green business initiatives could save five hundred megatons of CO2e by 2020 The private sector could cut more than five hundred megatons of greenhouse gas emissions in the next five years, simply by scaling up existing green initiatives, according to a new report.
• CAA statement on Shoreham Airshow incidentA CAA spokesperson said:
• Toronto Pearson and Canadian airports launch first-ever Canadian Airports Safety WeekToday, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), the operator of Toronto Pearson International Airport, along with 23 other airports across Canada, kick-off Canadian Airports Safety Week, a ...
• London tube strike: Heathrow Express services to run as normalHeathrow Express said services will not be affected by this week’s London Underground strike.Heathrow Express trains will run between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport every 15 minutes, operating according to the normal timetable.