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

Wednesday, 02 September 2015

BBC News

• Liverpool 'may get new city centre rail station'A new railway station could be built in Liverpool city centre as part of a £35m regeneration project.
• Virgin Trains faces railcard backlashRail passengers in the West Midlands are calling on Virgin Trains to backtrack on new railcard rules which could see some fares quadruple.
• VIDEO: Cyclist shock at view from the cabCyclists in London are being invited to swap places with lorry drivers to see how difficult it can be to spot them on the road.
• City bus drivers start strike actionThe first in a series of planned strikes by Cardiff Bus drivers is under way in the city.
• Trespassers cause more Eurostar delaysTrespassers on tracks near the Channel Tunnel in France have caused major disruption for hundreds of passengers, amid reports of migrants climbing on train roofs.
• Union suspends planned Tube strikesLondon Tube strikes planned for 8 and 10 September are suspended by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union.
• Power sockets fitted in new-look trainsScotRail unveils the first of 40 new-look trains which have improved seating, better lighting and power sockets for customers to use.
• Building HS2 to cause 'years of misery'Building the proposed new High Speed Two (HS2) rail line will mean years of weekend

Financial Times

• London cabbies try to cut up UberBlack taxis to offer fixed fares for journeys
• Aeroflot to take stake in private carrierGovernment-backed deal saves Transaero from bankruptcy

The Guardian

• Eurostar suspended again after people seen on tracks near CalaisServices slowly resuming after five trains halted outside Channel tunnel while police clear trespassers on tracks close to freight terminal Rail services between Britain and France were suspended once again on Tuesday night after what was described as fresh “migrant activityâ€� on the tracks close to the French city of Calais.Passengers on one halted train were told by the driver that people were on the tracks between the tunnel’s entrance in France and Calais Frethun, a freight terminal to the south that has become a focal point for those trying to get into Britain. Continue reading...
• Bus service cuts impose virtual curfew on many people in rural areas [Letter]John Harris’s piece (You wait ages for a bus … and then none come along, 25 August) was a refreshing look at the rural elephant in the room, and I thank him for it. If poor people, old people, and people with epilepsy, poor vision or heart problems were only allowed out of their village once a week in a foreign country, we would be rightly indignant. But this is exactly what is happening to thousands of people in England because of cuts to public transport funding.

The Independent

• September Tube strikes: Union suspends industrial action Tube strikes which were to take place in mid-September have been suspended by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, amid an on-going row over the all-night London Underground service.
• Eurostar disruption after people are seen on the tracks in Channel Tunnel Trespassers on the tracks of the Channel Tunnel and reports of migrants on train roofs caused major disruption for passengers overnight.

The Scotsman

• Power to the people on ScotRail’s new trainsApart from those travelling first class, the only ScotRail passengers with access to sockets for charging their mobile devices have been those on Class 380 electric trains.

The Telegraph

• Lorries without cycle safety measures banned from London's roadsHGVs must be fitted with side guards to help prevent cyclists being dragged under the wheels
• Eurostar chaos as migrants clamber onto tracksFive trains held as French police clear migrants from line after latest disruption to cross channel traffic

Mail Online

• Misery for Eurostar passengers after migrants climb onto roof of 186mph London-bound train in Calais  At least four London-bound passenger trains were delayed for several hours as police attempted to remove migrant trespassers from the roof of Eurostar carriages in Calais.

The Mirror

• Eurostar passengers facing further disruption as migrants climb onto roofs of Channel Tunnel trainsPolice were called to the site at Calais in France after disruption was first reported just before 9pm last night and passengers are facing a day of travel chaos

Belfast Telegraph

• Travellers 'made sick by poor air on planes'The research also found that almost half (49%) do not believe they would be eligible to make a claim against the airline.
• £46m Belfast to Lisburn canal plan barges aheadDisused Belfast to Lisburn waterway moves step closer to being reopened
• Most workers' commute involves motorised transportMost people in England cannot travel to work without using a motorised form of transport, according to new research. The report by Dr Ian Philips, of the University of Leeds, discovered that people's ability to continue to get to work in the event of a fuel shortage varies significantly depending on their location.

Birmingham Post

• Land Rover unveils 'Transparent Trailer' technology A transparent view would allow the driver to clearly see vehicles coming up behind and improve visibility whilst manoeuvring
• Work on HS2 could be 'stalled by two years' Construction Products Association issues stark warning over concerns related to planning and financing alongside affected members of the public lodging appeals

Bristol Live

• New rapid bus system for Bristol is forecast to carry five million passengers a year Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/New-rapid-bus-Bristol-forecast-carry-million/story-27714571-detail/story.html#ixzz3kYsaQVeW Follow us: @BristolPost on Twitter Transport experts predict that the new £200million MetroBus network which is now being built is expected to attract an astounding five million passengers a year.

Liverpool Echo

• Liverpool city centre set for new railway stationLiverpool Mayor Joe Anderson says there are plans for former Archbishop Blanch school site

London Evening Standard

• How to stop rail firms running away with your earningsThe Government is trying to spin the latest rise in train fares — up 1% from January — as the lowest in five years.
• Lorries face being banned from turning left in revolutionary clampdown aimed at preventing cycle deathsConstruction lorry drivers face being banned from turning left in a radical toughening of measures to prevent cycle deaths.   
• Eurostar delays: Rescue train sent from London to Calais as passengers left stranded after 'migrants storm tracks'Eurostar has sent a
• Black cabs offer new ‘off-peak’ fares to woo Londoners back from UberNew cut-price “off peakâ€� black cab fares for longer journeys across London are being launched today as part of a fightback against minicabs and apps such as Uber.
• Evening Standard comment: Protect cyclists to save lives across the capitalThe new measures to protect cyclists from HGVs set out today by City Hall are a welcome attempt to prevent further unnecessary loss of life on London’s roads.
• White vans are clogging up London's streets, says Boris JohnsonBoris Johnson has suggested a reducution in the number of white vans on London's roads.
• Tube strike: September walk-outs cancelled after London Underground delay start of Night TubeThe upcoming Tube strike has been cancelled after plans for an all-night service were delayed by London Underground.

Manchester Evening News

• Monster cargo plane descends on Manchester AirportRare chance to spot Ukrainian cargo plane draws crowds
• 'Make our roads safer too' - Manchester cyclists call for new London HGV law to be be rolled out here New London law means HGV drivers could be fined up to £1,000 if their mirrors and guards aren't up to spec

The York Press

• Visitor numbers up 10% on North York Moors Railway MORE than 120,000 passengers have travelled to and from Whitby using the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in the last year, a rise of 10 per cent on the previous year.

Wales Online

• Cardiff Bus strike WILL go ahead after last gasp negotiations break down The number of services operating in the city will be vastly reduced and striking drivers will protest in the city centre

Yorkshire Post

• Full steam ahead as new platform sees major increase in passengersA YEAR on after a new platform was unveiled at Whitby Station, steam railway bosses have seen a 10 per cent rise in passenger numbers.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Tornado goes down a storm at Nene Valley RailwayA heritage railway was packed with visitors eager to travel behind a brand new £3.3m steam locomotive this weekend.

Reading Evening Post

• Tube strikes: Union cancel planned industrial action after Night Tube delayed Tube strikes over September 8 and September 10 averted - but unions remain at loggerheads with London Underground

Other Regional Press

• Stansted Airport announces plans for planes to fly over 4,000 fewer Essex homesStansted Airport says it can reduce aircraft noise for thousands of residents by using technology to allow planes to make a more accurate take off.
• Portsmouth bus drivers in the running for top national awardTwo bus drivers from First Hampshire in Portsmouth are going for the prestigious title of the UK’s Bus Driver of the Year.
• Signalling snag delays Portsmouth-London trainsA signals problem caused big delays for rail passengers travelling from the Portsmouth area to Waterloo today.
• Cracking the problem of rural transportBAVS (Berwickshire Association of Voluntary Service). British Red Cross, The Bridge and Royal Voluntary Service are all on board with the new community transport service and it should be up and running within the next month.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• BCA Marketplace acquires Stobart's automotive businessEddie Stobart Logistics has sold off its UK automotive logistics business to BCA Marketplace, a move that will bring strategic benefits for both companies. The acquired business operates approximately 450 vehicle transporters and will provide its new owner with strong, long-term relationships with the majority of leading original equipment manufacturers and vehicle leasing companies. This move will help to fuel the further growth of BCA Marketplace, which was created in 2014 to acquire and manage companies in the UK and European automotive sector. Avril Palmer-Baunack, chair of BCA Marketplace...

Rail Magazine

• ScotRail HST fleet plansDetails of HST deployment in Scotland revealed by ScotRail

The Business Desk

• Infrastructure investment is just £851 per head in YorkshireYorkshire and Humberside has £851 per head - a figure which includes £208m allocated to the trans-Pennine rail line electrification that has been indefinitely "paused" - while the North West has £1,946 and the North East just £414.

Aviation Industry

• UK pilots warn on batteries and fatigue The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) has issued warnings to both passengers and carriers over potential risks to safety. read more
• Malaysia Airlines rebrand moves forwardCarrier’s new parent company granted operating certificate
• Bidding for London City hots upNew consortium set to compete for £2 billion-valued airport
• Emirates to offer Apple Pay for online bookingsAirline will allow passengers to book through iPhone and iPad app
• Lufthansa says GDS fee is in ‘best interests’ of clientsAirline group defends controversial launch of distribution charge