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

Wednesday, 30 September 2015

Government

• Millions of commuters benefitting from Government’s free Wi-Fi on public transportMore than 100,000 users in Cardiff and Newport benefiting from scheme

BBC News

• Labour backs railway nationalisationNationalising the railways is now official Labour Party policy as activists vote to adopt it at their conference.
• Dublin plans for new Metro North lineThe Irish government announces plans to build a new underground metro rail link from the centre of Dublin to the city's airport.
• Buses diverted due to stone throwingYouths who threw stones at vehicles on the outskirts of west Belfast could have caused serious injury, a councillor says.
• Boris admits calling off 2017 Tour planBoris Johnson admits he decided London should not host the start of the 2017 Tour de France because it was

Department for Transport

• Transport Secretary statement on vehicle testing, Wednesday 30 SeptemberSecretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin statement on Volkswagen and vehicle emission testing.
• TransPennine and Midland Mainline electrification works to resumeWork on electrification of TransPennine and Midland Mainline to restart under plans announced today.
• Details of £1.8 billion Midlands’ roads planHighways England met with suppliers to set out how £1.8 billion of government investment to improve the capacity and condition of roads in the Midlands will be delivered.
• Details of £2 billion roads plan for the East of EnglandHighways England is meeting with suppliers and stakeholders today (29 September 2015) and on Thursday (1 October 2015) to set out how more than £2 billion of government investment to improve the capacity and condition of roads across the East of England will be delivered.

Financial Times

• Fiat Chrysler under-reported deathsUS car safety watchdog says carmaker found deficiencies in its reporting faults system
• US woos private investment in transportAnthony Foxx calls for partnership approach to ease ‘huge pressure’ on capacity

The Guardian

• Northern rail electrification to be 'unpaused'Two promised rail upgrades in northern England and the Midlands that were shelved by the government in June, breaking election pledges, are to be restarted, the government has announced.
• Corbyn declares his values: bullying out, rail nationalisation inLabour leader pledges a ‘kinder politics’ as he hits out over cyberbullies who launched sexist attacks on Cooper and Kendall
• Strict new rules imposed on Cambridge punt operatorsChauffeurs must undergo safety training and amplified music will not be allowed, in regulations drawn up by Conservators of the River CamPunting on the river that runs through Cambridge University may seem one of the most gentle summer activities. However, the punt operators who ferry tours up and down the river Cam are to be subject to strict new health and safety rules or risk a ban from the waters.The new rules drawn up by the Conservators of the River Cam state that airline-style safety demonstrations must take place before passengers can set off. Lifejackets must be made available and amp...
• Transport for London could crack down on Uber in taxi consultationTfL considers measures such as forcing operators to provide booking details at least five minutes before journey Uber, the taxi-hailing app that is taking on traditional cab drivers around the world, faces the prospect of a severe crackdown in London under proposals from the capital’s transport authority. Transport for London is launching a consultation that includes measures such as forcing operators to provide booking confirmation details to the passenger at least five minutes before a journey starts. However, Uber picks up passengers three minutes after they request a car on average. Contin...
• 200 disgruntled passengers stop Bristol train and walk along tracksPolice seek identity of rail users, mostly students on way to music festival, who left crowded train after discovering it would miss next stationPolice are trying to identify up to 200 rail passengers – most of them students on their way to a music festival – after they stopped a crowded train, jumped off and walked along the tracks.Some of those on board complained that the train was uncomfortably busy and so warm that passengers were having panic attacks. Continue reading...

The Telegraph

• Lollipop ladies 'to be trained in conflict resolution' in bid to tackle road rageBristol City Council is spending £10,000 on research that is looking at ways of easing tensions between cyclists and motorists
• Hundreds of passengers on crowded Bristol train pull emergency cord and walk the trackThe two-carriage service was crammed with students heading to a music festival

Times Online

• Electric bike hire is aimed at reluctant cyclistsCut-price electric bikes will be introduced across England under government plans to get thousands of commuters out of their cars.
• New rules will make Uber passengers wait [subscription]Minicabs would be made to wait outside passengers’ homes for up to five minutes before starting a journey to make sure that they had researched the best route under proposals designed to impose controls on Uber.
• Gatwick runway plea faces new attack [subscription]Ministers should ignore “entirely misguided” pleas to expand Gatwick at the expense of Heathrow, according to the head of the airports commission.

Mail Online

• London Underground's most senior female Asian manager is given £41,000 compensation Noordan Jaumdally, 46, became one of only 16 female 'Centurion' managers when she was promoted in 2010 and put in charge of 135 staff across east London.
• Cambridge tourists forced to sit through airline-style briefing before boating Stringent new health and safety rules mean punters on the River Cam in Cambridge must now sit through an airline-style safety briefing – even though the boats travel at two miles an hour.
• Police 'likely to turn a blind eye' to new law banning smoking in car with children From Thursday, officers will have the power to pull over anyone they suspect of smoking in a vehicle with anyone under 18, but police chiefs have suggested they are likely to turn a blind eye.

Birmingham Mail

• We'll build high speed rail and run it as a public service, says LabourLabour vows to build a high speed rail line linking the Midlands and the North, but there are no details of the planned route

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Chef Bryn Williams launches 'fast food' on Virgin TrainsThe North Wales chef who recently opened a restaurant at Porth Eirias on the promenade in Colwyn Bay has teamed up with the train company

London Evening Standard

• Labour unveils plans to lower commuter fares by giving Mayor more rail controlHundreds of thousands of commuters would get cheaper fares under plans to give the Mayor of London control over more rail lines, Labour pledged today.
• New transport boss Mike Brown: I'd work in the street if it saved cash for servicesMike Brown is clear where his priorities lie.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Green energy specialists Proton Power Systems are fuelled for future as losses narrowThe Newcastle-founded firm specialises in fuel cells and systems that can be used in electric buses, light and heavy duty vehicles, boats and buildings, producing anything from 3kW to peak power of 30kW.

The York Press

• Bus companies fight their case for student market BUS wars between companies fighting for the lucrative student market in York have ramped up as one firm has complained about not being allowed on campus.
• All aboard for railway poster talk to accompany exhibition at Scarborough Art Gallery RAILWAY poster expert Beverley Cole will take a trip through the posters of the Scarborough Collections at Scarborough Art Gallery on Friday evening next week.

Wales Online

• Call to make it easier for councils to introduce 20mph speed limits - in same way Cardiff hasImplementing the measures would save lives, says Brake, which has warned there is currently a postcode lottery in Britain

Yorkshire Post

• New plans to create and improve road links to Leeds Bradford AirportTHREE new options for road links to Leeds Bradford Airport have been published today by Leeds City Council.

Other Regional Press

• Airports Commission chief urges Government to choose Heathrow over GatwickThe chairman of the Airports Commission has urged the Government to ignore Gatwick's pleas to be expanded instead of Heathrow.
• Two men arrested after stealing vodka and running on railway tracksTWO males have been arrested after stealing two bottles of spirits and running over the railway tracks at Leyland station.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Road casualties are ‘avoidable tragedy’, says sustransThe number of people killed on Great Britain’s roads in 2014 reached a tragic 1,775, climbing 4% from the previous year. The number seriously injured in the same period rose by 5% to 22,807.   The sobering data was revealed today in the latest Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain Annual Report. The figures show that in 2014 there were 113 cyclists killed on Great Britain’s roads and 446 pedestrians.   Claire Francis, Sustrans campaigns manager, said: 
• Corethree M-Ticket Sales Smash Through £1m per Week Milestone As Public Transport Users and Operators Get Wise to the BenefitsThe UK’s public transport users are proving to be the smart commuters, saving money and time judging by the huge number of Corethree developed mobile tickets (m-tickets) that are now being sold. Last week saw the numbers hit an incredible £1m per week milestone. The company, which most recently built the TfL Santander Cycles App, has seen over 2.5 million downloads across its suite of applications for bus, rail, tram and cycle including brands First Group, Go Ahead, Transport for Edinburgh, Translink and Santander Cycles. Increasingly Corethree is building apps for multi-modal tra...

Rail Technology Magazine

• MetroWest Rail Improvement Project, Bristol MetroWest is a proposed rail project to improve rail transport services in Bristol and its surrounding areas, known as the West of England.

Railnews

• Labour conference confirms plans for rail re-nationalisation LABOUR is to look for opportunities to bring rail passenger franchises back into public ownership before franchise contracts expire, it has emerged at the party™s annual conference in Brighton.

Aviation Industry

• Davies: Ministers urged to reject ‘misguided’ Gatwick claimsHead of Airports Commission calls Boris Johnson’s Heathrow analysis ‘flawed’

Other News Sources

• Report: Government is ‘tying the hands’ of councils over 20mph limitsA lack of funding and guidance from Government is preventing councils from implementing 20mph limits, according to a new report.
• Devolve power and resources to save England’s bus services, say campaignersCampaigners have called on the Government to take action over England’s shrinking bus services after official figures showed usage had dropped by 27 million journeys in the space of a year.
• South West Trains services face disruption during Network Rail maintenance workThe rail upgrade will affect trains running between London Waterloo and Portsmouth
• Southern Link Road planning application will be considered in November THE planning application for the Southern Link Road will be considered on November 23.
• Details of £2 billion roads plan for the East of England Highways England is meeting with suppliers and stakeholders today (Tuesday) and on Thursday (1 October) to set out how more than £2 billion of government investment to improve the capacity and condition of roads across the East of England will be delivered.
• ATOC extends commission agreements for agents and TMCsTrain operating association outlines new commercial arrangements