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

Thursday, 01 October 2015

BBC News

• Mystery shoppers to test taxi faresMystery shoppers will test taxis drivers for the remaining Rugby World Cup games in Cardiff following claims people have been refused fares.
• Four level crossings to be upgradedFour level crossings on the railway line between Wrexham and Chester are being upgraded to improve safety.
• Trains cancelled after rail problemTrains from Cardiff Central to a number of destinations are cancelled after a line-side equipment failure.
• Diesel policy 'a mistake' - ex-ministerFormer Labour science minister Lord Drayson says his government made a mistake in promoting diesel cars as they are
• Car smoking ban comes into forceA law banning smoking in vehicles where children are present comes into force in England and Wales.
• Tesla's Model X has 'bird wing' doorsThe manufacturer has introduced its third car, which features doors that open upwards and on which it is staking its financial hopes
• Rail electrification work to restartThe electrification of the TransPennine Express and Midland Mainline is to be restarted after being stopped in June so a review could be carried out.

Financial Times

• US woos private investment in transportAnthony Foxx calls for partnership approach to ease ‘huge pressure’ on capacity
• Rail projects to be delivered 4 years lateModernisation of Transpennine and Midland lines goes ahead with new 2023 completion date
• Uber rallies customers against TfL plansMore than 90,000 people sign petition backing ride-hailing app after TfL proposes crackdown

The Guardian

• Northern rail electrification to be 'unpaused'Upgrades to transpennine line and Midland mainline to be restarted with revised timetable after being shelved in June
• Wide range of cars emit more pollution in realistic driving tests, data showsDiesel cars made by Renault, Nissan, Hyundai, Citroen, Fiat and Volvo among others emitted far more NOx in more rigorous tests, research showsNew diesel cars from Renault, Nissan, Hyundai, Citroen, Fiat, Volvo and other manufacturers have been found to emit substantially higher levels of pollution when tested in more realistic driving conditions, according to new data seen by the Guardian.Research compiled by Adac, Europe’s largest motoring organisation, shows that some of the diesel cars it examined released over 10 times more NOx than revealed by existing EU tests, using an alternative stand...
• Uber fights back with petition after TfL launches consultationTaxi hailing company gathers 90,000 signatures as Institute of Directors accuses mayor of heavy-handednessBoris Johnson, the mayor of London, has been put on the spot over the launch of a consultation process being viewed as a crude attempt to curb the explosive growth in London of Uber, the taxi hailing app.Simon Walker, the director general of the Institute of Directors, said that Johnson, together with chancellor George Osborne and business secretary Sajid Javid, should be reducing regulation in the capital’s taxi and private car hire market rather than bringing in new and stiffer rules. Wa...
• Leave class out of the London cycling debateWhatever you think about the capital’s cycle provision, jibes about ‘City boys’ or the middle class are a silly diversion from the real problemsI’d like to propose an amendment to Godwin’s law, the notion that decrees whoever compares an opponent to the Nazis in an online discussion has lost the argument.My variant would be this: if you’re debating cycle infrastructure and you use “middle classâ€� in a pejorative sense, the internet automatically deletes your last day’s typed output. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Prestwick shunned as Ryanair unveils new routes for summer 2016LOW cost airline Ryanair will launch new summer routes to Berlin and Copenhagen from next summer, but has no plans to add any new destinations to its Prestwick portfolio.

The Telegraph

• Why on earth are Conservatives trying to stop Uber breaking London's black cab cartel?Proposed restrictions on the London taxi market would protect the black cab cartel and hurt consumers
• Commuter rail fare dodger forced to pay back £6,000Dr Peter Barnett evaded ticket inspectors for two-and-a-half years as he travelled from his £550,000 Oxfordshire home to work in London

The Mirror

• Smoking in cars carrying children in England and Wales is now illegal: Everything you need to know Under the ban, which came into force at midnight, drivers or passengers who are caught smoking will face a £50 fixed penalty
• Shock figures reveal number of bus and lorry drivers who suffer blackouts but are still on Britain's roads Figures uncovered through the Freedom of Information Act shows 142 heavy goods vehicle drivers suffer blackouts like Glasgow bin lorry crash driver Harry Clarke
• Major rail electrification projects delayed by four YEARS after Tories backtrack over key routesMinisters have restarted work to electrify the TransPennine and Midland Main Line routes - but it's come at a huge cost

Birmingham Post

• £1.8bn upgrade for Midlands roadsA link road between the M54 and the M6 Toll and new smart motorway signs are among the projects which will go ahead following a new batch of government funding

Derby Telegraph

• Electrification of Derby's Midland Main Line to resume The Department for Transport has confirmed that the electrification of the Midland Main Line, which runs between Derby and London, will be restarted.

London Evening Standard

• Boris bike users could pay more at peak timesUsers of pay-as-you-go Boris bikes face being charged based on demand for the time of day and the location they want to hire from, documents reveal.

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester-to-Leeds rail electrification back on track after M.E.N. campaign Ministers have confirmed the project is now back on track following the controversial ‘pausing’ of the scheme in June following Network Rail ‘failings’
• Electriyfing news as rail upgrade is back on track - but minister refuses to reveal the cost of the work "It will be better for passengers", secretary of state promises

Northern Echo

• MP not convinced North East will benefit from electrification of Trans Pennine railway MINISTERS have been accused of ignoring the North-East following an announcement that the electrification of a cross-Pennine railway is to go ahead.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Midland Mainline electrification project to be 'un-paused' after Post campaign The Midland Mainline electrification project was set to be ready by 2019 and see quicker, greener journeys between the region and the capital, with trains able to carry more passengers.

Sheffield Star

• Sheffield to London electrification back on track after outcry - but not until 2023Work to electrify a railway line from Sheffield to London will resume after there was a major outcry over a ‘pause’ in the work.
• Sheffield to London electrification back on track after outcry - but not until 2023Work to electrify a railway line from Sheffield to London will resume after there was a major outcry over a ‘pause’ in the work.

The York Press

• Transpennine rail improvements 'unpaused' THE 'paused' electrification of the rail link between York and Manchester is to go ahead.
• Have your say on York bus services BUS passengers are being asked for their views on local services at a
• Drivers risk fine by smoking with children in the car FROM today drivers could be at risk of being stopped and fined if they smoke with children in the car.

Yorkshire Post

• Airport’s not for turning: Robin Hood slaps parking ticket on car doing a U-turn (and it was driven by Ms Turner)A driver is refusing to pay £150 for turning round on an airport road after losing her way - even though she risks being taken to court.

Blackpool Gazette

• 1.1 million Volkswagen vehicles in the UK affected by the diesel emissions scandalIt has been revealed that 1.1 million Volkswagen vehicles in the UK are affected by the diesel emissions scandal.

Carlisle News & Star

• Drivers will be 'educated' about smoking in cars danger, say police Police in Cumbria say they will not take a heavy handed approach to enforcing a new ban on smoking in cars with children.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Over 1 million Volkswagen-made vehicles in UK affected by diesel emissions scandalMore than one million vehicles in the UK are affected by the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal, the company has said.

Other Regional Press

• Heathrow expansion vital for UK economy says Labour MPPoplar and Limehouse MP Jim Fitzpatrick is calling on David Cameron to back the expansion of Heathrow Airport to help UK businesses remain competitive in the global market.
• Work on electrification of train line through Northamptonshire to resumePromised rail work to enhance train services in Wellingborough, Kettering and Corby which was ‘paused’ in June is set to be restarted.
• Rail electrification work to restart - but questions remain over links to TeessideMPs demand details on when electrification work will begin on TransPennine between Northallerton and Middlesbrough
• McLoughlin unveils rail electrification timetableTransport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin today set out plans to restart electrification of key rail routes in Yorkshire.
• MP backs resumption of Midland Mainline electrificationRobert Jenrick has welcomed as good news for his constituents today's announcement that the Midland Mainline electrification will now go ahead.

Bus and Coach.com

• Magelys to be crowned International Coach of the Year
• Elite inter-decks for Bayliss Executive Travel
• UK Coach Rally 2016 confirmed for Blackpool
• EYMS shuttle bus through Beverley Bar
• Tackling real-world emissions with Euro 6 OBD requirements
• Strong year for Volvo
• Engineering the future
• Stirling launch for Gyrodrive hybrid Enviro400s
• VW scandal puts pressure on diesel

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• TransPennine and Midland Mainline electrification works to resumeWork to electrify TransPennine and Midland Mainline railways will resume under plans announced today, Wednesday 30 September 2015, as part of Sir Peter Hendy’s work to reset Network Rail’s upgrade programme. Sir Peter Hendy has outlined to the Secretary of State for Transport how work could continue. The Secretary of State has replied to the Chair of Network Rail asking Network Rail to un-pause this work. Letters about rail electrification of TransPennine and Midland Mainline routes  Network Rail will work with the Department for Transport (DfT) and Rail North to develo...
• World Executive Airways reports surge in cargo businessA Kent air charter company is reporting a major increase in demand for its cargo services, with aircraft movements up 45% in the past year. World Executive Airways (WEA), based at London Ashford Airport in Lydd, has seen enquiries and business soar as customers seek faster alternatives to rail and ferry services to transport urgent freight across the UK and Continental Europe. While WEA, a division of Lyddair, can take most types of cargo, including dangerous goods, the biggest growth in demand has come from the automotive industry says the company’s Managing Director, Jonathan Gordon....
• Luton airport receives recognition for energy saving policiesLuton airport has become one of only a few airports in the world to be recognised for its energy saving initiatives. It has been accredited with the internationally recognised Energy Management Standard by the British Standards Institute (BSI). Luton’s energy saving initiatives, such as the introduction of LED lighting and PIR motion sensors, have led to a reduction in carbon tonnage associated with electricity use by 342 tCO2 tonnes in the Carbon Trust’s last reporting year, BSI said. The airport achieved this while also posting record passenger growth and refurbishing plans as...

Railnews

• Dismay as electrification plans are ˜un-paused™ but delayed by four years NEWS of the government™s announcement that work on the ˜paused™ North Trans-Pennine and Midland Main Line electrification schemes is to resume has been greeted with some dismay – because completion will be delayed by around four years

Aviation Industry

• Qantas could afford to return $2.4b of cash to investors: Deutsche BankQantas chief executive Alan Joyce is expected to unveil more treats for shareholders as the airline heads for a record profit this year. Qantas Airways could return an additional $2.4 billion of cash to shareholders this financial year due to an expected record-breaking financial performance driven by its cost cutting program and the lower oil price, according to Deutsche Bank.
• Ryanair has applied for slots at Paris airportsRyanair has applied for slots at Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports and is willing to cooperate with long-haul traditional airlines, chief executive Michael O'Leary told French financial daily Les Echos today. Michael O'Leary said the new slots, if approved, would not be at the expense of Beauvais airport, north of Paris.
• Airfare wars: No sign of slowing downThe new competition between the airlines resulted in air fares dropping across the country. Photo / Brendon O'Hagan, Bloomberg News A price war being waged between New Zealand's two main airlines has resulted in a
• New SriLankan Airlines CEO takes helm in OctoberOneworld-member SriLankan Airlines announced new CEO Suren Ratwatte will take over the position in October. read more
• SAS rolls out cabin design for new A330s and long-haul fleet Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has rolled out a new cabin design and IFE and connectivity products to coincide with its taking delivery of new Airbus A330-300s, for which it it’s the first European operator of the 242-tonne version. read more
• Air New Zealand introduces virtual technology for agentsGoogle Cardboard allows booking agents to view the inside of a B777 using an app

Other News Sources

• New rail link would boost UK economy Crossrail 2 could drive growth in jobs and homes and add billions to the economy across the UK, according to latest research for TfL and Network Rail.
• Colnbrook’s first Third Runway protest leaves Heathrow reps in no doubt about strength of local oppositionColnbrook took its first tentative steps towards mounting a real opposition to the Third Runway tonight.
• Volkswagen scandal: 1.2 million vehicles in UK affectedNearly 1.2 million UK motorists are to be told they must have their vehicles
• Try car sharing with CamShare Liftshare Week is coming up, a great time to encourage commuters to try car sharing.