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

Thursday, 08 October 2015

BBC News

• New train times 'slower than 1970s'New £4.5m trains running from London to south Wales will be slower than those 40 years ago, a transport union claims.
• Are older bus drivers unusual?How unusual is it for older bus drivers to be on the road?
• £20m M4 relief road cash 'appalling'A Labour AM says she is
• Plane exit opened after seated requestA passenger on a plane that came off Stornoway Airport's runway opened an exit despite a request from the captain to remain seated, a report finds.
• Bombardier and Airbus talk on CSeriesAerospace firm Bombardier holds talks with rival Airbus about selling a stake in its CSeries project, but no agreement is reached.
• Fix in place for 'too slow' bus lanesBus firms who stopped using
• VIDEO: Does VW scandal affect your car?Richard Westcott explains how you can check if your car is affected by the VW emissions scandal.

The Guardian

• Harry Potter fans warned not to trespass on railways for photographsBritish Transport police say people are crossing the tracks to take pictures of the Glenfinnan viaduct, which features in Harry Potter filmsPolice are warning of the dangers of trespassing on railway lines after tourists were spotted taking photos on the viaduct which features in the Harry Potter films.During the summer, a couple with a young child were seen running on the railway line near the Glenfinnan viaduct in the Highlands, while two men were also spotted on the track taking photographs. Continue reading...
• Can Tesla downshift from $130,000 SUVs to mass market electric cars?After unveiling the luxury Model X, Elon Musk’s company has a big challenge ahead as it aims for a bigger audience with its Model 3, promised for 2017On 21 September, Tesla’s chief executive and founder, Elon Musk, used all the tricks in his showman’s book to launch the company’s latest all-electric vehicle, the Model X, at the company’s San Francisco Bay headquarters. Tesla’s mission, he said, is to “accelerate the advent of sustainable transportâ€�, hoping that the new SUV will help the company appeal to a wider audience of American motorists. But with its $130,000 price tag, the Model X could...

The Herald

• Fastlink services back BUS services are set to relaunch on Glasgow's £40 million Fastlink infrastructure
• Sudden gust may have caused plane to veer off runway on take-offA SUDDEN gust of wind may have caused a plane with 29 people on board to skid off a runway and plough into grass, according to an official report.

London Evening Standard

• Race to fix problems by rush hour as Londoners hit by travel chaos after incidents at King's Cross and SurbitonTransport bosses are working to fix the delays on London's Tube and rail networks after commuters were hit by chaos during the morning rush hour.

Manchester Evening News

• A fair deal on devo: We could prevent 2,000 premature deaths with better transport, says interim mayor 2,000 premature deaths caused by pollution could be stopped

Wales Online

• Cardiff to London train journey times will be slower than the 1970s, rail union claims Great Western Railway has denied the claims - but admits the fastest journey in 2018 will be the same as in 1977

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Skilled worker shortage 'major threat' to rail upgrades and housebuildingPlans to increase housebuilding and upgrade the railways are being threatened by a shortage of skilled workers, a new report has warned.

Yorkshire Post

• Public anger over North Yorkshire bus subsidy cutsPLANS TO cut bus subsidies in North Yorkshire have been met with huge opposition.

North Wales Live

• £1.7m resurfacing for Port of Liverpool route resumes Contractors resurfacing an area of road equivalent to the size of eight football pitches

Peterborough Telegraph

• Road blockage after two bus stops placed opposite each other on Peterborough streetA dad of four says it is a struggle to take his children to school every morning after Peterborough City Council agreed to put two bus stops outside his home.
• MP to call for debate on rail line upgradeSleaford MP Stephen Phillips is seeking to bring to Parliament the issue of increased disturbance from freight trains at anti-social hours on an upgraded rail line.

Other Regional Press

• Stansted Airport owner 'increases contribution to UK economy but reduces environmental impactFigures released by Stansted Airport's parent company, Manchester Airports Group (MAG), show that the Group has increased the value its airports generate for the UK and for the communities in which they operate, while significantly reducing their environmental impact.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Wrightbus Group more than triples its pre-tax profitThe County Antrim bus manufacturing firm, Wrightbus Group, more than tripled its pre-tax profits to £14.5m in 2014. The profit was achieved on turnover of £297m in the 15 months to December 2014. The directors' report said the figures showed a
• ‘We are on a journey to improve our roads’ say senior road network experts at CILT’s Conservative Party Conference DebateThe state of the country’s road surfaces, the introduction of new technology and the need to reduce air pollution from our roads were the hot topics of this year’s Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference 2015.  Steve Agg FCILT, Chief Executive, CILT, chaired the Institute’s fringe event in Manchester on Tuesday, and a panel of leading road network experts discussed their ‘Vision for the future of our roads’.  Panellists included: Andrew Jones MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State; Ste...

Railnews

• Centro reveals details of Midland Metro changeover Tram passengers in the West Midlands have been told that the stop at Birmingham Snow Hill will close permanently after the last trams on Saturday 24 October. From the following day Midland Metro services from Wolverhampton will terminate at St Paul's, the next stop down the line, for about six weeks, while a new junction is installed which is set to take trams onwards to the city centre and New Street station by the end of the year.
• Councillor 'taken aback' by Borders Railway demand The number of passengers using the Borders Railway has beaten the most optimistic predictions made for the rebuilt route, which opened on 6 September. The first statistics have caused one councillor who supports the project to admit that he has been 'taken aback' by the results. Two-car trains quickly proved to be inadequate, and ScotRail has been strengthening some units to three cars. Although it remains to be seen if usage drops back when the route has ceased to be a novelty, the early results tend to justify the warnings made by rail campaigners that too much of the line is single track. ...

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair urges Google to tackle third party booking sitesAirline claims sites such as Edreams mislead passengers resulting in higher costs
• Luton airport sees passenger numbers rise 19%Redevelopment work underway to cope with growing demand

Other News Sources

• Cambridge International Airport expands Scandinavian reachContinuing the success of the Gothenburg service introduced in March this year by British Airways franchise partner SUN-AIR of Scandinavia, the airline is expanding its range of Nordic destinations from Cambridge to offer connecting services to both the Swedish capital, Stockholm as well as Helsinki, the capital of Finland.
• Air passenger transport in the EU Almost 880 million air passengers carried in 2014 Air passenger transport up in every Member StateIn 2014, 879.4 million passengers travelled by air in the European Union (EU), up by 4.4% compared with 2013 and by 16.9% compared to 2009. Over this period, air passenger transport has steadily ...