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

Thursday, 28 January 2016

Government

• Rail Accident Investigation Branch has a new ChiefSimon French has been appointed as the new Chief Inspector of Rail Accidents.
• Chancellor and Airbus announce cutting edge research facilityNew £37 million aircraft technology centre will safeguard hundreds of jobs in the South West.

BBC News

• Is Land Rover's off-road heyday over?The last Defender is being made but are JLR's best off-road days over?
• MSPs quiz Forth Road Bridge engineerEngineers wanted to replace the component on the Forth Road Bridge which broke in 2010, but
• South Korea 'first' for Glasgow AirportFlag carrier Korean Air and tour operator Hanjin Travel confirm plans to launch Scotland's first direct service to South Korea.
• EU plans new car tests after VW scandalThe EU proposes wide ranging new rules to ensure car emission tests are carried out by independent testers not linked to the motor industry.

Department for Transport

• Aviation capacity vital priority for UKSecretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin reaffirms commitment to new capacity in south east.
• Record investment in transport network used to guarantee apprenticeshipsA new transport skills strategy outlines plans to create apprenticeships in the road and rail sector.

Financial Times

• Wizz Air forecasts profit accelerationUltra-low cost carrier increases its hold on eastern European market to offset expansion costs
• Norfolk Southern to cut jobs and routesDrop in coal demand hits rail operator stalked by Canadian Pacific
• Lawsuit against Uber to go to jury trialCalifornia court denies company’s request to delay trial amid appeal against class-action status

The Guardian

• Blogger says flying via Berlin was cheaper than Sheffield to Essex trainJordon Cox claims he saved cash via unorthodox route – but admits it’s not an environmentally friendly journey

The Herald

• Forth Road Bridge repairs 'shelved five years ago over funding,' MSPs toldPlans to replace parts of the Forth Road Bridge - including the area containing the defect which caused the December closure - were shelved five years ago because of Scottish Government funding cuts, MSPs have been told.

The Scotsman

• Hyperloop transport: Edinburgh to London in less than 30 minutes?A team of Scottish students are one of two British universities in Texas pitching their version of a hyperloop - a method of travel that can reach 700mph.

The Telegraph

• Commuters praise 'best ever' train driver who conducts morning quiz over the tannoyThe Southern Rail train driver has been keeping travellers entertained with his 'guess the year' brain-teasers
• Watch: Motorist drives head-on at cyclist to 'scare the living daylights' out of himDean Goble, 40, is convicted of dangerous driving after a cyclist's headcam footage shows him deliberately swerving his car onto the wrong side of a Wiltshire road

Network Rail

• New £40m sidings with drive-through train wash regenerate Cricklewood railway landThe Government-sponsored Thameslink Programme’s new £40m railway sidings in Cricklewood, north London, feature the latest facilities to help Thameslink’s railway cleaners keep trains clean inside and out. 
• Project 2016: Network Rail delivering improvements across Britain’s railway this yearIt’s a new year for our Railway Upgrade Plan, one of the biggest investment programmes ever carried out on Britain’s rail network. From new lines and upgraded stations, to electrification and signalling, we’re looking forward to working for you in 2016.

Office of Rail and Road (ORR)

• ORR statement in response to National Rail Passenger SurveyTransport Focus today published the latest National Rail Passenger Survey, which shows an increase in overall rail passenger satisfaction to 83 per cent (up from 81 per cent last year)..

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Shipley Glen Tramway repairs on track for April re-opening MAJOR repairs to Shipley Glen Tramway after its track was wrecked by floods are sticking to the scheduled timetable and it is due to re-open in time for the Saltaire World Heritage Weekend on April 16 and 17.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Splitting train routes into 'English' and 'Welsh' services could cost North Wales passengers, say criticsCarwyn Jones claims the Department for Transport wants to cut all routes beginning and ending in England from the Wales and Border franchise

London Evening Standard

• Southeastern trains boss: I'm sorry for recent delaysPassengers suffered misery because of delays caused by bright sunshine
• Thameslink, Southeastern trains, and Southern rail voted worst in Britain by passengersCommuters suffer delays and crowding as train operators' profits soar
• The most unpopular rail services in BritainThere is a curious discrepancy between the public's opinion of the services provided by London rail operators and their ability to make ever increasing profits. A poll today of rail users suggests three London operators are the least popular of any train firms in Britain with their users. Thameslink came bottom on 73 per cent customer satisfaction, followed by Southeastern, 75 per cent, and Southern, 78 per cent, according to figures for last autumn from the National Rail Passenger Survey.
• American Airlines flight turns back to Heathrow after 'crew and passengers struck down by mystery illness'A flight from Heathrow to Los Angeles was forced to turn back today after passengers and members of the cabin crew became mysteriously ill.
• Cyclist admits causing head-on crash on cycle superhighway in east LondonThis was the moment two cyclists suffered a head-on crash while riding on one of the mayor's flagship cycle superhighways.

The York Press

• Passenger ratings revealed for local train companies YORK-BASED train operators have hailed their scores in the latest national passenger satisfaction survey by the independent watchdog Transport Focus.

Wales Online

• Train bosses are introducing much larger trains to solve travel chaos during rugby match days in Cardiff The solution by Great Western Railway won't be put to test until at least 2018
• Welsh rail commuters have their say on punctuality, crowding and poor value for money Findings show the nation's biggest operator Arriva Trains Wales saw a slight fall in satisfaction levels

Blackpool Gazette

• Bus firm moves in to fill the transport gapsA Blackpool-based bus firm is planning to take over some of the Fleetwood routes which could be lost because of cutbacks at Lancashire County Council.

North Wales Live

• Dutch shipping firm to begin new European and North African route from the Port of Liverpool WEC Lines will begin weekly calls to Seaforth on February 10 offering connections to the Iberian peninsula, north Africa and the Canaries

Sunderland Echo

• Sunderland-to-London passengers among the happiest, finds rail surveyPassengers using Grand Central's direct rail service from Sunderland to London are among the happiest on UK trains, research has found.

Other Regional Press

• Cuts to rural bus services prompt passengers' fears of isolation PEOPLE living in rural villages on the outskirts of Oxford said they will become isolated if their bus service is cut.
• Rail service on track for slight improvementsCommuters have reported a slight increase in their satisfaction with London Midland trains, in the latest National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS).

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• BIFA says members are to face tough challenges in 2016The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has said that this year will present tough challenges for its members due to changes in legislation and government policy. However, the trade association for freight forwarders has also said that its members aren't likely to have as many economic problems this year, reports Warehouse News. BIFA director general Robert Keen said that there will be two major impacts, which will
• Balfour Beatty Living Places awarded �55 million extension for West Sussex highways worksBalfour Beatty Living Places has been awarded a £55 million, two year extension by West Sussex County Council to continue its highways maintenance and improvement scheme works. The contract includes highways improvements such as resurfacing, safety fencing, footway, cycleway and carriageway reconstruction; highways maintenance including defect repair, grass cutting and reactive emergency response.  Balfour Beatty Living Places has been West Sussex County Council’s Highways Alliance Partner since July 2011. The 2014/15 Annual Performance Report [1] demonstrates that West Suss...
• New trains and longer staffing hours announced as passenger satisfaction rises on Great NorthernGreat Northern has announced modern trains from the summer and longer station staffing hours as passenger satisfaction rises in an independent nationwide survey. Class 377 Electrostars with air conditioning, automatic service announcements and the latest in accessibility features for disabled passengers will run on the Cambridge and Peterborough services to and from King’s Cross. They are being released from the Thameslink route which is getting brand new Class 700 trains and, by the end of the year, will have replaced all the older Class 317 and 321 trains. Meanwhile, the other trains...
• The UK's first double deck Scania/Caetano coaches enter service with TranslinkNorthern Ireland operator Translink has taken delivery of the UK's first double deck Scania/Caetano coaches.  Destined for use on Translink's premium Goldline service, the 12 vehicles in this order will operate services in the North West of the Province, primarily on the busy Belfast to Londonderry route, Service 212.   Based on Scania's K 410 UB6x2*4LB chassis, the new vehicles have 410 horsepower Euro 6 Scania DC13 115 SCR-only engines with Scania GR875R gearboxes and fully automated Opticruise gear selection system with integral retarder and push button control.  The Caetano...

Rail Magazine

• Hull Trains tops passenger satisfaction table Hull Trains tops Transport Focus’ Autumn 2015 National Rail Passenger Survey, with 97% of passengers claiming to be satisfied with their experience.

Railnews

• West Coast prosecution moves to Crown Court The prosecution of charter operator West Coast Railways and one of its drivers in connection with a signal passed at danger near Swindon last March will now be heard by a Crown Court next month. An investigation was launched by the Office of Rail and Road after a WCR steam-hauled charter train overran a stop signal.

Transport Focus

• National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) - Autumn 2015 - Performance and satisfaction by train companyThese charts show passenger satisfaction with punctuality.

Aviation Industry

• George Best Belfast City reports passenger growthRecord year for the airport
• Cardiff airport: devolve air passenger tax to WalesChairman Roger Lewis believes devolution plan will boost business
• Ipass signs Panasonic deal to offer wifi on 23 airlinesWifi network provider Ipass has partnered with Panasonic to bring inflight Internet access to 23 international airlines

Other News Sources

• Heathrow Runway Bid Buoyed by McLoughlin's Overtures to IndustryU.K. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said opponents of airport expansion in southern Britain should take no comfort from December’s delay in deciding the location of a new runway and that the time will be used to construct a watertight case for growth that’s immune to legal challenges.
• Blackburn's new £4.7m bus station set to open at Easter - despite final piece being damaged BLACKBURN’S new £4.7million bus station is expected to open at Easter, 15 months later than planned.