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

Saturday, 21 May 2016

BBC News

• VIDEO: Investing in transport technologyInvestment funds hunting for the best technology trends in the transport industry, and that ranges across everything from new apps to greener, cleaner cars.
• Terror attacks slow demand for EurostarEurostar reports a fall in passengers using the high-speed rail service, saying travellers remain cautious in the wake of the Brussels terror attacks.
• Big rise in foreign travel by BritonsThe number of trips by UK residents abroad increased by 9.4% last year, the largest rise since 1998, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Financial Times

• Wreckage found in hunt for EgyptAir jetDebris from Airbus discovered in eastern Mediterranean, says airline

The Guardian

• Campaigners ask government to spend more to boost cyclingCampaigners have demanded that the government boost spending to match its stated commitment to cycling after official statistics showed an apparent decline last year.
• London taxi-maker raises $400m to develop greener cabsThe Chinese firm that makes London’s black cabs has raised $400m (£275m) to fund the development of a fleet of greener hybrid taxis ready to roll off the production line next year.
• From Cornwall to the cosmos: how Newquay could get a spaceportThe seaside town is the frontrunner in an unlikely UK space race. Could a spaceport launch a new era of prosperity, or is it a galactic dream too far?
• The world's largest cruise ship and its supersized pollution problemAs Harmony of the Seas sets sail from Southampton docks on Sunday she will leave behind a trail of pollution – a toxic problem that is growing as the cruise industry and its ships get ever bigger
• EgyptAir flight MS804 sent smoke alarm messages before crash – reportsBurst of alerts about onboard problems was transmitted in last minutes of Airbus A320, while authorities say body parts and seats found in MediterraneanThe missing EgyptAir flight MS804 transmitted messages about a smoke detector and other alerts in the minutes before it went down in the Mediterranean Sea, according to reports. Flight data published online suggests there were smoke alerts aboard MS804 minutes before it crashed. Continue reading...

The Herald

• UK spaceport competition axed in favour of licensing modelA COMPETITION to establish the UK's first spaceport has been scrapped, the Herald can reveal.
• Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris 'evacuated due to suspicious package'Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris has been evacuated, according to reports.
• Bus gate couple told to take legal fight back to parking tribunalA COUPLE are to take their long-running fight to overturn a Glasgow bus gate fine back to the appeals service - six months after being told they were out of time.

The Scotsman

• Eurostar passenger numbers drop after terror attacksHigh-speed rail operator Eurostar posted a fall in passenger numbers as travellers “remain cautious” in the wake of the recent Brussels terror attacks.
• Fuel prices up again as oil heads to $50 barrelDrivers face paying more than £1.10 a litre for fuel after petrol and diesel prices increased by another 2p in the last month, the AA said today.

The Telegraph

• EgyptAir crash: 'Smoke detected inside the aircraft cabin' as search continues for plane's black box
• Liverpool airport evacuated over scanner glitch

Network Rail

• Network Rail graduates mentor the next generation of engineersEngineering students from Elutec College, East London visited a railway control centre in Upminster on Wednesday 18 May to receive training from two of Network Rail’s top engineering graduates.
• Network Rail pledges commitment to raising awareness of mental health in the workplaceNetwork Rail’s leadership team in Swindon has marked national Mental Health Awareness Week by signing a pledge with the charity Mind to raise awareness of mental health issues in the workplace and encourage all those affected to seek help.
• Spring bank holiday Spotlight: Ordsall Chord projectThis spring bank holiday (28-30 May), more than 9,000 members of Network Rail’s Orange Army will be working night and day to deliver £30m of improvements to the railway as part of the Railway Upgrade Plan.The work has been planned to minimise disruption, as passenger numbers typically drop by more than half during a bank holiday. The overwhelming majority of journeys will run as normal.This series of bite-size features takes a closer look at the work our teams will be carrying out across Britain – from renewing track to upgrading signalling and helping to boost the capacity of the network – to...

Birmingham Post

• Direct scheduled flights to China from Birmingham Airport scrapped Tour operator Caissa Touristic withdraws from planned weekly schedule to Beijing and Shanghai for 'unknown reasons'

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Airbus expert to inspect crashed EgyptAir flight 804 debris Technical advisor has flown to Cairo to take part in the probe into the Airbus A320 airplane disaster
• The A55, slow internet and the steel crisis ... just three things Ken Skates needs to sort out in North Wales The Clwyd South AM was promoted to the new Secretary for Economy and Transport

London Evening Standard

• Tube app update lets you find the best station exits and entrances to save time on your journeyA travel app aims to shave precious minutes off journey times by pinpointing Underground platforms and the best station entrances.
• Is this what driverless cars will look like in the future? From vehicular suits to private dining spaces, these innovative designs by Central St Martins students could soon become a reality

Manchester Evening News

• 'Transport and connectivity a must for north to become a powerhouse' says Lord AdonisAddressing 600 guests at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner last night, the former Transport Secretary said: “If the north is to become a powerhouse, it has to be better connected."
• Major bus strike will see hundreds of drivers stage mass walk-out and dozens of services cancelledUp to 700 drivers with First Buses could strike - causing chaos in Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford and Trafford
• Could the orange GM buses be coming back to Manchester? The Bus Services Bill could see the entire fleet of buses return to a single shade - as well as creating a London-style network

Sheffield Telegraph

• Sheffield ‘could miss out’ on HS2 as scheme comes under reviewSheffield could ‘miss out’ on HS2 after reports the scheme is ‘under review’ to save money, a shadow minister has said.

The York Press

• Save our buses! - Locals plead for cuts to be stopped BUS protesters have pleaded with councillors not to slash the subsidies for services they say are vital to fending off social isolation for many in the city.

Yorkshire Post

• YP Letters: No tears for Leeds bendy bus on wiresFrom: Andrew Batty, Keswick Grange, East Keswick.

Crewe Chronicle

• Council: Full steam ahead on HS2 Media reports suggest HS2 project curtailed

Other Regional Press

• Spalding transport forum wants train complaintsCampaigners for better transport links between Spalding and the rest of Lincolnshire are asking people to bring their complaints about train noise to them.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Positive numbers for Stena Line in this year’s sustainability reportStena Lines strategic efforts within the sustainability area focusing on reducing the environmental footprint continue. Stena AB’s sustainability report for 2015, which has now been published, shows reduced fuel consumption and lowered emissions for the shipping companies within Stena. Stena Line exceeds the targets for reduction of emissions of sulphur and CO2.  One of the largest changes for the shipping industry was conducted in the beginning of 2015 as new tough regulations on sulphur emissions was introduced for ferry operators in Northern Europe. This regulation means that th...
• Modal Training launches new solution to tackle UK driver shortageModal Training, the first organisation in the UK to offer integrated, multimodal logistics training, has responded to the national driver shortage by providing dedicated training and support to facilitate recruitment, staff retention and workforce development. The unique partnership with DriverMetrics, which was developed at Cranfield University, utilises the Driver Risk Index, the world's number one behavioural driving safety programme. Modal Training can help businesses analyse the profile of their drivers and their behaviour using software to identify areas to make them safer or more effic...

Rail Magazine

• Khan urged to consider case for London tramsCampaigners have called for new Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to consider investing in trams for the capital.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Nomad to Display New Trackside Solution at TrainComms Nomad will showcase a recently deployed ground-breaking technology solution at this year's Wi-Fi on Trains Conference - Train Communications Systems 2016.
• General Plastics Helps Customer Switch From Injection Molding to Thermoforming Milwaukee thermoformer General Plastics helped a customer to switch from injection molding to thermoforming on a 200-piece job.
• RSSB updates principles to put sustainability at the heart of rail developmentsSustainability must be a greater priority in developing the railway network, rail minister Claire Perry MP said yesterday as she announced a new set of sustainability principles. The principles, designed by the Rail Safety and Standards Board’s (RSSB’s) Sustainable Rail Programme as...
• ORR opens consultation into route-based regulationRailway regulation could change in CP6 so that Network Rail regulates each individual route, as part of proposals in a new Office of Rail and Road (ORR) consultation. Under the proposals, which featured in the ORR’s 2016-17 business plan last month and are now being include in the PR18...
• DfT seeking advice on CrossCountry franchising contingency planThe Department for Transport is seeking advice on a mobilisation plan for the CrossCountry franchise from an outsourcing company, should the normal franchising process fail. In response to a written question from shadow transport secretary Lilian Greenwood, rail minister Claire Perry said the...
• Manchester arm could be axed as HS2 admits 'nothing is ruled out' in cost-cuttingThe HS2 line to Manchester may not be built as part of efforts to get the project’s budget under control, according to sources. The Daily Telegraph reports that Whitehall insiders have said that cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood’s review of how to keep the project within its...
• Pre-Crossrail upgrades at Acton Main Line station approvedUpgrades to Acton Main Line station ahead of the introduction of Crossrail, recently renamed the Elizabeth line, have been approved by Ealing Council. The upgrade will include platform extensions to accommodate Crossrail’s 200m trains and a new glass and steel ticket hall, designed by...

Railway Gazette

• More Bombardier LRVs ordered for KarlsruheGERMANY: Karlsruhe tram-train operator AVG signed a €59·5m contract with Bombardier Transportation...

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair is being accused of breaching bribery laws with its...Vote Leave has lodged a complaint with the police about a Ryanair promotion that the pro-Brexit campaign claims is in breach of bribery laws, according to The Guardian. Ryanair's
• Alitalia still assessing relations with Air France-KLMEtihad Airways equity partner Alitalia is still considering the future of its long-term partnership with Air France-KLM, which is slated to end in January 2017. read more
• Iberia seeks to join BA-Finnair-JAL JVIberia is seeking to join fellow oneworld members British Airways (BA), Finnair and Japan Airlines (JAL) in their joint venture (JV). read more
• Aer Lingus CEO: “we welcome new entrants” in transatlantic marketIreland’s pro-aviation policy, embracing deregulation and liberalizing market access, is visionary and helps enable growth among airlines, lessors, MROs and aviation and travel companies, the CEO of Aer Lingus told a Washington DC audience this week. read more
• Boeing opens $1 billion 777X composite wing centerBoeing has opened its $1 billion 777X composite wing manufacturing center in Everett, Washington. read more
• Search for missing flight MS804 continuesFrench foreign minister says ‘no indication’ yet of what downed the plane

Green Miscellany

• Ultimate urban electric bicycle: RadMiniThe ultimate urban electric bicycle needs to be tough, compact and ready to haul cargo – tasks the new RadMini is built to handle with ease. If the Brompton is a Morris Minor, the RadMini is the Hummer of folding bicycles. Fitted as standard, 4”-wide, all-terrain tyres more than soak up potholes, a folding frame makes multi-modal travel a breeze… The post Ultimate urban electric bicycle: RadMini appeared first on ETA.
• A new city car for less than £2,000If you think every new city car looks and costs pretty much the same, take a peek at the Mirrow Provocator; a four-seater that the same length as a Smart car, but stretched to be as tall and wide as a large SUV. The car’s unusual features don’t stop there. To get in or out, you use a door at the back… The post A new city car for less than £2,000 appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Eurostar: travellers ‘cautious’ after terror attacksCross channel operator has seen sales drop 3% for Q1 2016