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

Thursday, 21 July 2016

BBC News

• Drivers battle Uber over employment rightsCab hire service Uber has been taken to a London employment tribunal by two of its drivers who claim it is acting unlawfully by not offering holiday and sick pay.
• Cost of inquiry into Edinburgh tram project hits �3.7mThe cost of the inquiry into the Edinburgh trams project exceeds �3.7m, BBC Scotland learns.
• Tours of Tube art introduced on London UndergroundTube passengers are being offered the chance to go on tours of artworks placed at stations across the London Underground network.
• Futuristic designs for Heathrow with third runway releasedAnimations of a futuristic Heathrow airport with a new central terminal and third terminal are released.
• Heathrow unveils expansion bid designDesigns for a light and bright airport terminal with open green spaces are revealed as part of Heathrow airport's bid for expansion.
• Southern rail dispute: Rail minister says government could broker talksThe new rail minister says the government will consider brokering talks between Southern and the RMT union to try to end their dispute.
• Heathrow Terminal 3 baggage system fault hits travellersPassengers travelling from Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 are urged to only travel with hand luggage due to a baggage system fault.

Financial Times

• Elon Musk outlines lofty goals for TeslaVehicle group to make full range of electric cars, buses and trucks
• Wizz Air swaps direction on Brexit voteBudget carrier to cut UK growth in favour of expansion in mainland Europe
• Uber challenged on UK drivers’ statusLandmark legal case on whether car-booking app’s drivers are self-employed or workers with rights
• FirstGroup wins milestone US rail contractUK group to run A-train services on the outskirts of Dallas

The Guardian

• Uber driver earned less than minimum wage, tribunal toldJames Farrar claims that one month in 2015 he earned little more than £5 an hour and feared repercussions if he cancelled a jobAn Uber driver who says he earned less than the minimum wage has told a tribunal about the “tremendous pressure” he was put under to work long hours and accept jobs, and the “repercussions” he faced from the company if he cancelled a pick-up.James Farrar, a driver with the firm since December 2014, said some months he had earned little more than £5 an hour and that “Uber control me very, very carefully”. Continue reading...

The Scotsman

• Scots firms demand end to delays over Heathrow/Gatwick runway decisionThe UK Government must urgently decide on a new runway for Heathrow or Gatwick, groups representing 11,000 Scottish firms demanded today.
• EasyJet braces for turbulent summer as bookings fallEasyJet today said it was facing the most difficult summer holiday season for years as it revealed bookings have fallen after the Brexit vote and passenger confidence was knocked by political turmoil in Turkey and recent terrorist attacks.

The Telegraph

• We've been looking in the wrong place, MH370 search team says
• Revealed: Rail companies' plans to track your movements and make you pay more to stand on packed trains

Mail Online

• Germanwings crash victims father sues pilots parents for failing to stop him flying Klaus Radner, 61, has filed a criminal complaint against co-pilot Andreas Lubitz' (pictured) parents for failing to stop him from flying while he was suffering from severe depression.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Airbus says giant Beluga XL will be 'patchwork' plane Aerospace giants have revealed more details on the development of the huge cargo aircraft
• Bus company offers �2,000 reward after arson attack on Pwllheli buses Arriva Buses Wales is offering the sum for information which leads to the conviction of those responsible for blaze at Glandon Garage

London Evening Standard

• London's transport network labelled 'not good enough' as commuters suffer in 'no air con hell'Transport bosses were today warned that London’s travel network is “not resilient enough” as commuters suffered a third day of sweltering conditions.
• Heathrow Airport third runway plan 'has £500m gap' says Zac GoldsmithHeathrow’s plans for a third runway contain a £500 million “gap” that could be passed on to taxpayers, Tory MP Zac Goldsmith claimed today.

The York Press

• York's ring road must be upgraded, MP says A YORK MP has asked the new Government for assurances that money will be available to improve York’s transport infrastructure.
• Police patrols to be stepped up at York Station NEW patrols will aim to crack down on antisocial behaviour at York railway station.

Yorkshire Post

• Now Leeds faces indefinite bus strike from next TuesdayBUS WORKERS in Leeds today dramatically upped the stakes in a worsening pay dispute by announcing an indefinite strike from next Tuesday.
• Car tax dodging has doubled since paper discs were abolishedRevenue from vehicle excise duty fell by £93 million in the year after the abolition of the paper tax disc, official figures show.

Other Regional Press

• Mayor of London backs rail boost that would slash journey times between Cambridge and the capital The new Mayor of London has backed a new push towards upgrading the railway line between Cambridge and London.
• The transport secretary has been urged to make an early decision on a new Lower Thames CrossingThe new transport secretary has been urged to make an early decision on a new Lower Thames Crossing.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• London legends praised at TfL’s Bus AwardsThe exceptional efforts of the people that help run London’s red buses have been recognised at the London Bus Awards. Eight awards were handed out to celebrate the work that goes into making the capital’s bus network one of the best, most accessible and extensive in the world. Leon Daniels, managing director of surface transport at Transport for London (TfL), hailed London’s buses as “the lifeblood of the city” and commended the efforts of everyone from those in the driver’s seat to less visible departments like those working in the garages. Literal lifesaver James Rossi of Arriva London was r...
• First all-electric train runs on Great WesternA new electric train has been successfully tested on the Great Western Railway for the first time, in a major milestone for the electrification project. A new Class 800 Intercity Express Train, built by Hitachi Rail, was driven from Reading to Didcot on Saturday and Sunday morning in a series of exercises designed to test the overhead electric power system. The train, travelling at speeds of up to 125mph, made two test runs between the stations, having arrived from its London depot.  The test was managed by Network Rail, which is currently electrifying the entire line between London Padd...
• Network Rail publishes Scotland Route Study Network Rail has today (Thursday, July 14) published its Scotland Route Study – a long-term plan looking at how Scotland’s railway could evolve over the next three decades. The Scotland Route Study outlines expected growth in rail usage between 2019 and 2043 and options to enhance the network to meet the future needs of customers. The newly-published study anticipates that strong growth is likely to continue in Scotland – with Edinburgh commuter traffic potentially increasing by 135 percent by 2043, Glasgow by 128 percent and Aberdeen by 226 percent. The study has been dev...
• Mercedes-Benz Future Bus with CityPilot – a milestone on the way to the autonomous city bus, and a revolutionary mobility system for the futureMegacities, traffic gridlock, environmental problems – the hot topics are the same on every continent. Under these circumstances, people's need for mobility to attend work and school and take recreation, cannot be met by private transport alone.  Daimler as a mobility provider has a number of possible solutions. A major one is a range of buses, especially when used as a complete, individually coordinated transport system for urban environments. What urban public transport will look like in the future is shown by the semi-automated city bus with CityPilot – it operates even mor...
• Freight traffic continues to increase on English Channel & Irish Sea ferry routesThe number of freight units carried by ferry companies on the English Channel and the Irish Sea increased by 4.8 per cent to 4.41 million units in 2015, according to figures published today by Discover Ferries. A strong economy has driven the growth with the amount of freight increasing in all sectors covered by the report – on the “short sea” routes out of Dover, the Western Channel* and the Irish Sea. The upward trend has continued this year, with freight increasing by 3.1 per cent in the half year to June to 2.26m units carried. Ferry freight is measured in units, the v...
• Virgin Trains launches toolkit to help businesses employ ex-offenders Virgin Trains has today launched a toolkit for businesses which offers practical advice on hiring ex-offenders. The train company, which is part-owned by Richard Branson, is calling for more businesses to follow their example and employ people with previous convictions.  In the past 3 years, Virgin Trains on the west coast has hired 30 ex-offenders of which 25 still work for the company in roles across the business. Employment has shown to significantly decrease the risk of recidivism. Not a single ex-offender employee or candidate in the talent pool at Virgin Trains has re-offended and t...
• First phase of Bristol Airport's major terminal extension opens to passengersThe first phase of Bristol Airport’s £24m terminal extension opened to passengers this morning ahead of what is expected to be its busiest ever summer holiday season. The 9,000 square metre structure features state-of-the-art technology in a significantly enlarged security search area, the first phase of which includes five new lanes, with a further five coming on line at the end of the month. The terminal extension forms part of development plans which will enable 10 million passengers a year to use the Airport, the largest in the South West of the UK, and England’s third bu...
• Dublin Airport welcomes 100,000 passengers in a single day Dublin Airport had its busiest day ever in its 76 year history when over 100,000 passengers travelled through the airport on Friday, June 24. This is equal to almost twice the capacity of the Aviva Stadium or more than the populations of 11 Irish counties. Dublin Airport Managing Director, Vincent Harrison said: “We have welcomed 17 new routes and services this year and another two long haul routes will be launched in September. Every single week since May 15 has been busier than our busiest week in 2015. And this will also be the case for every week right through to early October.&rdquo...
• SWISS becomes the world’s first airline to put the new Bombardier C Series into commercial service Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) became the first airline in the world to operate the new Bombardier C Series today when its first CS100 aircraft took off on its first commercial flight. The new “whisperjet” left Zurich for Paris Charles de Gaulle after an appropriate inauguration ceremony at the departure gate. The new Bombardier C Series will gradually replace the present Avro RJ100s on SWISS’s short- and medium-haul routes between now and July 2017. SWISS commenced scheduled operations with the new Bombardier C Series today when the world’s first Bombardier CS1...
• Arriva expands bus presence in Italy through acquisitionLeading European passenger transport group Arriva has confirmed the acquisition of Italian bus operator Savda. Based in the country’s northern Aosta Valley, Savda operates almost 50 per cent of the region’s local bus network, private hire services and long distance routes to Turin, Milan and into Switzerland and France. The company, which Arriva has purchased from the Bordon family, employs 145 people and has a fleet of over 100 buses across three depots. In 2015 it generated revenues of £9m. The acquisition sees Arriva continuing to grow in northern Italy where it now employ...
• Bus Services Bill inquiry launched The Transport Committee launches an inquiry on the Bus Services Bill. The Bill, currently before Parliament, seeks to amend the framework for the delivery of bus services in England outside of London and provide for improvements in ticketing, open data and bus registration. Inquiry: Bus Services Bill Transport Committee Scope of the inquiry The Transport Committee may produce a short report on the Bill to inform the House's deliberations. The Committee is interested in the extent to which legislation is required in this area, and if so, whether the current Bill addresses the...
• Sadiq Khan boosts pollution fund to tackle London toxic air hotspotsThe Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is to help some of London’s most polluted boroughs implement new hard-hitting measures to tackle toxic air quality hot spots and filthy emission fumes with an £11m fund. Five ‘Low Emission Neighbourhoods’ will be set up across eight boroughs, with pollution-busting measures including strict new penalties for the most polluting vehicles, car-free days, green taxi ranks for zero emission-capable cabs and parking reserved for the cleanest vehicles. By injecting more cash and securing  'like-for-like' funding from boroughs, the Mayor ...
• Wireless network connection for all of Finnair’s long-haul fleet in May 2017Last year Finnair announced it would launch a wireless network connection for the majority of its wide and narrow-body aircraft.   The first wireless services were taken into use on Finnair aircraft at the end of last year onboard the new Airbus A350 XWB aircraft. Finnair will begin the installation of Wi-Fi on its long-haul Airbus A330 aircraft in October this year, and the installation is estimated to be ready in May 2017.    “In May 2017, our customers will be able to enjoy wireless network connection onboard all of our long-haul fleet. In addition to Internet access, ...
• Manchester train graffiti gang spared jail timeFour graffiti taggers have been handed suspended custodial sentences after causing �123,000 of damage to train and tram carriages in Manchester. The gang carried out 125 attacks on rolling stock over a period of two-and-a-half years, often vaulting fences or using bolt-cutters to break into depots, the Manchester Evening News reports. One incident saw the crew target a train in broad daylight, with passengers still on board when it stopped at a station. � Maksym Tyshkul, 18, and Joshua Maguire, 20, both from Prestwich, were given ten-month suspended custodial sentences, while Jack Walsh, 19 of...

Rail Technology Magazine

• Safety rules implementation still inconsistent, despite progress - ORRThe railways in Britain are the safest they have ever been, but safety rules and procedures are still not being implemented consistently across the industry, according to the ORR. The regulator’s ‘Annual Health and Safety Report of Performance on Britain’s Railways:...
• �1bn Metro strategy includes new �550m fleet and service expansionA new rail strategy for the Metro system, including £1bn investment over the next 20 years and plans to kick-start an expansion scheme, has been approved by the North East Combined Authority (NECA). The ‘Metro and Local Rail Strategy’ identifies a network of disused or...
• Network Rail seeks OLE design tool supplier bespoke for digital railwayAlthough initial investigations by Network Rail have identified “some potential contender solutions” to electrify all its major routes as part of Digital Railway, none have met the infrastructure owner’s “overall requirement for a fully integrated system”. As a...
• Khan proposes TfL take over troubled Southern franchiseSadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has written to the new transport secretary proposing that Transport for London (TfL) immediately takes over the Southern rail franchise. Mass cancellations and delays on the network have led to Southern’s parent company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR)...
• East Midlands Trains appoints two new senior directorsEast Midlands Trains has appointed a new commercial director and customer experience director to replace its departing commercial director. Lawrence Bowman (35), the current head of business planning, will take up the post of commercial director next month, replacing Neil Micklethwaite, who will...

Railway Gazette

• Dieselnetz Ulm interim operating contract awardedGERMANY: Bayern railway agency BEG and Baden-W�rttemberg's Ministry of Transport &...

Aviation Industry

• Air Astana posts $6.6m loss as passenger numbers fallKazakhstan airline blames challenging economic conditions in the region
• Airline ancillary revenues soarIncome from services tops $52 per passenger

Green Miscellany

• Hot weather cycling: Create drinking water as you rideHot weather cycling is a joy and by far the best way to travel in a heatwave. To help you stay hydrated, the�Fontus�Ryde bottle harvests�moisture from the air to create safe drinking water. The bottle clips�to the top tube where it draws in the air stream from around the�bike.�In the right climatic conditions, the clever design can produce one pint… The post Hot weather cycling: Create drinking water as you ride appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Final section of Blackburn’s orbital route officially named ‘Wainwright Way’ THE key final section of the Blackburn’s orbital route, the Freckleton Street link road, will be officially named ‘Wainwright Way’.