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

Saturday, 27 August 2016

BBC News

• Notting Hill Carnival bus driver strike called offA planned bus drivers' strike which had threatened to disrupt Notting Hill Carnival is called off.
• Night Tube: Jubilee service to launch in OctoberThe Jubilee line is set to be the next Underground service to be added to the Night Tube.
• US to invest $2.5bn in high-speed rail expansionUS vice president Joe Biden announces plans to lend railway operator Amtrak $2.45bn (�1.86bn) to expand services and make upgrades.
• Volkswagen to pay US dealers hit by emissions scandalGermany's Volkswagen tells a US court that it plans to compensate car dealers in America hit by the diesel emissions scandal.

Department for Transport

• Government announces £20 million fund for new railway stationRail passengers across England and Wales are set for better journeys thanks to a £20 million pot to fund new stations, announced today (26 August 2016) by the Department for Transport.

Financial Times

• ANA forced to cancel flights as it grounds some 787sJapanese carrier says problem with Rolls-Royce engines is under investigation
• Alan Joyce flies high with QantasChief executive leads previously troubled Australian airline to record earnings
• Milestone for new London Bridge stationTwo-thirds of under-platform circulation area to be revealed
• Cosco reveals $1.1bn first-half lossChinese company blames loss on slowdown in the global shipping industry

The Guardian

• UberEats drivers vow to take pay protest to London restaurantsCouriers at demonstration against pay structure say they will campaign at restaurants that use food delivery serviceDrivers for Uber’s food delivery service, UberEats, are planning to picket London restaurants as part of a protest over pay.Dozens of scooter and bicycle couriers descended on an Uber office in Bermondsey on Friday to demonstrate against dwindling pay deals, which they say have left some at risk of earning less than the minimum wage. Continue reading...
• Virgin v British Airways: was the Corbyn saga part of the old rivalry?Richard Branson tweeted CCTV images on the day BA flew Olympic athletes home – the latest twist in a long PR battleSir Richard Branson described it as the “best stunt ever”.On the September day in 1999 that the London Eye was due to be erected, the giant ferris wheel could not be lifted off the ground. Branson saw an opportunity to get one over on an old rival. British Airways owned a third of the London Eye and was going to be the title sponsor. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Sir Richard Branson 'thought he was going to die' in serious bike crashEntrepreneur Sir Richard Branson said he thought he was going to die after crashing his bicycle.

The Scotsman

• Further rail disruption during Edinburgh-Glasgow rail upgrade PASSENGERS face five more months of disruption during the upgrading of the main Edinburgh-Glasgow rail line.
• Scotland air link to China by 2021 if air passenger duty cutA long-sought-after air route between Scotland and China could be launched in under five years if air passenger duty (APD) is cut, Edinburgh Airport has claimed.

The Telegraph

• Jeremy Corbyn's plan for rail renationalisation is a terrible idea

Mail Online

• Motorists breathe in 40% more deadly pollutants when sat at red lights Car emissions take longer to disperse in built-up areas and end up accumulating in the air at traffic lights and junctions, researchers from the University of Surrey found.
• Jeremy Corbyn is all smiles after definitely getting a seat on Virgin train The Labour leader has been�photographed firmly seated on the way from London Euston to Glasgow - in stark contrast to last time when he was filmed sprawled on the floor.
• Several injured as a freight train crashes into a school bus in Germany A freight train has crashed into a bus at a level crossing in Melle, Germany, injuring nine people.
• A TV show about a bus ride around the Dales? It's just the ticket writes JAN MOIR Welcome aboard the Northern Dalesman, the bus service that runs from Middlesbrough to Ingleton, across some of the most stunning countryside in England.

The Mirror

• Tory plan to ban councils from running their own buses given thumbs down by votersNearly six out of ten voters think Town Halls should be able to set up new public bus companies

This is Money

• Britain must invest in rail and airports NOW if it is to remain a top trading hub, claims building boss Britain's airports must be upgraded without delay if the country is to retain its power as a trading hub, a top building boss has said.

Belfast Telegraph

• Wrightbus jobs freeze could be down to 'pragmatic planning' or response to UK's Brexit voteA blanket recruitment freeze at Ballymena bus making giant Wrightbus could be down to "pragmatic planning" or a cautious response to Brexit, it has been claimed.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• MP demands action to tackle traffic congestion in Keighley KEIGHLEY MP Kris Hopkins has demanded Bradford Council comes clean on its plans for tackling town-centre traffic jams.

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Airport prepares for 390,000 passengers over Bank Holiday weekendThe big Bank Holiday getaway is nearly here - with more than 390,000 passengers expected to travel through Manchester Airport this weekend.

Sheffield Star

• VIDEO: Bid to stop passengers ‘surfing’ on back of Sheffield buses with new deviceA Sheffield bus firm has revealed it will being fitting ‘anti-surf’ devices to some of its buses after footage emerged of two men clinging onto a moving bus.
• New plans for bus services to be put to residentsNew plans for buses in Penistone are to be put to residents next month.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Birmingham Airport profits soar after 'busiest ever year' Soaraway profits have rocketed by 80 per cent at Birmingham Airport as it enjoyed its busiest-ever year, new figures reveal.

Blackpool Gazette

• Tram consultation draws to a closeConsultation ends today on proposals to extend the Blackpool tramway from North Pier to North Station.

Crewe Chronicle

• Middlewich traffic and transport consultation gets under way The first public event is tomorrow (Thursday)

Other Regional Press

• Sports clubs face losing home after Network Rail increases hall rent from �4,500 a year to �32,000Several popular sports clubs could become homeless after Network Rail increased the rent on their hall from �4,500 a year to �32,000, plus VAT.
• New rural bus service to be introduced between Coventry and SolihullNew No.89 service replace an old service where people had to pre-book their journeys

Buying Business Travel

• Uber offers pre-booking service to business customersTaxi app will allow users to schedule journeys up to 30 days in advance
• Air New Zealand sets new profit recordCarrier benefits from higher sales and lower fuel costs

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Balfour Beatty awarded �35 million Perth Transport Futures contract Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has been awarded a £35 million contract by Perth and Kinross Council to deliver the first phase of the Perth Transport Futures Project, which will support growth in Scotland’s third fastest developing region. The contract has been awarded under the Scape Group’s National Civil Engineering and Infrastructure Framework.  Balfour Beatty will create a new grade separated junction on the A9 dual carriageway as well as a new link road enabling access to development land to the west of the city. This is the first of four ...
• DfT invests £20 million into adding new rail stationsEngland and Wales’ railway stations will be upgraded to the tune of £20 million as part of a government-funded drive to improve passenger journeys. The money will be used to fund up to 75 per cent of the cost of constructing new stations or reopening previously closed stations. It is hoped that the new stations will mean faster journeys, new connections and consequently, an all-round better travel experience for passengers. The scheme is also expected to create new opportunities for travel, employment and housing, and provide a major boost for local economies. Rail minister Paul Maynard said: ...

Rail Technology Magazine

• Deals this week: Hitachi Rail Europe, Crossrail, and MyHSR Hitachi Rail Europe (HRE) has awarded a three year contract to ISS Group, which is extendable up to five years.
• Rubber and Thermoplastics in Railway Traffic Rex Articoli Tecnici SA researches, develops and produces specific materials and finished products, counting on an expert team of chemists and technicians specialised in elastomers and on its laboratories equipped for carrying out all the necessary t…

Aviation Industry

• Lufthansa, cabin crew reach new contractLufthansa and the German Independent Flight Attendants’ Organization (UFO) have reached an agreement on a new collective labor agreement (CLA) for Lufthansa cabin crewmembers. read more
• China Airlines expecting delivery of four A350 XWBs in 2016Taipei-based China Airlines, which was scheduled to take delivery of its first Airbus A350 XWB in July, has been informed by the European manufacturer that its first aircraft delivery should take place in Q3 2016. read more
• Brussels Airlines issues tender for Airbus A330 replacementBelgian flag carrier Brussels Airlines has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for its Airbus A330 replacement, as it progresses with its Avro RJ100 phase-out. “For the refleet of the A330, the RFP is already in the market and we’re talking to different lessors,” a Brussels Airlines spokeswoman told ATW, adding that the phase-out of its oldest A330s will begin in 2018–19. read more

Other News Sources

• Managing and maintaining footwaysThe Government continues to focus its infrastructure funding on capital projects, with large sums earmarked for major road schemes from the A6 Manchester Airport relief road to the Middlewich Eastern Bypass. While this is positive, it does highlight that new projects continues to be politically more attractive than the maintenance of existing infrastructure and that spending on the carriageway inevitably takes precedence over funding of the footways network.
• £20m fund for new railway stations across England and WalesUK Rail Minister announces £20 million backing for new railway stations as part of the Department for Transport’s New Stations Fund.
• Disruption from Luton Airport planes is like sound of thunder, says St Albans residentLiving in parts of St Albans is now “like living within one quarter of a mile from a runway” according to a resident who is fed up with plane noise from Luton Airport.
• Airport noise affects timing of birdsongNoise pollution from aeroplanes has significant effects on the time that birds begin to sing, new research has suggested.
• Public disagree with banning councils from running their own bus servicesNearly six out of ten people think councils should be allowed to run their own bus services, despite government attempts to ban them from doing so.
• Davies takes on Van Excellence ChairFTA’s Van Excellence has appointed a new Chair of its Governance Group - Julie Davies – Fleet and Plant Compliance Manager, Amey. ...

EIN News Subscription

• Sweden’s high-speed trains the least punctual in Europe … 2008-15 only 66 percent of trains on the busy Stockholm-Gothenburg and … world famous for its efficient railway system, but even Spain and … percent in the latter. The Eurostar route between France and the … tracks as local and freight trains, which means that small delays …
• Keeping the trains running is only part of the battle, creative solutions need alternatives … ;we clearly need more trains". More trains. The typical political response … money spent on making the Eurostar quicker was instead invested in … main problem with "more trains". It’s no different … so many people need to travel at specific times, for example …
• 'KTX 3rd Most Accurate Bullet Train in Travel Time' … Korea's KTX bullet train service is the third most … based on an analysis of travel records between 2008 and 2015 … countries that operate high speed rail. The paper said that Japan … of 92 percent and the Eurostar, connecting France and Britain, 91 …
• EASA Introduces New Blanket Non-Commercial Aviation Rules … Today 08-25-2016] On Aug. 25, EASA rules addressing non-commercial air … EASA states there will be a coherent, modern and updated European … to Finland. The new European rules replace the existing … are newly introduced in Europe, the majority of their …
• Slovenia is Introducing a Multilateral Passenger Transport Ticket, By Which Public Transport Will Become More Accessible, Friendly, and Attractive … Service for Sustainable Mobility and Transport Policy at the Slovenian Ministry of … better and friendlier services. "European citizens' need for mobility … the entire European Single Market," said Violeta Bulc, European Commissioner for …
• U.S. moves closer to speed limiters … Association (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The … , Quebec, Japan, Australia and the European Union, the proposal does not yet … per hour in 2003. The European Union has limited the speed of … that�CDW notes weather and highway conditions as other significant factors …
• Ryanair Deepens Fare Cuts to Fill Jets as European Demand Wanes … 8 percent drop originally expected, Europe’s biggest discount carrier said … said in a note. Europe’s airlines are discounting tickets as terror … it will move towards requiring passengers to register on its website … aimed at gathering more customer data that the carrier can use …
• Ryanair claims to be the 'world's favorite airline' … international passengers last year. The latest consumer data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) put passenger numbers … offers the lowest fares in Europe. Customers can look forward to …