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

Wednesday, 07 September 2016

BBC News

• Older drivers no more dangerous, accident data study saysNew research from Swansea University challenges the idea that older people are dangerous drivers.
• Edinburgh Airport flight path consultation responses lostAlmost 200 responses in a public consultation into a new Edinburgh Airport flight path have been lost.
• West Midlands rail franchise bidder 'can remove seats'Bidders for the West Midlands rail franchise are being given permission to remove seats and create more standing room to fit more passengers in.
• EU aviation groups want all drones to be registeredA string of aviation associations calls for all small drones in Europe to be registered.
• Black Lives Matter protesters close London City Airport runwayFlights at London City Airport are disrupted as nine protesters claiming to represent Black Lives Matter UK gain access to the runway.
• Southern rail: Passengers face fresh strike delaysHundreds of Southern trains are not running as a two-day strike by the RMT union starts, bringing disruption to commuters.
• British Airways apologises to delayed passengersBritish Airways apologises to angry passengers facing delays after an IT glitch affects check-in desks.
• Volkswagen buys 16.6% stake in US truck company NavistarVolkswagen agrees a deal to buy a 16.6% stake in US truck-maker Navistar.
• Renault considers killing off diesel enginesRenault, the French car maker, may stop offering diesel engines in most cars sold in Europe ahead of more strict emissions regulations.

Financial Times

• Ford slashes investment in UK car plantUS group will put �100m into Bridgend engine factory instead of �181m
• Hanjin Shipping thrown $90m lifelineParent group to inject cash to help resolve chaos that has seen half its units vessels stranded at sea
• IT glitch and protest disrupt BA flightsThousands of passengers delayed as City Airport is forced to suspend operations

The Herald

• Edinburgh Airport loses consultation responses during website upgradeEdinburgh Airport has apologised after almost 200 responses to a public consultation were lost.
• Rail bosses should be NETWORK Rail bosses should be “pulled before Parliament” to explain the delays and cost rise of the project to upgrade the line between Glasgow and Edinburgh the Transport Minister has said.
• Crunch talks over Airport Rail Link amid concerns timetable could hit buffersCRUNCH talks are to be held over the proposed rail link to Glasgow Airport as concerns mount over the timetable for the project.

The Independent

• Runway row intensifies as Gatwick claims ‘triple-counting’ of international passenger numbers at HeathrowNick Dunn says a second runway at Gatwick would result in ‘the same traffic for the UK at a much lower cost’

The Scotsman

• Edinburgh Airport admits flight path consultation blunderEdinburgh Airport has extended its consultation into a controversial new flight path after admitting it had lost nearly 200 responses.

The Telegraph

• Commuters face travel chaos as Southern workers start 48-hour strike
• British Airways computer failures cause 'worldwide' passenger misery

Birmingham Mail

• Disabled children were let down over school bus services admits Birmingham's education chiefSchool transport services reinstated for many  after new management installed in Birmingham's special education service.

London Evening Standard

• Sadiq Khan under fire for giving unions seat on TfL boardSadiq Khan came under pressure today over his decision to allow the unions to appoint a member of the Transport for London board.
• London City Airport runway reopens after Black Lives Matter protest sparks rowThe Black Lives Matter protest group today issued a defiant rebuttal of critics who slammed a stunt carried out by predominantly white activists at London City Airport.
• Rail passengers to be able to claim payouts for all late trains after compensation shake-upCommuters will be able to claim compensation if their trains are just a few minutes late under new rules announced by the government.
• Southern rail commuters hit by fresh travel misery as new strike beginsHundreds of thousands of Southern rail commuters were today hit by fresh travel misery as a new two-day rail strike got underway.

The York Press

• 1,800 back calls for new safety signs on A64 MORE than 1,800 people have backed a campaign for better road safety measures on a major road near York.
• Ring-road congestion is strangling York, warns city MP YORK’S congested northern ring road is a noose around the city, choking development and putting off investors, one of the city’s MPs has told the Government.
• East Coast Main Line commuters continue to face major delays after overhead wire problems EAST Coast Main Line�commuters�are facing major delays after overhead wire damage has caused disruption to trains travelling between�Retford and Doncaster.

Wales Online

• Cardiff's iconic Magic Roundabout to get a facelift as it approaches its 25th anniversaryWork on the roundabout, in Splott, is due to get under way next week
• Network Rail warn people that there will be delays at level crossings during Severn tunnel closure The tunnel will be shut for six weeks while engineers upgrade the railway line

Burnley Express

• 25 new jobs at distribution hubRoad haulage experts Fagan & Whalley has secured a 92,000 sqft unit at Burnley Bridge Business Park, creating 25 new jobs.

North Wales Live

• Penny Lane tram tracks revealed by Smithdown Road works Metal rails uncovered during long-running road surfacing works

Peterborough Telegraph

• Network Rail to unlock land for 12,000 new homes by 2020Network Rail has today announced it is finalising plans to release land for the development of around 12,000 new homes as part of its contribution towards the Government’s target to release land with the potential for 160,000 homes.

Buying Business Travel

• British Airways passengers face delays after check-in glitchPassengers facing disruption as system problems hit airports globally
• London City: flights cancelled as group stage runway protestServices being diverted to Gatwick
• Norwegian reports traffic boostAirline carries 2.9m passengers in August
• Cathay Pacific puts $14 surcharge on inbound flightsFee reintroduced on services into Hong Kong

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Longer lorry trial improved UK’s congestion, air quality and road safety, says DfTBritain’s roads were less congested due to a recent longer lorries trials, according to the Department for Transport (DfT). By extending the trailers of 1,800 trucks by 15 per cent, compared to 13.6 metre vehicles, up to 90,000 lorry journeys were avoided, freeing up Britain’s increasingly overcrowded roads. The scheme also improved the nation’s air quality, saving more than 3,000 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted. It is estimated that up to 6.58 million vehicle miles were avoided too.
• Scottish BTP officers issued with tasersTaser devices will be issued to British Transport Police (BTP) officers in Scotland over the next few weeks, in a move that brings security on Scotland’s rail network in line with the rest of the UK. BTP insists that the decision hasn’t been sparked by any specific event or threat. However, with a ‘severe’ threat of international terrorism to the UK, they say that officers will be better equipped to protect the public or themselves by using force where required. The introduction of taser devices was deemed “a proportion response” to the highly likely threat of terrorism, said BTP temporary ass...

Rail Technology Magazine

• Introducing a New Train Collision Avoidance System for Railways To improve the safety in the operation of a completely single-track narrow-gauge railway network in the Harz, a new type of train-collision avoidance system is currently being introduced.
• Welsh government needs greater oversight to manage new franchise The Welsh government needs to improve the oversight of its spending on rail as it takes responsibility for procuring the next Wales and Borders franchise, according to a new audit report. The report from Huw Vaughan-Thomas, the auditor general for Wales, said that so far the Welsh government has...
• GTR PPM recovering in period 5, but still behind other companiesEmergency measures have allowed the troubled Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) franchise to improve its performance and punctuality measure (PPM) figures, but it is still behind other TOCs, new figures show. GTR’s PPM measure for period 5, from 24 July – 30 August, was 73.1%, 11...
• New Tube for London: learning from past mistakesTransport for London (TfL) has committed to learn from the mistakes made in the Four Lines Modernisation Automatic Control (4LM ATC) programme in order to improve its signalling procurement for New Tube for London - but major issues have already started to surface. RTM's Luana Salles reports.
• More competition on inter-city routes 'would improve passenger services'More opportunities for open access operators on inter-city rail routes would improve services for passengers, the CEOs of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Office of Rail and Road (ORR) have told the Transport Committee. During a hearing yesterday, Dr Andrea Coscelli, acting chief...

Railway Gazette

• Keep the noise down at InnoTransHANNO: The Hanno-Tect heat insulation and noise reduction foam will be hidden behind the interior...

Aviation Industry

• Airberlin group appoints Dimitri Courtelis as CFOAirberlin group has promoted Dimitri Courtelis to the position of CFO, succeeding Arnd Schwierholz who has resigned to pursue challenges outside the aviation industry. read more
• Protestors block London City runway, disrupt trafficFlights at London City Airport were disrupted for more than six hours Sept. 6 by protestors who chained themselves together on the runway. read more

Green Miscellany

• Pedestrian pavement power: Blended crossings to the rescueThe Highway Code states, ‘Pedestrians that have started to cross the side road have priority over vehicles turning into the side road’ but this rule remains largely ignored by most drivers. It’s a driving behaviour that is anti-social, dangerous and perpetuates the myth that motorised traffic always has the right of way over pedestrians and cyclists. And it’s ingrained to… The post Pedestrian pavement power: Blended crossings to the rescue appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• British Airways check-in glitch hits Heathrow and Gatwick flights British Airways confirmed check-in would be "slower than usual" at Heathrow and Gatwick on Tuesday morning after another IT blip
• Southern Rail strike: What will the walkout over September 7-8 means for passengers? Southern staff will renew their industrial action between September 7 and September 8 over the role of guards and conductors
• Trial continues to show benefits of longer semi-trailers, says FTAThe Freight Transport Association says a report released today by the Department for Transport (DfT) shows that longer semi-trailers (LSTs) ...
• FTA says French Government must deliver on Calais promisesThe Freight Transport Association (FTA) says the French government must act quickly on its commitment to dismantle the Calais migrant camp ...
• Black Lives Matter protesters close City Airport runwayBlack Lives Matter protesters disrupt flights at London City Airport after locking themselves together on the runway.
• Disability campaigners to join Southern Railway picket line during strike Disability campaigners are to join a picket line being mounted by workers at Southern Railway during a fresh strike in a long-running row over changes to the role of conductors.