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

Wednesday, 21 September 2016

BBC News

• US releases highway code for robot carsDriverless car makers in the US have been asked to sign up to a 15-point plan that aims to make the vehicles safe to use on public roads.
• London's optical illusion speed bumpsSpeed bumps have been painted on a London road as part of a pilot scheme to deter drivers from exceeding 20mph.
• New �12m hybrid ferry handed to CalMac by Ferguson yardA new �12.3m diesel-electric hybrid ferry is delivered to CalMac for use on its Clyde and Hebridean routes.
• Tesla updates software after car hackTesla updates its software after Chinese researchers hack into its electric cars and take control.

Financial Times

• Airbus names Br�gier chief operating officerTom Enders reshuffles pack in effort to ease management tensions at aerospace group
• Cautious welcome for self-drive guidelinesUS government move is a big step for technology hampered by patchwork regulation
• Hanjin to return chartered vesselsSouth Korean container line says it is losing $2m a day

The Guardian

• Work begins on Calais wall to stop refugees trying to board lorries to UKCharities say 4-metre-high wall, funded by UK government, will endanger lives as desperate people take bigger risks
• Our roads are choked. We’re on the verge of carmageddonCar use takes a huge toll on our health and on the planet. We need to kick our addiction to driving
• I’m going nowhere with Great Western Railway over a ticket refundStaff are polite and apologetic, but after three months there’s still no sign of my moneyCan you help me overcome apparent sluggishness by the GWR train company? We bought tickets for two senior railcard return journeys from Paddington to Castle Cary in Somerset on 29 April, returning at the beginning of May, for the grand total of £114.60.However, we were forced to cancel our trip two days before we were due to travel due to illness, and posted the appropriate GWR refund form. Over the intervening three months I have phoned six times to chase the refund. Each of its call centre staff I have s...

Times Online

• Southern promises rail revolution (in 2018) [subscription]The company behind the problem-hit Southern rail franchise has promised more rush-hour trains and a revolution in the timetable from 2018 — but critics immediately questioned whether it would be able to deliver them.
• State considers Dublin airport expansion [Subscription]There is an overwhelming case to build a new second runway at Dublin airport, the transport minister has said.
• Folding seats offer solution to railway overcrowding [subscription]Folding seats could be installed on commuter trains under plans to ease crippling levels of overcrowding on the busiest lines, it emerged yesterday.
• Transport chiefs take on RTE over revamp plan [subscription]Plans by RTE to build a new traffic entrance to its Montrose headquarters will cause severe congestion and delays, it has been claimed.

Mail Online

• Saudi Airlines pilot 'could face punishment' after false distress call The Boeing 777 was isolated by police officials at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International airport in the Philippines this morning after the pilot reported the plane was 'under threat'.

Birmingham Post

• Golf course to be redesigned - as HS2 line ploughs right through itThe future of Whittington Heath Golf Club has been preserved despite new high-speed rail line cutting a swathe through eight acres of its course
• �83m bid to tackle one of Birmingham's most congested roundaboutsIt is a major bottleneck in the city’s road network, handling a whopping 56,000 vehicles a day

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Man denied Snowdon Mountain Railway ride...because there were too many fat people on board Anthony Poppel was turned away from his allotted carriage due to other passengers who were 'large in stature'

London Evening Standard

• 'Hell and mayhem' at Finsbury Park Tube station after key exit is closedAngry commuters described travel "hell, madness and mayhem" at Finsbury Park Tube station this morning after it was forced to shut amid overcrowding.
• Dramatic moment pair nearly die after wandering into railway tunnelA dramatic video has been released showing the moment two pedestrians come within inches of death after they wandered in to a railway tunnel as a train approached.
• Theresa May refuses to rule out new runways at both Heathrow and Gatwick AirportsTheresa May has brushed off allegations of dithering over airport expansion and refused to rule out building a new runway at both Heathrow and Gatwick

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• 'Game changer' for wi-fi on trains launched by Newcastle company Nomad DigitalA Newcastle company is promising a “game changer” system for wi-fi on trains with the launch of its new product.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Full steam ahead for A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon major improvement scheme: come and find out moreWith just weeks to go until main construction gets underway on Highways England’s £1.5bn upgrade for the A14, drivers, residents and businesses are being invited to find out more about what the improvements will mean for them.

Other Regional Press

• ‘Don’t fret at Brexit’ says airport finance chief“Don’t panic about Brexit” was the message Luton Airport’s chief financial officer gave at a business event held this month.

Airportwatch

• Nomad Digital announces five-year asset management partnership with DB Cargo Nomad Digital is delighted to announce the start of a five-year co-operation with DB Cargo (formerly DB Schenker Rail) providing on-board Remote Online Condition Monitoring (ROCM) systems.

Buying Business Travel

• Manchester Airports Group delivers �6.2bn to UK economyGroup sees noise complaints fall by 41%

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Tougher mobile phone use penalties on the way for driversThe government is seeking to improve road safety standards by introducing harsher penalties for drivers caught using their mobile phones behind the wheel. Under the new plans, those found guilty of driving while using a mobile phone will be handed a six-point penalty instead of the current three points, while the on-the-spot financial penalty will also be doubled from �100 to �200. This means that newly-qualified drivers - who have a six-point limit for their first two years on the road - will be at risk of losing their licence immediately if they are caught, forcing them to have to resit thei...

Rail Magazine

• More Class 387/1s heading for GWR in DecemberThe next batch of Class 387/1s for Great Western Railway will be delivered from December.
• Minister calls for ‘21st century’ Welsh railwayWales needs infrastructure fit for the 21st century is vital if it is to build on its strengths and drive economic growth, says Wales Minister Guto Bebb.
• Eurostar prepares to scrap 186mph Class 373sEurostar is to send the first of its 186mph Class 373 trains for scrap after just 22 years in service.
• 29th Class 700 delivered to UKAhead of planned increase in the number of '700s' in traffic with GTR, there are now 29 of the electric multiple units in the UK (from an order of 115).
• Rail Minister: Rail Minister Paul Maynard warns that when it comes to new rail projects, “capacity has to be the key concern”.
• Milestones still to be achieved - GEML Taskforce“We still have key and political milestones to achieve,” GEML Taskforce co-Chairman Chloe Smith tells assorted MPs and members of the rail industry.

Rail Technology Magazine

• New Range of Ethernet Switches Manage Increasing Demand for High-Speed Communication Networks On-Board Rail Vehicles To meet the growing need for more capacity in train communications networks, Westermo has introduced a new generation of Ethernet train switches that provide highly robust networks to support many end devices and high data rates.
• Are driverless freight trains safe? In an age where talk of driverless transport is ubiquitous, the US Federal Railroad Administration is proposing regulations that two-person crews be required for US railroads, namely for safety reasons. So why the mistrust over autonomy in the US and…

Railway Gazette

• Software redesign seeks ‘300% faster’ onboard wi-fiNOMAD DIGITAL: The onboard connectivity specialist Nomad Digital used the InnoTrans exhibition in...
• Solaris and Stadler to bid jointly for tram projectsEUROPE: Polish bus and tram manufacturer Solaris and Swiss rolling stock supplier Stadler Rail...
• �BB unveils prototype electric-supercapacitor-battery loco INNOTRANS: Austrian Federal Railways unveiled its InnoShunt eHybrid prototype...
• Hydrogen fuel cell train order expected this yearINNOTRANS: Alstom expects to sign a firm order for a production build of hydrogen fuel cell powered...
• Battery EMU development fundedBombardier Transportation is to develop a battery-electric multiple-unit for operation on non-electrified routes, under a research programme to be partially funded by the Ministry of Transport & Digital Infrastructure.
• ICE bogies may be sourced from ChinaINNOTRANS: Rolling stock giant CRRC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with German...
• Vibration to power level crossings UK: A research programme partly funded by the UK Department for Transport and undertaken by the...

Aviation Industry

• Air France announces 787 introduction plansAir France will begin operations with new Boeing 787-9s on Jan. 9, 2017, with a service from Paris Charles De Gaulle (CDG) to the Egyptian capital of Cairo, the airline announced Sept. 20. read more
• Virgin Atlantic A330 fleet to be equipped with 2Ku by year-endUK-based Virgin Atlantic’s Airbus A330 fleet will be equipped with Gogo 2Ku inflight connectivity system by year-end. read more

Green Miscellany

• Five radical electric folding bikes you can buy todayBattery-powered bicycle�already�outsell electric cars in Europe by seven times and a new generation of electric folding bikes promises to further boost that figure. Electric folding bikes are�small enough to take on public transport and light enough to be carried into a house to be re-charged. Best of all, the latest technology allows them to recharge�themselves. 1. The Vello Bike+ This… The post Five radical electric folding bikes you can buy today appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Heathrow in Bloom: 'Fantastic' floral world map constructed in airport to celebrate fragrance Fresh roses, lavender and orange blossom are among the 2,000 fresh flowers used to create the living artwork
• Tesla is building the world's largest energy storage system Electric car and energy storage company Tesla has won the contract to design and build the largest lithium-ion battery in the world, as part of an energy storage upgrade for the US city of Los Angeles.
• Full steam ahead for A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme: come and find out more With weeks to go until main construction gets underway on Highways England’s £1.5bn upgrade for the A14, drivers, residents and businesses are being invited to find out more about what the improvements will mean for them.
• Southern to restore Seaford timetable from next week MORE rail passengers will see their services return to normal next week with the latest restoration of timetables by Southern.
• Transport secretary criticises breakdown in rail working relationship THE poor train service across Sussex is down in part to a dysfunctional relationship between Southern and Network Rail, the new transport secretary has said.