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

Thursday, 22 September 2016

BBC News

• Cardiff holds first 'car-free day' to cut air pollutionConcerns over air pollution in the city centre means Cardiff will hold its first car-free day on Thursday but only one street is shut to traffic.
• Tesla updates software after car hackTesla updates its software after Chinese researchers hack into its electric cars and take control.
• Kelpies win international canals awardThe giant Kelpies sculptures near Falkirk win a prize at the first World Canals Awards, held in Inverness.
• Map reveals mayor's London Overground rail takeover planA new map revealing how London could look if the mayor started running suburban rail services is released by Transport for London.
• Easyjet seeks to resolve pilots' disputeEasyjet will hold talks with pilots' union Balpa on Thursday in an attempt to resolve a dispute over fatigue and avoid industrial action.
• UK car production 'hits 14-year high for August'UK car production hit a 14-year high for August, driven by demand from British and international consumers.

Financial Times

• Airbus on course to gain from its painRestructuring drive shows excess baggage is being jettisoned and is a cause for celebration, writes Sarah Gordon
• EasyJet pilots back strike actionVote comes as Europe’s second-largest low-cost carrier faces Brexit challenges
• Airbus and Boeing win US licence for IranAircraft makers’ deals mark post-sanctions milestone
• Maersk break-up will hang on family tiesDespite shipping woes, the Danish group will take long-term view

The Guardian

• Stuck in the country: it's not just cities that need decent transportWith council funding for rural transport in crisis, we look at the impact on buses, trains and cycling – and some ways to help
• Paris is banning traffic from half the city. Why can’t London have a car-free day?Cars will be outlawed from 400 miles of Paris streets on Sunday as the French capital joins the likes of Brussels, Bogotá, Jakarta and Copenhagen in marking World Car-Free Day. Isn’t it time for London to join the club?
• How many Londoners are switching from public transport to bicycles?Statistics compiled for the Guardian by Transport for London offer clues about the type and scale of changing travel habits in the capital The brand new Transport for London (TfL) board and its chair, Sadiq Khan, will on Thursday consider an upbeat account of the progress of cycling policies introduced by Boris Johnson. TfL commissioner Mike Brown’s written report documents a record-breaking July for Santander cycle hires, progress on delivering superhighways, quietways and suburban infrastructure schemes, and a 5% year-on-year increase in cycling journeys within central London’s congestion ch...
• I missed my easyJet flight as Apple’s Calendar app gave me the wrong timeA hyperlink from the airline’s website was an hour out, so when I got to the airport, the flight was closedI booked a return flight with easyJet from Gatwick to Ibiza in May. The confirmation email contained a hyperlink to add the details of the flight to the calendar function on my iPhone. It said the flight was due to leave at 6.35am; we turned up at the airport at 5am, only to find that the flight details had been incorrectly imported. The flight was in fact departing at 5.35am and the gate was closed.EasyJet had not heard of a problem like this before and was unable to help. We managed to ...
• Bicycle helmets reduce risk of serious head injury by nearly 70%, study findsAustralian researchers say the study’s findings support the argument for mandatory helmet legislation ‘from an injury prevention perspective’A major study of bike helmet use around the world from more than 64,000 cyclists has found helmets reduce the risks of a serious head injury by nearly 70%.The study also found neck injuries are not associated with helmet use and cyclists who wear helmets reduce their chance of a fatal head injury by 65%. Continue reading...

The Scotsman

• 5,000 responses to Edinburgh Airport flight path consultationScotland’s busiest airport has received more than 5,000 responses to its consultation on altering flight paths.

Daily Record

• Cycling campaigner injured after being hit by cyclist outside meeting about improving cycle routes EMMA ROBINSON has won praise from across the political spectrum from her work in improving conditions for cyclists in her town.

Mail Online

• Airlines make �39 per passenger with extra 'hidden charges' for legroom and baggage - with some firms earning nearly HALF their revenue that way� Airlines including Ryanair, EasyJet, Flybe and Jet2.com are among those which are inflating their fares by 'aggressively' charging passengers for extras including faster boarding and better seats.
• Disabled woman shames Virgin East Coast train passengers on Facebook Cat Lee from Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, claims she was on a Virgin East Coast service from London King's Cross to Skipton service when she noticed two men sitting in her reserved seats.
• Network Rail fined �4million after elderly actress was killed by train on a crossing Olive McFarland, 82, who was a regular in films and TV dramas from the 1950s to the 1970s, was hit by a train travelling at nearly 100mph near Needham Market, Suffolk, in August 2011.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• What Snowdon mountain railway visitors thought about 'fat passenger' row We spoke to passengers in Llanberis today to see what they thought about the story which has divided readers' opinion

Liverpool Echo

• Sefton bus routes could be slashed as part of huge Merseytravel shakeup Have your say on a huge overhaul of local routes

London Evening Standard

• Trains could get folding seats to tackle rush hour overcrowdingFolding seats could be incorporated on commuter trains within a year as transport bosses attempt to tackle mass overcrowding.
• Revealed: How London's rail network will look when TfL takes over suburban servicesA new map showing how the capital's rail network will look when Transport for London takes control of suburban trains was unveiled today.
• Disabled woman posts Facebook photo of businessmen 'refusing to give up her reserved seats' on London trainA disabled woman has shared a picture online of two businessmen she claimed failed to give up her reserved seat on a packed train from London.
• Rush-hour train delayed after conductor 'drops driving licence on tracks'London commuters were left waiting on their train during rush-hour after it was halted because the conductor lost his driving licence.
• EasyJet strike: Pilots vote for industrial action in dispute over tirednessEasyJet pilots have voted to go on strike in a dispute over pilots being too tired to fly.
• London bus taken over by 'Stop Trump' campaigners in a bid to get votes for ClintonAnti-Donald Trump campaigners have taken over a London bus in a bid to convince Americans to vote for Hillary Clinton.
• Network Rail fined �4million after actress Olive McFarland killed on level crossingNetwork Rail has been fined �4million after a former actress was killed by a train at a level crossing.
• M40 explosion: Commuters warned of delays after 'massive blast' on busy motorwayCommuters were today warned to expect severe rush-hour delays as engineers battle to repair the surface of the M40 motorway following a giant mobile crane explosion.

Wales Online

• Live updates as Cardiff's first car-free day takes place in a bid to cut air pollutionA Cardiff street has been closed today as the city takes part in World Car Free Day. Park Place was closed to traffic at 8pm on Wednesday and will not open again until midnight today.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Flying Scotsman in the West Midlands: Fans flock to see a true British icon on the Severn Valley RailwayThousands are expected to descend on the Severn Valley Railway over the coming days as Flying Scotsman arrived for an unique Charity Day today.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Reminder that Leeds bus station is closed this weekendBus users are being reminded that Leeds bus station will be closed this weekend for carriageway resurfacing works.

Yorkshire Post

• Rail firm fined �4m after speeding train kills Sean Connery co-starNetwork Rail has been fined £4 million for a string of safety failures after a former actress was struck and killed by a train on a railway foot crossing.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Network Rail handed £4million fine for safety failings which led to Olive McFarland’s death on Needham Market crossingThe company which owns Britain’s railways has been fined £4million by a court over the death of a former TV and film actress on a Suffolk foot crossing.

Other Regional Press

• Railway bosses plan huge change in Bedfordshire timetablesRailway bosses hope that a massive timetable shake up in two years’ time will be well received by users.

Buying Business Travel

• Marriott wins China approval for Starwood dealDeal expected to be completed Friday after last regulatory hurdle cleared
• Lufthansa and Air China sign route-sharing dealAgreement sees Lufthansa expand in the Asian market
• Easyjet pilots vote for strike actionAirline responds with final offer to resolve dispute

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• HS2 job analysis report publishedHigh Speed Rail Industry Leaders commissioned Albion Economics to undertake some research to establish the short and medium term employment and training impacts of the HS2 project. The scope of the work focuses on the planning, design and construction phases of the project and provides: an estimate of the number of HS2 jobs that are already a subject of issued tenders – that is to say jobs that would be lost if the project was now to be cancelled the number of jobs that would be created over the period between now and 2020 (the term of this parliament) the quantifi...
• Post-Brexit Britain: manufacturers want UK to continue to comply with EU environmental legislation in the short to mid-termManufacturers want to see existing EU-led environmental legislation fully transposed when Britain exits the EU, according to a new report out today. Just a quarter of firms say that the UK shouldn’t adopt EU waste or chemicals directives, but industry also recognises that there is a longer-term opportunity for cutting environmental red tape and exploring a UK-specific approach: Environmental regulations and directives are already deeply embedded – industry flags concerns over cost and disruption of repealing and replacing Report warns of danger of undermining investments ...
• New �12m hybrid ferry handed to CalMac by Ferguson yardA new £12.3m diesel-electric hybrid ferry has been delivered to CalMac for use on its Clyde and Hebridean routes. The roll-on roll-off vehicle, named
• Total tonnage levels dip slightly at UK portsNew official data has highlighted a slight decrease in the level of UK port traffic during 2015 compared to the previous year. According to the latest figures from the Department for Transport, total tonnage levels decreased slightly by one per cent compared to 2014, dropping to 496.7 million tonnes. This came despite a four per cent unit increase to 23.6 million units. The main drivers in the growth of unitised traffic were seen in the container trade, which increased from 4.3 million units in 2014 to a record high of 5.7 million last year, while the motor vehicle trade maintained the positiv...
• Electricians predict Crossrail won't be completed on timeThe new Crossrail transport link project is unlikely to be completed on schedule, according to electricians working on the project. Professionals involved in the work have told the Construction Enquirer that a lack of available skills and suboptimal working conditions are likely to mean the �14.8 billion route will not be ready in time for its planned 2018 opening. Key issues include the fact that the laying of the permanent track is only half-done, despite expectations this would be done by Christmas - an issue that could have considerable knock-on effects. The remoteness of some of the work ...

Rail Magazine

• New ‘88s’ set to displace older DRS locomotivesDRS confirms it will “seek to deploy our newest assets onto as many services as possible”, which could spell the end for some of its older locomotives.
• DRS ‘68s’ kept busy on Norfolk linesDirect Rail Services supplied various Class 68s to Abellio Greater Anglia at the end of August and start of September, following failures.
• No devolution unless necessary - Rail MinisterDevolution has a vital role for the railways, but should not be introduced unless necessary, according to Rail Minister Paul Maynard.
• Maynard cites importance of rail links to coastal towns Labour mobility will be biggest challenge to rail over next decade, according to new Rail Minister Paul Maynard, who highlighted the plight of coastal towns.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Track Systems Made by RAIL.ONE: International and Innovative The role of rail-based freight, commuter, and mainline transport around the world is growing. This boom is fueled in part by numerous international infrastructure projects in which the PCM RAIL.ONE Group, with over 60 years experience in the producti…
• Clip-Air: the future of multi-modal transport? One minute you’re on a plane, the next your train has departed – all without leaving your seat. You have just experienced the Clip-Air mode of travelling. Is the world ready for such a concept, or is this idea a few decades ahead of its time?
• ContiTech Presents Low-Emission, Lightweight Surfaces for Trains Surface materials for waiting areas and materials for public transport interiors have to be extremely hard-wearing. In addition, they have to satisfy the strict design and safety requirements.
• New Definition of High-Performance DC-DC Converters by intreXis The intreXis Boardnet Converter Platform is a new definition of high-performance DC-DC converters and is now also available in the 150W class. With its ultra-wide input voltage range of 14.4VDC to 154VDC, 150W power, highest efficiency and 10ms hold-…
• Rail in the north 'should be fully devolved by 2025'Rail franchises in the north of England should be completely devolved by the time the current franchises expire in 2023-25, the director of Rail North has said just a few days after similar calls from the Urban Transport Group. David Hoggarth said that gaining complete control over the...
• Rail is at risk of becoming a victim of its own successAndy Allen, policy analyst at the Campaign for Better Transport, considers the recently published overcrowding figures and the need for action to tackle the issue, as the railways are bursting at the seams and risk becoming a victim of their own success.
• Alstom unveils 'breakthrough' hydrogen-powered train at InnoTransAlstom has unveiled a zero-emissions train which is powered by hydrogen at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin yesterday. The Coradia iLint is a CO2-emission-free regional train powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, meaning it can act as an alternative to diesel. It produces steam and water instead of...
• 'Swift' smart card launch marks first multimodal ticket roll-out outside LondonSmart ticketing has reached the West Midlands as the new Swift cards were launched across the rail network yesterday. The Swift cards, already used on the region’s buses and trams, are now operating on London Midland, Virgin, Chiltern and CrossCountry services, with 3,000 passengers...
• Hitachi signs long-term Class 800 engine contract with MTUMTU, a division of Rolls-Royce, will continue supplying PowerPacks for the Hitachi trains used on the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) after a new long-term contract was announced today. The company will provide additional MTU Series 1600 PowerPacks on top of 250 packs it was originally...

Railnews

• Conductors to stay on ScotRail routes RMT and ASLEF are recommending that their members accept a staffing agreement on ScotRail trains in the central belt which keeps conductors in their traditional 'safety critical' role. The RMT said new Hitachi trains for the Edinburgh-Glasgow electrification are to be modified with the installation of conductors' door control panels. The ScotRail Alliance has described the settlement as a 'win-win' result for both sides, while the development is being seen by the unions as a possible step towards peace in the related dispute affecting Govia Thameslink Railway's Southern routes.

Railway Gazette

• MTR to open Kwun Tong extension on October 23CHINA: MTR Corp is now carrying out operational trials and system testing ahead of the opening on...
• Why short-haul intermodal rail services succeed Compiled by the Australian government’s Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport & Regional...

Other News Sources

• A free vote on Heathrow? Don’t be so wet, Prime MinisterHinkley Point — for all its flaws and the whiffs of suspicion around its Chinese investors — has finally received Downing Street’s blessing. Meanwhile, ministers hold the party line that High Speed 2 will go ahead according to plan, backed by news that the project has already bought £2 billion worth of land;
• Nomad Digital launches its new state-of-art suite of operational software tools at InnoTransNomad Digital, the world’s leading provider of passenger and fleet connectivity to the rail industry, will launch a new portfolio of operational tools for train operators at InnoTrans. These tools have been designed to help address the daily real-time monitoring, reporting and analysis challenges experienced by train operators today and in the future.