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

Thursday, 08 December 2016

BBC News

• '28 years' to get Welsh rail system up to standardNetwork Rail believes it will take 28 years to get the Welsh rail system up to standard, Economy Secretary Ken Skates has been told.
• Transport Minister Humza Yousaf drove without insuranceScotland's transport minister is caught driving a friend's car without the proper insurance.
• Bob Neill: Transport Minister Chris Grayling should resignConservative Bob Neill says Transport Minister Chris Gayling 'is not fit to hold office'.
• Elizabeth Line drivers use simulator for trainingElizabeth Line drivers are using a simulator for training ahead of the launch of the Crossrail project.
• High Court bid to halt Southern rail drivers' strikeThe parent company of Southern rail heads to the High Court to try to stop a drivers' strike.
• Chris Grayling urged to resign over leaked rail letterThe Transport Secretary is urged to resign after a leaked letter shows he opposed rail devolution to keep it
• Travel study reveals changing behaviour among young and oldA new study suggests that young people are shunning cars, while older people are driving more.

ITV News

• Tory MP demands resignation of Transport Secretary over 'political prejudice'A Tory MP today demanded the resignation of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling after accusing him of political prejudice towards London's mayor.

Financial Times

• Leak reveals wish to stop Khan controlling trainsGrayling’s 2013 letter said he was keen to keep rail ‘out of the clutches’ of Labour
• Stagecoach chief warns Grayling’s rail shake-upGroup would not back track and train integration plans if exposed to new risks

The Guardian

• Stagecoach: cheap fuel means more people are choosing to travel by carBus and rail group says trend towards car and air travel weighed on its first-half revenue growth in the UK and US
• Rail letter leak: Chris Grayling accused of putting politics over peopleTransport secretary, who blocked London rail devolution, under fire over note saying it could put routes ‘in clutches of Labour mayor’
• 'A very British form of privatisation': readers on Grayling's rail plansPlans for a fully privatised railway line between Oxford and Cambridge was met with scepticism from our readersBritain could be set for a fully privatised rail line, as transport secretary Chris Grayling outlines plans for a new line connecting Oxford and Cambridge. Related: Chris Grayling unveils plans for fully privatised rail line Continue reading...

The Herald

• Transport minister Humza Yousaf caught driving without insuranceTransport minister Humza Yousaf has been caught driving without car insurance.

The Huffington Post

• Chris Grayling Facing Calls To Resign From Tory MP Over Leaked Letter Chris Grayling is facing calls to resign as transport secretary following a leaked letter which showed he was against the devolution of the railways to keep them “out of the clutches” of Labour. Grayling has rejected London mayor Sadiq Khan’s bid to have Transport for London take over commuter routes that connect the capital. The cabinet minister said this was on cost grounds. However a letter obtained by the Evening Standard reveals Grayling told Boris Johnson, when he was London mayor in 2013, that he wanted to prevent the railways falling under Labour’s co...

The Independent

• Paris makes all public transport free in battle against 'worst air pollution for 10 years'Parisians can use public transport for free for the second day running due to a spike in air pollution and some cars have been barred from the roads.

The Telegraph

• The Southern rail strikes are absurd. Passengers must not be made to suffer by selfish unions
• Southern Rail passengers 'having job applications rejected' over crisis-hit commuter line

Times Online

• Grayling put politics above commuters, Tory MP says [Subscription]A senior Conservative MP has called for Chris Grayling to resign after the transport secretary refused to hand control of suburban rail services to the mayor of London.
• Network delays derail profits and passenger numbers at Stagecoach [subscription]Stagecoach launched an attack on Network Rail yesterday amid claims that a rise in the number of delays had led to a dip in the company’s profits.
• Taken For A Ride [subscription]A union has blamed Bus Eireann’s woes on private sector competition, while simultaneously demanding a 21 per cent pay rise. State support, like that of the public, is finite

Mail Online

• Eurostar passengers vent their anger after delays outside Paris An 'electrical problem' halted all trains between London and Paris today, with hundreds of passengers stranded for hours.

Birmingham Post

• Jaguar Land Rover and Nando's named among the top 50 places to work Walsall-based company scooped third place in the rankings from Glassdoor

London Evening Standard

• Southern rail 'says sorry to passengers 111 times every day'Southern rail has apologised to passengers more than any other train company in the UK this year, saying sorry an average of 111 times a day, figures show.
• Sadiq Khan hits back after government blocks plan for TfL to take over suburban rail servicesSadiq Khan has said he will keep fighting for Transport for London to be given control of the capital's suburban railways despite his plan being blocked by ministers.
• Transport Secretary Chris Grayling blocked takeover of London's suburban rail routes to keep trains out of Labour's control, leaked letter revealsThe Transport Secretary was today accused of putting party politics ahead of commuters after a leaked letter revealed he opposed handing over control of suburban rail to keep it "out of the clutches" of Labour.
• Mayor Sadiq Khan promises to spend �875m to clean up London's poisonous air The Mayor of London has pledged to double spending to tackle pollution
• Southern rail bosses go to High Court to challenge union's right to strike Passengers today faced a second day of cancelled trains as Southern Rail bosses went to the High Court to challenge a union's right to strike.
• Stagecoach hits a bump in the road owing to low fuel costsLow fuel prices mean that Britons are opting to jump in the car or buy a plane ticket rather than take a bus or cross-country train, and that's hurting transport giant Stagecoach, it said on Wednesday.
• Crossrail contractors face prosecution after worker 'crushed to death by concrete'Three contractors on London's flagship Crossrail project are to be prosecuted after a worker was allegedly crushed to death by concrete and two others injured.
• Public transport made free in Paris due to high levels of pollutionPublic transport has been made free in Paris for the second day running as authorities combat the worst winter pollution to hit the city in a decade.
• Transport Secretary Chris Grayling faces calls to resign after leaked letterTransport Secretary Chris Grayling faced calls to resign today after a leaked letter revealed he opposed handing over control of suburban rail to keep it "out of the clutches" of Labour.

Sheffield Star

• New platform 0 to open at Doncaster railway station on MondayA new platform is to open at Doncaster railway station on Monday.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• ‘Danger bypass needs bridge’More than one thousand people have backed a campaign to build a pedestrian bridge over a busy bypass road after a young rugby player from Leeds was seriously injured.

Yorkshire Post

• The South Yorkshire estate hoping to stop HS2 in its tracksIn the last of our two part series focusing on the impact of HS2, we speak to residents on the Mexborough estate that could be demolished. Chris Bond reports.

Other Regional Press

• Hitchin MP Peter Lilley slams ‘appalling, substandard and incompetent’ Govia franchise for burying Great Northern rail fare rises in new compensation rulesHitchin MP Peter Lilley has launched a scathing attack against train operator Govia Thameslink after the under-fire franchise announced its fare increase at the same time as a new compensation scheme.
• New direct trains from Oxford to London could reduce rush-hour overcrowding CHILTERN Railways is on schedule to open its new direct service between Oxford city centre and London Marylebone in under a week's time.
• Clr Richard Smith launches new bid to scrap Huddersfield's bus gatesTory seeks all-party support at full Kirklees Council meeting
• UPDATE: South West Trains draft in taxis to ferry passengers as disruption continues RAIL chiefs have drafted in a fleet of taxis to transport passengers following the 'chaotic' cancellation of trains between Bournemouth and Weymouth.

Buying Business Travel

• Ryanair grows passenger traffic by 15%Strong November figures for budget carrier
• Heathrow saga hurting regional investment, says Bristol airport CEOCall for improvements to road and rail links serving the South West and South Wales

Rail Technology Magazine

• November's top stories: Swiss FOT approves Bombardier Traxx trains for Gotthard Base, UK’s NPIF to fund digital signalling technology The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) has approved the use of Bombardier Traxx locomotives in the Gotthard Base rail traffic tunnel, and UK Chancellor Philip Hammond has announced that the National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) will alloc…
• Alstom delivers Metropolis train set ahead of schedule to Lucknow, India French rail transport company Alstom has delivered the first Metropolis train ahead of schedule to Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
• 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.
• DfT to extend West Coast franchise until 2019 ahead of new WCP A short-term contract will be needed to deliver services on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) for a year after the current franchise ends, prior to the delivery of the new West Coast Partnership (WCP), the DfT has confirmed. From 1 April 2019, the WCML will be run as a new franchise in combination...
• Khan frustrated as Grayling halts London rail devolution plansThe government has announced that suburban rail services may not be devolved to London after all, frustrating the city’s mayor Sadiq Khan. Earlier this year, the government signed a prospectus which stated suburban services operated by Southern, Southeastern and South West Trains could be...
• Professor Peter Hansford to chair Network Rail competition reviewProfessor Peter Hansford has been named as the chair of Network Rail’s new competition and contestability review. The review, which will look at alternative methods for the organisation to complete projects, will begin its work immediately and publish its findings next spring. The news...
• Grayling admits DfT did not evaluate East West Rail privatisation benefitsTransport secretary Chris Grayling has admitted that the DfT did not carry out a thorough evaluation of the time and cost benefits of privatising the new route between Oxford and Cambridge, despite the major decision marking the first time since the 1990s that Britain will have integrated rail...
• Carne opens NR doors to private funding with new reviewNetwork Rail will set up an independent review designed to open it up to competition in delivering projects, the infrastructure owner’s CEO Mark Carne has announced. In a speech to the annual The Future of Rail conference, Carne highlighted that Network Rail is increasingly turning into a...
• New East West Rail route chair revealed along with smart ticketing plansTransport secretary Chris Grayling has announced the chair of his proposed new East West Rail organisation, which will deliver Britain’s first new privatised line in decades, along with other measures to improve passenger experience on the railways such as smart ticketing. In his speech to...
• RFG: Rail reforms must not neglect freight customersThe Rail Freight Group (RFG) has warned that the government’s planned reforms to the British railway must be of benefit to freight shippers as well as passengers. At the Conservative policy think-tank Policy Exchange yesterday evening, the transport secretary Chris Grayling announced a...
• Stagecoach reports half-year profit dip due to 'subdued' ECML passenger travelStagecoach has reported that it continues to expect a slight dip in its earnings this financial year, saying that improving demand for rail travel might help counter-balance its falling bus revenues. The transport company’s revenue for May to October edged up from £1.97bn to...
• Khan promises �200m for London Underground step-free accessDisabled travellers and parents with pushchairs and buggies will be able to use more than 30 additional Tube stations as London mayor Sadiq Khan promised £200m funding for step-free access. The first stations to receive the investment are Harrow on the Hill and Newbury Park, where work...

Railnews

• Network Rail puts project funding under spotlight Network Rail is turning a spotlight on how it carries out projects, just a few hours after transport secretary Chris Grayling had announced the creation of a new standalone company to manage the construction and maintenance of East West Rail with private sector involvement. A review into how Network Rail funds infrastructure projects will now be carried out by Professor Peter Hansford, who has over 40 years� experience in major infrastructure and building projects in the UK and overseas.
• Mayor told to stay away from National Rail Transport secretary Chris Grayling has blocked the ambitions of London Mayor Sadiq Khan to take over more of the suburban rail network and convert them to Overground lines. The Mayor is reported to be 'angry' at the decision, which was apparently broken to him by Mr Grayling in a brief telephone conversation with City Hall. Chris Grayling's decision may have been influenced by his plans, announced last night during a speech in London, to integrate the management of infrastructure and train operations in future franchises. He said he expected that the Southeastern franchise will be one of the ...

Aviation Industry

• Emirates president Tim Clark reveals premium-economy timeline Dubai-based Emirates expects to roll out a new premium-economy product within the next year to 18 months. read more
• Air Canada expands US transborder networkAir Canada plans to expand its US transborder network when it starts its spring schedule in May 2017, adding three new destinations. read more

Other News Sources

• ARRIVA’S CHRIS BURCHELL APPOINTED AS CHAIRMAN OF THE RAIL DELIVERY GROUPThe managing director of Arriva’s UK Trains division has been appointed as chairman of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).
• 'We are open to public-private partnerships on East West Rail,' transport secretary tells CNThe government will consider public-private partnerships with contractors to deliver the multi-million-pound East West Rail line project, the transport secretary has said.
• West Sussex MP Grills Government Over SouthernGovernment has been grilled by a West Sussex leader over Southern Rail. West Worthing MP Sir Peter Bottomley confronted Theresa May's stand-in during Prime Minister's Questions yesterday (Wednesday 7th).
• What is the meaning of ‘reasonable adjustment’ on an East Midlands trains?As I boarded a train to Nottingham, I noticed a passenger in a wheelchair being helped onto the train in the disabled section.
• Bob Neill MP: Chris Grayling has misled the Commons and should resignConservative MP Bob Neill calls for Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to resign, accusing him of "political chicanery" over his opposition to devolving metro rail services to Transport for London.
• ansford to review rail procurementNetwork Rail has commissioned Peter Hansford, former chief construction adviser to the government, to lead a review of alternative project delivery models.
• DfT launches £2.5m transport tech funding packageThe Department for Transport will make £2.5m available through a series of grants for innovative ideas and technology in the transport sector