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

Thursday, 22 June 2017

BBC News

• Union concerns over abuse towards rail staff in HamiltonScotRail has been accused of ignoring an increase in violence towards its staff at Hamilton Central.
• Plan to speed up repairs on major roads after crashes
• Green light for UK driverless car road trialsA demo in Nuneaton is the last in a series of trials for driverless cars before they move onto public roads.
• Teachers warned of school minibus driving licence rulesSome teachers who drive school minibuses may be doing so illegally, new guidance warns.
• Queen's Speech: Petrol stations to go electricThe Queen's Speech pledges new legislation on driverless and electric cars to make the UK

Department for Transport

• Bidders for 2 rail franchises named by governmentAnnouncing companies in the running for the new West Coast Partnership and South Eastern rail franchise.
• West Coast Partnership and South Eastern rail franchise biddersAnnouncing companies in the running for the new West Coast Partnership and South Eastern rail franchises.

Financial Times

• Investors split on whether Kalanick exit can fix UberCompany’s board has said nothing about what kind of successor it is seeking
• Uber upheaval continues with further board resignationDeparture of seasoned tech investor Bill Gurley deals blow to overhaul post-Kalanick
• London mayor looks for new ways to tackle traffic congestionPay-per-mile road pricing on agenda as Khan aims to cut 3m car journeys a day

The Guardian

• Pinched my ride: supercars stolen by the dozen from UK turn up in ThailandLamborghinis, Porsches and BMWs among automotive exotica spirited from streets of Britain to Bangkok via elaborate criminal scamsDozens of supercars including Lamborghinis, Porsches and BMWs have been stolen from the streets of Britain and shipped to Thailand in a complex scam that police from both countries are rushing to dismantle.After a British request to retrieve the vehicles, detectives in Bangkok have launched a series of raids against dealers in recent weeks. Continue reading...

Times Online

• Southern trains fiasco blamed on rail unions’ needless strikes [subscription]Unions will be blamed today for causing chaotic scenes on one of Britain’s busiest rail networks by staging unnecessary strike action and “undermining” train services, The Times has learnt.

City AM

• Stagecoach, Virgin and SNCF joint venture among three shortlisted picks for new West Coast franchise that runs first HS2 trainsThe Department for Transport (DfT) has announced the companies shortlisted to run the new West Coast Main Line. The winner will also design and run the first HS2 services between London and Birmingham from 2026.

Mail Online

• Heathrow runway expansion could be under threat Downing Street said Theresa May remained committed to holding a Commons vote on the plans. But sources said it was unclear if they could now push it through without a majority.

London Evening Standard

• Charing Cross delays: Signal problem causes Southeastern rush hour meltdown on hottest day of the yearCommuters faced evening rush hour travel chaos on Wednesday as signalling problems sent the system into meltdown and frustrated passengers were left sweltering in the heat.
• Commuters swelter on 'cattle truck' Tube as temperatures pass 30C Sweltering commuters were today struggling through "crazy hot" cattle truck travelling conditions on what was forecast to be the hottest day so far this year.
• Late-night train noise complaints soar, with Londoners blaming Night TubeMore Londoners than ever are complaining about noise from passing Tube trains, it has been claimed.
• Motorists face paying by the mile to drive through central LondonMotorists could face steep new charges to drive into central London by 2025 under radical plans to clean up the capital's air announced by Sadiq Khan today.
• Honda factory is hit after it falls victim to WannaCry cyber-attackCarmaker Honda has become the latest victim of the WannaCry cyber-attack that brought parts of the NHS to a standstill, it emerged today.
• Market report: BP and Shell on the slide thanks to oil price plungeThe bears were tempted out of hiding today by falling oil prices which left London's producers, drillers and explorers weaker.

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink's ticket machines are refusing to take card payments.... again Passengers are being advised to buy tickets using the Get Me There app instead

Other Regional Press

• Companies in bid to run West Coast Mainline announcedThey are: Virgin; A joint venture between First Rail Holdings Limited and Trenitalia SpA and Hong Kong based MTR Corporation (UK) Ltd and Guangshen Railway Company),
• Computer simulation helps containers reach harbourCONTAINER ships would be far too big to journey along the Thames to Wallingford.
• Railway centre chuffed with latest awardEMPLOYEES at Didcot Railway Centre are chuffed to bits with their latest award.

Wall Street Journal

• A Florida Rail Project Breaks New GroundThe intercity Brightline service is privately funded, built and operated—and may be pointing the way to the future

Buying Business Travel

• Scottish ministers approve APD changesNew devolved tax from April 2018

Rail Technology Magazine

• Network Rail appoints Arcadis to support Digital RailwayNetwork Rail has appointed Arcadis as a programme partner (systems) to help shape the Digital Railway programme ahead of implementation. Supported by Ramboll, Arcadis will deliver a range of services to the project including technical leadership, engineering management, project management...
• Suburban rail devolution a key tenet in Khan's 25-year transport strategyAlongside Crossrail 2, the devolution of suburban rail services to TfL and the creation of a suburban metro in the capital have both been featured as a key tenet in the mayor of London’s draft Transport Strategy, published today. The strategy, now under consultation until 2 October, placed...
• Queen confirms commitment to bring forward HS2 phase 2 billThe second phase of HS2 received a notable mention in today’s Queen’s Speech during the State Opening of Parliament ceremony. In her speech, the Queen confirmed that a new bill for the project “will be brought forward to deliver the next phase of high-speed rail”. As...

Railnews

• HS2 commitment confirmed in Queen�s Speech The new Government says it intends to continue with work on HS2, including Phase 2a towards Manchester, which it describes as the �next leg�. The commitment is set out today in the Queen�s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament. Timetables for passing laws have been disrupted by the unexpected General Election, and this year�s speech will last for two years.

Railway Gazette

• Rail sector responds to the Queen's SpeechUK: The rail sector responds to the Queen's Speech given at the state opening of parliament on June...
• Perpetuum enters Chinese rail marketCHINA: Remote conditioning monitoring specialist Perpetuum has signed a memorandum of understanding...

Aviation Industry

• Emirates interested in A380plus …with caveatsEmirates Airline is interested in the package of proposed improvements unveiled at the Paris Air Show this week for the Airbus A380, but president Tim Clark is keen that Airbus should find more operators to ensure the program’s survival. read more
• US House transportation chairman introduces ATC privatization billUS House Transportation Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania) on June 21 introduced a new bill that features a revised and supposedly friendlier approach to moving air traffic control (ATC) out of the FAA and into a federally chartered, non-profit organization. read more
• PARIS AIR SHOW ANALYSIS: Five reasons for the widebody sales slump While Airbus and Boeing racked up orders for narrowbody aircraft at the 2017 Paris Air Show, with the newly launched 737 MAX 10 garnering the most attention, widebody orders have been few and far between this week. read more

Other News Sources

• Railway station surveys get underway at Manea and Whittlesey to see how they can be improved to enable longer trainsWork to improve the railway stations at Manea and Whittlesey will steam ahead this weekend as contractors begin to undertake survey work.
• New train makes first journey through SE Cornwall todayGreat Western Railway’s first new Intercity Express Train is to make its maiden voyage to Cornwall later this morning, as part of a special journey from London Paddington to Penzance.
• 'Dyanmite' Report Into Southern Rail ImminentA long-awaited report into the failings of Southern Rail is finally expected to be release.
• Eight firms win places on government's new £50m rail legal services panelThe UK government has appointed eight firms to a new panel for to the Department for Transport’s rail division, with Linklaters, DLA Piper and Ashurst among those winning places.
• Heathrow Airport Terminal 1 auction offers up everything from check-in desks to seats and escalators The closure of Terminal 1 is to allow for the expansion of Terminal 2 - The Queen's Terminal
• FTA says new London road charging proposals present opportunities and challengesThe Freight Transport Association (FTA) says new proposals announced today by the Mayor of London for road charging based on elements such as ...
• Queen’s Speech is a missed opportunity for reform, says FTAThe Freight Transport Association (FTA) says today’s Queen’s Speech is a missed opportunity to implement long-awaited reforms of the Operator ...