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

Saturday, 26 August 2017

BBC News

• Talyllyn Railway train guard triplets qualify on same dayThe three 16-year-old brothers become train guards at the Talyllyn Railway.
• Rail passengers warned of bank holiday travel disruptionBank holiday engineering work closes stations and disrupt lines in parts of Britain,
• Cycling project to expand following BBC viral videoA project that sees volunteers cycle elderly people around Falkirk is to expand following a BBC viral video.
• Part of A832 road between Achnasheen and Gorstan washed away in floodThe stretch of the A832 in the Highlands has been closed and the public urged to avoid the area.
• Bolton train station reopening delayed due to bridge collapseNetwork Rail say station would close for another week for safety works.
• Six London rail terminals closed or disrupted over weekendMajor engineering work will take place across the Bank Holiday weekend, causing disruptions for commuters.
• Alan Titchmarsh vows to save Queen's tree in M25 rowThe TV star wants the UK's
• Qantas cruises into second-highest profit on recordAustralian carrier's boss says a turnaround programme to make the airline profitable
• 'Self-driving' lorries to be tested on UK roadsConvoys of partially driverless lorries will be seen on British roads by the end of 2018.
• BA attacks Border Force for 'dreadful' delaysBritish Airways criticises Border Force's handling of travellers through UK airports.

Financial Times

• Etihad-owned Air Berlin frequent flyer programme files for insolvency
• Assets of insolvent Air Berlin attract interest from rivalsFears mount that German carrier’s demise could hurt competition and increase prices
• BA lashes out at Home Office over Heathrow queuesAirline bemoans ‘serious inefficiencies’ at UK immigration control

The Herald

• Ministers considering raising free bus pass ageGOVERNMENT Ministers are considering pushing back the age people become eligible for a free bus pass in a bid to save money.
• 16 killed as bus drives off pier in southern RussiaA bus carrying construction workers has driven off a pier in southern Russia, killing at least 16 people, officials said.
• Heavy rain shuts tourist routePOLICE have been forced to close a scenic Highland road popular with tourists because of heavy rain.
• Cruises off after Waverley crashes into pierCRUISES aboard the world-famous Waverley paddle steamer have been cancelled after it struck a pier with passengers on board.

The Huffington Post

• Using Your Smartphone As A SatNav Is As Illegal As Texting While Driving function onPlayerReadyVidible(e){'undefined'!=typeof HPTrack&&HPTrack.Vid.Vidible_track(e)}!function(e,i){if(e.vdb_Player){if('object'==typeof commercial_video){var a='',o='m.fwsitesection='+commercial_video.site_and_category;if(a+=o,commercial_video['package']){var c='&m.fwkeyvalues=sponsorship%3D'+commercial_video['package'];a+=c}e.setAttribute('vdb_params',a)}i(e.vdb_Player)}else{var t=arguments.callee;setTimeout(function(){t(e,i)},0)}}(document.getElementById('vidible_1'),onPlayerReadyVidible); With the Bank Holiday fast approaching Police Chiefs have reminded drivers that the ac...
• DVLA Bans More Than 300 Potentially Offensive Number Plates From UK RoadsMore than 300 potentially offensive number plates have been banned from UK roads ahead of the new 67 vehicle registrations being released next week.  Plates including MU67 DER, BU67 GER, and DO67 GER have all been held back by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) over worries they could cause “upset or offence”.  The move comes after the registration plate JH11 HAD “slipped through the net” and was spotted in Newport.  According to information released by the agency following Freedom of Information requests from BBC Wales, the following plates ...

The Telegraph

• British Airways attacks Home Office over 'dreadful' immigration queues at airports
• August Bank Holiday travel: Rail firm warns passengers not to use trains this weekend
• Fleets of 'driverless' lorries will be trialled on Britain's motorways from next year, Government announces
• Budget airlines fuel rise in long-haul destinations for bank holiday getaway
• US orders review of cargo flight security amid terror fears

Times Online

• Jeremy Corbyn aims to get over-60s on board by keeping free bus pass [Subscription]Jeremy Corbyn is to wade into a row over the free bus pass after the SNP confirmed plans to raise the age at which Scots become eligible for one. On the latest leg of his tour of marginal seats in Scotland the Labour leader will reaffirm his party’s commitment to the concessionary travel scheme, as part of a charm offensive aimed at older voters.
• Texting and walking ‘is as dangerous as drink-driving [Subscription]The city of Stamford, Connecticut, is to follow the example set by Honolulu and ban pedestrians from texting while crossing the road.
• Roads and railways will uproot ancient woodland, activists say [Subscription]More than 150 ancient woodlands are at risk from new roads and railways, it was claimed yesterday, prompting calls for new protection for the countryside.
• Fare rises drive commuters to buy in London [Subscription]Rail strikes and fare increases have contributed to a record number of people abandoning the daily commute to move into the capital.
• British Airways clashes with Home Office over passport control queues [Subscription]British Airways attacked “dreadful” delays at airport passport control yesterday after reports that holidaymakers regularly had to queue for more than an hour.

Mail Online

• Corbyn slaps down close ally over women-only trains Chris Williamson (pictured), the shadow fire minister and a vocal supporter of Mr Corbyn, backed a consultation into women-only carriages this week. He was slammed by senior female MPs.
• DVLA bans hundreds of potentially offensive number plates The the Swansea-based Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency are attempting to clean up our filthy roads by refusing 300 number plates from DO67ERRs to BL04JOBs.
• Bank Holiday weekend: Rail passengers told to stay at home Commuter pain continues as only 25 per cent of trains are running for the Friday holiday getaway and passengers were seen crammed in a London's Waterloo station (pictured)
• United pilot tells passengers he is flying into tornado  Multiple individuals who were on the flight told NJ.com that after the cabin had been sealed, the pilot came on the intercom and announced that the plane would be travelling through 'horrific storms.

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham braced for more roadworks A34 in Perry Barr will be dug up to allow for new gas pipes to be installed
• Disruption facing Birmingham's bank holiday rail travellers Reminder that London station will be closed for entire weekend to allow for HS2 works
• Holiday company resumes Tunisia flights from Birmingham Airport Thomas Cook says the change follows a relaxation in the advice issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Bolton News

• CONFIRMED: Road and rail chaos caused by burst water main will last for up to SIX WEEKS ROAD and rail chaos caused by a burst water main will last for up to six weeks, it has been confirmed.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Airline warns passengers over Facebook giveaway scamEasyjet has warned customers about a new scam doing the rounds on Facebook.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• 'Self driving' lorries could be on A55 by next year...but fears over safety on 'congested' roads Small convoys of partially driverless lorries will be tried out on British roads by the end of next year

London Evening Standard

• Self-driving lorries to hit UK roads from next year despite experts' safety fearsSelf-driving lorries will hit motorways across the UK by the end of next year.
• First drive in VW's long-awaited electric Microbus homageThe VW ID Buzz concept is becoming a road-going production car, but does it live up to the hype?
• Row erupts between British Airways and Home Office over Heathrow Airport queuesA furious row has broken out between British Airways and the Home Office over "dreadful" immigration queues at airports.
• Bank Holiday weekend: Londoners battle to leave capital amid huge tailbacks and rail chaos Londoners battling to leave the capital for Bank Holiday weekend celebrations faced chaos as motorways were jammed and hundreds of trains cancelled.

The York Press

• Bus passengers are thrown a lifeline VILLAGERS who were left stranded when bus operator Utopia Coaches that ran services between York, Selby and Tadcaster ceased trading on Wednesday have been thrown a lifeline as some of the services will start up again on Tuesday.
• Network Rail growth plan brings jobs hope for York + Carriageworks gallery NEW rail jobs may be created at the former York Carriageworks site after it emerged that Network Rail wants to expand its maintenance operation there.

Wales Online

• Royal Mail is launching a fleet of electric trucks They weigh six tonnes

Bucks Free Press

• Two major town centre car parks to close for good Two major High Wycombe car parks will close permanently next month to make way for a new supermarket and arts and crafts centre.

North Wales Live

• Hundreds of 'offensive' number plates banned by DVLA - including some weird ones Registrations that include certain combinations are withheld from making it on to the roads

Other Regional Press

• REVEALED: Plans for direct rail access between Southampton and Heathrow PLANS have been unveiled for a £1 billion rail project to link Hampshire with the UK's biggest airport.
• Anger over 'dangerous' and 'unsafe' road created by worksA FORMER councillor has hit out at officials for creating a “dangerousâ€� and “unsafeâ€� road while works were carried out in Shirley.
• Upgrade works to disrupt rail services between Newport and Cardiff this bank holiday weekend RAIL commuters are being urged to check before they travel this weekend ahead of works that will disrupt services between Newport and Cardiff for several weeks.
• More roadworks misery as main road to be dug up - at the same time as works at notorious junction Longlands Road will be dug up to lay electricity cables - at the same time the council works on Ormesby Road junction

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government gives green light for first operational vehicle platooning trial The Department for Transport (DfT) and Highways England has commissioned TRL, the global centre of innovation in transport and mobility, to lead the first real-world operational trial of platooning vehicles on UK roads. The £8.1m trial will see TRL lead a consortium of partners including DAF Trucks, the UK market leader of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) sales, Ricardo, who worked with TRL to deliver the HGV Platooning feasibility study for the DfT in 2014 and DHL, the global market leader in the logistics industry. Applying experience gained in platooning projects in Europe and the USA, t...

Rail Technology Magazine

• New Arriva Trains Wales boss named ahead of franchise refreshThe current passenger services director for London Midland has been selected to head up Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) as its managing director from 2 October, taking over from Ian Bullock. Tom Joyner is leaving his former organisation just a few days after the operator lost its control of the West...
• Trains will not run through Bolton 'until further notice' after bridge collapseNorthern Rail will not be running trains through Bolton “until further notice” after a burst water pipe caused a section of Moses Gate bridge to collapse onto the railway. As well as debris falling on the railway, the damage created a hole in the road above. Network Rail has now...
• Electrification 'very unlikely' to come back into EWR schemePlans to electrify the East West Rail (EWR) link between Oxford and Cambridge are “very unlikely” to come back into the scheme after the DfT instructed Network Rail to remove electrification from the scope of the Western Section, RTM has been told. The DfT directive was included in...

Railnews

• Corbyn confirms opposition to ˜Ladies only™ areas on trains Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has firmly rejected the idea of reviving ˜Ladies only™ accommodation on trains, after the possibility was raised by one of his shadow ministers during a radio interview. Mr Corbyn did consider the idea briefly two years ago during the election campaign, but he now says it was a ˜discussion item which was taken out of context™. The latest senior Labour figure to mention it has been shadow fire minister Chris Williamson, who was reacting to new figures from British Transport Police which show that the number of sexual offences reported on trains has more than doubled...

Aviation Industry

• AEF briefing on aircraft noise and NPS for Heathrow calls for better information and more controlsIn our latest briefing, Why the third runway plan can’t fly: noise pollution, we look at the NPS’s failure to provide accurate mapping of flightpaths after the third runway has been constructed, preventing local communities to form a clear view …

Other News Sources

• ‘Self-driving’ lorries to be tested on British roadsThey’re not quite as driverless as you might think, but the Government is spending £8m to test out convoys of ‘self-driving’ lorries on British roads by the end of next year. The lead vehicle will control things like acceleration and braking, and there’ll still be a driver in the cab to operate the steering. Ministers…
• South Western Railway: Service disruption and website difficulties mar first week in charge SWR's first week has been a tough introduction to life as a train operating company
• Surrey railways then and now - Historical photos give an insight into the changing shape of our stations A fascinating book looks at the change of 89 railway stations 
• Bank Holiday petrol price hike: Motorists warned to plan ahead for long weekend price war Some petrol stations may even increase prices by up to 1.9p per litre as holidaymakers take to the roads for a 'staycation'