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

Saturday, 21 October 2017

BBC News

• Birmingham parking so poor it 'looks like a crash'Police have shared an image of cars parking on pavement underneath a bus shelter.
• Storm Brian: Disruption for Wales as gales expectedWinds of up to 70mph are forecast, with roads being closed and public transport cancelled.
• Undercover police hunt sex offenders on TubeBBC 100 Women go undercover on the Tube with British Transport Police officers catching offenders.
• Newspaper headlines: Roadworks 'misery' to end and EU 'saves May'Plans to increase a motorway speed limit and progress over Brexit talks are among the stories leading the papers.
• Parsons Green Tube stabbing: Second teen charged with murderOmid Saidy was stabbed to death outside Parsons Green station on Monday.
• Storm Brian: UK braced for gale-force winds and disruptionForecasters warn of the potential for flooding, power cuts and transport disruption.
• Double decker bus gets stuck under Aberdeen bridgeThe accident happened on Riverside Drive in Aberdeen at the Wellington suspension bridge, causing rush hour delays.
• Defence Secretary says Clyde shipyard's have 'certainty'Sir Michael Fallon claimed no other industry had as much certainty as shipbuilders on the Clyde.
• New Great Western Railway trains fixed after software upgradeFour trains were removed from service on Wednesday due to glitches such as leaking air-con units.
• Nissan halts production in Japan over inspection concernsThe firm recalled 1.2 million cars in Japan because uncertified technicians performed final checks.
• Rail firms 'consider' railcard for 26 to 30-year-oldsIt's thought one train company will begin trials of the new railcard in December
• BMW headquarters searched by EU investigatorsEU investigators are looking into allegations of a cartel involving BMW and four other German car giants.

Financial Times

• BMW’s Munich HQ raided in car collusion probeBrussels makes ‘unannounced inspection’ after allegations against German groups
• Ryanair hire Peter Bellew flies into new challengeNew COO appointed from Malaysia Airlines to fix pilot staffing problems
• Ryanair’s Stansted pilots turn down O’Leary’s pay offerVote follows similar rejection at carrier’s Madrid base this week

The Guardian

• Millennial railcard to launch next year offering a third off faresCard for people aged 26-30 is expected to offer benefits similar to the 18-25 railcard but will only be available digitallyA new railcard for people aged 26-30 is to be launched early next year offering a third off most train fares as part of a wider government initiative to offer better deals for hard-pressed millennials.It is understood that the chancellor, Phillip Hammond, is preparing to unveil a package of giveaways in his November budget aimed at shoring up support among younger voters, who have been among the hardest hit groups since the 2007-08 financial crisis. Continue reading...
• UK may consider electric vehicle subsidy to increase cyclingRoads minister Jesse Norman says government could push councils to do more to fight pollution and inactive livingThe UK government could potentially consider providing subsidies for electric bicycles and electric cars as part of a concerted policy effort to get more people cycling, the roads minister, Jesse Norman, has said.With the UK facing health crises from pollution and inactive living, other plans could include using electric cargo bikes to deliver packages from internet retailers rather than vans, Norman told the Guardian. Continue reading...
• Speed limits through roadworks may rise to 60mphHighways England suggests change to combat congestion and reduce impact of repairsSpeed limits could be raised to 60mph through roadworks as Highways England tries to combat congestion and reduce the impact of repairs.The government-owned company, which has been testing different speed limits since September 2016, found motorists’ heart rates were lower when driving faster through roadworks. Continue reading...
• Pick-up fees for airport passengers rise at eight out of 20 top UK airportsSome increased charges as much as 100% in a year while others introduced new fees, with London Luton the most expensive at £7 for 40 minutes, said RACSome of the UK’s busiest airports have sharply increased parking charges for drivers collecting passengers, a study has found. Related: Flight delays and cancellations: your rights explained Continue reading...

The Herald

• Defence Secretary hails shipbuilding industry 'certainty' on Clyde visitDefence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has said no other industry has as much certainty as shipbuilding on the Clyde as he moved to allay union concerns over future Navy orders.
• Shipyard workers dismayed over warship WORKERS at BAE Systems are “despondentâ€� after a visit by defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon to the Ferguson shipyard near Greenock, their union has claimed.
• Double decker bus wedged under bridgeThousands of pounds worth of damage has been caused after a bus collided with a bridge in Aberdeen.

The Telegraph

• Defence Secretary says no British industry enjoys as much certainty as the Clyde shipyards
• Storm Brian: Network Rail warns homeowners to tie down garden furniture before 70mph winds
• 60mph roadwork speed limit considered to tackle congestion

Times Online

• Defence secretary’s pledge to Clyde yards questioned [Subscription]The defence secretary has insisted that shipbuilding on the Clyde has a prosperous future, despite fears that an order for five frigates could be offered to English dockyards.
• Drivers pay £3.50 for airport goodbye kiss [Subscription]Motorists are being charged as much as £3.50 to drop friends and family at airports after a rise in parking charges.
• Fed-up passengers send demand for private jets soaring [Subscription]Forget check-in queues and cramped middle seats. The number of people ditching commercial airlines and flying by private jet instead reached its highest level this summer since 2008.
• Motorway roadworks misery to be stopped [Subscription]The 50mph speed limit imposed on drivers going past roadworks will be scrapped after research found that motorists felt safer at faster speeds.

Reuters News

• Britain seeks new ways to detect explosives in airportsLONDON (Reuters) - Britain launched a fund on Friday to support new technology to screen hand-luggage in airports in a bid to detect concealed explosives without passengers having to remove electrical items from their bags.
• Airbus CSeries deal could boost Belfast jobs - Greg ClarkLONDON/MONTREAL (Reuters) - A deal giving Airbus SE a controlling stake in Bombardier Inc's CSeries jets should lead to extra work for the Canadian planemaker's factory in Northern Ireland, UK Business Secretary Greg Clark said on Friday after meeting with executives from both companies.
• Pilots at Ryanair's largest base reject pay offerDUBLIN (Reuters) - A majority of Ryanair pilots at its largest base have rejected management's offer of improved pay and conditions, the airline said on Friday, dealing a blow to its efforts to address a recent pilot shortage.

Mail Online

• Three children dice with death on train archway in Wales Three youngsters, thought to be aged around 11 or 12, were spotted shuffling along the Old Colwyn archways in North Wales at around 50ft above the road below.
• Half-term travel chaos as smash closes M40 Roads officials warned drivers of 'long delays' stretching into the night as workers rush to repair emergency barriers that were damaged in the pile-up between J1A and J2 at Beaconsfield.
• The airports that charge you £3 for a goodbye kiss An investigation by the RAC found that London Stansted is now the most expensive airport for those wanting to drop off a loved one at the terminal. Four others have increased drop-off fees.
• Motorway roadworks speed limits may be increased to 60mph Highways England is set to introduce the higher limit early next year after a study found drivers felt more relaxed travelling at speed.
• Tax breaks could be on the way for electric bikes Buyers of electric bikes could be given tax breaks in a move to roads minister Jesse Norman says would encourage exercise and tackle pollution concerns across the country.

This is Money

• How to claim for pothole damage if UK roads hurt your car A new study by Confused.com said a whopping 1,031,787 potholes were reported to local councils last year. Here's how to make a claim if one causes damage to your car.

Birmingham Post

• Map reveals full route of new bypass in Lichfield DfT allocates £5m towards £17.3m final phase of Southern Bypass with 2020 completion date
• Which roads, bus and cycle routes have been awarded Government cash £20 million Department of Transport cash to fund congestion busting schemes in Birmingham, Solihull, Walsall, Lichfield and Bromsgrove

Bolton News

• Action 'being taken' to tackle 'horrendous' speeding through village, say officialsCOUNCILLORS have reassured residents that action is being taken to tackle ‘horrendous’ speeding through a village.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• More work needs to be done to improve rail crossing safetyIT’S A parent’s worst fear that one day their child might not come home.
• Work progressing towards Keighley's new £7 million dual carriageway WORK is scheduled to start late next year on a multi-million pound scheme to transform a notorious Keighley bottleneck into dual carriageway.
• MP to meet bosses over controversial car park SHIPLEY MP Philip Davies will meet the private company behind a controversial car park next week.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Plaid Cymru will launch transport 'revolution' if elected to government Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru's leader, made the pledge at the party's annual conference today in Caernarfon
• Manchester Airport strike action by cleaning staff Cleaners working for Mitie Cleaning and Environmental have announced a series of dates - including over Christmas

London Evening Standard

• Market report: EasyJet gains height on Air Berlin buzz as rivals are hit by turbulenceThe airline market has been clouded by turmoil this month — Monarch Airlines collapsing and Ryanair grappling with a pilots shortage — but the City shrugged off the turmoil to fly with easyJet on Friday.
• Details revealed of proposed Aslef union deal which could end 18 months of Southern Rail commuter miseryThe details of a proposed deal which could end more than a year of misery for Southern Rail commuters has been revealed.

Manchester Evening News

• There will be another bus strike on Monday - here are all the services affected None of the firm’s services in Greater Manchester will be running on Monday

The York Press

• Judge warns railway cable thieves they face jail A YORK judge has warned that those who cause hours-long train delays and cost Network Rail millions of pounds by stealing signal cable will be jailed.

Wales Online

• Train havoc expected for Welsh commuters thanks to Storm Brian Arriva Trains Wales have confirmed "significant" changes to their timetable
• Storm Brian: Power cuts, trampolines on railway tracks and massive waves feared as Wales braces itself The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for strong winds

Crewe Chronicle

• Government approves £46.8m funding for Middlewich Bypass Transport Minister John Hayes praised Congleton MP Fiona Bruce for her persistence in securing the funding

East Anglian Daily Times

• Strip Greater Anglia of franchise say union over alleged ‘safety failings’Transport union bosses are calling for Greater Anglia to be stripped of the rail franchise – claiming safety inspectors uncovered a string of “deficiencies and failings” while guards were on strike.
• RAC figures show Stansted Airport has highest drop-off parking charge in countryA study has revealed Stansted Airport has the highest drop-off parking fees of any airport in the country.

Other Regional Press

• New technology to catch uninsured drivers will keep '100s out of criminal justice system'NEW police technology cracking down on uninsured drivers breaking the law will keep hundreds of people out of the criminal justice system throughout Oxfordshire.
• 'CHAOS': Warning to parents as dangerous school-run parking on the rise RECKLESS parents are risking lives with their dangerous parking on the school run, headteachers are warning.
• Government minister test drives Oxfordshire's self-driving revolutionCABINET minister Elizabeth Truss visited Oxfordshire to see progress on a self-driving car project for herself.
• M20 to be shut for one week of resurfacing worksKent motorists will be forced to find a different route as a motorway is closed for five nights for resurfacing works.
• “We need better road infrastructureâ€�: Western relief road back on the agenda as key players prepare for discussions Proposals for a western relief road are firmly back on the agenda as key players prepare to come together for a conference to discuss the way forward.

Forbes

• Bed Bugs On A Plane, British Airways Apologizes To Bitten PassengersReports say that these blood sucking pests left multiple welts on a passenger and her daughter. Will this be a problem on other airplanes?

Rail Technology Magazine

• ASLEF to hold third ballot to bring Southern dispute to an endBallots will be opened to members of ASLEF on a proposed resolution to their longstanding industrial dispute. The disagreement between the union and Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), the parent company of Southern Rail, has been ongoing since last April. The latest deal will give drivers a 28.5%...
• Services set to return to Liverpool Lime StreetLondon Midland services between Birmingham and Liverpool Lime Street are set to resume operations this Monday following a period of improvement works at the northern station. Since 30 September many journeys into Liverpool’s main city centre station have been diverted to South Parkway....
• Plans revealed for major Stoke station upgrade ahead of HS2Plans for a major to upgrade Stoke station into a key central hub for HS2 in the West Midlands have been unveiled. The project includes work to both the interior and exterior areas of the station set to take place over the next 25 years. Stoke-on-Trent City Council has announced the plans this...

Other News Sources

• UK government awards £51m to driverless car testing infrastructure projectsFour UK projects have been awarded a total of £51m of government funding to develop testing infrastructure for autonomous cars. The four projects, which are led by HORIBA MIRA; Millbrook Proving Ground; TRL and the Warwick Manufacturing Group are the first to be funded from the government’s £100m Connected and Autonomous Vehicles testing infrastructure programme […] The post UK government awards £51m to driverless car testing infrastructure projects appeared first on The Engineer.
• Surrey Heath highways budget slashed by more than 80% as 27 out of 31 planned projects put on back burner The borough's budget for essential road maintenance has been cut by 77% while spending on large scale highways projects has been reduced by 86%
• Storm Brian: Network Rail warns services could run at reduced speeds due to high winds and heavy rain Network Rail has warned passengers to expect disruption at the weekend as it implements Storm Brian "weather contingency plans"
• Gatwick Airport set for 200 jobs 'boost' as new aircraft hangar granted permission to be built Work on Boeing's new aircraft hangar will start later this year
• Ignoring CTU code puts crews at risk, says shipping allianceSeafarer safety is being increasingly put at risk because of a lack of attention to proper cargo packing, according to a four-association alliance of shippers.
• Commission sends blitz inspection to BMW to look into cartel concernsThe European Commission sent its officials to the premises of BMW this week for an unannounced inspection, amid concerns of a possible violation of EU antitrust rules by