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

Friday, 08 December 2017

BBC News

• UK City of Culture: Broken train causes MP's rush to HullThe arts minister had a last-minute rush to announce the next UK City of Culture after the train he was on was stranded for hours.
• Croydon tram crash: Report says driver 'probably dozed off'A report into the crash which killed seven people claims

Department for Transport

• Andrew McNaughton appointed to new strategic role at HS2Professor Andrew McNaughton is to become Strategic Technical Adviser, a new part-time role within HS2 Ltd.

Financial Times

• Bike-sharer Ofo raises $1bn from investors including AlibabaBike-sharing sector growing fast as money pours in but some companies have hit road bumps
• Lufthansa’s Air Berlin deal faces further antitrust scrutinyEU officials worry that the acquisition will lead to higher prices and less choice
• Investors fret over Norwegian Air’s rapid growthLow-cost airline wants to crack long haul but debt has ballooned to buy planes

Times Online

• Mag flying high with £55m payout [subscription]Manchester Airports Group, the local authority-controlled company that owns Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports, improved its profits in the six months to September 30, allowing it to pay a £55.3 million dividend.
• Bumpy start for emission zone plans [Subscription}Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s transport minister, yesterday unveiled the government’s plans to ban polluting vehicles from city centres — and immediately ran into criticism for failing to answer “basic” and “straightforward” questions.
• Ways to invest in the new — and old — railway routesRailway lines are far more than a way to get from A to B: the government is hoping that a plan to build and improve our train tracks will boost productivity and help to solve the housing crisis. Meanwhile, homeowners will be looking forward to faster commutes and rising property values.

City AM

• Heathrow trails other European high-flying airports on passenger traffic growth as it awaits expansion to cure capacity restrictionLondon Heathrow Airport is trailing its big European rivals on passenger growth, according to fresh figures for October from ACI Europe.
• MPs plan to scrutinise early termination of East Coast rail franchise as DfT denies bailoutThe Department for Transport today denied claims it had bailed out the East Coast rail franchise, as MPs said they intended to scrutinise the decision. Chair of the Public Accounts Committee Meg Hillier said at the beginning of a separate session: "We recognise it's very early days, but we will be coming to look at this."
• I would kill to be the CEO of... British AirwaysOn the face of it, those who know me will be thinking this is a weird choice. Why? Because I have a full-blown fear of flying.
• London Stansted's owner has just launched a startup to improve its tech credentialsLondon Stansted's owner has today announced plans to improve customer experience and fight off competition from a rising wave of travel startups - by launching what will effectively serve as its own startup.
• AB InBev has ordered 40 Tesla Semi electric trucks to deliver beerDrinks giant AB InBev is the latest business to get an order in for Tesla's electric truck.
• Oxford Street pedestrianisation consultation pushed back into next yearThe consultation on radical plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street has been extended into next year, after residents called for more time to consider the proposals.

Daily Record

• Transport Minister Humza Yousaf takes drivers for fuels over rumoured diesel car restrictions The MSP dodges questions on plans to banish polluting motors from cities and suburbs by 2020.         

The Mirror

• Virgin Trains kitchen pictured 'covered in rodent droppings' as rail union slams 'major hygiene issue'A Virgin Trains kitchen has been pictured seemingly covered in 'rodent droppings' as a union raised fears of a 'major hygiene issue' on a popular passenger route.

Liverpool Echo

• Three major Liverpool roads set to become "red routes" where it is ILLEGAL for cars to stopIf approved drivers could be towed if they stop in these areas

London Evening Standard

• South Western Railway launches vote on decision to scrap quiet carriagesPlans to scrap quiet carriages on some London commuter lines have sparked fierce debate among passengers.
• London Underground plans could solve New York's broken transit system, transport guru claimsThe former Underground manager who has been hired to fix New York's broken transit system believes London could be a role model for solving the crisis in Manhattan.
• Uber Sheffield ban: Minicab app firm's licence suspended in second UK cityUber's licence to operate in Sheffield has been suspended in another blow to the ride-hailing firm.
• Croydon tram crash driver 'lost concentration during microsleep' before carriage flipped doing 46mph in 13mph zone, leaving seven deadThe Croydon tram crash was probably caused by the driver losing concentration during a "microsleep", an official report revealed today.
• Airline apologises after black musicians 'downgraded from business class to make way for white woman'An airline has apologised after being accused of racism by two black musicians who claimed they were downgraded to make way for a "white woman" when her seat broke.

Wales Online

• This is the law on cyclists riding side by side on the road It can be a cause of confrontation between drivers and cyclists - here are the facts

Peterborough Telegraph

• UPDATE: ‘No water, no toilets and people are getting desperate’ - Passengers vent anger after being stuck on broken down train for more than five hoursPassengers have vented their anger after being stuck on a broken down train for more than five hours after it hit an obstruction and leaked fuel near Helpston.

Other Regional Press

• Letter of the Day: Government needs to step in and improve services from train stations where usage is increasingSIR – Transport secretary Chris Grayling’s conversion to reopen rail lines and stations closed under Beeching needs urgently to extend to improving services from existing stations where usage is steadily improving – boosted by major housing growth - but which are now under threat.
• Stretch of Heads of the Valleys closes for upgrade workA STRETCH of the Heads of the Valleys road connecting Brynmawr and Gilwern will be closed in both directions this weekend

Buying Business Travel

• Uber has licence suspended in SheffieldMove comes just months after Transport for London decided not to grant company new licence

Rail Technology Magazine

• Croydon tram crash driver likely lost awareness due to a 'microsleep'The driver of a tram which derailed in Croydon last year had a “temporary loss of awareness” probably caused by a “microsleep.” The crash caused the death of seven people, while 61 others were injured in the incident which occurred in November last year. RAIB...

Aviation Industry

• Russian airlines may deny tickets to blacklisted passengersRussian President Vladimir Putin has amended the civil code permitting carriers to refuse to sell tickets to passengers previously added to a “blacklist.â€� read more
• US senators introduce legislation to reauthorize NTSBUS senators have introduced legislation to reauthorize the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) at a funding level higher than that in its current budget. read more
• PA Consulting acquires aviation specialist NyrasUK-headquartered consultancy firm PA Consulting Group has acquired aviation consultancy specialist Nyras for an undisclosed sum. read more
• Lessors dominate Airbus, Boeing November orders Boeing dominated November’s new order tally, booking 159 commercial aircraft by six customers, valued at approximately $21 billion at list prices. read more

Other News Sources

• Councils Say Third Heathrow Runway 'Is Not Deliverable'Four local councils opposed to expansion at Heathrow have told the House of Commons Transport Select Committee that the most recent evidence published by the Government continues to demonstrate that a third runway could not be built at the airport without causing unacceptable air and noise pollution.
• HS2 technical chief steps asideHS2 Andrew McNaughton, chief engineer on the £56bn HS2 project form the outset, is stepping aside from his role as technical director and moving into a part-time advisory role.
• Uproar over 'rodent droppings' found on trainPictures that appear to show rodent droppings littering a kitchen on an East Coast Mainline train have sparked fierce criticism.