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

Thursday, 14 December 2017

BBC News

• Cardiff Bus Station work 'will begin in early 2018'Plans for a new bus station in Cardiff had been delayed and changed after a long-running funding saga.
• Boeing acting 'spitefully' in Bombardier trade disputeThe US aviation firm is questioned by MPs over Bombardier trade dispute that threatens Belfast jobs.
• 'I don't stand near the edge of a Tube platform'Chuka Umunna says he avoids standing near the edge of London Underground platforms because of worries for his safety.
• Campaigners line London route to promote bike lane safetyA campaign group lines a London cycle lane calling for better safety conditions for road users

ITV News

• Outraged commuters face two years of slow trainsThe decision to scrap fast trains to Bedford to Luton for two years has been described as "outrageous".

Department for Transport

• Launch of new East West Railway Company puts UK’s own ‘Silicon Valley’ rail link on fast trackThe East West Railway Company will make sure the railway works for the passengers and the communities it will serve.

Financial Times

• Lufthansa abandons plans to buy Air Berlin's NikiEuropean Commission raised concerns deal would lead to higher prices and less consumer choice
• Manchester aims for integrated transport systemMayor Burnham to use new powers and set up board to tackle fragmentation

The Guardian

• 'Our playground': London cyclists find utopia in Regent's ParkEvery morning groups of cyclists gather to ride the park’s Outer Circle. As cycling gains momentum in the city, more circuits might flourish
• In 10 years time trains could be solar poweredA technique has been devised that allows electricity to flow directly from solar panels to electrified train tracks to the trains themselves making solar powered trains more feasible than ever before

The Scotsman

• Revealed: Final cost of Edinburgh trams scheme will be £1 billion THE final true cost of the tram project will be over £1 billion, the inquiry into the troubled project has been told.

Times Online

• MPs attack ‘spiteful’ Boeing in trade row [Subscription]MPs have accused Boeing of risking the special relationship between Britain and the US with “spiteful” behaviour towards Bombardier that puts thousands of jobs at risk in Northern Ireland.
• Spending a penny earns Network Rail millions of pounds [Subscription]Network Rail made almost £5 million in 12 months from people paying to use its railway station toilets, figures show.
• ‘Scrooge’ union RMT announces more rail strikes [Subscription]Union bosses were accused of “playing Scrooge” yesterday after announcing strikes aimed at causing disruption to rail passengers over Christmas.
• Mini-motorways to ease congestion on busy roads [Subscription]A new generation of mini-motorways are to be created across England to combat congestion amid warnings that traffic will rise by more than a third in the next two decades.
• Final cost of Edinburgh trams scheme will be £1 billion [Subscription]The final cost of the Edinburgh tram will be more than £1 billion, the inquiry into the project has been told.
• Air pollution linked to bad behaviour among teenagers [subscription]Air pollution may be causing delinquent behaviour among teenagers, a study has claimed.

City AM

• South Western Railway and Greater Anglia will be hit by strikes over ChristmasThe Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has announced new strikes in its row over the role of the guard, with workers walking out on South Western Railway for New Year's Eve and Greater Anglia on 27 December.
• Lord Adonis says technology like artificial intelligence will help cut train delays and reduce traffic jamsBritain's transport network could be overhauled to curb disruption and delays, by making use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, the chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission said today.
• Heathrow Airport to unveil plans to deliver expansion "more responsibly and affordably"Heathrow has today announced it will unveil plans to deliver airport expansion "more responsibly and affordably", with the launch of its planning consultation into its long-awaited new runway next month.

The Mirror

• Pilot takes Airbus on unusual test path to create amazing festive message on flight radar The captain was testing a new Airbus A380 when he decided to draw the yuletide image over central Europe

Bolton News

• Axed bus services could return as Andy Burnham plans transport overhaulA MAJOR transport overhaul could result in axed bus services being reinstated and other improvements designed to meet passengers’ needs.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• MP urges Government to press ahead with high-speed rail stop in Bradford A BRADFORD MP has urged the Government to press ahead with a Northern Powerhouse Rail stop in Bradford. 

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Rail strike to decimate North Wales Virgin Trains services...while majority of routes in England will run Services between Holyhead and London will be almost wiped out on the strike dates
• Airbus creates Christmas tree in the sky in festive flight path by A380 pilot The amazing Christmas display was made by an Airbus pilot during a test flight

London Evening Standard

• Waterloo station delays: Circuit failure sparks third day of travel woe for train commutersCommuters faced a third consecutive day of delays at London Waterloo as a circuit failure caused fresh misery.
• Labour MP Chuka Umunna reveals he fears being pushed off Tube platformIt comes as a report was published into the 'vile and shocking' abuse faced by public figures

Yorkshire Post

• Maverick railway engineers from Yorkshire hoping to stop HS2 in its tracksTwo railway engineers from Yorkshire believe they have come up with an alternative to HS2 which could save £20bn. Chris Burn reports on their fight to convince the Government.

Cambridge News

• 'It shouldn't take two-and-a-half hours to get from Cambridge to Oxford'In an exclusive opinion piece for the Cambridge News , Transport Secretary Chris Grayling explains why he's officially launching the East West Rail Company

Other Regional Press

• Glasgow airport rail link delayed as funding is haltedCash will be held back from developing further the plans for a rail link to Glasgow Airport until concerns raised have been dealt with.
• Broadband could be coming to Oxfordshire's motorwaysWIRELESS internet could be installed as part of a Government-backed project as preparations for driverless vehicles, a report states.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• GB Railfreight continues to invest in new rolling stock On Tuesday 28th November GB Railfreight (GBRf) took delivery of the first of its brand new, purpose-built IIA hoppers, which will be used to transport sand on behalf of Sibelco from Middleton Towers in East Anglia to Barnby Dun, Monk Bretton and Goole in Yorkshire. Arriving at Whitemoor Yard in Cambridgeshire, pulled by loco 66746, the hoppers had an arduous journey across Europe, having been constructed by Greenbriar in Poland. They will be entering service in the coming weeks. Commenting on their arrival, GBRf Managing Director John Smith said: “These new hoppers represent GBRf&rsqu...

Rail Technology Magazine

• DfT confirms it will not implement overcrowding limits on busy servicesRail minister Paul Maynard has confirmed that the government will not be introducing a maximum passenger limit for overcrowded trains. Answering a written question from MP Sharon Hodgson, Maynard said passengers prized the flexibility of the walk-on system of travel and the DfT had no intention...

Aviation Industry

• UK eases large electronics ban The UK will now allow large electronic items in the cabin on the majority of flights from Turkey and Tunisia, relaxing restrictions imposed on security grounds earlier this year. read more
• Air China, Air Canada expand partnership Air Canada and Air China will expand their mutual codeshare services and lounge agreement in time for the 2018 Canada-China Year of Tourism. read more
• SAS swings to a full-year net profit on strategy shiftScandinavian Airlines (SAS) has posted a SEK1.1 billion ($130 million) net income for its full 2016-17 financial year, marking a dramatic improvement from the SEK1.3 billion net loss it posted in 2015-16. read more
• NIKI files for bankruptcy; ceases operationsAirberlin subsidiary NIKI filed for bankruptcy Dec. 13 and said it will cease flight operations immediately. read more

Green Miscellany

• The tilting electric trike with four wheelsDrivers are notoriously difficult to prise from behind the steering wheel. We blame the cup holders. Millions of us every day overlook the running costs, time wasted in traffic jams and even our responsibility for the air pollution that brings about the early deaths of 50,000 in Britain alone each year, simply because our cars provide such a comfortable and well-appointed… The post The tilting electric trike with four wheels appeared first on ETA.