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

Thursday, 22 September 2016

BBC News

• Map reveals mayor's London Overground rail takeover planA new map revealing how London could look if the mayor started running suburban rail services is released by Transport for London.

Mail Online

• Disabled woman shames Virgin East Coast train passengers on Facebook Cat Lee from Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, claims she was on a Virgin East Coast service from London King's Cross to Skipton service when she noticed two men sitting in her reserved seats.
• Network Rail fined �4million after elderly actress was killed by train on a crossing Olive McFarland, 82, who was a regular in films and TV dramas from the 1950s to the 1970s, was hit by a train travelling at nearly 100mph near Needham Market, Suffolk, in August 2011.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• What Snowdon mountain railway visitors thought about 'fat passenger' row We spoke to passengers in Llanberis today to see what they thought about the story which has divided readers' opinion

London Evening Standard

• Trains could get folding seats to tackle rush hour overcrowdingFolding seats could be incorporated on commuter trains within a year as transport bosses attempt to tackle mass overcrowding.
• Revealed: How London's rail network will look when TfL takes over suburban servicesA new map showing how the capital's rail network will look when Transport for London takes control of suburban trains was unveiled today.
• Disabled woman posts Facebook photo of businessmen 'refusing to give up her reserved seats' on London trainA disabled woman has shared a picture online of two businessmen she claimed failed to give up her reserved seat on a packed train from London.
• Rush-hour train delayed after conductor 'drops driving licence on tracks'London commuters were left waiting on their train during rush-hour after it was halted because the conductor lost his driving licence.
• Network Rail fined �4million after actress Olive McFarland killed on level crossingNetwork Rail has been fined �4million after a former actress was killed by a train at a level crossing.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Flying Scotsman in the West Midlands: Fans flock to see a true British icon on the Severn Valley RailwayThousands are expected to descend on the Severn Valley Railway over the coming days as Flying Scotsman arrived for an unique Charity Day today.

Yorkshire Post

• Rail firm fined �4m after speeding train kills Sean Connery co-starNetwork Rail has been fined £4 million for a string of safety failures after a former actress was struck and killed by a train on a railway foot crossing.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Network Rail handed £4million fine for safety failings which led to Olive McFarland’s death on Needham Market crossingThe company which owns Britain’s railways has been fined £4million by a court over the death of a former TV and film actress on a Suffolk foot crossing.

Other Regional Press

• Railway bosses plan huge change in Bedfordshire timetablesRailway bosses hope that a massive timetable shake up in two years’ time will be well received by users.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• HS2 job analysis report publishedHigh Speed Rail Industry Leaders commissioned Albion Economics to undertake some research to establish the short and medium term employment and training impacts of the HS2 project. The scope of the work focuses on the planning, design and construction phases of the project and provides: an estimate of the number of HS2 jobs that are already a subject of issued tenders – that is to say jobs that would be lost if the project was now to be cancelled the number of jobs that would be created over the period between now and 2020 (the term of this parliament) the quantifi...
• Electricians predict Crossrail won't be completed on timeThe new Crossrail transport link project is unlikely to be completed on schedule, according to electricians working on the project. Professionals involved in the work have told the Construction Enquirer that a lack of available skills and suboptimal working conditions are likely to mean the �14.8 billion route will not be ready in time for its planned 2018 opening. Key issues include the fact that the laying of the permanent track is only half-done, despite expectations this would be done by Christmas - an issue that could have considerable knock-on effects. The remoteness of some of the work ...

Rail Magazine

• New ‘88s’ set to displace older DRS locomotivesDRS confirms it will “seek to deploy our newest assets onto as many services as possible”, which could spell the end for some of its older locomotives.
• DRS ‘68s’ kept busy on Norfolk linesDirect Rail Services supplied various Class 68s to Abellio Greater Anglia at the end of August and start of September, following failures.
• No devolution unless necessary - Rail MinisterDevolution has a vital role for the railways, but should not be introduced unless necessary, according to Rail Minister Paul Maynard.
• Maynard cites importance of rail links to coastal towns Labour mobility will be biggest challenge to rail over next decade, according to new Rail Minister Paul Maynard, who highlighted the plight of coastal towns.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Track Systems Made by RAIL.ONE: International and Innovative The role of rail-based freight, commuter, and mainline transport around the world is growing. This boom is fueled in part by numerous international infrastructure projects in which the PCM RAIL.ONE Group, with over 60 years experience in the producti…
• Clip-Air: the future of multi-modal transport? One minute you’re on a plane, the next your train has departed – all without leaving your seat. You have just experienced the Clip-Air mode of travelling. Is the world ready for such a concept, or is this idea a few decades ahead of its time?
• ContiTech Presents Low-Emission, Lightweight Surfaces for Trains Surface materials for waiting areas and materials for public transport interiors have to be extremely hard-wearing. In addition, they have to satisfy the strict design and safety requirements.
• New Definition of High-Performance DC-DC Converters by intreXis The intreXis Boardnet Converter Platform is a new definition of high-performance DC-DC converters and is now also available in the 150W class. With its ultra-wide input voltage range of 14.4VDC to 154VDC, 150W power, highest efficiency and 10ms hold-…
• Rail in the north 'should be fully devolved by 2025'Rail franchises in the north of England should be completely devolved by the time the current franchises expire in 2023-25, the director of Rail North has said just a few days after similar calls from the Urban Transport Group. David Hoggarth said that gaining complete control over the...
• Rail is at risk of becoming a victim of its own successAndy Allen, policy analyst at the Campaign for Better Transport, considers the recently published overcrowding figures and the need for action to tackle the issue, as the railways are bursting at the seams and risk becoming a victim of their own success.
• Alstom unveils 'breakthrough' hydrogen-powered train at InnoTransAlstom has unveiled a zero-emissions train which is powered by hydrogen at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin yesterday. The Coradia iLint is a CO2-emission-free regional train powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, meaning it can act as an alternative to diesel. It produces steam and water instead of...
• 'Swift' smart card launch marks first multimodal ticket roll-out outside LondonSmart ticketing has reached the West Midlands as the new Swift cards were launched across the rail network yesterday. The Swift cards, already used on the region’s buses and trams, are now operating on London Midland, Virgin, Chiltern and CrossCountry services, with 3,000 passengers...
• Hitachi signs long-term Class 800 engine contract with MTUMTU, a division of Rolls-Royce, will continue supplying PowerPacks for the Hitachi trains used on the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) after a new long-term contract was announced today. The company will provide additional MTU Series 1600 PowerPacks on top of 250 packs it was originally...

Railnews

• Conductors to stay on ScotRail routes RMT and ASLEF are recommending that their members accept a staffing agreement on ScotRail trains in the central belt which keeps conductors in their traditional 'safety critical' role. The RMT said new Hitachi trains for the Edinburgh-Glasgow electrification are to be modified with the installation of conductors' door control panels. The ScotRail Alliance has described the settlement as a 'win-win' result for both sides, while the development is being seen by the unions as a possible step towards peace in the related dispute affecting Govia Thameslink Railway's Southern routes.

Railway Gazette

• MTR to open Kwun Tong extension on October 23CHINA: MTR Corp is now carrying out operational trials and system testing ahead of the opening on...
• Why short-haul intermodal rail services succeed Compiled by the Australian government’s Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport & Regional...

Other News Sources

• Nomad Digital launches its new state-of-art suite of operational software tools at InnoTransNomad Digital, the world’s leading provider of passenger and fleet connectivity to the rail industry, will launch a new portfolio of operational tools for train operators at InnoTrans. These tools have been designed to help address the daily real-time monitoring, reporting and analysis challenges experienced by train operators today and in the future.