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

Friday, 01 September 2017

BBC News

• Hyperloop pod breaks own high-speed recordMore tests next month might mean the pods for the science-fictional transport system hit 500 km/h
• Arriva Rail North, Merseyrail and Southern staff go on strikeThe industrial action is expected to hit up to 20,000 people going to Blackpool for the Illuminations switch-on.

Department for Transport

• Midland Metro extension gets £59.8 million green light from governmentTram route extension linking Birmingham city centre with Edgbaston and the city’s growing Westside area given go-ahead.

The Guardian

• South Western Railway workers to be balloted over strike actionRMT says new franchise owner First MTR must give cast-iron assurances over the future of train guards on the networkThe dispute over guards on trains, which has wreaked havoc on Southern and will result in more strikes in the coming days, is threatening to spread to another rail franchise, South Western Railway. The RMT union said it was in formal dispute and was preparing to ballot members for a strike over what it called the failure of the new franchise owner, First MTR, to give “clear, cast-iron assurancesâ€� over the future of guards on South Western trains. Continue reading...

Times Online

• Strikes signalled on South Western Railway lines [subscription]Passengers face travel chaos on Britain’s busiest rail network after unions threatened to extend the strike action that has already crippled operators across Britain.

Mail Online

• Now rail strike chaos could spread to the South-West South Western Railway is being dragged into the widening dispute over the role of train guards by the Rail Maritime and Transport union which says its members will be balloted over a walkout.

Birmingham Mail

• FIVE new Midland Metro stops revealed in £60m extension Department for Transport backs Edgbaston extension of city's tram network as exact locations are revealed for five more stops

Bolton News

• REVEALED: Railway line will re-open a MONTH ahead of schedule COMMUTERS have been given a major boost with news that Bolton's railway line will re-open fully next week.

London Evening Standard

• Travel chaos as commuters in swathe of south east London hit by signal failure as lines go down in Finsbury ParkLondoners faced another morning of rush hour chaos after a signal failure in Lewisham sparked mass delays and cancellations.

Northern Echo

• 'Totally unrealistic', 'fanciful' and 'frankly ridiculous' - Middlesbrough MP lambasts 'Hyperloop'LABOUR’s shadow transport secretary has dismissed a suggestion that revolutionary ‘Hyperloop’ technology could replace the HS2 rail project as “frankly ridiculous”.
• New board to represent region's rail passengers on East Coast Main LineA NEW board has been put together, headed by Sir Gary Verity, which will represent rail users on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) and hold the rail industry to account.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• MP: Rail hub would up risk to countrysideProtected land across the region will be under threat if the rail hub in South Staffordshire is built, it has been warned.

Other Regional Press

• Chris Green MP hits out at 'extremely disappointing' rail strikesTWO days of strike action by rail staff has been condemned by Bolton’s Conservative MP.

Rail Magazine

• Siemens Class 700s for GN this AutumnClass 700s for Great Northern routes from the Autumn.
• A new dawn for the Caledonian SleeperRead an EXCLUSIVE interview with Caledonian Sleeper Managing Director Peter Strachan (now CS Chairman) who spoke to RAIL prior to the franchise's start in 2015.
• Automatic compensation from GatEx and Southern smartcardsAutomatic compensation should Southern and Gatwick Express passengers' train be delayed by more than 15 minutes.
• ScotRail salutes performance figuresScotRail the best-performing large train operator in the UK, following the release of Public Performance Measure (PPM) figures in August.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Time to embrace Scandinavian approach to transport, says UTGDevolved bodies in the UK have a lot to learn from transport authorities across Scandinavia when it comes to ticket pricing, suburban rail services and electrification, a new report has argued. In its latest publication, the Urban Transport Group (UTG) looked at three Scandinavian countries...
• Sneak peek at new £150m Caledonian Sleeper carriagesCaledonian Sleeper has given passengers a special sneak peek of its £150m fleet of state-of-the-art carriages that are currently under construction in Spain via a new dedicated website. The website allows visitors to get an exclusive preview at the development of the 75 carriages which...

Other News Sources

• 'Much to do': Telford MP Lucy Allan demands better rail service for borough Telford MP Lucy Allan has demanded better rail services for the borough.
• South Western Railway strike: RMT Union to ballot members as dispute over role of guards escalates The RMT union is threatening strike action after it claims South Western Railway has failed to give proper guarantees over the role of guards