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

Tuesday, 28 July 2015

BBC News

• Hamworthy Park Rail Crossing construction beginsFive months of work to build a footbridge over a freight railway line and into a park in Poole has begun.
• Journey's end for 55-year road tripFinishing the ultimate road trip, 55 years after it began
• VIDEO: New Borders railway line - in minutesFootage shows a journey along the new railway line between Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders in less than three minutes.
• Ryanair upbeat on profit outlookIrish airline Ryanair reports a 25% rise in quarterly profits and says its full-year results will be at the top end of forecasts.
• Boris Johnson bike backie 'naughty'Boris Johnson should have known better when he gave his wife a
• Self-driving cars are a distant prospectWhat's putting the brakes on driverless cars?

Financial Times

• UK takeaway start-up Deliveroo nets $70mEarly-stage London-based company latest in restaurant delivery sector to satisfy investor appetite
• Ryanair: fuel tanksHedging fuel costs can hurt when the oil price falls
• Ryanair targets growth in GermanyIrish low-cost carrier’s move to put pressure on Lufthansa and Air Berlin

The Guardian

• Boris Johnson sorry for giving his wife a 'backie' on his bikeLondon mayor backpedals after being told he should have known better than to let his wife hitch a ride on bicycle built for oneBoris Johnson has apologised for giving his wife a ‘backie’ on a bicycle, claiming he was unaware he was breaking the law.The mayor of London was criticised by the national cycling charity CTC for pedalling his barrister wife Marina Wheeler through the city late on Thursday night on a bicycle designed for one person. The charity said he should have known better. Continue reading...
• Rail operators were warned of cows near tracks before Kent collisionNetwork Rail and Southeastern trains received reports of stray cattle up to 90 minutes before collision in which two carriages were derailedRail operators were warned that stray cows were near the tracks 90 minutes before a train collided with a herd in Kent and partly derailed, it has emerged.The 8.10pm from Charing Cross to Ramsgate was travelling at 60-70mph when it struck and killed up to five cows on the line between the villages of Wye and Chilham, in Kent, at about 9.45pm on Sunday. Two carriages were derailed. Continue reading...

The Independent

• Heathrow is the world's first 'imaginary friend friendly' airportHeathrow Airport has taken the unusual step to start looking after imaginary passengers
• Operation Stack: Businesses in Kent count the cost after M20 was turned into giant lorry park Businesses across Kent are counting the cost of the disruption by Operation Stack - which saw stretches of the M20 turned into a giant lorry park for most of last week - and demanding the Government prevent a repeat of the gridlock.

Daily Record

• New speed cameras on A9 have limited impact as death toll on road remains unchanged AN analysis of the first six months of camera use finds four motorists have died although the number of people injured has more than halved.

Mail Online

• Ryanair introduces fare cut as CEO Michael O'Leary plans aggressive pricing Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary (pictured) said holidaymakers will enjoy cheaper flights because of a price war among airlines this winter.
• Mental health review after Germanwings crash finds 350 British pilots grounded in 5 years The Civil Aviation Authority has revealed that 350 British pilots were suspended due to mental illness in the last five years, after Andreas Lubitz killed 150 people by deliberately crashing.

The Mirror

• British Airways flight makes emergency landing 'with pilots in oxygen masks after burning smell in cockpit'The Airbus A320 declared a mayday around halfway through the 40-minute flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to London Heathrow

Birmingham Mail

• Gang plundered metal from M42 and M5 road signs causing £430,000 damage An organised gang made £30K from thefts but caused over £430,000 damage by plundering copper from motorway signs from around the Midlands

Birmingham Post

• Jaguar Land Rover thought to be eyeing Poland or Slovakia for new factory The move comes as the Midland car-maker continues its rapid growth amid plans to almost double production to 1.5 million vehicles a year

Bolton News

• More than 2,600 streetlights in 500 streets switched to low-energy LED lighting MORE than 2,600 Bolton streetlights have been switched over to new low energy LED lighting.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Rail electrification in North Wales must be moving faster, MP warnsVale of Clwyd MP James Davies fears region could be left behind with old train stock

Liverpool Echo

• New freight route will connect Port of Liverpool with Greenock, Belfast and Rotterdam BG Freight Line will offer Scottish exporters easier access to North America via £300m Liverpool2 facility

London Evening Standard

• More Brits want new airport, not Heathrow or Gatwick expansion - new poll More Britons support building a new airport to meet the country’s aviation needs than favour expanding either Heathrow or Gatwick, a poll shows.
• Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary aims to send price comparison websites bust Michael O’Leary has said he has trained his sights on price comparison websites and wants other airlines to work with Ryanair to crush them.
• Boris Johnson apologises for giving his wife a 'backie' on his bicycle after being criticised by cycling charity Boris Johnson has apologised and said he was "unaware" he was breaking the law after being filmed giving his wife a "backie" on his bicycle.
• EasyJet flight diverted back to Gatwick airport after 'technical fault' An EasyJet flight was diverted back to Gatwick airport after developing a technical fault this afternoon.
• Scotland Yard 'covered up London Underground serial killer who pushed 18 people to their deaths' A former detective claims Scotland Yard "covered up" confessions by a violent drifter that he pushed 18 people to their death on Northern Line platforms in the 1970s.

Manchester Evening News

• 'Mindless' yobs as young as 10 behind tram attacks on Rochdale and Oldham line Police appeal 'stop this behaviour right now' after missiles launched at moving trams in SEVEN separate incidents on the Rochdale to Oldham line
• Bus only plans for 'danger' junction in Swinton where a young couple were killed in a horror smashAaron Jones, 19, and Amy Hobson, 22, died after their car was hit by racing Audis on the East Lancashire Road in June last year

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Northern Powerhouse could be derailed by a lack of transport spending, it is claimedFigures show the Government spent just £50 per head on railways in the North East in 2013/14, compared to £298 in London

This Is Local London Network

• MP questions value of new Brighton to London railway line Proposals to build another train line From London to Brighton must not derail planned improvements in the East Croydon area.

Wales Online

• What a difference - these pictures show how Cardiff's Central Square could be transformedSee how Cardiff bus station area used to look and how it is set to look in the future

Bucks Free Press

• Construction students help build new heritage railway workshop Construction students have been helping to build a new workshop for a heritage railway in Princes Risborough.

Crewe Chronicle

• New scheme allows drivers to pay for fuel on their smartphones Shell and PayPal launch new ‘Fill Up and Go’ service, allowing motorists to buy fuel on a smartphone.
• Tributes paid to train driver Jack Mills at opening of new Crewe roadThe new £7m link road, named Jack Mills Way, was unveiled by the former train driver's grandson, Ian

Other Regional Press

• New round of consultations to start over possible relocation of Heathrow Express DepotPlans for a controversial train depot in Langley are set to go before the public for a second time.
• David Cameron urged to reopen consultation on air quality at HeathrowMore than 30 west London politicians and anti-airport expansion group leaders sign letter to the PM over air pollution following Davies' recommendation to expand at Heathrow
• Two routes identified for East-West rail linking Cambridge to Oxford A new railway line linking Cambridge directly to Oxford has taken a huge step forward after two potential routes were identified.
• Sandy or Hitchin? East West Rail narrows down route from Bedford to CambridgeTwo potential routes for the East West Rail link between Bedford and Cambridge have been announced - taking passengers either via Sandy, or Hitchin.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Gatwick Express Class 387/2 EMU on testStatic testing of the first of the Class 387/2 Electrostar electric multiple-unit cars ordered for Gatwick Express services has begun at Bombardier Transportation’s Derby plant. The 27 four-car Class 387/2 EMUs are scheduled to enter service between London Victoria station and Gatwick airport in 2016, replacing 1980s-built Class 442 EMUs which have been used on the route since 2008. The £145·2m order for the Class 387/2 EMUs was signed by franchisee Govia Thameslink Railway in November 2014, financed by Porterbrook Leasing. They are based on the Class 387/1 EMUs ordered f...
• More elite cycle racing to inspire new generations of cyclistsNew plans to make it easier to host future Tour de France stages and other elite cycling events in England have been published. The updates to road regulations would encourage more tourism, create a boost for the economy and give people across the country a chance to experience the buzz of world class sport in their area. The move supports a thriving activity, with 680 road races across the UK in 2014. The plans add to the government’s wider commitment to double the number of cycle journeys. DfT is investing more than £200 million in cycle lanes and infrastructure over the next 5 y...

Rail Magazine

• c2c to increase peak-time capacityc2c to increase capacity on 17 of its 74 Class 357 Electrostars

Railway Gazette

• Monopolies Commission calls for DB unbundling and privatisation GERMANY: The Monopolies Commission calls for the unbundling of Deutsche Bahn’s infrastructure and...
• Chinese containers reach Rotterdam by railNETHERLANDS: The first train carrying containers from China arrived at the Rail Service Centre...
• Wabtec to buy Faiveley Transport for US$1·8bnFRANCE: On July 27 Wabtec Corp announced plans to acquire Faiveley Transport in a deal which would...
• Thameslink Traffic Management contract signedUK: The ability to plan and replan train movements in real time is at the heart of a contract for...

Aviation Industry

• Looming emission limits feed airlines' biofuels anticipationThe number of global fliers is expected to more than double in the next two decades. In order to carry all those extra passengers, airlines are turning to a technology very few can make work on a large scale: converting trash into fuel.
• Ryanair doubts feasibility of some major airportsRyanair is considering an entry into further major European airports, but will have to be convinced they can handle the airline’s strict stipulations, CFO Neil Sorahan said Monday. read more
• Air France–KLM to cut routes as losses widenThe Group will accelerate cost-cutting measures after €79m loss
• Ryanair profits surge by 24 per centAirline says that customer service campaign is paying off
• Lufthansa strikes Concur deal for direct bookingsAgreement will allow management of flights booked through airline’s website

Other News Sources

• Rail careers: Pause for thoughtRecruiters of temporary and permanent staff think there are plenty of employment opportunities in the rail sector, in spite of Network Rail’s travails. Ben Cronin reports.
• 'Dilapidated' bridge to be refurbished as part of £4m scheme to improve area The plan is to replace the pedestrian bridge that connects Walnut Tree Close with Bedford Road, along with refurbishing the Wooden Bridge over Midleton Road
• Parking tickets five times more likely in London, FTA survey findsLorry and van drivers are five times more likely to get a parking ticket in London than elsewhere in the country, according to a Freight ...
• FTA supports including further construction vehicles in HGV regulatory regimeThe Freight Transport Association (FTA) has said today that it wants volumetric concrete mixers incorporated into the same regulatory framework ...
• Business trips rise but spending drops, says HRGClients increase business travel activity despite fall in overall spending