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

Friday, 25 May 2018

BBC News

• Corfe Castle back on rail network after 46 yearsNetwork trains are to run to a Dorset village for the first time since 1972.
• Football fans warned of Wembley play-off train delaysNetwork Rail is carrying out a major signalling project, affecting routes to London.
• Uber car 'had six seconds to respond' in fatal crashThe self-driving car spotted a woman crossing the road six seconds before killing her, a report says.
• Julian Lewis MP rails against 'silent rogue cyclists'MP Julian Lewis suggests all cyclists should be required to have a bell fitted to improve safety.
• Haringey Council staff 'abusing' parking permitBorough-wide permits were set up in Haringey to help people whose jobs involve stop-offs and visits.

Department for Transport

• Address to Airlines UK on Heathrow engagementThe importance and need for continuing communication and support for the proposed runway at Heathrow.
• Birmingham to host world's first zero emission vehicle summitSummit on vehicle technology to tackle carbon emissions and to find ways to improve air quality.

The Guardian

• Think London’s trains are bad? Look at the great northern train fail‘Meltdown Monday’ saw Northern cancel more than 300 services, reflecting the absolute dire level of investment
• Tens of thousands of pupils in rural areas 'denied free school transport'Tens of thousands of pupils living in rural areas of England are being denied free school transport because of cuts to services due to inadequate funding, council leaders claim.
• Northern rail blocking Twitter complainers 'adds insult to injury'Companies ‘should bend over backwards to help passengers’ amid rail chaos, says Which? A consumer watchdog has accused rail companies of “adding insult to injury” by blocking people on social media when they complain.

The Independent

• Heathrow expansion: no ‘gold-plated’ third runway, says transport secretaryThe transport secretary has warned Heathrow that the third runway must provide value for money.

Times Online

• Self-driving Uber in fatal crash had emergency braking off [Subscription]The emergency braking system of a self-driving Uber car that killed a woman in the US had been disabled “to reduce the potential for erratic vehicle behaviour”, according to a report published yesterday.
• Edinburgh tram costs rose out of control after council was ‘poorly advised’ [Subscription]Poor advice from its legal firm resulted in a council signing up to a contract under which the costs of its tram project spiralled out of control, it has been claimed.
• Bidding war for Northern Isles ferries [Subscription]The next Northern Isles ferry contract will be put out to tender rather than be awarded to a state operator, the transport minister has confirmed.

The Telegraph

• Heathrow expansion under more scrutiny as Grayling broadens regulator's oversighthe Government has piled more pressure on Heathrow to keep a lid on its expansion costs after broadening powers which enable the aviation regulator to more closely scrutinise the airport’s plans.

City AM

• Uber picks Paris for new European tech hub focusing on flying taxisUber's flying taxi plans are taking off. The company announced this morning that it will be building a new advanced technologies centre in Paris for research focused on its flying taxi Uber Elevate project.
• Transport for London plans to slash speed limits across the capital are in the worksLondon mayor Sadiq Khan has confirmed that Transport for London (TfL) plans are underway to reduce speed limits on the capital's roads, and enforcement measures are being drawn up to make sure they are followed.
• Mayor Sadiq Khan backs TfL working on hyperloop proposal for LondonSadiq Khan has said he would back proposals for a hyperloop system in the capital, and that Transport for London (TfL) would be ready to help deliver the plans.
• Apple teams up with Volkswagen to create self-driving vans after decline from Mercedes and BMWTechnology giant Apple has struck a deal with the German car manufacturer Volkswagen to develop self-driving vans for its employees, according to the New York Times.
• Heathrow expansion challenger lodges formal complaint with competition watchdogThe challenger to Heathrow Airport's expansion plans has formally complained to the competition watchdog over the airport "vetoing" its proposal.

Birmingham Post

• New study into cycling across the West MidlandsCharity Sustrans has secured new funding to widen its research into attitudes towards cycling across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands

Bolton News

• Wider lanes open on M60 ahead of bank holidayDRIVERS will see the benefit of the £210million smart motorway upgrade just in time for the busy bank-holiday weekend.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• New parking charges spark concernCouncillors have vowed to continue their fight against new parking charges in a town if their fears about an impact on trade are realised.

London Evening Standard

• Simon English: Plans for Heathrow Hub should be taken seriouslyThe words “public spirited” and “hedge fund manager” don’t often go together, but perhaps Anthony Clake genuinely is both.
• Ford's new virtual reality project teaches motorists how cyclists feel in danger on road... and vice versaCar giant Ford today launched a radical new virtual reality experience showing motorists how cyclists feel in danger when car drivers overtake too closely, swerve in front — or suddenly open a car door.
• Elizabeth Line: First look at new trains being tested in tunnels beneath London ahead of December launch
• Heathrow blamed for ‘unfairly blocking plan for a rival runway’Heathrow Hub, the rival plan to the controversial proposed third runway expansion, is formally complaining to the Competition and Markets Authority about the behaviour of the airport.
• Elizabeth Line: First look at new trains being tested in tunnels beneath London ahead of December launchElizabeth line trains can be seen travelling at 60mph through tunnels underneath London in the first footage released of the new line.
• We've made mistakes at Uber but now we're on a new journeyWhether to get around or make a living, millions of passengers and thousands of drivers in this city have grown to rely on Uber's app. So when Transport for London announced last autumn that it wouldn't renew our licence in the capital, I know many Londoners were shocked.
• Self-driving Uber car 'saw pedestrian' in fatal crash but did not apply brakesAn autonomous Uber car that fatally hit a woman had seen the pedestrian six seconds before impact, according to a report.
• Dangerous levels of toxic air even worse in London classrooms than outside on busy roads, study showsSchoolchildren in London are being taught in classrooms where air is so polluted that it breaches World Health Organisation guidelines, a new study has found.
• Can Crossrail smooth the edges of this gritty central London area?Come for good-value central London homes, funky new lifestyle facilities and Crossrail.

Manchester Evening News

• This is the 'recovery plan' put in place to improve Northern RailDriver rostering, training and additional contingency drivers will be introduced as part of the action plan developed by The Rail North Partnership

Wales Online

• A huge charger for Cardiff's electric bus is powered by dieselThe electric bus - the first of its kind in Wales - will begin running in the city this weekend

Yorkshire Post

• The Yorkshire Post says: Chris Grayling’s audacity. Minister plays the blame gameBY attempting to blame for this week’s rail chaos on others, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling could not have been more disingenuous. After suggestions the region’s “knackered old trains” could be apportioned to British Rail, which was abolished in 1994, he now says Northern leaders are also culpable.

Bucks Free Press

• Plans emerge for bollards on iconic bridge in bid to stop HGVs Plans have emerged to build new

Other Regional Press

• New tourist train between Weymouth and Corfe Castle starts this weekend A NEW summer rail service will link Weymouth and Dorchester with the Swanage Railway.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Registrations decline in first quarterRegistrations decline in first quarter. Double-digit drop for double- and single-deckers, but minibuses bounce back. New bus and coach registrations fell 4.5% in the first quarter of 2018, according to Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) figures. There were 1,793 PCVs hitting the UK’s roads in the period. This is the fifth consecutive quarter the UK’s new bus and coach market has fallen.
• ADL and Abellio alliance strengthensWith a recent delivery of 16 ADL Enviro400H double-deckers for Abellio London, the alliance between the operator and the manufacturer has strengthened.

Coach and Bus Week

• ‘Solid-state batteries set to be game-changers’UNITED KINGDOM The electric vehicle (EV) market is experiencing rapid growth as a result of several global trends says consulting firm, Frost & Sullivan.
• Welsh Government raises concerns about DfT Section 19 & 22 proposalsKen Skates AM, the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, has recently written to Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani MP to voice the concerns of the Welsh Government in regards to the UK Department for Transport’s proposed changes to Section 19 and 22 permits.
• E-mobility on the mapIrizar has officially opened its purpose built e-mobility manufacturing centre in Aduna in the northern Spanish province of Gipuzkoa, and took the opportunity to unveil an unexpected new addition to its electric vehicle range that underlines its commitment to provide customers with one-stop solutions. Andy Izatt reports
• Growing social impactJames Day meets Dai Powell OBE, Chief Executive of HCT Group, for an update on the social enterprise’s exciting recent history

Rail Magazine

• MPs back Waverley Route reopeningThe Campaign for Borders Rail organised an event in Carlisle on May 22 to discuss the potential for reopening the entire former ‘Waverley Route’.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• First bus tickets available from ‘vending machines’From Tuesday 29 May passengers will be able to buy a range of First bus tickets from vending machines located at seven bus interchanges around South Yorkshire.
• DVLA Chief Executive appointedJulie Lennard has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) – becoming the first woman appointed to the role.
• Stagecoach appoints UK Bus Business Change DirectorStagecoach has appointed Clare Burles as UK Bus Business Change Director from 1 June. Joining from Virgin Trains East Coast, where she has been People Director since 2015, she will lead a new Business Change team which “aims to ensure Stagecoach is fit for the future across all parts of its UK Bus business including aspects relating to people, commercial, technology, communications and safety,” [routeone/23 May/News].
• ‘From nothing to all this’ Travelling Around Scotland, an operator that snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and built a flourishing tour company
• Reading’s accident free record Over 230 Reading Buses drivers have completed between one and five years of accident free driving. The recognition comes from the Road Operators Safety Council (ROSCO) Safe Driving Awards scheme.
• Stagecoach South hires DirectorStagecoach South has appointed Richard Smith as their new Engineering Director, replacing Chris Remnant, who moves to Stagecoach London as Engineering Director.
• Contactless payments on all Stagecoach East Midland servicesContactless payment systems have been installed on over 480 Stagecoach East Midland buses, speeding up boarding times and taking away the need for customers to carry and pay with cash.
• DfT slated for ‘shoddy’ consultation approachFailure to understand costs and impact of changes among reasons for criticism from MPs; confusion caused ‘could sound death knell for community transport’ warns one as Minister softens on contracts

Aviation Industry

• American Airlines’ new pilot program attracts more than 2,000 applicants American Airlines has more than 2,000 applicants for its just-launched Cadet Academy pilot pipeline program, and plans to accept 200 candidates this year. read more
• EasyJet confirmed as UK airline, despite EU ownership The UK government has confirmed easyJet’s status as a UK airline, even if it is European Union (EU)-owned, according to comments made by easyJet CFO Andrew Findlay. read more
• Wizz Air posts 22% net profit hike for 2017-18Central and Eastern European LCC Wizz Air’s net profit for 2017-18 rose 22.1% to hit €275 million ($322.4 million), exceeding its guidance. read more

Other News Sources

• Heathrow delegation visits Sheffield City Region on tourA delegation from Heathrow Airport will visit Sheffield City Region (SCR) this week as part of a nationwide tour of the 65 sites still in the running to be construction centres for Heathrow expansion.
• Heathrow Southern Railway appoints CEOThe board of Heathrow Southern Railway Limited (HSRL) has announced the promotion of Graham Cross to CEO.
• MP vows to put pressure to improve rail services in Market Rasen Market Rasen MP Sir Edward Leigh has vowed to petition the government for improved rail links in the town after an announcement the service is to be nationalised.
• Minister holds top-level talks on infrastructure investment in CumbriaCarlisle Lake District Airport, the Energy Coast rail upgrade and GSK's site in Ulverston were on the table at top-level talks over future infrastructure developments in Cumbria.