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

Tuesday, 19 November 2013

BBC News

• Reading railway station to be managed by Network RailNetwork Rail will take over the running of Reading station from April.
• Work starts to electrify railwayWork is starting on a scheme to electrify 15 miles of railway in the West Midlands and Staffordshire.
• Sixth cyclist killed in two weeksA man in his 60s becomes the sixth cyclist to die on London's roads in two weeks following a collision with a lorry in Camberwell.
• Call to ban car hands-free phonesHands-free phones should be banned from vehicles in addition to hand-held ones, road safety campaigners urge.
• New bus fare app to cut out changeA smartphone app which will act as a virtual travel ticket around Edinburgh is being launched by Lothian Buses.
• Sale of A5 land still going aheadFour landowners affected by the stalled A5 road project are still selling their land to Roads Service.
• Emergency services called at airportEmergency services are called as a precautionary measure when an aircraft landed at Belfast International Airport on Monday evening.
• Airlines warned over pilot shortageWill the aircraft spending spree create a pilot shortage?

Financial Times

• Boeing and Airbus bullish on global demandBut both companies underlined their close relationship with the UAE by agreeing to buy more kit from an Abu Dhabi-based aerospace component maker
• Boeing: mumbo jumboTrend in profitability is good, but experience with 787 highlights that good returns will only result from combination of order wins and cost discipline

The Guardian

• Boris cycling woes are part of larger failure to change London's streetsThe London mayor's surface transport and "public realm" strategies have shown a poor judgement of priorities
• What Boris Johnson could learn from New York about cycling and walking on city streets [blog]The Big Apple's bold programme for making its streets better for cyclists, pedestrians and businesses puts the efforts of London's mayor in the shade
• Shadow transport minister Mary Creagh sets out Labour's 2015 priorities• Cycle safety and rail fares high on Labour manifesto agenda • Government has 'failed to sell benefits of HS2' • Less than a fifth of UK railway stations have step-free access

The Herald

• Parking charge in city street soarsTHE price of parking for an hour in one of Glasgow's busiest streets is set to rise by 300%.
• Campaigners call for longer green man on crossingsCAMPAIGNERS are calling for three more seconds to be added to the time a green man lights up at pedestrian crossings amid fears the elderly people in particular are being put in danger.

The Telegraph

• Will Britain's transport bosses ever put the passenger first?Whether it's roads, rail or planes, the needs of the public always take a back seat, says David Millward.    
• In pictures: New traffic signs suggested for London's road usersNew up to date traffic signs suggested for London's road users.    
• Road signs should warn of rickshaws and potholes, say cabbiesA survey of taxi drivers finds many want to see outdated warnings about horse-drawn vehicles and alerts about migratory toads on the road scrapped    

The Mirror

• More than 430,000 children travel in smoke-filled cars every week The figures were unearthed by the British Lung Foundation, which wants to see lighting up in vehicles banned outright

Network Rail

• Work underway to deliver the Chase Line’s electric futureElectric train services on the Chase Line moved a step closer today as local MPs and Councillors celebrated the start of work on the project at a ceremony in Bloxwich.

London Evening Standard

• The red-light fight: who's to blame for the spate of cyclist deaths on London's roads? Towards the end of possibly the worst week ever for London cyclists, with five killed in the space of nine days, Boris Johnson had a clear message for them.
• Causing a stink: trains dump human waste straight onto tracks at Liverpool StreetRail commuters are kicking up a stink about the smell and appalling conditions at Liverpool Street station.
• HGV drivers caught in bike safety operationMore than half of the lorry drivers stopped by police in a cycle safety operation this morning were found to be breaking HGV safety rules.
• Signs of things to come? Taxi drivers call for 'modern' warnings to alert London driversThese road signs could soon be coming to the capital to warn against the urban hazards drivers face.
• Sixth London cyclist dies in 13 days in lorry crash in Camberwell A man in his 60s was killed in a collision with a truck on Camberwell Road just after midday today. His was the sixth cyclist to die on London's streets in the past 13 days.
• CO2 emissions 'set to hit new peak' Rising global emissions of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas are set to reach a record high of 36 billion tonnes this year, say experts.

This Is Local London Network

• Families adopt 'park and stride' system for school run Forget park and ride systems – it is all about park and stride for kids these days.

Wales Online

• Campaign aims to stop drivers using their mobilesMore than 9,000 Cardiff motorists have have penalty points added to their licence for using a mobile phone while driving

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds parking charges debate sees firm offer free spacesA city centre parking firm is offering free evening spaces in Leeds this week in response to new council parking charges which kick in today. (Nov 18)
• Spy car tackles illegal parking in LeedsMotorists who are parking illegally on the streets of Leeds are being spied on by the council.

Sunderland Echo

• Do you want to rock down to Electric Avenue? Trial drivers sought to sample the Sunderland-built Nissan LeafDRIVERS can now lease a Washington-built Nissan Leaf at a knock-down price as part of a study into the impact of electric cars on the power grid.

Other Regional Press

• Leek signals support for railway returnRESIDENTS have welcomed plans to bring trains back to Leek – which could boost the town’s economy by £1 million.
• Newport bus campaign launched on tragedy anniversary A NEWPORT-BASED bus safety group is today launching a national campaign to change minibus driving laws – on the 20th anniversary of the worst minibus crash the UK has ever seen.
• BAE Systems retains ferry work at PortsmouthBAE Systems has signed a new deal to continue its maintenance and repair work with two cross-Solent ferry firms.
• Caught on camera: Cars illegally driving on buswayTwo cars have been spotted illegally driving on the Luton-Dunstable guided busway.
• Man obstructed rail crossingA man has been fined after being found guilty in his absence of obstructing a level crossing at Bamber Bridge.

New Scientist

• Helium-filled airplane could help in disaster zonesA bulbous aircraft with a helicopter-like rotor and belly full of helium could haul cargo and land almost anywhere, its designers claim    

Global Rail News

• Decision time for asset managersBritain’s infrastructure is creaking. With the Victorians’ great industrial legacy, the railways and the sewers to name but two, reaching the end of their working lives, there’s a lot of fixing to do. Government estimates put the amount of UK infrastructure in urgent need of renewal at £300bn across all sectors. Of this, a significant [...]
• Nottingham trams begin street testingNottingham’s new Citadis tram has begun dynamic testing on the city’s streets ahead of its arrival on Line 1 next year. Initial test runs began in the city centre in[...]
• CSX to trial natural gas locomotiveGE Transportation is to work alongside CSX Corporation to undertake a pilot study into the use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to power the operator’s fleet of Evolution Series locomotives.[...]
• Brisbane to build combined road/rail tunnelQueensland has revealed concept designs for what would be the world’s first double-deck bus and rail tunnel to replace the planned Cross River Rail project. At 15 metres wide, the[...]
• Hanover marks tram arrival with additional orderHanover’s public transport operator, Üstra Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe (Üstra), has confirmed an order for 50 additional light rail vehicles from manufacturers Vossloh Kiepe and Alstom. On November 15, Üstra exercised an[...]
• Russia to invest RUB 1.2 trillion on rail infrastructure between 2014-2016Russian Railways has announced that it will invest 1.2 trillion rubles in improving its infrastructure and rolling stock between 2014 and 2016. Projects earmarked for investment in the next three[...]
• Passengers injured in Warsaw Inspiro fireSiemens has said it is supporting investigators looking into a fire that broke out on one of its Inspiro metro trains yesterday (November 17) injuring several passengers. The manufacturer said[...]

Aviation Industry

• Gulf carriers splash the cash on new aircraftRegion’s airlines announce major orders with Boeing and Airbus

Other News Sources

• Richard Burden MP: Rethinking Road Safety weekShadow Roads Minister Richard Burden MP demands a new approach in street safety to mark road safety week as cycling accident numbers continue to rise
• Buyers keeping ‘rogue’ travellers under controlSurvey finds that most buyers are driving higher compliance rates