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

Thursday, 09 July 2015

BBC News

• FGW rail strike 'on' as talks failA 48-hour rail strike on First Great Western services will go ahead after last-minute talks fail, the RMT union says.
• Computer glitch grounds aeroplanesA computing fault forces United Airlines to ground its flights for two hours, its second major IT glitch in two months.
• Monks sound alarm bells over A96Monks at Pluscarden Abbey in Moray warn their peaceful way of life will be threatened by a possible route for a new dual carriageway.
• Ex-tram boss wants line extensionThe former boss of Edinburgh Trams says he believes the line should be extended from the city centre to Leith.
• 'Deal struck' in ScotRail disputeScotRail strikes deal with train drivers in a dispute over pay and conditions which had threatened Sunday services.
• Northern rail overhaul 'on pause'David Cameron promises that
• Commuters face more Tube strike chaosCommuters face travel chaos on their way to work as a strike by Tube staff shuts down the entire London Underground network.
• Vehicle duty reform for new carsNew Vehicle Excise Duty bands are to be introduced, with revenues going towards a new Roads Fund, while fuel duty has been frozen for another year.

Financial Times

• Strike action begins to shut down TubeCommuters rush to beat most widespread disruption in a decade
• United flights grounded for second timeComputer glitch forces airline to halt flights in busy summer travel period again
• Maersk Line sticks to its leading courseContainer shipping company maintains its edge over rivals through investment and cost-cutting
• Norwegian targets long haul via UKPlan for UK operating licence could help defuse company’s dispute in the US

The Guardian

• United Airlines grounds all flights in the US over computer issuesAirline which serves 235 domestic airports grounds flights at all US airports and facilities because of ‘automation’ and ‘computer issues’ Related: Passengers vent on internet after United Airlines grounds flights All United Airlines flights were temporarily grounded on Wednesday because of “automation issues”, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration. Continue reading...
• Londoners face delays as all lines affected by strikeTransport for London and four trade unions have not reached deal to avert London Underground industrial action across capitalLondon commuters faced further transport difficulties on Thursday as a tube strike continued to cripple services across the capital.The 24-hour industrial action began at 6.30pm on Wednesday, with disruption meaning services will not resume until Friday morning. Continue reading...

The Herald

• ScotRail drivers dispute resolved as union backs 2.5 per cent A SECOND weekend of Sunday rail disruption has been averted after ScotRail struck a deal that will see train drivers offered a no strings attached 2.5 pay rise and overtime earnings worth up to £4,200.
• Motoring groups warns increased insurance tax will create more uninsured driversMOTORING campaigners have attacked an

The Independent

• Budget 2015: Greener car discounts to be removed to pay for new road-building fundTax on new vehicles is to be overhauled by removing exemptions for greener cars and hiking up charges for more expensive saloons and SUVs, with the proceeds being ploughed into a dedicated road-building fund.

The Scotsman

• SNP urged to back new roads fund in ScotlandRadical plans to step up motorway building with a new “Roads Fund” were among the key measures unveiled by the Chancellor yesterday.

The Telegraph

• Can you beat the London tube strike with a motorised unicycle?Is the Airwheel, a motorised unicycle, the best way of beating the London Tube strike? Harry Wallop gives it a spin
• How well off are London's tube drivers and why are they striking?Tube staff, including rather well remunerated drivers, are preparing to walk out amid another pay dispute with TfL

Mail Online

• George Osborne says money raised from road taxes will be used to improve roads George Osborne, pictured, announced yesterday that gas guzzlers will be subject to s surcharge and people who buy new eco-friendly cars, previously exempt from road tax, will also have to pay their way.
• London tube strike causes commuter chaos as drivers walk out for pay strike A 24-hour strike on the Tube began last night - with disruption threatening to run until the weekend - has left people crammed into buses and roads gridlocked today as every station was closed.
• Man arrested after 'assaulting his wife on British Airways flight from London to Texas' Darren Halliwell, 48, of Greater Manchester, England, reportedly 'became disruptive' during British Airways Flight 195 as it traveled from London to Houston, Texas, on Wednesday morning.

The Mirror

• London Tube strike: Why are the TfL workers taking industrial action for 24 hours? Bosses claim workers are being forced to accept changes to their working days and the pay offer is not enough
• Live: London Tube strike - latest updates Almost 20,000 workers have downed tools for 24 hours in a dispute over the new all-night Tube services

Lincolnshire Echo

• New promised rail services between Lincoln and London not included in draft timetables Virgin Trains East Coast has pledged to run five trains from Lincoln to King's Cross and six trains from London to Lincoln daily from 2019, in addition to its sole existing daily return service, as part of a £140 million investment. But permission to use the tracks is yet to be agreed by regulator the ORR. Virgin is facing competition from GNER and First Group.

London Evening Standard

• 'London's shortest double yellow lines' spotted in Clapham Junction by bemused firefighter Anyone driving an absurdly tiny car in Clapham Junction will need to find somewhere else to park - this six-inch gap is protected by the world's shortest double yellow lines.
• Six crimes a day on Central line - more than any other Tube service, new figures reveal Commuters on the Central line are almost 200 times more likely to be victims of crime than passengers on the Waterloo and City, according to new figures released today.
• Six crimes a day on Central line - more than any other Tube service, new figures reveal Commuters on the Central line are almost 200 times more likely to be victims of crime than passengers on the Waterloo and City, according to new figures released today.
• Tube strike...what Tube strike? Smug commuters mock chaos-hit Londoners While some commuters were stuck in huge queues at London Bridge or locked out of Oxford Circus, others were enjoying unusually quiet rides thanks to well-advertised fears of chaos.
• Thousands caught in rush hour chaos as biggest Tube strike in a decade cripples Underground network Thousands of London commuters struggled home this evening as the Tube ground to a halt in the biggest Underground strike for more than 10 years.

Manchester Evening News

• George Osborne slammed by critics after failing to fix the #NorthernPowercut - but promising 'roads like France'Government 'misses opportunity to walk the walk'

Yorkshire Post

• PM's pledge on TransPennine lineDavid Cameron has promised that the “paused” electrification of the railway route between Leeds and Manchester will go ahead as Labour accused him of undermining his so-called “Northern Powerhouse” project.

Other Regional Press

• First Great Western staff set to walk out in 48 hour strike from tonight First Great Western services are set to be
• Campaigners vow to fight for better Dorset train service ahead of rail shake-up CAMPAIGNERS say they will continue to fight for a better train service for Dorset ahead of a shake-up of a rail franchise.
• All aboard for Thameslink Tracker charity outingRail enthusiasts have a unique opportunity to join a charity fund raising charter tour from Bedford to Blackfriars on board a Class 319.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Virgin Trains celebrates 400 million customer journeysVirgin Trains has celebrated exceeding 400 million customer journeys. The major milestone was reached in super fast time on July 3 with record numbers now travelling on the West Coast Main Line. Since taking over the route in 1997, Virgin Trains has worked hard to transform services on the key long distance line leading to a surge in rail popularity that has seen passenger figures more than double to 34.5m in the last twelve months. To help mark the occasion, customers at Crewe Station, the iconic interchange used by so many on the West Coast Main Line, were treated to homemade cup cakes. Be...
• Monarch announce summer 2016 Leeds Bradford Airport flightsMonarch has announced the launch of more than 80% of its summer schedule for 2016, which includes several flights on sale from Leeds Bradford Airport. This announcement comes just over a month since Monarch announced the addition of several new winter routes flying out of West Yorkshire airport. Destinations now on sale for next summer from Leeds Bradford include Alicante, Barcelona, Dalaman, Faro, Larnaca, Mahon, Majorca and Tenerife. Marjan Schoeke, head of network development for Monarch Airlines, said: “We know our customers like time to plan their holidays in advance and take advant...
• Date set for Birmingham New Street openingBirmingham New Street station, which has been undergoing a major reconstruction for the last five years, will open on Sunday, September 20, Network Rail has announced. The work to transform a cramped, 1960s concrete station into a light and airy passenger experience with a concourse three times the size has been a massive undertaking. Network Rail, working with designer Atkins and principal contractor MACE, has taken over two floors of the adjacent car park and ripped the central section out of the Pallasades shopping centre above to create a large central atrium with a transparent roof. Af...
• National Express appoints new non-executive directorNational Express has appointed Mike McKeon as an independent non-executive director. McKeon is already a director at investment trust Merchants Trust. The executive will join the safety and environment committee and eventually replace interim audit committee chair Chris Muntwyler, the company said in a statement. McKeon had been group finance director at Severn Trent and Novar. National Express chairman Sir John Armitt said McKeon brings significant experience from 15 years as a group finance director and international roles. source: ShareCast
• Swiss Post begins testing delivery by dronesUnmanned drones will be employed to deliver small packages in Switzerland, as the country's postal service begins testing the viability of the technology. Swiss Post showed off the drones it hopes would deliver small goods across the country on 7 July, but commercial use of the vehicles is not likely for another five years. The drones have four propellers each, extending from its main body, with a yellow box attached to the centre for carrying goods. They are connected via cloud computing that aggregates the weather, terrain and airspace data, and can carry a load of up to 1kg over a distan...
• XPO purchases outstanding Norbert Dentressangle sharesXPO Logistics has consummated a previously announced agreement that will see the organisation purchase all remaining shares for European logistics provider Norbert Dentressangle.  The shares had previously been held by Norbert Dentressangle and his family and accounted for 67 per cent of all shares in the company.  XPO purchased these assets at a price of €217.50 (£155.87) per share - and the iconic red trucks associated with Norbert Dentressangle are being rebranded with #WeAreXPO.  These new-look vehicles debuted at the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in Jul...
• FTA advises early preparation for Safer Lorry SchemeThe Freight Transport Association (FTA) has advised logistics operators to ensure they are fully prepared for the introduction of London's Safer Lorry Scheme well ahead of its introduction in September.  Almost all HGVs in the city will be required to be fitted with additional mirrors and side guards in order to comply with the new rules. However, the regulations are very precise - and the FTA has noted that expert advice may be required for firms to fully adhere.  FTA head of engineering Andy Mair said dimension and installation requirements in particular are very complex. 
• Budget 2015: ‘One purpose, one policy, one nation’ In today’s budget George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, delivered what he described as ’a budget for working people’. Osborne stated that the long term UK economic plan is working and that the UK economy is fundamentally stronger and growing faster than any other developed country.  Here are the key points for logistics and transport:  Osborne declared that this Government would be bold in delivering infrastructure with particular reference to the Northern Powerhouse Osborne highlighted that 4/5 of all journeys are by road and noted that the quality ...

Aviation Industry

• FAA: Computer glitch grounds all United Continental flights in U.S.All United Continental flights in the U.S. have been grounded due to computer problems. United said Wednesday that it is working to resolve the problems, which are related to
• United Airlines suffers 2nd major grounding in 2 monthsUnited Airlines temporarily grounded flights across the country for part of Wednesday after experiencing computer problems, causing more than 800 delays. A White House spokesman said President Barack Obama was briefed on the glitch and that it appeared unrelated to an outage hours later at the New York Stock Exchange.
• Rolls-Royce foresees short-term dip in financesUK engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce anticipates a dip in its near-term financial results as it transitions to new models of its Trent powerplant. read more
• Outstanding issues could sink Heathrow’s third runway proposal Air quality and noise are the outstanding issues that could sink plans for a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport, according to the Airports Commission, which published its final report last week. read more

Other News Sources

• Elderly couple vow to fight Heathrow third runway which would see home bulldozedArmelle Thomas, wife of a 93-year-old WW2 veteran, is "incensed" after a Heathrow letter was delivered to her door 90 minutes after the Airport Commission's recommendation
• Southern railway engineers strike: Everything you need to knowSouthern said it would be operating a normal timetable for east Surrey and would work to minimise the level of disruption to passengers
• Common sense prevails on fuel duty but cut still neededThe Freight Transport Association says common sense prevailed with the Chancellor’s Budget announcement of a freeze on fuel duty, but that it ...
• Tube strike: Talks fail to avert 24-hour actionA London tube strike is set to go ahead today after talks broke down