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

Thursday, 10 September 2015

BBC News

• Airport loans 'could breach rules'Whitehall officials warn that multi-million pound Welsh government loans to Cardiff airport may breach European state aid rules.
• Queen opens railway on historic dayThe Queen officially opens the railway line between Edinburgh and the Borders on the day she became Britain's longest-serving monarch.
• First section of A9 dualling beginsConstruction work is due to begin on the A9, marking the start of a project to upgrade the road to dual carriageway between Inverness and Perth.
• Passenger describes aircraft fire panicA Scottish holidaymaker who was on a BA flight that caught fire at Las Vegas airport describes the panic as passengers attempted to escape.
• Top 10 most crowded trains namedThe Department for Transport releases its list of the most crowded trains in England and Wales for 2014, with a service to Manchester Airport topping the rankings.

Department for Transport

• Government announced competition so local authorities can fit emission-cutting technology and provide better journeys.Bus operators across England will from today (10 September 2015) be able to bid for a share of £5 million funding to fit buses with green technology and offer better journeys.
• New Non-Executive Director for CAADr Ashley Steel has been appointed as non-executive director at the Civil Aviation Authority.

Financial Times

• How a traffic jam led to a CEOs oustingUnited Continental boss Jeff Smisek has stepped down amid an investigation into port authority

The Guardian

• Drive for women's empowerment: Mumbai's all-female taxi firm – videoThe all-female Priyardarshini Taxi Service was set up in Mumbai in 2008 by the social entrepreneur Susieben Shah, who wanted to support women’s economic empowerment in India. Dhanlaxmi Devendra, a single parent, is one of Priyardarshini’s drivers. Armed with self-defence training and black pepper spray – ‘in case any men misbehave’ – she drives both men and women, but mostly women. ‘They feel safest in our cabs,’ she says. With the money she earns, she hopes to buy her own home and give her son a good education Continue reading...
• Crazy commutes: London’s most outlandish transport ideas – in picturesFrom the Circle Line Travelator to a floating Thames cyclepath, design firms are coming up with ever more radical ideas to revamp commuting in the capital Continue reading...
• Standing room only: government names most overcrowded train journeysGlasgow to Manchester the busiest service in official figures showing seven of top 10 journeys arrive or depart from London, drawing criticism from RMTRail passengers travelling between Scotland and Manchester airport, and from Reading and Heathrow to London Paddington, had the misfortune of being on the most overcrowded trains during peak hours in England and Wales in 2014, according to government figures.The 4.22am TransPennine Express service from Glasgow Central to Manchester airport had the ignominy of topping the Department for Transport rail executive’s annual list of the 10 most overcr...

The Herald

• Stalled passenger plane en route to Shetland suffered

The Telegraph

• Revealed: Britain's most overcrowded train linesOfficial figures show the busiest commuter routes, where people often stand for 20 minutes or in cramped areas, as train overcrowding worsens
• Rochdale bus crash: 17 hurt as double-decker's roof ripped off after hitting bridgeGreater Manchester Police say man and woman suffer 'serious' facial injuries as First Manchester bus carrying 25 people crashes into bridge

Mail Online

• Denmark closes road and rail links with Germany in bid to stem flow of migrants Danish police have been forced to close a motorway, pictured, and railway links to Germany to stop the flow of Syrian and Iraqi migrants looking to travel onwards to Sweden.
• British Airways jet in Las Vegas is the SECOND to lose an engine on takeoff The Las Vegas jet and the British Airways aircraft involved in the earlier incident in George Bush International Airport in Houston, Texas, were both powered by General Electric GE90-85B engines.

Birmingham Post

• Jaguar Land Rover's China SyndromeDavid Bailey examines the perils facing Jaguar Land Rover in China, one of its most profitable and successful markets

Bristol Live

• Transport leaders urged: "Please don't kick Henbury Loop into the long grass" Support for a Henbury Loop which would create a circular rail route around Bristol is virtually universal.

London Evening Standard

• Paddington station 'more polluted than the Marylebone Road' thanks to diesel fumes from trainsDiesel fumes pumping out of trains at Paddington station leave the transport hub with even filthier air than the country’s most polluted street.
• Ryanair shares soar to all-time high as Michael O’Leary upgrades profit estimateRyanair took to the skies and followed rival easyJet with a major profit upgrade which sent its shares soaring to all time highs. 
• Double 'no entry' road markings on south London street leave drivers confusedMotorists have been left shaking their heads - and slamming on the brakes - after confusing
• Revealed: How woman was dragged 10m along ground after getting hand stuck in train doorA woman was dragged up to 10 metres along a railway platform after getting her hand stuck in a train door, it has been revealed. 

Sheffield Star

• Trail is best route of under 30 milesThe Monsal Trail in the Peak District has been voted the UK’s favourite National Cycle Network route under 30 miles.

The York Press

• Bus company invites hopefuls to take the wheel BUDDING bus drivers looking for a new career on the roads of York have been handed the chance to get behind the wheel.

Wales Online

• Experts say Great Western rail electrification is slipping, Blaenau Gwent MP warns David Cameron The prime minister insists he is committed to the project

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds Bradford Airport links up with HeathrowLeeds Bradford and Heathrow airports are forging closer ties in a bid to support a third runway at the London hub, which they say would bring wealth and jobs to Yorkshire.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Britain fills 80 more freight trains per week than last yearMackerel in May, asparagus in autumn and figs in February - the demands of Britain’s shoppers for goods out of season, rapid delivery and specialist produce are today helping to fill 80 more freight trains per week compared to this time last year, according to new research from Network Rail.  Figures show this demand has been steadily increasing over the last decade, with a 75% uplift in the volume of consumer goods travelling by train since 2005. Today rail freight plays an ever more important role in delivering everything from loo roll and luxury cars to refrigerators and rhubarb...
• Siemens specified for Stansted Airport projectSiemens UK & Ireland has been appointed as a key supplier in the replacement of the Track Transit System (TTS) control system at Stansted Airport. The project is headed by control and communication specialist Firstco and involves updating the TTS, which carries approximately 15 million people per year and features many obsolete parts.  This will include upgrading or replacing the control room operator interface, the central control system - excluding the interlocking relays - and the training simulator. Firstco selected Siemens based on the functionality and features of its technolo...
• Streamlining bus service data throughout WalesOmnibus has just completed one of its biggest projects yet.  In partnership with PTI Cymru, Omnibus’s team of developers has streamlined the processing and management of timetable and mapping data for all bus services in Wales. Working in partnership with SilverRail and Spindogs, Omnibus was brought in to facilitate the seamless integration of the various data sources to make the resulting Traveline Cymru passenger information user-friendly, consistent and up to date. The aim of the ambitious project was, according to Graham Walter, Managing Director for Traveline Cymru, “to...
• Nottingham Express Transit Phase 2 opensThe first passenger service on Nottingham Express Transit Phase 2 departed from Clifton South at 06.02 on August 25, marking the opening of two new branches on the city’s tram network. The routes to Clifton South and Toton Lane diverge at Nottingham station tram stop, the previous southern terminus of the route from Hucknall and Phoenix Park. The stop has been remodelled as part of the Phase 2 works, which include the Karlsruhe Friendship Bridge installed over the main line station in 2013. The new alignments total 17·5 km, thereby more than doubling the initial 14 km route. The...
• Passengers from Dartford station set to see travel get cheaper as Oyster and contactless payments introducedThe station will now be included in Zone eight allowing passengers to save cash on fares Commuters in Dartford are set to see their journey get easier, faster and cheaper after it was announced today that contactless and Oyster payments will be introduced on Southeastern services from the station. The announcement - which came from Transport for London (TfL) - will mean people travelling from Dartford station will have new and more convenient ways to pay, saving them cash. The station will also become part of London’s zone eight. The new system will be introduced this Sunday (September...
• New Head of Safety for First BusFirst Bus has announced the appointment of Angus Glasby as the company’s new Head of Safety.  Angus, who is based in Doncaster, joins from supermarket chain Morrisons and started with First Bus on 1st September.  He is responsible for driving improvements in safety performance across First Bus’ operations.    He said: “I’m very excited to have joined a company that has safety engrained within its culture.  I’m already relishing the challenge and have joined a very committed and talented team.  I’m determined to build upon the ...
• Record number of new apprentices taken on by TfL Transport for London (TfL) has taken on a record 156 apprentices this month as it continues to invest in the next generation of transport professionals.  The new intake brings the total number of apprenticeships created by TfL and its supply chain in London and across the UK to 5,700 in just six years, TfL is also committing to creating a further 150 new roles in 2016.  Around 200,000 Londoners have started apprenticeships since 2010. The number of young people not in education, employment or training in London is at its lowest since records began and is the lowest of all English r...

Rail Magazine

• Queen re-opens Borders RailwayHer Majesty The Queen officially re-opens the 30.5-mile Borders Railway
• ScotRail managing director praises Borders RailwayPhil Verster welcomes
• Mark Carne welcomes offically opened Borders RailwayCarne
• Apperley Bridge almost ready to openThe new station at Apperley Bridge, between Leeds and Bradford Forster Square, is set to open at the end of this month
• TfL Rail enjoys punctuality boostTfL Rail challenging c2c for the title of Britain’s most punctual train operator
• Sports fans unable to use new stationThe Ricoh Arena station near Coventry is not due to be used to transport fans
• Scottish HS2 report to be delivered by year’s endA report on connecting Scotland with HS2 is to be delivered by the end of the year
• Campaigners push for immediate Borders Railway extensionCampaigners call for a renewed push to extend the Borders Railway southwards.
• Edinburgh recruiting for transport rolesTransport for Edinburgh and Edinburgh Trams search for new top people
• EMUs secured for Scottish use after 25 yearsAT200 electric multiple units could be bought for £1 by the Scottish Government
• RMT opposes Merseyrail staffing planThe RMT is against drivers on new trains operating train doors at stations
• VIDEO: Dramatic Borders aerial footageA new video from Visit Scotland filmed using a drone shows the new Borders Railway from an exciting new angle

Rail Technology Magazine

• UK train services overcrowded up to 86% in 2014 A new report by the UK Department of Transport has revealed that the country's passenger train services were overcrowded by up to 86% last year, with more than 1.7 billion journeys completed.

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair lifts guidance 25% after profits take off in first quarterRyanair raised its full year net profit outlook by 25% after the budget airline's traffic and profits took off in the first quarter. The Irish carrier predicted profits after tax of 1.18bn-1.23bn for the full year after profits in the first three months of the year grew 25% to 245m.
• Ryanair just clawed back $5m from Chinese hackersHazel Sheffield is digital senior business reporter for the Independent, where she writes about everything from economics to start-ups. She is especially interested in music and technology and can sometimes be found moonlighting on the music pages of the paper.
• Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary says budget airline's customer charter is boosting businessAnyone who has spent time in an airport departure lounge waiting for a delayed Ryanair flight won't be surprised to hear that the firm's boss Michael O'Leary turned up late for his speaking gig in Cambridge. But O'Leary, the budget airline's CEO, was at pains to point out that his tardiness was down to the vagaries of road traffic when he addressed a Cambridge Network event at Girton College yesterday.
• What might have led to ouster of United's CEONew York a How is the closing of some lanes leading to a bridge in New Jersey related to the CEO of the world's second-largest airline losing his job? You probably aren't alone in asking that. So here is a quick primer to help you connect the dots.
• People-Sept 9 2015People-Sept 9 2015 read more
• United CEO quits amid US federal investigationJeff Smisek steps down in connection with an investigation into the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Other News Sources

• Airports gather in Montreal for the first of three 2015 Airport Service Quality ForumsOrganized by ACI World and kindly hosted by Aeacute;roports de Montreacute;al, the 2015 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Forum Montreal kicked off this morning with training sessions that walked...
• Lufthansa: Updated response to Labor Court ruling Lufthansa welcomes the decision of the Hessen Labor Court in Frankfurt am Main to prohibit the strike action by the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilotsrsquo; union with immediate effect.The Court...