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

Friday, 11 September 2015

BBC News

• DfT 'hampering' air transport growth, expert warns [video]Multi-million pound Welsh government loans to Cardiff Airport may break European state aid rules, UK Department for Transport (DfT) officials have warned.
• Cardiff airport concernsTwo years may have passed since the Welsh government bought Cardiff airport but the debate over the use of public money hasn't.
• Road casualties at all-time lowThe number of people killed or hurt on roads in Wales is at its lowest level since records began.
• First section of A9 dualling beginsConstruction work begins on the A9, marking the start of a project to upgrade the road to dual carriageway between Inverness and Perth.
• Wizz Air to launch new Bucharest routeBudget airline Wizz Air is to introduce direct flights between Glasgow and the Romanian capital of Bucharest for the first time.
• Former Prestwick Airport chief returnsA former general manager of Prestwick Airport is set to return as interim chief executive, following the departure of Iain Cochrane.
• Engine breach suspected in BA fireAn initial report on a British Airways plane which caught fire at a Las Vegas airport suggests parts of the engine flew out and landed on the runway.

Financial Times

• Uber’s Chinese rival invests in LyftDidi Kuaidi’s move underscores fierce competition between ride-hailing companies

The Guardian

• 3D-printed TSA master keys put travellers' luggage at riskLockpickers took advantage of US Transportation Security Administration breach in which photos of its ‘approved’ locks were posted onlineAnyone with a 3D printer can now unlock every single TSA-approved padlock, thanks to a security lapse by the American government agency.The Transportation Security Administration, created following the 9/11 attacks to ensure the safety of travellers into and around the US, requires any lock on bags to be branded as “travel sentry approved”, to enable them to carry out searches without having to break the lock or bag. Continue reading...
• British Airways plane fire investigators find key components‘Multiple breaches of the engine case’ discovered as experts begin inquiry into incident on Boeing 777 at Las Vegas McCarran airportAir safety investigators examining the British Airways plane that was engulfed in flames on Wednesday as it prepared to take off for London have found engine components on the runway and damage to the aircraft’s left engine.The 157 passengers and 13 crew had to evacuate flight 2276 as it sat on the runway at Las Vegas McCarran airport, with the pilot, Chris Henkey, from Reading, Berkshire, applauded for his “textbook response” to the crisis. Continue reading...

The Independent

• BA flight 2276 plane fire pilot Chris Henkey: 'It's safe to say I'm finished flying' A veteran pilot who was hailed a “hero” for remaining calm when a London-bound plane he was in control of burst into flames on a US runway has said he is “finished flying”. 

The Scotsman

• Pilot of burning BA plane ‘will not fly again’

The Telegraph

• Oxford Circus tube station evacuated due to fire alertTwo fire engines were sent to the scene after being called during hte busy London rush hour

Times Online

• Get on with runway plan, Heathrow tells Cameron [subscription]Heathrow was at its busiest and fullest last month, prompting its boss yesterday to demand an end to dithering about plans for a third runway at the airport.

Mail Online

• British Airways pilot Chris Henkey heard explosion as his plane caught fire in Las Vegas The 63-year-old (pictured) was due to retire next week, making one final return flight to Barbados, leaving on Saturday and returning on Tuesday after a long weekend with his daughter.

The Mirror

• Fat cat Tory donor puts pressure on David Cameron to build third Heathrow runwayCity fatcat Michael Spencer is a former Conservative Party treasurer and enjoys close relationships with senior Tory figures

Birmingham Post

• Peugeot reveals electric car with digital 'engine' sounds and 3D printed parts Plug-in Fractal Frankfurt show car points way for French firm.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Level crossing where teenager Victoria Swift was killed by train is closedNetwork Rail has shut off the crossing in Bangor Road where the 14-year-old from Rhos died in January 2007 after being hit by a train near Johnstown

Edinburgh Evening News

• Lothian Buses’ plan to slash frequency of 49 slammedA BUS service which connects Midlothian with the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary is being slashed.

London Evening Standard

• Have a historic week in London In association with Transport for London and Santander Cycles
• Tube drivers take FOUR TIMES as much sick leave as the average LondonerUnion boss says strict rules about not working while on medication are to blame for high figures
• Slowing down Underground trains could make your commute faster, study claimsSlowing down trains on the Underground could cut journey times for Londoners, a study has claimed.
• The Progress 1000: Garden Bridge and Crossrail on show for our party guestsGuests at the Evening Standard’s annual celebration of influential Londoners next week will get a first look at one of the capital’s future stars — the Garden Bridge across the Thames.
• Boris Johnson: Failing to vote on Heathrow proves we can’t trust LabourBoris Johnson has rounded on London’s Labour politicians for sitting on the fence over Heathrow expansion. At a key City Hall transport meeting this week the Labour members abstained from a vote on a third runway at the west London airport.

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Airport's busiest ever summer: More than 86,000 passengers flew through EVERY DAY in AugustThe airport is on track to have served 23m passengers by the end of the year as it celebrates its busiest summer in its 77-year history

The York Press

• New speed cushions go ahead despite disabled woman's plea EXTRA speed cushions are to be installed on a York road - despite a disabled woman's claims that they will hurt the city's frail, sick and elderly residents.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Dudley parking plans pulled as costs reach £4mLong-awaited plans for a multi-storey car park in Dudley town centre have been scrapped after the estimated cost soared to £4 million.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• New artwork for Leeds City StationAn explosion of colour will chug in to Leeds as part of a new kaleidoscopic artwork display inside the railway station.

Other Regional Press

• FOUR train services heading through Surrey among the 10 worst for overcrowdingIn total the four over-crowded services running through Surrey have nearly 1,600 passengers too many
• Petition opposing bus service reduction in Gower has 700 names, and counting Read more: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Petition-opposing-bus-service-cut-Gower-700-names/story-27774764-detail/story.html#ixzz3lPQGaR5g Follow us: @SWEveningPost oA PETITION urging First Cymru not to reduce a Gower bus service has more than 700 signatures, a campaigner has said.
• Passengers baffled by 'backwards' bus stop 'blunder' Residents living near the new bus stop on Lancefield Quay, part of four new hi-tech shelters in the area, noticed the 'bizarre' construction after seats were installed facing away from the road.
• Cornwall Chamber of Commerce in favour of Heathrow expansion plans Cornwall Chamber of Commerce has come out in favour of Heathrow's airport expansion plans.

Rail Magazine

• Worcestershire Parkway approvedWork is expected to start on the new Worcestershire Parkway station next spring.
• Ilkeston work set to beginWork is finally about to start on the new station at Ilkeston
• Crossrail first bodyshell unveiled

Rail Technology Magazine

• Beijing metro trains to run on Bombardier’s Mitrac propulsion system Bombardier CPC Propulsion System will supply Mitrac propulsion and control equipment to Beijing Mass Transit Railway Operation under a contract signed with the Chinese New United Group (NUG).
• Better On-Train WiFi In Scotland Dutch company Abellio has revealed plans to improve on-board WiFi services on all ScotRail routes. Abellio said in a statement that "Rail passengers must have access to high-quality and reliable WiFi."
• On-Train Fibre-Optic Connectivity Applications such as on-board internet, communication-based train control and passenger information or entertainment systems require the reliable transmission of ever greater data volumes in trains.

Aviation Industry

• Heathrow expansion irreconcilable with environmental policies, AEF tells MP committeeAEF has submitted written evidence to an inquiry into whether the Airports Commission’s recommendation to expand Heathrow Airport can be delivered without breaching Government policies on environmental impacts. The Environmental Audit Committee had asked for evidence of whether the mitigations …
• Bombardier CSeries prepares to enter final phase of flight testingThe CSeries is 85% through certification tests and about to enter “the final flight testing phase,” according to Bombardier. read more
• Heathrow issues expansion warning to governmentAirport’s chief claims decision is costing economy £1bn a month
• Lufthansa pilots ordered to end strikeAction deemed ‘unlawful’ by German court
• Air Canada Rouge adds four European routes to networkAirline will operate a service to Glasgow from next summer