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

Thursday, 17 September 2015

BBC News

• HS2 criticised in House of LordsThe case for the HS2 high-speed rail line has come under fire in the House of Lords.
• Bus strike suspended for pay ballotThree further days of planned strikes by Cardiff Bus drivers in September are called off as they consider a new pay deal.
• Traffic 'chaos' causes disruptionAn urgent council meeting is called after businesses and motorists complained of
• New 'red-eye' trial for tram serviceA new 'red-eye' early morning service for the Edinburgh tram is to be given a trial in a bid to help passengers make earlier flight connections.
• Cycling sportive on highest roadCyclists will have a unique opportunity to climb Scotland's highest road in a new cycling event, finishing at the top of Lowther Hill.
• Can laser lights increase cycle safety?A bicycle light that projects a bicycle symbol on the ground ahead of cyclists to make them more visible is being tested in London.
• VIDEO: Bentley unveils its first SUVThe BBC's Theo Leggett has been taking a look at the latest offering from Bentley, its first sports utility vehicle.
• Suzuki buys back Volkswagen's stakeJapanese automaker Suzuki has bought back a nearly 20% stake held by German carmaker Volkswagen for 460bn yen ($3.8bn; £2.4bn).

The Scotsman

• Flying Scotsman train back on track after 16 yearsThe Flying Scotsman locomotive will return to Scotland in May for the first time in 16 years after its major restoration is finally completed, the National Railway Museum in York announced today.
• Borders Railway carriages to come from other linesPROVIDING more carriages to ease overcrowding on the Borders Railway could involve taking them from other lines, ScotRail said yesterday.

The Telegraph

• Stagecoach extends East Midlands rail franchise until 2018The three-year extension will see a £13m investment in improved services, including £8m from the rail operator

Times Online

• Stagecoach wins new deal to run East Midlands Trains [Subscription]Trains running between London and the east Midlands will be given a £13 million upgrade, only months after big improvements to the line were shelved.

Mail Online

• London transport's secret Tube map showing the REAL distances between stations The secret map, produced by bosses at Transport for London, was mocked up some time ago - but was only released following a Freedom of Information request by transport user James Burbage.

The Mirror

• British Airways hero pilot rewarded with paradise trip to Barbados Chris Henkey oversaw a “perfect” evacuation when his Boeing 777 engine caught fire and now the airline have paid for a trip to the Caribbean

Daily Post (North Wales)

• 'Not happy': Parents hit out at Anglesey Council decision to bring in COMPULSORY bus passes for pupilsIt used to cost 40p a day for pupils living within three miles of their secondary schools - but parents are now being forced to pay up to £70 a year up front

Derby Telegraph

• MPs to hold debate on Midland Main Line electrification delays The MP for Derbyshire Dales has not said when work on the project, which is costing more than £500 million, will recommence.

London Evening Standard

• 'Cyclists would be at risk' if McDonald's drive-thru next to superhighway gets go-aheadCyclists using Boris Johnson’s “Crossrail for bikes” superhighway would be put in danger if a McDonald’s “drive-thru” restaurant is built alongside it, a planning inquiry was due to hear today.
• Severe delays to London buses after black cab protest in heart of cityBuses across central London were this evening hit by severe delays after black cab drivers blocked roads with their cars as part of a demonstration.
• 'There was blood down the windows': Gatwick-bound plane grounded after it was attacked by seagullsA plane bound for Gatwick Airport was grounded after it was mobbed by a flock of seagulls seconds before it was due to take off.

Manchester Evening News

• Watch: The refurbished London Tube trains that could ease rail carriage over-crowding in Greater ManchesterVivarail is converting District Line stock into diesel trains and plans to lease the renovated ’D-Trains’ to new operators - the MEN took a tour of the workshop and a ride on the first prototype
• Chambers unite to present Northern Powerhouse vision to Treasury The Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with others to issue a submission on issues such as transport, housing, skills and immigration

Yorkshire Post

• Scarborough bus company faces battery of criticism over man’s deathA coach travel boss has apologised to Scarborough for risking passengers’ lives – with faults in every bus checked.

Blackpool Gazette

• New group is set to boost Blackpool South stationSouth Shore residents and businesses are being urged to get behind a new group aiming to make their station the gateway to Blackpool.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Rail passengers to benefit from £13million investment in new franchise dealRail customers using East Midlands Trains on the Grantham to Skegness and Lincoln to Peterborough lines as well as other services look set to benefit from a share of around £13m of investment in stations, on-board service, new technology and more staff training

Other Regional Press

• East Midlands Trains wins new rail franchise amid calls for Government electrification commitment The Government has said it will invest £13 million in improving rail journeys after announcing East Midlands Trains will continue with the franchise for the Midland Mainline.
• #Northernpowercut: Get onboard train relay to show your support for transPennine electrificationCampaigners will stage a special relay next month in protest at the decision to halt electrification plans for the transPennine rail line.
• Owner of Durham Tees Valley Airport defends controversial pension plansPeel Airports Ltd say 'all measures the airport business is currently undertaking are aimed at minimising the chances of closure of the airport'
• Drivers' anger at Weymouth roadworks delay Motorists have spoken of their frustration at the lengthy delays faced during “essential” roadworks in Weymouth.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Better journeys for East Midlands rail passengers as government confirms new dealNew franchise for East Midlands Trains will see £13 million of investment in journey improvements. Rail passengers in the East Midlands will benefit from better journeys, extra services, and cheaper fares – thanks to a new deal announced today (16 September 2015) by Rail Minister Claire Perry. Under the deal, East Midlands Trains – which already has a strong track record for performance – will not only continue to run services between London, the East Midlands and parts of the north of England until March 2018, but will also deliver a host of improvements for passenger...
• Lloyds coaches opts for more Optare busesLloyds Coaches have placed an order for two Optare MetroCity buses following the excellent performance of the Optare Versa and Solo models purchased last year.   The MetroCity buses will join a fleet of 30 buses at Lloyds Coaches and serve the T2 TrawsCymru route. Wyn Lloyd, who founded Lloyds Coaches in 2002, commented: “After reviewing the impressive fuel efficiency figures of other Optare MetroCity buses operating on TrawsCymru routes and the great performance of the Versa and Solo vehicles we purchased last year, the MetroCity was the obvious choice.” Robert Drewery, Opt...
• Edinburgh Airport reports passenger record for AugustEdinburgh Airport has recorded more than a million passengers in one month - for the fourth time in a row. More than 1.1 million people passed through the airport in August, an increase of 8.7% on a year ago. Edinburgh said it was a record for August. Domestic passenger numbers rose by 8.9% to more than 467,000, following increased services to London with Ryanair and Flybe and easyJet's Belfast service. International traffic was 8.5% up on the same period last year, with a total of nearly 692,000. Glasgow Airport reported its busiest summer in seven years, with almost three million passen...
• Crossrail trains take shapeThe production of the new Crossrail trains, which will help meet the needs of the rapidly growing  population of London and the South East, has reached an important milestone with the completion of a test carriage at Bombardier's train manufacturing plant in Derby. This first body shell is being used to refine the design and the manufacturing techniques needed for the full production of the 594 carriages needed for the 66 Crossrail trains. At over 200m long, the trains will be around the length of two full-sized (Premier League) football pitches or 18 New Routemaster buses. They will pro...
• Londoners took 180m contactless journeys in first 12 monthsThe introduction of contactless payment onto the capital’s transport system is driving wider customer take-up of the technology according to industry experts. Since contactless was introduced on the Tube, DLR, Overground last September more than 180 million trips have been paid for using compatible debit and credit cards, helping familiarise millions of Londoners with the technology. Graham Peacop, Chief Executive of The UK Cards Association, said: “Once people see how fast, easy and secure contactless is for travel, they then go on to use it in other places such as when shopping...
• Transport Minister opens Wakefield Kirkgate stationAndrew Jones celebrates completion of a £5.6 million station revamp. Transport Minister Andrew Jones officially re-opened Wakefield Kirkgate station today, Monday 14 September 2015, following a major £5.6 million restoration project. The transformed station, backed by nearly £1.5 million of funding from the Department for Transport, will mean better journeys for passengers, with a new ticket office, café, waiting areas, and retail outlets. The project will also help to kickstart the regeneration of the wider area, as well as securing long-term economic growth. Transp...
• CILT welcome four newly elected board membersWe are pleased to announce four newly elected board members to join the Institute’s board. Together the new board members bring a broad range of experience and knowledge from across the logistics and transport profession.  The four newly elected board members are:  Richard Wilding is Full Professor and Chair in Supply Chain Strategy, Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Cranfield School of Management. He works with European and international companies on logistics and supply chain projects in all sectors, includ...
• Govt launches studies into northern transport schemesThe government has announced the launch of two major new studies - worth more than £1.5 million - into new transport schemes that are intended to address some of the biggest road challenges in the north of England.  Options are being investigated to improve east to west links between the M6 in Cumbria and the A1(M) in the north-east.  Major transport improvements will also be explored in the hope of alleviating congestion on the M60 and M62 between Trafford and Bury, which has become one of the busiest stretches of motorway in the country. Road minister Andrew Jones said this forms part of the...
• Network Rail puts Ely to Soham railway line plans on holdNetwork Rail has halted works to double the railway line between Ely and Soham, intended to increase the capacity for freight services in the area.  A spokesperson for Network Rail says: “Earlier this year, we held our first feasibility consultation with residents and other interest parties in the Ely area to try and better understand the impact of the proposal to install a second track between Ely and Soham.” After undertaking detailed surveys and ground investigation works, it has become clear that the project is more complex than was initially anticipated, and therefore much most costly. “T...

London TravelWatch

• Watchdog calls for greater levels of priority for the busAt next week’s Board meeting, London TravelWatch will be asking London’s Acting Transport Commissioner, Mike Brown about TfL’s plans to counter the impacts on bus services of a growing population and economy alongside reducing traffic capacity.

Rail Magazine

• Catering for VivaRail's rebuilt D-StockVivarail has unveiled plans for a proposed D-Train buffet car design.
• New freight for GB RailfreightGB Railfreight has started transporting waste from its new North London Railfreight Terminal in Cricklewood
• Stephen Sutton honoured by Virgin TrainsVirgin Trains names Pendolino after teen whose fight against Cancer inspired millions.

Aviation Industry

• Airbus Beluga XL program moves to detailed design phaseThe Airbus Beluga XL program has passed the latest maturity gate milestone, marking the end of the “concept phase,” or design freeze “at aircraft level.” read more
• Lufthansa Group reorganizes to enhance synergiesThe Lufthansa Group has approved a reorganization plan to enable member airlines and service companies to align their structures and processes. read more
• Russia issues new foreign pilot allocationsRussia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, has distributed new allocations of foreign pilots that Russian airlines can hire. read more
• Virgin Atlantic and Delta join GTMCThe GTMC has announced that Virgin Atlantic and joint venture partner Delta have become its latest industry pa
• Gatwick unveils connecting flight guaranteeBooking service enables connecting flights between LCC and full service airlines to be booked in single transaction

Other News Sources

• It’s the ’Heathrow Homeless on Tour’ against the Heathrow sponsored as rival communities open their doors this Saturday!The Heathrow Homeless on Tour are planning their next event in their campaign to raise awareness of the impact of a Third Runway on local communities. ’Harmondsworth Open Village’ will take place this Saturday.
• Balpa questions effectiveness of Heathrow noise reduction trialHeathrow will allow certain aircraft to increase the angle they fly as they approach the runway from tomorrow as part of its noise reduction blueprint.

News from Europe

• Irish Rail has spent €250,000 removing graffiti 'art'Under cover of darkness and armed only with their spray cans, they are the anti-establishment menace causing delays to rail services, defacing public property and sometimes even putting themselves in serious physical danger.