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

Monday, 21 December 2015

BBC News

• 'Crackdown' on using phones when drivingA mother whose daughter was killed by a lorry in Birmingham is supporting a government plan to give motorists who use a mobile phone while driving bigger fines and more penalty points.
• Eurotunnel services return to normalEurotunnel services are returning to normal after passengers were urged to postpone their journeys overnight because of a track fault.
• Tram passengers to top five millionEdinburgh's trams are on track to have carried more than five million passengers by the end of the year, the city's transport officials say.
• Rail delay refunds 'should be easier'Train companies are making it too hard for delayed passengers to receive compensation, the consumer group Which? is claiming in a so-called super-complaint.

Financial Times

• Rail battle between China and Japan rushes ahead at high speedHigh quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c28fe2e8-a6fe-11e5-9700-2b669a5aeb83.html#ixzz3uwDc59uI When Japan lost out to China on a $5bn deal to export high-speed rail to Indonesia this October, a nation despaired at the rejection of its beloved shinkansen, the great symbol of Japan’s technological might.
• Rolls-Royce ‘disquiet’ over diesel armRisks flagged on only unit to have escaped downgrade in past five profit warnings

The Guardian

• Rail passengers need help with refunds, says Which?Rail passengers are routinely left in the dark by train companies over the compensation or refunds they should receive for delays, according to Which?.
• Eurostar and Eurotunnel services delayed by broken railPassengers travelling from Folkestone to Calais experience delays of 60 minutes at check-in and five hours at terminalA broken rail in the Channel tunnel is causing delays to services for Eurostar and Eurotunnel passengers travelling to France.A statement on the Eurotunnel website states that people travelling from Folkestone are experiencing waits of 60 minutes at check-in and five hours at the terminal. Continue reading...

The Independent

• Troubled sleep on the Caledonian route: Caledonian Sleeper, England-Scotland night bus, and Christmas trainsFor a service selling a good night's sleep, the interesting list of defects published this week is unlikely to promote sweet dreams: “Smoke detectors disconnected, toilets inoperable, lighting and heating systems not working.” No, not my home, but one of my favourite forms of transport: the civilised, time-saving and stress-free Caledonian Sleeper that links London with the cities, coast and countryside of Scotland.
• Airports rated worst in survey of public transport links demand Government actionThe airports rated worst in The Independent’s survey of public transport links have demanded Government action to improve rail services.

The Telegraph

• Flying Scotsman: A 'colossus' of British engineering rebornAs a 10-year restoration project of the world's most iconic locomotive draws to an end, Flying Scotsman will once more roar across the country
• Millions of rail passengers missing out on compensation each yearOnly a third of passengers afftected by rail cancellations or delays bother to claim the compensation they are owed, according to a new survey

Times Online

• Two-thirds of train companies shut down for Christmas and Boxing Day [Subscription]BRITAIN’S rail network will be almost completely closed on Boxing Day, with 22 of the 31 train companies running no services.

Mail Online

• Learner drivers to get lessons on the motorway for the first time Learner drivers could have lessons on motorways for the first time, in a bid to ensure they have tackled challenging conditions with a qualified instructor before they have to take their tests.
• Channel Tunnel delays see Eurostar and Eurotunnel run reduced services Thousands of people are facing Christmas travel chaos at the Channel Tunnel as faulty points have caused services to be reduced with trains operating on a single line.
• Rail companies face Which? inquiry over refunds for delays As a result of difficulties claiming a refund, the vast majority of Britain's travellers hit by ‘terrible’ service do not make a claim – missing out on millions of pounds.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Extra consultation sessions on Leeds Bradford Airport road schemes FURTHER drop-in sessions have been announced to allow the public to have their say on controversial proposals to improve access to Leeds Bradford Airport.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby pensioner criticises Arriva over changes to bus frequency A BUS passenger says he feels "totally inconvenienced" by changes that bus firm Arriva has made to its services

London Evening Standard

• Tougher punishments proposed for drivers who use mobile phones at the wheelDrivers of HGVs would receive six points instead of three - because the consequences of an accident can be much worse
• Electric Focus on sale within the yearFord will launch a Focus EV during 2016 – and add another 13 such cars within the next five years
• Air France 'bomb': Device found on board Paris-bound flight was fake, airline boss saysAircraft makes emergency landing after object made of cardboard, paper and a household timer found in plane bathroom
• 'Broken rail' sparks delays to Eurostar and Eurotunnel servicesEurostar passengers in and out of London's St Pancras station have been struck by delays thanks to a "broken rail" in the Channel Tunnel.

Sheffield Star

• UntitledTransport chiefs have blamed severe road works as a reason why Sheffield’s bus network has descended into chaos.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Plans for craft centre at disused Grantown rail station approvedA new visitor attraction in a disused Grantown rail station has won approval from the Cairngorm National Park.

The York Press

• Man caught after using cloned train tickets for two years A hotel manager’s fraud gave him free travel on the East Coast railway line for two years, York magistrates heard.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Pledge over staffing at West Yorkshire train stationA WEST Yorkshire rail station which has undergone a £5.6m revamp will be staffed from 6am to 10pm every day under a new rail operator.
• Yorkshire motorway roadworks could cause disruption over festive periodMotorists travelling to celebrate Christmas could face disruption as a raft of roadworks are put in place on major roads across Yorkshire.

Other Regional Press

• Council leader does not expect decision on Gatwick or Heathrow expansion before 2020 A decision on airport expansion at either Heathrow or Gatwick might not be made until before 2020, Crawley’s council leader has suggested.

Bus and Coach.com

• CMA recommends 10-year extension for ticketing block exemption
• �2million investment in buses for Liverpool and Everton
• Twenty-year strategy approved by West Midlands ITA
• Maynes of Buckie takes 350th Neoplan Tourliner.
• Chambers takes Northern Ireland’s first Irizar i6 integral
• Refurbished buses bring Zest to Halifax
• New guidance documents on operator licensing
• Golden tribute to Whitelaw Coaches founders
• Smart bus ticketing agreement for north east England

Rail Technology Magazine

• Gotthard Base Tunnel – ‘Golden Sleeper’ Installed On Thursday 23 October, 2014, Vigier Rail AG produced the last of 380,000 low vibration track (LVT) supports for the Gotthard Base Tunnel.

Railway Gazette

• SpeedInnov to develop future TGVFRANCE: The ministries responsible for transport, research and industry announced on December 17...

Other News Sources

• Rail industry faces 'super complaint' over payouts for delays Consumer group Which? has launched a "super complaint" over how the rail industry compensates passengers for delays.
• Council predicts economic boost following electrification of services on Bank Quay to Lime Street lineALL Northern Rail services on the Warrington Bank Quay to Liverpool Lime Street line are now electric – in a move tipped to strengthen the town's economic presence.
• MP renews bid over rail franchises control PARTS of the country’s rail service could be back in public hands within two years if the political will can be summoned up, an MP said.