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

Saturday, 09 January 2016

BBC News

• Bus use drop blamed on price hikesTwo-thirds of English councils are seeing the number of journeys by bus fall, prompting concern over funding cuts and fare hikes
• Electricity failure delays rail servicesRail services are delayed because of overhead wire problems between Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street.
• 64 tonnes used to fill road sinkholeA sinkhole which forced the closure of a main road in Neath Port Talbot is filled with 64 tonnes of stone and concrete.
• Google travel updates for EdinburghGoogle Maps is providing real-time information for bus and tram passengers travelling across Edinburgh.
• Iconic Flying Scotsman back on tracksOne of the world's most famous railway locomotives, Flying Scotsman, takes its first public test-run under steam after a decade off the tracks.
• VW sales fall for first time in 11 yearsGerman carmaker Volkswagen reports its first drop in VW brand sales in 11 years as the company continues to cope with its emissions scandal.

Financial Times

• London blows 2016 pollution limits in 175 hoursCar emissions maximum beaten in Friday morning rush hour in Putney

Mail Online

• Most sex attacks on the London Underground take place at PEAK TIME British Transport Police statistics show that London commuters are almost six times more likely to be preyed upon while travelling at peak times rather than when tube trains are at their quietest.
• Flying Scotsman returns to the tracks for the first time in a decade after a refit The Flying Scotsman made an emotional return to the rails today in Bury, Greater Manchester, after a 10-year and �4.2million revamp with fans lined up along the tracks to welcome it back.

Birmingham Post

• Volkswagen unveils all-electric minibus Electric MPV concept previews forthcoming successor to Microbus

London Evening Standard

• Thousands of commuters delayed on Piccadilly Line because of signal failureThousands of commuters face delays on the Tube this morning after the entire Piccadilly Line was disrupted by signal failure.
• Rock brand Marshall names new speakers after Tube stopsRock brand Marshall says it has named its new line of Bluetooth-connected speakers after London stations.
• Key cycle path in Kensington Gardens closed while it gets an upgradeOne of London's most popular cycle paths is set for an upgrade to help reduce congestion.
• Uber drivers 'urinating in gardens, littering, and waking residents at 5.30am' in residential streets near Heathrow AirportResidents of a quiet suburban street have claimed that Uber drivers waiting to collect passengers from Heathrow Airport are making their lives a misery.

Wales Online

• Uber coming to Cardiff: Faceless US corporation or a welcome wake-up call for Cardiff taxis? The operator has announced it has been given an operator's licence - and the debate is raging

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Video: Joy as Flying Scotsman steams back to lifeTRAIN enthusiasts have described the “thrilling” moment the Flying Scotsman returned to the tracks after a decade-long £4.2 million restoration.

Bucks Free Press

• MP joins debate over Chiltern Railways timetable problems as frustrated commuters start petition MP Steve Baker has joined the debate over services provided by Chiltern Railways as frustrated commuters start a petition against the “poor punctuality and reliability” of the service.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Virgin unveils revamped trains for East Coast route as part of £40m projectVirgin Trains has unveiled the first of its newly refurbished trains as part of a £40m project to improve its customers’ experience.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Virgin Trains unveils revamped trains on its east coast routeVirgin Trains has unveiled the first of its newly refurbished trains as part of a £40m project to improve its customers’ experience. All of Virgin’s trains on its east coast route are being given a makeover with stylish new interiors bringing added customer comfort and a touch of the glamour for which the Virgin brand is famous. A total of £21m has been earmarked to complete the refurbishment of the trains’ interiors, including adding luxurious leather seats to First Class, new carpets and fittings throughout, as well as bringing the distinctive Virgin red on-bo...

Rail Technology Magazine

• New York Governor unveils $3bn plan to rebuild Penn Station New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has unveiled plans to redevelop Penn Station in the US, as well as a neighbouring post office building into a grand gateway into Manhattan.
• Dirk Van den Berghen Appointed CEO for OTN Systems OTN Systems, a supplier of mission-critical telecommunications network equipment, announced that telecom veteran Dirk Van den Berghen has joined the company as chief executive officer. Dirk's career spans more than 30 years in leading technology comp…
• HS2 seeks construction commissioner to investigate complaints HS2 is recruiting an independent construction commissioner to investigate any issues that may arise during the construction of the UK’s new high-speed rail network, which is scheduled to start in 2017.
• Siemens to automate Paris metro Line 4 for driverless operation Transit authority Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) has awarded Siemens a €70m contract to automate the 12km-long metro Line 4 in Paris, France, in order to allow driverless operation.

Aviation Industry

• Airberlin ends 2015 with increased capacity utilizationAirberlin, which is undergoing an extensive restructuring process, said capacity cuts toward the end of 2015 enabled it to increase capacity utilization by 0.9 percentage points to 79.9% year-over-year. read more
• Ryanair carries more than 100 million passengers in 2015 Ireland-based low-cost carrier (LCC) Ryanair said it transported 101.4 million passengers in 2015, becoming “the first airline to reach this international traffic landmark.” read more
• Airbaltic named world’s most punctual airlineOAG study lists on-time performance levels of global carriers
• Norwegian passenger numbers boosted by long haul servicesAirline posts record traffic in 2015
• 2015 was safest year in aviationStudy shows despite several high profile incidents last year was safest on record

Other News Sources

• South West Trains sorry for disruption caused by 'icy rail conditions' A perfect storm of rain, freezing temperatures and staff displacement caused chaos on trains across Surrey on Friday