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

Tuesday, 08 March 2016

BBC News

• Tory MPs 'mobilising over fuel duty'Conservative MPs are "mobilising" to campaign against any rise in fuel duty, the BBC has been told.
• Cycle superhighway 'to open in April'The capital's new east-west cycle superhighway will open on 30 April, says London Mayor Boris Johnson.
• Tube drivers approve Night Tube dealLondon Underground train drivers with the Aslef union vote to accept a pay deal for a new all-night Tube service.
• VIDEO: Bike boss: Don't be 'professional'The boss of Brompton bikes offers the business advice he wishes he had been given when he started out, as part of the BBC News series, CEO Secrets.
• VIDEO: What's it like being in a driverless car?The Swedish car maker Volvo is about to start recruiting 100 ordinary people to commute to work next year in a driverless car.
• Heathrow challenges 'can be tackled'Concerns over the environmental impact of expanding Gatwick or Heathrow should not lead to aviation plans being rejected, according to a think tank.
• Fastjet shares dive on profit warningShares in Fastjet fall 36% after the African budget airline, backed by Easyjet founder Sir Stelios Haji-ioannou, issues a profit warning.

Department for Transport

• Northern transport strategy spring report marks major progressNorthern Transport strategy spring 2016 report detailing progress on major government investments in transport and road studies released.

Financial Times

• Fastjet shares plunge on profit warningAfrican low-cost airline says it may need to raise fresh capital from shareholders
• Osborne to support fast Pennine rail linkNorthern transport plan focuses on improving east to west infrastructure

The Guardian

• MH370 anniversary: new report on missing Malaysia Airlines flightInvestigators to publish progress report on search for the plane, which disappeared two years ago todayMalaysia and Australia said they remained “hopeful” of solving the mystery of flight MH370 as the second anniversary of the plane’s disappearance arrived on Tuesday with no end in sight for devastated families. Related: MH370: head of search says 'very likely' plane will be found by July Continue reading...

The Scotsman

• Western Isles ferry shake-up a ‘leap in the dark’ THE PROSPECT of ferry services to the western isles being handed over to a private operator have been branded a “leap into the dark” by local community groups.
• Train cleaning depot to provide 50 new jobs Scotland’s new fleet of Japanese super-trains is set to create around 50 jobs at a new stabling and cleaning depot at Millerhill.
• Brenda Mitchell: Driving change in thinking on transport A RETHINK is required to get people out of cars, writes Brenda Mitchell

The Telegraph

• Driverless lorries to be trialled on M6 as government pushes ahead with investmentGeorge Osborne, the Chancellor, is expected to confirm funding for the initiative when he unveils the Budget

Times Online

• Rail travel time in north set to halve [Subscription]Journey times between northern cities could be almost halved under plans for a high-speed rail network across the Pennines.

Daily Record

• Scots firm Stagecoach found guilty of trying to cut their tax bill by �11million in 'Clear tax avoidance' TREASURY minister David Gauke hailed the 'significant' court victory against the transport giant founded by Brian Souter and his sister Ann Gloag.

Mail Online

• Proportion of flights leaving on time in summer 2015 fell below 75% The average delay for passengers in 2015 was 15 minutes, according to new figures. Gatwick Airport had the longest delay in the country, with planes leaving after a delay of 23 minutes.

Sky News

• Heathrow Lands Ex-T‎reasury Minister DeightonLord Deighton will be named as Sir Nigel Rudd's successor as Heathrow chairman on Tuesday, Sky News learns.

Birmingham Mail

• Outrage as catalogue of errors that led to 24-hour M6 closure revealed Leaked document reveals a lack of signs, traffic experts stuck in traffic, a five-hour wait to reveal fuel spill and resurface delay left drivers stranded for hours

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Arriva Trains Wales drivers dispute finally settled to end strike threat The ASLEF union has now voted to accept the new pay and conditions offer

London Evening Standard

• Tube strikes: Drivers vote in favour of Night Tube pay dealLondon Underground drivers have overwhelmingly accepted the latest Tube deal after months of wrangling.
• Opening date announced for new £47m cycle superhighwayBoris Johnson today told motorists hit by months of delays during the construction of a cycle superhighway on the Victoria Embankment that the "end is now in sight".
• Night Tube 'is a juggernaut which cannot be stopped'The Night Tube is an unstoppable "juggernaut" which has to happen after such "hellish" negotiations, it was claimed today.

Manchester Evening News

• Smart motorway from Manchester to Leeds will open in 2022, say northern transport chiefs The high tech upgrade of M62 will stretch all the way to Leeds- but motorists must be prepared for six more years of misery
• Welcome to Manchester? Huge queues greet travellers at Manchester Airport passport control Airport bosses have apologised over the queues and said it was due to a series of delayed and early flights landing at the same time

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Full dualling of the A69 being considered as part of transport improvements for the North

Sheffield Telegraph

• NEW APPOINTMENTS: Former Airbus boss joins Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research FacilityThe former Airbus head of research for the UK, Colin Sirett, has joined the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre as its chief executive officer.

Wales Online

• Aslef members end Arriva Trains Wales dispute as RMT union still considers options ATW say the revised deal includes a three-year pay package with a 2.5% increase in the first year and more than 6% over the full-term

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Major rail investment needed to cut trans-pennine journey times - reportGEORGE OSBORNE is under pressure to set out a timetable for delivering the transport improvements at the heart of his ‘northern powerhouse’ plan after a new report made clear they will require major spending.
• Osborne urged to back transport upgrade planNEW rail lines are likely to be needed to connect Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester as part of ambitious plans to unlock Yorkshire’s economic potential, according to a new report.

Yorkshire Post

• ‘What a joke’: Nearly all Northern Powerhouse chiefs are based in LondonAlmost all of the senior civil servants employed by the Government department responsible for promoting the so-called northern powerhouse initiative are based in London.

Reading Evening Post

• Reading Buses launches green routes for staff travelling to workReading Buses is encouraging passengers to take part in its 2016 push of 'planet Reading'

Other Regional Press

• Labour shadow Transport Secretary Lilian Greenwood backs campaign to save Witney bus routes LABOUR's shadow Transport Secretary Lilian Greenwood has given her backing to residents hoping to save bus routes in Witney.
• Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney battles to keep low fuel pricesGeorge Osborne urged not to raise duty in next week's budget

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• New £5 million school bike training programme to create safe and confident young ridersInnovative training will help children and parents stay active and cycle safely. New cycle training with £5 million Department for Transport (DfT) funding to teach safe riding early, provide maintenance education and encourage family cycling has been announced by Cycling Minister Robert Goodwill today (Sunday 6 March 2016). Pilots of the Bikeability Plus scheme in 18 areas across England have shown that the number of children who cycled to school at least once a week more than doubled to 10%. Nearly 20,000 children have already received the training and the £5 million funding will...
• Northern transport strategy spring report marks major progressNorthern Transport strategy spring 2016 report detailing progress on major government investments in transport and road studies released. The Northern transport strategy spring 2016 report has been launched by Transport for the North and the Department for Transport today, Monday 7 March 2016, in Gateshead. The report sets out plans for transformative projects such as Northern Powerhouse rail and Smart North – a system to help passengers switch easily between buses, trains and trams across the region while ensuring value for money. It also updates on some of the key improvements made ov...
• Network Rail appeals to truck drivers after lorries hit bridgesPassengers on trains are suffering in the south-east of England, as three different bridges were hit by vehicles that were too high to travel underneath them. All of this took place within a 12-hour period and now Network Rail and the train operators are appealing to HGVs to drive more carefully around low bridges to avoid further delays. One of the bridges was in Tulse Hill in London, which caused problems for those who were using Thameslink. Grosvenor Road Bridge and a bridge near Orpington station were also struck, leading to difficulties for South and Gatwick Express, and Southeastern cust...

Freight on Rail

• Freight on Rail welcomes the publication of the Transport for the North transport strategy.In responding to the Transport for the North transport (TfN) Strategy issued today:

Rail Technology Magazine

• Alstom-led Gibela joint venture begins construction of South African train manufacturing plant Alstom-led Gibela joint venture has started construction of its new vehicle manufacturing plant in South Africa, which will build the majority of the country's new X'Trapolis Mega commuter trains.
• February’s top stories: Siemens unveils Riyadh metro trainset, Alstom’s Citadis X05 design The £14.8bn Crossrail railway in the UK will be named the Elizabeth line, Australia's Victoria Government shortlists three bidders for $7.6bn Melbourne Metro Rail Project. Railway-technology.com wraps up the key headlines from February.
• Network Rail seeks private investment in power infrastructure to support railway upgrade plan UK rail infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) is considering future options to bring in new private capital and expertise to support the operation, maintenance, renewal, financing and improvement of its electrical distribution and traction power a…
• Tackling Big Data in a Railway Context The railway sector produces a torrent of data each day, and there is an enormous potential waiting to be harnessed through automated data collection and analysis.
• Night Tube a step closer after Aslef vote in favour of revised contractThe Night Tube scheme is a step closer to going ahead after Aslef members voted in favour of a revised pay offer. Members of the train drivers’ union, which represents four-fifths of London Underground drivers, voted 88.6% in favour of the deal, ending a two-year dispute over pay and...
• Swiss-Italian consortium awarded �200m Glasgow subway trains dealNew Glasgow subway trains have been unveiled as part of a £200m contract awarded to the Stadler Bussnang AG/Ansaldo STS Consortium by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT). The trains, which can run driverless, are designed to accommodate the unique dimensions of Glasgow’s...
• TfN outlines plans for 'Smart North' schemeTransport for the North (TfN) has outlined its ambitious plans for the new Smart North ticketing system which is aimed at delivering integrated, easy-to-use, seamless public transport journeys across the North’s transport network. The latest Northern Transport Strategy report, which was...
• East-west Northern Powerhouse Rail options revealedFurther details of preliminary options for the budding Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) have been revealed in Transport for the North’s (TfN’s) spring report, ahead of the scheme’s design development stage in 2017. Options for the NPR network – a rail link connecting the...

Railnews

• Heathrow problems go on, but Northern rules out link Disruption of train services to Heathrow Airport is continuing for a second week, after the Heathrow Express Class 332 fleet was withdrawn for urgent safety checks a week ago. Following the Heathrow Express problems industry attention has turned to the Class 333 electric sets which Northern Rail operates between Leeds and Bradford, because they were built in Spain at about the same time by the same consortium of Siemens and CAF. However, Northern told Railnews no faults had been found.

Aviation Industry

• Two European associations urge aviation improvements The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) and the Association of European Airlines (AEA) have urged national governments and the European Union (EU) to improve the continent’s aviation sector. read more
• IATA: Air cargo at 8-month peak, but ‘just modest growth’ due for 2016Global air cargo volumes improved 2.7% year-over-year (YOY) in January, according to IATA’s latest Air Freight Market Analysis. read more
• ICAO adopts new distress circumstance aircraft tracking requirementsICAO has adopted new aircraft tracking provisions, including a requirement that aircraft carry a device that can autonomously transmit its location every minute during emergency circumstances. read more
• United announces return of CEO Oscar MunozUnited Airlines has announced the return of CEO Oscar Munoz, just five months after he took medical leave following a heart attack.Munoz plans to return to a full-time role on March 14, where he will “resume all of his duties and responsibilities”.