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

Thursday, 07 April 2016

BBC News

• School's �500k bus spend 'broke rules'A high school in Powys is breaking council rules by using some of its delegated budget to subsidise the cost of transporting pupils from over the border in England.
• Dublin tram drivers set for more strikesDrivers on the Luas tram system in Dublin serve notice of further strike action this month and in May over a pay dispute.
• Scottish new car sales rise but lag UKNew car sales in Scotland grew last month but at half the rate of the UK as a whole, according to motor traders.
• UK car sales hit 17-year high in MarchMore than half a million new cars were sold in the UK in March in the strongest month since 1999.

The Guardian

• UK records highest monthly car sales in almost 20 yearsMore than 500,000 new vehicles were registered in March, up 5.3% on the same period last yearThe UK has recorded its biggest monthly car sales in almost 20 years, with more than 500,000 new vehicles registered in March.The figures, regarded as a barometer of economic confidence, are up 5.3% on March last year, making it the busiest month for traders since twice-yearly number plate changes were introduced in 1999. Continue reading...
• Nicola Sturgeon denies knowledge of allegations in row over Chinese firmOpposition raises concerns that parent company of firm interested in investing in Scotland has been blacklisted by NorwayNicola Sturgeon has said she did not know about allegations of corruption against the parent company of a Chinese firm involved in a possible £10bn investment deal with the Scottish government.The first minister signed a formal “memorandum of understanding” (MOU) to explore investment in transport infrastructure, clean energy and housing projects with two Chinese companies, the SinoFortone group and the China Railway No 3 Engineering Group, last month. Continue reading...
• Kent train derailment: cow sighting response insufficient, says reportSignallers were aware of sighting an hour before Southeastern service hit cows last July, but did not continue warning driversA train derailed last year after hitting several cows despite signallers having been made aware an hour before the incident that a cow had breached a railway fence, accident investigators have found.The incident near Ashford, Kent, on 26 July 2015, occurred after an “insufficient” response to the original sighting, according to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB). Continue reading...
• Third easyJet passenger grounded over security concernsAnother air traveller has been taken off his flight on the budget airline after a complaint of ‘suspicious behaviour’A passenger was asked to leave an easyJet flight from Pisa to London on Wednesday after someone else on board complained of “suspicious behaviour” – the third such incident involving the airline in recent weeks. It came as a black Londoner spoke out over an incident in which he was escorted off another easyJet flight in Italy by armed police on 29 March after a passenger complained that she felt uncomfortable about him. Meghary Yemane-Tesfagiorgis, who was asked to leave the pl...

The Herald

• VW sales soar in Scotland for first time since emissions scandalDEMAND for brand new Volkswagen cars soared in Scotland last month in a sign that motorists are softening to the disgraced brand again for the first time since the emissions scandal.
• Sturgeon 'not aware' of corruption links to Chinese firm before signing �10bn dealNICOLA Sturgeon has admitted that she was

The Scotsman

• Nicola Sturgeon faces calls for full transparency over �10bn China dealNICOLA Sturgeon is facing calls to publish official Scottish Government’s procedures surrounding the signing memoranda of understanding with other nations over a controversial £10 billion deal struck with China.

Mail Online

• NHS spends �15m a year on TAXIS to ferry patients to and from hospital appointments Some trusts are spending more than �700,000 annually - �2,000 a day - figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show.
• Motorcyclist 'lay on the roadside for more than two HOURS waiting for an ambulance'� Adzz Kenyon, 23, (pictured) found the motorcyclist with his leg 'almost snapped in half' after the crash on the A547 between Llanddulas and Old Colwyn in north Wales.

The Mirror

• Man kicked off easyJet flight because passenger 'didn't feel safe with him on board' Meghary Yemane-Tesfagiorgis was led to the airport's police station by armed Italian officers who interrogated him for more than 15 hours
• Traumatised bus driver fell asleep at wheel and crashed after being told his son was dying Fontaine Foster nodded off after being unable to sleep with worry the night before - tragically his son died days later

This is Money

• Jaguar Land Rover roars ahead to record sales with a vehicle sold every two minutes The British car giant achieved its best ever UK monthly retail sales of 25,127 vehicles – an increase of 16 per cent on March 2015.
• MARKET REPORT: French strikes, which led to flight cancellations during March, spark turbulence for airline shares EasyJet was the biggest faller of the day in the FTSE 100. The airline landed down 3 per cent at 1476p despite reporting that passenger numbers were up 4.3 per cent to 5.7m in March.
• Low-cost airline boss�Bjorn Kjos�will fly you to New York for �149 (and says we MUST build a new runway in Britain) Norwegian boss Kjos, just as Freddie Laker did in his day, is facing opposition from the old guard. And in the Gatwick versus Heathrow battle for a new runway, unsurprisingly he favours the former.

Birmingham Mail

• �5.7m pothole filling windfall for West Midlands councilsBut councils say funding is not nearly enough to fix Britain's broken roads

Birmingham Post

• The 10 best MPVs in 2016 to save on fuel costs If you are thinking of buying a MPV here are the ten most economical vehicles

Bolton News

• Women get on their bike to encourage more females to cycle to work A CAMPAIGN to get women on wheels has been hailed a runaway success.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• First state-of-the-art tanker set to boost construction chemical deliveries SPECIALITY chemicals producer Christeyns UK Ltd has bought its first tanker and is testing the new start-of-the-art vehicle which is set to streamline deliveries by its construction products division at its Bradford base.
• Drunk man threatened to push railway guard under a train - can you help the police appeal? British Transport Police want to find this man after someone threatened to push a guard in front of a train and abused passengers in Bingley.
• T&A's danger driver campaign has given authorities a 'kick up the backside', says Leader of the House of Commons A TOP Government minister has backed the Telegraph & Argus' Stop the Danger Driver Campaign, saying it provided a

London Evening Standard

• Zac Goldsmith plans 500 extra police for the Tube... paid for by scrapping free travel for families of TfL staffZac Goldsmith today announced plans for 500 extra police officers to keep Londoners safe on the Tube - paid for in part by scrapping free travel perks for friends and family of Transport for London staff.
• Train derailed after 70mph smash into cattle... despite warning of cows on the lineA train derailed after it smashed into cattle despite a warning a cow had breached a railway fence an hour earlier, investigators have found.
• London Tube commuter performs dramatic citizen's arrest on 'pickpocket'A London commuter has described how he spotted a suspected pickpocket on the Tube, performed a citizen's arrest and stopped the man from escaping by shutting him in a guard's booth.
• London man escorted off easyJet flight by armed police because passenger felt 'uncomfortable'A Londoner has described how he was escorted off an easyJet flight by armed police and held at an airport for around 15 hours because a passenger said he made her "feel uncomfortable".

Northern Echo

• Pothole 'action fund' will fill in 58,000 holes in the North-East CASH from a pothole “action” fund will pay to fill in 58,039 potholes in the North-East and 30,887 in North Yorkshire, the Government says.

The York Press

• Free parking to be axed on busy York road to make way for bike lanes NEW cycle lanes are planned on one of York's busiest roads.

Wales Online

• An all-night bus service will run in Cardiff if planned taxi strikes goes ahead The first-of-its-kind service would include a travelling security guard and would not have a premium fare

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Stafford roadworks: Severn Trent work causes misery for motoristsThese pictures show the delays being caused by another round of Severn Trent roadworks in Stafford.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Tribute to steam legend Sir Nigel GresleyHE was one of engineering’s true greats and a pioneer of the era of steam.
• Revealed: Leeds NHS Trust spends �200k on taxis for patientsAN NHS Trust in Leeds spent more than £200,000 last year on taxis for patients, it has been revealed.

Blackpool Gazette

• 1,453 potholes to be filled in Blackpool in cash hand-outBlackpool is to get a share of a £50m government pot to repair potholes – which it claims will fill in up to 1,453 holes in the resort.

Crewe Chronicle

• Crewe to host two-day celebration of transport heritage Organisers have yet to decide on a name for the two-day event which takes place on July 9 and 10 at three town venues
• 'Preparatory work' begins on Crewe's HS2 Super-hub Station Network Rail to commission architects to design proposed High Speed Rail interchange

Daventry Express

• Northants to receive much-needed �700,000 to repair potholes...but gets smallest funding of East Midlands countiesNorthamptonshire will see more than £700,000 of pothole repairs over the next 12 months – but it is getting the smallest funding of the five counties in the East Midlands.

Doncaster Free Press

• Cash to fix nearly 5,000 holes in DoncasterNearly 5,000 potholes in Doncaster’s roads are set to be fixed over the next 12 months, it was announced today.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Safety of A16 junction in Crowland now in Government’s handsThe safety of a “scary” junction off the A16 in Crowland is now the Government’s business after an inquest into a woman’s death there.

The Shields Gazette

• South Tyneside Council welcomes extra �100,000 in pothole fundingCouncil bosses in South Tyneside have welcomed an extra £100,000 to fix potholes on the borough’s roads.

Other Regional Press

• Torfaen train station set for �500,000 refurbishment PONTYPOOL and New Inn railway station is set for a revamp after receiving almost �500,000 in funding from the Welsh Government.
• Bus service gets a lifelineA third bus route set to be axed is being saved by Chorley Council.
• Still a hole to fill after Kent County Council's cash 'boost' to fix potholesKent will get a cash ‘boost’ to fix thousands of potholes - but it won't make up for a £2m cut the council is making to its road maintenance budget.
• New bus link for Portlanders to start next week A NEW bus that connects Portland communities to the commercial bus route to Weymouth will start in next week.
• Drivers told ‘good times over’ as petrol prices riseMotorists have been warned that the period of lower fuel prices is over after the cost of petrol rose last month for the first time since July 2015.
• Railway urges volunteers to come and join them RAILWAY enthusiasts for whom a Hornby train set in the attic is not enough are being sought to help expand Swindon’s very own volunteer run heritage railway.
• Parish steward vehicles to repair local highway issues with new contract A FLEET of green and yellow vehicles driven by parish stewards to tackle minor highways work, will be a regular sight on Wiltshire's roads.
• Survey shows overwhelming support for one-way system in Bradford on Avon OVERWHELMING support has come out for trialing a one-way system in Bradford on Avon following a traffic survey commissioned by the MP for the town.
• BMW reassures motorists of plan to deal with lorry parking in Oxford MINI plant owner BMW has reassured motorists a long-term plan is being drawn up to deal with lorry parking problems across Oxford
• Mother slams removal of parking in Access to Headington scheme after daughter was flattened by speeding cyclist A MOTHER whose daughter was injured in a cycle accident fears a �12.5m transport scheme will increase speeding problems in Headington.
• The new course that teaches you how to fly drones THEY are the high-tech flying machines which are rapidly pushing the boundaries in transport, warfare, research and leisure.
• PHOTOS: Petition started for flights to new location from Southampton Airport CAMPAIGNERS have launched a petition calling on airline bosses to improve services from Southampton.
• Upto £250m to help solve Southampton's traffic hotspots A MAJOR transport plan worth up to £250m could ease commuters’ congestion woes in and around Southampton, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Wimbledon Tram services increase by 50 per centFrom next week, passengers travelling on Transport for London's (TfL) Tram network will be able to take advantage of more frequent services. On Monday 4 April, services between Wimbledon and Croydon will rise from eight to 12 trams per hour. The increase in frequency follows the completion of work to build an additional tram platform at Wimbledon station late last year. Rory O'Neill, TfL's Director of Trams, said: 'The Tram network is a crucial transport link to the community it serves and we are committed to continually improving our services. The extra trams will help meet increasing passe...
• Tesla Model 3 electric car orders accelerate to 276,000Tesla founder and chief executive Elon Musk says pre-orders of the firm's much-anticipated Model 3 electric car currently total 276,000. The California-based firm unveiled the five-seater car - its lowest-cost vehicle to date - on Thursday.  Mr Musk tweeted the total reflected the orders received by the end of Saturday. Pre-orders of the Model 3 will not necessarily all translate into actual sales when the car is released, with first deliveries in late 2017. It can be ordered in advance in dozens of countries, including the UK, Republic of Ireland, Brazil, India, China and New Zealand...
• Boeing, Ryanair Celebrate Milestone Delivery of Airline's 400th Next-Generation 737-800Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Ryanair marked a milestone today with the delivery of the airline's 400th Next-Generation 737-800.  Ryanair celebrates delivery of low-cost carrier's 400th Next-Generation 737-800 The Irish low-cost carrier operates the largest fleet of Next-Generation 737-800s in the world.
• New guided busway between Leigh and Manchester opensA new guided busway aimed at reducing congestion in Greater Manchester has opened. The £68m scheme between Leigh and Manchester is expected to cut journey times by up to 30 minutes. Eight buses per hour will serve the four-and-a-half mile (7km) stretch along a disused railway line. The scheme has three park-and-ride facilities for more than 400 cars and links to bus priority routes through Salford on East Lancashire Road. The new section is part of a £122m 14-mile (21km) bus priority route connecting Atherton, Leigh and Tyldesley with Salford and Manchester city centre. Work b...
• Launch of new intercity rail operator signals start of �500m investment into rail operations in the North and Scotland The TransPennine Express franchise (TPE), operated by FirstGroup, takes over the reins of intercity rail operations in the North and Scotland today. Over the next seven years TPE will oversee an investment of more than £500m which will transform rail services across the North of England and Scotland. This investment will lead to an 80 per cent rise in capacity at the busiest times of the day and increase connections between the largest cities in the North and Scotland by 55 per cent by 2019. 220 brand new carriages will be introduced by 2020, providing an additional 13m seats a year. Th...
• TransPennine Express and Angel Trains orders 95 Inter-City rail carriages from UK manufacturer HitachiThe new TransPennine Express (TPE) franchise, operated by FirstGroup, is a step closer to delivering improvements in capacity, reliability and comfort having been given the go-ahead by government to complete a new rolling stock contract with Hitachi Rail Europe to supply 95 brand new, state of the art train carriages. The contract, for the fleet of AT300 ‘Inter City’ trains is the first to be finalised by TransPennine Express, which will operate the franchise from April. The deal, which has been financed by Angel Trains, will lead to the procurement of 19 five-car Hitachi AT300 bi-...
• Gatwick responds to Arrivals Review Gatwick Airport has today published a detailed response to the Independent Arrivals Review which was concluded in January. In its response, Gatwick has accepted or is minded to accept all of the recommendations of the Review. The airport has published an action plan for the implementation of each recommendation, although in some cases further refinement may be needed after more detailed technical and planning work with other stakeholders, and after analysis of community feedback. The publication of this plan by the end of March fulfils one of the recommendations of the Review. Gatwick has al...
• New pilot vessels set to keep Britain's largest energy Port operating in the toughest conditionsSt Brides, the first of three 19m pilot boats built by Mainstay Marine Solutions, has been delivered to the Port of Milford Haven and was officially blessed on Thursday 24th March by Father Harri Williams of St Katherine’s and St Peter’s Church, before coming into full service. The 48 tonne vessel is of a similar design to the ‘Picton’ pilot boat delivered to the Port in 2009.  Designed by Camarc Design, these vessels have proven reliability of service over many years in the challenging sea conditions which can be found in and around the Port of Milford Haven. ...
• Section of M1 becomes smart motorwayA section of the M1 has become a smart motorway as part of an effort to ease congestion and cut journey times. �205 million has been spent on upgrading a 20-mile stretch between junctions 28 and 31. The hard shoulder has been converted into a permanent extra lane, while speed limits will vary depending on the traffic conditions at certain times. Emergency refuge areas can be used by motorists in the event of a breakdown on this stretch of the motorway. Roads minister Andrew Jones believes the changes will make a
• Poor amenities 'deterring women from haulage careers'Inadequate facilities are putting many women off seeking careers in the haulage industry, according to a government minister. Claire Perry, the transport minister, believes haulage firms often fail to ensure truck stops are equipped with good-quality toilets. This, she said, is one of the reasons why many females do not find the sector a desirable career option.

Rail Magazine

• Three bidders for West Midlands franchiseDepartment for Transport unveils companies in running for next West Midlands franchise

Rail Technology Magazine

• Alstom's HS2 director appointed as acting managing directorAlstom’s HS2 director has hailed the ‘incredibly exciting’ developments taking place in the UK rail industry after being appointed as the company’s acting managing director for the UK and Ireland. Henrik Anderberg has worked for Alstom since 2010, formerly as the managing...
• Atkins named technical adviser for Glasgow's driverless subway trainsThe Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) has named Atkins Transportation as its technical adviser for providing rolling stock for Glasgow’s new driverless subway trains. Atkins will be responsible for providing local subject matter experts to support the construction works and...
• Virgin becomes first TOC to fulfil obligation to pay compensation in moneyVirgin is the first train operating company (TOC) to fulfil a new legal obligation to offer passengers who have experienced delays compensation in the form of money instead of vouchers. From today, Virgin passengers claiming compensation for delays of 30 minutes or more will be offered a cheque...

Railnews

• New plans for Blackpool tram terminal Blackpool Borough Council has approved plans to acquire a building in the town's Talbot Road to make room for a new tram terminal at Blackpool North, which is the main station in the resort. Work on a �22 million project to extend the present tram line along Talbot Road with a new spur from the seafront is due to start in 2018, and the tram terminus at the station will form part of a new interchange between trains and trams.

Aviation Industry

• Strikes forced Easyjet to cancel 611 flights in MarchAirline sees passenger traffic rise 4.3 per cent

Other News Sources

• Maritime leaders: Smart shipping, big data will transform shippingThe majority of maritime leaders have agreed that adopting technologies like smart shipping and big data will revolutionise the industry as a whole, based on a survey conducted by Sea Asia.
• US Ports Earmark USD 154.8 Bn for Port InfrastructureThe United States ports plan to spend a whopping USD 154.8 billion on�port-related infrastructure over the next five years, the�2016-2020 Port Planned Infrastructure Investment Survey conducted by the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) shows. The combined USD�155 billion investment that U.S. ports and their private sector partners are planning represents a more than three-fold […]

EIN News Subscription

• Airport reopens, PM says 'normal life' resumes in Brussels after attacks … airlines resumed flights from Brussels Airport and the gate … The first passenger planes to leave the airport since the attacks … through Zaventem airport on Wednesday described heightened security measures … terrorism, in all countries in the world and in Europe …

News from Europe

• ‘Netflix-like’ city transport app could mean people buy less carsThe European Commission is pushing local authorities to digitise cities and make them more efficient—one radical plan bubbling up could minimise the number of cars on city streets.

Other Subscription Services

• Heathrow southern rail access findings published Network Rail has published the findings of a study examining the case for new rail links to Heathrow Airport from the south.The Southern Rail Access to Heathrow Feasibility Study considers a range...
• TfL counts on rail ad deal to generate 1bn plus Transport for London has chosen Exterion Media as its media partner for what it describes as the world's largest outdoor advertising contract. The deal will see advertising space sold on trains and...
• M1 smart upgrade converts shoulder to extra lane The final phase of a 205m upgrade of the M1 has been completed.A smart motorway project has been delivered on the 20 mile stretch of road between junction 28 (Mansfield) and junction 31 ...
• Network Rail to flesh out Soham station plans Cambridgeshire County Council and East Cambridgeshire District Council have commissioned Network Rail to undertake a GRIP 3 feasibility study for a new railway station at Soham.The work, due to be...