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

Friday, 03 June 2016

BBC News

• Jargon 'widely used' by railway ticket machines says regulatorConfusing jargon is "widely used" by train operators' ticket machines at railway stations in the UK, the industry's regulator has said.
• New M8 bridge lifted into placeA large bridge is lifted into place across a North Lanarkshire river as part of a �500m project to upgrade Scotland's motorway network.
• BA plane evacuated in US after threatA British Airways flight from London to the US is evacuated at Newark airport after a phone threat which proves unfounded.
• Airline profits 'to jump 12% in 2016'Aviation industry body Iata forecasts higher profits for the airline industry, citing the impact of lower oil prices.

Financial Times

• Push to keep track of passengers’ bagsPaper labels are giving way to electronic devices
• Ryanair cuts many checked baggage feesBudget carrier also simplifies passenger luggage options from 108 to 6
• Airline industry promises new ‘black box’Aircraft manufacturers appear to have different approaches to the solution
• Airlines’ net profits set to hit $39.4bnBut carriers’ trade body warns of slowing growth in air travel amid fast expanding fleets

The Guardian

• Opec fails to reach agreement on oil production levelsMinisterial meeting ends in stalemate as Iran refuses to support Saudi plan to help stabilise marketsLingering hopes that Saudi Arabia and Iran would put aside their regional power struggle and reach a deal on oil production levels to help stabilise the volatile crude markets have been dashed.A ministerial meeting of the Opec oil-producing cartel broke up in Vienna without agreement on Thursday, with Tehran refusing to support a plan by Riyadh and others to freeze their crude output. Continue reading...
• Union barred from strike action on Southern and Gatwick servicesJudge grants Govia Thameslink Railway interim injunction preventing Aslef members from taking part in actionTrain drivers’ union Aslef has lost a high court fight over proposed industrial action on Southern and Gatwick services.A judge has barred union bosses from inducing drivers employed by operating company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) to take industrial action in the wake of a disagreement about the introduction of driver-only operated trains. Continue reading...
• Train ticket machines need to use clearer language, study finds‘London terminals’ and ‘any permitted’ among confusing terms highlighted in regulator’s report which finds jargon is rifeJargon is widely used by train operators’ ticket machines at Britain’s railway stations, the industry’s regulator has said as it published a study that found more needs to be done to eradicate confusing terminology when passengers are buying tickets.

The Herald

• Glasgow bus company City Sprinter operated on city streets without insurance for two monthsGlasgow bus company City Sprinter’s fleet of vehicles was on the city streets without insurance for two months, it has emerged.

Birmingham Mail

• Transport bosses condemn plans to cut West Coast Main Line services Links between Birmingham and the rest of the West Midlands to be cut in West Coast Main Line shake-up

Birmingham Post

• Jaguar Land Rover's �500m green belt expansion backed by government Secretary of state for local government decides not to call in the proposals after being given the green light by the local councils

London Evening Standard

• London buses crawling in slow traffic blamed for pollution increasePollution from London's increasingly slow buses is choking the city, according to a report published today.
• Weekend Tube closures: Entire Circle line to shut during two days of problemsTube services are to be hit by major problems this weekend as a series of closures are put in palce.
• High Court judge bans strike action on Southern and Gatwick trainsRail union bosses have been urged to "sit down and talk" after a High Court judge banned strike action on Southern and Gatwick train services.
• British Airways plane surrounded by police in New Jersey after 'threat made against aircraft'A British Airways plane has been surrounded by police in New Jersey after a "threat" was reportedly made against the passenger jet.
• Secrets of my success: Sophie Dekkers, easyJet's UK country directorI'm responsible for 120 aircraft, which are housed at 11 UK bases, and �2.8 billion of revenues. A key responsibility is to decide on new routes.

The York Press

• Clarence Street plans 'make things worse' for York cyclists A BUSY city junction could get even worse for cyclists if a revisions to a council plan to change to layout go ahead, it has been warned.

Wales Online

• Train delays as emergency services deal with 'incident' on the line Services in Carmarthenshire are being affected and replacement bus services are in place

Blackpool Gazette

• Vandals will be punished warn transport bossesBus chiefs have warned vandalism will not go unpunished after a teenager caused thousands of pounds worth of damage when he torched a double decker.

Crewe Chronicle

• �350k grant for new cycling and walking routes in Crewe Cheshire East secured the grant from the Government's £21m programme for investment in sustainable transport

Other Regional Press

• Transport bosses slam plans to cut trains to Coventry in bid to make London-Birmingham trains faster Government considers missing out Coventry stop on some services to reduce overcrowding on West Coast Main Line trains
• Have your say on village rail changesVillage residents can have their say on rail plans where they live.

Rail Magazine

• Alstom presents Very High Speed Train offering for HS2Alstom unveiled its proposed Very High Speed Train concept at the Palace of Westminster on May 24, as it prepares to bid for the HS2 train contract.
• Network Rail on target to meet Dover’s December deadlineEngineers are on course to re-open the storm-damaged line between Dover and Folkestone by their December deadline, according to Network Rail.
• More ‘700s’ arrive, while testing continuesThere are now 16 Siemens Class 700s in the UK, after 12-car 700104 was delivered to Three Bridges depot in the early hours of June 1.
• DB to carry aggregates on ‘Jumbo’ trainsA five-year contract between DB Cargo and Mendip Rail will deliver more than 100 aggregates trains per week.
• Plate stolen from Class 68 is returnedThe stolen builder’s plate from Direct Rail Services 68025 Superb has been returned.
• Brown takes up Crossrail postMartin Brown has been appointed health and safety director at Crossrail Ltd.

Rail Technology Magazine

• DB Cargo renew contract to operate heaviest trains in UK for Mendip RailDB Cargo has renewed its contract to deliver aggregates for Mendip Rail for a further five years. DB Cargo, which until recently was known as DB Schenker Rail, delivers more than 100 trains of aggregates every week from quarries in Somerset to London and the south east. The Class 59...
• Passenger complaints decreasing, but highest on Virgin West CoastThe first Office of Rail and Road (ORR) report on how the rail industry is meeting its obligations to passengers has revealed that complaints from passengers are generally decreasing as operating companies try to meet their obligations. The figures confirm previous findings showing that...
• Aslef banned from striking over DOO by High Court injunctionGovia Thameslink Railway (GTR) successfully obtained an injunction today banning Aslef members from further strikes over the proposed introduction of driver-operated only (DOO) trains. GTR sought the injunction on the grounds that Aslef couldn’t lawfully ballot its members because it had...
• RMT calls for investigation after Tube passenger falls between platform and trainA serious safety incident where a passenger fell between the train and the platform at Canning Town Underground Station must be investigated, the RMT has said. The union said the incident, on 26 May, highlighted the dangers of staff cuts, which make it harder to monitor overcrowding...
• Overcoming the Challenges of 4G LTE and MIMO for In-Tunnel Wireless Connectivity As mobile wireless continues to make the transition to data and video-dominated broadband, unprecedented demands are being placed on operator networks.
• Report: High-speed railway projects to revitalise Russia’s construction industry The construction industry in Russia is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.52% from 2016 to 2020, indicating a recovery after shrinking by 2.19% during 2011-2015, according to a report by Timetric. The growth will be led par…

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair cites tax as reason for quitting Rygge Ireland-based low-cost carrier (LCC) Ryanair is to close its Oslo Rygge base on Oct. 29 and reduce its Norwegian traffic by 50% after the Norwegian government confirmed the introduction of an air passenger tax. read more
• SAS mulls fleet-wide Wi-Fi roll outScandinavian carrier SAS has revealed it is considering extending its Wi-Fi services to other aircraft, having already equipped its long-haul fleet with the service. read more
• SNP warned against cuts to air passenger dutyEnvironmental campaigners have urged for a rethink to a 50% cut in APD
• Ryanair cuts baggage fees by up to 50%Passengers on flights under 2 hours will see their 15kg allowance cut by half

Other News Sources

• Aviation noise consultation to launch Transport Minister has confirmed that a consultation on national airspace and noise policy would begin later in the year
• FTA demonstrates worldwide appealThe Freight Transport Association (FTA) has launched the 21st edition of its European Road Transport Guide sponsored by Eurotunnel - and revealed ...
• France labour strikes: Paris metro workers join rail walkoutDisruption expected today on the Paris metro