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

Thursday, 25 August 2016

BBC News

• Bristol Metrobus scheme may need public cashA "rapid transit" bus scheme due to be running in Bristol by 2017 still has no operator and may need public funds.
• Airlander 10: Longest aircraft damaged during flightThe world's longest aircraft - the Airlander 10 - has been damaged after nosediving on landing during its second test flight.
• Could BBC reporter find a seat on Corbyn train?A BBC reporter catches the train at the centre of the Jeremy Corbyn
• Jeremy Corbyn angered by questions about train seat rowLabour leader Jeremy Corbyn angered by media questions about claims he was not able to get a seat on a Virgin Train.
• Wrightbus: Recruitment freeze at County Antrim companyThe County Antrim manufacturer, Wrightbus, is imposing a recruitment freeze as part of a
• Easyjet: Air steward argument delays Belfast flightAn Easyjet flight bound for Belfast is delayed for over an hour due to a fight between air stewards
• Bus strike plans to 'disrupt' Notting Hill CarnivalMore than 1,000 bus drivers and engineers are set to strike
• Qantas airline soars to record profit after restructuringAustralia's national carrier Qantas posts a record annual profit of A$1.42bn ($1.1bn, �820m), nearly doubling last year's result.
• Self-driving taxi trial kicks off in SingaporeAs the industry races to make driverless cars viable, a small fleet of computer-driven taxis are taking passengers in Singapore.

Financial Times

• Self-driving taxis hit the road in SingaporeUS startup nuTonomy launches world’s first public trial, cutting in front of Uber
• Qantas resumes dividends on record profitAustralian carrier returns more capital to shareholders as turnround boosted by earnings
• Maersk must find way back to sales growthDanish conglomerate may break up to weather ‘perfect storm’

The Guardian

• Traingate and Jeremy Corbyn distracts us from the real issue of train overcrowding - Letters"As every commuter knows, overcrowding is far more common than a train running on time."
• Are trains in Britain as overcrowded as Jeremy Corbyn claims?Virgin Trains’ dispute with the Labour leader has turned fares, strikes and overcrowding into political issues
• Virgin Trains faces data protection inquiry over Corbyn CCTV footageInformation Commissioner’s Office looks into claims train operator broke data protection rules by releasing images of Labour leader
• Theresa May to chair Heathrow third runway committeePrime minister to take personal charge of cabinet group and push for decision on controversial airport plan by October
• Angry Jeremy Corbyn reminds Branson of rail nationalisation plansCorbyn, who faced repeated questions about ‘Traingate’ row, also condemns ‘lunatic’ remark by leadership rival Owen Smith
• From the floor to first class, Britain’s railways are a disgraceNever mind Jeremy Corbyn’s journey – what matters is that privatisation has been a train wreck, and ideologues who want to roll back the state can’t admit it
• Businesses count the cost of Southern rail disruptionCancelled meetings and lost business mount up as entrepreneurs express fury at a failing railway and government inaction
• Sydney's 'war on cyclists': 'I got fined $106 for not having a bell'Recent changes have seen huge increases in fines for not wearing a helmet or jumping a red light. Next year it will become compulsory for all cyclists to carry identification on every trip – have state authorities gone too far?Michael Gratton was cycling to work in Sydney when he was stopped in a recent police “education and awareness” blitz and fined $531 (£310). His offence? Not wearing a helmet, not having a bell and not having a working brake.“The bell fine of $106 is ridiculous,” says the robotics researcher, who is challenging the third fine, as braking on his fixed-wheel bike is done th...
• Virgin Trains controversy 'has helped Jeremy Corbyn's leadership bid'Labour leader’s campaign team say public argument with Sir Richard Branson has ‘done us a favour’, by highlighting Corbyn’s desire to re-nationalise railwaysJeremy Corbyn’s campaign team believe his public spat with Virgin trains boss Sir Richard Branson has boosted his chances in the Labour leadership race.Sam Tarry, the Labour leader’s campaign director, told the Guardian that “from the point of view of the people we want to mobilise, Richard Branson’s done us a favour”. Continue reading...
• Are trains in Britain as overcrowded as Jeremy Corbyn claims?Virgin Trains’ dispute with the Labour leader has turned fares, strikes and overcrowding into political issuesJeremy Corbyn’s attempt to highlight overcrowding on the rail network by sitting down on a Virgin service from London to Newcastle has erupted into a political storm. The incident has raised a number of questions, including whether overcrowding is a genuine problem on Virgin services and whether the Labour leader’s policy of nationalising train operators will make services less crowded and bring down fares. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Corbyn defends actions in train overcrowding row as Smith suggests it was a political stunt AN exasperated Jeremy Corbyn has defended his actions in the row over train overcrowding as his rival Owen Smith openly accused him of using the incident as a political stunt to make the
• One in five roadworks in Edinburgh need fixed laterSOME of Scotland's biggest firms have been sanctioned over their record in repairing roads after carrying out works in the Scottish capital.

The Independent

• Airlander 10 crash: Video shows world's biggest aircraft crashing into the ground on test flightVideo shows the world's biggest aircraft crash landing after its second ever flight.

The Telegraph

• easyJet flight delayed after cabin crew have 'tiff'

Mail Online

• EasyJet flight 'delayed for an hour after crew members fight over water bottles' Easyjet confirmed the flight, from London Gatwick to Belfast, had to return to the stand for two of the crew to be replaced 'following a verbal disagreement between them'.

Birmingham Mail

• Second scare on flight from Birmingham as plane turns back after bird strike Thomson Airways flight to Cyprus forced to return to Birmingham Airport as a 'precautionary measure'

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham roundabout is one of Britain's most dangerous New data reveals city's six most perilous roundabouts - and one of them is the second worst in the country

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Cycling’s £10.5m economic impact in Yorkshire BRADFORD has played its part in cycling’s multi-million impact in Yorkshire.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Work on £65m Caernarfon bypass to begin next yearConstruction will begin in Autumn 2017 and is expected to be completed in 2019

Edinburgh Evening News

• Faster trains to Ipswich as part of new franchiseThe average speed of trains between London and Ipswich will be cut to just over an hour in three years’ time – but the Ipswich in 60 ambition will depend on Network Rail carrying out improvement work.

London Evening Standard

• Theresa May to personally chair Cabinet committee for Heathrow expansion decisionTheresa May will personally chair a Cabinet committee to decide on Heathrow’s third runway plan, the Evening Standard has learned.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• World’s largest aircraft Airlander 10 crashes on test flightTHE world’s largest aircraft has crashed during its second test flight since being revamped in the UK.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Faster trains to Ipswich as part of new franchiseThe average speed of trains between London and Ipswich will be cut to just over an hour in three years’ time – but the Ipswich in 60 ambition will depend on Network Rail carrying out improvement work.

Get West London

• Heathrow top target for laser attacks, as calls made for police to be given greater arrest powersCivil Aviation Authority CEO says new legislation is needed to cut the number of laser attacks on aircraft

North Wales Live

• Airport gears itself up for 'busiest weekend of the year'70,000 travellers expected to pass through airport

Peterborough Telegraph

• New contract for East Anglian rail franchise - with increased service for PeterboroughThere will be more train journeys between Peterborough and Ipswich as Abellio has been confirmed by the Department for Transport as the operator of the new East Anglian rail franchise

Other Regional Press

• Rail tunnel closure will cause 45 minute delaysRAIL passengers travelling through Newport will see their travel times extended by up to 45 minutes next month, when the Severn Tunnel closes for six weeks.
• Ipswich has the potential to gain most from new rail franchise, says Ben GummerIn the second of five three-minute interviews Ben Gummer, the MP for Ipswich, gives his reaction to Abellio Greater Anglia being awarded the rail franchise for East Anglia.
• British Transport Police issue warning after train ‘jumps in the air’British Transport Police have issued a warning after a gang placed wooden planks across a railway line and watched a train smash into them.
• British Transport Police issue warning after train ‘jumps in the air’British Transport Police have issued a warning after a gang placed wooden planks across a railway line and watched a train smash into them.

Buying Business Travel

• Abellio confirmed as new East Anglia rail operator55% more seats into London in morning peak and replacement of entire fleet by 2020
• Qantas completes turnaround with record profitsAustralian airline posts profits of A$1.42 billion

Rail Technology Magazine

• Khan orders TfL to sell Kidbrooke station land for affordable housingAffordable housing must be built on the land by Kidbrooke station after Transport for London (TfL) sells it, the London mayor has told the transport body. Sadiq Khan has issued a direction to TfL to ensure that, when it sells the land, at least 50% of any residential accommodation built on the...
• Amey loses LU maintenance contract after cost concernsMaintenance work on key London Underground lines will be moved back in-house after concerns about the cost of its contract with Amey. Transport for London (TfL) announced today that it will move maintenance on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines in-house at the end of 2017, the earliest...
• Judging PanelUKRIA's judging panel responsible for the rewarding of substantial contributions to the UK rail industry. Brought to you by Rail Technology Magazine, UK's rail industry media leader.
• c2c launches energy-saving programmec2c is seeking to save the equivalent of enough electricity to power its entire fleet for a week by installing LED lighting at its stations. The lighting, which will be installed at all stations, is more energy-efficient than the existing lighting and automatically switches off when there is no...
• Abellio confirmed as East Anglia operatorIt was officially confirmed today that Abellio will continue to operate the Greater Anglia franchise until 2025. The DfT formally announced today that it is awarding the franchise to Abellio, the current operator, following the ‘standstill’ period. Abellio was named as the preferred...

Aviation Industry

• Budapest Airport to build new logistics facilityBudapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD) has signed an agreement with DHL Express for the construction of a logistics hub. read more
• SWA labor chief & former FAA administrator Babbitt to retireSouthwest Airlines head of labor relations and former FAA administrator Randy Babbitt is to retire, the airline announced. read more

Other News Sources

• One Green Bean lands place on Heathrow's consumer roster Heathrow Airport has appointed One Green Bean to its consumer PR agency roster, following its work on the airport's 70th birthday celebrations in May.
• Flying Bum airship damaged on test flight Airlander, the world's biggest aircraft, has suffered damage to its cockpit area after crashing on its second test flight from its base at Cardington this morning.
• Heathrow Airport tops laser attack table as aviation regulator calls for more proactive policing and tougher punishments The UK's aviation regulator has called on people found to be carrying powerful lasers to be arrested - even if they're not using them
• Abellio confirmed as new East Anglia rail franchise operator Abellio has been confirmed by the Department for Transport as the operator of the new East Anglian rail franchise, which will commence on 16th October 2016.