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

Saturday, 10 December 2016

BBC News

• Swansea's population 'too small' for tram systemA transport expert believes a tram or monorail-style system in Swansea could be unsustainable because of its size.
• Strangford ferry tied up as ramps will not allow cars to disembarkA new �6m replacement ferry remains tied up in County Down because problems with the ramps mean vehicles are unable to drive off it.
• Football-sized drone flown 20m from Heathrow-bound planeA drone was flown as close as 20m from a passenger jet over south-east London, an investigation reveals.

Financial Times

• Hitachi chiefs defend new Intercity trainsEngine issues could initially result in slower journeys

The Guardian

• Chris Grayling’s Oxford-Cambridge line will clatter through 75 miles of English history | Ian JackPlans to reopen this train route may improve local travel, but Verney Junction’s days are long goneAs he must have intended, the transport secretary Chris Grayling caused a small storm this week by announcing that he intended to bridge the great divide on Britain’s railways – between the infrastructure (the track and the signalling, presently owned by the non-profit public body Network Rail), and the privately owned trains that use it.The importance of the announcement was talked up beforehand, and the rail unions and parts of the Labour party dutifully sounded the alarm: Grayling, apparently,...
• Hitachi unveils first UK-built Intercity Express trainFleet of Class 800 trains, ordered by government, to be produced at Japanese manufacturer’s plant in DurhamThe first Intercity Express train to be built at Hitachi’s UK plant has been unveiled.The train is one of 122 ordered by the government in a £5.7bn deal to run on mainlines between London and the south-west and from the capital to Scotland on the east coast route. Continue reading...
• Uber is treating its drivers as sweated labour, says reportEarnings are often less than minimum wage and ‘barely sufficient to sustain existence’, according to MP Frank FieldUber treats its drivers as Victorian-style “sweated labour”, with some taking home less than the minimum wage, according to a report into its working conditions based on the testimony of dozens of drivers.Drivers at the taxi-hailing app company reported feeling forced to work extremely long hours, sometimes more than 70 a week, just to make a basic living, said Frank Field, the Labour MP and chair of the work and pensions committee. Continue reading...
• Southern rail owners appeal after failed court bid to stop drivers' strikeGovia Thameslink Railway lost its high court bid for injunction to prevent three days of strikes by Aslef members opposed to driver-only trains The owners of Southern railway have lodged an appeal against a court decision refusing an injunction to prevent industrial action by drivers.Members of Aslef are set to stage three days of strikes next week that will halt all of Southern’s services, which run between London and southern England, as far west as Southampton and Portsmouth. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Virgin increases train services between Scotland and EnglandVIRGIN Trains is to increase weekend services between Scotland and the north east of England following a spike in passenger numbers.
• Cheaper flights set for take-off on back of Tory-SNP allianceHOLIDAYMAKERS are set to enjoy cheaper flights from Scotland after a cross-party alliance emerged in favour of cutting airport passenger duty.
• SNP ministers push ahead with transport police mergerCONTROVERSIAL plans to merge British Transport Police with Police Scotland have taken a significant step forward, with publication of the underlying legislation.

The Scotsman

• Virgin increases weekend Edinburgh to Newcastle trainsVirgin Trains is increasing weekend services connecting Edinburgh and Newcastle following an increase in passengers.
• Train firms warning over railway policingTrain companies have warned the Scottish Government that plans to integrate railway policing into Police Scotland could increase costs and undermine the response to incidents on the network.
• Leader comment: Railway policing on right trackThe Scottish Government’s plans to integrate railway policing currently done by the British Transport Police into Police Scotland is no small step and it should be carefully considered

The Telegraph

• Air Passenger Duty cut in Scotland on cards as SNP and Tories edge towards deal
• Southern Rail passengers plot audacious bid to break strike by chartering their own train

Mail Online

• Gov't proposal envisions phone calls on airline flights Airlines could let flyers make phone calls using WiFi under a proposal from US federal regulators. A future where travellers are informed about the policy when they buy their tickets has been envisaged.
• Uber drivers 'are treated as Victorian-style sweated labour' and are forced to work 70-hour weeks to get by says MP� Labour MP Frank Field, chairman of the Work and Pensions Committee, has published a damning report into the working conditions at Uber - a company which saw a turnover of �23.3m in London last year.
• Network Rail ditches toilet charge after raking in �37.5m from UK stations The decision comes days after Network Rail published figures which revealed passengers stranded by rail strikes are helping to boost takings at the toilets by hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Campaigners welcome extra train boost A CAMPAIGN group has welcomed the addition of an extra daily train that should help ease the burden on services used by morning commuters in and out of Bradford.

London Evening Standard

• Airlines face pressure to scrap credit card booking fee after move by MonarchUK airlines are facing pressure to scrap fees for customers booking by credit card after a move by Monarch to ditch the unpopular charge.
• AA boss claims 'cameras are replacing police' after 1 million drivers were caught speeding last yearThe AA has called for an inquiry into "inconsistent" speed limits after almost one million people were caught speeding last year.
• Night Czar Amy Lam� to ride Tube until 1am holding 'surgeries' for passengersLondon's new night czar is to hold late "surgeries" on Tube lines to help give the 24-hour economy a boost.
• Sadiq Khan: Southern Rail is 'a total disgrace'Sadiq Khan branded Southern Rail "a total disgrace" today as he urged the unions to cancel next week's strikes on the crippled commuter network.
• Revealed: how average speed of London traffic has plummeted to just 7.8mphThe full scale of the gridlock blighting central London's roads was laid bare today as average traffic speeds fell to just 7.8mph.
• Mayor Sadiq Khan looks to scrap the words 'ladies and gentlemen' from transport announcementsThe Mayor was asked to take action after a transgender woman was ridiculed by transport staff
• 40 pictures that show the golden age of rail transport in BritainTake a step back in time with these brilliant photographs of the capital's rail network
• Southern Rail owners launch fresh bid to avert drivers' strike actionThe owners of Southern Rail have appealed against a High Court ruling which refused an injunction to prevent strike action by drivers.
• Heathrow expansion 'will cause travel chaos' in west London, Deputy Mayor for Transport warns The Heathrow airport expansion could cause travel chaos in west London, the Deputy Mayor for Transport has warned.
• Letters to the editor: Let TfL run suburban railwaysEarlier this year the Government indicated that suburban rail services would be devolved to Transport for London when the current franchises end. This would have meant that the current appalling service would have been replaced with a reliable and modern one with an increased frequency of trains.
• Gardens, armchairs and sideboards – is this concept car the future of personal transport?Oasis concept presents Rinspeed's vision for future urban transport.
• Toilet charges axed at Victoria and Charing Cross to compensate for Southern rail chaosCharges to use toilets at two major London stations have been scrapped to help compensate passengers who have faced months of chaos on the railways.

Northern Echo

• Arriva bus driver praised for allowing girls to get on vehicle rather than face walk alone in the dark A BUS driver has been praised by the public and his bosses�for allowing two young girls to get on his vehicle, rather than walk the streets�in the dark.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Tom Richmond: Leeds Council off track with its airport rail station planI ALREADY feel sorry for international visitors arriving at Leeds Bradford Airport, a depressing experience at the best of times.

Bucks Free Press

• 'Near-misses' reignite zebra crossing appeal for 'dangerous' road Calls for a zebra crossing on a “dangerous” road in Marlow have been reignited after a mother and her son were almost hit by a car while walking to school.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Trains passengers and motorists face delays as A12 and main rail line to London closing at weekendsMotorists heading to London will face delays on the roads early next year as Highways England undertake a series of roadworks.
• Nine possible routes that the A120 could take between Braintree and ColchesterThe A120 could join the A12 at Rivenhall or Kelvedon instead of Marks Tey as potential routes for the new dualled road are revealed.

Other Regional Press

• Fresh row between council leaders ‘could threaten Oxfordshire devolution deal’ A FRESH row between Oxfordshire’s council leaders is threatening to derail a major devolution proposal.
• Oh commute, all ye faithful...Did you join in with carols at Huddersfield Bus Station?Passengers get into the spirit of Christmas with festive singing
• Justice secretary praises our campaign calling for tougher sentences for killer driversThe justice secretary has praised our campaign calling for tougher sentences for those who kill on the roads.

Rail Magazine

• Hitachi unveils first UK-assembled IEP trainTransport Secretary and Ambassador of Japan see the first of 110 new IEPs come off the production line

Rail Technology Magazine

• UK student wins Heathrow Express’ ‘mind the gap’ design competition A student from the UK-based Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London (UAL) has won Heathrow Express’ ‘mind the gap’ design competition.
• Underground set to undergo biggest capacity expansion everThe Underground is set to see the biggest increase in its capacity in history as Transport for London (TfL) published its plans for the coming year. The papers, published along with its business plan ahead of a board meeting on 15 December, reveal plans to achieve a peak service of 36 trains an...

Railnews

• Judge refuses injunction against Southern DOO strikes Strikes by drivers on Southern are set to start next week, after a High Court judge rejected an application by Govia Thameslink Railway for an injunction against their union ASLEF, which hailed the decision as a victory and called for fresh talks, although 'disappointed' GTR was given leave to appeal. In the wake of the judgment, one Sussex MP has said changes in the law should now be considered.
• Mayor steps up campaign for TfL takeover The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has fired a new shot in his battle to take over most suburban railways in London. His move has come as Transport secretary Chris Grayling is under pressure to resign after he had refused to allow any more routes to become part of London Overground, on the grounds that his new integrated approach is preferable. However, it was revealed within 48 hours that he had told Mayor Boris Johnson in 2013 that he

Railway Gazette

• First British IEP unveiledUK: The first electro-diesel trainset to be assembled at Hitachi Rail Europe's Newton Aycliffe...

Aviation Industry

• DOT: Airlines must warn customers if inflight phone calls are permittedThe US Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing that airlines and ticket agents should be required to inform prospective customers in advance if an airline allows passengers to make mobile phone calls onboard the aircraft. read more
• Drone operators blamed for three more UK close encountersThe UK Airprox Board (UKAB) has reported three more incidents in which unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) came alarmingly close to airliners. read more
• Norwegian lessor Arctic Aviation Assets takes first Airbus A320neo Norwegian Air Shuttle’s lessor subsidiary Arctic Aviation Assets (AAA) has taken delivery of its first Airbus aircraft, the first of 70 A320neos the Norwegian Group has on order. read more

Green Miscellany

• Ships and planes wipe out half emissions savingsWe hear much about the pollution created by cars and lorries, but the growth in emissions from shipping and aviation will undo 43 per cent of the savings expected to be made by the rest of transport in Europe over the net 13 years. The result is that almost half the already-inadequate emissions savings expected in land transport will be… The post Ships and planes wipe out half emissions savings appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Airbus on Heathrow descent put at 'serious degree of risk' in near-miss with football-sized drone, report finds Drone operators "flagrantly disregarding regulation and common sense" in pursuit of "ever more spectacular video footage", says UK Airprox Board