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

Monday, 12 December 2016

BBC News

• Protestors oppose Cromarty Firth ship-to-ship oil transfersA protest against ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Moray Firth is held in Nairn.
• ScotRail takes delivery of first new electric trainScotRail unveils the first in a fleet of electric trains it says are
• Iran signs $16bn deal to buy 80 Boeing aircraftState airline Iran Air says it has signed a deal to buy 80 passenger planes from US aircraft giant Boeing.
• Trump presidency: Exxon's Rex Tillerson for top diplomat?Exxon Mobil's Rex Tillerson meets Donald Trump amid reports he will be secretary of state.
• Qantas to fly from London to Australia non-stopPassengers will be able to fly from the UK to Australia non-stop from March 2018, says airline Qantas.

The Guardian

• Amber Rudd turns on striking Southern rail workersHome secretary is among Tory MPs pinning blame on unions, saying they are causing ‘miserable period’ for her constituents
• First commuter service set to begin on £230m Oxford-London rail linkChiltern Railways to operate two trains an hour on first new rail link between a major British city and the capital in 100 years. The first commuter services on a £320m rail link connecting Oxford city centre and London will begin on Monday. Chiltern Railways will operate two trains an hour between Oxford and London Marylebone, with journey times from about 60 minutes.

The Herald

• Let Abellio be left to get on with running Scotland's trains
• Campaigners take to the beach to fight plans to transfer crude oil between ships in firthMORE than 100 demonstrators have taken part in a beach protest against plans by one of Scotland’s busiest ports to transfer millions of tonnes of crude oil between ships.

The Scotsman

• ScotRail unveils new ‘bullet train inspired’ fleetIt is hailed as being inspired by Japan’s Shinkansen “bullet” train – but ScotRail’s new fleet will be the first in a generation without teething troubles if it proves that reliable.

The Telegraph

• Uber driver breaks record with 397 mile journey from Virginia to Brooklyn
• Amber Rudd condemns 'unacceptable' train drivers strike due to shut down one of the country's busiest rail routes

Reuters News

• Qantas to fly non-stop from Australia's Perth to LondonSYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's national carrier Qantas Airways Ltd will launch the first regular passenger flight directly linking Australia and Europe when it begins flights from Perth to London with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, the airline said on Sunday.

Daily Express

• Railway chaos: The system of franchises and contracting out needs to be scrappedDELAYS, cancellations and overcrowding – the railways are going through a particularly bad patch as the Christmas rush builds up.

Daily Record

• ScotRail unveils first of 70 new electric trains that will 'transform the experience' of frustrated passengers The trains, part of an overall £475million investment programme announced last year, were hailed by transport minister Humza Yousaf as a “great milestone.

Mail Online

• Don't travel by train: Warning to commuters as strikers begin 'double whammy' of walkouts Commuters in the South face a travel lockdown from tomorrow with a 'double-whammy' of industrial action on their trains. Services on Southern Rail around London will be halted.

Birmingham Mail

• Cycling two abreast: Why confusion reigns over the rules of the road Plenty of motorists and cyclists think they know the laws of the road and the highway code all too well

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

• Qantas airline to launch non-stop flights from London to AustraliaAirline Qantas has announced it is launching a new non-stop service from London to Australia.

Northern Echo

• 'The train leaving the North-East for Manchester Airport is a year ahead of schedule' EXTRA train services from the North-East to Manchester Airport will help further open up the region to the rest of the world, rail bosses say.

Yorkshire Post

• Chris Grayling: Smart ticket on journey to golden era for rail IN a world where I can even buy my lunch in the House of Commons tea room with my mobile phone, I should not have to queue for a paper ticket on my morning journey to work.
• Crackdown on fare-dodgers on trainsPlans to change the way fare dodging rail passengers are punished have been outlined by the Department for Transport.
• Transport experts make the case for Light Rail in LeedsLIGHT rail operators and manufacturers will make the case for a light rail system for Leeds during a summit in the city tomorrow.
• YP Letters: East Coast rail route is going backwards in journey timesFrom: Paul Rouse, Main Street, Sutton upon Derwent, York.

The Shields Gazette

• Taxi loophole closure hailed as common sense by South Tyneside councillorCouncillors have welcomed a move to immediately close a loophole which has allowed mini-bus drivers to ferry passengers about without any form of police check.

Other Regional Press

• Hertfordshire LEP repeats offer to work with Stevenage MP on town centre regeneration as he questions its bid for fundingAs Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership waits for an announcement on government funds which could be used to revamp Stevenage railway station and begin the transformation of the town centre, Stevenage MP Stephen McPartland has claimed it does not have the backing of millions of pounds of private funds it has suggested.
• West Norfolk rail passenger numbers rise, but growth rate slowing, new figures show Use of West Norfolk’s rail network is still rising, but much more slowly than in recent years, new figures have shown.
• Bracknell train station will get a new look in 2017Improvements will be made to the waiting room and real-time information will be added
• A10, A1307 and "transformative" rail options in the frame: Hopes for 'big ticket' projects in next round of Cambridge City Deal fundingConsiderations are already being made for tranche two funding, and Cllr Lewis Herbert would like to see the door opened to "big ticket" items
• Cabinet set to make decision on new bodyCOUNCILLORS will decide today on whether they will join a new transport body that has been set up to bring transport improvements to the area.
• Rail union launches 'Save Our Services' campaign at Northampton stationRail Union RMT is launching its Safe Trains for All Campaign across London Midland stations today, including Northampton.
• Bus firm launches new app in Northamptonshire for passengers to pay with mobileStagecoach Midlands has launched mobile ticketing across Northamptonshire, through a new smartphone app.
• London Midland adds extra carriages to peak time train from Northampton to LondonExtra carriages are being added to two peak time trains today to and from Northampton and London Euston.
• End of the road: Disappointment as western relief route DROPPED from council's growth plan HOPES of a Western Route relief road have been dashed after it was removed from an economic growth plan to boost the fortunes of Weymouth, Portland and west Dorset.

C.N.N.

• The world's longest airline routesLong-haul flights are about to get longer as aircraft become more fuel-efficient and passengers more demanding.

Bus and Coach.com

• Leeds retains appetite for mass transit plans
• UTG highlights challenges of data
• Half a million sales for Manchester's ‘get me there’ app Greater Manchester’s ‘get me there’ mobile ticketing app has marked its first anniversary by passing the 500,000 sales mark. Available on Android and iPhone since November 2015, the Metrolink app now accounts for around 20,000 journeys a day, making up almost one-tenth of all adult ticket sales.
• Enabling the transition to a greener transport future

Railway Gazette

• Nylon Line handrail installed at stationUK: Architectural hardware supplier Laidlaw has installed 180 m of its 40 mm diameter Nylon...

Aviation Industry

• Qantas to launch Perth-London 787 17-hour nonstop serviceQantas announced it will launch Perth-London Heathrow non-stop service in March 2018 using the Boeing 787-9 for the 9,000 mile, 17 hour flight. read more
• Boeing secures contract to provide Iran Air 80 aircraftBoeing announced Sunday it had firmed a memorandum of agreement (MoU) signed with Iran Air earlier this year for 50 narrowbody and 30 widebody aircraft in a deal valued at $16.6 billion at list prices. read more

Other News Sources

• Grayling urged to consider ‘A railway that works for everyone’Economic Secretary to the Treasury and Sussex MP Simon Kirby (Brighton Kemptown) has written to the Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, requesting that he meets the Brighton Main Line 2 Project Group.
• Gateshead’s Petards wins £2m Siemens orderGateshead-based security firm Petards has won a £2m contract to supply train-related surveillance services to Siemens’ Mobility Division.
• Ship-borne Internet of Things Will Benefit Marine IndustryIn 2017, the Danish Maritime Authority will contribute to a pilot project on the development and testing of a system that collects real-time data from various components on board ships. The data flow will be transmitted continuously to shore-based organisations allowing the authorities…
• Southern Rail strike: Surrey commuters resigned to further disruption as chartered train bid fails with drivers' strike looming Southern operator Govia-Thameslink Railway will take their bid to halt a three-day strike by drivers next week to the Appeals Court on Monday
• Southern passengers call for Theresa May to intervene in rail dispute A group of
• Southern accused of cancelling trains when crews available Southern Railway has been accused of cancelling trains and blaming industrial action even though drivers and other crew members were available.