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

Wednesday, 04 January 2017

BBC News

• CES 2017: Faraday Future unveils super fast electric carStart-up Faraday Future unveils a self-driving electric car that it says can accelerate from zero to 60mph faster than Tesla's Model S
• Norwegian announces 130 jobs and new Edinburgh baseEdinburgh Airport is been chosen as a new base for budget airline, Norwegian, with plans for transatlantic flights.
• Edinburgh Airport set to land 100 new retail jobsEdinburgh Airport announces plans to further expand its retail offering this year, leading to about 100 new jobs.
• Bike theft 'like the new car theft', says PSNICyclists in Northern Ireland advised to spend more money on security for their bikes.
• Belfast City Airport's 2m seat sale limit to be liftedA planning restriction which limits the number of departure seats sold by George Best Belfast City Airport is set to be lifted.
• Manchester Airport dividends reduce council job losses and service cutsJob losses and service cuts will not be as severe as first feared, thanks to Manchester City Council's stake in Manchester Airport.
• 'China freight train' in first trip to BarkingChina launches a direct rail freight service to London, as part of its drive to develop trade and investment links with Europe.

Financial Times

• Train revamper plans to press on despite ‘setback’Converted Underground train fitted with diesel catches fire on test run
• BA passengers face renewed strike disruptionCabin crew reject peace deal hammered out before Christmas

The Guardian

• Transport providers come under pressure to improve disabled accessParalympians Anne Wafula Strike and Ade Adepitan back fines for companies that fail to provide facilities for disabled peoplePressure is mounting on transport providers and other companies to improve access for people with disabilities after the Paralympian Anne Wafula Strike revealed in the Guardian that she had been forced to wet herself on a train because the accessible toilet was out of order.Wafula Strike, a British wheelchair racer and a board member of UK Athletics, has called for companies to be fined if they don’t provide the facilities for disabled people that legislation requires. C...
• British Airways cabin crew to go on strike next week in pay disputeAbout 2,500 members of BA’s Heathrow-based mixed fleet to walkout for 48 hours from Tuesday after rejecting latest offerBritish Airways cabin crew based at Heathrow are to go on strike next week in a row over “poverty pay” at the airline. About 2,500 members of BA’s mixed fleet – which is predominantly made up of younger and lower-paid cabin crew – will walkout for 48 hours from next Tuesday after the company’s latest offer was rejected. Continue reading...
• Rail chiefs or unions: can passengers trust either of them? | Rafael BehrAs commuters face strikes and price rises it’s clear that a key problem is the lack of accountability. But renationalisation is not the answer If solidarity among British people experiencing a common misfortune could be measured, the scientific unit would be the blitz.
• Faraday Future takes on Tesla at CES with FF 91, the electric car that can learnIt has F1 acceleration and a ‘driverless valet’ system but concerns persist the sedan may never go into production Electric car company Faraday Future unveiled “a new species” of car in Las Vegas on Tuesday night: an electric sedan that will have the acceleration of a Formula One car and the ability to learn and adapt to the driver.The FF 91, which the company says will go into production in 2018, would see Faraday Future compete with Tesla for the electric sports car market. The FF 91 has 1,050hp and can accelerate 0-60mph in 2.39 seconds, while the Tesla Model S P100D can reach 60mph in 2.5 ...

The Herald

• Rail campaigners call for action as fares rise hits commutersProtests are expected as commuters hit by the annual rise in rail fares return to work from the festive break.

The Scotsman

• Glasgow rail protest planned as fares rise by up to 7 per centRail union TSSA will launch a campaign for public control of the railways in Glasgow tomorrow as commuters returning to work face fare increases of up to 7 per cent.
• British Airways cabin crew are to stage a 48-hour strikeBritish Airways cabin crew are to stage a 48-hour strike after rejecting an offer aimed at resolving a pay dispute.

The Telegraph

• Momentum criticised by Stella Creasy MP and Labour supporters for 'trying to be like Ukip' after sharing 'xenophobic' rail fares video

Times Online

• Electric vehicles and the cost of transport [subscription]Sir, The UK’s adoption of plug-in cars and vans isn’t only being held back by an expensive, limited and complicated public charging network (“Crackdown on rip-off charges for electric cars”, news, Dec 28; letters Dec 30).

Reuters News

• British Airways' cabin crew announce 48-hour strike for January 10LONDON (Reuters) - British Airways cabin crew plan to hold a 48-hour strike starting on Jan. 10, after suspending previous plans to walk out over Christmas, trade union Unite said on Tuesday.

Mail Online

• David Anderson warns Britain's ports and marinas are wide open to ISIS fighters David Anderson (pictured), the terror laws watchdog, said jihadists could attempt to sneak across the UK's porous border at hundreds of remote locations because of the absence of stringent checks.
• Southern Rail passengers get no payouts to cover taxis or childcare bills Hundreds of thousands of Southern Rail passengers will be left out of pocket after the company refused to compensate them for problems caused by nearly a year of strike misery on the network.

Belfast Telegraph

• Addison Lee buys US rival Flyte Tyme as taxi firm looks to keep pace with UberTaxi firm Addison Lee has snapped up US rival Flyte Tyme in a deal understood to be valued at 25 million US dollars (£20 million).
• Wrightbus could be in line to sell hundreds of buses in future London dealBallymena's Wrightbus could be in line for a deal to sell hundreds of new buses to London in the next five years, after the sale of its current Routemasters to the capital comes to an end, it's understood.

Birmingham Mail

• HS2 prompts rugby club to plan new home Club lodges plans for a new home as it is being forced to leave its current ground to make way for high-speed rail line

Birmingham Post

• Why Snow Hill Midland Metro stop is getting a new name West Midlands transport chiefs rebrand Snow Hill stop as it was confusing passengers wishing to access the main railway train

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Huge surge in prosecutions over untaxed vehicles THERE has been a huge surge in the number of Bradford drivers successfully prosecuted for having untaxed vehicles.
• Parking charge rises set to be approved CONTROVERSIAL plans to introduce parking charges at a number of sites are set to be approved by Bradford Council.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• North Wales road deaths on the rise as nearly 100 die in three yearsFigures obtained from North Wales Police in a Freedom of Information request show deaths have increased from 25 in 2014 to 27 in 2015 and 34 in 2016

London Evening Standard

• Exposed: London's most prolific speed camera which has raised £1.5m in six monthsLondon's most prolific speed camera generated an extraordinary £1.5 million in fines in six months, the Standard can reveal today.
• Rail fare hike sparks protests at stations across the UKFurious campaigners staged protests at stations across the country over the annual hike in rail fares.
• Sadiq Khan: Government must match fares freeze after 'scandalous' hikeSadiq Khan today called on Government to match his fares freeze as rail commuters were hit by a "scandalous" ticket price increase of up to five per cent.
• 'Humiliated' Paralympian forced to wet herself because CrossCountry train's disabled toilet was out of orderA Paralympian has told how she was forced to wet herself on a train ride because the disabled toilet was not working.
• British Airways cabin crew announce 48-hour strike for January 10 amid pay disputeFlights could be disrupted next week as British Airways cabin crew announce a fresh 48-hour walk out next week.

Manchester Evening News

• Council set to spend �100m on filling in the city's potholed streets after being swamped by complaintsManchester town hall will borrow the cash for urgent repairs to the region's roads

The York Press

• York MP condemns soaring rail fares SOARING train fares have been condemned by York Central MP Rachael Maskell as she called for a new way of running Britain’s railways.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• How spending a penny at Leeds station generated �250,000VISITORS TO Leeds City Station stumped up more than £250,000 to use toilet facilities last year, according to accounts.

Blackpool Gazette

• Peek behind scenes at BAE’s world class training centreLancashire is hoping to cement its place at the heart of British aviation​ for generations to come with a £15.6m training academy which will produce the aircraft makers of the future.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Replacement buses at Braintree due to late trains from depotTwo rail services in Braintree are being replaced by buses this morning as a result of trains being late from the depot.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Rail ticket protest held by Labour MEP outside Peterborough Station amid calls for nationalisationA protest at rail ticket price rises was held outside Peterborough Station this morning (Tuesday, January 3) by Labour MEP Alex Mayer and local campaigners.

Other Regional Press

• Station protests as commuters stung with 'unfair' new year fare rises CAMPAIGNERS outraged about rising rail fares will voice their anger during protests at the county’s stations today.
• Southeastern set to secure six-month extension to franchise to run train services across KentRail firm Southeastern looks set to secure a six-month extension to its franchise to run Kent's train services - despite regular criticism.
• Campaigners take to the stations to protest against the "rip-off" rail fares PROTESTERS took to train stations in Weymouth and Dorchester as they campaigned against an increase in rail fares that came in to force this week.
• Jaguar Land Rover electric car battery race being won by CoventryCoventry is leading the way in developing electric vehicle battery technology

Forbes

• The New Silk Road: China Launches Beijing-London Freight Train RouteOn Sunday, the Chinese government launched a rail freight service between China and London. This is the first direct rail link between China and Great Britain. The route of the service will traverse from Beijing, across Asia and Europe, before terminating in London.

Buying Business Travel

• Heathrow cuts domestic passenger charges in boost to regional airportsAirlines under no obligation to pass savings to customers
• Norwegian plans to launch US flights from EdinburghMore low-cost long-haul services set to be announced

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Elizabeth line train undergoes all-weather testingThe new Elizabeth line trains, that will improve travel across London for hundreds of thousands of Londoners, are undergoing the most intense testing possible in readiness for any possible weather conditions they could encounter. Bombardier Transportation, which is building the new trains in Derby, delivered the front carriage of a test train to the Rail Tec Arsenal test centre in Vienna for three weeks of testing in a number of weather conditions, with temperatures ranging from -25ºC up to +40ºC. The facility in Vienna is the only place in Europe that can carry out this level of tes...
• Virgin Trains breaks one million mark on Edinburgh-London after service investments•Customer numbers break new records in 2016 following Virgin Trains’ investment •Increase in passengers choosing train over plane on UK’s busiest domestic air route •On track with ambitious plans to win 50% of air/rail market by 2023   More than a million Virgin Trains passengers are travelling between Edinburgh and London each year for the first time. The London to Scotland operator has ended the year on a high after seeing 8% annual growth in customer numbers between the UK and Scottish capitals. It follows a string of timetable and customer service improvem...

Rail Technology Magazine

• Integrating drones into rail accident investigation Drones are breaking ground on UK’s railways when it comes to accident investigation. Both Network Rail and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch have been using them over the past two years, while researchers at Cranfield University are testing the …

Railnews

• Protests over 'kick in the teeth' fare increases Demonstrators are out in force at stations today, following the introduction of the 2017 rail fare rises. These are based on a 1.9% increase for regulated fares in line with the Retail Price Index in July 2016, but the average increase for England and Wales, taking all fares into account, was slightly higher at 2.3 per cent, according to the Rail Delivery Group. The Campaign for Better Transport has described the effect on passengers as a �kick in the teeth�, Labour described the rises as �truly staggering�, while the consumer group Which? said they were �a bitter pill to swallow�. The Rail D...

Railway Gazette

• Bane NOR launched to manage Norwegian networkNORWAY: Celebrations at Oslo Sentral station on January 2 marked the launch of Bane NOR as the...

Aviation Industry

• Lufthansa Group to take 10 A320neos in 2017 Lufthansa Group—which took delivery of its fifth Airbus A320neo on Dec. 29, 2016—expects to receive 10 more of the type in 2017. read more

Other News Sources

• Protesters launch campaign against rail fare increases PROTESTERS launched a campaign against hikes in rail fares at Southampton Central Station this morning.
• Southern Rail strike: Passengers told 'do not even attempt to travel' ahead of six-day drivers' walkout The latest walkout by drivers will get under way on Monday January 9, lasting for six days and set to plunge the network into fresh chaos
• EasyJet launches New Year sale on thousands of flights from Gatwick Airport Discounts include 20% off flights to a number of destinations from Gatwick Airport
• Guildford residents to have say on future of town's 'outdated' bus stationGuildford Borough Council's executive voted in favour of putting 10 different options for relocating the bus station out for public consultation
• One in five motoring fines successfully challenged or ripped up in Brighton and Hove ALMOST one in five motoring fines handed out are now successfully challenged or dropped.