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

Wednesday, 25 January 2017

BBC News

• ScotRail passenger satisfaction fallsPassenger satisfaction with ScotRail services has fallen but remains higher than the UK as a whole, according to the latest figures.
• Greater Manchester metro mayor election to cost '�5.4m'The election of Greater Manchester's first metro mayor and setting up the new office will cost more than �5m, a report says.
• Glasgow Airport to introduce drop-off chargeDrivers are to be charged a fee of �2 to drop off passengers at Glasgow Airport in future.
• Airbus warns over Brexit free movementAirbus warns MPs that the company is entering a
• UK car industry slows investment, says SMMT trade bodyInvestment in the UK's car industry fell in 2016 after several years of strong growth, says the SMMT trade body.

Financial Times

• EasyJet delayed by currency disruptionA 1 cent adverse movement in the sterling/dollar rate costs the budget carrier �2.4m
• Trenitalia makes second UK rail moveItaly’s state-owned operator teams up with First Group a week after c2c acquisition
• India airport plan flies into troubleA lack of foreign investors in a new hub for Mumbai highlights the problems of delivering big projects
• Aslef leader warns rail groups over driver-only plansDispute could spread to other regions as union stands by its position

The Guardian

• Tube strike: Central line drivers stage 24-hour walkoutRMT members to walk out on Wednesday in dispute over ‘forced displacement’ of staffDrivers on the London underground are to stage a 24-hour strike in a dispute over the “forced displacement” of staff.Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union who work on the Central line will walk out at 9pm on Wednesday Continue reading...
• Poll confirms Southern’s status as UK's worst-performing rail firmOnly 30% of passengers said last journey had been punctual, while one in eight said train operator had dealt well with delaysSouthern’s status as Britain’s worst-performing train operator has been confirmed by the national rail passenger survey, which shows growing dissatisfaction across the country. Related: Seaford: the town cut off by the Southern rail dispute Continue reading...
• It’s not just pregnant women. We all need solace on the grisly trains | Catherine ShoardAn app encourages commuters to offer up their seats. But demanding special treatment for one group feels silly when rush hour is hideous for everyoneAs someone who likes badges (especially if they’re free) as well as the chirpy aesthetic of London Underground design and being pregnant after a fairly long haul, I was initially pleased with my baby-on-board badge. It’s an easy way to convey news, and wins you smiles from strangers on the street – and sometimes even a seat.The logic was that people were too engrossed in their phones to notice bumps waggling unhappily in front of their handbag Con...

The Scotsman

• EasyJet shares tumble after �35m knock to financesLow-cost airline EasyJet has revealed a fresh £35 million hit as it takes a hammering from the weak pound, while it also outlined the impact of the Christmas market attack in Berlin.

The Telegraph

• More than 120 Tory MPs back calls for tougher anti-strike laws to end rail misery for commuters

Times Online

• Cars in France must display pollution rate sticker [subscription]British drivers travelling to France will be hit with fines of up to £116 if they fail to display an emissions sticker detailing how much their car pollutes.
• Rail timetables are a fiction, says watchdog [subscription]Rail timetables have become little more than a “work of fiction” after a rise in delays on busy lines over the past year, according to the passenger watchdog.
• ScotRail has to perform better, Yousaf admits [subscription]Humza Yousaf said that ScotRail could do better but insisted the rail operator’s performance was not “apocalyptic”.
• Italy’s red arrows make tracks for Britain’s HS2 rail line [subscription]Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa trains are built in a joint venture by Bombardier and Hitachi; both have UK trainmaking plants

Daily Record

• ScotRail passenger survey shows decline in satisfaction ratings since Abellio took the helmDespite the plummeting ratings, the firm were still two points higher than the UK average.

Mail Online

• Eurostar bosses ban the Mail over security expos� Eurostar banned the Daily Mail for exposing a security threat that allows passengers to reach Britain without identification.
• Southern Rail survey finds satisfaction at lowest level The percentage of travellers satisfied with their journeys fell to 81 per cent from 83 per cent a year ago, according to a report by the independent watchdog Transport Focus.

Birmingham Mail

• These three bus lanes will now be enforced in BirminghamThe council’s Labour cabinet voted to approve the installation of cameras and issuing of £60 fines on Lichfield Road in Aston, Tyburn Road in Pype Hayes and Bordesley Green

Birmingham Post

• Why Birmingham is one of the cheapest cities for commutersBirmingham is the second most affordable major city in the UK for rail commuters, according to new research.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Calls for speed bumps near school to combat 'ridiculous' drivers MORE than 200 people have signed a petition urging Bradford Council to install speed bumps on busy roads around a primary school in Allerton.
• Firm specialising in high-performance vehicles backs fight against dangerous driving A BRADFORD business that specialises in high-performance vehicles has backed the police’s fight against dangerous drivers who blight the district’s roads.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Airbus boss Brexit warning: 'We are entering a dangerous phase' Chief operating officer Tom Williams was speaking to MPs about the Brexit risks

Liverpool Echo

• Amazing pictures show Merseyrail Loop Line as you've never seen it beforePassengers have been forced on to rail replacement buses since the new year

London Evening Standard

• Commuter 'blacks out after being shoved to ground' on packed London Midland trainA London commuter has told how he blacked out and suffered concussion after allegedly being shoved to the floor on a packed train.
• Southeastern delays: thousands battle to get home from 'hellish' stations as derailed train sparks rush hour miseryRail passengers described "hellish" scenes at some of London's busiest stations after a derailed freight train caused more rush hour misery in the capital.
• Lewisham train derailment: Southeastern commuters face more rail chaos after derailment of huge freight trainCommuters faced a second day of disruption after a huge freight train derailed and blocked lines at a major south London commuter hub.

The York Press

• York & Selby rail passengers among UK's most satisfied, says survey PASSENGERS on the York and Selby to London routes are some of the country’s most satisfied railway customers.

Wales Online

• Arriva Trains Wales are spending nearly half a million on refurbishing trains - can you spot the difference? Seats, toilets, walls, ceilings and floors have all been updated
• This is what passengers think about Arriva Trains Wales' service The National Rail Passenger Survey revealed that overall passenger satisfaction remains the same since Autumn 2015 - but satisfaction has fallen in a number of individual areas

East Anglian Daily Times

• Greater Anglia gets passenger approvalPassengers believe that Greater Anglia’s rail services improved in most areas during 2016 according to a new survey by official watchdog Passenger Focus.

North Wales Live

• Merseyrail top for customer satisfaction Train company scores highest in latest passenger survey

Other Regional Press

• Oxford Bus Company drivers ballot for strike action Drivers at Oxford Bus Company are to be balloted for strike action following a 'complete breakdown of industrial relations'.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Government industrial strategy aims to tackle 'historic underinvestment' in railThe government’s new green paper outlining its industrial strategy for the UK has outlined proposals to boost the rail industry, including a plan to tackle “historic underinvestment” in the railway network. The strategy highlights the government’s commitments to projects...
• Commuters slam 'shoddy' service as passenger satisfaction dips to 81%The latest National Transport Passenger Survey has revealed that passengers’ faith in the railway has been knocked as satisfaction took a sharp dip after a year of industrial action and prolonged poor performance. The Transport Focus survey, which measured the satisfaction of more than...
• Greater action needed nationally to tackle 'Martini' terrorismBritish Transport Police (BTP) chiefs have revealed that the service is putting increasing amounts of its core funding into countering terrorism on Britain’s railways, but other areas of the force’s work are having to absorb the cost. BTP bosses made the admission during an evidence...

Aviation Industry

• EasyJet forecasts harsh operating environmentUK low-cost carrier (LCC) easyJet returned what it described as “a solid first quarter” in its financial year, but warned the trading outlook would remain difficult. read more
• Aeroflot Group passenger traffic up 10.3% in 2016Russia’s Aeroflot Group carried 43.4 million passengers in 2016, up 10.3% compared to 39.4 million passengers in 2015. read more