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

Monday, 30 January 2017

BBC News

• £80k Tonypandy bus station revamp omits flat kerbsA council is criticised after a bus station was revamped for £80,000 without creating access off the pavement for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
• Hungry penguins help keep car code safeHungry penguins have inspired a novel way of making sure computer code in smart cars does not crash.
• Spaceport plans delayed by BrexitPlans for legislation to enable the development of the UK's first commercial spaceports have been delayed by Brexit, BBC Scotland understands.

The Guardian

• Accessibility and ownership of the UK’s railwaysRe the letter from Charles Horton of Govia Thameslink Railway (21 January), removing the guarantee of “turn up and go” travel at 33 stations and formalising the need for advance booking all over the network means taking a significant step back for rail accessibility.
• Emirates airline changes pilot and crew rosters on US flights after Trump orderOther airlines screening passengers from countries affected by travel ban before their departure for USEmirates airline has changed pilot and flight attendant rosters on flights to the United States following the sudden US travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries, highlighting the challenges facing airlines trying to deal with the new rules. The world’s largest long-haul carrier, which flies daily to 11 US cities, has made “the necessary adjustments to our crewing, to comply with the latest requirements”, an Emirates spokeswoman told Reuters by email.

The Herald

• Spaceports 'delayed' by BrexitPROPOSALS to enable the development of the UK's first commercial spaceports have been delayed by Brexit.

Times Online

• Green is the new black as cabs go electric [subscription]Britain’s latest car plant — and the country’s first factory exclusively building electric vehicles — is to open in Coventry in the spring as the China-backed London Taxi Company rises from the ashes and begins production on new battery-driven black cabs.
• Rival engineers in talks on special relationship [subscription]The American consulting engineer playing a key role in Britain’s new High Speed Two rail route has approached its UK competitor WS Atkins about a possible $4 billion merger.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bus passengers on shuttle route to trial paying by phone app BUS-users in the Bradford district are to trial the latest in ticketing technology.
• Sponsors needed to get family buses on the road A TYKE charity wanting to bus inner-city families into the countryside is appealing for sponsorship.
• 10mph proposal by residents sparks further discussion COUNCILLORS have agreed to look at supporting a group of residents concerned that the roads on their estate which they spent £55,000 to improve are an “accident waiting to happen” due to speeding drivers.

Bristol Live

• Good news for Bristol drivers as £8 million MetroBus bridge nears completionThe final set of beams were being put in place on Sunday for a £8 million MetroBus bridge, following months of disruption.

London Evening Standard

• Woolwich Ferry passengers face 'disruption' after services are suspendedWoolwich Ferry passengers have been warned services could be delayed or cancelled on Monday after boats were suspended at the weekend.

Get West London

• Stunning new images of above and within as Crossrail gets closer to completionNew images showing progress from the sky and within the new stations have been released

Other Regional Press

• Rail groups call for improved service to help Gower commuters CALLS have been made for an increase in the frequency of trains along the Heart of Wales line, helping Gowerton and Pontarddulais residents to commute to work more easily, ahead of the new rail franchise coming into effect next year.
• NOT FARE: Anger over bus fare increases in Weymouth and Portland ANGRY bus passengers in Weymouth and Portland have hit out over a major fare increase.

Bus and Coach.com

• New colour-coded network gets underway at Yellow BusesYellow Buses has introduced eight colour-coded routes in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch which also includes serving Ringwood for the first time.
• Lothian takeover of East Coast gets competition body clearanceThe Competitions and Markets Authority has cleared the acquisition by East Coast Buses Limited of the east coast operations of First Scotland East Limited. East Coast Buses is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lothian Buses Ltd. As part of its recent investments in the East Coast network, Lothian has launched NightHawk, a new night bus service.
• Optare Metrocity trial with First BusTransport for Greater Manchester has awarded a seven-year, £8million contract to Optare to provide repair and maintenance for 104 hybrid and electric-powered buses following a competitive tendering process.
• Substantial investment in Volvo hybrids by ArrivaArriva has taken 174 new Volvo B5LH double-deck hybrid buses with Wrightbus Gemini 3 bodies for its operations in London and the north west of England.
• New Sunderland-Newcastle express route launchedStagecoach North East is launching a new express service between Sunderland and Newcastle next week. The new X24 inter-urban express route starts on 30 January and will operate every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday from Fawcett Street in Sunderland city centre to Pilgrim Street in Newcastle.

Rail Technology Magazine

• MEN Provides New menTCS Component: Safe I/O Card with Digital Outputs The safe I/O card K7 provides eight digital outputs with low side switching and is the newest member of the menTCS family, the safe and modular train control system from MEN. Thanks to integrated supervision functions a single card can reach safety l…
• HS2’s second phase: on track despite uncertainty and opposition As the UK government unveils its near-final route for Phase 2b of its massive High-Speed 2 rail scheme, the project is still struggling to assuage the concerns of its detractors. What are the key changes in the Phase 2b route, and can the Department …
• Driving the Azuma, Virgin Trains’ future fleet After an extensive recruitment process, 78 candidates have started their year-long training programme to become drivers on the new Virgin Trains Azuma trains. The fleet is poised to include some of the most advanced trains on the UK’s rail network on…

Other News Sources

• CH2M explores £3bn merger with AtkinsAmerican consulting giant CH2M is reported to approached UK rival Atkins about a possible £3bn-plus merger.
• Cycling in Surrey: Government pledges �7.5m to encourage people across south east to ditch cars and get in the saddle The Department for Transport is embarking on a major project to boost walking and cycling across the country