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

Friday, 03 March 2017

BBC News

• Ford jobs: Welsh secretary 'optimistic'Ford's engine plant in Bridgend will have opportunities to bid for new work to secure threatened jobs, the Welsh secretary says.
• North Wales metro 'will deliver' says transport secretaryPlans for a north Wales metro system will live up to people's expectations, the economy and transport secretary says.
• Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with carsThe data deal will be available across the entire range of the carmaker's vehicles.
• Facelift planned for Glasgow's 'Smartie tube' bridgeThe 30-year-old covered walkway between the SEC and Finnieston could be redeveloped with £5m from the Glasgow City Region City Deal.

Financial Times

• Lyft seeks $500m to value transport group above $6bnUber’s US rival looks to expand beyond the 300 cities where it operates

The Guardian

• 'You weren’t scared?': Nissan takes us for a ride in the Leaf driverless carIt’s guided by five radars, four lasers and 12 cameras – but a drive around London shows there’s still some work to doA self-driving car has had its first trials on major London roads, proving the technology works – or it does with an attentive driver behind the wheel to slam on the brakes.Guided by five radars, four lasers and 12 cameras, a converted electric Nissan Leaf has been following a carefully mapped route around Beckton, in east London, driving itself along the A13 dual carriageway, around urban streets and navigating roundabouts – a particular challenge for the Japanese manufacturer...
• Air pollution leads to more drug resistant bacteria, study findsResearch shows how black carbon affects the nose, throat and lungs of humans, possible beating the immune systemBlack carbon found in air pollution can increase the resistance of bacteria that cause respiratory disease, research has found.The discover could lead to a greater understanding of the effects of air pollution on human health, according to the lead scientist of the University of Leicester study. Continue reading...

The Telegraph

• Train 'seconds away' from colliding with tonnes of rubble
• The ten most lucrative bus lane cameras in England - is one of them near you?

Times Online

• Budget blunder puts rail upgrades at risk [subscription]Significant upgrades to Britain’s railways may have to be scrapped after plans to electrify one of the busiest intercity lines ran £1 billion over budget.

Mail Online

• Councils rake in up to £6,000-a-DAY from bus lane cameras The most lucrative camera covers a 54-yard stretch of John Dobson Street in Newcastle city centre - which handed out 62,975 penalty charge notices in eight months last year.
• MPs blast 'unacceptable' handling of Rail upgrade MPs said it was unacceptable that the cost of electrifying the Great Western Main Line between London and Swansea had soared by £1.2billion in only a year.

Birmingham Mail

• Why buses and trains could be safer after mayor election Crime takes centre stage in West Midlands Mayor campaign as Conservative Andy Street unveiled new set of pledges

Birmingham Post

• New drive to stop taxis polluting Birmingham city centreThe city’s licensing chief Barbara Dring calls on taxi trade to shut off engines in a bid to help the city meet its clean air targets.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Council looks set to reduce speed limit on busy road BRADFORD Council says it is looking into reducing the speed limit on a busy Bingley road after pressure from campaigners.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• 'Northern Flights'...Airbus jet heads to polar region for extreme weather testing The A350-1000 is being put to the test by aerospace chiefs
• 'I rode buses .... because I was lonely' - meet Abergele woman beating the blues As Age Cymru unveils its campaign to tackle loneliness in older people, The Daily Post talks to someone who has been there
• North Wales Metro plan will 'drive economic growth' It is hoped the vision, which includes new bus routes connecting to rail services, will put North Wales on an equal footing to the south

London Evening Standard

• England's most lucrative bus lane cameras revealed... and three are in LondonEngland's ten most lucrative bus lane traps have been revealed - and three of the driving fine hotspots are in London.
• High-speed London to Frankfurt train service 'to launch within three years'High-speed trains from London to Frankfurt could be launched in the next three years helping the UK maintain links to mainland Europe post-Brexit.
• London drivers shamed for using phones behind the wheel a day after new fines launchedLondoners are already falling foul of huge new fines on motorists who use their mobile phones while at the wheel – while road safety campaigners warned the measures do not go far enough.

Manchester Evening News

• The new bus lane cameras that are raking in nearly £5,000 a day in fines An average of 225 drivers are caught out by the bus lane cameras on one street every day

Wales Online

• North East Wales Metro at heart of vision to double the size of the region's economyEconomy Secretary Ken Skates says there is huge growth potential for the North Wales economy
• Great Western electrification is 'a stark example of how not to run a major project'A scathing report casts doubt on whether the flagship programme will be on time and on budget

Other Regional Press

• Welsh Government launches its “Vision for North Wales” which includes a new bridge over the A494!The Welsh Government has published it’s ‘vision’ for the North East Wales Metro project aimed at providing integrated transport links across the region.
• Celebrations by rail campaigners to mark new arrival at train station A NEW arrival on platform 2 was marked by a welcoming party and a celebration cake.

Aviation Industry

• Airbus A350-1000 completes extreme cold weather tests in CanadaThe Airbus A350-1000, the larger variant of the A350 slated to seat 366 passengers in a typical three-class configuration, has undergone rigorous ground and flight tests in the extreme operating conditions of Iqaluit, Canada. read more
• FAA administrator Huerta ‘eager to engage’ in ATC reform debateFAA administrator Michael Huerta said it is now the “right time to be asking critical questions” about the structure of US air traffic control (ATC), citing a stable and safe existing ATC system and a strong US airline industry. read more
• Aeroflot reports $640 million net profit for 2016Russia’s Aeroflot Group reported a 2016 net income of RUB38.8 billion ($640 million), reversing a RUB6.5 billion net loss in 2015. read more
• Bombardier ponders next new aircraft Bombardier has years to go on its turnaround plan, but the Canadian manufacturer is far enough along to begin thinking of its next new aircraft, president and CEO Alain Bellemare said at the US Chamber of Commerce’s 2017 Aviation Summit March 2. read more
• IATA chief to meet new US transportation secretary The IATA director general called for open borders and for governments to not interfere with how airlines distribute their products ahead of his first meeting with the new US transportation secretary. read more
• United CEO on Gulf carriers: ‘Those airlines aren’t airlines’ United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz has staked out a hardline position on alleged Gulf airline subsidies, warning of a “huge uproar from Americans” when the full scope of the issue becomes widely known and US jobs are potentially lost. read more
• Boeing CEO Muilenburg lauds Trump’s ‘engagement’ with aviation Boeing chairman, president and CEO Dennis Muilenburg praised US President Donald Trump at the US Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit in Washington DC March 2, describing him as “very much engaged with industry … [with] a great curiosity and a great affinity for airplanes and aerospace.” read more

Other News Sources

• “North East Wales Metro” Plans Outlined – A483 Improvements On The ListAn ambitious vision for a new North East Wales Metro transport system which would provide integrated transport links across the region, has been revealed.