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

Tuesday, 02 May 2017

BBC News

• The hidden costs of mega projectHow do you build a massive infrastructure project meant to bring Britain into the future… and not destroy the stories about its past? Two new railway lines are trying to figure it out.
• Rural bus services set to face further cutbacksThey might be economically vital, carrying five billion people a year, yet bus services outside London are in crisis, say campaigners.

Financial Times

• Your flying car will be with you — eventuallyAir traffic controllers and regulators trail this nascent technology
• Global Ports Holding: Innocents abroadCruise terminal operator needs high growth to justify likely valuation

The Guardian

• Police and courts fail cyclists over road safety, says cross-party inquiryDangerous drivers are increasingly likely to escape prosecution and more people plead exceptional hardship to avoid banPolicing and the justice system are too often failing cyclists, making the roads too dangerous for people to ride on them, and then not properly prosecuting or banning motorists who commit offences, a cross-party group of MPs and peers has warned.Dangerous drivers are increasingly likely to be permitted by courts to stay behind the wheel, the report found, with the number of driving bans falling 62% over the last 10 years, and ever-more people claiming exceptional hardship to ...

The Herald

• ScotRail passengers set for over three months of disruption - these are the routes affectedJust as commuters had managed to get through engineering works and disruption through April, ScotRail has announced more disruption and timetable changes. This time, they’re set to last for more than three months, almost double in some cases.

City AM

• Mace opts against HS2 legal challenge over £170m contract despite saying the bidding process favoured American firmsBritish engineering firm Mace has opted against a legal challenge over a controversial £170m HS2 contract that led to the winning bidder withdrawing its interest after potential conflicts of interest were raised.

Daily Express

• HS2 trains to make BIGGER seats as passengers are getting FATTERTRAINS for the new £56billion High Speed 2 rail network are to have bigger seats because passengers are getting fatter.

Birmingham Mail

• Why driving at 31mph could add HUNDREDS to your car insurance Drivers are being warned that, when it comes to speeding, points mean higher insurance premiums too

London Evening Standard

• First train from the UK to China completes its 7,500-mile journeyThe first rail freight service from the UK to China has completed its 7,500-mile journey.
• Ed Sheeran fans praise hilarious sign at south-east London Tube station as thousands flock to see singerEd Sheeran fans have praised a comical notice board at a London Underground station aimed at thousands of people who flocked to see the star in the capital.
• German high-speed train derails between Dusseldorf and BerlinA high-speed train has derailed in Dortmund, German police said.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Could sleeper trains be bound for Caithness?The north’s transport partnership Hitrans has already held talks with the franchise holder of the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service over the possibility of running a nightly service linking Thurso with Inverness, Aberdeen and Edinburgh.

Other Regional Press

• FIRST BUS FIRM ROLLS OUT SERVICE FOR ABERDEEN STUDENTSAn Aberdeen bus operator has announced the return of a special late night service for students during the spring exams period.
• Latest community bus joins the small fleetAnother community vehicle has been added to the Harborough Community Bus’s small fleet.
• Next stop is... 'Cambridge buses should have audio announcements - to help the visually impaired AND tourists'Bus drivers in training met with guide dog users at Cambridge train station, before experiencing getting on and off buses and finding a seat while wearing a blindfold
• Firm threaten to remove school bus service due to anti-social behaviour
• GALLERY: Didcot’s rail centre steams ahead at 50IT STARTED life as a disused engine shed – but 50 years later Didcot Railway Centre is still delighting visitors and bringing history to life.
• What will new Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor do with transport? What will new Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor do with transport? A Stagecoach bus stops at the Werrington Centre 12:00Monday 01 May 2017 2 HAVE YOUR SAY On Thursday, May 4 residents in Peterborough and the rest of Cambridgeshire will vote for a new mayor. The mayor will have a devolved transport budget, so the Peterborough Telegraph asked all seven candidates to set out in up to 300 words what their policies would be if elected.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Xplore Technologies Announces New Credit Facility Xplore Technologies (Nasdaq: XPLR), the provider of rugged tablet PCs, today announced that it has entered into a new $15 million three-year secured line of credit with Bank of America. The company will also move its commercial banking relationships …

Aviation Industry

• WestJet names CEO for new ULCCCalgary-based low-cost carrier WestJet has appointed Bob Cummings as EVP of its yet-to-be-named ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC), which will launch late in 2017 or early 2018 with an initial fleet of 10 “high-density” Boeing 737-800s. read more
• Embraer teams with Uber to explore development of flying carsEmbraer will team with Uber Elevate to explore the development of small vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (VTOLs), the Brazilian manufacturer said. read more
• Swedish cargo carrier West Atlantic eyes opportunities outside Europe Sweden-based cargo airline West Atlantic is to seek new business outside its traditional Western European area of operations, as it reported an increased net loss of SEK81.8 million ($9.3 million) for 2016, compared to a loss of SEK49.6 million in 2015. read more
• Hawaiian Airlines introduces new brand and liveryHawaiian Airlines unveiled an updated brand identity and the freshly painted livery of a Boeing 717, the first of its fleet of more than 50 aircraft that will feature the new design. read more

Other News Sources

• We want to be Uber for trains
• Hultons Landscapes wins £1.5m Great North Rail Project Ordsall Chord contractHultons Landscapes has won a £1.5m landscape build contract for the Ordsall Chord, part of Network Rail's £1 billion+ Great North Rail Project.