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

Saturday, 29 July 2017

BBC News

• Crossrail worker death: Firms fined £1m for safety breachesA construction worker was crushed to death and two other workers sustained injuries.
• British Airways owner IAG says IT chaos cost £58mThe airline says May's IT failure led to additional costs for compensation fees and baggage claims.

The Guardian

• Digital railcards could be just the ticket to avoid penalty faresNow your card can be on your smartphone rather having to carry a paper cardPenalty train fares imposed because a passenger left their railcard behind should soon become less frequent after rail companies announced the introduction of a digital version that can be stored on a smartphone via an app.

Times Online

• Ban will finally stop trains flushing toilets on to tracks [subscription]Britain has, people tend to assume, moved on from times when householders used to empty their chamber pots on to the street. Except, it would appear, during train journeys.
• Laptop ban lifted on flights from Turkey [subscription]A ban on carrying laptops and other electronic devices in airline cabins on flights from the Middle East is being lifted four months after restrictions were imposed.

This is Money

• UK train prices to rocket as services 'rob' passengers The Rail, Maritime and Transport union has reiterated its call for public ownership of the railways, as it published a report on rail fares, which will rise in line with August's RPI inflation figure. 

London Evening Standard

• Sadiq Khan throws weight behind Camden highline projectSadiq Khan has backed plans to transform a section of disused railway between Camden and King's Cross into a public garden set to rival the New York Highline.

Nottingham Evening Post

• East Midlands Trains handed one year rail franchise extensionThe East Midlands franchise, which stretches between London and Sheffield and from Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich, handles 470 services each weekday

Yorkshire Post

• Tom Richmond: Minister’s backtracking on rail link is deplorable LET me be generous to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and give him the benefit of the doubt on the future of the Leeds to Manchester railway.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Cheaper fuel helps profits soar at British Airways owner IAG despite major IT failure in MayBritish Airways owner IAG has reported a surge in profits, despite taking a hit from a major IT failure that caused travel chaos for tens of thousands of passengers in May.

Get West London

• Baffled commuters angered as train driver completely FORGETS to stop at stationA train driver angered commuters waiting at Hayes and Harlington station, when he completely FORGOT to stop.

Reading Evening Post

• There's an abandoned underground line opening thanks to the Post Office Mail Rail takes you down from the sorting offices into the depths of the tube network

Other Regional Press

• Passenger groups join fight ahead of Government Queen Street bus decisionPASSENGER groups have lobbied the Government to overturn a ban on buses in Queen Street, which they claim will create more congestion and pollution.
• Scrapping plans to electrify train line could pile on misery for North OxfordPLANS to electrify the East West Rail link have been scrapped sparking fears residents north of the city could be on track for more misery.
• Crossrail 2 project, with stops in Southgate and Enfield, receives MPs Chris Grayling, Theresa Villiers and Mayor Sadiq Khan's backingFurther backing for Crossrail 2 means the new line could come to New Southgate.
• Dozens of spaces lost as train station work closes part of Dundee car parkResidents and visitors to Broughty Ferry have been warned to expect disruption as 65 parking spaces will be lost during three months of work....
• More than 500 children caught playing on train tracks as railway trespassing hits ten-year highStats showed trespassers were struck by trains, electrocuted and died from fatal falls onto the tracks
• This is why you should avoid Clapham Junction and Waterloo for the next month Croydon rail commuters who travel via Clapham Junction or Waterloo are being urged to avoid the stations for the next month.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• New station boost for passengers thanks to £16 million government investmentRail passengers are set for better journeys with five new stations to be built across England and Wales, the government has announced. The Department for Transport (DfT) has given the green light for the stations, which will provide long term benefits to passengers and the wider economy.
• Vans to go greener and cleaner under new plansChanges to driver licensing rules will make it easier for van drivers to switch to electric vehicles, the government has announced. Van drivers will be able to operate heavier electric or gas-powered vehicles without having to apply for a new licence, as part of moves to improve air quality in towns and cities across the country. The reforms are a step towards the government’s aim for nearly all cars and vans on our roads to be zero emission by 2050. Currently, a motorist with an ordinary category B licence for a car can drive a van weighing up to 3,500kg. Cleaner vans, especially tho...
• Changes to UK aviation securityThe UK government has lifted a ban on carrying large electronic devices in the aircraft cabin of some flights to the UK from Turkey. Restrictions on carrying large phones, laptops, tablets and accessories into the cabin of UK-bound flights from Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia were introduced in March. However, after working with the aviation industry and international partners to introduce tough additional security measures, the UK government has begun lifting these restrictions on some UK-bound flights. Restrictions remain in place at other airports and will be lif...

Rail Magazine

• Shooter hails prospects of battery-powered variantsVivarail Chairman Adrian Shooter welcomes comments that battery-powered trains present a viable alternative to electrification
• New-look refurbished TransPennine Express Class 185 launchedRefurbished TPE Class 185 enters traffic

Rail Technology Magazine

• East Midlands Airport offers £2.5m fund to boost station connectionsEast Midlands Airport has today offered details of a £2.5m deal designed to improve station services as part of the next franchise in the region. The airport has said that it wants to put the cash into transforming services at its nearby station, East Midlands Parkway, by increasing the...

Aviation Industry

• UK lifts electronics ban for one Turkish airportThe UK government has lifted its restrictions on electronic goods traveling in the cabin on flights originating from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. But restrictions remain in place on flights from other Turkish airports. read more
• Bombardier posts $296 million 2Q net lossBombardier reported a $296 million net loss for the 2017 second quarter, narrowed from the Canadian manufacturer’s $490 million net loss in 2Q 2016. read more

Other News Sources

• Final Canal & River Trust licensing consultationThe final stage of the Canal & River Trust’s boat licensing consultation is due to commence mid-August.
• IWA approves HS2 Derbyshire routeThe Inland Waterways Association (IWA) is in favour of the Government’s decision to choose the eastern (M1) route through North Derbyshire for Phase 2b of HS2.
• TfL is testing a new way to stop you clogging up tube platformsAs everyone knows, Green Lanes is the name of a massively long street in north London that’s an amazing place to eat Turkish food.
• A new app for railcards is en routeA new app will mean passengers can store their railcard on their phone as train companies tackle the 'forgotten card problem.'
• Eye-Watering Rail Fares Set To Rocket Again Next YearFRESH calls to renationalise Britain’s railways were made yesterday as a new study revealed fares are set to “rocket” next year.