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

Thursday, 31 August 2017

BBC News

• Famous bridges across the ForthThe Queensferry Crossing is the latest bridge to carry traffic across the Firth of Forth.
• Mini electric car design revealed by BMWBMW unveils the basic design for the full-production electric version of the next Mini car.
• Currency rates hit new low at airport bureaux de changeTravellers buying their currencies at UK airports are being offered as little as 0.86 euros to the pound.

Department for Transport

• Crewe Hub: options for building on existing connectivitySeeks views on options which could give Crewe and the surrounding region better access to conventional and high speed rail services.

Financial Times

• New Uber CEO says IPO should come in 18 to 36 months
• Benchmark lawsuit against ex-Uber CEO Kalanick sent to arbitration
• New Uber chief aims for IPO within 18-36 monthsDara Khosrowshahi says he will turn round culture at ride-hailing company
• Uber: accelerateThe ride-hailing app’s timetable for an IPO is slow

The Guardian

• Do new roads boost the economy? The science is still finding its wayew drivers would consider leaving their house these days without a GPS device or traffic app to guide them. Time is money – and when assessing the benefit of investment in the UK road network, each minute saved can be converted into currency.
• Caledonian Sleeper gets double beds and a new look in £150m revampLondon to Scotland service will offer en-suite cabins with sleek new styling, as sleeper trains experience a resurgence
• 'The ladies’ loos are the worst': why customers hate Luton airportNoise, mess, dodgy signage, rude staff: the list of complaints from dissatisfied passengers goes on and on
• Tokyo to Paris: could city waterways ease air pollution?Waterways offer new transport options in some towns and cities, but there are still some challenges to overcome

The Telegraph

• Saltwater-proof trains to run on Brunel's storm-battered Great Western Railway

Times Online

• RMT accuses drivers’ union of cutting a deal with Southern [Subscription]The biggest rail workers’ union is calling for urgent talks with Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, following claims that he has signed off a deal with another union in a long-running industrial dispute.
• Long delays on Queensferry Crossing as sightseers join commuters for first chance cross [Subscription]After a six-year wait, the anticipation of its opening led to long delays on the new Queensferry Crossing as thousands of sightseers joined commuters on its first day of operation.

City AM

• Aston Martin unveils £500m trade deal with JapanAston Martin today unveiled £500m worth of trade with Japan as it joined Prime Minister Theresa May on her trade mission to the country.
• Central Line upgrades to make trains more reliable and increase capacityUpgrades to the Central Line are set to increase capacity and reduce delays on one of London's busiest services.
• Uber's new boss Dara Khosrowshahi has a mammoth to-do listThe founder of Uber, Travis Kalanick, was reportedly in tears at an all-staff meeting yesterday, at which his successor as chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, was introduced.

Mail Online

• Beware roads on Monday: Journeys could take 3 times longer Traffic information supplier Inrix warned that roads will be busiest on Monday September 4 as holidaymakers capitalise on the last few days of the break while other people resume their commutes.
• Luton is named the worst UK airport by passengers Luton Airport was given only one star in half of the 10 categories featured in the study by consumer group Which?, including for its range of shops and food outlets, toilets and staff.
• Aston Martin in £500m trade deal with Tokyo Theresa May said the luxury car maker's plans would help safeguard jobs at the firm's plants in the West Midlands and South Wales.

Network Rail

• Track, train and passengers line up to transform the East Coast Main LineRailway companies running the East Coast Main Line (ECML) have got together to form a dedicated Route Supervisory Board. The board will ensure there is one voice representing customers, holding the rail industry to account and ensuring the different elements work together to drive improvements.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Amey, Arup, Atkins, Curtins, Jacob and Sweco among firms landing long-term deal with West Yorkshire Combined AuthorityTWELVE companies have landed long-term contracts to help deliver major regeneration and infrastructure projects across Bradford and beyond.

London Evening Standard

• Queensferry Crossing opening: £1.35bn Scottish bridge opens to first motoristsDrivers honked their horns in the early hours of this morning as they used Scotland's Queensferry Crossing for the first time.
• Euston station 'explosion' scare prompts rail union to review evacuation procedureA rail union is reviewing how staff dealt with the evacuation of thousands of passengers at one of London's busiest stations.
• London Southend rated best airport serving the capital by customers in study by Which?London Southend is the best airport in the capital, according to a surprising new study.
• Major boost for Central line commuters as fleet of trains to be upgraded with new motorsOne of London's busiest Tube lines is set for a major boost after transport bosses revealed plans to upgrade its fleet of trains.
• 'Deal reached to end 17-month Southern Rail dispute'The leader of the RMT union today said he had been told a deal has been agreed between the Government, another union and Southern Rail to end the damaging 17-month-long industrial dispute.

Manchester Evening News

• Rail strikes to cause ‘perfect storm’ of disruption on Friday and Monday Northern staff in the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers union are expected to walk out on Friday, September 1 and Monday September 4
• LIVE: The Bus Blog... what's it like on the 'nightmare' rush-hour rail replacement service into Manchester A lot of people are complaining about this service. So we're finding out for ourselves. Come along for the ride...

The York Press

• Yorkshire airport is 'best in the country'A YORKSHIRE airport has been named the best small airport in the country.
• Residents call for York public garden to be saved from new road RESIDENTS have blasted a proposal to run the main access road into York Central through a public garden.

Yorkshire Post

• HS2 a driving force behind region's change July 17 this year was significant for Yorkshire. When the Secretary of State confirmed the HS2 route between Birmingham and Leeds, it brought an end to the uncertainty about plans for the railway and paved the way for business and civic leaders to push ahead with plans to maximise growth.
• Transport for the north under one strategic planThis summer has seen a welcome focus on the importance of rail to the northern economy.

Kent Online

• Signalling problems affect train services between Gravesend, Dartford and LondonSignalling problems are causing rail misery for Kent commuters this morning.

Other Regional Press

• BMW delighted with work beginning on new £5m sports complexBOSSES at Oxford’s Mini Plant hope a new £5m sports park will bring ‘high-quality’ facilities for the community.
• Furious commuters fed up with 'hot, dirty, and sweaty' buses amid Bolton rail shutdownFURIOUS commuters say Bolton's transport network is failing to cope with the chaos caused by a railway shutdown.
• Disabled man left on Colchester train as staff did not see him during journey to Clacton Air ShowA DISABLED man was trapped on a train after staff helping another disabled passenger failed to see him.
• Contract to re-paint Virgin trains creates 80 jobs at new rail hubALSTOM has started giving Virgin trains a facelift at the new £21 million revolutionary technology hub in Widnes.
• Portsmouth Harbour railway station targeted for improvements as part of £90m package Portsmouth City Council is in talks with South Western Railway — the new rail franchise operator for the region —regarding proposals to give Portsmouth Harbour station a ‘real sprucing up.’

Buying Business Travel

• Southend voted top London airport for customer serviceEssex airport beats larger rivals in passenger satisfaction survey
• BA cabin crew strikes set for ‘pause’No further dates for industrial action have been called
• British Airways expands Gatwick long-haul servicesCarrier will add Las Vegas and Toronto as destinations for 2018

Rail Magazine

• December date for Sleeper Mk 5’s main line testingMain line testing of the first Caledonian Sleeper Mk 5s could start in December, with the first rake of 16 carriages entering traffic next April.
• Governments clash over Wales & Borders rail franchiseGovernments clash over Wales & Borders franchise process
• Siemens Class 700s for GN this AutumnClass 700s for Great Northern routes from the Autumn.
• Wales hopes to issue Invitations to Submit Final Tenders for franchise next monthWelsh Government hopes to issue the ITSFT for Wales & Borders franchise before end of September.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Munro retires as HS2 phase 2 bossThe governance shake-up at HS2 Ltd shows no signs of slowing down as it has been revealed that managing director for the project’s phase 2, Alison Munro, has now retired from her role. Munro had been with the company since the beginning, joining the team as chief executive when HS2 Ltd was...
• HS2 on the lookout for Euston station and Old Oak Common buildersHS2 Ltd has launched its search for the “best the construction industry has to offer” in order to help expand Euston station and build a brand new Old Oak Common transport hub designed to serve the high-speed line from 2026. The company announced today that it has begun looking for...
• Bombardier handed £112m LU propulsion technology supply dealBombardier Transportation has been awarded a seven-year contract to supply new motors and traction control equipment for London Underground’s Central Line fleet worth over £112m. The contract, which started on Friday last week and will run until 2024, also includes the provision of...

Railway Gazette

• UK railway news round-upLondon Waterloo fully reopened on August 29 following what Network Rail described as ‘one of the...

Aviation Industry

• Passenger growth boosts Aeroflot Group 1H net profit 17%Russia’s Aeroflot Group has reported a 2017 first-half net income of RUB2.9 billion ($48.9 million), up 17% compared to the year-ago period. read more
• Ryanair calls on authorities to block Lufthansa-airberlin takeoverIrish LCC Ryanair has urged German competition authority (Bundeskartellamt) and the European Union (EU) Commission to block the “stitch-upâ€� between the German government, Lufthansa and airberlin to carve up airberlin’s assets, saying it excludes major competitors and ignores both competition and state aid rules. read more
• Aircraft News-Aug. 30, 2017Aircraft News-Aug. 30, 2017 read more

Other News Sources

• London Chamber welcomes Chris Grayling's support for Crossrail 2London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) today welcomed the news that Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has confirmed that he is supporting the Crossrail 2 project.