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

Saturday, 16 December 2017

BBC News

• Car theft 'relay' devices seized in BirminghamWest Midlands Police say it is thought to be the first time the equipment has been recovered.
• Disabled school transport cuts prompt safety fearsParents of disabled children raise safety fears over potential cuts to specialist school transport.
• Disabled travelParents talk of their concerns about taxi and bus services which take disabled children to school.
• 'Boris bikes' set for Swansea after university successFifty bikes to hire will be placed at five hubs along the city's main cycle path.
• The drunk passengers who fall on to rail tracksNetwork Rail has released video of inebriated people falling on to rail tracks.
• Boy, four, left on school bus tried to walk homeThe four-year-old was left on school transport in a bus depot and then tried to find his way home.
• Driver dies after school bus crash in AberdeenshireSeveral children escaped with minor injuries after a school bus crashed on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
• 'Stay at home' warning over ice on roadsMultiple collisions are reported, there is a sharp increase in injuries involving broken bones, and the Met Office issues a yellow ice warning.
• Tulse Hill hit-and-run: Police release CCTV imagesThe 29-year-old victim died after being struck by four vehicles on a pedestrian crossing in London.
• Festive drunk passengers 'risk death on railway'Birmingham New Street has more delays related to alcohol than any other station, Network Rail says.
• Military activity helps Prestwick Airport reduce lossesThe airport says its performance was lifted last year by a strong rise in military aircraft refuelling activity.
• Virgin Trains staff hold 24-hour strikeThe walkout by Virgin Trains West Coast workers is the first of a number of UK rail staff strikes.
• Airbus chief Tom Enders to leave after power struggleChief executive Tom Enders will stand down in 2019 and its chief operating officer will leave in February.
• HS2 redundancy pay 'shocking waste' of taxpayer cashOverpayments totalling £1.76m were made to 94 people, a committee of MPs says.
• Ryanair in union offer to avoid Christmas strikesThe airline says it will recognise pilot unions as it seeks to avoid industrial action at Christmas.

Financial Times

• Airbus power struggle sees Brégier departureManagement shake-up will trigger acute political sensitivity in France and Germany
• Ryanair backs down in battle over pilot unionsAirline agrees to recognise groups in attempt to avert Christmas strikes
• Uber faces fresh claims over global spy tacticsCompany alleged to have used network of CIA-trained operatives to gather intelligence

The Guardian

• Motoring myths: what ‘black boxes’ reveal about our driving habitsAre 17-year-olds really the worst drivers? ‘Telematics’ boxes installed to cut insurance costs can show us how we driveBillions of miles have been driven on Britain’s roads this decade in cars fitted with “telematicsâ€� boxes recording every detail of a driver’s behaviour – whether they are speeding on a 30mph urban road, how they are cornering on a country road, and how they are braking or accelerating on a motorway.Installed in about 1m cars by insurance companies, they offer drivers – usually 17 to 25-year-olds – less costly insurance if they drive more carefully. But the telematics black box...
• Uber stole trade secrets, bribed foreign officials and spied on rivals, filing saysDocument by former Uber security manager details company’s alleged ‘unethical, unlawful’ practices amid legal battle with self-driving car company WaymoUber allegedly engaged in a range of “unethical and unlawful intelligence collectionsâ€�, including the theft of competitive trade secrets, bribery of foreign officials and spying on competitors and politicians, according to an explosive legal document published on Friday.It’s the latest chapter in the discovery process for the company’s messy legal squabble with Waymo, Google’s driverless car spin-off, which has accused Uber of stealing trade se...
• London Overground goes 24-hour, joining night tubePassengers will be able to travel between Dalston in east and New Cross Gate in the south through night at weekends Passengers in east London will from now on be able to travel on the “night overgroundâ€�. The 24-hour services will operate on Friday and Saturday nights on the London Overground.The service currently ends at around 12.30am from Monday to Saturday. Trains will run approximately every 15 minutes between Dalston Junction, east London, and New Cross Gate, south-east London, throughout the night. Continue reading...
• Local buses could be replaced by Uber-style services, says GraylingLabour and campaigners angry at transport secretary’s suggestion bus services could be demand-led after funding falls by 33%Local buses could be replaced by “Uber-styleâ€� rides, the transport secretary has said, sparking a backlash from Labour, trade unions and campaigners. Chris Grayling told local government leaders that the future of local buses was a more bespoke service, suggesting on-demand models similar to the ride-hailing app could be used more widely to bridge funding gaps. Continue reading...

The Telegraph

• SpaceX launches recycled rocket on NASA shopping trip
• Pentagon fears dangers of 'risky flying' by Russian pilots in Syria

Times Online

• Sleaze allegations leave tram inquiry on a cliffhanger [Subscription]After four months of public hearings, the Edinburgh tram inquiry adjourned this week with a dramatic admission.
• Prestwick airport plots turnaround as losses pile up [Subscription]Losses at Glasgow Prestwick airport have topped £31 million since it was taken over by the Scottish government.
• Russian navy ship Yantar can sever internet cables [Subscription]A Russian navy research ship carrying mini submarines is at the centre of fears about the risk of a catastrophic attack on Britain’s underwater internet cables.
• British Airways slumps beneath budget rivals in satisfaction table [Subscription]British Airways has been named alongside Ryanair as one of the worst airlines operating in the UK.
• New motorway signs to help muddled motorists [Subscription]Motorway junctions will be improved with new signs and traffic islands to prevent motorists from driving the wrong way down busy roads.
• Ryanair heads off pre-Christmas strike [Subscription]Ryanair will scrap its longstanding policy of barring pilots’ unions in a bid to stave off a potentially crippling strike before Christmas, it said today.
• School bus crash driver says level crossing was not working [Subscription]A level crossing was wide open when a school bus was cut in two when a train crashed into it, killing five children, the bus driver claimed yesterday.
• Storms poised to disrupt Christmas travel [Subscription]Warnings of ice have been issued for much of the country as more cold weather is predicted for the weekend.

Mail Online

• Fleet of Russian submarine drones could cripple Britain There are fears Russia has the capability to tap, disrupt and even sever the underwater cables that link our internet and phone networks to the rest of the world.
• French school bus collides with train in Perpignan The horrific accident happened close to the town of Perpignan in France, when the vehicle 'was caught between barriers', said a local police spokesman.
• School bus driver in Scotland dies in collision with lorry The collision occurred at 7.45am today close to the Maryculter Bridge on the B979 around eight miles south-west of Aberdeen, claiming the life of an unnamed bus driver.
• Fraudster swindled £2.5million from car dealership Allan Curry, 24, devised a sophisticated scheme to siphon off the money over more than two years from the Evans Halshaw Vauxhall garage where he worked in Middlesbrough.
• Police seize first 'gone in 60 seconds' relay key device West Midlands Police officers seized the gadget, which looks like a TV set top box, and receives signals from a key fob which are then bounced to the car enabling thieves to open the doors.
• EasyJet passengers 'forced to sleep on floor' in Glasgow Michelle Robinson-Bryce from Quainton in Buckinghamshire,and her friends were due to fly from Glasgow to Luton when their flight' was cancelled as a result of poor weather.
• Consumer group slams fabric 'killer' car seats Which? discovered the fabric car seats, which offer no protection, are available for purchase on eBay for as little as £8.99.

This is Money

• Two top Airbus executives resign in management shake-up Chief executive Tom Enders and chief operating officer Fabrice Bregier plan to step down from the European plane maker at a turbulent time.

Birmingham Mail

• How pensioners can save money on bus fares Discount will help over 60s who work, have early hospital appointments or do the school run

Birmingham Post

• £56 billion HS2 high speed rail project is at risk of 'fraud and financial errors'MPs warn of poor financial controls after HS2 Ltd handed over £1.76 million in unauthorised redundancy payments

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Two years of A55 roadworks to speed up journeys ... eventually Government looking at getting rid of roundabouts at Junction 15 and 16 in order to ensure better movement of traffic
• More than £10m for North East Wales metro scheme The Welsh Government will spend the cash on boosting transport links in Wrexham and Flintshire

London Evening Standard

• London Overground set to launch first all-night service tonightLondon Overground's all-night service will launch tonight on its east London line.
• Motorists now face £160 fine for driving in bus lanes, committing parking offences and failing to pay C-charge in the capitalDrivers in London face a higher £160 fine for being caught driving in bus lanes, parking offences and failing to pay the congestion charge.
• Virgin trains strike: Workers in 24-hour walkout over payWorkers on Virgin Trains West Coast services have begun a 24-hour walkout over pay.
• O'Leary U-turn on unions in bid to head off Ryanair pilot strikesBudget airline Ryanair dropped its long-standing hostility to trade unions on Friday by promising to recognise them for the first time in a bid to head off planned strikes this Christmas.

Northern Echo

• Mountain rescue's £77,000 vehicle launched after 14 years of fundraising A MOUNTAIN rescue team has officially launched its new incident control vehicle – 14 years after members began fundraising for it.

The York Press

• 'No concerns' over Norton level crossing road prioritiesCOUNCIL bosses have said they have no concerns about the Norton level crossing road priorities, despite being handed a petition of 600 signatures calling for them to be changed back to how they were.

Wales Online

• 28 acres of land still needed to finish a key £5m link road in CarmarthenThe Carmarthen West link road is supposed to be open in time to serve the new S4C headquarters

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Midlands commuters face bus delaysWhat's the state of roads near where you live or on your route to work? Send us your pictures
• Council invest £1m in new Winter fleetA new fleet of grit lorries and snow ploughs costing taxpayers £1million will be hired by a Black Country council on the back of the unprecedented weather.

Bucks Free Press

• Heathrow expansion takes 'significant' step forward - and residents urged to give their viewsThe controversial expansion of Heathrow Airport has taken a “significant stepâ€� forward as bosses revealed plans for a public consultation in the New Year.

Other Regional Press

• Newport school's worries over pupils' safety due to parking A NEWPORT school is worried about their pupils and families’ safety because of parking around the school.
• Parents' anger over school bus which makes pupils late virtually every dayYoungsters at Kirkburton Middle School left hanging about on the roadside
• Borough council joins fight against proposed rail timetable changes The borough council has said it will strongly oppose ‘disappointing’ proposed changes to Weymouth’s rail services. 
• Plans for major transport hub next to Birmingham Airport and NEC take step forwardPlans for the hub, which will be built a stone's throw away from Coventry, has taken a significant step forward this week

Rail Technology Magazine

• TfL launches 24-7 London Overground servicesTfL has officially launched night services for the London Overground, meaning trains will travel 24/7 from today. London mayor Sadiq Khan welcomed the announcement, which signals the beginning of services between Dalston Junction and New Cross Gate. Khan previously committed to complete the...

Railnews

• East West Rail to be a ˜diesel commuter railway™ The company which will develop and operate the East West Rail Link between Oxford, Bedford and eventually Cambridge has been given a formal launch at Bletchley station on the West Coast Main Line, when it was announced that the new company will start work in April. The project will be funded at least in part by the private sector, with particular focus on investment from developers who are set to build thousands of new homes between Oxford and Cambridge. However, it has also been revealed that safeguarding for future electrification will only be undertaken where no substantial costs are invol...

Aviation Industry

• A new policy statement on airspace changesIn October, the Government released a deluge of aviation publications for consultation. Media interest focused on the impact of new passenger forecasts on the relative benefits of Heathrow expansion compared with Gatwick, and the evidence base for the National Policy …
• Ryanair to recognize unions in a bid to avert strikesIrish LCC Ryanair has agreed to recognize pilot unions in Ireland, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal, bowing to pressure and changing its long-standing policy of negotiating directly with internal employee committees. read more
• Bombardier targets 40 CSeries deliveries in 2018Bombardier plans to double CSeries deliveries in 2018 compared to 2017, targeting 40 deliveries for next year. read more

Other News Sources

• Potholes in Surrey: Government pledges more than £800,000 to shore up county's crumbling roads Some 15,800 potholes across the county will be filled as part of the scheme
• More than 500 sex assaults reported on south-east rail services in just three years - including 16 reports of rape In just three years, British Transport Police received 533 reports of sexual assault on the south east rail network - including 16 reports of rape
• Night trains between London Victoria and Gatwick may be permanently scrapped in timetable change next year But you will be able to get direct trains from London Blackfriars to Merstham, Redhill and Horley