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

Tuesday, 30 January 2018

BBC News

• German shock at car exhaust tests on humans and monkeysThe German government has denounced experiments funded by German carmakers in which humans and monkeys reportedly inhaled diesel exhaust fumes.
• EasyJet chief Johan Lundgren cuts pay to match predecessorJohan Lundgren says the airline is committed to giving equal pay to men and women.
• India ride-sharing firm Ola to enter AustraliaThe ride-hailing business, which has 125 million customers, will come up against rival Uber.

Financial Times

• Ola gears up to launch in Australia in maiden move abroadMove will pit Indian ride-hailing app against Uber in a foreign market for first time
• EasyJet chief takes pay cut to match female predecessorJohan Lundgren awarded base salary £34,000 higher than Carolyn McCall's £706,000 a year

The Guardian

• VW condemned for testing diesel fumes on humans and monkeysExperiments involved monkeys and humans breathing in exhaust fumes for hours at a timeVolkswagen, the world's biggest carmaker, is under fire globally from politicians and environmentalists following revelations it helped to fund experiments in which monkeys and humans breathed in car fumes for hours at a time.

Times Online

• German carmakers tested fumes on humans [Subscription]Angela Merkel led criticism of German carmakers after revelations that they have paid for experiments exposing people and monkeys to gas from diesel fumes linked to asthma, lung disease and heart attacks.
• Our country needs the growth and opportunities HS2 will bring - Nusrat Ghani MP [Subscription]Less than two weeks ago, I became the first female Muslim minister to stand and speak at the despatch box in the House of Commons.
• Carillion and KPMG face Financial Reporting Council’s biggest-ever inquiry [subscription]One of Britain’s most senior accountants, four of his boardroom colleagues at Carillion and the audit firm KPMG will be the subject of the Financial Reporting Council’s largest ever investigation.

Reuters News

• Ford's Chariot bus service to launch in LondonLONDON (Reuters) - London approved on Monday Ford's plans to operate its Chariot minibus services as the automaker expands its mobility service designed to tap into growing demand in cities among those wishing to make trips rather than buy cars.

City AM

• Ford China chief steps down after five months at the firm citing personal reasonsFord today announced its China chief Jason Luo has stepped down after just five months in the post, due to personal reasons.
• Easyjet's new chief executive Johan Lundgren cuts his salary to match what Carolyn McCall was earningEasyjet's new chief executive Johan Lundgren has offered to reduce his salary to match what his predecessor, Carolyn McCall, was on.
• Airports call for European safety rulebook on drones as "matter of urgency"Airports Council International (ACI) Europe said today there was "an urgent need" for a European rulebook on drones as usage continues to take off.
• Elizabeth Line delivery to top original forecasts on new homes created with property values expected to soarThe number of homes and jobs created due to the development of the £14.8bn Elizabeth Line is set to greatly surpass expectations, according to a new report by commercial property agency GVA.
• Boss of British Airways owner IAG Willie Walsh urges end to delay on 10-year Chinese visa rollout to boost post-Brexit tiesWillie Walsh has written to home secretary Amber Rudd saying it needs to be easier for Chinese visitors to visit the UK, warning that Britain will miss out on the economic boost brought from Chinese investment and affluent tourists.
• Northern Line passengers to get quicker and more frequent journeys as TfL boosts services to tackle crowding on busiest Tube lineTransport for London (TfL) said today over 200,000 Northern Line passengers will benefit from quicker and more frequent trips as it boosts its high frequency services.

Mail Online

• Maghull pensioner 'forced out' of home by railway towers Andy Wells and his wife Susan live in Maghull, in Merseyside, where Maghull North train station is currently being built. The towers form part of a footbridge at the new station.

The Mirror

• Monkeys forced to breathe toxic fumes by German car firms conducting 'rigged' emissions research VW chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch said the experiments were “totally incomprehensible”

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Ffestiniog Railway pulls out all the stops to push North Wales' tourism industry Two locomotives will be in London in a bid to attract more visitors to the area
• North Wales rail fares 'most expensive' in the country, study claims Passengers using stretches of the main coastline are paying more than twice as much as travellers in Cardiff and Swansea

London Evening Standard

• Waterloo station delays: London commuters face rush hour chaos due to signalling failure capital's busiest stationCommuters using London Waterloo faced a fresh wave of disruption as track and signal failures sparked rush hour chaos on South Western rail services.
• Boost in capacity on Northern Line in bid to ease peak time crowdsThe evening rush-hour on the Northern line is to be lengthened to two hours to help more than 220,000 passengers get home more quickly and comfortably.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Business leaders urged to support North of Tyne devolution deal Council leaders urge companies to continue to support deal and say efforts are still being made to de-rail it

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Trolley service back on track on Caithness rail routeA fully dedicated trolley service is being put back on track on the Far North Line between Inverness and Caithness, ScotRail bosses confirmed yesterday.
• Inverness Airport railway station steaming aheadThere are high hopes construction of the £2million development could begin next year after Transport Scotland took on responsibility for the project.

Blackpool Gazette

• Blackpool rail route reopens but electrification work hits problemsDodgy ground conditions look set to delay the start of electric trains running on the line between Preston and Manchester, which could have a knock on effect for Blackpool passengers.

North Wales Live

• Fury as Highways Agency says yes to tunnel under Thames but no to one under Litherland Growing anger at decision to build relief road through Rimrose Valley park

Peterborough Telegraph

• New figures reveal the condition of Peterborough's roadsAll drivers hate bumpy roads and potholes, and now government statistics reveal the extent of Peterborough's road network which may need repairs.
• New figures reveal the condition of Peterborough's roadsAll drivers hate bumpy roads and potholes, and now government statistics reveal the extent of Peterborough's road network which may need repairs.

Other Regional Press

• Oxford Bus Company scoops 'Golden Spanner' awardOXFORD Bus Company has won the 'Golden Spanner' award after its vehicles and engineers were inspected.

Airportwatch

• Local communities have the opportunity to deliver the best possible Heathrow expansion - Virendra Sharma MP & Kwasi Kwarteng MPLast week Heathrow launched a major consultation on its proposals for an expanded airport.

Buying Business Travel

• Easyjet CEO takes pay cut to address gender gapEasyjet boss Johan Lundgren has volunteered to have his pay cut by £34,000 to match his predecessor Dame Carolyn McCall’s salary.
• Lufthansa adds automatic check-in for Schengen flightsPassengers receive boarding pass 23 hours before departure
• Qantas operates first US-Australia biofuel flightAirline saved 7 per cent of normal carbon emissions

Rail Magazine

• “A safer network, a cleaner network”2017 has already proven to be one of the most significant years in the history of Manchester Metrolink, as it continues to cement its status as the UK’s largest light rail network.
• How much is spent on YOUR part of the railway?The cost of running the railway for the year 2016-17 came to £19.5 billion, a 2.7% increase from the previous 12-month period, according to statistics released by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on January 18.

Rail Technology Magazine

• RIA agrees deal to work more closely with supply chain in East MidlandsThe Railway Industry Association (RIA) and Rail Forum East Midlands (RFEM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) detailing how the two organisations will work more closely together in the future. The MoU details how the two bodies will cooperate to increase the recognition of the value...
• Grayling questioned over second extension of ORR chair's postThe transport secretary has faced questions following the second extension of Professor Stephen Glaister’s post as chair of the Office of Road and Rail (ORR), it has been revealed. Correspondence between Chris Grayling, Lilian Greenwood, transport committee chair, and Peter Riddell...
• CrossCountry: A more personal touch for passengersAndy Cooper, managing director of CrossCountry, reveals more about a new interactive app poised to transform how passengers travel by rail. Luggage has been a challenge for Britain’s railways ever since someone decided to put wheels on cases and people started bringing more bags than they...
• RDG claims 1,300 extra carriages expected by 2021There will be 1,300 more new carriages than expected debuting on the UK rail network by 2021. Initial projections from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) indicated that there would be around 5,700 new carriages brought into commission, but recent deals have shown this estimate to be low. In fact...
• First Greater Anglia body shells roll off production line The first completed body shells for part one of Greater Anglia’s regional trains have come off the production line. The train operator is spending £1.4bn on 169 new trains - a total of 1,043 new carriages - which are expected to be rolled out from 2019. Painted in Greater Anglia...
• Arriva Wales completes £500,000 carriage revamp as franchise draws to a closeArriva Trains Wales has completed a £500,000 makeover of the interiors of its rolling stock. In response to customer and community feedback, 60 carriages on 17 routes have been refurbished, which the train operator says will give travellers on the Valley Lines a more comfortable...

Railnews

• Probe launched into early scrapping of East Coast The official spending watchdog has launched a probe into the circumstances behind the decision to allow the Virgin Trains East Coast franchise to end three years early, after its major shareholder Stagecoach Group admitted that the £3.3 billion bid had been too high. The news sparked a controversy over the potential cost to taxpayers, which former transport secretary Lord Adonis claimed could be 'billions'. The DfT has denied his claim that the move is a 'bailout', but the National Audit Office will now investigate whether taxpayers are set to lose out.

Aviation Industry

• TUIfly takes delivery of first 737 MAX 8Travel group TUI took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8 Jan. 29. read more

Other News Sources

• NEW £10M TRAIN STATION FOR BRISTOL SUBURBNorth Bristol could be about to get a new train station as part of the reopening of a disused spur.
• Waterloo problems: Disruptions, delays and 'short notice' cancellations on South Western Railway network as commuters start new week Four different problems in short succession affected many South Western Railway services on Monday (January 29)