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

Friday, 04 May 2018

BBC News

• Disabled peers complain of being 'dumped' at airportsWheelchair users in the House of Lords say they are
• US airline giant to buy up to 30 Bombardier regional jetsCanadian aerospace firm Bombardier is selling up to 30 of its regional jets to American Airlines.
• Musk: No 'bonehead' questions pleaseTesla boss snubs
• Diesel emissions scandal: Ex-VW boss Winterkorn charged in USMartin Winterkorn is accused by US prosecutors of conspiring to mislead regulators.
• Kuala Lumpur-Singapore named busiest international air routePlanes made 30,537 trips between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in the year to February 2018, study finds.

The Guardian

• Network Rail is on the wrong track with tree cullingClearing trees beside railway lines can cause soil erosion and even land slippage

Times Online

• Dangerous state of roads ‘is a national emergency’ [subscription]The condition of Britain’s roads is turning into a “national emergency”, with rising numbers of cyclists seriously injured and cars damaged.
• Ford’s new ‘Batmobile’ design offers a car and motorbike in one [Subscription]Is it a car? Is it a motorcycle? No, it’s Ford’s design for a “multimodal transportation apparatus”.
• Huge outlay on motorways despite reduction in trafficBillions of pounds spent upgrading motorways and roads may be a waste of money because traffic levels are expected to fall, ministers have been told.
• Loophole lets unsafe cars stay on the roadThe government has no power to take dangerous cars off the roads despite millions every year suffering defects, The Times has learnt. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has said that it cannot order car manufacturers to recall dangerous vehicles.

City AM

• New Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess heralds era of corporate responsibility at AGMThe newly appointed CEO of Volkswagen attempted to move the company on from the "difficult and painful watershed" of diesel emissions scandal by heralding an open culture at the firm.
• Go-Ahead shares tank as cash flow questions are posedTens of millions of pounds were today wiped off the market value of Go-Ahead after a leading City analyst questioned whether Southern rail owner could sustain its chunky dividend payouts.
• Minicab drivers protest outside TfL headquarters over 'institutional racism'Minicab drivers have launched a surprise flash demo at Transport for London’s (TfL) headquarters today to protest against “institutional racism”.
• DEBATE: Does the rival Heathrow scheme make more sense than existing plans for the airport’s expansion?Surinder Arora, founder of the Arora Group, says YES. Competition is absolutely necessary to ensure that passengers and the UK economy benefit fully from the expansion of Heathrow, with an end to the current monopoly. Spiralling costs and a track record of over-spending risk the airport becoming a white elephant if led by the incumbent, Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL).
• How rail companies can get on the right trackLondoners are preparing for major disruption to their travel plans this May bank holiday, as work across more than 800 rail projects gets underway to help combat overcrowding on Britain’s railways.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Campaigners bidding to restore former railway station in Gedling - which inspired Lord of the Rings - reveal plans for tearoom named after authorCampaigners behind a project to restore a former railway station in Gedling - which they say gave legendary author J. R. R. Tolkien the inspiration to write his Lord of the Rings trilogy - have revealed plans to name a tearoom after the author.

Wales Online

• The M4's most dangerous accident blackspots revealed Car crash statistics dating back to 1999 have been mapped, highlighting the accident blackspots on the Welsh stretch of the M4 motorway.

Yorkshire Post

• Rolls Royce announces that it will ‘re-prioritise’ discretionary spending The group said in March that up to 500 Trent 1000 engines - used on Boeing 787 planes - were affected by the issues, which see components wear out earlier than expected.

Get West London

• New Crossrail trains not stopping at Heathrow as TfL set to take over routeHeathrow Connect and Great Western Rail suburban rail services will be taken over by TfL on May 20

Lancashire Telegraph

• Blackburn commuters left stranded because trains 'have no drivers'COMMUTERS were left frustrated for the fourth day in a row after rail services across East Lancashire faced severe delays and cancellations yesterday.

Other Regional Press

• Moses Gate electrification: Network Rail agrees to plant new treesLONG-SUFFERING residents in Farnworth are “over the moon” after rail bosses agreed to replace trees around the track.
• Chiltern Railways introduce new late-night train on FridaysCHILTERN Railways, which runs trains from Oxford Parkway to London Marylebone, is to provide a new late-night service on Fridays.
• Government urged to end ‘boom and bust’ in rail procurementThe head of a trade body representing railway suppliers has warned that current arrangements for funding infrastructure work on Britain’s railways create cycles of boom and bust that are both costly and inefficient.
• Council to respond to government over new rules which could place bus services under threatCouncil to respond to government over new rules which could place bus

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Irizar UK expands bus team as it focuses on e-mobilityIrizar is to expand its UK bus team with the appointment of Shaun Millar and Gradyn Thompson. They join Strategic Advisor Mike Weston.
• Concern over “fundamental” bus registration changesConcern has been raised over the lack of communication between the government and the PCV industry over changes made to bus service regulations.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Stagecoach signs deal with Bridgestone UKStagecoach has awarded a five-year tyre contract to Bridgestone UK, covering 9,500 vehicles including all the UK coach and bus fleet and other company vehicles.
• Stagecoach drivers lead Fleet Elite Stagecoach’s bus drivers are leading the way in a prestigious global performance measurement programme for the fourth consecutive year.
• Dedication pays off for Go North East DirectorChartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) has named Go North East Commercial Director ‘Marketer of the Year’ at its annual Excellence Awards.
• CPT calls for “clear, concise and enforceable regulations”The Confederation of Passenger Transport is calling for “clear, concise and enforceable regulations to ensure passenger safety” in relation to the use of Section 19 and 22 Permits.
• DAF driveline and Irizar kerb-appeal win over Ashley TravelA brand-new Irizar i6 Integral has joined the 18-strong fleet at Sheffield’s Ashley Travel Ltd.
• Ticketer wins contract to help Cornwall go contactlessTicketer has won a contract to supply smaller bus operators in Cornwall with contactless ticket machines.
• Stagecoach North Scotland and Aberdeen City Council launch new service with free travelStagecoach North Scotland celebrated the first day of its newly launched Aberdeen City Council supported bus route for Kingswells by giving away £1,000 of bus tickets to local residents.

Aviation Industry

• Bombardier Commercial reports weak 1Q; Airbus CSeries tie-up to close soonNews of a weak first-quarter performance by Bombardier’s Commercial Aircraft unit was offset somewhat by the cash-generating sale of its Downsview aircraft assembly operation, a new CRJ order, and optimism that the CSeries program tie-up with Airbus will close within weeks. read more
• Flybmi eyes Bombardier CRJ900/Embraer E190 aircraft to expand fleetUK-based flybmi (formerly known as bmi regional) is looking to expand its fleet of 20 Embraer 134/145 regional jets with Bombardier CRJ900s or E190s, which offer more capacity as the carrier prepares for post-Brexit operations. read more
• NTSB releases maintenance records on Southwest 737-700 engine failure Maintenance records from the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 that experienced an inflight engine failure April 17 reveal the fan blades of its CFM56-7B turbofan engines, which are suspected of causing the failure, had been overhauled 10,712 engine cycles before the accident, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported. read more

Other News Sources

• ScotRail claims service is improving ahead of public meeting over East Lothian lineSCOTRAIL has pledged to have six-carriage trains running during the majority of peak hours services between North Berwick and Edinburgh by the end if this year.
• £9M SECURED FOR BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL STATION TRANSFORMATIONMore than £9m has been secured to help redesign Birmingham International Station ahead of the arrival of HS2.
• Balfour Beatty wins £50m Great Western repairs dealNetwork Rail has given Balfour Beatty an emergency repairs contract, worth up to £50m over the five-year term.
• These all-electric rides are the future of smart transportFeel electric with our pick of the most innovative and exciting rides – it doesn't matter what terrain you have to cover
• Uber can stay if it plays fair, says taxi firm bossTHE owner of a taxi firm has said he would welcome Uber remaining in the city as long as they play by the same rules as the taxi trade.