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

Saturday, 05 May 2018

BBC News

• Air France-KLM boss quits as staff reject pay dealAir France-KLM chief Jean-Marc Janaillac has announced his resignation after French staff at the strike-hit airline rejected a new pay deal.
• Dolls' heads used to lobby Swindon pothole repairsSubmerged chest deep in water, they were placed in Mill Lane, Swindon, by local resident Neville Daytona.
• Crossrail works cause bank holiday rail disruptionRail users travelling to London over the bank holiday weekend are facing disruption due to planned work to upgrade the tracks for Crossrail.

The Guardian

• 18 of the world’s best rail journeysSome of the world’s wildest and most beautiful scenery is best enjoyed from a train window. From Lhasa to Lima, we choose brilliant and great value routes

The Independent

• Asia has the world’s busiest flight routesThe UK, and especially London, is used to being at the top of global aviation tables. The British capital is the world-leading hub of aviation, with at least 150 million passengers flying in and out of the six airports this year.

The Scotsman

• Transport minister says Holyrood does not have power to ban diesels Scottish transport chiefs have admitted they don’t have the powers to ban the sale of diesel cars by 2032.
• Braveheart star rallies to defend threatened ’lifeline’ bus service Borders-based actor and director Gerda Stevenson has urged the retention of a threatened “lifeline” bus route between Edinburgh and Dumfries....
• End of line for Sleeper trains that go bump in the night Passengers on the Caledonian Sleeper’s brand new trains are promised a “silky smooth” ride that will consign the service’s notorious bumps and jolts to history.

Times Online

• Ban on petrol and diesel cars will also target hybrid vehicles [subscription]The vast majority of cars now sold in the UK would be banned from 2040 under government plans to cut pollution. Some 98 per cent of the existing new vehicle market will no longer be sold within the next 22 years under sweeping measures designed to improve air quality.
• Frictionless travel and UK transport policy - Simon Posner, CEO, Confederation of Passenger Transport UK [subscription]Sir, Lord Adonis (letter, May 3) does not present an accurate view of technology in the bus industry and its effect on bus use. About 50 per cent of bus services outside London use contactless technology to collect fares and all of our major cities will be covered within 12 months, all at no cost whatsoever to the public purse.

City AM

• New car sales rev up in April, as diesel continues nosediveNew car sales have risen year-on-year for the first time in 13 months in April, as pollution concerns slowed the rate that consumers bought diesel cars.
• Tesla boss Elon Musk defends move to dodge analyst's questions after brusque responses further share price fallsTesla boss Elon Musk has defended his decision to dodge questions posed to him by analysts after revealing a record $710m (£523m) loss, after his firm's share price appeared to suffer as a result.
• Toyota is building its own 60 acre high-risk test track to put driverless cars through their pacesCar manufacturer Toyota is making a move to stay ahead in the race to get autonomous vehicles on the road, as it today announced it is building a 60 acre test centre for self-driving cars.

London Evening Standard

• Train graffiti ’epidemic’ blamed on health and safety risks to staff at cleaning depotsOne of London’s busiest commuter rail networks is in the grip of a graffiti epidemic after being forced to improve safety at a string of cleaning depots after the electrocution of a cleaner.
• British students offered free Interrail pass in EU pilot schemeBritish teenagers will soon be able to travel around Europe for up to 30 days using a free Interrail pass.
• More than 8,000 people call on Sadiq Khan to launch London's first-ever 'Car Free Day'More than 8,000 people have backed a petition calling on Sadiq Khan to launch London's first ever 'Car Free Day'.

Yorkshire Post

• Tom Richmond: How Chris Grayling misled the North over rail electrification – and why he should now resign THE truth can finally be revealed about how Transport Secretary Chris Grayling misled this newspaper and the region’s commuters during last year’s election campaign. Read more at: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/tom-richmond-how-chris-grayling-misled-the-north-over-rail-electrification-and-why-he-should-now-resign-1-9151000

Cambridge News

• Ely summit puts pressure on Network Rail to get work started on much needed improvementsA road bridge or underpass will now be needed at Ely as part of long-awaited improvements to the worst bottleneck on the region’s railway network.

Other Regional Press

• Plans to build Heathrow Express depot in Langley scrappedCouncillors have rejoiced at the cancellation of plans to build a Heathrow Express maintenance depot in Langley.
• Rail connectivity will be 'transformational' say political leadersIMPROVED connectivity for some railway stations in the borough has been hailed by political leaders as a "transformational" benefit for St Helens.
• Bid to fast track passenger trains back on to rail line from Ribble Valley to Pennines and YorkshireTHE leader of Ribble Valley Council is stepping up the campaign to reopen the goods-only railway line from Clitheroe to Hellifield for passengers.

Rail Technology Magazine

• HS1 appoints former Go-Ahead CEO as chairmanHS1 Ltd, the owner and operator of the High Speed 1 rail link, has today announced the appointment of former Go-Ahead Group CEO Keith Ludeman as chairman designate. Ludeman held an instrumental role in the introduction of Southeastern high-speed train services to HS1, and will hold the role as...
• Birmingham International station set for £286m revamp The plans for a £286m revamp of Birmingham International Station have been revealed after it secured more than £9m for a redesign project in preparation for the arrival of HS2. £9.2m has been awarded to The Urban Growth Company via devolution funding from the West Midlands...

Aviation Industry

• IAG reports strong 1Q as passenger revenues improveInternational Airlines Group (IAG) posted a significantly higher operating profit in the first quarter and assured investors its full-year result will be better than last year despite rising fuel prices. read more
• Air France-KLM CEO to step down after employee pay vote Air France-KLM CEO Jean-Marc Janaillac will submit his resignation next week after a majority of Air France employees rejected a pay proposal in a staff-wide consultation that had been his high-stakes bid to extract the airline from a costly labor relations crisis. read more

Other News Sources

• New rail link to Heathrow from Reading consultation opensA third and possibly final consultation is opening on plans to build a new rail link that will allow direct connections between Reading and Heathrow Airport.