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

Saturday, 11 August 2018

BBC News

• New trains 'too large' for Middlesbrough stationPlatforms at Middlesbrough station are not large enough to accommodate a new train service to London, the Tees Valley Mayor has warned.
• Traffic-free days planned for Edinburgh city centreRoads in Edinburgh will be closed on the first Sunday of every month, between 10:00 and 17:00.
• Travelling around London with autismClaire Lindsey on what it's like to use public transport when you have an invisible impairment like autism
• London bridge over puddled water: Flooded road crossed with chairsFootage shared online shows passengers building the a chair bridge across a flooded walkway.
• Ryanair strike: One in six flights cancelled in pilot walkoutStrike in five European countries will affect about 400 flights, one in six of the airline's services.
• Tesla's Elon Musk in the hot seat, againTesla boss Elon Musk's claim that he is considering taking the car company private unleashed a torrent of questions.

The Guardian

• Bus driver disciplined for asking Muslim woman to remove veilWoman travelling with her baby in Bristol was told by driver ‘this world is dangerous’

Times Online

• Killer cyclists to be treated same as dangerous drivers [subscription]Cyclists who kill pedestrians will be treated in the same way as dangerous drivers by the courts under government plans.
• Edinburgh considers banning cars from the city centre [subscription]Traffic could be banned from city centre streets once a month as part of a campaign to reduce air pollution in Edinburgh and improve the environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

Daily Express

• 'Speed restrictions' to add misery to commuters on PACKED trains during extreme weatherBRITAIN’S National Rail can demand that train operating companies run their carriages slower under extreme weather conditions, it can be revealed, adding more misery to commuters - despite being a measure taken for their own good.

Mail Online

• Long-suffering commuters are set to face a 3.5% hike in rail fares next year, figures revealLong-suffering commuters face having to pay hundreds of pounds more for their annual season ticket despite enduring a shambolic year on the railways.

Network Rail

• Ruth Smeeth MP welcomes scheme to improve access at Kidsgrove stationKidsgrove railway station in Staffordshire is to be fitted with a brand-new footbridge to make it more accessible for all train passengers.

Bolton News

• Thousands of passengers caught out in Ryanair strike THOUSANDS of Ryanair passengers have had their flights cancelled today due to pilot strikes in five countries.
• Pedestrians make 10,000 compensation claims after tripping on pavementsPedestrians made more than 10,000 compensation claims for trips and slips on pavements in just one year, an investigation has found.

London Evening Standard

• Heathrow boss: action needed to speed up immigration queuesJohn Holland-Kaye: long delays are damaging Britain's image
• Rail firms poised to hike fares by £200 a year despite series of cancellations, delays and overcrowdingRail firms are set to hike fares by up to £200 a year despite months of appalling service on many routes.
• Bristol bus firm apologises after driver demands Muslim mother remove her veil because he 'didn't know what she was capable of'

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Tom Richmond: Why under-fire rail boss needs to take a trip to meet his customers. Here’s the invite THE managing director of troubled train operator TransPennine Express, Leo Goodwin, has now broken his silence on the region’s rail scandal, after some prompting, in last week’s column.

Yorkshire Post

• The Yorkshire Post says: Start again from scratch. Despair at Northern rail ‘service’NOW the rail industry has been ordered to cut out the jargon, here’s some plain-speaking from The Yorkshire Post. When can long-suffering passengers expect their trains to run on time?

Blackpool Gazette

• Blackpool campaigner slams unions over further rail walk-outs A railway passengers’ champion has hit out at union bosses following the announcement of three new walk-outs.

Get West London

• This high speed rail line would link Heathrow Airport to Gatwick Airport in 15 minutesThe proposed HS4Air would see tunnels going through the Surrey Hills and a train line built alongside the M25

Other Regional Press

• Funding boost in bid for new local railway line and stationsNew local rail links are a step closer after the Scottish Government announced funding for studies.
• Rail firms deny Watford Overground service is under threatThe London Overground service which runs from Watford Junction to London Euston could be under threat, a source has claimed.

Buying Business Travel

• Volkswagen launches UK Rent-a-Car serviceVolkswagen Financial Services UK (VWFS) has launched its first sites for car hire firm Rent-a-Car in the UK, with dealerships signed up to run rental services from their showrooms.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Train at over 70mph almost collides with workers in near-missTwo bridge workers narrowly avoided a devastating collision with a train travelling at more than 70mph in Dundee, an investigation has found. The staff members, who were working as part of a gang on a bridge approaching Dundee station, experienced the near-miss at around 00:30 on 10...
• Ex-Carillion boss to take over £2.5bn Balfour Beatty Vinci HS2 contractsThe former boss of Carillion’s UK infrastructure business is set to take over Balfour Beatty Vinci to lead its HS2 joint venture. Mark Davies will replace Mark Cutler—who taking up a job elsewhere after being at the helm of the JV since January 2017— as managing director of the...

Transport Network

• Cambridge £1.7bn metro plans 'could provide lifeline for buses'A possible £1.7bn underground ‘metro’ for Cambridge will be designed to support the area’s failing bus services and discourage car use, the region’s mayor has said.
• Greater Manchester’s first smart motorway fully operationalHighways England has announced that the upgrade of the M60 in Greater Manchester to a smart motorway is now complete.
• Rail industry gives itself award for failing ticketing schemeThe rail industry’s project to roll out barcode ticketing has won an industry ‘innovation’ award, despite falling short of a key Government target.

Aviation Industry

• HNA’s Lucky Air gets boost from Chinese local governmentChina’s Lucky Air has become the latest HNA Group subsidiary to arrange a capital injection from a Chinese local government. read more
• Air Serbia introduces celebration ancillary serviceAir Serbia has launched a new ancillary revenue stream, where the airline will organize cakes, champagne and flowers for passenger special occasions.

Other News Sources

• Commuters are asked not to give money to beggars at Brighton StationCOMMUTERS have labelled Govia Thameslink Railway “inhumaneâ€� over a notice which asked passengers not to give money to beggars.