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

Tuesday, 21 August 2018

BBC News

• Crime at airports has doubled in two yearsVehicle crime and possession of weapons are among the types seeing the biggest rise since 2015.
• Manchester Oxford Road bus lane signs 'below standard'Hundreds of drivers have successfully appealed bus lane fines in grounds of poor signage.
• Why your next flight may go via ChinaAs Chinese airlines launch more and more international flights, are they playing fair to attract passengers?
• Tesla hit by doubts over Elon Musk's delisting planAnalysts at JPMorgan Chase slash target price for shares in the electric car maker from $308 to $195.

The Guardian

• Gatwick resorts to whiteboards for flight information after IT crashStaff forced to write out gate numbers, with some passengers missing flights
• Victoria underground line gets go-ahead – archive 1962The long-awaited “Victoria Line” – an underground railway between Victoria and Walthamstow – is at last to be built. The Government’s decision to accept the London Transport Executive’s proposal for its construction was announced yesterday.

The Independent

• Blank screens cause chaotic scenes at Gatwick airport‘Thank goodness I have eagle-vision and can read messy writing from a distance,’ said one passenger

The Scotsman

• Publicly-run trains plan slammedTaking Scotland’s railways back into public ownership amid anger over rising fares and crowded trains would be “childish and counterproductive”, a former Labour transport minister has said.

Times Online

• Infrastructure failings ‘run risk of two-speed England’, says CBI [Subscription]Complex decision-making and a lack of transparency are hindering attempts to improve infrastructure and are holding back investment, a leading business lobby group has warned.
• Mayors urged to ditch limousines and take the bus [Subscription]Low-tax campaigners have called for civic leaders to trade in their Bentleys for bus passes as they published figures detailing local-authority spending on cars for mayors.
• Millions needed to protect infrastructure [Subscription]Hundreds of millions of pounds needs to be spent to prevent the electric car revolution putting undue strain on the national grid, experts have said.
• Electric cars spark fears for whether national grid can meet extra demand [Subscription]As the cost of the vehicles falls the network must be able to meet requirements
• ‘Perfect storm’ of chaos as railway work forces travellers on to roads [Subscription]A “perfect storm” of transport disruption will hit Scotland’s travellers this weekend as the west coast rail line to London closes and engineering work forces passengers on to the roads.
• Chaos as Gatwick airport uses whiteboards after digital departure screens fail [Subscription]Gatwick airport was plunged into chaos yesterday when staff were forced to use old-fashioned whiteboards to direct thousands of passengers to flights.

Daily Record

• Ex-Labour transport minister branded 'Thatcherite Tory' after backing private sector railwaysTom Harris has been slammed for begging the SNP to keep the train service privatised in Scotland in a report commissioned by a private railway sector firm.

Bolton News

• Hool's to shut: 'Poor trains bound to impact town'BOLTON North East MP who has long been a vocal critic of the train and network operators said his sympathy went out to Mr Hool.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Canal towpath improved between Silsden and Riddlesden IMPROVEMENTS to the canal towpath between Riddlesden and Silsden have been officially unveiled.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Kezia Dugdale: ScotRail has hit the buffers over serviceI’m writing this from Sicily. Don’t fret – I’m stuck inside because it’s raining and last night’s electrical storms had me thinking the sky was going to fall in.

London Evening Standard

• Indian ride-hailing app to rival Uber 'in talks with Transport for London' after UK launchA new Indian ride-hailing app, which could be stiff competition for Uber, has launched its first UK services.
• Gatwick digital information screens 'back up and running' after whiteboard chaosDigital flight departure screens at Gatwick are "displaying information as normal" after a technical glitch sparked chaos at the London airport.
• Hundreds descend on Holborn to protest after the Queen's doctor killed while cyclingHundreds of furious cyclists brought part of central London to a standstill on Monday as they called for an end to cycle deaths in the capital.

Manchester Evening News

• Businessman says Manchester Airport's drop-off charges have added £50 to his monthly Uber bill"The airport needs to look again at this - there must be loads of people in the same boat."

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Scrap calls for blanket rail nationalisation, says former UK Government transport ministerA new report by a former UK Government transport minister has highlighted that the number of passengers in Scotland has doubled in the last 15 years.

Yorkshire Post

• The Yorkshire Post says: How late trains hit investment. Coastal economy is under threatIF THE Government won’t listen to commuters about the hardship being caused by the daily chaos on the region’s railways, perhaps Ministers will heed one of the industrialists heading up North Yorkshire’s biggest investment project which will employ 1,000 highly-skilled people.

Other Regional Press

• Surrey's 'worst' train station? You've decidedIt has a direct service to Gatwick Airport, but sadly for those lugging their luggage "the platforms are reached solely by several flights of outdoor stairs"

New Civil Engineer

• Liverpool transport chief in high speed rail pleaA high speed rail link between Manchester and Liverpool must be brought forward more urgently, a local transport chief has told the government. Merseytravel chief executive Frank Rogers called for the rapid connection to be established in time for the opening of High Speed 2 phase 2b in 2033.
• Network Rail launches £650M frameworkNetwork Rail is on the hunt for contractors to join its £650M Design Services Framework. The rail operator has published a Prior Information Notice for the five-to-eight-year framework, which includes electrification works, technical design and engineering consultancy services.
• Atkins to lead on Sheffield HS2 station masterplanAtkins has been appointed to lead a consortium to develop a masterplan for Sheffield Midland Railway station in preparation for the arrival of High Speed 2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Rail Magazine

• Work begins on ‘new vision’ for Edinburgh WaverleyNetwork Rail is working to improve the long-term future of Edinburgh Waverley.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Design services framework launched by Network Rail in deal worth £650mSuppliers are being invited to provide engineering, design, and technical consultancy services to Network Rail in a framework deal worth up to £650m.
• First upgraded ScotRail InterCity train arrives in Scotland, rollout completed by late 2019ScotRail’s first upgraded InterCity train has arrived in Scotland as part of the revamped High Speed Trains (HST) that will connect Scotland’s seven cities.
• Government calls for companies to take part in 5G TransPennine pilotThe government is inviting companies to take part in a new 5G project on the TransPennine Railway line between Leeds and Manchester.
• Hitachi Class 802s to be put in operation following GWR press launchTrain operator Greater Western Railway (GWR) launched its new Hitachi Class 802 range on Friday, holding a media run from Penzance to Exeter to celebrate the new fleet.

Aviation Industry

• CAA survey: UK air passengers less satisfied with airports, airlinesSatisfaction with both airlines and airports among UK travelers has diminished in the past two years—especially when it comes to responding to flight disruptions and delays, a survey by the UK air regulator has revealed. read more
• JAL plans high-density Dreamliners for new long-haul LCC Japan Airlines (JAL) is looking to significantly increase the seat density of the Boeing 787-8s that are assigned to its newly announced LCC unit and is eyeing markets in Asia, Europe and the Americas. read more
• Adding flag of convenience amendment to FAA bill raises Open Skies concerns Attempts by some US lawmakers to add language to the FAA reauthorization bill that would change labor rules on foreign airlines operating to the US within Open Skies agreements are raising concerns among the White House administration, US airlines and the European Commission (EC). read more
• Spirit CEO eyes double-digit growth; new aircraft Florida-based Ultra-LCC Spirit Airlines plans to mix in both new destinations and additional frequencies to support its double-digit growth, which CEO Bob Fornaro said will be 13%-15% annually for the next few years. read more

Other News Sources

• Stobart Rail & Civils' revolutionary plant technologyStobart welcomed representatives from Network Rail, Skanska, Amey Sersa, Nexus, Babcock, Buckingham Group, Morgan Sindall, GKD Technologies and West Cumbria Mining to get up close to plant innovations designed to deliver greater reliability and safer worksites.
• Chris Grayling: A view from the ministryA revolution is on the way—if so, can Britain make the most of it?
• Own goal: Abellio-funded report seeking to undermine case for public ownership shows support for public-run railAbellio commissioned report signals attempted fightback against demands for public control