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

Wednesday, 19 September 2018

BBC News

• Portadown-based aircraft seat business doubles profitsA Portadown-based aircraft seat manufacturer more than doubles its turnover and profits.
• Space technology firm creates 33 jobs in BelfastThe jobs at Belfast-based business 3DEO will include space system engineers and data consultants.
• BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen face EU diesel emissions probeBMW, Daimler and VW are being investigated to see if they agreed to restrict emissions control systems.
• Tesla provides documents in DoJ probeThe electric-car firm says it has received
• Qantas mulls plane gyms as prepares for 20-hour flightsThe Australian airline wants to launch non-stop flights between London and Sydney by 2022.

ITV News

• Controversial HS2 rail project to create tens of thousands of new jobs despite spiralling costsThe government says the controversial HS2 rail project will create tens of thousands of new jobs in the next two years.

The Guardian

• Air pollution linked to much greater risk of dementiaRisk in over-50s increases by 40% where highest nitrogen oxide levels exist, study shows

The Herald

• Extend the good work on rail infrastructureFOLLOWING on from the successful completion of the electrification of Edinburgh to Glasgow railway and soon to be finished Stirling/Alloa/Dunblane route, now is not the time to disband the teams, but to electrify another route for future generations. The teams have worked tirelessly whilst we were all tucked up in bed and don't deserve to be sent on their way.

The Independent

• Air pollution linked to higher risk of dementia, study suggests'Regional and urban background pollutants may be as important as near-traffic pollutants', scientists say

The Scotsman

• Humza Yousaf begins search for alternative to Railway policing planJustice secretary Humza Yousaf has said controversial railway policing plans have been put on hold and may never be enacted.

Times Online

• Yousaf: Police merger may never happenLegislation to merge the British Transport Police and Police Scotland might never be enacted, the justice secretary has said.
• Sturgeon adviser’s shipyard was given £45m [Subscription]A shipyard owned by an adviser to Nicola Sturgeon was handed £45 million of public money to ensure the survival of the site, ministers have admitted.
• Electric cars forecast to clog roads [Subscription]Congestion on the roads could more than double over the next three decades despite rising numbers of driverless cars, according to analysis.
• BA faces legal challenge for refusing to fly lab animals [Subscription]British Airways and other airlines are facing a legal challenge from scientists to try to end the blockade on flying animals for research.
• Dementia threat soars in areas hit by pollutionLiving in a polluted area increases the risk of dementia by up to 40 per cent, the first British study of its kind has found.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Was demolishing Bradford Exchange the city's worst-ever planning decision?A NEW book by Bradford-born author Dave Peel turns back the clock to the time when Bradford's Exchange railway station was demolished.

Liverpool Echo

• Northern Rail passenger slapped with £20 fine for not having ticket despite having THIS evidenceA rail passenger was fined £20 for not having a ticket despite no staff being on duty and even taking a picture as evidence of the closed booth.

London Evening Standard

• DLR status: TfL commuters face transport chaos as signal failure sparks closure of entire DLR networkCommuters faced transport chaos this morning as the entire Docklands Light Railway was suspended due to a signal failure.

Manchester Evening News

• The 300 roads in Manchester to be repaired over the next two years - full listRepairs and maintenance to more than 300 roads - particularly in Gorton, Harpurhey, Miles Platting and Chorlton - were pushed back into April and May, officially due to internal ‘consultation’ and the severe winter weather
• New taxi drivers may have to prove they can speak English to get a licence in one part of Greater ManchesterNew taxi drivers may have to prove they can speak English - and pass a local knowledge test - before being allowed behind the wheel in Trafford.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• HS2 bosses reveal why high speed rail network WILL benefit the North EastManagers of the HS2 high speed rail line say Newcastle is on the network and it will join up the entire country

Yorkshire Post

• The Yorkshire Post says: HS2 and its tests. High-speed line of reasoning GIVEN THAT HS2 is Britain’s largest – and most expensive – infrastructure project, the challenges were always going to be formidable and its tests are three-fold.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Ipswich Railway Station crowned ‘large station of the year’ at national awardsIpswich’s railway station has been named the best large station in the country at the National Rail Awards.

Other Regional Press

• Deputy discusses improved 'rail connectivity' with East West Rail and LondonNorthampton is considered an ‘important’ location for upcoming rail projects according to the deputy leader of Northampton Borough Council.

New Civil Engineer

• Suppliers sought for Very Light Rail systemThe University of Warwick has launched its search for suppliers to develop a Very Light Rail (VLR) system in Coventry.
• Five rail firms shotlisted for £360M Tyne and Wear Metro worksFive rail companies have been shortlisted for a £360M contract to build and maintain rolling stock for the Tyne and Wear metro.

Rail Technology Magazine

• DfT exploring digital ETCS roll-out across all East West Rail phasesThe government is exploring the possibility of implementing ETCS across the entirety of East West Rail (EWR) in the future if analysis shows that it can provide significant benefits for the programme. Rail minister Jo Johnson revealed that although Western Section phases 1 and 2 will be...
• Northern Powerhouse Rail: The need for changeNorthern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) will be transformational for the north – it will change the way people live, work, and play. It will rebalance the UK economy, and also make sure the north can take full advantage of the opportunities HS2 will bring. Tim Wood, its director at Transport for the...
• Chaos for London commuters as DLR shuts down entire service on all routesLondon commuters faced chaos this morning as Docklands Light Railway (DLR) announced that there were no services running on any route due to a signalling failure. <blockquote class=
• TfN appoints single leader to oversee both infrastructure and operations in the northTransport for the North (TfN) has announced that Richard George has been appointed by government to oversee both infrastructure and train operations in the region. George, who has extensive rail industry experience, will liaise with TfN in response to transport secretary Chris Grayling’s...
• Rail delays hit 12-year high after timetable delays and severe weatherSevere weather and the introductions of new timetables have led to the worst punctuality on British railways in 12 years, new figures from the ORR show. One in seven trains missed the industry measure of punctuality in the 12 months to August, marking the highest level of delays since February...
• The East Coast franchise report tells us what we already knew: it was a bid set up to fail“Even now, there is no concrete plan, nor timescales, for the interim operator of this franchise. From our inquiry, we cannot be sure, and cannot reassure passengers or public, that the arrangements for the East Coast Partnership will more successfully overcome the systemic...
• Towards railway-specific, bearer-independent communicationFreelance transport journalist Lesley Brown looks towards railway-specific, bearer independent communication.  Today, GSM-R is a well-established technology for carrying voice and data for operations across most railway networks in Europe, as well as many others worldwide. Yet...

Aviation Industry

• Air France pilots' union confident new CEO will resolve pay crisis Air France’s main pilots' union has confidence in new Air France-KLM group CEO Ben Smith’s ability to solve a pay crisis that cost his predecessor his job and is still unresolved, its president told France’s RTL Radio. read more
• Brussels Airlines to expand Africa service; end Mumbai flights in 2019Lufthansa Group subsidiary Brussels Airlines is making changes to its long-haul network, reinforcing its presence in Africa as it ends flights to Mumbai, India for economic reasons and refocuses the capacity on its core intercontinental region of Africa. read more
• Coalition urges US lawmakers to abandon flag of convenience provisionA coalition of airlines, airports and manufacturers wrote a letter to US lawmakers urging them to ditch a provision in the bill to reauthorize the FAA that would target so-called “flag of convenienceâ€� carriers, warning it would “undermine the basis for the Open Skies Agreementsâ€� that underpin the global aviation system. read more

Other News Sources

• Stagecoach Group PLC posts like-for-like revenue growth at UK bus, rail divisionsBus revenue at the UK regional division rose 3.2% in the sixteen weeks to 18 August
• Heathrow fined for breaching competition law over car park chargesHeathrow Airport has been fined £1.6m for restricting competition on parking prices with the operator of the Sofitel hotel at Terminal 5.
• West Wales Railway Bridges To Undergo £4.25m UpgradeThe £4.25m project will be carried out at Pembroke Road railway bridge and the Milford Road railway bridge in Merlins Bridge, Haverfordwest.
• Japan lends $300m for Texas high-speed railwayThe company aiming to build a high-speed railway between Dallas and Houston in Texas – America’s first high-speed railway, if built – has secured a $300m loan from Japanese state lenders, sparking ire from a French group that wanted to build the line.
• Possible improvements to Leamington's railway station backed by town's MPPotential improvements to Leamington's railway station - including cycle spaces, greater pedestrian access and a bus interchange - have been backed by the town's MP.
• First-look inside Glasgow's new Subway trainsThe famous clockwork orange has had a makeover
• Telford MP Lucy Allan to confront Arriva Trains bosses over rail chaosTelford MP Lucy Allan will meet rail bosses after concerns were raised about the lack of commuter trains.