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

Saturday, 20 October 2018

BBC News

• Disabled rail users 'feel treated as an afterthought'Train stations must be urgently brought up to standard for disabled passengers as only a third have full step-free access, two charities have said.
• Rail workers' near-miss with train caused by location mix-upTwo bridge workers were almost hit by a train near Dundee because the wrong section of track was blocked off, an investigation has found.
• Bristol mayor Marvin Rees plans to boost bus travelPlans to double the frequency of buses on main routes and passenger numbers have been announced by Bristol's mayor.
• Diesel and petrol ban should come much faster, say MPsThe government’s 2040 deadline for shifting to electric-powered cars criticised as 'unambitious'.

The Guardian

• Christmas travel: move fast to snap up cheap ticketsIf you have festive plans, act now, before all the best train fares and flights are snapped up

Times Online

• Train passengers forced to sprint by late platform calls [subscription]Rail passengers are having to sprint to reach their trains at mainline stations because of late platform announcements, according to a watchdog.

Reuters News

• UK should bring forward new petrol and diesel car ban to 2032 – MPsBritain should bring forward a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by eight years to 2032 to help the country reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, a parliamentary committee said on Friday.

City AM

• This London Tube map shows the busiest morning times for key Zone 1 and Zone 2 stationsWhile many don't have much choice on what time they have to get into work in the mornings, Transport for London (TfL) says if you can tweak your journey slightly you can avoid the peak rush.
• Daimler issues profit warning and shares plungeGerman car maker Daimler issued its second profit warning in four months today, sending its shares to a five-year low.
• Toyota president Akio Toyoda warns Britain to avoid no-deal Brexit 'at all costs'Toyota president Akio Toyoda has warned that a no-deal Brexit should be avoided at all costs.

Mail Online

• Fed up of terrible trains? Three of Britain's best places to live if you want an easy commute into workGiven the daily news, you’d think that getting to work on time by train was an impossible dream.

Network Rail

• Network Rail opens £8m Stirling railway bridge earlyNetwork Rail today (Friday 19 October) opened Kerse Road bridge in Stirling a week earlier than planned.

Bolton News

• Bus bosses plead with passengers to stop litteringBUSES in Bolton are among the dirtiest in the region, according to transport bosses.

Bristol Live

• Updates: People walking on railway tracks bring Bristol trains to standstillThere are delays at Temple Meads due to trespass incident

Wales Online

• The big bus timetable and route changes in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and BridgendFirst has announced its latest raft of changes affecting bus services in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Bridgend.

Yorkshire Post

• David Behrens: It takes a lot less than 20 minutes to demolish the HS2 mythsE done the rail journey from Yorkshire to King’s Cross and back several hundred times, across four decades and multiple public and private operators, and there is no-one more than I who would like to see the time of it reduced by 20 or so minutes.

Kent Online

• Government commits to introducing Thameslink rail service connecting Maidstone and London by next year amid growing local scepticism The government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the much-anticipated Thameslink rail service connecting Maidstone and the capital will arrive in the County Town next year.

Other Regional Press

• New era for Shropshire rail travelAs a new era dawns for rail travel in Shropshire and across Wales this week, one of those at the heart of community transport in the county says she is confident that there would be major improvements in the short and long term.
• Concerns over impact of rail plans on East Lancashire RailwayConsultants have been commissioned by Rossendale Council to look at the early strategic case for investment in the Rawtenstall-to-Manchester corridor.
• Sacking Southern is still an option, says rail minister Jo JohnsonThe possibility of sacking Southern is still on the table, according to Rail Minister Jo Johnson.
• Nostell bosses hit out at HS2 plans that will pass by ‘jewel in the district’s crown’The National Trust has hit out at HS2 over plans for its route to pass within 400m of parkland at one of the jewels in the district’s crown.
• Passenger records on the rise for guided bus routeThe partners behind the guided busway are celebrating the news that 12,500 fewer car journeys are being made every week since the service was introduced
• Personally speaking: ‘Bus station demolition shows we’re on the up’Daniel Jellyman, Stoke-on-Trent City Council cabinet member for regeneration, transport and heritage, talks about the old bus station
• Thousands given PCNs at Rayners Lane bus stopHarrow Council is potentially collecting hundreds of thousands of pounds in driving fines at a single bus stop – and one woman wants people to be aware of the risks.

Global Rail News

• Average age of Britain’s train fleet falls for first time in more than a decade The average age of Britain’s rolling stock fleetThe average age of Britain’s rolling stock fleet has fallen for the first time since 2005, reflecting the increasing number of new trains arriving on the network. There were more than 14,000 vehicles in the national fleet at the end of 2017/18, with an average age of 19.6 years, according the new statistics from the ORR.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Leaked: HS2 will cost 25% more than similar projects in other countriesThe £56bn HS2 project is set to cost 25% more than similar projects being carried out in other countries, a leaked report written by PwC has revealed. The official report was commissioned by HS2 but was never published – and, according to the Financial Times, which obtained the...
• FCA probe: TfL could be fined for not telling LSE about Crossrail delayThe UK’s financial watchdog is considering whether to launch a formal investigation into TfL over its reported failure to tell the London Stock Exchange (LSE) that the Crossrail project would suffer a nine-month delay to its launch. A statement made by TfL to the LSE on 24 July made no...
• Grayling agrees ‘hybrid approach’ for December timetable shake-up to avoid more chaosTransport secretary Chris Grayling has agreed to proceed with a proposed ‘hybrid option’ for timetable changes this December, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has revealed

Aviation Industry

• Gatwick proposes using standby runway for additional capacity London Gatwick Airport’s new draft master includes a controversial plan to use the standby runway to provide additional capacity. read more

Other News Sources

• This Website Tracks How Long Since Rail Companies Last Said Sorry"Sorry for the inconvenience." Companies of all sorts — especially those involved in railways — are adept at making apologies over social media. Twitter is usually the medium of choice, and things tend to go a little like this: angry customer complains, person manning railway's Twitter account apologises, explains the reason behind the customer's issue and asks if there's anything else they can do to help.
• Notts council announce partner for ‘once in a generation’ HS2 projectNottinghamshire County Council has announced that regeneration specialists, LCR, will be spearheading the new East Midlands HS2 station at Toton
• Rail bosses tell council they're getting better - just hours before Paddington chaosNetwork Rail reassurances torpedoed almost immediately by power cable damage