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

Wednesday, 28 November 2018

BBC News

• Bristol Metrobus railway bridge road to loweredA road which has seen several accidents when buses have got stuck under a railway bridge in Bristol, is to be lowered.
• LNER train 'was 100mph above' speed limitA train travelled at 120mph (193km/h) on a section of track with an emergency 20mph (32km/h) speed restriction, investigators have said.
• Transport for Wales doing fantastic job says ministerA government minister has praised the new franchise after it suffers a string of cancellations.
• East-west London cycle superhighway 'costs businesses £5.3m a year'The cycle route has caused more congestion after a lane of traffic was removed, a report has found.
• 'Park anywhere' electric bike hire launched in Milton KeynesThe bikes use a motor to help cyclists, but similar schemes with pedal bikes have been widely vandalised.
• UK ports face 'major disruption' in case of no-deal Brexit, MPs warnA Commons committee says plans for avoiding disruption around UK ports are

The Guardian

• Bus firm fined £2.3m after fatal supermarket crash in CoventryA bus company has been fined £2.3m for significant health and safety failings after a fatigued driver ploughed into a supermarket, killing a passenger and a pedestrian in Coventry.
• DfT criticised over secretive preparations for no-deal BrexitMeg Hillier says ‘potentially toxic’ approach leaves businesses and public in the dark British ports must expect major disruption if the government leaves the European Union without a deal, according to parliament’s spending watchdog.

The Herald

• Our railway is already in a broad sense under the governance of the stateWE are seeing outrage expressed on an almost daily basis concerning the perceived failings of rail passenger services in Scotland ("Anger as ScotRail fails to meet dozens of promises", The Herald, November 26)
• Rosemary Goring: Running a railway doesn't have to be rocket science“THEY’RE having a laugh,” said a woman on the freezing platform at Waverley Station, looking around in dismay. Over the tannoy it had been announced that the approaching train for Tweedbank had two carriages. It was rush hour, the previous train had been cancelled and, as a crowd of 100 and more surged towards the doors, we were less at risk of turning into a tin of sardines than becoming mashed potatoes.

Times Online

• Twigged: rail chiefs behind the misery of leaves on the line [Subscription]Leaves on the line have been causing misery for rail commuters for decades. Far from Network Rail solving it, however, the problem has become worse under the public company that runs the tracks.

The Mirror

• Living Wage boost for thousands of workers in Heathrow Airport supply chainEXCLUSIVE: The west London travel hub announced the pay hike for an estimated 3,200 workers
• Sky News presenter slams Virgin Trains for 'disgrace' £338 return to ManchesterMartha Kelner shared her disbelief at the cost of travelling between London and Manchester on an open return

Network Rail

• Watford Junction platform overhaul will welcome longer trains and more passengersWork is underway to upgrade platforms to improve access and capacity for passengers using Watford Junction station.

Birmingham Mail

• The train companies that cancel the most rail services revealedAnalysis of figures from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) show that 423,384 passenger train services were scheduled in 2017/18

Derby Telegraph

• Council says HS2 rail line could bring Long Eaton to a standstillThere are worries about the impact of the project

Liverpool Echo

• NO Wirral - Liverpool trains between Christmas and New Year and Kirkby line is nextEverything you need to know as more disruption set to hit Merseyrail network

London Evening Standard

• Virgin Trains branded a 'national disgrace' for charging £338 for open return from London to ManchesterA Sky News correspondent has branded Virgin Trains a "national disgrace" for charging more than £300 for an open return from London to Manchester.
• Revealed: full details of ULEZ £12.50-a-day charge for London driversEXCLUSIVE: drivers to be hit in pocket by new London ultra low emission zone
• London Bridge protest: Angry black cab drivers create second night of traffic chaos in capitalBlack cab drivers have created traffic chaos for the second day in a row after they formed a blockade on London Bridge.
• Uber rival miwhip promises a golden supercar surprise for app customersThe closest most Londoners will come to a gold plated Lamborghini is spotting one ostentatiously parked outside a five star hotel in Knightsbridge or Mayfair.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Metro depot to be built in Howdon to help deliver new £500m fleetPlans to build a temporary depot facility on a former landfill site in Wallsend Road have been approved

Other Regional Press

• REVEALED: The remarkable number of Southern and Thameslink trains cancelled last yearOne in every 23 trains run by Govia Thameslink was either fully or partially cancelled
• Calls to end pre-Christmas rail miseryTransport for the North is calling on Northern Rail and the RMT to come together and get back around the negotiating table.
• Numerous bridge crashes on Roding Road in Loughton have led to calls for extra safety featuresCalls have been made to install detectors near the county's busiest train bridge in a bid to avoid "devastating" collisions.

New Civil Engineer

• £82M Coventry Railway Station transformation underwayExpansion plans worth £82M have begun at Coventry Railway Station ahead of Coventry taking up the mantle of City of Culture in 2021.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Monitoring the performance of earthworks Dr Joel Smethurst, associate professor in geotechnical engineering, and Professor William Powrie, professor of geotechnical engineering, both of the University of Southampton, discuss the work and research that’s helped the rail sector in its approach to earthworks and managing...
• Night Tube: The twilight economyDr David Lutton, executive director of economy and tax at London First, argues that the capital’s night-time economy is just starting its journey. London boasts some of the best nightlife in the world, with its theatres, bars, and restaurants part of what attracts millions of tourists to...
• Passenger safety: Respect the edgeClaire Coward, communications lead at the RSSB, discusses her organisation’s latest passenger safety campaign. Incidents at the platform train interface (PTI) account for almost half of the total passenger fatality risk on the mainline railway network, and about one-fifth of the overall...
• Spotlight on Coventry Very Light RailOlivia Brown, business development officer at Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), an academic department of the University of Warwick, outlines the four exciting projects currently taking place as part of the Coventry Very Light Rail (VLR)  programme. In RTM’s June/July issue, readers...
• Transport minister blames Khan for TfL's financial problems as it struggles to fund CrossrailTransport minister Andrew Jones has criticised Sadiq Khan over the capital’s struggle to complete the Crossrail project and argued that it is “becoming clearer how the mayor’s policies are causing long-term problems with TfL’s finances.” Jones placed the...
• DfT denies 'experimenting' with new East Coast Partnership, promises better franchise bids assessmentThe DfT has defended its reportedly experimental plans for the refreshed East Coast Main Line franchise, arguing that its process for assessing bids is now “more robust” after a critical report into the failings that led to the collapse of Virgin Trains East Coast. Chris Grayling...
• New railway technology to save track workers thousands of hours on SWR New technology to help carry out overnight and maintenance work is set to be rolled out across the South Western Railway and will save track workers an extra 1,600 hours a year. The railway technology will allow for a more efficient, safer way to turn off the power on the railway line...

Aviation Industry

• US, UK close to reaching new Open Skies deal Industry officials expect US and UK negotiators to reach agreement on a new Open Skies agreement in the next round of negotiations taking place Nov. 28 in Washington DC, but ownership and control regulations remain a concern. read more
• Industry observers see no upside out of Brexit for aviation Major uncertainty continues across the European air transport industry about the impact of the UK’s pending split from the European Union (EU), and clauses on aviation within a new Brexit political declaration provide little reassurance. read more
• British Airways retires final 767 British Airways (BA) has retired its last Boeing 767-300, 28 years after the type entered service. read more

Other News Sources

• Resilient Heathrow is ready to deliver - MacmillanThe expansion of Heathrow Airport will create billions of pounds in growth and generate thousands of jobs across the UK in the early years of Brexit, according to the man charged with driving the airport’s future strategy.
• Cumbria Chamber of Commerce asked to develop business case for HS2 Carlisle stopCumbrian connection to high speed rail line would give county a vital economic boost, say business leaders Rob Johnston, chief executive of Cumbria Chamber of CommerceGill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism
• How Siemens uses data analytics to make trains run on timeThe engineering company has made railway maintenance proactive by monitoring sensor information for the warning signs of failures
• Big names chase £30m Crossrail office job at Bond StreetScheme is one of a dozen planned for central London link of rail route
• Big names chase £30m Crossrail office job at Bond StreetScheme is one of a dozen planned for central London link of rail route
• Big names chase £30m Crossrail office job at Bond StreetScheme is one of a dozen planned for central London link of rail route