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

Friday, 18 January 2019

Government

• CMA clears airport services mergerMenzies’ purchase of Airline Services cleared by CMA after in-depth CMA investigation.

BBC News

• Metrolink tram damaged after pantograph comes loosePassengers are evacuated near MediaCityUK after the mechanism falls from the roof.
• Future of airport security on show in LondonA shoe scanner that works on passengers queuing at airport security is on show in London.
• London Tube violent crime rises by 43% in three yearsThere were more than 2,800 violent offences in the 11 months up to September, police figures show.

The Guardian

• Students and rail users 'penalised by flawed inflation measure'Students and rail passengers have been unfairly penalised by the government using a “flawed” measure of inflation that needs to be urgently fixed, according to a highly critical report from peers.

The Independent

• Airport security: The future could simply involve walking through a corridorNew search technology uses infra-red cameras so sensitive that they could 'see' a 100-watt lightbulb from half-a-million miles away

The Telegraph

• London's best (and worst) railway stations – ranked and rated [Subscription]Does any other city do railway stations with the same majesty, romance and elegance as London? We think not. The very names 'St Pancras', 'Waterloo' and 'London Bridge' are as ingrained in the city’s psyche as the Thames or the Tower of London.

Network Rail

• What is a Rail Operating Centre?We moved more of our signalling to state of the art Rail Operating Centres (ROCs) over Christmas and New Year.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford Northern Powerhouse Rail station 'must be in city centre'BRADFORD South MP Judith Cummins has called on Rail Minister Andrew Jones to back an Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) stop in Bradford city centre, or else risk “repeating the mistakes of the past”.

Bristol Live

• Bristol Airport wants to introduce a free drop-off zone – but only if it is allowed to expandQuick trips to the airport could get a lot easier

London Evening Standard

• De-icing trains being deployed across UK amid cold snapDe-icing trains are being deployed to keep rail services moving amid a cold snap in the UK.

Manchester Evening News

• Northern passengers in Greater Manchester are about to get MORE 'bus-train' PacersThey were supposed to be 'phased out' this year - so why is Northern bringing in yet more Pacers?
• Self-driving cars to be tested this year by Manchester Airport passengers and on the region's roadsDriverless cars with 'in-built check-in' will ferry passengers across Manchester Airport and run 'in convoy' on the roads

Northern Echo

• Promise of better rail services in Chester-le-Street after debateRAIL services for a commuter town should improve later in the year with the arrival of newer, faster trains, a Government spokesman has said.

Other Regional Press

• Plea to reopen March to Spalding rail link after nearly 40 years to cut congestion, attract visitors and help employmentA rail link from March to Spalding – which closed nearly 40 years ago – is “needed now as never before” to cut congestion, transport freight and provide more job opportunities, a rail pressure group says.
• Network Rail trains running to stop track freezingSpecial trains will run up and down the Weymouth-Waterloo line to stop the track freezing up this winter.

Bus and Coach.com

• Sainthouse appointed as CILT(UK) presidentThe Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK has elected Paul Sainthouse, managing director, Dawsongroup bus and coach, as its president for 2019, the centenary year for CILT.

New Civil Engineer

• Concrete 'falling off' closed Liverpool flyoverConcrete has been “falling off” the structurally unsound Churchill flyover, the Lord Mayor of Liverpool Christine Banks has claimed.
• Waterloo and Derby station heralded as exemplar rail projectsCECA has championed the remodelling of Derby station and the Waterloo station redevelopment as exemplar projects to be learned from, in response to the government’s “root and branch” rail review.
• Heathrow Southern Railway ’urgently needed’ to cut pollutionThe environmental benefits of the proposed Heathrow South Railway line are “urgently needed” to help the government achieve the aims of its Clean Air Strategy, according to the scheme’s chief executive.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Maynes unveils depot investment at Buckie HQ’Foundation is laid for next generation’ while award-winning Moray business adds 10 coaches to fleet
• Tower Transit completes Euro 6 retrofit programmeHJS has completed a retrofit programme for Tower Transit, upgrading around 100 buses from Euro 4/5 to Euro 6 emission standards.
• WMCA backs West Yorkshire Bus Alliance West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WMCA) Transport Committee has confirmed its backing for a new West Yorkshire Bus Alliance, with bus companies including Arriva, First and Transdev.
• 100-vehicle order for Wrightbus to Hong KongWrightbus International, the international arm of the Wrights Group, has announced two orders from Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) in Hong Kong.

Aviation Industry

• Pilots accuse Ryanair of using base closure threats to force CLAs European pilot representatives have accused Ryanair of using the threat of base closures as a “weapon” to force pilots and cabin crew into signing collective labor agreements (CLAs). read more
• Aer Lingus refreshes image, continues transatlantic expansion Aer Lingus has unveiled a major brand identity update, as it seeks to maintain its position in what it describes as the leading value carrier on transatlantic routes. read more
• Etihad operates proof-of-concept 787 flight with local biofuelAbu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has operated its first flight powered by a mix of standard kerosene and biofuel produced in the emirate. read more
• Austrian Airlines to close six regional crew bases, replace Q400 fleetLufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines will close six regional crew bases as the carrier replaces 18 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s with Airbus A320s, the latest move in a new strategy to improve performance. read more
• FAA may delay air-traffic projects as US shutdown continuesThe partial shutdown at FAA is likely to delay several major airspace-modernization and safety initiatives, including implementation of new approach procedures at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and the roll-out of taxiway-landing warning systems at major US airports. read more

Other News Sources

• £467m worth of rail contracts awarded for Scotland and North EastA renewals and enhancements framework valued at over £300 million to deliver rail projects in Scotland and North East has been announced by Network Rail.
• Heathrow Southern Railway Limited reacts to UK Government’s publication of its Clean Air StrategyHeathrow Southern Railway Limited (HSRL) – the independent venture set up to transform the rail network serving Britain’s busiest airport – has reacted to the publication by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) of the UK Government’s Clean Air Strategy.
• From seat cover to tote bag: upcycling initiatives in the rail industryOver the past few months, a number of rail companies have launched upcycling and recycling initiatives aimed at tackling climate change and preserving the environment. With their minds set on preventing waste from ending up in landfill, they are saving used materials and repurposing them in creative ways.