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

Tuesday, 13 August 2019

BBC News

• Northern's outdated Pacer trains still used in South Yorkshire in 2020Northern has admitted that some of its heavily-criticised Pacer trains will be used in South Yorkshire next year, despite a pledge to remove them. The rail firm began rolling out its £500m fleet of new trains in June, saying it would take all Pacers out of use by 2020.
• US Navy to ditch touch screen ship controlsFamiliar wheels and throttle controls will replace
• Scottish government 'ready' to nationalise Ferguson shipyardHowever, owner Jim McColl has been strongly critical of the move towards public ownership.
• Cathay threatens to fire staff over 'illegal' HK protestsThe airline has already sacked two employees for conduct tied to demonstrations in Hong Kong.

ITV News

• The end of the Northern pacer trainsPacers in the North West have been running since the 1980s and were only ever intended to have a lifespan of 20 years.

The Guardian

• ‘Smells of sick’: tube users ponder the Kennington pongCould it be an undeclared chemical spill by a secretive branch of the military? Or perhaps even the stench from bodies left over from the Black Death? Or is it just … burgers? Deep below London it is a mystery that been getting up the nostrils of tube users already struggling in recent weeks from rising temperatures.
• SNP set to nationalise last civilian shipbuilder to save ferry contractsThe Scottish government is expected to nationalise the last civilian shipbuilder on the Clyde this week in an effort to save two high-profile ferry contracts. Derek Mackay, the Scottish finance secretary, said ministers were likely to take over running Ferguson Marine Engineering from its owner later this week following a long dispute about cost overruns on two passenger ferries.
• MPs call for tougher penalties on drivers using mobile phonesTougher restrictions on drivers using mobile phones, including extending the ban to hands-free devices, should be considered, MPs have said. The transport select committee said using any type of mobile phone while driving had potentially catastrophic consequences. The MPs called for more severe penalties “commensurate with the risks”, as road deaths linked to phone use have risen steadily over the past decade.
• National Grid 'had three blackout near-misses in three months'National Grid had experienced three blackout “near-misses” in as many months before Friday’s major outage left almost a million homes in the dark and forced trains to a standstill around the UK.

The Independent

• Passenger plane crashes into fence at Gatwick AirportFlight to New York temporarily grounded as passengers forced to evacuate damaged plane
• London King's Cross estate admits using facial recognition technologyWatchdog expresses concern tools could 'undermine people's privacy'
• Ban drivers making hands-free phone calls, say MPsSelect committee warns hands-free devices create 'same risks of collision' as hand-held ones

The Scotsman

• Greater Anglia cancel Ipswich-Felixstowe trains as trees fall on lineEdinburgh Festivals predict 'total disaster' over plan to sever ... disaster” over plans to sever the city's main rail link with London over ..
• Edinburgh Festivals predict 'total disaster' over plan to sever London rail link

Times Online

• King’s Cross station uses face-recognition cameras to spy on passengers [subscription]A company that uses facial recognition technology to track tens of thousands of people in one of the busiest parts of London has been criticised by experts and human rights organisations.
• ScotRail’s extra magic for Harry Potter scenic journeys is delayed [subscription]It promised to deliver tourism ambassadors and bring the magic of Harry Potter to some of Scotland’s most scenic rail routes.
• Brakes failure caused runaway Caledonian Sleeper train to miss platform [subscription]The Caledonian Sleeper rail service made an emergency stop after its brakes failed and caused it to shoot through Edinburgh’s Waverley station, investigators have confirmed.
• Ban drivers from using hands‑free phones, MPs demand [subscription]Drivers should be banned from using their phones in hands-free mode, MPs have said, amid concerns that they are increasingly the cause of accidents.

City AM

• Heathrow on track to top 81m passengers after July boostHeathrow has said it is on track to top 81m passengers this year after new figures revealed that nearly eight million passengers used the airport in July. The hub airport has already flown 46m passengers so far this year, a near 1.5 per cent increase on the same time the previous year.
• Axe to grind: Taxi drivers slam ‘PR gimmick’ as City launches car-free daysTaxi drivers have slammed plans to close off key locations in the City of London to traffic during the summer, saying they amount to a “PR gimmick”. Key City hotspots, including St Mary Axe and Chancery Lane, will be closed for days in August and September to allow workers to enjoy traffic-free lunch breaks, the City of London Corporation announced today.

London Evening Standard

• Hong Kong airport to resume all flights after protesters cause chaos by flooding terminalHong Kong airport has said it will restart flights after thousands of pro-democracy protesters occupied its main terminal and forced it to shut down.

Yorkshire Post

• Leeds to Manchester rail line must include Bradford station to unlock potential in city - Susan HinchcliffeBoris Johnson’s support for a new line between Leeds and Manchester as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail, announced in his recent speech at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum, is very welcome.

Blackpool Gazette

• Councillor's call over Fleetwood rail petitionA Fleetwood councillor who is campaigning for the return of the town’s rail link is preparing to hand a petition over so it can be presented in parliament.

Lancashire Telegraph

• Labour's pledge to upgrade an East Lancashire railway lineTHE East Lancashire railway line from Preston to Colne would be upgraded and extended across the Pennines to Skipton under a Labour government, the Shadow Transport Secretary promised yesterday.

Other Regional Press

• Gatwick expansion branded a threat to ‘climate emergency’ progressWork made by Sussex councils on declaring a ‘climate emergency’ would be wiped out by the planned expansion of Gatwick Airport.
• First Pacer train retires - and the rest should depart Teesside by end of the yearFirst Pacer train retires - and the rest should depart Teesside by end of the year
• Birmingham roundabouts to make way for HS2Ring road roundabouts will be flattened and turned into signalled-controlled junctions as part of high-speed line project

The Economist

• Why trains are not always as green as they seemThe “flight-shame” movement encourages travellers to go by train instead of plane. But not all rail lines are environmentally friendly

Aviation Industry

• Europe predicts more than 70% of aircraft will meet ADS-B deadlineMonitoring data indicates that 70%-75% of European Union (EU)-registered large aircraft will comply with Europe’s automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) Out equipage deadline of June 2020, according to the agency charged with coordinating the effort. read more
• New FAA administrator Dickson: ‘No timeline’ for MAX returnSteve Dickson pledged in his first remarks as FAA administrator not to allow the Boeing 737 MAX to re-enter commercial service until he is “completely assured that it is safe to do so.â€� read more

Other News Sources

• LEADERS MEET FOR HS2 DISCUSSIONThe chief executives of Manchester Airports Group (MAG) and HS2 Ltd have met to discuss progress on the development of the proposed line to the city.
• Gatwick sets out £1.1bn five-year investment planGatwick Airport has set out its new five-year £1.11bn capital investment programme (CIP), highlighting more investment in automation and technology as an enabler of sustainable growth.
• The 5 things you may not have spotted in the masterplan for Heathrow expansionIt’s easy to get distracted by CGI images of new terminals and green spaces in Heathrow’s proposed expansion Masterplan. But behind the summaries and glossy images there are lots of hidden details it's very easy to miss. Advocacy group Stop Heathrow Expansion recently got their hands on the whole lot, and found some of the documents contain details that you might not have heard about.
• TSSA Statement on Caledonia Sleeper Brakes FailureTSSA has called for speedy action after the Rail Accident Investigation Branch found a closed break valve was to blame for the overrun at Edinburgh Waverly by a Caledonian Sleeper train on 1st August.