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

Friday, 30 August 2019

BBC News

• Queensferry Crossing work unfinished two years after openingSnagging work on the Queensferry Crossing still to be carried out includes painting, mechanical and electrical work.
• Heathrow drone protest: Airport says plans 'criminal and counterproductive'The Met says it will
• People with sight loss 'avoiding rail journeys'Campaigners are calling on Network Rail to improve the layout of stations.
• South Western Railway strike: Workers begin four-day walkoutThe industrial action will see about half of South Western Railways services cancelled.
• ScotRail's Bike & Go cycle hire scheme to be closed downThe Bike & Go scheme, which operated at 12 ScotRail stations, has seen a slump in the number of passenger rentals.

Department for Transport

• Two improvements to ensure passengers get a better deal on rail faresContactless payments and smart ticketing to improve customer experience. ’Contactless’ Pay As You Go (PAYG) journeys are being introduced for journeys at Potters Bar, Radlett and Brookmans Park as part of the Department for Transport’s smart ticketing rollout – helping to create a truly passenger-focused railway.

The Guardian

• South Western Railway passengers face four days of strikesLondon Waterloo routes will be affected in dispute over role of train guards

The Independent

• Heathrow protests: Climate change activists disrupting flights with drones risk 'long jail sentences''Somewhere between 50 to a couple of hundred people' to be involved in the action, group says

The Scotsman

• Waverley meltdown reveals ScotRail’s lack of resilienceBorders Railway passengers were among those caught in the major disruption.
• Edinburgh rail tunnel to close during £1 million upgrade

Times Online

• Smart motorways raise crash risk for stranded drivers [subscription]A programme to remove the hard shoulder from motorways is putting broken-down vehicles at risk, government analysis has found.
• ScotRail hits the brakes on cycle scheme [subscription]ScotRail has scrapped a bike hire scheme because too few people used it. The company launched Bike & Go four years ago allowing passengers to collect bicycles at stations. Critics said that the bikes, which were available at 12 stations, were too heavy.
• Simpler LNER train fares will make a single half the price of a return [subscription]The price of single rail tickets will be halved on busy intercity routes under plans to simplify fares. As part of a trial London North Eastern Railway (LNER) will abolish the £1 price difference for return tickets on some routes and require passengers to buy two singles. It is designed to remove an anomaly whereby singles on some long-distance routes are overpriced in the expectation that most people will buy a return.

London Evening Standard

• Tube strike cancelled: RMT suspends September walkouts on Central and Victoria linesStrike action on the Central and Victoria lines next week has been suspended.

Northern Echo

• Rip-off one-way fares to be axed on the East Coast Main LineRip-off one way tickets on the East Coast Main Line are to be axed on long-distance services.

Wales Online

• The train conductor who sings for you when you've reached your destinationWe met the man behind announcements like 'Bom bom bom, next stop is sunny Barry'

Other Regional Press

• Why Leeds Bradford Airport could soon become a 'silent terminal'The chaos and blaring noise that often comes with checking in for your flight could soon become a thing of the past at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA). Passengers arriving at the Yeadon terminal from Thursday, August 15 to Saturday, August 17 were confronted with a far quieter airport than usual, as tannoy announcements were majorly scaled back during a trial to make LBA a silent terminal.
• HS2 'must stay on track', say small business chiefsSMALL business chiefs in Greater Manchester have demanded that HS2 remains on track. New Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced an urgent review of the north-south rail link,
• HS2 review "welcome" but damage done already - Mexborough councillorA CAMPAIGNING councillor who has battled HS2 from the outset has welcomed a review of the high-speed rail link - but said too much damage had already been done.

Bikebiz

• Lime to collaborate with London Cycling CampaignLime, the urban mobility company, has announced a new collaboration with London Cycling Campaign (LCC) to help promote the adoption of e-bikes across the capital and get more Londoners cycling.
• Arevo to display “world’s first” 3D-printed carbon fibre unibody bike frame and rim at EurobikeArevo will display the “world’s first” 3D-printed carbon fibre unibody production bike frame in the stand of manufacturing partner Oechsler AG (Messe Friedrichshafen – hall A1 – 508) at Eurobike 2019.
• Revolutionising the cycling industryExpanded Polystyrene (EPS) is great stuff. It’s absolutely everywhere and does countless brilliant things. It protects products in delivery. It insulates houses and chiller boxes. It soundproofs rooms and music studios. It’s comfy in a bean bag. It’s made into children’s car seats. It also provides cyclists with protection. For over 40 years, we’ve worn EPS on our heads to keep our skulls and brains safe from harm. And, it does a damn good job of that. Exactly once.
• Scottish start-up nominated for Eurobike Innovation AwardEdinburgh based start-up Intra Drive was last week selected as a finalist for a Eurobike Innovation Award. The panel of six industry experts selected Intra Drive’s next-generation multi-speed drive unit from a field of 65 entries in the start-up category.

Coach and Bus Week

• Service changes announced in BristolFirst West of England has announced a raft of service changes in Bristol from Sunday 15 September. These are scheduled to coinicide with the start of the busiest period of the year in the city, and aim to provide extra capacity on peak hour journey, as well as making other changes in response to customer feedback.
• Leading the charge in WalesWith an ex-demonstrator Yutong E12 now a permanent fixture of the Newport Transport fleet and 14 more on the way, Newport Transport has put its zero emission ambitions on display for all. Scott Pearson from the operator, along with Ian Downie from Pelican Bus and Coach, speak
• Disappointing figures for Aberdeen Park & RideAberdeen’s Evening Express has reported that the recently-built Park & Ride facility at Craibstone is being used by just seven cars per day. Under a freedom of information request, the newspaper revealed that there has been a dramatic drop at the city’s other two park and ride sites, whilst the 996-space Craibstone site, which was opened in June 2017, has dropped from an initial daily average of 14. Originally served by both First and Stagecoach, Craibstone, situated near the city’s airport, is now served only by the half-hourly Stagecoach service 37.
• Stagecoach co-founder sells two bus businessesThe businesses invested a combined $63m in new vehicles during Souter’s ownership Stagecoach co-founder Sir Brian Souter’s private equity firm, Souter Investments, has announced it is to sell two bus businesses in New Zealand. The two companies, Howick and Eastern Buses and Mana Coach Services, will be sold to Transdev, the first with a fleet of 145 vehicles operating 23 routes, the second a fleet of 66.

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 contractors urged to check contracts in light of reviewHigh Speed 2 contractors and consultants are being urged by lawyers to protect themselves and check their contract terms in the wake of the government review into whether the controversial project should be continued.

Rail Advent

• Hull Trains confirm name for new trains! Hull Trains has officially named its new fleet of trains which will change travel between Hull and London. The five Hitachi trains will form Hull Trains’ Paragon fleet – a name chosen due to its stand-alone meaning and its significance in Hull.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Network Rail's, Anna-Jane Hunter on HS2, NPR, and supply chain opportunitiesAnna- Jane Hunter, is a ‘proud northerner’ and is passionate about continuing the investment and the success story of rail across the North.  She plays a key role in working with government and northern leaders to enable the network to carry on thriving. We caught up with...

Railway Gazette

• LNER to pilot UK rail ticketing reform UK: East Coast Main Line operator LNER is to pilot proposed reforms to Great Britain’s fares system from January 2 2020, with tickets going on sale from November 29.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Stringers Coaches takes first Mellor Strata UltraStringers Coaches of Pontefract has become the first operator to take delivery of the 30-passenger Mellor Strata Ultra, which is based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter underframe.
• North east operators rebrand as NE BusThe North East’s bus operators – including Go North East, Stagecoach North East and Arriva North East – have relaunched their association as NE Bus.
• BYD denies Wrightbus takeover rumourChinese e-bus manufacturer is focused on furthering ’robust’ relationship with ADL
• Victoria Coach Station’s future is secureTfL confirms historic site will continue and be renovated, and coach parking elsewhere will be improved
• Is range anxiety becoming a problem?Coach and bus companies are investing millions in new electric vehicles. But should you be investing in training drivers to drive them?
• Rotala targets £300m annual turnover within five yearsLikely further big group divestments will be the opportunity that drives growth, group says in its annual report

Aviation Industry

• Aerion, Boom urge DOT to revise proposed supersonic standards The leading US developers of supersonic aircraft called on the Department of Transportation (DOT) Aug. 27 to modify its proposed rule on supersonic flight authorizations, arguing the proposal’s wording amounts to an effective prohibition on all supersonic flight. read more
• Environmentalists to fly drones near Heathrow to protest expansionClimate-campaign group Heathrow Pause is planning to fly toy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones, within London Heathrow Airport’s exclusion zone “from Sept. 13” with the aim of keeping flights grounded. read more
• Analysts predict continued revenue growth for US airlines in 2020US carriers should see continued top line revenue growth in 2020, driven by higher capacity from the re-entry of the Boeing 737 MAX, analysts at Cowen and Co. project. read more

Other News Sources

• Horwich Loco Works link road passes despite heritage concernsA NEW link road to serve a 1,700-home development will go ahead despite concerns about its impact on a historic train yard.
• Coach and bus registrations continue to fall in second quarterMarket slump continues, with minibuses and double-deckers remaining the worst affected
• Alliance launched to revitalise station buildingsHigh Street retailers and coffee shops could be offered the chance to set up in the region's railway stations. The idea of leasing disused station buildings to convenience stores, cafes or other businesses is being looked at by rail bosses.
• Booster blocks arrive by train at Vostochny spaceportA special train came to Ledyanaya station near the Vostochny Cosmodrome carrying the blocks of Soyuz-2.1a, Soyuz-2.1b boosters and the payload fairing.
• Stansted Airport boss, Ken O'Toole, on Brexit, passenger numbers and transport links to cityStansted Airport boss Ken O'Toole is hopeful that under Boris Johnson's Government, plans to reduce the Stansted Express journey time to 30 minutes or less can progress.