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

Saturday, 07 December 2019

BBC News

• Seven teenagers held over Rugeley railway station disorderPolice were called after reports that a train driver had been assaulted.
• M25 closed as crane overturns on both carriagewaysThe collapse causes huge tailbacks, with more than 10 miles of traffic on the clockwise carriageway.
• NI Railways on track for service changesAdditional commuter trains and extra Saturday night services are on the way.
• West Highland railway line reopens after floodingThe line was closed between Bridge of Orchy and Crianlarich because of flooding on the track.
• Uber had 6,000 US sexual assault reports in two yearsThe figures come as the ride-hailing company is under intense pressure globally over safety issues.
• West Coast Rail: Preston-to-Scotland rail fares to be cappedThe UK's competition watchdog agrees to cap rail fares on certain routes between Scotland and Preston.
• Eddie Stobart saved from collapse after crunch voteShareholders approve a lifeline for the company famed for its distinctive green and red lorries.
• General election 2019: Labour pledges to electrify UK bus fleetIt wants to electrify UK buses by 2030, but the Tories say Labour would

Financial Times

• West Coast rail fare cap agreed after passenger choice concernsUK watchdog accepts proposal from First Trenitalia partnership, which is taking over franchise
• Eddie Stobart investors back private equity rescueDbay’s offer for haulage group wins ‘overwhelming’ majority of votes

The Guardian

• Overturned crane closes both directions of the M25 in EssexLondon orbital motorway is likely to be affected for a considerable time, say policeThe M25 has been shut after a serious collision involving a crane that overturned and crashed over both sides of the carriageway.The incident happened at junction 27 with the M11 in Essex on Friday evening. It has caused huge tailbacks in both directions including more than 10 miles on the clockwise carriageway of the motorway around London. Continue reading...
• Labour vows to electrify England's entire bus fleet by 2030Jeremy Corbyn says Tories have left people ‘isolated and stuck at home’ All the day’s politics news – liveThe Labour party has pledged to electrify England’s entire bus fleet by 2030, promising to bring services “into the futureâ€�.Jeremy Corbyn said “the Westminster bubbleâ€� didn’t care about buses, despite the fact that so many people rely on them. He said the Conservatives had overseen the cancellation or reduction of 3,000 routes across the country leaving people “isolated and stuck at homeâ€�. Continue reading...

The Independent

• Is it cheaper to buy long-haul flights at the last minute?Plane Talk: The strings attached to a £60 standby flight involved committing upfront by buying a voucher, and then calling up every day until there was room on a flight

Times Online

• Money round-up: Frustration over Thomas Cook travel compensation delays [Subscription]Passengers who took out package holidays and flights with the collapsed travel company Thomas Cook are facing unexpected delays before they get their money back. About 67,000 customers filed claims on October 7, the first day of the refund programme, and 233,000 have made claims since. Customers were told that all valid claims would be paid by yesterday, 60 days after they were made, but only two thirds of the first claims have been paid on time, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The rest of the claimants have been asked for more information by the CAA.
• Councillor knocked off her bike slates lack of Dublin cycle lane action [Subscription]A councillor who was knocked off her bike by a taxi driver in Dublin said the delay of the Liffey cycle route was typical of the city’s approach to cycling infrastructure.
• Deal means Eddie Stobart can keep on trucking [Subscription]Eddie Stobart Logistics has secured a much-needed financial lifeline after its shareholders backed a rescue cash injection by its largest stakeholder in exchange for taking majority control.
• Network Rail to blame for 60% of train delays [Subscription]Delays on railways caused by bad weather, track faults and signal failures have increased by almost 12 per cent in the past year, new data shows.
• Why weary passengers are waking up to sleeper trains [Subscription]When Hercule Poirot took the Orient Express it was the fastest way to travel across Europe.

City AM

• Eddie Stobart secures £55m Dbay lifelineEddie Stobart shareholders today backed a £55m rescue deal from a major investor to save the company’s future. Under the [...] The post Eddie Stobart secures £55m Dbay lifeline appeared first on CityAM.
• General election 2019: Labour pledge to electrify England's 35,000 buses by 2030Labour will on Saturday unveil a plan to electrify the country’s entire bus fleet by 2030 and bring “bus services [...] The post General election 2019: Labour pledge to electrify England's 35,000 buses by 2030 appeared first on CityAM.

Mail Online

• Third of Thomas Cook customers who claimed refunds have still not received their money backThe Civil Aviation Authority originally said that all valid Atol-protected claims made on the first day of its refund programme would be paid within 60 days - or by this Friday. But now admits this cannot be met.
• Councils gear up for cold snap by stockpiling salt to make sure the roads are clear for votersMore than a million tons of salt and 'fleet of gritting trucks' are to be used by councils to ensure people get to polling stations next week. Tories fear poor weather will reduce turnout among older voters.
• Keyless technology sparked a sharp rise in theft of luxury cars, new figures reveal More than 14,000 premium car models were stolen between January and October this year in Britain, according to an analysis of insurance claims by Direct Line.

This is Money

• UK petrol prices fall for FOURTH month runningBoth unleaded and diesel prices fell on average by around half a penny in November. However, supermarkets have been blasted for trying to pass on savings using in-store spending deals.
• Britain's longest-running rail franchise ending, as Virgin Trains operates its final serviceThe firm, which began running the West Coast Main Line in March 1997, is being replaced by Avanti West Coast. Almost 500m journeys have been made with Virgin Trains.
• Eddie Stobart will survive busy Christmas period after rescue deal was backed by shareholdersThe troubled haulier was torn between two rescue offers, one from secretive private equity firm Dbay Advisors, the other from its former boss Andrew Tinkler.

Birmingham Mail

• Special cabin crew recruitment day this weekend in Birmingham - here's where to goEmirates is looking for people who want to join the airline - and they must be fit, have a positive attitude and be ready to live in Dubai
• West Midlands Railway chief answers complaints of overcrowding and train chaosExtra carriages, better compensation, new timetable - this is what a West Midlands Railway director pledged when we quizzed him on behalf of our readers
• Virgin Trains to make final journey in the West Midlands todayThe firm, which began serving the West Coast Main Line in March 1997, is being replaced by Avanti West Coast on trips linking Birmingham and London

Birmingham Post

• Aston Martin's new South Wales facility has been officially openedFull production of the luxury car makers SUV will begin in spring 2020
• Hitachi wins £350m contract to build trains for the West Coast Main LineThe company will build the trains from its factory in County Durham
• The 'bullet train' technology trains set to run between Wales and LondonBi-mode Hitachi Rail trains will run on the West Coast Main Line reaching speeds of 125mph
• Eddie Stobart shareholders approve £55m rescue dealThe deal represents a victory for William Stobart over his former brother-in-law, Andrew Tinkler, who had mounted a rival £80m bid

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Plaid Cymru leader's North Wales train trip highlights 'crumbling 19th Century rail system'Adam Price says 'rail revolution' needed to fix our 'broken infrastructure'
• The final whistle is about to blow on Virgin Trains' 22 year relationship with North WalesEryl Crump takes a look back at the history of Virgin Train services on the North Wales coast line

London Evening Standard

• M25 crane accident: Motorway closed after crane overturns across both carriageways in EssexThe M25 has been shut after a crane overturned and fall across both sides of the motorway .

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• A £5m transformation of Newcastle's Central Station won't start until June 2020Works were due to start early next year at the busy train station but have now been put back to summer

Northern Echo

• Hitachi wins £350m intercity trains deal for Newton Aycliffe HITACHI has been awarded a £350 million contract to build 23 new intercity trains at its County Durham plant.The firm yesterday announced the deal which will see Avanti West Coast trains– totalling 135 carriages– built at the factory in Newton Aycliffe, which employs about 700 people.Andrew Barr, group chief executive of Hitachi’s rail division, said: “Based on Japanese bullet train technology, our new trains have proven to be the modern intercity train of choice, increasing passenger satisfaction wherever they run.“We’re delighted to continue our excellent relationship with FirstGroup and ...

The York Press

• Furious passengers hit out over train cancellations FURIOUS passengers have hit out over the repeated cancellations of York trains while TransPennine Express teaches drivers and conductors how to operate a new fleet.

Wales Online

• The bus driver who has been named the best in WalesKeith Thomas said that he always greets his passengers with a smile

Cambridge News

• A14 updates: Everything you need to know about the new 12-mile A14 bypass opening next weekThe existing A14 will be permanently closed from J24 to J23, once the new road opens on Monday

East Anglian Daily Times

• Railway boss reassures passengers ‘trains are safe’ amid disruptionUnion claims its drivers didn’t feel safe operating new trains being introduced by Greater Anglia have added to mounting pressure on the train operator where services have been severely disrupted in recent weeks as new rolling stock is introduced.

Leeds Live

• Toilets at Leeds train station to close for months as refurbishment work continuesThe existing toilet facilities on platforms will be closed for several months in the latest stage of improvements at Leeds train station

Other Regional Press

• One of the UK's most expensive motorway services is in West YorkshireThe cost of a takeaway lunch is £10 more than in the supermarket

Rail Technology Magazine

• Heritage award presented to Network Rail The National Railway Heritage have presented Network Rail with an award for their refurbishment of the South Esk viaduct at Montrose. At the award ceremony in London, the National Railway Heritage award was presented to Network Rail and contractor, Taziker Industrial by HRH the Princess...
• £350m contract for Hitachi Rail to build new Avanti West Coast trains Hitachi Rail awarded a contract worth more than £350m by First Trenitalia, whose new Avanti West Coast rail service starts on the 8th of December, to maintain and prove 23 new intercity trains. The 135 new carriages will bring additional capacity to services along the West Coast Main Line...
• Virgin Trains leads the way with 5G onboard connectivity Virgin Trains has become the first train operator to trial onboard 5G Wi-Fi. The trial comes in partnership with McLauren Applied and Vodafone, as efforts to bring unrivalled broadband speeds onboard trains continue. Once rolled out, the 5G connectivity on the West Coast Mainline will offer...

Railnews

• New trains for West Coast will be built by Hitachi Hitachi is to build 23 new trains for the West Coast Partnership, with the aim of having them in service by 2022. The fleet will consist of 10 seven-car electric units and 13 five-car bi-mode units, and will be based on Hitachi™s existing Intercity Express models. The electric trains will operate between London, the West Midlands and Liverpool, while the bi-mode version will be used on the London to Holyhead route. The announcement of the investment of more than £350 million in the new trains and their maintenance has come just two days before FirstGroup and Trenitalia take over from Virgin a...

Other News Sources

• War of words over month-long rail strike expected to cause travel miserySOUTH Western Rail has hit out at the RMT trades union claiming it has 'moved the goalposts' by changing its position over the month-long strike which is due to spike travel misery for commuters in Dorset and Hampshire for a month starting next week.
• A259 will be closed for two weeks between Seaford and Eastbourne MOTORISTS are being warned to expect delays as a major coastal route between Seaford and Eastbourne closes overnight for two weeks.
• Brighton & Hove buses unveil new buses named after celebrities BRIGHTON and Hove is getting 30 new double-deckers - each named after someone from the area’s history.

EIN News Subscription

• Jeremy Corbyn: Labour will be on your side and put public transport first if I win election … get seven times less transport investment per person than … this election. Without affordable, reliable transport, business and opportunities suffer – … in your pocket. Investing in transport serves another purpose – as … In or out of the EU, we will not allow …
• Peterborough General Election candidates on how they would help city tackle climate emergency … legislation for improvements to sustainable transport, recycling rates and waste … engineer, I deliver sustainable transport and infrastructure to fight … , taking lorries off the road and making journeys faster ( … only the threat of EU fines has stopped the UK …
• New rules to allow testing of self-driving vehicles on Irish roads … the Future Jobs Initiative. The Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill will … priority is always the safety of our roads for all users. But … the globe, including in the EU, and it is important that … , but as always, safety for our road users remains our top …
• France faces difficult weekend on roads and rail as strikes continue to bite Unions are taking strike action over the government's plans to reform and simplify the French pension system, which many fear will leave them with a smaller pension pot or having to work beyond the official retirement age of 62. The government is …
• Transport Minister: 'Law needs to change to allow self-driving vehicles on roads' … -driving driven cars on Irish roads. The safety of road users … advisor in Brussels for the EU. He said: “I do think …
• Not exactly the 'Orient Express', but Europe's sleepers are back … shrank distances, low-budget airlines emerged and European Union regulations made night … allure. One by one, Europe’s great rail lines terminated … contract from a western European rail company in the … connection for travellers to the EU’s de-facto capital, …
• Plane trips in the EU last year soared to 1 BILLION … in EU last year, up 43 per cent on 2010  The data … were to non-EU destinations. The data, released by the EU’s statistics … that Heathrow was Europe’s busiest airport, with 80million passengers. Second busiest was …