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

Wednesday, 19 August 2020

BBC News

• Coronavirus in Wales: Up to 8% of trains overcrowdedTransport for Wales says between 5% and 8% of its 689 daily services were overcrowded since July.
• Hands-free driving could be on UK roads by springThe government is consulting industry on technology which can take control of a vehicle at low speeds.
• Stonehaven train derailment: Minute's silence to honour victimsRailway stations are asked to fall silent at 09:43 - a week after the Aberdeenshire crash was reported.
• Bombardier: 95 jobs at risk of redundancyBombardier says 95 jobs are at risk of redundancy at its NI operations.
• 'Two months' to repair flood-damaged Glasgow-Edinburgh rail linkThe Glasgow to Edinburgh line flooded when a section of the Union Canal breached during heavy rain.
• Southend Airport: 'Disappointment' at Easyjet flight cutsFlights to 21 destinations from the Essex airport are being scrapped by the low-cost airline.

Department for Transport

• York Central infrastructure funding confirmedHomes England and Network Rail will be investing £77 million to ensure that York’s new city centre quarter development goes ahead

Financial Times

• Brexit trade talks set to stall again over British truckers’ EU accessBrussels warns that UK demands on haulage are too close to single-market rights
• Uber ruling shows gig economy is running out of roadRide-hailing apps are being told to reclassify their drivers as employees with corresponding rights
• Airlines ask passengers to subsidise green fuel to help cut emissionsIndustry under pressure to promote sustainable, but significantly more expensive, fuel

The Guardian

• Britain's rail passengers face 1.6% January fare rise despite Covid-19 crisisUK government had been urged to abolish policy of annual increase, with passenger numbers falling
• Self-driving cars could be allowed on UK motorways next yearIndustry welcomes consultation for use of technology in slow lane, but risk concerns someMotorists could be allowed to let their cars drive themselves on motorways, using automated technology, as early as next year, under proposals being considered by the government.Manufacturers are expected to roll out the next generation of collision-avoidance and lane-keeping technology in new car models in 2021. They will progress from providing alerts and driver assistance to taking control – and potentially responsibility – for speed and steering once under way. Continue reading...

Times Online

• New powers ’let councils milk drivers for millions’ [subscription]Concerns were raised today over plans to give all councils the power to fine motorists for traffic offences after figures showed that London and Cardiff collected more than £58 million in fines in 12 months.
• Heathrow awaits go-ahead to start testing all arrivals [subscription]The government will face more pressure today to approve coronavirus tests at airports after Heathrow set up the first testing facility for arrivals.
• Rail fare rise likely to be put on hold [subscription]Ministers are preparing to delay a decision on next year’s rail fare rise because of concern over low passenger numbers during the pandemic.
• Haulage row causes Brexit roadbump [subscription]Progress on a Brexit deal is being threatened by Brussels’s refusal to grant British truckers wide-ranging access to the EU, as formal talks resume today.

The Mirror

• Heathrow unveils testing centre as airport tests could replace 14-day quarantineArriving passengers will be able to book swab tests and have results sent to them in seven hours under the proposal. Travellers can do a second test at home a few days later and then leave quarantine early if they pass both checks.

Belfast Telegraph

• Heathrow unveils testing programme in hopes of reducing mandatory quarantineHeathrow Airport has announced the development of a new coronavirus testing facility which it hopes will lead to the end of the mandatory 14-day quarantine for those returning from certain countries and “protect the economy”.

Birmingham Mail

• City road changes on the way - Brum transport boss reveals plansCabinet member for transport Cllr Waseem Zaffar takes BirminghamLive on a tour of his own local Lozells side streets that he plans to tame with traffic calming measures

Birmingham Post

• Investment firm snaps up Leicestershire taxi company for £3.4mAshley David Taxis has been bought by MBH Corporation

Bolton News

• More time to have say on walking and cycling schemesConsultation on two multi-million pound walking and cycling routes in Bolton has been extended.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Rail season tickets set to rise by 1.6 per cent under plansRAIL commuters face an increase in season ticket prices of 1.6 per cent despite people being urged to return to workplaces.
• Leeds Council suspends work on clean air charging zone due to improving air qualityLeeds City Council has claimed its clean air zone will now not be introduced for the foreseeable future despite spending millions of pounds helping motorists prepare for the changes.
• 'Give police the funding needed to tackle danger drivers in Bradford' This week's MP's column comes from Imran Hussain, Labour MP for Bradford East​

London Evening Standard

• Rail commuters face 1.6% rise in fares after Retail Prices Index measure of inflation releasedRail commuters face an increase in season ticket prices of 1.6% despite people being urged to return to workplaces.

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink line suspended as vehicle blocks tracks in Salford - updatesTransport bosses said disruption is expected 'until further notice'

Metro

• Tube network getting busier as people return to workThere was a period at the height of lockdown when you could easily see an empty Tube carriage, even at rush hour.

Yorkshire Post

• How rail technology helped Tracsis mitigate virus impactTransport software provider Tracsis has seen the coronavirus outbreak hit its overall revenues by around £10m although the impact is less than the firm originally feared.
• Yorkshire's new Settle to Appleby rail service is first of its kind in EnglandThe Settle to Carlisle railway route is one of the most famous in the country because of its spectacular views of the Yorkshire Dales’ Three Peaks.

Blackpool Gazette

• Direct trains to London set to return for Blackpool and PrestonPassengers from Blackpool, the Fylde and Preston are to get their direct trains to London back early next month.

Other Regional Press

• Train smoking cost Greater Anglia £20k in eight monthsA TRAIN operator has issued a warning for passengers not to smoke in carriages following several incidents costing £20,000.
• Slowest stretch of motorway revealedWith traffic volumes and congestion on the rise again the country's slowest stretch of motorway has been named.
• 'We are just numbers to them'Airline workers staged a protest outside local council offices as they called for government intervention into planned job cuts.
• Government to set environmental targets in lawThe promises will include taking robust action to improve air quality and reduce the volume of residual waste and plastic pollution the UK generates

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Winvic appointed to construct DIRFT III Intermodal Rail Freight Terminal for PrologisWinvic has secured a £29 million contract to deliver a new state-of-the-art Intermodal Rail Freight Terminal at Prologis RFI DIRFT in Northamptonshire. The scheme forms part of Prologis’ extension to its UK’s premiere logistics park – DIRFT III – and comprises significant earthworks, 79,000m2 concrete terminal slab, 9km rail track networked to the existing terminal and the West Coast Mainline, and three complex bridges. When completed in summer 2021, the terminal will be capable of receiving up to 24, 775m long trains each day and the concrete yard will provide s...
• UK's first maritime innovation hub at Port of Tyne celebrates 1st birthdayThe Port of Tyne’s unique 2050 Maritime Innovation Hub - the UK’s first and only Innovation centre for maritime - turned 1 recently. This important maritime innovation milestone was marked with a very appropriate virtual innovation sprint event, on Zoom.  Maritime innovation has always been important and never more so than now, as the community collectively addresses the challenges and opportunities for UK maritime in a post Covid world. During the online anniversary celebrations, senior delegates from across industry and academia explored how the Port of Tyne’s Innovat...
• UK government announces Automated Lane Keeping System call for evidenceThe UK is taking steps forward in automated technology in vehicles with the launch of a call for evidence to help shape how innovative new systems could be used in future on GB roads. The call for evidence will look at the Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) – an automated system that can take over control of the vehicle at low speeds, keeping it in lane on motorways. This technology is designed to enable drivers – for the first time ever – to delegate the task of driving to the vehicle. When activated, the system keeps the vehicle within its lane, controlling its movement...
• TfL urges children to walk, cycle and scoot to school alongside new proposed measuresAs millions of Londoners return to education next month, Transport for London (TfL) is proposing to introduce new measures that will help them travel safely and sustainably. The plans build on the extensive cleaning regime deployed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which includes hospital-grade long-lasting disinfectant, and include an additional 200 buses on key routes and traffic reduction near 415 schools to make active journeys to school safer and easier.
• Leon Daniels OBE Appointed to Department for Transport Advisory BoardLeon Daniels OBE, ITT Hub’s Chairman and Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, has been appointed to the Government’s Net Zero Board (NZTB), an external advisory board which provides objective and impartial advice on transport decarbonisation to the Department for Transport (DFT). The NZTB brings together leaders from a range of fields such as behavioural change and policy, as well as experts from several prominent industry sectors, including the environment, science technology and different modes of transport. The board is chaired by Rt Hon Grant Sh...
• Etihad Airways expands air-rail partnership with AccesRail in EuropeEtihad Airways (Etihad) has announced the expansion of its partnership with AccesRail, the world’s leading provider of air-rail intermodal solutions. The partnership allows Etihad to use AccesRail's expertise to enable its customers to book train and coach tickets in Europe in conjunction with their air fare using the airline’s online booking platform, or through their travel agency.  Etihad’s guests can connect to and from their international flights to rail routes operated by major European railway companies using the airline’s ’EY’ code, including an...

Railway Gazette

• GWR buys vehicles outright in HST fleet expansionUK: Despite concerns over future passenger numbers, the Department for Transport has given permission for Great Western Railway to procure three more shortened HST diesel trainsets, branded as the Castle Class by the franchisee.

Other News Sources

• LNER launches 'contactless' parking and number plate recognition at Grantham stationLondon North Eastern Railway (LNER) is introducing a new contactless parking system at Grantham Station.
• Heathrow Express to withdraw peak-time faresHeathrow Express, the non-stop rail link between London Paddington and Heathrow, will no longer sell costlier peak fares effective September 6.