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

Thursday, 03 May 2018

ITV News

• Rail passengers can now use Amazon Alexa to buy ticketsRail passengers can now buy train tickets by talking to a voice-activated virtual assistant.

Times Online

• Rail fares rise where there is no competitor [Subscription]Passengers are being exploited by Britain’s rail system, with a lack of competition on intercity lines driving up fares by as much as a third, a study claims.
• The Times transport manifesto for Britain [Subscription]Sir, Your transport manifesto (May 2) rightly calls for passengers to be automatically refunded for rail delays and guaranteed the cheapest ticket. This should apply to buses too and be integrated with “contactless” card payment nationwide, as now on London’s tube and buses. London is far ahead of the rest of the country – indeed the world – in transport payment technology, which is a key reason why it has experienced so massive an increase in public transport usage over the past decade.

London Evening Standard

• South Western Railway strikes suspended after firm agrees to crunch talksA series of planned strikes on South Western Railway has been suspended to allow talks to be held in the bitter dispute over the role of guards on trains.
• Piers Morgan wades into fierce row over whether TfL 'Thought for the Day' sign encouraged sexual harassmentA fierce debate has erupted over whether a Transport for London Tube station board urging passengers to give compliments amounted to encouraging sexual harassment.

Northern Echo

• Congestion-busting move at Northallerton railway stationNEW secure cycle parking facilities have been installed at Northallerton railway station in an effort to encourage more people to travel there by bike.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Bemused Aberdeen residents receive letters about rail works 500 miles awayBemused Aberdeen residents have been sent “utterly bizarre” letters informing them of major archaeological works – taking place in an English town nearly 500 miles from the Granite City.

Yorkshire Post

• High speed rail route across North won’t be as fast as HS2, says Chris Grayling The proposed high speed rail line across the North is likely to be have trains running at 125mph, around half the speed of the HS2 route, according to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling.

Kent Online

• Impact of controversial train timetable changes to be assessed after MPs meet rail ministerKent MPs have pressed rail minister to intervene on controversial changes to some Southeastern services that have prompted a backlash from commuters.

Other Regional Press

• Work continues on £50m Market Harborough rail overhaul to improve train speeds through Leicestershire600 yards of track was dug up and re-laid at the weekend, which saw services between Leicester and London cancelled
• Guest Column: New rail services are a real positive for the town For what feels like centuries I have had the dubious honour of being the MP with the least-used railway station in Britain in his constituency – Gainsborough Central.

New Civil Engineer

• Rail spend in north to 'overtake the south'Spending on rail infrastructure in the north is set to overtake the south in the next three years according to rail minister Jo Johnson.
• £400M electric car infrastructure scheme stallsA proposed £400M government investment in electric car infrastructure has failed to get started after it emerged that no funds have been raised so far.
• Design innovation sought for £286M Birmingham station jobDesign innovations are now being sought to bring plans for a £286M transformation of Birmingham International Station to reality.
• Network Rail eyes Victoria over site developmentNetwork Rail is currently looking at options to build a massive over site development on top of Victoria station in London.

Other News Sources

• Trains for Greater Anglia take shape at BombardierWork is under way on the first of over 100 brand-new Greater Anglia trains being built at the Bombardier factory in Derby (www.bombardier.com).
• Make way for the rail: The UK wants to create a “more joined-up railway”The future of the UK’s railway network has been laid out at the UK railway infrastructure exhibition Infrarail.