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

Wednesday, 11 July 2018

BBC News

• Piccadilly Line Tube drivers to begin 52-hour strikePassengers are warned to complete journeys on the Piccadilly Line by 22:00.
• Rail timetable changes scaled back to avoid further chaosTimetable changes for eight franchises, including Govia Thameslink Railway, have been postponed.
• Rail franchise model 'is bust' says former Network Rail chiefThe UK's rail franchise model is "bust" and should be reviewed, former Network Rail chief Sir John Armitt has said.

The Independent

• Govia Thameslink and Northern Rail abandon timetable changes following travel chaosFurther proposed changes to rail timetables for December have been abandoned

City AM

• Crossrail latest: Tottenham Court Road's new Elizabeth Line station nears completion as December launch date draws closerWe've crossed the halfway mark for the year's countdown to the Elizabeth Line launch and new images have been released to show the progress made at the new Tottenham Court Road station.

Derby Telegraph

• Plans to upgrade roads that will serve new HS2 station revealedIt is not yet clear how the £1.8 million will be spent

London Evening Standard

• TfL Tube Strike: What you need to know about the Piccadilly Line walkout on the London UndergroundTransport for London is currently in talks with the RMT union over a planned Piccadilly Line strike that is set to start at 10pm on Wednesday.

Blackpool Gazette

• Extra trains plan for Northern and TransPennine Express is delayed Northern and TransPennine Express will not be increasing the number of trains through the region in December, the industry has announced.

Get West London

• Plans for more peak services on South Western Railway postponed after timetable change chaosThe train operator had planned to introduce longer trains and more peak services in December 2018 but will instead continue with its current timetable

Other Regional Press

• MP submits fresh call for Northern to be stripped of its franchiseTim Farron submitted an early day motion in the House of Commons today MP Tim Farron at the end of the line as the protesters call for Northern Rail to lose their franchise.
• Merseyrail and RMT hold more talks in bid to end guards on trains disputeMERSEYRAIL have met for more talks with union bosses in a bid to resolve guards positions on new driver-only trains

Rail Advent

• Innovative new braking system on Greater Anglia trainsGreater Anglia has announced that a new braking system, like ABS in cars, is to be fitted to more of their trains after it helped to improve reliability last autumn.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Bring parts of GTR franchise under control of TfL, says deputy mayor for transportLondon’s new deputy mayor for transport has called on the government to bring significant parts of struggling Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) franchise under control of TfL. Heidi Alexander’s comments come after the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan wrote to Chris Grayling demanding talks to...
• Electrification: an investigation The Transport Select Committee has been hard at work to get to the root of the DfT’s reasoning behind the decision to cancel electrification plans. Lilian Greenwood, chair of the committee, investigates. Much of our rail network is under immense strain. Passenger numbers have more than...
• What about Brexit? Darren Caplan, chief executive of the Railway Industry Association (RIA), dares to investigate the potential impact of Brexit on the UK rail supply sector. Everyone’s talking about Brexit – except the rail supply sector, it seems. Having chaired rail industry events in recent months...

Other News Sources

• Cricklewood rail super-hub to go forward as government secretary refuses inquiryCampaigners have spoken of their disappointment after the new local government secretary refused their plea for a public inquiry into the Cricklewood Rail super-hub.
• Worcestershire Parkway construction continues - as new images show finished stationWORK on the new Worcestershire Parkway railways station continues - as new pictures give a better idea of how it will look when it opens.
• MP welcomes compensation scheme for rail passengers Thameslink passengers who have suffered weeks of disrupted services as a result of a new rail timetable introduced in May will receive compensation.
• Delays have soared on the Epping branch of the Central LineCommuters packed "like sardines" on Central Line services experienced almost four times as many delayed trains last year than in 2013.
• Northern Rail December timetable changes scrappedPLANS to make changes to Northern's winter train timetables have been reviewed following disruption in parts of the country after the May timetable change.