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

Thursday, 04 January 2018

BBC News

• Jet Airways grounds pilots after 'cockpit fight'The Indian airline said it had a zero tolerance safety approach, amid reports a co-pilot was slapped.
• Loganair warns of annual loss after Flybe splitThe regional airline says it expects to take a hit this year from rebranding and start-up costs.
• ScotRail fare increase protests held by RMT unionScotRail fares are to go up by 3.2% on average, with peak commuter fares increasing by 3.6%.
• Fed up with motorway driving? Switch to VRFed up with motorway driving? Now you can switch to virtual reality thanks to a new driverless car from Renault.
• Carillion probed by financial watchdogTroubled construction firm faces FCA investigation following a series of profit warnings

ITV News

• Plan to sell part of London Underground fleet branded ‘quite mad’Cash-strapped transport bosses plan to sell part of the London Underground fleet and lease it back to raise money for new tube trains.

Financial Times

• Meituan-Dianping presses starting button on ride-sharing appChinese consumer app recruits users and drivers to take on market leader Didi Chuxing

The Guardian

• Rail passengers must come before profits [Letter]It’s outrageous that Chris Grayling plans to bail out Virgin Trains East Coast by up to £2bn – Labour is absolutely right to stand up for passengers (Tom Watson calls on Chris Grayling to quit over ‘grubby’ East Coast rail deal, 31 December). Rail passengers and taxpayers are sick of the rip-off of privatisation, and this bailout is the final straw – 76% of us think the railways should be in public ownership, and when East Coast was in public hands, it enjoyed the highest rate of customer satisfaction of the whole network, at 91%.

The Independent

• Netflix, Deliveroo and terrorism blamed for huge dip in Tube passenger numbersFigures show London Underground users dropped by 2 per cent in a year, meaning 4 million fewer people are travelling on the Tube

The Scotsman

• Glasgow Subway trains first in UK to run with no staff on board New trains on the Glasgow Subway will be the first in the UK to run with no staff on board, The Scotsman has learned.
• New trains to serve iconic ‘Harry Potter’ rail route A picturesque rail route that was made famous by a starring role in the Harry Potter movies, is to be upgraded to offer more options and comfort, particularly for tourists.

Times Online

• Tesla misses production forecasts again [Subscription]Tesla has again missed production forecasts for its new Model 3 car and further delayed one of its targets as it continued to experience “manufacturing hell” in the fourth quarter.
• Shell ready to run with new ‘Fitbit for your car’ monitor [Subscription]Royal Dutch Shell aims to install Fitbit-type monitors in a million cars this year as part of an expansion of its consumer-facing oil products business.
• Bike hire schemes that litter cities to face penaltiesBike hire schemes are facing regulation after a surge in the number of “dockless” bicycles being dumped on city streets, The Times has learnt.
• All (not) aboard: Glasgow set for unmanned trains [Subscription]New trains running on the Glasgow Subway will be the first in the UK to run without any staff.
• Two thirds of transport police may not join new force after merger [Subscription]Only a third of British Transport Police staff intend to transfer to Police Scotland when the forces merge, according to a survey.

City AM

• Ryanair and Wizz Air passenger numbers continued to fly last year as traffic grew in DecemberBudget carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air announced rising passenger numbers for December, with the latter growing traffic by 20 per cent.
• London deputy mayor for transport says delay to Elizabeth Line completion is biggest revenue risk facing Transport for LondonLondon's deputy mayor for transport said today that a delay to the completion of the Elizabeth Line was the biggest revenue risk facing Transport for London (TfL) going forward.
• Petrol prices have risen to a three-year high - and they're expected to keep going up in 2018Petrol prices have risen to their highest level in three years on the back of strengthening oil prices, and they're set to keep going up throughout the year.

The National

• LevenMouth Rail Campaign increases pressure to reopen Fife lineRESIDENTS of the largest urban area in Scotland not served directly by rail have stepped up their campaign to reopen the mothballed route between the Fife towns of Leven and Thornton.

Birmingham Mail

• This is how many people in Birmingham actually travel by train - and it may surprise youThere has been uproar in the London-based newspapers about price-hikes on trains - but how many people in Birmingham regularly travel by rail? It turns out the answer is: not all that many, and certainly far fewer than in the capital.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Fears campaign to revive disused Snowdonia railway line is on brink of failure Network Rail chiefs have revoked the licence issued to the Trawsfynydd Railway Company to reopen the line

London Evening Standard

• It's a runway success: now Heathrow backs our food appeal by sponsoring a van to ferry fresh fruit and veg to hungry kidsHeathrow Airport has become the latest business to back the Evening Standard's Help A Hungry Child appeal, by sponsoring a new van for The Felix Project.
• Off-duty police officer leaps onto train tracks to save man who fell after 'riding bike along platform'A "selfless" off-duty police officer leapt onto railway tracks to rescue a man who fell after allegedly riding his bike along the platform.
• TfL is planning to sell part of its London Underground fleet of Tube trainsThe transport body will lease back the trains to raise cash for new rolling stock on the Piccadilly line by 2023

Yorkshire Post

• Duncan Simpson: Nationalisation won’t get the railways back on track ONCE again, train fares are going up. And, as usual, the calls have been made for nationalisation. But if things are really so bad, why hasn’t this been done already?

Other Regional Press

• Radical and unpopular solutions may be needed to end Leeds congestion woes, says bus firm boss Radical and potentially unpopular solutions to improve bus travel around Leeds are needed because of the “phenomenal” increase in congestion in recent years, according to a boss at the city’s biggest bus company.
• Bus company’s battle for support as services axed Bus company Brylaine has appealed to Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) to better support rural bus services after ‘substantially reducing’ the K59 Boston to Spalding service. 15114
• County and bus companies should do more together to ease Worcester congestions say GreensTraffic congestion is one of the biggest issues in Worcester and Green Party councillors say better public transport is the answer
• Shortwood Common residents claim their quality of life is being damaged by up to 297 train horns sounding EVERY DAYNearly 100 residents affected by "constant" noise from the sounding of train horns near a pedestrian crossing have presented a petition to Spelthorne Borough Council (SBC).
• Subsidised rail fares are a great idea – but who ends up paying for our travel?This week’s 3.4% rise in rail fares has prompted an understandable outcry from passengers – especially from commuters who have to use the train to get to work.
• Plans to build shared use path in Wye Valley move a step closerPLANS to build a shared use path along a disused railway line have moved a step closer after they were supported by Monmouthshire County Council (MCC).
• 'Paying more for a poorer service' - Rail fares price rise miseryCOMMUTERS face more misery as rail fares increase by an average of more than three per cent across Britain.
• Railway draws crowds with 'mince pie specials' CROWDS took to the railways to enjoy a post-Christmas ride on heritage steam trains.
• £27m plans for multi-storey car park could change face of Huddersfield Railway Station Kirklees Council confirms it's seeking funding for Huddersfield Station Gateway scheme
• Heathrow and Nescot College join forces to make air travel easier for disabled peopleAir travel needn't be so daunting for those with disabilities after Heathrow Airport and Nescot College have worked together to create a new area and identification system for passengers with extra needs

London Mayor Watch

• Watchdog warns Sadiq’s plans to part-pedestrianise Oxford Street will create “considerable hardship” for bus passengersThe capital’s passenger watchdog has warned that plans to pedestrianise parts of Oxford Street could cause “considerable hardship to a large number of bus passengers” who face additional walks and bus trips to complete their journeys.

Rail Magazine

• EXCLUSIVE: Plans unveiled for £237m King’s Cross remodellingKing’s Cross is to partially close for three months in early 2020 to allow for major track remodelling and asset renewal, RAIL can exclusively reveal.
• Network Rail shaves £100 million off the final cost of King's Cross remodellingThe total cost to Network Rail of the King’s Cross remodelling project has been slashed by up to £100 million, according to NR’s London North Eastern and East Midlands Route Managing Director Rob McIntosh.
• Train builder CAF starts work on new Welsh train factoryWork has started on constructing CAF’s new factory in South Wales.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Top Network Rail supplier under investigation by the FCACarillion PLC, one of Network Rail’s biggest suppliers and a key HS2 contractor, is under investigation by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority. The independent financial watchdog is looking into the “timeliness and content” of announcements made by Carillion in a period...
• Services return between London and Carlisle following upgradeA series of track and signalling upgrades has been completed between London Euston and Carlisle, allowing the line to fully reopen. Network Rail (NR) closed sections of track between the two stations as engineers completed track renewals, signal upgrades and bridge refurbishment as part of the...
• Work to begin on £8.6m project at 'critical' Newcastle stationAn £8.6m project to upgrade points at Newcastle station is set to begin this Saturday. Network Rail said the station was a “critical part” of the network and that the work was “absolutely essential,” despite any disruption it might cause to commuters. A total of 19...

Aviation Industry

• Chinese carriers’ passenger boardings up 12.6% in 2017 Chinese carriers transported an estimated 549 million passengers in 2017, up 12.6% from 487.6 million in 2016, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). read more
• Denmark to retain Copenhagen Airports stakeThe Danish government has declined a mandatory tender offer for its shares in Danish airports operator Copenhagen Airports (CPH), as it wants to maintain its 39.2% stake. read more
• Thomas Cook buys airberlin subsidiary to accelerate German growthLeisure travel group Thomas Cook has acquired Airberlin Aviation, an affiliate of bankrupt airberlin, to speed up its growth in the German market. read more

Other News Sources

• Numb bums on new trainsMick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, has condemned Britain’s privatised train companies for selling passengers short – again – this time with numb bums on new trains. The train companies have been trumpeting the introduction of new trains on some services – carriages condemned by passengers for being uncomfortable.
• Network Rail Appoints Former Skanska CEO As Non-Exec DirectorWith more than 25 years' experience in the construction industry, Mr Putnam will replace Malcolm Brinded CBE, who retired in July 2016.