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

Thursday, 19 April 2018

BBC News

• Cardiff's new bus station design revealedCardiff's new bus interchange includes a 14-stand bus station, 300 rental flats and office space.
• 'Many people support' Prince of Wales Bridge name, says SkatesThe Welsh Government will not ask for a re-think over the new Severn Bridge name, says Ken Skates.
• Electric car charge points 'critical' for Welsh economyInstalling rapid electric car charging points is "critical" to the Welsh economy as Wales' network is "lagging behind" the rest of the the UK.
• New TransPennine Express trains to help overcrowdingTransPennine Express routes in the north of England will have 220 more carriages by the end of 2019.
• UK confirms post-Brexit passport deal with GemaltoThe Franco-Dutch firm will make the UK's post-Brexit blue passports as De La Rue accepts defeat.

The Guardian

• Want younger volunteers? Give them all free bus travelabour’s policy, unveiled on 11 April, of offering free bus passes to young people aged under 25 has been described as modest. It’s part of the party’s wider policy of getting more local bus services back into direct council control. But one sector is jumping for joy at the possibility of even that modest contribution towards young people’s travel. Charities that work with young volunteers believe the move would help them find and retain more people.

The Herald

• ScotRail investigate sleeping train driver allegationSCOTRAIL have launched an investigation into allegations that a driver fell asleep at the controls of a train heading to Edinburgh.

Times Online

• Mobile phone signals used to predict traffic flow [Subscription]Sensors are to be used to track cars’ movements around cities to control traffic lights and cut congestion. York is believed to be the first city in Britain to use high-tech beacons that can detect drivers’ mobile phones and signals from vehicles themselves to monitor traffic flows.

City AM

• Porsche and Audi headquarters raided in latest diesel emissions probe by German prosecutorsPorsche and Audi are the latest brands to have their sites in Germany raided by prosecutors in the wake of the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal.
• Getlink says Brexit progress has given Eurotunnel's earnings forecast a boostGetlink, the group that owns Eurotunnel, has posted an increase in revenue of 5 per cent over the first quarter of 2018, at €241m (£210m).

This is Money

• Electric car public charging can be four times more expensive According to What Car?, the rising cost of using public charging, along with a lack of off-street parking for cheaper home charging makes electric cars more expensive than you think.
• One bike is stolen every six minutes in the UK - how to buy the right bike insurance Last year there were 93,571 bike thefts and 257,000 in total in the UK have been reported stolen since 2015.

Bolton News

• Taxi driver convicted after overcharging wheelchair using passengerA TAXI driver who twice overcharged a passenger who used a wheelchair has been convicted of an offence under the Equality Act.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Number of diesel cars registered in Bradford risesMORE than 100,000 diesel cars and vans are still clogging up Bradford’s roads, despite drivers being encouraged to move away from them in favour of cleaner fuels.

Bristol Live

• Public meeting called to discuss the ‘unreliable’ Severn Beach train serviceThe service has been plagued with delays and cancellations since last summer
• Mobile ticketing launched on Bristol trainsYou can now use your phone instead of buying a paper ticket

Liverpool Echo

• Watch what NEW trains set to run from Lime Street will look likeTransPennine Express is bringing in a new fleet of new trains across its network later this year as part of a £500m investment plan.

London Evening Standard

• TfL Tube delays: 'Total chaos' as four London Underground lines and Overground services disrupted amid 25C heatCommuters are facing rush hour misery as four Tube lines and several Overground services were hit by delays and cancellations as temperatures soared to 25C.
• TfL Tube delays: Rush hour travel misery for commuters on District and Circle lines after signal failureCommuters are facing morning rush hour chaos after signal failures crippled two major Tube lines.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• New bus services to hit the roadThe new routes starting a week on Monday will be the number 14 Kingswells to Aberdeen city centre via Westburn Road, the 15A from Craigiebuckler to the city centre through Airyhall in the evenings and the 40 running from Guild Street to Dubford (Shielhill) on Sundays.

Blackpool Gazette

• 35 more trains to bring 17,000 extra tourists to our resort Blackpool could be on track to see more tourists and business visitors after Virgin Trains revealed it was launching 35 additional services a week between London and the resort next month.
• Campaign to revive port rail continues A Fleetwood councillor is calling for more people in the town to back her campaign to try to revive its rail link.

Other Regional Press

• Coach operating firm buys out another rival A GROWING coach operator has acquired another Hampshire transport firm.
• Fresh strike in long-running rail guards’ disputeWorkers on Greater Anglia are to stage a fresh strike in the long-running dispute over the role of train guards, on the day of the 2,000 Guineas horse race at Newmarket.
• MP supports Chinley commuters who may lose vital train service High Peak MP Ruth George has met with Chinley residents to discuss local transport issues.
• ScotRail investigate sleeping train driver allegationSCOTRAIL have launched an investigation into allegations that a driver fell asleep at the controls of a train heading to Edinburgh.

Train Operators

• Cambridge rail station becomes drop-off point for city food bank donationsStaff at Greater Anglia are appealing for people in Cambridge to drop off food bank donations at Cambridge rail station.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Heathrow has busiest ever departures day with more passengers travelling to emerging marketsHeathrow welcomes its 17th consecutive record month, with 6.5 million passengers in March (up 5.5% yoy)

Rail Magazine

• Autumn start for TPE’s new locomotive-hauled Mk 5A stockThe first Class 68/Mk 5A trains for TransPennine Express will enter traffic this autumn, the operator confirmed on April 12.
• New windscreens for Hitachi ‘385s’ to be fitted in ScotlandOnce a final design for new windscreens has been approved for ScotRail Class 385s, the modifications will be carried out at Knorr-Bremse Rail Services at Springburn.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Alstom bags 12-year Caledonian Sleeper maintenance dealAlstom has been awarded a £15m maintenance contract for the Class 92 Caledonian Sleeper locomotives. The company already manages the maintenance of the carriages, and will continue to do so once the new Sleeper carriages are introduced later this year. Nick Crossfield, managing director...
• Organisation launched to represent northern rail industryThe launch of a new organisation representing the northern rail industry has been announced. Northern Rail Industry Leaders (NRIL) says that it will aim to deliver the skills, innovation and talent required for the north’s ambitious transport infrastructure plans. The announcement comes...

Railway Gazette

• Hydrogen locomotive on the LiliputbahnAUSTRIA: To support its development of a hydrogen fuel cell for use on locomotives, Railway...
• Stadler signs Slovenian multiple-unit contractSLOVENIA: Stadler formally signed its first contract in Slovenia on April 17, a €170m deal to...

Transport Network

• Work starts on £225m Luton Airport transit systemWork has begun on Luton Airport’s mass passenger transport system, which is set to cost £225m.

Aviation Industry

• Shannon Airport targets LCCs for transatlantic operationsIreland’s Shannon Airport (SNN) is targeting LCCs that operate or plan to operate Airbus A321LR and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to use the airport for transatlantic flights to the US and Canada, according to a top airport official. read more
• Seatback IFE not dead, says Lufthansa Systems For some years now, pundits have argued that airline passengers will turn to their own electronic devices for IFE rather and that the traditional seatback screens are about to die out. read more

Other News Sources

• Cabinet Secretary announces £25.9m in Local Transport GrantsLocal authorities in Wales will today find out their allocated slice of £25.9m worth of transport grants.
• Dortmund again relies on systems expertise from Kiepe Electric Dortmund public utilities company DSW21 has commissioned the modernization of 64 LRVs and ordered another 24 new vehicles. All electrical systems for both subprojects are to be supplied by Düsseldorf-based systems specialist Kiepe Electric, a member of the Knorr-Bremse Group.  As a system supplier, Kiepe Electric is responsible for the project planning, delivery, assembly and commissioning of the electrical systems. The new, high-floor, bi-directional light rail vehicles are powered by advanced three-phase drive, while the driver’s cabs are equipped with ergonomic multifunction displays ...