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

Wednesday, 10 October 2018

BBC News

• HS2 station designs unveiled for Curzon Street and SolihullCurzon Street station, in Birmingham city centre, is due to open with seven high-speed platforms in 2026.
• Virgin Trains helps Styal prisoners get back on trackThe firm said it had given jobs to half of those who had completed a specific course at HMP Styal.
• South Western Railway workers confirm further walkoutsSouth Western and the RMT union are in a long-running dispute over the future role of train guards.
• Evacuated London Overground passengers 'could have died'About 80 people, including children, had to walk 30m alongside a live railway line, a report finds.
• Lower Thames Crossing to be 'biggest road project since M25'Designs are unveiled for a tunnel under the Thames that Highways England says will halve crossing times.
• Virgin Galactic to reach space in 'weeks not months'Company founder Richard Branson says the company is

ITV News

• Fresh designs for new Thames road crossing to boost capacityPlans for a new multi-million pound road tunnel beneath the Thames have been updated to boost capacity.

The Guardian

• London commuters told to walk along track near live rail, inquiry findsOverground driver mistakenly evacuated train in darkness near Peckham Rye last year
• Leeds lorry drivers face £50 daily charge in bid to cut air pollutionHGVs, buses and coaches would pay full fee with taxis and LGVs paying £12.50. Drivers of the most polluting vehicles, could be charged up to £50 a day to enter Leeds under radical new plans to cut air pollution in the Yorkshire city.
• Uber UK strike: users urged not to cross 'digital picket line'Public asked not to use app during drivers’ strike, which follows last week’s McStrike in push to unionise gig economy
• Revised plans for Thames crossing attract controversy£6bn Lower Thames Crossing scheme meets opposition from environmental campaigners

Times Online

• Underneath the railway arches: inspirational HS2 station design [subscription]Detailed designs for two stations on the HS2 rail route have been published, throwing light on a project hailed as a “once-in-a-lifetime” boost to the West Midlands.
• Lower Thames Crossing aims to cut capital’s congestion [Subscription]Britain’s longest road tunnel will be built under the Thames as part of a plan to reduce congestion on the M25.

City AM

• Volkswagen car deliveries drop nearly 20 per cent as new emissions testing hitsThe number of cars delivered by Volkswagen fell nearly 20 per cent last month due to the introduction of new emissions testing rules, the manufacturer said.
• Virgin will reach space in 'weeks, not months' says founder Branson, but tickets could set you back £250,000Virgin Galactic will reach space “in weeks, not months”, founder Richard Branson has said.
• Ryanair boss 'hopeful and optimistic' about ending strike action by pilots and cabin crewRyanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has said he is "hopeful and optimistic" that the airline will not be damaged further by strikes with its pilots and cabin crew this year.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• First train in Transport for Wales livery makes tracks in North WalesThe red and white carriages will take over services this weekend when the Arriva Trains Wales franchise expires

London Evening Standard

• Cars set to be banned from half of roads in London's Square Mile and speed limits slashed to 15mphVehicles would be banned from about half of the Square Mile's roads under radical plans announced today to improve safety and cut congestion.
• London Overground commuters were told to walk along train track near live rail, investigation findsLondon Overground passengers came close to walking on a live rail after a driver mistakenly evacuated a train when it was dark, an official report has said.
• South Western Railway train strike: workers to stage NINE fresh walkouts in dispute over guards on trainsWorkers on South Western Railway are to stage a series of nine fresh strikes, the RMT union announced.
• Virgin Galactic to reach space 'within weeks not months'Virgin Galactic could make its maiden voyage to space within weeks, according to Richard Branson.
• Car maker Ford announces layoffs in the US after being hit by trade tariffs Car maker Ford has announced that it is cutting its workforce in the US.

Sheffield Star

• Train derails at Sheffield stationA train has derailed at Sheffield station this morning. The incident is leading to huge delays with some services cancelled

Kent Online

• Second consultation to begin for Lower Thames CrossingThe Lower Thames tunnel could help remove 14 million vehicles from the Dartford Crossing each year.

Other Regional Press

• South Lakes MP set to present bill to make it easier to sack rail companiesOUTH Lakes MP Tim Farron will today present a Bill to the House of Commons which would make it significantly easier for the Government to strip failing rail companies of their franchises.
• Observation cars could be set for Mid Wales to replace 'broken ford escort' rolling stockA plan to introduce Canadian style "observation carriages" so rail passengers can take in the Mid Wales scenery has been welcomed by Montgomeryshire AM, Russell George.
• Shropshire rail users to see changes on the line as Arriva departsFor 15 years their turquoise liveried trains have been seen across Shropshire.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Northern unveils new £500m fleet The new CAF-manufactured fleet of trains to be used by Northern was officially launched at a special event at the Edge Hill depot, Liverpool. The eight state of the art trains – four class 195 and four class 331 vehicles – arrived for testing on the North West line last month. The...
• New images of Birmingham and Solihull's HS2 stations revealed New images have been released that show what the planned HS2 stations for Birmingham and Solihull could look like when completed. The images are to be released at a series of events throughout October, the first of which will be held at Birmingham Library, for people to view the proposals and...
• Talgo announces shortlist for first UK base and 1,000 new jobsTalgo has announced that a Welsh port is in the running to be the Spanish train manufacturer’s first UK base, potentially creating up to 1,000 jobs. Mostyn Port in Flintshire has been shortlisted, as reported by the BBC, alongside three locations in England and two in Scotland for the site...
• Role models need to promote rail careers 'in an incredibly different way'Everyone in the rail industry needs to be doing more to attract and inspire the next generation of professionals – and they all have to do it in an “incredibly different way.” Those are the views of the leaders who took part in a panel debate on equality, diversity and...
• Burnham: The north needs to move to 'front of the queue' for transport investmentThe mayor of Greater Manchester has said that the north of England needs to move to “the front of the queue” for prioritisation of transport investment in order to take advantage of investment in the region. Speaking exclusively to RTM at TransCityRail 2018, Andy Burnham said the...

Cammax Limited

• Ensuring successful adoption in the era of SMART Public Transport [paid inclusion]Over recent years operators, councils and other stakeholders have invested heavily in attempts to modernise the UK public transport sector in what some commentators are labelling ‘the SMART revolution’.

Aviation Industry

• Another Small Planet Airlines operation hits financial troubleThe Polish airline of Lithuania’s Small Planet Group has filed for restructuring under Polish law and is seeking an investor, shortly after the group’s German airline filed for insolvency. read more
• Reports: Italian government nears decision on AlitaliaItaly’s government is close to deciding on Alitalia’s future, according to Italian media, with plans to keep around 15% of the carrier in state hands alongside other Italian and foreign investments and with a deal expected to be finalized in November. read more
• Norwegian government to raise taxes on long-haul flights Norway’s government plans to increase the tax on flights to destinations outside Europe and cut them for flights within the region as part of broader plans to use taxation to combat climate change. read more
• More carriers join SITA's NDC platformBritish Airways (BA), Delta Air Lines, Finnair, the LATAM Group carriers and United Airlines have signed up to NDC Exchange, a platform that acts as a bridge between IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) and traditional distribution channels. read more

Other News Sources

• New consortium will develop composite technology for rail sleepersUSQ, Austrak and Laing O’Rourke have partnered to develop new, innovative technology for the rail sector in a $10 million project.