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

Monday, 22 October 2018

BBC News

• Severn tolls end 'forcing M4 Relief Road to be built'A massive increase in traffic will force through M4 relief road, says one Labour AM.
• Ryanair flight: 'Racial abuse passenger' referred to policeA man was filmed shouting abuse at a black woman in an incident that has been referred to police.
• Addison Lee plans self-driving taxis by 2021The taxi firm is pitting itself against rival Uber in a race to offer self-driving car services.
• The billionaires fuelling a space raceJeff Bezos, Sir Richard Branson and Elon Musk are among a number of entrepreneurs with galactic ambitions.

The Guardian

• Addison Lee aims to deploy self-driving cars in London by 2021Self-driving car services could be on the streets of London within three years under a partnership between the private hire firm Addison Lee and the British driverless car pioneers Oxbotica.
• Coastguard investigates Isle of Wight ferry crashRed Falcon collided with several yachts as it tried to berth at Cowes harbour

The Independent

• Ryanair profits fall by 7% as airline hit by summer of strikesAfter a summer of strikes and other disruption, profits at Europe’s biggest budget airline have fallen by 7 per cent to €1.2bn (£1.057bn).
• Ryanair vows to ban racially offensive passengers after man abuses woman on flight to LondonRyanair has vowed to ban abusive passengers from its flights after a man launched a racist tirade against a woman in her 70s.

The Scotsman

• Train into Edinburgh breaks down after problems with hornIt’s being reported that the first of ScotRail’s refurbished InterCity 125 trains broke down because the driver honked the train’s horn too much.

The Telegraph

• Warning that collapse in rail profits 'signals wider problem'Rail profits have fallen off a cliff, plummeting 80pc, as operators grapple with spiralling costs and crippling contract writedowns, The Sunday ¬Telegraph can reveal.

Times Online

• Flying taxis to be cleared for take-off [subscription]Flying taxis could soon take to the skies over British cities with the introduction of the first rules governing drone-style passenger operations.
• Abuse scandals prompt rogue cabbie crackdown [Subscription]A purge on rogue minicab drivers will be launched after the child exploitation scandals in towns such as Rochdale and Rotherham.

Daily Express

• London travel CHAOS: Passengers trapped for THREE HOURS on train outside VictoriaRAIL passengers on Southeastern Railway are facing travel chaos due to a broken down train outside London Victoria station - leaving commuters trapped for three hours in carriages.

London Evening Standard

• London Victoria delays: Southeastern train breaks down outside station sparking delays as frustrated passengers trapped for three hoursPassengers travelling on Southeastern Railway are facing travel misery due to a broken down train at London Victoria station.

Manchester Evening News

• Faster than the A6? We put the new Manchester Airport Relief Road to the testIs the new £290m link road from Hazel Grove to the M56 and Manchester Airport quicker than the A6? We went to find out

Northern Echo

• Broken rail blocks LNER East Coast Mainline at DarlingtonPASSENGERS travelling on the northbound East Coast Mainline are facing delays, disruption and cancelled trains this morning.
• Fresh questions over public funding of cycling races in North YorkshireACCESS campaigners have questioned whether councils are being swept up in the “kudos and glamour” of hosting international cycling races rather than investing public funds for the greatest benefit to residents.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds’s own Middleton Railway is light years ahead with Star Wars tribute They’re not the usual conductor you would expect as you board the next train.

Yorkshire Post

• HS2 route ‘will have devastating impact’ in South Yorkshire, claims CPREEnvironmental campaigners have warned the new HS2 route through Yorkshire will have a “devastating and lasting impact” on the area.

Other Regional Press

• RMT ‘astonished’ by claims of lack of UK seafarers for offshore support vesselsA union boss has hit out at claims there are not enough UK seafarers to staff offshore support vessels in the event of a “hard Brexit”.

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 assurance chair to oversee ICE governance reviewFormer ICE president and High Speed 2 independent assurance panel chair David Orr will oversee a governance review of the ICE.
• Transport bosses call for government commitment for Heathrow rail linksKey figures in the UK transport sector have this week demanded improved public transport connectivity to Heathrow as the airport prepares for expansion.

Rail Advent

• Free water at Scotland’s biggest railway stationsNetwork Rail Scotland has announced that it has launched free water fountains for passengers at Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley.

Rail Magazine

• EXCLUSIVE: Smith: rail freight can boost economy with political backingMore political support is needed if the rail freight sector is to achieve its potential in boosting productivity and increasing the sustainability of the UK economy.

The Business Desk

• Rail regeneration specialist lined up to work on Toton HS2 hubThe company behind the mixed-use King’s Cross and Stratford City regeneration projects in London is being lined up to work with Nottinghamshire County Council to work on the East Midlands High Speed 2 (HS2) rail hub at Toton[]

Other News Sources

• Chris Grayling: This is the time for change of our railwayAn independent, honest assessment of our railway can ensure the government and industry work more closely than ever before and bring passengers a better service, writes Chris Grayling
• Best and worst train services: is your station Norfolk’s least reliable?From frequent late trains to reliable services, Norfolk’s worst and best stations for delayed train journeys have been revealed by analysis of punctuality figures.
• Tootally ridiculous: Horn-honking ScotRail driver gets blame for VIP breakdownIT is perhaps not the first time that the performance of Scotland’s train operator has been described as honking.