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

Friday, 30 November 2018

BBC News

• Rail fares to rise by 3.1% in JanuaryMillions of commuters will have to pay an average of 3.1% more for rail tickets from 2 January.
• Drunk Japan Airlines pilot jailed for 10 monthsThe pilot was nine times over the limit when he was arrested before he was due to fly from London.
• Flood-hit railway line reopens at KirkconnelHeavy rain was blamed for the issue affecting the route between Glasgow and Carlisle via Dumfries.
• Glasgow transport needs 'radical' overhaul, say expertsLow income bus passengers are being hit the hardest by connectivity problems, a transport group has said.
• Rail regulator orders Network Rail to improve performanceRail regulator orders Network Rail to improve after rail performance hits five-year low.
• Danish firm claims first biofuel commercial sea voyageDanish shipping company Norden says it has completed the first voyage by an ocean-going vessel powered purely by biofuel made from used cooking oil.
• Tesco and VW plan free electric car charging pointsCustomers can leave electric cars to charge while shopping, under a partnership with Volkswagen.

The Guardian

• UK rail fares to rise 3.1% in new yearCampaigners call for price freeze after year of disruption, with worst punctuality figures in a decade
• Network Rail faces fines after worst performance in four yearsUK regulator gives firm three months to improve after shambolic summer

Times Online

• Tesco to introduce 2,500 car chargersThe number of electric car charge points will rise by 15 per cent under plans to allow shoppers to power up vehicles in hundreds of Tesco car parks.

City AM

• Jaguar Land Rover to axe 200 jobs from west Midlands plant amid stalling UK productionJaguar Land Rover (JLR) is to cut more jobs at its Solihull plant as a result of moving the production of its Discovery model out of the UK.
• Icelandair abandons $25m takeover of budget carrier Wow Air agreed earlier this monthIcelandair has backtracked on its proposed $25m (£19.6m) acquisition of budget airline Wow Air by mutual agreement, after signing the deal only earlier this month.
• Volkswagen is planning a new US plant for electric cars as it takes the fight to TeslaGerman car manufacturer Volkswagen is marking out spots for a future electric vehicle factory in North America, as major car firms gear up to face rival firm Tesla's impact on the market.
• Ford's Europe president says a no-deal Brexit would be an 'absolute disaster' for the car industryFord's Europe, Middle East and Africa president has said a no-deal Brexit would be an "absolute disaster" for the auto industry.
• Thameslink summer delays not enough to derail Go-Ahead Group finances as revenues outpace passenger growthPublic transport operator Go-Ahead Group shares closed 7 per cent up today as it reported revenue growth in the last quarter.
• Network Rail faces regulator fine after performance slumps to lowest level in four yearsThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said punctuality and reliability fell to their lowest levels since 2014 between April and mid October this year.

Daily Record

• Roll-out of new electric trains delayed until next year over delivery problemsNew electric trains will not run on the Dunblane-Stirling-Edinburgh route until next year.

London Evening Standard

• Rail fares to rise by 3.1 per cent from JanuaryMillions of commuters are set to pay an average of 3.1 per cent more for rail tickets from January 2, industry body the Rail Delivery Group said.
• Network Rail boss apologises for 'letting down' train passengersThe boss of Network Rail today apologised for
• London Bridge protest: Two more nights of traffic misery as taxi drivers block river crossing AGAINLondoners were bracing themselves for two more nights of traffic misery as black cab drivers blocked London Bridge again.
• Central line delays: Faulty track at Holborn cripples entire route sparking misery for commutersCentral line commuters were facing nightmare delays on their journey home on Thursday evening.
• Japanese pilot jailed for 10 months after turning up to fly passenger jet nine times the limitA Japanese pilot has been jailed for 10 months after preparing to fly a passenger jet from Heathrow while more than nine times the alcohol limit.
• First underwater bullet train route gets green light in ChinaThe tunnel will connect Ningbo, a port city south of Shanghai, to Zhoushan, an archipelago off the east coast.

Manchester Evening News

• 'Your trains aren't worth the price': Commuters leave angry notes taped all over Northern train seatsA group of disgruntled students are believed to be behind the mass protest

Other Regional Press

• Passengers TRAPPED on train at Plymouth - because salt water damaged doorsThe train manager said he had to press 'CTRL-Alt-Delete' to fix the problem
• MP pushes for Oyster card extension to Potters Bar and RadlettHertsmere MP Oliver Dowden is urging rail bosses to extend the Oyster card network to Potters Bar and Radlett stations.
• 'It's a JOKE!' - MPs slam 'crawling bone-shaker' trains on Crewe-Derby lineCalls are also made to reopen the old Fenton and Meir railway stations
• Answers sought on rail service problems, with calls for inquiryMORE questions have been asked over problems on rail lines in south Wales in the Assembly.
• TransPennine begins construction work on new £7million servicing depotTRAIN company TransPennine Express is set to create around 15 jobs at a new £7million train servicing depot.
• News hopes rail line could reopen follow controversial planning applicationCAMPAIGNERS for a rail initiative to link Evesham and north Cotswold areas direct by rail to Birmingham are hoping a controversial planning application could move a step closer.

Train Operators

• East Midlands Trains pioneers the UK’s first new level three Train Driver Apprenticeship standardEast Midlands Trains, part of Stagecoach Group, is the first in the UK to pioneer a new level three train driver apprenticeship programme which is designed to support the industry’s commitment to grow its skills base and further professionalise the train driver role.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• John Wales: Face to FaceWe catch up with John Wales, the Coach Tourism Association’s Chairman who has been in post for barely a year, but already sees a bright horizon for the organisation

Coach and Bus Week

• The Travellers Choice goes Irizar for the first timeLancashire-based operator The Travellers Choice has ordered three new 57-seater Irizar i6 Integral coaches for delivery in the first quarter of next year – the first time it has opted for the Spanish vehicles.
• Back-to-back wins for Go South Coast at UK Bus AwardsGo-Ahead Group-owned operator wins the top accolade for the second year running, with Nottingham City Transport named Top City Operator and Ensignbus Top Independent Operator. James Day reports from the ceremony
• NXWM trials Enviro200EV, confirms plans for electric future“We believe that electric buses are the future,” says Engineering Director
• New Traffic Commissioner for Scotland appointedTransport Secretary Christopher Grayling, has appointed Claire Gilmore as the new Traffic Commissioner for Scotland. Following the retirement of the current Traffic Commissioner, Joan Aitken in February next year, Claire will then take up her post.

Rail Technology Magazine

• After almost a year of strikes, DfT commits to keeping second person on-board Northern trains The DfT and Transport for the North (TfN) have committed to keep a second person on-board Northern trains in a momentous decision that could bring an end to strike action and settle the long-running dispute between the TOC and the RMT union. TfN yesterday declared it did not support removing the...
• ORR takes formal action against Network Rail over poor performanceThe ORR is taking formal action against Network Rail to improve its performance as figures show punctuality and reliability are at their lowest levels since the current five-year control period began. The regulator has issued a Provisional Order which requires Network Rail and its route managing...
• HS2 work on injunction site halted by overnight protesters Four environmental protestors managed to stop work on part of the HS2 rail link at a construction site, which was protected by an injunction ordered by Chris Grayling, chaining themselves to part of the site. The group locked themselves overnight onto a contraption made of chimney pieces in a...

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• New Bus Users UK course for bus managers‘Be the manager your passengers need’ is the title of a new course being launched by Bus Users UK.
• Brighton and Hove Buses goes contactlessPassengers on Brighton and Hove Buses and Metrobus services can now pay for tickets using contactless methods.
• Nottingham hosts world's largest double-decker biogas fleetDelivery of the world’s largest double-decker biogas-fuelled bus fleet has been completed with Nottingham City Transport having now received all 53 84-passenger-capacity vehicles provided by Scania and Alexander Dennis Limited (LDL).
• Late night services from Stagecoach East Mids Stagecoach East Midlands will run a new late night service on a Thursday evening from 29 November.
• GreenUrban to gain Euro 6 accreditation by ULEZWarrington improves bus network Ongoing improvements are being made to Warrington’s bus network.
• Metroline unveils London's first bus driver apprenticeshipLondon’s first bus driver apprenticeship has been launched by Metroline, which has also officially opened two new training centres.
• New ProVision Go app releasedProVision has launched its ProVision Go mobile app as part of its CameraMatics platform.
• Newbury trial for Papercaste-paper bus stop display

RMT

• RMT slams January fare increaseRail union RMT slams January fare increase as another kick in the teeth for passengers on Britain's rip-off railways.

Aviation Industry

• SITA: Cybersecurity efforts hindered by lack of resources, fundsWhile airlines and airports have stepped up their cybersecurity efforts in recent years, a shortage of resources, skills and funding is holding back efforts at enhancing protection from cyberattacks in the aviation sector, according to SITA's report, “Air Transport Cybersecurity Insights 2018.â€� read more
• FBB stands by October 2020 opening for Berlin Brandenburg Airport operator FBB has reaffirmed an October 2020 opening date for Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BER). read more
• Wizz Air adds another Polish baseCentral and Eastern European ULCC Wizz Air plans to open a new base Krakow, Poland, where it will base two Airbus A321s. read more
• Russian passenger traffic climbs over 10% in first 10 monthsRussian airlines carried 99.2 million passengers in the January-October period, up 10.4% year-over-year (YOY). read more
• Preliminary report confirms crashed Lion Air MAX was not airworthyA preliminary report on the Oct. 29 crash of Lion Air flight 610 (JT610) confirms the accident aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was not airworthy on at least its last two flights, spotlighting gaps in the airline’s maintenance practices and safety culture. read more