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

Wednesday, 23 January 2019

BBC News

• Can blue lights prevent suicide at train stations?In 2013, a scientific paper was published that would become the seed for thousands of viral news stories and social media posts. The suggestion was astounding: blue lamps at train stations prevented suicides at those locations. And scientists could even show that the suicides fell by as much as 84%.
• Operation Brock: Kent gets £29m to make roads Brexit-readyKent County Council needs to make infrastructure improvements before 29 March.
• EasyJet says drone chaos was 'wake-up call' for airportsAirline says flight cancellations customers payments following Gatwick drone disruption cost it £15m.

The Scotsman

• New Caledonian Sleeper trains complete first London trial run Delayed new Caledonian Sleeper carriages completed their first trial run to London today.

Times Online

• Plan agreed over shelved police mergerSNP ministers have agreed to a plan that would kick the controversial merger of British Transport Police and Police Scotland further into the long grass.

City AM

• Volvo recalls over 200,000 cars worldwide as it discovers fuel pipes leaking into enginesVolvo has recalled over 200,000 diesel cars over fears that fuel could leak into the engine, the company confirmed today.
• Gatwick drone chaos costs Easyjet £15m but shares rise as profits stay the courseDrone disruption at Gatwick cost Easyjet £15m, the airline revealed today, as it said that 82,000 passengers were affected by the incident, but shares rose as profits stayed the course.

Belfast Telegraph

• Glasgow Airport rail link ‘badly needed’, Scottish Government toldLabour, the Scottish Conservatives and the Greens have all called for the connection to be progressed ‘as a matter of urgency’.

Birmingham Mail

• Former HS2 chairman 'regrets' naming of the project - for this reasonSir Terry Morgan, who resigned from HS2 Ltd last month, also claimed the project cannot be built to its current specification on budget

Bolton News

• COMMENT: State of our rail service hasn’t changed in decadesTHE state of the region’s trains has been well documented in this newspaper.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Otley councillors briefed on airport expansion plansOTLEY councillors heard more about Leeds Bradford Airport’s expansion plans this week.
• Calls to electrify rail routeLast year Calderdale Council pledged to step up pressure on Government to electrify the Calder Valley rail line and is now calling on people to sign an online petition.

London Evening Standard

• Gatwick drone chaos cost easyJet £15m in lost ticket sales and passenger help, airline revealsThe chaotic shutdown of Gatwick airport following sightings of drones last month cost Britain's biggest airline easyJet £15 million, its boss revealed today.
• Flights grounded after drones spotted flying near major US airportFlights have been grounded at a major US airport in the state of New Jersey after two drones were spotted flying nearby.

Manchester Evening News

• The luxury new terminal at Manchester Airport with 'no check-in queues'Travellers have to pay for it, but the new service will offer a 'private jet experience' regardless of which airline they're with
• How Manchester Airport and the council are battling 'fly parking' and 'car dumping' on Wythenshawe's roadsPatrols, parking permits, messages to airport staff and a new parking zone for taxis are all aimed at making life better for Wythenshawe residents

Northern Echo

• Extension to free bus servicesA CASH-strapped council which is stripping back services to meet statutory requirements looks set to approve providing free transport to ensure patients can reach medical appointments.
• All Tees Valley council leaders confirm backing of Mayor's airport planTHE five Tees Valley council leaders have confirmed they are backing a mayor's ambitious plan to buy one of the region's airports.

The York Press

• Rail company looking to open York officeA RAIL infrastructure company is looking to open a regional office in York after being awarded a five-year contract worth up to £50 million.

Sunderland Echo

• Arriva bus drivers to vote on revised pay offerArriva bus drivers are set to vote on a revised pay offer ahead of further strike action.

Other Regional Press

• 16,000 rail travellers to Stansted fined after believing they could use Oyster cardThe number of people being hit with fines to and from Stansted Airport and London has increased by 16,000 in two years – increasing further pressure on the Government to extend Oyster cards to the Essex airport.
• MSP to meet with Transport Secretary after latest train disruptionEAST Lothian's MSP Iain Gray is meeting with the Transport Secretary this week after there was more train disruption in East Lothian this morning.
• Cllr Brook criticises cyclists for opposing Winchester cycle rack changesA CIVIC chief has criticised a local cycle group for opposing changes to cycle parking in the city centre.
• Cllr Brook criticises cyclists for opposing Winchester cycle rack changesA CIVIC chief has criticised a local cycle group for opposing changes to cycle parking in the city centre.

Train Operators

• Extreme weather plan for the railway aims to keep people moving Greater Anglia and Network Rail have made new preparations to cope with extreme weather– drawing on experience and customer feedback from the Beast from the East.

Buying Business Travel

• CrossCountry adds wifi to all trainsCrossCountry has completed a year-long project to fit its 92 trains with wifi systems to provide all passengers with free internet on-board.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Rail company in bid to build multi-million-pound rail depot near Ipswich stationRail company Freightliner has revealed that it is hoping to build a new multi-million pound depot for its trains just outside Ipswich station.

Railway Gazette

• Heathrow Express EMU fleet contract awardedUK: Leasing company Porterbrook has awarded Bombardier Transportation an £11m contract to modify 12 Class 387 Electrostar electric multiple-units for use on the Heathrow Express shuttle service between London Paddington and the airport.

Aviation Industry

• CCO: Lufthansa Cargo to add four 777Fs, speed up MD-11F phaseout Lufthansa Cargo (LHC) will take delivery of four Boeing 777Fs in 2019 to speed up the phaseout of its 12-aircraft strong MD-11F fleet. read more
• TSA absences, wait times spike over US holiday weekend US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers called out of work over the holiday weekend at the highest rate since the partial government shutdown began Dec. 22, 2018, while staffing shortages contributed to increased wait times at several large-hub airports. read more

Other News Sources

• Edinburgh Airport installs improved security scannersEdinburgh Airport has installed three R&S QPS201 scanners from Rohde & Schwarz in its security hall, reducing wait times for passengers, enhancing security and readying the airport for the future introduction of 100% scanning by the UK Department for Transport.
• NOBODY KNOWS WHAT THE FINAL COST OF HS2 WILL BE, SIR TERRY MORGAN TELLS COMMITTEEThe former chair of HS2, Sir Terry Morgan, has said “something will have to give” on the triangle of time, cost and scope of the proposed high-speed rail network.
• Easyjet counts £15m cost of drone disruption at GatwickDisruption to aircraft caused by rogue drone flights in and around Gatwick has cost Easyjet £15 million.