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

Friday, 11 April 2014

BBC News

• M4 relief road could stop rail upgrade, warn campaignersFunding a £1bn M4 relief road across the Gwent Levels could stop electrification of railway lines in the south Wales valleys, campaigners claim.
• Airport chaos a 'wake up call'The chaos at Gatwick Airport on Christmas Eve should be "a wake up call for airports across the UK", a report by MPs has said.
• 'Super jumbo' arrives in GlasgowThousands of spectators watch the world's largest passenger aircraft, the A380 Airbus, land in Scotland for the first time.
• Threat to British number plates? Think againMEPs are not plotting to scrap British number plates, officials say - contradicting a Daily Express report.

The Guardian

• MH370: Australia 'very confident' pings are from black box, says prime ministerTony Abbott says searchers think underwater signals are coming from wreckage of Malaysia Airlines planeAustralia is confident that search teams have located the missing Malaysian planes black box to "within some kilometres", the prime minister, Tony Abbott, said on Friday.But the head of the Australian team co-ordinating efforts to find MH370 stressed that there had been no major breakthrough in a statement released minutes later. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Celebrations as superjumbo lands at Scottish airport for the first time AIR travel has lost its lustre in recent decades.

The Telegraph

• Traffic jams likely as Easter getaway beginsFine weather could make for one of the worst holiday getaways in recent years, motoring groups warn

Mail Online

• Minister's bid to keep HS2 report secret 'is unlawful': Transport secretary used wartime gagging order to stop document being released The Government unlawfully censored an embarrassing report about the controversial HS2 rail project, it is claimed. Patrick McLoughlin, the Transport Secretary, employed a special veto used in wartime to stop the release of a damning internal report about the planned High Speed 2 line.

The Mirror

• Flight MH370 black box 'found' live: Australian PM Tony Abbott 'very confident' search teams have located missing device He told reporters in China:

Network Rail

• Easier access for passengers at BirchwoodPassengers will soon benefit from better access at Birchwood station thanks to a £2million investment to provide step free access to all platforms for the first time.

Birmingham Post

• Airport job hopes raise a few ghosts from distant past David Cameron visited Birmingham Airport last week, effusively welcoming the announcement that 8,000 new jobs would be created.

Lincolnshire Echo

• New railway crossing design plans revealed for Sleaford Designs for the proposed new footbridge for crossing the railway at Sleaford's Southgate has been revealed by North Kesteven District Council (NKDC)

Sheffield Star

• £5m to speed up major Sheffield roadCongestion-busting work to ease traffic on Sheffield’s second busiest road - used by almost 60,000 people a day – will start soon after plans been given the green light.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Bus firm in ring over stuntA boxing match stunt to promote one Sheffield bus company over another was criticised this week by Liberal Democrats.

The York Press

• Latest speed camera locations announced THE latest locations for North Yorkshire Police's road safety cameras have been announced.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Changes to HS2 deal for homeownersBosses behind controversial £50 billion HS2 rail project have announced a raft of changes to the compensation package available to homeowners who live near the line.

Plymouth Herald

• Business bosses seek pledges on transport spendingSPENDING on roads is being tripled – but Peninsula business leader have failed to win a firm commitment on how much of the cash will be used to help the South West. Roads Minister Robert Goodwill yesterday met representatives from the South West chambers of commerce at Plymouth University.

Sleaford Standard

• New footbridge design unveiled for SleafordA new footbridge design for crossing the railway at Sleaford’s Southgate with increased safety and ease has been revealed.

Other Regional Press

• Transport Minister to attend Whitton station meetingMinister for Transport Stephen Hammond MP will attend a meeting about Whitton station.
• Dr Phillip Lee MP: Local transport infrastructure is crucial to the growth of Bracknell and the Thames Valley"I have been lobbying for Crossrail to be extended to Reading for some time now, and so the recent announcement that Crossrail is to reach Reading is great news."
• Manston Airport: Consultation on closure extended after talks between Unite union members and owners Plans to close beleaguered Manston Airport have been delayed after a meeting between union members and owners.

Global Rail News

• HS2 PLUSSir David Higgins has said he wants to accelerate the construction of HS2 and see Britain be more ambitious with its high-speed rail plans. In his first public outing as HS2 Ltd’s new chairman, Higgins outlined a handful of recommendations for the £42.6 billion project – the most substantial of which was to take the […]
• Doha Metro Phase 1 on course to open in 2019The first phase of Doha’s planned metro will be commissioned in 2019, according to the newly-appointed project management team. A Systra and Parsons joint venture has won a €170 million[...]
• Australia’s east coast high-speed rail system could be delivered by 2025Australia’s first high-speed railway could be completed 40 years earlier than originally thought and $30 billion cheaper, a new report has suggested. Looking at similar projects around the world, a[...]
• Thales to upgrade S&T at Ankara-Istanbul high-speed line stationSignalling and telecommunications systems at Turkey’s Eskisehir station are to undergo a major upgrade. Thales has been awarded a €10 million contract from state railway operator Turkish State Railways (TCDD)[...]
• LNVG orders Coradia Lint EMUsGermany’s Lower Saxony public transport authority, LNVG, has ordered six new Coradia Lint regional trains to add to its fleet. The €25 million contract follows an initial order placed in[...]

Aviation Industry

• Air Canada adds wifi to all North American flightsAirline to roll out service from next month
• Ryanair adds five European routesAirline opens Cologne base

Other News Sources

• Transport Minister Baroness Kramer visits PortsmouthBARONESS Kramer officially welcomed the completion of two major transport projects in Portsmouth today.