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

Tuesday, 15 April 2014

BBC News

• Road closes for tram extensionBusy city centre thoroughfare Colmore Circus is to close for three weeks to allow tracks to be laid for Birmingham's tram extension, the operator says.
• Dutch unveil glow in the dark roadStreetlights on a 500m stretch of highway in the Netherlands are replaced by glow in the dark road markings in a pilot project.
• Anger as fare dodger 'buys silence'There is anger from a rail workers' union after an apparently wealthy fare dodger manages to avoid court action after repaying £40,000.
• Australia: Second airport for SydneyAustralia approves construction of a second international airport in Sydney, nearly 70 years after the idea was first debated.

ITV News

• Network Rail promises action on road delaysNetwork Rail has said it will work harder to avoid road disruption caused to people living around Lyneham in Wiltshire. It comes after residents said they felt cut off following road and bridge closures, while work is carried out to the railway in preparation for electrification.
• £1.8 million to improve Carlisle Railway Station access1.8 million pounds has been spent improving access to platforms at Carlisle Railway Station.

Financial Times

• City airport attacks call for closureLondon City has attacked a report that called for its closure, and has pointed to the expansion plans that are being driven through by shareholders
• Internet of things at London CityPossibility of sending messages to passengers telling them when to set off from a railway, or alerting border staff before big queues form

The Guardian

• Rail passengers call for £43,000 fare dodger to be prosecutedSome admit admiration for hedge fund worker who was caught avoiding fares from East Sussex to London over five yearsRail passengers who shared their commute with the UK's biggest known fare dodger have called for him to be prosecuted, while others voiced sneaking admiration for his scam.Since news broke on Sunday that a man who is said to work for a City hedge fund had agreed to repay £43,000 after being caught avoiding fares over five years, regulars on the services into London Bridge and Cannon Street from Stonegate in East Sussex have been trying to piece together clues to his ide...

The Herald

• 'Wipe out rail level crossing deaths' call dismissedNetwork Rail has rejected calls from MPs to eradicate deaths on railway crossings by the end of this decade.

The Independent

• Increase in use of CCTV cars raises £312m over five years Surveillance camera footage has been used to raise £312m in traffic fines over five years during a surge in the use of car-mounted CCTV.

The Telegraph

• Network Rail 'mealy-mouthed' in level crossing safety responseNetwork Rail accused of shifting blame once again in response to level crossing safety report

Parliament

• Transport CommitteeSafety at level crossings: Network Rail Response to the Committee's Eleventh Report of Session 2013–14

Daily Express

• Private sector has £137m ‘solution’ to Glasgow Airport’s missing rail linkA BLUEPRINT for a long-awaited rail link for Glasgow Airport has been unveiled by campaigners who say they will use private investment to turn it into a reality.

This is Money

• Gatwick airport boosted by sun seekers as more people head to the Caribbean and Canary IslandsMore than 2.7million passengers flew from or landed at the West Sussex airport, 5.1 per cent higher than last year.

Network Rail

• Sleaford rail upgrade completedRail passengers and road users in Metheringham are travelling over four improved level crossings and 19 miles of new signalling after engineers completed the latest phase of investment to modernise the Great Northern Great Eastern (GNGE) line between Peterborough and Doncaster via Lincoln.
• Carlisle passengers to benefit from better station accessPassengers using Carlisle station are benefitting from a £1.8 million investment to provide step-free access to platforms for the first time.
• New Zealand focus for Network Rail’s Consultancy teamNetwork Rail Consulting has appointed Philip Chalk as director of asset management and maintenance - ANZ, with a focus on developing its consultancy business in New Zealand.
• Rochester's new station takes to the airA crucial part of Rochester’s new station will be slid almost 40 metres on a bed of air this Easter as part of a £147m scheme to improve the railway through the Medway Towns.

Birmingham Post

• Unions hit out at London Midland job cutsThe Transport Salaried Staff Association has hit out angrily over the scale of the cutbacks at the firm’s Birmingham head office, with a total of 150 jobs facing the axe

Lincolnshire Echo

• Work to improve Lincolnshire level crossings and rail signalling complete Work on Blankney level crossing, including a new footpath to allow passengers to access the southbound platform at Metheringham station from the car park, has been completed by Network Rail.

Manchester Evening News

• Trainee guide dogs take to the skies - with a little help from Virgin The trainee guide dogs hopped on the Virgin Atlantic Little Red flight on a trip that will help them lead their future owners when they need to fly – before disem-barking at Heathrow

Sheffield Star

• Changes to bus service to drop off at new Sheffield market siteShoppers in Sheffield are set to benefit from changes to a city bus service which is being re-routed to serve the new The Moor Market.

The York Press

• Cycle path bill rises to £1.3m A NEW cycle route on the outskirts of York has increased in cost for a third time and will now cost taxpayers more than £1 million.
• REVEALED: Critical report that led to scrapping of Lendal Bridge trial THE depth of opposition from businesses, visitors and residents to the Lendal Bridge traffic ban has been revealed in a report.
• New free parking announced in York city centre DRIVERS will be able to park in York car parks for free on three mornings a week, under new plans to boost the city centre.

Yorkshire Post

• Andrew Latchmore: Region must act now to reap benefits of HS2WHILE HS2 will bring faster journey times to London and this is welcome, that in itself is not the reason for backing it. Construction of the line is predicted to create thousands of new jobs but again, welcome as that will be, it is not the real reason for building the line.

Bucks Free Press

• April 14, 2014: Cheryl Gillan MP THIS week's letter from Westminster comes from Chesham and Amersham MP, Cheryl Gillan, who talks about the opportunity to petition on the HS2 Hybrid Bill.

Carlisle News & Star

• Bus firm Stagecoach announces fares rise Bus company Stagecoach has announced a rise in general fares in Cumbria – handing out another problem to hard-hit high street shops.

North Wales Live

• News jobs plan for Cammell Laird shipyard As many as 45 jobs could be created if plans to build a new warehouse and office go ahead

Peterborough Telegraph

• Engineering work could affect Peterborough rail travellers over EasterPlanned rail engineering work taking place between Peterborough and London could affect travellers during the coming busy Easter weekend.

Other Regional Press

• New trains on order for Chiltern servicesCHILTERN Railways has agreed a deal to lease six new 100mph diesel locomotives for services linking Bicester and Banbury with London and Birmingham.
• Opportunities for rail companiesTransport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin told Derbyshire rail firms there are ‘huge opportunities’ for them over the next few years.
• Gas problem near Higham causes closure of rail line between Gravesend and StroodSoutheastern has closed a rail line in north Kent after it was deemed unsafe to run trains because of a gas problem.

Global Rail News

• Network Rail Consulting strengthens New Zealand officeNetwork Rail Consulting has signalled its intent to focus on building its business in the Southern Hemisphere after appointing a new director of asset management and maintenance in Australia and[...]
• Melbourne airport rail link confirmedThe Government of Victoria has committed to building a new airport rail link in its upcoming state budget. A new electrified rail link will see services leaving every 10 minutes[...]
• Thalys begins operating new Lille-Amsterdam serviceHigh-speed rail operator Thalys has launched a new twice-daily services from Lille to Amsterdam. Tickets for the service, which also calls at Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Schiphol, start from €29, with journeys[...]
• Rail Safety Summit: Changing passenger behaviourWith two weeks to go until this year’s Rail Safety Summit, First Capital Connect’s (FCC) managing director, David Statham, talks about how the operator is trying to change passenger behaviour[...]
• Marathon train completes diesel testProject ‘Marathon’ has completed a second phase of tests, this time with diesel locomotives, to trial the operation of 1.5-kilometre freight trains on Europe’s rail network. Hauled by two Vossloh Euro 4000[...]

Railnews

• Network Rail to pitch for New Zealand business Network Rail Consulting has appointed Philip Chalk as director of asset management and maintenance - ANZ, with a focus on developing its consultancy business in New Zealand. Network Rail said he will 'help expand the rail consultancy™s business in New Zealand and Australia and advise clients on asset management'.

Other News Sources

• Ferry operator CalMac celebrates 50th anniversary of first sailingThe first drive on, drive off ships were introduced in the Western Isles in 1964.
• Edinburgh trams: Parked cars blocking the route on a 'daily basis'With the trams due to go live by the end of next month, testing is entering the final stages.
• Fans on replacement bus service after cup final day trains cancelledFans of St Johnstone and Dundee United face travel misery after Scotrail cancel services to Glasgow.
• Batteries 'dead' on black boxFollowing four strong underwater signals in the past week, all has gone quiet in the hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, meaning the batteries in the plane's all-important black boxes may finally have died.
• UK Flights' punctuality improves in the last quarter of 2013UK airport flight punctuality, last quarter of 2013
• Sabre partners with Tripadvisor to launch appApp enables agents access to seat and in-flight amenity information