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

Friday, 11 July 2014

BBC News

• Thames airport 'risk' to taxpayerAn airport in the Thames Estuary would present a "considerable cost and risk to the taxpayer", according to reports published by the Airports Commission.
• Wizz Air announces new Polish routesBudget airline Wizz Air announces plans to launch two new routes from Glasgow to Poland later this year.

Financial Times

• United soars on airline optimism lift-offUnited said passenger revenue per available seat mile, a key industry metric, rose 3.5 per cent in the second quarter from a year earlier. United had earlier forecast a 1 to 3 per cent increase
• Maersk forms new alliance with MSCUnder the deal, which the partners are calling 2M, vessels will be shared on 21 regular routes between Europe, Asia and the US east and west coast

The Herald

• Mystery of damaged rail power lines MYSTERY remains over the cause of severe damage to overhead power lines near the Scottish Border, which wreaked havoc on the West Coast Main Line.
• Mystery of damaged rail power lines MYSTERY remains over the cause of severe damage to overhead power lines near the Scottish Border, which wreaked havoc on the West Coast Main Line.

The Independent

• Crossrail chief says worker who died in tunnel construction 'shouldn’t have been where he was' The chief of the Crossrail construction project in central London has said that the death of a worker in March happened because “the individual went into an area that was excludedâ€�.

The Telegraph

• More charging points for airport checksBoth British Airways and Virgin Atlantic providing chargers for passengers to use at gates

Mail Online

• The 200 years we spend looking for our lost cars: One in seven drivers admit they have forgotten where they parked their vehicle The report also reveals that women are more absent-minded when it comes to losing their car keys but men take almost as twice as long to find their car.

Network Rail

• Work to start to replace footbridge and improve platforms at Hartford stationWork will begin this weekend to provide passengers with better platforms and a new footbridge at Hartford station.

Belfast Telegraph

• Free public transport for pensioners under threatStormont budget impasse jeopardising free transport

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham bus lanes - 50,000 wrongly fined but just 230 get refunds Unsuspecting motorists paid £1.7m after being caught in badly signposted bus lanes.

Birmingham Post

• Halfords expects to create 500 jobs amid cycling boomWorcestershire retailer riding a wave of renewed interest in cycling as like-for-like sales increase
• JLR develops new 'intelligent car'Manufacturer is aiming for zero crashes with new 'Smart Assistant' technology

London Evening Standard

• London's black cabs could be forced to take card payments within two years Thousands of black cab drivers could be forced to take payment by card within two years.
• Crossrail engineer was 'working in excluded area when concrete fell which killed him' An engineer working on the Crossrail project who died after being hit on the head by falling concrete was standing in an "excluded" area when the accident happened, the company has confirmed.

Sheffield Star

• Northern business backs Doncaster HS2 rail college bidPlans to build a training college in Doncaster to serve the proposed HS2 rail link have won more backing from northern business leaders.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• First glimpse of new Wolverhampton railway stationIt has been the ultimate dream to transform Wolverhampton's transport network for years.

Other Regional Press

• Bus operator set to cancel Northampton route blaming town centre delaysA bus operator is to cancel one of its Northampton services because of consistently late buses, which the owner claims are due to the placement of the new terminus.

Global Rail News

• UK ‘growth fund’ supports rail projectsManchester Metrolink is one of several transport infrastructure projects to benefit from a new £12 billion growth fund set up by the UK government.
• STIF and SNCF to buy additional Francilien commuter trainsÎle-de-France transport authority STIF and SNCF have committed €210 million to purchase 22 new Francilien commuter trains.
• Network Rail awards £20m Paddington roof refurbishment contractA Colas Rail/Morgan Sindall joint venture is to carry out a £20 million project to refurbish three more of the historic roof spans at Paddington station.

Aviation Industry

• Bombardier seals $230 million deal with Air KazakhstanNewly minted central Asian airline Air Kazakhstan will begin flying the first of 10 Bombardier Q400 NGs in March 2015, with a $230 million price tag on the aircraft/operations deal. read more
• Air India announces Dreamliner exclusivity on long-haul routes Air India chairman and MD Rohit Nandan announced Thursday that when the carrier is formally integrated into the Star Alliance network, “our entire European operations, Asian Operations, [and] Pacific operations shall be through the Dreamliner.â€� read more
• Virgin Atlantic eyes technology gains from Delta tie-upDelta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic are eyeing technology-sharing opportunities as part of their joint venture, while Virgin’s SkyTeam plans continue to take a back seat. read more

Other News Sources

• Newham Council warns London City Airport over expansion disruptionCampaigners against London City Airport expansion fear years of night time disruption if a planning application is approved.
• Quarter of online bookings to be mobile by 2017Study shows mobile bookings to double in two years