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

Tuesday, 02 September 2014

BBC News

• Road tunnels reopen after six weeksBirmingham city centre's road tunnels reopen after a six-week summer closure.
• New Dwyryd estuary rail bridge opensA new Pont Briwet bridge carrying the Cambrian Coast railway line over the Dwyryd estuary finally opens after being hit by delays.
• Tube bomb threat a 'hoax' say police
• Airport expansion 'critical' for UKA single, larger hub airport where passengers can transfer to a range of destinations - is
• Boris Island airport plan 'rejected'A plan for an island airport in the Thames Estuary, dubbed

Financial Times

• Rail delays knock north US grain pricesSilos are offering farmers $2.70 a bushel for corn – about $1 less than benchmark prices – due to the costs of securing capacity on adjacent tracks
• ‘Boris Island’ airport plan sunkThe rejection of mayor’s £100bn plan puts the spotlight back on the expansion of Heathrow, Britain’s largest airport, and could revive a government policy split

The Guardian

• London to get hybrid buses that could charge wirelesslyTransport for London trial to equip bus stops to boost batteries wirelessly when the buses arrive, reports BusinessGreen
• And so the Great British Railway Rake-Off rolls onNetwork Rail’s £34bn debt has helped private companies to make huge profits. And now we’re ordered to pick up the bill
• Johnson won't back Heathrow expansion as 'Boris Island' idea sinksMayor says third runway at London's busiest airport would be disaster, as plans for Thames estuary hub are groundedBoris Johnson has signalled he will continue to battle Heathrow expansion, despite being told that his plans for a four-runway Thames estuary hub are to be rejected by the airports commission.Sir Howard Davies, the commission chair, who Boris Johnson has frequently antagonised, will announce on Tuesday that the mayor's preferred option had been dismissed from the formal process, leaving Gatwick and Heathrow on the shortlist for its ultimate recommendation for additional runways in...

The Independent

• London 'terror threat': Metropolitan police deny tube attack hoax The Metropolitan Police have been forced to deny rumours of a terror attack on the London underground after a hoax text message was widely shared on social media.

City AM

• Blow for Boris as island airport is rejectedLONDON Mayor Boris Johnson was dealt a blow last night after his plan for an island airport in east London was rejected by the Airports Commission. The Mayor’s transport advisor Daniel Moylan called the decision not to back the scheme, dubbed Boris Island, “shortsightedâ€� but said the campaign to build a four-runway hub in the Thames estuary would continue.

Mail Online

• Ryanair is snubbed as budget easyJet edges into list of world's top 10 airlines ... and British Airways steals number one spot In the battle of budget airlines, Ryanair failed to crack any of the top 10 lists, as voted on by readers of Conde Nast Traveller, despite continued efforts to revamp its image.
• Boris Island airport plans are shot down: Experts back expansion at Heathrow or Gatwick Government advisers warned last night that Boris Johnson's dream of building a £100billion airport in the Thames estuary was unrealistic. Pictured: An artist's impression.

Network Rail

• Timelapse and pictures: Thameslink Programme on track as new platforms arrive on time at London Bridge stationNetwork Rail opened two new platforms at London Bridge station this morning (Monday) as a nine-day part closure of the railway was successfully completed on time.
• Investment delivers a better railway between Barnt Green and RedditchThe railway between Barnt Green and Redditch reopened this morning (1 September) after an eight-week closure to improve services and facilities for passengers.
• Chorley Tunnel reopens after upgrade as part of £1bn+ railway investmentThe railway between Chorley and Leyland reopened today (1 September) following a six-week closure to carry out improvements as part of Network Rail’s investment in the railway.
• Robert Jenrick MP opens new Collingham station car park

Daily Post (North Wales)

• WATCH: First train crosses the new Pont Briwet rail bridge See the first passenger carrying trains travelling from Pwllheli to Machynlleth

Edinburgh Evening News

• Edinburgh ‘Oystercard’ launched for buses and tramCOMMUTERS can today purchase a new travel card for easy boarding on bus and tram that can be pre-paid for up to 50 journeys.

Manchester Evening News

• Couple launch video campaign to get dogs allowed on Metrolink trams Pippa, seven, an Affenpinscher, is the star of a video filmed by owners Wayne and Mandy Smedly to support the Campaign to Allow Dogs on Trams

Sheffield Star

• VIDEO: Mystery hole halts Sheffield tramsTram users in Sheffield face further disruption after a mysterious hole led to two services being suspended.

This Is Local London Network

• Brothers visit all 270 tube stations in record time to fund holiday for sick children Brothers determined to give their cousin's poorly children a luxury holiday raised almost £3,000 after visiting all 270 London Underground stations in one day.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Ipswich/Claydon: Door on a Greater Anglia train travelling at speed opens mid-journey to the shock of passengersA Suffolk man has described the “shocking” moment when a set of doors in the driver’s cabin of a train blew open – turning the carriage into an “air tunnel”.

Western Daily Press

• Poor transport links leave the South West at the end of the line Crossrail, Crossrail extension, HS2, HS3: major improvements in the rest of the country. But, asks farmer Richard Haddock, what about the South West’s creaking infrastructure?

Other Regional Press

• Get your bus queries answered in real time... using FacebookBus company Arriva has launched a new service allowing passengers to speak to its expert team using social media.
• Thames Estuary airport bid for Isle of Grain 'set to be dismissed' by government-appointed Davies CommissionPlans for a four-runway Thames Estuary hub airport are set to be sunk in an announcement this week, it has been claimed.

Railnews

• Unions demonstrate as Network Rail passes to public sectorUNIONS and transport campaigners have been staging a demonstration today outside the London headquarters of Network Rail at King's Cross as the company passed wholly into the public sector.

Aviation Industry

• Bombardier CSeries customer declines launch operator spotSwedish company Braathens Aviation has told Bombardier it no longer wants to be the launch operator of the CSeries 110 to 169-seat airliner. read more
• 'Boris Island' airport plan rejectedFour-runway hub airport in the Thames Estuary will not be considered by Airports Commission
• Boris attacks ‘barbaric’ Heathrow third runway planDecision on Boris Island expected this week

Other News Sources

• Freight Group and Unions Comment on Change of Network Rail StatusAs Track Returns to Public Ownership (Sort Of) Trains Remain Very Much a Private Affair
• Transport for Edinburgh launches pre-paid cardBus and tram passengers in Edinburgh now have a new way of paying for their journeys, through the new pre-paid smartcard, ‘citysmart’.
• Transport for London employees rack up huge parking fines London transport authority accused of double standards on parking offences.
• Online test launched for infringing pilotsTo increase the options it has available to tackle airspace infringements, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) may, from today, ask pilots who do infringe controlled or restricted airspace to sit a short online test to assess their airmanship skills. The test will only be accessible with a secure password, sent by the CAA to the infringing pilot. Failure to successfully complete the test within one month could result in further licensing action being
• WIZZ AIR CARRIED 15 MILLION PASSENGERS IN 12 MONTHS Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe*, today announced that, for the first time in its history, it carried 15 million passengers over a 12 month period**. This...