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

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

BBC News

• Brunel's Great Western Railway structures uncoveredRemnants of buildings built by the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel have been uncovered during work on London's £14.8bn Crossrail project.
• VIDEO: Tackling sexual harassment on busesBBC Inside Out looks at what is being done to tackle sexual harassment on public transport with the launch of Project Empower in the Midlands.
• New rail services to London approvedNew rail services linking the North West and the Midlands to London to begin in December.
• Rail delay passengers 'dissatisfied'Two-thirds of rail passengers are unhappy with the way their train company deals with delays or cancellations, a survey suggests.
• VIDEO: Expensive transport 'risks riots'The head of Transport for London claims rising travel expenses in the city
• New general secretary for RMT unionMick Cash is elected general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union following the death of previous leader Bob Crow.

Financial Times

• Airbus seeks to tap US jet marketToulouse-based company to open first jet assembly line in the US, in a bid to provide stronger competition for Boeing in its home market
• Striking pilots reject Air France proposalChief executive Alexandre de Juniac had offered to limit the expansion of budget airline Transavia outside France and the Netherlands

The Herald

• A82 probe work contract awardedA £370,000 contract to carry out ground investigation work as part of the A82 upgrade has been awarded to Environmental Scientifics Group.
• Passengers at Scotland's two busiest airports faced increased delays this yearPASSENGERS at Scotland's two busiest airports have faced increased delays this year, as the latest national statistics show punctuality falling across the UK.
• Jump in the number of passengers travelling by ferryThe number of UK passengers taking ferry trips is growing, with the increase more marked on those ferries plying Scottish waters.
• 'Rail delays are badly handled' Only a third of rail passengers are happy with the way their train company deals with delays or cancellations, according to a customer watchdog survey.

The Independent

• Abandoned Tube stations and tunnels to be sold off as tourist attractions They are the subject of fascination for many Londoners – but disused Tube stations are set to be sold off for more lucrative purposes.
• London transport chief warns city could face riots as transport crisis looms London’s transport commissioner has warned the city could face riots again unless more trains and buses are available at affordable fares for the poorest communities.
• Labour Party conference: Ed Balls offers stronger support for London airport expansion Labour has softened its opposition to expansion at Heathrow Airport despite Ed Miliband’s previous hostility to the building of a third runway there.

The Telegraph

• Fresh tube walkouts as RMT to announce new leaderRMT announces overtime ban with new leader to be elected on Monday; acting general secretary Mick Cash in frame to replace Bob Crow
• Why London commutes are becoming painfully crowdedIt's not your imagination - journeys to work on the London Underground are getting busier, and here's the data to prove it
• Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Great Western Railway foundations uncovered at PaddingtonFoundations exposed near London Paddington station by Crossrail workers include a 200m engine shed and 45ft turntable.

Network Rail

• Temporary footbridge for Ham Street station after level crossing incidentsA temporary footbridge has been built at Ham Street station following an incident with a young person on the footpath crossing. Video footage from the stations also shows that station users including schoolchildren regularly cross the tracks without looking or listening.
• Exhibition charting the railway's role in World War One arrives at Leeds stationA new exhibition telling the story of the vital role Britain’s railway and its staff played in World War One arrived at Leeds station today - Monday, 22 September - and Network Rail, Northern Rail and First TransPennine Express representatives had a first-look at the exhibition together.

Birmingham Post

• Cycle Show at the NEC: Five things to see and doSee a selection of what's on offer at The Cycle Show 2014 which once again returns to the National Exhibition Centre in Solihull

Bolton News

• Dale Haslam's train blog: Conductor ruined my return trip A WEEK ago, I returned from a two-week break and had an odd experience at Manchester Airport.

London Evening Standard

• London Tube strike: RMT plans fresh walkout plan ahead of announcement on new leader London Underground workers have said they are planning a fresh wave of industrial action in a long-running row over ticket office closures.
• Ed Balls: no more 'dither and delay' over Heathrow Airport expansion Ed Balls pledged no more “dither and delayâ€� on the airports crisis today amid signals that Labour is no longer ruling out expansion at Heathrow.
• Plans to link HS2 and Overground to create London's largest transport hub at Old Oak Common revealed Plans to create one of the capital’s largest transport hubs by linking HS2 to London Overground were unveiled today by the mayor amid a bitter row with town halls about the development.
• Halfords to open chain of bike shops in central London The country’s new-found love of cycling has prompted Halfords to open a chain of bike shops in central London.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post published Robert Howard: There's never any progress on bus spaceA FRIEND from Chilwell telephoned me recently to talk about bus seats and legroom, especially on lower decks and those awful facing seats at the back of buses, all too often covered in footprints.I occasionally wonder if bus companies ever watch recorded footage from their onboard cameras to view our sitting habits. Is where we like to sit age-related, or is the all-important thing to grab a seat?One thing I do know is that we all like to sit alone. When I board a bus and see that I will have...

Sheffield Star

• Restored WW2 plane takes off from Robin Hood AirportA fully restored aircraft which patrolled the skies above Britain during World War Two has taken to the air once more.
• Doncaster rail bosses on track for bringing business to townRail bosses from across Doncaster were on track for a meeting aimed at bringing millions of pounds of business steaming into town.

Wales Online

• City council spend £9m on car park which they are likely to demolishAs part of Cardiff city centre's redevelopment, the council have bought the Wood Street NCP but admit they are

Yorkshire Post

• Train information? It’s just a jokeOnly a third of rail passengers are happy with the way their train company deals with delays or cancellations, according to a customer watchdog survey.

Carlisle News & Star

• £660,000 to tackle Carlisle's pothole menace Some of Carlisle’s most pot hole-ridden roads are set to get a makeover, as more than £600,000 is allocated for repairs.

Doncaster Free Press

• Restored WW2 plane takes off from Robin Hood AirportA fully restored aircraft which patrolled the skies above Britain during World War Two has taken to the air once more.
• Doncaster rail bosses on track for bringing business to townRail bosses from across Doncaster were on track for a meeting aimed at bringing millions of pounds of business steaming into town.

Other Regional Press

• Cycle path plan as part of £1m road improvementsMajor alterations are set to be carried out at a junction near Preston to improve facilities for cyclists and pedestrians as part of a £1m scheme.
• Network Rail build temporary footbridge at Hamstreet rail station after youngster narrowly avoids being hitFrightening images of a youngster narrowly avoiding being hit by a train has led to a crossing being built by rail chiefs.
• Kent rail operator Southeastern Trains to scrap onboard catering serviceRail passengers will no longer be able to buy refreshments onboard Southeastern trains after October.
• A1 to close near Black Cat as work continues on scheme to reduce congestionOvernight carriageway closures are to start on the A1 at Black Cat roundabout as work on the scheme to reduce congestion continues.

Aviation Industry

• Airfares to stay flat in 2015Study shows airlines fear damaging business by increasing fares too fast
• Pilots’ union rejects Air France’s offer to end strikeAirline wants to postpone roll-out of Transavia until end of year

Other News Sources

• Speech by Mary Creagh MP to Labour Party Conference 2014, ManchesterMary Creagh MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, in a speech to Labour’s Conference 2014 in Manchester, said:
• Happy engineers get dancing to Pharrell Williams’ hit!The civil engineers behind some of the capital’s most iconic infrastructure projects have put on their dancing shoes, to show the public – especially young people - how happy they are to be engineers and the diverse and fun careers on offer through choosing maths and science subjects at school.