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

Tuesday, 07 October 2014

BBC News

• Work on Bermuda Park railway station in Nuneaton startsWork has begun on a new station which is part of a £13.6m project to improve rail links between Coventry and Nuneaton.
• Airfield spaceport decision awaitedA consultation on the location of the UK's first spaceport ends with a Gwynedd site in the running.
• 'Unsafe' school bus operator bannedChildren were driven to school on a bus which had a problem with its brakes and a broken seat-belt, an inquiry hears.
• Lib Dems 'could U-turn on airports'The Lib Dem leadership appear to be heading for a showdown with party members over their plans to back airport expansion at Gatwick.
• Belfast City Airport records profitBelfast City Airport returned to profit in 2013, the firm's annual accounts show.
• Airport head's enterprise zone planBelfast International Airport is planning to seek enterprise zone status, according to its managing director.
• Residents 'in limbo' over HS2 plansResidents complain about what they perceive to be a lack of detailed information and consultation over plans for HS2.
• VIDEO: Film captures night bus experienceDirector Simon Baker captures the London night bus experience in his new film, as Brenda Emmanus reports.
• Signal problems cause rail delaysRail commuters face a morning of misery as signalling problems cause major disruption between Reading and London.
• Virgin Atlantic axes domestic serviceVirgin Atlantic will stop operating Little Red, its UK flight network service in September 2015 - two and a half years after its inaugural flights.

Financial Times

• Virgin Atlantic to close domestic airlineBranson accuses competition regulators of stacking odds against Little Red
• Doubt over need for UK air travel hubManchester and Stansted owner opposes Heathrow expansion

The Guardian

• Nick Clegg’s brainbelt: just how clever is it?The Lib Dem leader wants to reinstate the so-called varsity railway line between Oxford and Cambridge – and build new garden cities along the route. But what will the nimbys say?
• MPs demand action on ‘copycat’ websites targeted at driver servicesTransport select committee says efforts needed to warn motorists of ‘impersonator websites’ charging for services that would normally be available for free
• Tube workers to stage 48-hour strike next weekRMT union members will strike from 9pm on Tuesday after latest negotiations in row over ticket office closures failedLondon Underground workers are to stage a 48-hour strike next week in the long-running dispute over tube ticket office closures.Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) have been instructed not to accept any shifts between 9pm on 14 October and 8.59pm on 16 October. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Flights to climate change ceremony come under fireTHE European Commission has been criticised after it emerged that it is to fly local authority chiefs from across the continent to Brussels so they can attend a ceremony that celebrates their commitment to combating climate change.
• FCO spent £2m on VIP airport suitesThe Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has spent more than £2 million on VIP airport suites in four years, new figures show.
• Sales of new cars hit record high, says trade bodyNEW car sales in Scotland reached a record high last month, with 41,367 new vehicle registrations adding to a fine year for the industry.

The Independent

• Another U-turn? Liberal Democrat leaders move towards backing Gatwick expansion The Liberal Democrat leadership will tomorrow attempt to head off a new “tuition fees-styleâ€� U-turn over airport expansion in the South-east after the next election.

The Scotsman

• Ships resume search for missing Flight MH370THE deep-sea search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has resumed after a month-long pause while a remote stretch of the southern Indian Ocean’s floor was mapped.

The Telegraph

• Copycat official sites trick drivers, MPs warnMore must be done to stop motorists being duped by unofficial sites which charge users for free services, the Commons transport select committee says

Bolton News

• Dale Haslam's train blog: New rail boss has offered few words of comfort to passengers REPORTER Dale Haslam continues his regular column about his daily train commute in and out of Bolton.
• Bolton is worst in Greater Manchester for vandalism of bus shelters VANDALS damaging bus shelters in Bolton have cost taxpayers almost £3,000 in five months.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented Route of HS2 through East Midlands could changeThe route of HS2 could change through the East Midlands.According to the BBC, Broxtowe MP Anna Soubry said she had heard rumours that a station for Toton might not go ahead. It was believed HS2 would pass through Derbyshire, with the East Midlands served by a station at Toton, Nottinghamshire, 10 miles from Derby.In her online blog, Soubry said:

London Evening Standard

• Paddington station delays: Commuters face severe disruption as train services into London cancelled Commuters faced chaos on the railways this morning as train travelling into Paddington station were severely disrupted.

Manchester Evening News

• Smart idea! Posh new city centre flats will come with own electric carsResidents at the new £70m apartment block on Dantzic Street, dubbed Angelgate, will have access to two electric Smart cars
• Virgin Atlantic axes Little Red flights service Little Red began in March last year with flights from Heathrow to three cities - Manchester, Edinburgh and Aberdeen - with the aim of feeding passengers into Virgin’s long-haul network

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post published £8 rail ticket costs traveller nearly £600Article

This Is Local London Network

• Book-lovers never short of a good read after book swap re-opens at station The book swap was suspended while improvement work was carried out on the platforms.

Bucks Free Press

• HS2 confirms skills college locations A NEW college to produce apprentices to work on projects associated with HS2 will have two homes in the Midlands and the north.

Crewe Chronicle

• End of the road for Crewe Bus StationLabour PPC Dr Adrian Heald says a plan needs to be in place for the future

Other Regional Press

• Smithy Bridge level crossing signal box demolition beginsThe signal box at Smithy Bridge level crossing, which is no longer being used, is set to be demolished between today (Monday 6 October) and Sunday 12 October.
• Police probe railway theftsPolice are appealing for help following a spate of bicycle thefts at a railway station.

Bus and Coach.com

• National Express wins Bahrain contractA joint venture between National Express and Bahraini conglomerate Ahmed Mansoor Al A'Ali  (AMA) has been awarded a ten-year contract to operate bus service in Bahrain.
• Classic Coaches closesCounty Durham operator Classic Coaches has closed with the loss of 42 jobs.
• Borismaster fuel savings analysisThe fuel economy of the New Bus for London is between 37 and 59 per cent better than that of the diesel buses they have replaced, according to Transport for London.
• Custom Coaches hits ADL profitADL made a pre-tax loss of £1,2million in 2013, thanks to the failure of its Australian operation, Custom Coaches, which cost the business £21,9million.
• New MD for Blackpool TransportJane Cole has been appointed managing director of council-owned Blackpool Transport.
• Leeds trolleybus plan “ill-consideredâ€�The inquiry into the proposed New Generation Transport trolleybus service in Leeds has been told that the decision to pursue a trolleybus scheme was “ill-considered and precipitousâ€�, and was made in the wake of the government's refusal to fund a planned tram line.

Aviation Industry

• Regional airports band together to promote sectorMove comes as Blackpool airport faces deadline on its future
• Luton picks new CEO to lead airport expansionFormer Stansted managing director appointed to lead £100 million project
• British Airways adds short-haul routes from HeathrowAirline will introduce four new services from hub airport in 2015
• Virgin Atlantic to axe Little Red flightsAirline will drop domestic service in 2015, blames 'totally inadequate' slots at LHR

Other News Sources

• Work on new Coventry railway station starts at Ricoh ArenaFirst spade in ground signals start of work on the new railway station which is part of the NUCKLE project
• Councillors hail 'fabulous' teenager's plans for cycle cafe A RAILWAY carriage could return to the old Hockley Viaduct as a cafe for cyclists designed by a Winchester teenager.