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

Saturday, 01 November 2014

BBC News

• Hopes for 'western loop' tram lineA new Greater Manchester tram line linking Manchester Airport with Wythenshawe Hospital is planned.
• Date set for airport limit inquiryA date is fixed for a public inquiry into a controversial proposal by George Best Belfast City Airport to change one of the rules of its planning permission.
• Vision for Prestwick Airport growthA long-term vision is set out for Prestwick Airport - a year after it was taken into public ownership amid fears it could close.
• Charity defends airport green taxThe conservation charity WWF Scotland cautions against moves to scrap Air Passenger Duty for departures from Scotland.

Financial Times

• IAG raises 2014 profit targetBritish Airways’ parent benefits from rivals’ problems and restructuring at Spanish subsidiary
• IAG chief dismisses extra Gatwick runwayFear that landing fees levied on airlines will rise significantly
• Back-up shipping navigation aid goes liveThe eLoran system counters the threat of failures in satellite networks
• Virgin Galactic ship suffers fatal crashCompany says ‘serious anomaly’ resulted in loss of SpaceShipTwo in Mojave desert

The Guardian

• One pilot dead as Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo rocket plane crashesVirgin Galactic says plane designed for commercial space travel was undertaking test flight in California when in-flight anomaly occurredBransons ambitious project beset by problems and delaysA Virgin Galactic spacecraft crashed after an explosion during a test flight over the Mojave desert on Friday, killing one of the pilots, seriously injuring another and leaving debris scattered over a wide area. The plane, SpaceShipTwo, was undertaking a test flight as part of Sir Richard Bransons plans for commercial space travel when a serious anomaly occurred, the company said. Branson was on his way t...
• Formula One facing crisis as teams threaten to boycott US Grand PrixLotus, Force India and Sauber all weighing up options Its a serious situation. Teams want to know where they standFormula One faces a potential walkout from Lotus, Force India and Sauber which would leave Sundays US Grand Prix in ruins. With the sport already reeling from the collapse of Caterham and Marussia in the past week, the latest twist in events has created a full-blown crisis as the smaller teams demand clarification concerning the future of the sport.Bob Fernley, the deputy team principal of Force India, said yesterday: All options are open and have to be left on the table. Ultimatel...
• MH17: more human remains found at crash site, says Dutch PMMark Rutte says lull in fighting allowed investigators to re-enter eastern Ukraine site where Malaysia Airlines plane came down A Dutch team took advantage of a pause in fighting between government forces and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine on Friday to recover human remains from the Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash site, the Dutch prime minister said.Mark Rutte said the team recovered human remains from the so-called burn site where the plane hit the ground, but he gave no more details. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Prestwick in running to become UK's first hub for space touristsPrestwick Airport is unlikely to attract new airlines or passenger services in its current state but could be revitalised if a bid to become the UK's first spaceport succeeds, a new report suggests.

The Telegraph

• Why a train test for tourists is just the ticketRailway ticket machines confuse tourists, and tourists enrage commuters, says Michael Deacon
• E-Car: electrifying UK drivers one car at a timeChris Morris, founder and managing director at E-Car, talks with Francine Lacqua about the UK's first electric vehicle pay-per-use car club
• Ticket machines: Minister faces calls for an inquiry after machine overcharging investigationThe transport secretary is facing calls for an urgent inquiry after The Telegraph revealed widespread overcharging on Britain's network of railway ticket machines
• Danger: irreversible climate-change forces at workThe new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that irreversible consequences could be averted, at surprisingly little cost, if action is taken without delay, says Geoffrey Lean
• Virgin Galactic spaceship was intended to solve 'some of our biggest problems on earth'Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, which has crashed during a test flight over California, was intended to be so influential that it could help to solve
• Virgin Galactic crash: Branson vows to carry on with his space questSir Richard Branson makes his 'most difficult trip' to crash scene in the Mojave desert as he vows to persevere with his plans for space tourism

Mail Online

• Motorist jailed after speeding in the wrong direction on A1(M) motorway Luke Goodall, who drove the wrong way down the A1(M) near Stevenage for eight miles before colliding with a police car, was jailed for eight months and banned from driving for three years.
• Thomas Cook plane forced to return to Gatwick after escape slide fell off The Thomas Cook Flight left the West Sussex airport at 9am with 237 passengers on board but had to turn back a short time into its flight to Hurghada after a part plunged to the ground.
• Jet 2 and Thomson Airways face claims up to £10bn after losing court case Britain's highest court refused to hear appeals by Jet 2 and Thomson Airways against two passengers who won compensation after being left stranded by them.
• Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo exploded at 45,000ft: One pilot dead and another critical as Richard Branson's $500m space tourism plane blows up testing new fuel over California desert  The experimental spaceship exploded over the Mojave desert during a test flight. Two pilots were onboard, and Virgin Galactic says their status is 'unknown'.

This is Money

• Shareholders in IAG set for first dividend since BA merged with Spanish carrier Iberia An investor payout is widely expected to be announced as soon as next month after IAG hiked profit expectations following a strong third quarter.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Wales Rally GB: Brief history of the raceHow the final round of the World Rally Championship has changed and developed since it's initial inception over 80 years ago
• Arriva Trains Wales apologise for late and overcrowded trainsArriva Trains Wales chiefs have apologised to passengers who have suffered overcrowded trains in recent weeks

The York Press

• Railway museum exhibition to mark 50th anniversary of Winston Churchill's death THE National Railway Museum is appealing for the nation’s memories of the train which carried Winston Churchill to his funeral 50 years ago next year.

This Is Local London Network

• Is moving Kingston station a good idea? Blue-sky plans to move Kingston station closer to the River Thames were revealed last week. We asked train passengers what they thought.
• Extra crossing planned for notorious Surbiton roundabout The roundabout, at the five-way junction where Upper Brighton Road meets Langley Avenue, is well-known for crashes and being difficult to negotiate for pedestrians.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Rail passengers travelling through Leeds set to soarAmbitious plans could see the number of people using Leeds train station rise by nearly 50 PER CENT, according to transport bosses.

Bucks Free Press

• Road closures during surfacing works next week IMPROVEMENTS to the county’s roads over the next week see a series of closures and diversions in place.

Carlisle News & Star

• From Carlisle airport to New York for just £200? Stobart Group chief executive Andrew Tinkler says Carlisle Airport will open transatlantic connections – for around £200
• Cyclists opposing extended Carlisle city centre ban Cyclists are opposing moves to ban them from more of Carlisle city centre.

Other Regional Press

• Hartlepool school bus fares hike prompts big responseA DECISION by councillors to more than double the cost of concessionary school bus travel provoked a strong response from readers.
• West Briton published Truro City Council provides cash for Saturday bus serviceTRURO City Council has come to the rescue of residents cut off after their Saturday bus service was axed.City councillors have agreed to support a pilot scheme and provide a £2,500 subsidy for the 484 Hoppa service, which Travel Cornwall currently runs from Monday to Friday.Passengers have been left stranded at the weekend after two routes – the 83 service from Truro to Malpas and the 84 service between Truro, Rosedale and Redannick were cut by First Group late last year.Ferry...
• VIDEO: Driver 'loses' car - after roadworkers take it away Panicking motorists returned to where they had thought they parked their cars only to discover contractors had moved them so they could paint yellow lines.
• First look behind the scenes on Quantum of the Seas IT'S THE most hi-tech cruise ship in the world - and we've had a sneak peak of what passengers can expect onboard.
• Taking cars away 'was a last resort' MOVING cars from a Southampton street to allow workmen to repaint the road markings was a “last resortâ€�, according to council bosses.
• Pye Corner railway station to open on December 14, minister announces THE UK Transport Minister visited the soon-to-be finished Pye Corner railway station in Newport today, calling the construction of the station the fastest she has ever seen.
• Multi-million pound scheme set to regenerate island harbour MULTI-MILLION pound plans have been lodged to regenerate a harbour gateway on Portland.
• Enterprise partnership provides funding for £4.4 million electricity sub-station in SilverstoneThe South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) has provided £4.4 million funding for a new electrical sub-station to power a new centre of high-performance technology in Silverstone.
• Council to improve carbon emissionsELECTRIC car charging points and an urban solar farm could be part of a council’s strategy to tackle climate change.

Bus and Coach.com

• Labour leader backs local bus controlMore control of bus services will be given to local councils under Labour's plans to devolve power to the English regions.
• Rooney chairs QCS board for Tyne & WearTraffic commissioner for the north east of England Kevin Rooney has been appointed to chair the Quality Contract Scheme board to assess the proposed scheme in Tyne and Wear.

Railnews

• Railfreight plan for expanded Sheerness A plan published today to expand and develop the port at Sheerness in Kent includes proposals for motor vehicles to be taken by train between Sheerness and Liverpool.
• Probe reveals ticket machines conceal cheap fares An investigation into ticket machines at National Rail stations has found that many are effectively concealing cheaper fares and that different operators are not consistent. The fundings, published by the Daily Telegraph, have received swift support from user groups and the Commons transport select committee, whose chairman Louise Ellman said:

Aviation Industry

• Monarch Airlines finalizes order for 30 Boeing 737 MAX 8sMonarch Airlines has finalized an order for 30 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, worth more than $3.2 billion at current list prices. read more
• Air travellers pay £27 billion in APDStudy reveals cost to passengers of UK aviation tax over the last 20 years
• American to add Heathrow-Los Angeles flightSecond daily flight to Californian city will start from spring 2015

Other News Sources

• Carmakers race ahead of EU emissions targets Almost all car manufacturers have met European carbon emission reduction targets 'several years ahead of their deadlines', and the uptake of electric vehicles is continuing to increase rapidly.
• New contract for threatened ferry A CROSS-CHANNEL ferry service between Newhaven and Dieppe will continue to operate for another year.
• Traffic chaos as city grinds to a halt BUSES were cancelled and traffic ground to a halt as a combination of roadworks, half term and the good weather caused chaos on the roads.
• Med ports challenge NW EU ports over fundingMediterranean ports body Intermed has responded to a recent claim from German and Benelux ports that new EU transport infrastructure funding will be best concentrated on northern European ports.
• Taylor Woodrow wins £33m Bristol rail upgradeNetwork Rail has appointed Taylor Woodrow to deliver a three-year £33m track upgrade package in Bristol.