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

Thursday, 06 November 2014

BBC News

• Trapped railway worker cut freeA construction worker on the Borders Railway is airlifted to hospital after getting trapped in his overturned truck.
• Clegg seeking Northern rail boostCommuters in the north of England are using "decrepit" trains that would be unacceptable in London, Nick Clegg is to claim as he pushes for more investment in rail and road links.
• More airports begin Ebola screeningPassenger screening for Ebola begins at Manchester and Birmingham airports for those travelling from high-risk countries.
• Burning bus explodes in streetAn explosion on a burning London bus showers a south London street in debris.
• Oyster passengers 'charged more'Oyster card users are paying up to £107 more to travel each week on London's transport network compared with contactless card users, research reveals.
• How safe can we make space for tourists?The challenges of reducing risks in the space tourism business
• Is the US oil boom about to go bust?Is the US oil boom about to go bust?
• Tesla reports record deliveriesTesla reports a third-quarter loss of $74.7m - more than double from the same period last year - but investors welcomed the electric car maker's record deliveries.
• Minister to call for fuel price cutTreasury minister Danny Alexander is to urge major fuel retailers to drop their prices after recent falls in the cost of oil.

Department for Transport

• Northern Futures: improvements for northern road and railAs the Northern Futures Summit starts on 6 November, Nick Clegg announces better trains in the north to reduce overcrowding and cut journey times.

Financial Times

• Long haul fuels turnround at Aer LingusIrish flag carrier increases profit forecast as sales rise 15% in third quarter
• Alstom’s rail arm reports rising salesFrench group is selling energy business to focus on transport
• FirstGroup drives back to profitUK rail division boosts turnround despite losing 3 franchise bids this year
• German railway drivers begin 4-day strikeUnion demands pay increase and greater representation

The Herald

• £250m for scheme to electrify inter-city rail linkTHE electrification of the main rail line between Glasgow and Edinburgh has taken a step forward after a £250 million contract was awarded for crucial infrastructure improvements.

City AM

• FirstGroup is on the right trackTRANSPORT operator FirstGroup announced a welcome boost in pre-tax profit yesterday, up £9.9m for the first half of the year, following an £8m loss in the 2013 period. But the positive news was delivered with a caveat, after revenue slid 10.9 per cent to £2.9bn from £3.3bn a year before. First said the change reflected structural alterations in its rail business, as well as foreign exchange fluctuations, and when these things were taken into account, revenue actually increased by 3.9 per cent. The company recently lost out on a major rail franchise deal, the second in six months, which...

Network Rail

• Have your say on rail industry plans for growth in the east of EnglandPlans to make sure the railway in the east of England can continue to accommodate the huge growth in demand from passengers and freight over the next thirty years have been published by Network Rail – and members of the public are being encouraged to have their say on the proposals.

Birmingham Post

• Underground motorway mooted to ease Birmingham congestion The

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyrail boss Maarten Spaargaren to leave in the New YearDutch managing director resignation for January 1, 2015 so he can consider career options

Manchester Evening News

• Nick Clegg pushes George Osborne for funds to improve 'decrepit' northern railways The Deputy PM and Sheffield MP has called on Chancellor George Osborne to announce funding to improve the situation for northern commuters and rail passengers

Sheffield Telegraph

• Station may have to be movedElectrification of the rail line between Bedford and Sheffield could mean the relocation of Dronfield station.

The York Press

• Councillor condemns York's new air-quality plan A NEW action plan which puts tough rules on polluting buses at the heart of work to improve air quality in York has been criticised by environmental campaigners.
• Figures reveal Tour de France costs were over budget - York could host major new Yorkshire cycle race YORK could be at the heart of a major new international cycling race coming to Yorkshire after the Grand Depart this summer.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• £4.5m work on Wolverhampton Metro to overrun - as transport bosses admit 'no date set' for completionMajor repairs to the tram system in Wolverhampton will overrun, it was revealed today.

Yorkshire Post

• Clegg presses Osborne to spend on Yorkshire road and railNick Clegg has set out plans to invest in road and rail to dramatically cut journey times across the North in the next decade.

Blackpool Gazette

• Airport buyers must act quickly says Fylde MPPotential buyers for Blackpool airport have only a six week window to firm up any offers before its assets start to be sold off an MP has warned.
• Tram boss pledges: ‘We’ll get this right’ after week of hellNext year we will get it right.

Bucks Free Press

• Transport for Bucks to review signage requirements on busy Byway Transport for Bucks have confirmed they will

East Anglian Daily Times

• Network Rail proposes transformation of East Anglian services with London trains reaching Ipswich in an hour by 2024Details of a multi-million pound programme to transform the region’s railways and speed up services from London have today been published by Network Rail.
• Network Rail proposes transformation of East Anglian servicesDetails of a multi-million pound programme to transform the region’s railways and speed up services from London have been published by Network Rail.

Other Regional Press

• Prime Minister: We need to upgrade transport links to the South West David Cameron has backed the upgrade of transport in the far South West in the latest sign the Government is preparing to make a considerable investment in the region.
• Local buses wear poppies with pride BUSES in First’s Wessex fleet are now “wearingâ€� their poppies with pride ahead of Remembrance Day next Tuesday.
• Coventry's bus lanes could be scrapped amid pollution fearsBus lanes are creating too much congestion - especially in north Coventry - which is harming air quality in parts of the city

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Star ratings could be used to measure UK road safetyStar ratings could be introduced on the UK's roads to improve their safety and highlight accident blackspots. Officials have been asked to examine the merits of these rating schemes, particularly EUROrap and i RAP, which are used to grade road systems in other parts of the world. Roads minister Robert Goodwill said he recognised the "positive impact" that these systems have had in other countries and said he was keen to work with the Highways Agency to consider whether they would benefit the UK. "All of these research findings should provide vital evidence fo...

Middle East North Africa (MENA) Rail News

• GCC Member States Invest $121bn in InfrastructureGCC member states have committed USD $121.3bn into road and rail infrastructure projects this year. This comes as part of a drive to expand their non oil economies but in some cases to prepare for major world events in the coming years, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Saudi Arabia leads the charge by […] The post GCC Member States Invest $121bn in Infrastructure appeared first on MENA Rail News.

Railnews

• State buys back more than 100 railfreight sites A deal to transfer more than 100 railfreight yards and depots back to the public sector has been confirmed, with the rights to 105 such sites now owned by Network Rail, which itself became a government body on 1 September. The sites had been acquired by various railfreight operators when British Rail sold its freight businesses almost 20 years ago as part of railway privatisation. Network Rail described the deals as 'self financing', pointing to the predictions of steep market growth in the sector over the next 30 years.

Aviation Industry

• Wizz Air outlines growth plans; IPO on holdRapidly expanding Eastern European budget carrier Wizz Air is aiming to grow to 30 million passengers a year and a 100-aircraft fleet by 2019, although its plans to float on the stock exchange remain on hold. read more
• Virgin Atlantic to replace seven Boeing 747s; A380s unlikelyVirgin Atlantic’s is expected to place an order for at least seven aircraft within the next five to nine months to replace its London Gatwick-based Boeing 747s. read more
• Emirates CEO: Free in-flight wifi to become standardAirline records 200% jump in wifi usage for October

Other News Sources

• Heathrow completes £34m network for Terminal 2Fujitsu implemented entire terminal’s integrated network system that promises to solve Heathrow's baggage system woes
• Metrolink to expand under Greater Manchester plansTransport for Greater Manchester has revealed its plans for expansion and improvement of the Metrolink and transport systems in Manchester for the next five years.
• London Stansted urges Network Rail to show more ambition to unlock growth at the airportLondon Stansted is urging Network Rail to show more ambition and greater vision to deliver faster rail services to unlock the airport’s potential and improve services for commuters.
• Airports air traffic management working with other aviation partners to improve European air transportAs a new European Commission begins work this week, European aviation industry partners are looking to underlining their commitment to the Single European Sky (SES).nbsp;Faced with patchy air...