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

Thursday, 22 January 2015

BBC News

• Bus firm loses all four directorsLothian Buses reveals all four of its executive directors are to leave the company over the next two years.
• First Group rules out fare cutsBus passengers travelling on FirstGroup services will not see a reduction in fares despite the recent slump in oil prices, a company spokesman has said.
• Railway poster original returns homeA landscape painted by Charles Oppenheimer and used in an iconic British Railways poster is donated to a Galloway museum.
• Transport headache at London BridgeSmall errors snowball for Network Rail
• DLR workers vote for 48-hour strikeWorker on London's Docklands Light Railway vote for a 48-hour strike from 28 January in a row over terms and conditions.
• Fight to save Paolozzi Tube mosaicsMosaics at Tottenham Court Road Tube station will be lost through redevelopment work, campaigners warn.

Financial Times

• Cheaper fuel hits FirstGroup GreyhoundsOperator’s UK rail and US transit units keep performance on track despite string of problems

The Herald

• West End to be 'brought back to former glory' after tramsAT its worst it was described as resembling a war zone as tramworks lined the shopping rows and Georgian terraces of one of the Scottish capital's most sought after quarters.
• Pilot plan for speeding drivers to face course not courtDRIVERS who are caught speeding would be able to take an awareness course rather than face prosecution under new proposals.
• All four directors to leave troubled bus firmA TROUBLED publicly-owned bus firm is to shed all four of its executive directors over the next two years.

The Scotsman

• Scots councils slammed for not gritting pathsPEDESTRIAN and cycle campaigners yesterday criticised Scottish councils for failing to clear icy pavements and cycle paths, five days after the last heavy snowfall.
• Boardroom row chiefs told to leave Lothian BusesTHE long-running boardroom battle at Lothian Buses looks to have ended with the four warring executives handed a two-year notice period.

The Telegraph

• Heathrow Express services cancelled after train derailsHolidaymakers face widespread delays as Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect trains cancelled after derailment - as signal failure causes separate travel misery

Mail Online

• How to stretch a cruise ship! Amazing images show how vessel is extended... by cutting it in HALF and adding extra sections These incredible photographs show how the luxury MSC Armonia cruise ship is taken apart almost like Lego, and a new section is fitted in the middle with 193 extra cabins.

Network Rail

• Countdown to Scarborough Railway Bridge replacementRail passengers, York residents and visitors to the city are being reminded to plan ahead this half term as the old bridge deck of Scarborough Rail Bridge will be lifted out and a new one installed.
• Have your say on updated plans for the Hope Valley rail lineMembers of the public are invited to comment on plans to construct two new sections of railway track near Dore & Totley station and between Bamford and Hathersage.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Sell Yorkshire hard, says Ryanair boss AN airline chief has urged those responsible for marketing Yorkshire to be quick on their feet to attract more visitors.

Bristol Live

• The Bristol Post commented Spending on more cycling routes could sway election results in...TRANSPORT charity Sustrans claims the majority of people in Bristol want to see more investment in cycling.The organisation has carried out research which claims 65 per cent of Bristolians support Government investment in cycling infrastructure. Its poll of 959 adults from nine English cities, carried out by YouGov, also found 59 per cent of surveyed adults in Bristol supported extra spending on safe cycling routes even if it meant less would be spent on improvements for other road users.And 46...

London Evening Standard

• Heathrow noise complaints soar in flight test Heathrow has seen a five-fold increase in complaints about noise over the past year, official figures reveal today.
• Bid to halt 'tragic loss' of Paolozzi Tube murals at Tottenham Court Road station A campaign has been launched to prevent the “tragic lossâ€� of two mosaic murals by artist Eduardo Paolozzi at Tottenham Court Road station.
• 'North Londoners listen to classical on Tube, while South prefers pop, rock and reggae' The north-south rivalry of Londoners could get even noisier with claims that those living above the river are more cultural — as a greater number listen to classical music on their commutes.
• Further delays for Eurostar passengers after trains cancelled Travellers face continued delays as Eurostar have been forced to cancel more services following power supply problems.
• Commuters face more travel chaos as DLR workers prepare to strike next week Commuters face further disruptions as Docklands Light Railway workers prepare to strike next week.

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Airport to benefit from technology boost to cut delaysThe technology improves the capabilities of air traffic control centres as they see more up-to-date information about flights from the UK heading over the continent           

The York Press

• Titan the robot helps launch fleet of new MAX buses TITAN the robot has launched a fleet of state of the art buses in York.

Yorkshire Post

• Major half-term rail works to hit York servicesHalf-term visitors to York travelling into the city by rail face having to catch a replacement bus service because of major railway bridge repairs.

Bucks Free Press

• Report criticises government's HS2 strategyTransport bosses still lack "a clear strategic plan for the rail network" and there are concerns over their ability to deliver HS2 on time and on budget, a report from an influential group of MPs has said.

North Wales Live

• Merseyrail passengers - put your questions to a Merseyrail bossA chance for Liverpool ECHO readers to have their say

Sunderland Echo

• Nissan Leaf sales rocket as Sunderland-built car remains top-sellerSALES of the Sunderland-built Nissan Leaf rocketed by a third in 2014, as it clocked up its fourth successive year as Europe’s best-selling electric vehicle.

Other Regional Press

• Basingstoke MP Maria Miller campaigns for investment in Hampshire railwaysCouncillor Roy Perry, leader of Hampshire County Council, hosted the meeting last Thursday which was attended by Basingstoke MP Maria Miller, director of Enterprise M3 local enterprise partnership Kathy Slack, other local MPs and Tim Shoveller, chief executive of the Network Rail – South West Trains Alliance after concerns were raised over how the network will cope with growing passenger and freight numbers.
• Campaigners want electrification to speed up railwaysTEES Valley campaigners have revealed their hopes for the electrification of the whole of the region’s rail network. Council leaders, along with Tees Valley Unlimited, say constraints in the current rail infrastructure are acting as barriers to the area achieving its full economic potential.
• Workers' cooperative SCOP could try to buy MyFerryLink, which operates from Port of DoverThe co-operative which runs troubled MyFerryLink could make an offer for the firm, which was put up for sale by owners Eurotunnel.

Bus and Coach.com

• Further £27 million for Bristol rapid bus networkBristol’s planned MetroBus network has received confirmation of a further £27million grant from the government today to support the construction of 3.1 miles of busway for the South Bristol Link. The move follows an award of £34.5million in September 2014 for the Ashton Vale to Temple Meads scheme which is due to start construction shortly.
• Union deal agreed at OptareOptare has agreed a three-year pay and conditions deal with its operations employees who are represented by UNITE the Union. The agreement follows a dispute last year which included the announcement of a work-to-rule and strikes on the same day that Optare launched its MetroDecker integral double-deck bus in London last May.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Further funding promised for Bristol busesThe government has committed £27 million in additional funding for an extensive improvement programme for Bristol buses. This represents an enormous increase on the original £600,000 provided. The project is expected to cost a total of £43.3 million. Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said: “This £27 million will help transform travel around Bristol. The South Bristol Link will help get traffic off the roads, spark economic growth and link people to jobs.” The South Bristol Link will join up with the route between Ashton Vale and Temp...

Rail Magazine

• Eversholt Rail Group to be sold to CK Investments S.A.R.LEversholt Rail Group, one of the three original rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCOs), is to be sold to CK Investments S.A.R.L.

Railnews

• Eversholt Rail set to be sold for £1bn Eversholt Rail is being sold to a Chinese bidder for a reported £1 billion. Eversholt Rail Group, which owns some 28 per cent of British rolling stock, is presently owned by Eversholt Investment Group S.C.S., a consortium of 3i Infrastructure plc, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and STAR Capital Partners, which bought Eversholt from HSBC in December 2010. The deal will need to be cleared by the European Commission.

Transport Briefing (subscription)

• MetroBus Ashton Vale busway contract awardedBalfour Beatty has been selected to build the guided busway which forms the core of the Ashton Vale to Temple Meads and Bristol...

Aviation Industry

• Flight punctuality down at UK airports; traffic growth up in UK, EuropeFlight punctuality at UK airports fell in the third quarter of 2014 compared with the same period in 2013, with on-time performance of scheduled flights down five percentage points to 75%. read more
• Lobby group outlines importance of regional airportsThe future of UK regional airports received a boost yesterday as a lobby group gave evidence to a government select committee. The Regional and Business Airports Group (RABA) told MPs that regional airports create jobs and bring “economic prosperity” to regions of the UK.

Green Miscellany

• Car seat nudges driver if they’re too close to a bicycleCars of the near future will physically nudge the driver if they get too close to a cyclist. Jaguar Land Rover this week revealed Bike Sense technology, which taps the person behind the wheel on the shoulder and rings a bicycle bell inside the car to help prevent collisions with bicycles and motorbikes. If a bicycle or motorbike is is overtaking, or passing the vehicle on the… The post Car seat nudges driver if they’re too close to a bicycle appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• STOKE HS2 STATION 'COULD DELIVER GREATER VALUE' - REPORTThe HS2 project could deliver a greater economic impact if it was routed through Stoke-on-Trent, adviser Volterra has said.
• Bristol busway to cover twice the distance thanks to extra cash from DfTThe Bristol MetroBus scheme is to receive £27m grant from the DfT to extend the scheme including with a further three miles of busway, transport minister Baroness Kramer has announced.
• FURTHER £27M FOR BRISTOL TRANSPORT SCHEMEThe second phase of Bristol's MetroBus scheme will receive a £27m boost thanks to a government grant.
• Blackburn train station renovation complete after months of work BLACKBURN Railway Station is now greeting travellers to the town with a modern entrance hall after months of renovation work.
• Serial burglar is targeting Sussex properties using the county's railway lines A SERIAL burglar is believed to be travelling around on trains targeting homes.