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

Tuesday, 10 March 2015

BBC News

• £5m A40 link road given the go aheadA £5m link road in Carmarthenshire is given the go ahead to link more than 1,000 new homes and Welsh language channel S4C's new headquarters.
• Buses to carry police cuts warningBuses in north Wales are to carry adverts warning cuts to the police budget could spell the end of neighbourhood policing.
• Scottish force to police railwaysPolice Scotland will take over railway policing from the British Transport Police when the function is devolved, Scotland's justice secretary has decided.
• Removal of 3,000 skeletons beginsArchaeologists begin excavating around 3,000 skeletons from underneath Liverpool Street station to make way for the Crossrail project.
• Cycle superhighway work to startWork will begin later on the north-south route of a controversial new cycleway across London.

Financial Times

• Uber’s global competitionShout and wave no more — it is the age of the ride-hailing app
• FirstGroup eyes Virgin’s East Coast lineTrain operator lodges application to run extra services between London and Edinburgh
• Virgin Atlantic returns to profitAirline ready to widen tie-up with US carrier Delta that added £10m to profit

The Guardian

• Electric cars could cut oil imports 40% by 2030, says studyMassive switch to electric cars could save drivers £1,000 a year on fuel costs, if infrastructure is built to support the vehicles. Electric cars could cut the UKs oil imports by 40% and reduce drivers’ fuel bills by £13bn if deployed on a large scale, according to a new study.

The Herald

• Options unveiled for A9 upgrade near Dalwhinnie

The Telegraph

• Patrick McLoughlin: paper tickets will be phased out by 2020Transport Secretary says passengers will use mobile phones and smart cards to pay to travel
• Reversing is no longer the only car parking nightmareCoins - we will miss them when they're gone. Like when trying to pay for parking by mobile phone
• Plague pit with 3,000 skeletons uncovered at new Liverpool Street station ticket hallTeam of 60 archaeologists work on Bedlam burial site that will serve the cross-London Crossrail line to test skeletons of victims from Great Plague
• Crossrail archaeology: the story so farIt currently operates over 40 worksites and archaeological investigations

Birmingham Post

• Jaguar Land Rover said to be considering electric car production in Austria The Birmingham Post recently revealed the Midland car-maker was targeting potential new factories in Turkey and Austria, contrary to reports in the US media that a factory in Georgia or South Carolina might be in the pipeline

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Mountain bikers express concern over booby traps set on woodland trail BOOBY traps set on a woodland trail popular with mountain bikers are to be investigated as hazards by council officials.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented Speed limits cut to 20mph in 40 Derby streetsTWENTY mph speed limits have been introduced in 40 Derby streets.The new rules came into effect yesterday in an attempt to make routes in the area safer for pedestrians, reduce noise and increase public health.Residents in Chester Green had previously voted for speed humps to be introduced but Derby City Council decided to instead put in place 20mph limits.In a mail poll of 500 residents in the area, 85% of those who responded said yes to the move for City Road.But Darley neighbourhood board...

London Evening Standard

• All-night Tube pay talks 'on brink of collapse', says RMT union Tube pay talks aimed at funding all-night services on some lines from September are on the point of collapse, it was claimed today.

Northern Echo

• Transporter reopens in multi-million pound refurbishment THE Transporter Bridge has reopened to the public after the latest phase of the biggest overhaul in its 103-year history.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Call to allow ambulances to use bus lanes at all timesAmbulances should be allowed to use bus lanes in Sheffield even when not responding to an emergency, a transport minister has said.
• Sheffield tram extension could be consideredWork that could eventually kick-start fresh plans for a long-awaited extension to Sheffield’s popular tram network is to get under way this year.

Blackpool Gazette

• Traffic lights to be turned offTraffic lights at a Blackpool roundabout are to be temporarily turned off this week to monitor its impact on traffic flow.

Sleaford Standard

• Council to buy speed watch signsHeckington Parish Council has voted to buy Speed Indicator Device equipment at a cost of approximately £2,354.

Other Regional Press

• Next stage of works at Plain roundabout in Oxford begins THE fourth phase of roadworks on The Plain roundabout in St Clement's started this morning.
• Watch: Transporter Bridge back in action with four weeks of free travel for drivers and foot passengersThe landmark, which has undergone £4m renovations, has reopened to the public having been closed since August 2013

Bus and Coach.com

• New app for blind and visually impaired passengersA new Next [Bus] Stop Announcement Smartphone app is being launched by First and Arriva, in partnership with CPT for blind and visually impaired passengers.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Lincolnshire rail improvements get startedThe £280 million upgrade of the Great Northern Great Eastern line has been officially opened by rail minister Claire Perry. The work is designed to cut congestion and journey times, boost freight and increase capacity, both on the 86-mile route between Doncaster, Lincoln and Peterborough and the neighbouring East Coast Main Line. Ms Perry said: “By removing essential but slow-moving freight from the busy East Coast Main Line, this massive upgrade is already making a real difference to both passengers and businesses. It also creates the potential for extra passenger services...

Rail Magazine

• New London Underground app for visually impaired travellersNew Wayfindr app now being trialled at Pimlico tube station.
• Bedlam at Liverpool StreetArchaeologists have begun excavating the Bedlam cemetery at Liverpool Street.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Visually impaired passengers in UK to benefit from new Wayfindr system The Pimlico tube station in London is set to complete a six-week Wayfindr system trial aimed at assisting blind and partially sighted people to navigate independently, using Bluetooth beacons and a smartphone app.

Railnews

• More rolling stock needed as passenger growth rises again Passenger growth has risen again on National Rail -- and the rate of growth is also going up, reaching 6.7 per cent in the three months from November. In a related development, an updated version of the industry™s long-term rolling stock strategy says increasing passenger numbers, withdrawal of Pacers and delays to planned electrification schemes mean there is a œshort-term requirement� for between 350 and 500 'non-electric' vehicles, and possibly as many as 19,000 new electric vehicles by 2044. The report has been prepared by a pan-industry steering group chaired by Richard Brown, former chi...

Aviation Industry

• Bombardier Near Deal for Lufthansa Unit to Be CSeries OperatorBombardier Inc. is nearing an agreement with Swiss International Air Lines to have the unit of Deutsche Lufthansa AG serve as first operator of Bombardier's new CSeries jetliner, according to people familiar with the planning. The deal is expected to be completed as early as this week, according to one of the people.
• Boeing rolls out 777 upgrade planBoeing is planning a series of upgrades to ensure the 777 remains competitive in the long-range market well after the 777X derivative enters service. read more
• Norwegian strike enters second weekAround 25,000 passengers will be hit by today’s action

Other News Sources

• Volunteer group gets cash boost for new mini bus A GROUP of volunteers dedicated to helping their village elders have been given a financial boost.
• Electric buses: more advanced than you think Recent IDTechEx conference presentations and webinars on the research carried out for the new IDTechEx report, Electric Buses 2015-2025 attracted many questions, says its Chairman, Dr Peter Harrop.
• Addison Lee plans New York expansionTaxi firm to rival Uber for share of NY market worth £2.2bn