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

Friday, 13 March 2015

BBC News

• Landslip-hit railway line reopensA section of railway reopens between Oxfordshire and Warwickshire following a 350,000 tonne landslip in January.
• First new high-speed train arrivesThe first new Intercity Express train being built for the Great Western railway line arrives in Southampton from Japan.

Financial Times

• IAG closes in on Aer Lingus takeoverBiggest barrier to a deal is use of Irish carrier’s Heathrow take-off and landing slots
• Lufthansa warns pilots over costsAirline wants to offer more services under budget Eurowings brand

The Guardian

• Should charities be made exempt from Air Passenger Duty?Calls for Air Passenger Duty to be waived for charities are getting louder in some parts of the NGO community, but senior figures from both Greenpeace and WWF have warned that this may lead to the erosion of wider support for the taxFrom 1 May 2015, children under 12 will be exempt from Air Passenger Duty (APD). Under changes announced in the latest budget, the exemption will extend to 16-year-olds from March 2016. So should other exemptions be made? It’s a question that the UK voluntary sector may well ask itself. Charities pay millions of pounds every year in APD, with international aid and...
• National Express first transport firm to pledge living wage for all UK workersNational Express is set to become an accredited living wage employer, paying 20% higher than the national minimum wage, in a move welcomed by LabourNational Express is to pay the living wage to all its workers in the UK, the first transport firm to pledge to do so.The bus, coach and rail operator will become an accredited living wage employer, with hundreds of low-paid workers getting a significant pay rise, including contracted staff as well as employees.

The Herald

• Scottish Government accused of 'empire-building over transport police plansAN MP has accused the Scottish government of "scheming" and "empire-building" as a row over plans to hand control of policing the railways to Police Scotland rumbles on.
• Fare increases on Corran Ferry halved, as fixed link crossing investigated
• Devolving air passenger duty to Scotland could severely disadvantaged airports in England, say MPsTHE devolution of Air Passenger Duty to Holyrood risks putting airports in northern England at a

The Telegraph

• New ScotRail trains will be 'quieter, faster and longer'Designs for new electric trains unveiled with first due to enter service in 2017

Times Online

• Drivers speeding in Europe could swamp UK courts [Subscription]New powers allowing EU member states to pursue British drivers for speeding offences committed abroad risk placing a “significant burden” on the UK courts, according to ministers.
• German takes the controls at FirstGroup [Subscription]The German who invented the release binding on ski boots is to be the new chairman of FirstGroup. Wolfhart Hauser, who has been the chief executive of Intertek, the testing company, since 2005, will replace John McFarlane at the helm of the transport group.
• Rail travellers are charged £215 a day to park their car [Subscription]Rail companies were accused of “daylight robbery” after it emerged yesterday that some passengers were being charged more than £200 a day for parking.
• Only Chad is worse than Britain for flight taxes [Subscription]Britain is the second most expensive country in the world for air charges because of the high level of tax imposed on departures and arrivals, according to MPs. Only Chad in central Africa had a “less competitive air taxation regime” than the UK, the Commons transport select committee warned.

City AM

• Stunning snaps go undergroundTHERE are only six months to go until 24-hour Tubes become a reality, and Westminster station is exhibiting lovely photographs by the likes of Sam Taylor Johnson, Nick Knight, Juergen Teller and Rankin until 12 April, to celebrate the capital’s rich cultural heritage.

Mail Online

• Woman commuter is dragged under train at Clapham South tube station platform Firefighters, police and paramedics raced to Clapham South station in south London just after 8am when the 28-year-old woman fell from travellers described as an ‘overcrowded’ platform.
• More 20mph speed limits in bid to slash accident deaths by 2020  Eight pilot schemes will be run on ‘Red Routes’ – the main arterial roads that carry a third of the capital’s traffic in a major policy shift which will see anyone breaking 20mph limits hit with a £100 fine.

The Mirror

• New 20mph speed limits to be introduced on major commuter roads in London to combat car deathsMayor of London Boris Johnson said that

Network Rail

• Exhibition documents vital role of the railway in World War OneAn exhibition telling the story of the vital role Britain’s railway and its staff played in World War One is on show at Manchester Victoria station.
• Network Rail launches public consultation to increase capacity between Ely and SohamNetwork Rail has launched a consultation to give members of the public the opportunity to comment on plans to construct a second track between Ely and Soham.
• Network Rail celebrates 10 years of its Advanced Apprenticeship SchemeApprentices are important for the future of the railway and will stem skills shortage, say Network Rail employees

Bolton News

• Learner bus drivers get lessons in customer services LEARNER bus drivers will be given lessons — in customer services.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Airports such as Leeds-Bradford are being punished by unfair tax regime, warn MPs LEEDS-Bradford and other smaller airports are punished by a tax regime more unfair than any country other than Chad, MPs warn today.

London Evening Standard

• Train tracks begin smoking at level crossing as commuters try to pass Train tracks at a level crossing caught alight and began smoking in front of commuters attempting to cross during morning rush hour.
• Woman dragged under Tube train in freak rush hour accident at Clapham South on Northern Line Thousands of commuters faced chaos on the Northern line this morning after a woman was dragged under a train at Clapham South station.
• Evening Standard Comment: London will benefit from 20mph limits Transport for London’s decision to impose a 20mph speed limit on some main roads may be controversial but it is a step in the right direction. The move follows a series of high-profile cycling deaths, though pedestrians and motorcyclists are also particularly at risk. TfL will run eight pilot projects on Red Routes in accident blackspots such as King’s Cross and Farringdon. If the 18-month trials are a success, the new limits will be made permanent and be imposed on a further 30 miles of Red Routes.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post published Letters Mar 13: 'Who will use these new cycle lanes?'Well, I'm sat here wondering what John Bann, city council cycling and road space transformation manager at Nottingham City Council, and his cohorts have between their ears, ('£6m to create bike route network', March 11).They have been given £6m by the Government to bring cycle facilities up to scratch in Nottingham, and what's the first thing they do? Start changing more parts of streets and roads to inconvenience more of the public and vehicle users alike within the city, to build...

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Passengers at Leeds City Station set for £500k ticket to strideThe push to breathe new life into Leeds city centre’s South Bank is set to receive a £500,000 pedestrian-friendly boost.

Doncaster Free Press

• Bridge problems cause Doncaster rail delaysDoncaster rail passengers are being warned of delays and disruption following problems with a river bridge.

Other Regional Press

• Rail bosses claim 'silent' track could cut noise from trains at WolvercoteAN INNOVATIVE ‘silent rail track’ could be laid at Wolvercote to reduce noise from trains.
• Pictured: The Class 800 train that will be built at Hitachi's Newton Aycliffe factoryFirst Hitachi pre-series Class 800 train has arrived at the Port of Southampton from the company’s Kasado Works in Japan

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• New funding for green buses announcedThe Department for Transport (DfT) has announced a total of £3 million will be allocated to seven towns, cities and counties across England to fund buses that create less pollution. The money will be used to fit green features, such as exhaust filters and flywheel hybrid technologies, to buses already in service in a bid to improve air quality. Some of these innovations were originally developed in the high-powered world of Formula One racing. The transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “Fitting green technology to bus fleets will make town centres healthier and more p...

Rail Magazine

• Traction mix to change dramatically – reportLong Term Passenger Rolling Stock Strategy for the Rail Industry states 95% of vehicles will be electric or dual powered
• Claire Perry welcomes IEPRail Minister Claire Perry welcomed IEP at Southampton Docks today (March 12). This is a transcription of her speech.
• Class 67s to continue on Scottish sleepersGB Railfreight reaches agreement with DB Schenker to continue using the locomotives until enough rebuilt Class 73/9s are ready.
• Victoria breaks into Liverpool Street stationSecond Crossrail tunnel boring machine breaks into Liverpool Street
• Hitachi signs deal with Abellio for Scottish EMUsAbellio and Hitachi confirm contract for provision and maintenance for 70 EMUs.

Railnews

• First Intercity Express arrives at Southampton The first new Intercity Express train built by Hitachi in Japan has been unloaded in Britain. It was unloaded from a transporter ship at Southampton today in front of a welcoming committee led by rail minister Claire Perry. Although the first Class 800 unit was completed at Hitachi's Kasado works in Japan, most of the 122 trains, which are intended for the Great Western and East Coast Main Lines, will be assembled at a new £82 million plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

The Business Desk

• Yorkshire base for Northern and TransPennine rail franchisesLEEDS is to become the home of Rail North Ltd. the body which supports economic growth in the North through the development of rail.

Aviation Industry

• U.S. airlines set record for filled seats and international travelersTravelers line up at the Southwest Airlines ticketing counter at Los Angeles International Airport. U.S. carriers reported a record high rate of seats filled and total international travelers in 2014, according to federal statistics.
• British Airways expands luggage concierge service at LCYPassengers arriving at London City can have their luggage collected and delivered within M25
• Stansted passenger traffic soarsPassenger numbers up 25 per cent in February

Green Miscellany

• World’s loudest bicycle hornThe cycle commuter behind the world’s loudest commercially-available bicycle horn stands to make an estimated £1 million from The Hornit this year — despite the idea being turned down on Dragons’ Den last month. Tom de Pelet designed the 140dB Hornit after years of cycle commuting. He told London newspaper The Standard: “I had so many near-misses while commuting and… The post World’s loudest bicycle horn appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Body cameras to protect parking officers from abuse and attacks Officers putting up with abuse as
• Bus station and affordable flats back on Silver Hill agenda? A BUS station and discount housing could return to the Silver Hill scheme as developers consider turning back the clock to get the project off the ground.
• American Airlines Announces Customer Service Leadership AppointmentsAmerican Airlines announced the promotion of key individuals as the airline invests in leadership resources for its Customer Service team.nbsp; nbsp;American Airlines logo.Cedric Rockamore -...
• GTMC: Heathrow spur rejection damaging for businessThe HS2 Heathrow link dropped by transport minister