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

Friday, 20 March 2015

BBC News

• Two roundabouts for bypass approvedRoad safety campaigners are celebrating after Transport Minister Edwina Hart agrees to layout changes on a Gwynedd bypass after a series of crashes.
• 4,500 caught by new M4 speed camerasAlmost 4,500 motorists are caught speeding by new cameras along a stretch of the M4 at Port Talbot.
• Changes planned to tackle rail chaosMore staff and an improved timetable are among changes promised by Network Rail to ease disruption at London Bridge.
• Hydrogen, hydrogen everywhere...How hydrogen could help decarbonise the world
• Uber overtakes yellow taxis in NYCFor the first time, there are more black Uber cars on the streets of New York City than traditional yellow taxis, latest figures reveal.
• Ryanair abandons US flight plansBudget airline Ryanair abandons plans to operate transatlantic flights, just days after it said its board had approved the measure.
• Multi-billion pound plans for railPlans to overhaul transport across the North of England, including multi-billion pound rail schemes, are being laid out by the government later.

Department for Transport

• EU Transport Council 20 March 2015Overview of an EU Transport Council meeting where items discussed included the fourth railway package and an air transport agreement.
• Triennial teview of passenger focusAnnounces the publication of the triennial review of Passenger Focus.
• Crossrail Plumstead sidings order: decision letterConcerns the decision to authorise Crossrail Limited to construct a train stabling and depot at Plumstead, London.
• Revolutionary plans for northern transport set outStrategy launched to connect up the great cities of the north to build a northern powerhouse.
• Consultant for Manston Airport review announcedPwC to report back to DfT and Thanet Council on the future of Manston Airport.
• Better journeys for passengers on TransPennine ExpressThe new franchise agreement will deliver more seats, better services and wi-fi at stations across the north of England.
• Rail franchising 20 March 2015New deal for TransPennine rail services agreed.

Financial Times

• Ryanair U-turn on transatlantic airlineChief Michael O’Leary blames ‘miscommunication’ and says board has not approved the project
• UK businesses lobby for more cycle lanesCoalition of companies calls for increased spending to help boost bicycle journeys
• HS2 arriving at Crewe due six years earlyRail service could reach north of England ahead of 2033 schedule

The Guardian

• TransNorth rail and road plan unveiled but unions call it 'electioneering'Proposals for high-speed rail, better road links and a tunnel under the Pennines could speed up travel between northern cities but Aslef calls £65bn plan ‘fanciful’ The chancellor, George Osborne, is joining city leaders from across the north on Friday to unveil a comprehensive strategy for transport in the region, including potential new rail routes and a possible road tunnel through the Peak District.The report from Transport for the North – the new body of combined authorities – proposes cutting journey times with high-speed railways, new road connections, and Oyster-style smartcards and si...

The Herald

• Central belt rail passengers get new timetables to plan for disruptionRAIL passengers in the central belt will be able to view from today (thur) temporary timetables that will allow them to plan for a tunnel closure affecting central belt services.
• Majority of Scotland's worst speeding offences last year occurred on A74SPEED cameras have captured nine motorists in Scotland exceeding 120mph on motorways and trunk roads in the past year, including the notorious A9 and the A74 Glasgow to Carlisle route.
• Air traffic control braced for surge in traffic over North Atlantic as eclipse tourists take to the skiesAIR traffic controllers at Prestwick are gearing up for a surge in traffic in the airspace between Scotland and Iceland as aircraft divert from their normal flight paths to give passengers a unique vantage point on the solar eclipse.

The Independent

• Roads revolution: £11bn project will see roadside wi-fi, new expressways and hundreds of miles of new smart motorways An £11bn roads revolution that will see the creation of roadside wi-fi, new “expresswaysâ€� and hundreds of miles of new smart motorways is to be announced next week, according to a report.

The Scotsman

• Scotland to add 500 miles of walk & cycle routesSCOTLAND’S 4,000-mile network of walking trails, cycleways and towpaths is to be extended by around 500 miles over the next five years.

The Telegraph

• 140mph trains for the North as new HS3 plans revealedThe Chancellor heralds plans for HS3 and says they could 'revolutionise' transport in the North of England

Mail Online

• £15bn plan to turn Britain's busiest A-roads into mini motorways: Roundabouts and traffic lights to be stripped out and slow-moving vehicles banned on up to 18 routes Details, included in a strategy by the Highways Agency presented to Parliament, also include new slip roads to make the roads flow and banning slow moving vehicles such as tractors and bicycles.

Belfast Telegraph

• RMT criticises rail work 'faults'Contractors working on a £500 million redevelopment of a major railway station have been accused of a "catalogue of faults" which have fuelled delays and disruption.

Birmingham Post

• Jaguar Land Rover sales dip as car-maker rolls out new modelsThe unexpected drop was attributed to changes in the firm’s model line-up rather than a turnaround in its fortunes

Manchester Evening News

• 20-minute train journeys from Manchester to Liverpool – transport vision for the north unveiledRadical shake-up revealed by chancellor George Osborne - and it could boost northern economy by £1,600 per person

Yorkshire Post

• £77bn list on table in North’s railway revolutionTRANSPORT leaders will today set out the options for a £77bn rail upgrade programme to unite cities across Yorkshire and the North.

Carlisle News & Star

• Cumbrian cycling event returns A family-friendly cycle event is set to make a welcome return this autumn, raising thousands of pounds for charity.

Crewe Chronicle

• Bus company slammed for cuts to late-night serviceThe changes will affect the 84 service from March 22

East Anglian Daily Times

• Last weekend of rail closures for travellers heading to LondonWeekend travellers hoping to head to the capital for a day out should find the rail lines clear after this weekend.

North Wales Live

• Yorkshire Bank's Merseyside unit in £1.7m package for transport firmFunding enables relocation of Edge Transport to Deeside Industrial Estate

Plymouth Herald

• Plymouth to get new-look trains in Government rail deal boost DAVID Cameron has signalled the end of the line for the 1970s inter-city British Rail trains between London and Plymouth. Details of new-look trains, which are expected to be unveiled next week as part of a fresh Great Western franchise, will get “broad support” in the South West, the Prime Minister said.

Airportwatch

• High speed rail for Liverpool moves step closer with release of new Northern Powerhouse reportJourney times between Liverpool and Manchester could be slashed to 20 minutes as part of TransNorth rail system proposals

Freight on Rail

• Freight Strategy for the North to unlock rail freight’s potentialFreight on Rail welcomes the Government’s announcement today that multi-modal freight will be part of the Northern Transport Strategy.1

Rail Magazine

• MTR Corporation posts strong full-year results Good financial performance ahead of Crossrail concession takeover.
• Class 37 hauled trains replace London-Great Yarmouth through trainsMay Bank Holiday start for Anglia’s Class 37 Summer Saturday trains.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Bombardier unveils new rail signalling and rolling stock solutions Train manufacturer Bombardier has unveiled its innovative rail signalling and rolling stock solutions at the Rail-Tech trade exhibition in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
• UK Chancellor unveils major rail investment strategies in Budget 2015 UK Chancellor George Osborne has announced significant railway investments for the north, the south-west and London in the Budget 2015.
• Bombardier delivers last Flexity trams to Brussels transport authority Bombardier Transportation has delivered the last of 220 Flexity trams built for the Brussels transport authority Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles (STIB) in Belgium.
• Advanced Engineering for Railway Rolling Stock: Moving to a New Engineering Dimension The liberalisation of rail transportation in Europe, which started in the 1990s, has changed the railway market. The flow of goods is moving quickly over ever greater distances, while the logistics are becoming more complex.
• On-Train Fibre-Optic Connectivity Applications such as on-board internet, communication-based train control and passenger information or entertainment systems require the reliable transmission of ever greater data volumes in trains.

Railnews

• £130m tram route decision announced The route of an extension to Midland Metro in Birmingham has been chosen after a public consultation. Centro has now announced that a new tram route will run along High Street Deritend. The headline cost will be £130 million, but that includes some additional trams. The line will improve connections to the new HS2 station at Curzon Street as well as the city's coach station at Digbeth.
• Major rail investment plans for North unveiled Ministers are publishing plans for a multi-billion upgrade of the rail network in the north of England today. They include a ˜TransNorth™ network – with sections capable of speeds up to 225kmh (140mph) - linking Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Hull. But shadow rail minister Lilian Greenwood said the Northern Hub project was in danger of falling behind schedule because of the delay in gaining Transport and Works Act approval. She also warned that the cost of electrification in the west of England is set to double.

Railway Gazette

• Long-standing Bombardier chief retiresLaurent Beaudoin has retired as Chairman of Bombardier Inc after more than half a century at the...
• Speed increase on the Tokaido ShinkansenJAPAN: Central Japan Railway increased the maximum speed of its premium services between Tokyo and...
• Düsseldorf and Köln place joint light rail vehicle orderGERMANY: Düsseldorf light rail operator Rheinbahn and Köln transport operator KVB have placed a...
• Infrastructure renationalisation beginsARGENTINA: On March 18 Minister of the Interior & Transport Florencio Randazzo announced that...
• DB to reconquer the long-distance marketGERMANY: Deutsche Bahn revealed details of an ambitious programme to regain lost business in the...
• TGV relaunch plannedFRANCE: Voyages SNCF Director Rachel Picard has outlined the strategy that the national operator is...
• Emission-free trains to support railway reopeningGERMANY: A letter of intent was signed on March 19 between Alstom Transport and the municipality of...

The Business Desk

• £85m of road upgrades for LiverpoolUP to £85 million is set to be spent on major roads and transport schemes in Liverpool over the next four years to improve movement for pedestrians, cyclists and traffic flow.
• £80bn blueprint for transport revealedMINISTERS and Northern leaders and are setting out blueprints for the North’s infrastructure including a high speed network ‘TransNorth’ and major highways investment.
• Investment pledge as rail deal extendedTHE operator of rail services across the north, First TransPennine Express, has pledged to invest in more seats and provide free WiFI at major stations as part of a deal to extend its contract by 12 months.

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair denies transatlantic plansStatement issued after reports airline was ready to offer £10 US flights

Green Miscellany

• British driverless car to cross AmericaGoogle and Apple do a good job of stealing driverless car headlines, but rather more quietly a British company will next week test its own autonomous car on embark on a 3,500-mile trans-American road trip. Breakdown Recovery from less than £30 Get your quote Your car’s in safe hands: 5,000+ qualified mechanics nationwide on call 24/7, 365 days a year… The post British driverless car to cross America appeared first on ETA.
• Bicycle parts stolen by ‘bike cannibals’Cambridgeshire police have described thieves who strip handlebars, saddles and wheels as bike cannibals. They suggest cyclists carry parts with them when they secure their bikes in public, but since that isn’t always practicable or desirable, the alternative is to get cycle insurance from a provider that protects against the theft of parts, including quick release saddles and wheels. ETA… The post Bicycle parts stolen by ‘bike cannibals’ appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Crossrail contract for GarrandaleDerby’s Garrandale has been awarded a £15m contract by Bombardier to help deliver the Crossrail train contract.
• Blackburn library and railway station renovations nominated for major awards THE renovations of Blackburn’s Central Library and railway station have been nominated for major North West construction awards.
• Managing freight in London focus of FTA conferenceFreight is a vital part of London’s economy – so managing it is crucial – according to the Freight Transport Association, with over 265,000 ...
• Local transport projects get pre-election boostGeorge Osborne has unveiled a range of regional transport projects in today’s Budget, including a new transport strategy for the North of England.
• Uber’s low-cost service banned in GermanyJudge rules that Uber Pop taxis violate the country’s transport laws