Breaking News
No 'convincing case' for £50bn HS2
The UK government has not shown why it needs to spend £50bn building the HS2 rail link between London and the North, says a House of Lords committee.
Derby to build new trains for First Great Western
New Bombardier Electrostars are included in the plans for the new First Great Western franchise, which will be a boost for jobs in Derby. The main fleets for long-distance services are set to be Intercity Expresses and hybrid AT300s, both from Hitachi, but eight more four-car Class 387s are being ordered from Bombardier for Thames Valley electric services. They will be added to the fleet of 29 Class 387s which is to be transferred from Thameslink.
The liberal case for aviation: debunked
Centre Forum, a liberal think tank, has today published a report making the case for airport expansion in the South East. We look at some report's conclusions and consider the facts.
Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Cogitamus
- HS2 High Speed Rail and The General Election 2015Following up our first article, ‘HS2 High Speed Rail – What’s taking so long?’ in this piece we will examine the progress of the HS2 bill in recent weeks, the various stances being assumed on the project by the UK’s divergent political parties and finally, the mechanism in place which will allow the bill to carry across this soon to be dissolved parliament and into the next. Petitions & the High Speed Rail Bill – One month on and on from here The petition process for the High Speed Rail Bill has continued throughout March and was concluded yesterday on… More → The post HS2 High...
BBC News
- Rail workers strike on Good FridaySome rail workers in Edinburgh are staging a one-day strike in a row over the dismissal of a former colleague.
- Move to modernise four Tube linesA £5.54bn investment in four London Underground lines will aim to improve the services' efficiency, Transport for London says.
- No 'convincing case' for £50bn HS2The UK government has not shown why it needs to spend £50bn building the HS2 rail link between London and the North, says a House of Lords committee.
Financial Times
- Heavy blow for long-suffering LufthansaGermanwings had good safety record
- Peers argue HS2 case has not been madeCheaper options for easing congestion on the railways should be explored, suggests upper house
The Guardian
- Tube modernisation costs rise as London Underground confirms upgradesGo ahead for Thales to upgrade Circle, Metropolitan, District and the Hammersmith & City lines as TfL writes off £85m for aborted contact
- MP Andrew Laming pours oil on himself in parliament - videoFederal Liberal party MP Andrew Laming is under fire after pouring oil on himself in parliament to make a point. Laming was ejected for his antics, which he did to illustrate a point about cruise ship owners who he says must 'clean up their act' when it comes to burning diesel with higher sulphur levels 'close to where people live.' The speaker, Bronwyn Bishop, said the stunt was 'reckless' and 'serious' Continue reading...
- Cycling near misses: ‘You need ceaseless vigilance if you want to stay alive’From close passes to road rage, the near misses experienced every day by those cycling on Britain’s city streets usually go uncounted and unanalysed. The Near Miss project enlisted the help of 1,700 cyclists to change thatDespite very clear right turn arm signal, driver put foot down and overtook me on hatchings to get in front of me for the right turn. [Felt] ignored, unimportant. Like my life and safety has no value whatsoever - Swansea (Female)A motorist trying to get into a line of traffic simply drove into my path, effectively ignoring my presence on the road. It happens all the time so I...
The Herald
- New look Caledonian Sleeper branding unveiled by First Minister as Serco prepares to take over franchiseFIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has unveiled the new look exterior of the new Caledonian Sleeper franchise, which is set to transform the famous cross-border rail journey into a
- Dangerous driving down on A9 since speed cameras launched, survey findsROAD rage and dangerous overtaking has been cut on the A9 since average speed cameras launched last year, according to the first survey of driver behaviour on the Perth to Inverness route.
The Independent
- Germanwings crash: Shocked passengers stared silently at the empty arrivals gate Grief and disbelief permeated homes and workplaces as far away as Kazakhstan and Australia on Monday night as stories of the 150 victims began to emerge.
City AM
- The AA plans to raise £2mROADSIDE recovery business the AA is preparing to raise £200m through a share placing, as part of a refinancing plan aimed at reducing its debt of £2.7bn. The company will also refinance £735m of its senior debt facilities, in plans that could be announced today. Investors who have been approached about the placing are thought to be supportive of the move given the firm’s strong performance, according to Sky News.
Mail Online
- HS2 'will cost nine times more than French line': £50billion rail project should be put on hold, say Lords A House of Lords committee says the £50billion HS2 project which is due to open in 2026 should be stopped in its tracks until ministers can make a stronger case for it.
The Mirror
- Germanwings Airbus A320: Facts about the world's most popular plane More than 150 people were killed in the tragedy when the jet crashed in the French Alps
Birmingham Mail
- Jaguar Land Rover: Castle Bromwich investment plans welcomed by JLR workers Workers hail 'fantastic news' as company plans £450m investment to turn Castle Bromwich plant into world centre for aluminum cars
Derby Telegraph
- Derby Telegraph published HS2: Setback as House of Lords committee says case for project is...A REPORT by an influential House of Lords committee has concluded that the Government is yet to make a convincing case for the High Speed 2 rail project.The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee believes that Ministers have not yet proven that HS2, which will eventually run through parts of Derbyshire, is necessary.The committee has been investigating proposals for the first phase of the project, which will run between London and Manchester.The second phase will run between Birmingham and...
London Evening Standard
- TfL boss outlines plans for more trains to reduce delays on Circle, District, Metropolitan and H&C lines Transport for London today promised more trains and fewer delays as it set out plans for the modernisation of the District, Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines.
- Alps plane crash: Budget airline Germanwings has 'excellent' safety record, say aviation experts The Airbus A320 that crashed in France today is one of the world’s most popular planes and the budget airline Germanwings is "a very competent company", experts say.
- Bus stop 'completely wrecked' after lorry crash in north London A bus shelter on a busy high street was left completely flattened after a lorry crashed into it.
- Emirates Air Line cable car opening hours extended to offer 'Night Flights' The Emirates Air Line cable car will be offering ‘Night Flights’ from this weekend - giving passengers unique views of the capital during night hours.
Sheffield Star
- Lords call for Sheffield’s HS2 link to be fast-trackedSheffield’s phase of the £50 billion HS2 high-speed rail project should be fast-tracked, a report by a House of Lords committee has said.
Wales Online
- Report claims Government has yet to make the economic case for the HS2 project which could threaten the growth of the Welsh capitalA House of Lords committee argues that London stands to be the biggest winner from the £50bn rail project
Wolverhampton Express and Star
- WATCH: Jaguar unveils brand new XF saloon in high-wire journey across LondonJaguar has unveiled its all-new XF saloon with an extraordinary high-wire journey across London, the week before it debuts at the New York motor show.
Yorkshire Post
- Spend HS2 £50bn on northern trains, Government toldDIVERTING the £50bn earmarked for High Speed 2 into Northern rail projects would have a bigger economic impact than creating new links to London, the Government is warned today.
East Anglian Daily Times
- Network Rail offer extra designs for Gipsy Lane crossing in Needham MarketNetwork Rail have agreed to come up with four more designs for a track crossing in a Suffolk town, after its desired option was labelled a “monstrosity” at a public meeting.
- Improvements needed to stations, trains, and journey times say Suffolk authoritiesA comprehensive list of improvements to rail services across the county – including improved stations for market towns and better trains off the main line – is among demands for the next rail operator in East Anglia.
North Wales Live
- Economic case for HS2 has not been made yet, major report will warn todayBut campaigners insist £50bn rail project has key role in boost region
Other Regional Press
- Little wonder our trains are crowdedFirst Great Western has received a fresh raft of complaints after yet more commuter trains were jampacked. No one should be surprised. We pay among the highest fares in Europe but there is simply not enough room on our trains.
- Preston tram plan recommended to be thrown out - againCouncillors will be advised to throw out a plan for the first phase of a project to build a tram line in Preston - again.
- Manston airport lost £100 million under private ownership and time for a 'B Plan' says Kent County Council reportKent County Council has revealed Manston airport lost more than £100 million under private ownership and said it is time for a
- EXCLUSIVE: Jaguar Land Rover planning to bring mass car building back to CoventryTwo new car-building factories in the pipeline in addition to JLR deciding to more than double the size of its operation in Coventry with huge expansion of advanced engineering and design centre
- Timeline: How Jaguar Land Rover grew into one of the world's most iconic brandsFrom bikes to blue-chip success... how famous carmaker got to where it is today
- Jaguar Land Rover: Car giant could return Coventry to a golden ageWhy JLR's commitment to the city will provide a world of opportunities for future generations
Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
- London Underground report highlights progressA report on the last five years’ progress on the London Underground (LU) network has been published. It is largely positive, showcasing the impact of an ongoing programme of modernisations. Over the period, the cost of transporting each passenger has fallen by almost 20 per cent. Journey times have been reduced by an average of two minutes, and delays are down by 43 per cent. Three lines have been completely modernised, which has resulted in a 21 per cent capacity increase on the Victoria line, 20 per cent on the Northern line and 33 per cent on the Jubilee line. Mike Brown, managing...
Rail Magazine
- Dugher slams FGW decisionShadow Transport Secretary says Direct Award makes “a mockery of the current franchise modelâ€
- Sturgeon unveils new look Caledonian Sleeper at Inverness'White Stag' brand launched at Guest Service Centre and on Class 67.
- New food and drink outlets for Euston balcony levelPub set for mezzanine over concourse
Railnews
- Lords Committee gives thumbs down to HS2 A House of Lords Committee has concluded that the Government has 'yet to make a convincing case' for investing £50 billion in HS2. The figure includes rolling stock and large contingency margins, but the report suggests that the 'huge' public subsidy to HS2, an estimated net £31.5 billion, conflicts with the Government's declared objective of making rail less dependent on public subsidy. The Committee's chairman said:
- Lid is lifted on Network Rail as FOI begins Network Rail has become subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act from today. NR must now respond to FOI requests within 20 working days, and publish its responses. The range of information is wide and covers any qualifying data held by Network Rail, including historical information. The company launched a voluntary Transparency Programme in June 2012, when it began to publish more of its information and data on its website.
- Derby to build new trains for First Great Western New Bombardier Electrostars are included in the plans for the new First Great Western franchise, which will be a boost for jobs in Derby. The main fleets for long-distance services are set to be Intercity Expresses and hybrid AT300s, both from Hitachi, but eight more four-car Class 387s are being ordered from Bombardier for Thames Valley electric services. They will be added to the fleet of 29 Class 387s which is to be transferred from Thameslink.
Railway Gazette
- Train leasing agency approvedGERMANY: In an effort to encourage competition for passenger operating contracts, on March 12...
Aviation Industry
- The liberal case for aviation: debunkedCentre Forum, a liberal think tank, has today published a report making the case for airport expansion in the South East. We look at some report's conclusions and consider the facts.
- US airlines endorse ATC privatizationAmerican Airlines chairman and CEO Doug Parker told Congress that US airlines favor moving US air traffic control (ATC) to “a commercialized, non-profit type governance structure.†read more
- Germanwings aircraft crashes in French AlpsFlight 9525 was travelling from Barcelona to Dusseldorf
- Irish government puts pressure on Ryanair to sell Aer Lingus stakeCarrier told to reduce share from 30% to 5%
Other News Sources
- Jacobs selected for Heathrow rail access roleThe proposed Western Rail Access to Heathrow includes a new direct, double-track link between the Great Western main line at Langley in Berkshire (16 miles west of Paddington Station in London) into Terminal 5 at Heathrow airport.
- Stephen Greenhalgh: How I plan to deliver cheaper tube and bus faresStephen Greenhalgh is the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime and is seeking the nomination to stand as the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London in May next year.
- First group’s Great Western franchise extended to 2019Additional 4,000 morning peak seats into London available from 2018
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