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

Friday, 10 April 2015

BBC News

• Tories vow to extend rail fare freezeThe Conservatives promise a real-term freeze affecting about half of all rail fares if they win the election.
• Railway consultation angers unionA union is considering industrial action over a Translink consultation on railway changes.
• Talks urged in airport staff disputeThe Scottish government has again urged airports management and union leaders to hold talks on resolving a workers pay dispute.
• Cable thieves sought over axe threatBritish Transport Police attempt to trace two men who threatened rail staff with an axe after being disturbed while trying to steal railway cable.
• Easyjet cancels nearly 600 flightsEasyjet cancels hundreds of flights as a strike by French air traffic controllers continues.

The Guardian

• Train driver takes wrong train out of stationFirst Great Western is investigating how driver and ‘pilotman’ manager joined a train for Swansea thinking it was heading for LondonA rail company is investigating how one of its drivers took the wrong train out of a station.The First Great Western driver and his “pilotmanâ€� train manager joined a train at Banbury in Oxfordshire and thought they were taking it to London. But in fact the train was going the other way towards Reading and Didcot and, ultimately, Swansea. Continue reading...
• David Cameron pledges to freeze regulated rail fares for five yearsPrime minister will announce consumer-friendly move which could save 250,000 season-ticket holders an average of £400 on Friday. More than 250,000 annual rail season-ticket holders could save an average of £400 over the next five years after David Cameron pledged that the Tories would freeze regulated fares in real terms.In a consumer-friendly announcement designed to boost Tory fortunes amid flagging poll ratings, the prime minister will say on Friday that regulated rail fares would only be able to rise in line with the retail price index (RPI).

The Herald

• Flights from Scotland cancelled as strike by French air traffic controllers enters second dayHOLIDAYMAKERS faced a second day of travel disruption as the strike by air traffic controllers saw a handful of flights to and from Scotland cancelled.

The Scotsman

• Edinburgh left out of Heathrow tourism driveEDINBURGH has been left out of a £3 million advertising campaign to boost business in Britain’s cities – including Glasgow. The UK’s busiest airport described the move as “an advertising partnership with several great cities across the UK”.

The Telegraph

• Election 2015: Conservatives pledge to cap rail fares for five yearsPrices will rise by no more than inflation until 2020 under Tory plans

City AM

• Tories vow to freeze commuter rail faresTHE COST OF rail season tickets will be frozen in real terms throughout the next parliament under plans announced late last night as part of the Conservative party’s General Election manifesto. Train companies’ regulated fares – which include commuter season tickets – will be able to rise, on average, only at the rate of retail price inflation (known as RPI). Typically fares can rise by RPI plus one per cent, yet the pledge continues the coalition’s move to­wards the end of the current parl­iament to cap fare hikes at RPI. The RPI measure of inflation tends to be higher than the more-...

Mail Online

• Moscow commuters rock subway train to free trapped woman The elderly passenger became stuck between the platform and the train as it pulled into a station on the city’s underground network. She was freed after the crowd rocked the train for 15 seconds

The Mirror

• French air traffic strike: EasyJet launches rescue flights after cancelling nearly 600 in two daysThousands of holidaymakers have been left stranded and the flights today will bring home three school groups stranded in Spain, Paris and Marrakech

Birmingham Post

• Longbridge's reinvention is a lesson to us all The passing of MG Rover in 2005 was both a sad and landmark event, but mourning the firm's demise isn't necessarily the right path to follow, says Jon Griffin

Liverpool Echo

• Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Marketing Liverpool go 'speed dating' in Aberdeen City region delegation heads north of the border for the 2015 Routes Europe aviation conference

London Evening Standard

• Bus cameras scan passengers to show how many seats are free upstairs A pioneering tech trial will see passengers on a London bus route scanned by an intelligent camera whenever they sit down – so people boarding the bus will be able to see how many seats are free upstairs.
• Virgin Atlantic passengers suffer 'nightmare' 33 HOUR delay coming back from Las Vegas More than a hundred passengers whose Virgin Atlantic flight from Las Vegas to London was delayed for 33 hours are demanding compensation for their “nightmareâ€� experience.

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Airport breaks its all-time passenger numbers recordAs it gears-up for the busiest day of the Easter break, the gateway reveals it is busier than ever before in its 77-year history

Sheffield Telegraph

• Second bus fare rise on the way in SheffieldA second bus fare rise comes into force on services in Sheffield from Sunday.

The York Press

• National Railway Museum shortlisted for top tourism award over Mallard 75 celebrations YORK'S National Railway Museum has been shortlisted for a top tourism award over its hugely successful Mallard 75 celebrations.

Wales Online

• David Cameron announces commuter rail fares will be frozen in 'real terms' for the whole of the next parliamentThe pre-election announcement by the prime minister is targeted at 'people across the country who get up early and come home late'

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Tories will freeze fares for four yearRAIL FARES will be frozen for four years if the public vote for a Conservative government, David Cameron has said.

Reading Evening Post

• Kennet Bridge: Network Rail praised for its plans for "sensitive" location Not usually complimentary, Cllr Tony Page pays tribute to Network Rail in planning for the installation of electrification equipment on the Grade Two-listed bridge

West Sussex Gazette

• Friends of the Earth: Oil site near Gatwick will face ‘huge opposition’Friends of the Earth has said communities will pose ‘huge opposition’ to extracting oil from major reserves found at a drilling site near Gatwick.

Other Regional Press

• Highways councillor to aid improvementsNew ventures are to be explored to increase footfall and revenue in Spalding town centre. Among the possibilities following on from the 16-stall Italian market in Sheep Market this Sunday (from 10am) are car dealerships showcasing vehicles in Market Place and flea markets.
• Here we go again! Thousands gear up for mass New Forest cycle event THE New Forest is bracing itself for the first mass cycling event of the year, with thousands of riders set to descend on the area at the weekend.
• Billions of barrels of oil found near Gatwick airport 'Significant' find could lead to thousands of jobs

Rail Magazine

• Search for London Overground operator beginsTransport for London launches competition to run concession.
• DB Schenker wins Drax supply contractThree year deal will begin on April 1.
• Fares would reduce under public ownership - Action for RailSeason tickets could be 10% cheaper according to campaign group.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Management briefing: 7 tips for better train crew diagramming/pairing Did you know even a modest improvement in crew diagramming can significantly impact your profits? Find out how with these top seven tips.
• Whitepaper: Taming passenger rail disruptions Don't let your passenger rail operations be unsettled by factors that are beyond your control. Hear about 4 smart moves you can make to overcome rail disruptions and boost punctuality.
• MEX Introduces Custom Fields and Modules to Maintenance Software MEX are proud to announce custom fields and modules as brand new additions to MEX Maintenance Software.
• Integrated planning in rail infrastructure projects and maintenance Many rail maintenance organisations are struggling to stay profitable. Bids are getting lower and possession time shorter. In turn, organisations are forced to lower their prices just to get by.
• TFL accelerate workforce planning with Quintiq Quintiq announced today that it has been awarded a contract to implement a software solution to assist with the planning and rostering of London Underground staff.
• Quintiq help Eurailscout improve Europe rail safety Eurailscout has announced plans to work with Quintiq to provide enhanced integrated resource planning for its rail inspection and analysis operations.
• 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

• Government rules out North Cotswold Line upgrade The Government has ruled out upgrading the North Cotswold Line – linked with proposed restoration of the former route line between Stratford-on-Avon and Honeybourne – as a strategic alternative to the route in South Warwickshire recently closed by a 350,000-tonne landslip. Transport minister Clare Perry has told Jeremy Wright, who is Attorney General and was Kenilworth and Southam™s MP until the pre-election period began, that re-doubling 17km of the line between Charlbury and Wolvercott, near Oxford, would cost £160 - £200 million œbefore a diversionary route of sufficient capacity between B...

Aviation Industry

• United Airlines sees traffic across the pond shrink in MarchThe first concerned trans-Atlantic traffic which took a big hit last month, dropping 3.1 percent year over year, even as United was also busy cutting capacity across the pond. It seems trans-Atlantic travel may be losing some of its appeal, perhaps because of the general stress involved with travel nowadays - stress that can be even worse on long-haul flights.
• Heathrow agrees deal to promote UK regionsAirport to give advertising space to showcase six areas of the country

Other News Sources

• Rail passengers at risk over Help Point access on the wrong side of the tracks Rail bosses fear passengers are risking their lives at Ruskington Station by crossing the tracks to reach a Help Point on the other platform.
• Network Rail progresses plans for Heathrow western spur tunnelNetwork Rail is to begin formal public consultation in the summer on its plans for a new five kilometre rail tunnel linking the Great Western main line to Heathrow Airport.
• World bus demand to reach 664,000 units in 2018 Global demand for buses is projected to advance more than five percent per annum to 664,000 units in 2018, twice as fast as the 2008-2013 rate of increase, finds Freedonia in her report “World Busesâ€�. Five major trends will drive growth. The major one is expansion in the size of the global urban population.Rising government investment in public transportation networks, particularly bus rapid transit systems, to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality, is another trend.Further aspects are growth in the number and size of private transportation companies, and the climbing worldwide sa...
• Scania to supply 138 intercity coaches to ADO Group One of Mexico’s largest bus and coach operators, ADO Group, is investing in Scania. Under a new deal, the company will take delivery of 138 intercity coaches by the end of the year. ADO Group services locations across the country, including Mexico City. Scania will supply ADO with the first units in June, with the remaining vehicles to be supplied until November.The Scania Irizar i5 combination provides passengers with the comfort of an intercity bus, along with flexibility and efficiency of operation. The range’s functional and aerodynamic exteriors are complemented by comfortable and tastef...
• Which automotive firms have just announced over £1bn of investment in new jobs?The UK car industry is going through a boom and several key companies are ramping up their engineering departments.
• Abellio starts ScotRail with £1m of giveawayDutch group Abellio took over operation of Scotland’s railway on April 1, and revealed plans to overhaul its fleet and increase the use of smartcards   Pictured: Jeff Hoogesteger, CEO Abellio (left), and Derek Mackay, Scottish minister of transport, wave off a train as a symbolic start to the Abellio ScotRail franchise   Abellio has launched its new ScotRail franchise on April 1 with a £1m free ticket promotion, and set out further details of its plans to upgrade the fleet and encourage customers to switch to smartcards. Initial fleet improvement plans for this year include ensuring ...
• Nine out of 10 tram passengers are satisfiedEdinburgh Trams makes strong debut, winning 95% approval   Pictured: Edinburgh Trams   Nine out of 10 tram passengers are satisfied with their journey according to this year’s Tram Passenger Survey, published last month by Transport Focus. Over 4,900 tram passengers in Blackpool, Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, Nottingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh were surveyed. The results show continued satisfaction during a year which saw significant investment across many of the networks surveyed. Three single line ‘networks’ achieved the highest satisfaction scores: Nottingham Express Tran...
• First plots pilot for Yorkshire bus conceptPilot corridor planned for New Bus for West Yorkshire proposals, but First says that it require a ‘supportive environment’ before it makes the move     First West Yorkshire has announced plans for a pilot corridor for its New Bus for West Yorkshire concept, subject to a partnership framework being agreed with the region’s Combined Authority. It follows the operator disclosing the results of its recent consultation process, which took place between August 2014 and February this year, into the proposals which found broad support for the concept. Together with Wrightbus, First now inten...
• Operators’ opinion of Network Rail plummetsTrain operators’ opinion of Network Rail has fallen sharply in its latest customer survey, with less than half saying they are satisfied with the company     A huge fall in train operators’ satisfaction with Network Rail has been set out in the company’s latest annual customer survey. The survey, carried out in autumn 2014, shows that only 40% of the senior staff from passenger and freight train operators were satisfied with Network Rail’s overall performance during the year, down from 58% in 2013 and 66% in 2012. It is the lowest score since 2008. Across the 10 Network Rail routes, ...
• Traffic Commissioner to address FTA Fleet Engineer conferenceThe Freight Transport Association’s popular Fleet Engineer conference takes place in June, giving delegates the opportunity to hear from Traffic ...
• FTA’s global supply chain expertise and free seminars return to Multimodal 2015The Freight Transport Association is inviting visitors to this year’s Multimodal to learn about its involvement in national, pan-European and ...
• Click Travel reaches milestone for rail bookingsTMC has sold one million tickets through Open Rail platform