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

Tuesday, 21 July 2015

BBC News

• Man held after train hits crossingA man is arrested after a train with 40 people on board ploughed into a car on a level crossing in Staffordshire.
• Losses increase at Prestwick AirportLosses have increased slightly at the Scottish government-owned Glasgow Prestwick Airport over the past year.
• Few accidents on speed camera roadBBC Scotland reveals that thousands of motorists are caught in speed traps on a Scottish trunk road where there are just a handful of accidents.
• Click-and-collect rail plan shrinksClick-and-collect business Doddle revises its railway station plan and announces home
• Price cuts take diesel below petrolThe price of diesel has fallen below petrol at some supermarkets for the first time in more than a decade, after the big chains announce price cuts.

The Guardian

• British bicycles on a roll with sales and production up 70% in a yearFigures from the Office for National Statistics reveal sales of UK-made bikes jumped from £35m to £60m between 2013 and 2014. Sales and production of British-built bikes leapt almost 70% last year, as the industry continues its revival on the back of a wider cycling boom. According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, sales of UK-manufactured bicycles reached £60.2m in 2014, up from £35.6m in 2013. Continue reading...
• Lockheed Martin strikes $9bn deal to buy helicopter maker SikorskySwoop for Black Hawk manufacturer opens new foreign markets for Lockheed, the Pentagon’s largest arms supplier Lockheed Martin is to buy Sikorsky, maker of the Black Hawk helicopter, from rival United Technologies Corporation (UTC) for $9bn (£5.8bn), consolidating its position as the Pentagon’s largest supplier.The deal opens key foreign markets for arms manufacturer Lockheed, which dwarfs its nearest competitors, the defence business of Boeing, and Northrop Grumman, maker of the B-2 stealth bomber. Continue reading...
• Transport secretary defends government's Network Rail recordPatrick McLoughlin tells transport select committee he did not know extent of crisis at rail operator until after the general election The government only realised the need to shelve vital rail projects in mid-June, the transport secretary told MPs as he responded to claims ministers were aware of the depth of the Network Rail crisis before the election. Patrick McLoughlin told the transport select committee that the information he received on 15 June prompted him to put on hold parts of the operator's £38.5bn five-year plan 10 days later.

The Independent

• Man held after train crashes into car on level crossing A man has been arrested after a train carrying 42 people crashed into an empty car on a railway track leaving it a mangled wreck.

The Scotsman

• Prestwick Airport losses double since bailoutLOSSES have almost doubled at troubled Prestwick Airport while the size of the taxpayer bailout handed to it by Scottish ministers has rocketed and could rise further next year.

The Telegraph

• Man held after train crashes into empty carThe 35-year-old suspect is being held on suspicion of obstructing the railway at Claymills level crossing in Staffordshire

Daily Express

• Losses double to £8.9million at PrestwickLOSSES at nationalised Prestwick Airport have almost doubled since its taxpayer-funded rescue.

The Mirror

• Deaths on railways reached all time high last year, official safety figures revealIn the last twelve months, there were 293 suspected suicides and 22 fatal injuries caused by trespassing on main line railways in Great Britain

Birmingham Post

• New hydrogen-powered BMW i8 looks like an eco Batmobile BMW’s hydrogen-fuelled i8 brings street cred to zero emissions motoring
• Record June as Birmingham Airport welcomes 1m passengers A total of 988,916 people used the airport across the month, which represented a 2.8 per cent rise on June last year
• Curzon Street HS2 Masterplan set for green light City council expected to adopt formally the plan which will see massive regeneration in the area around the planned home of the new HS2 terminal

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Congestion-busting plans for motorway network near Bradford unveiled today DETAILS of further plans to tackle congestion on a busy motorway section near Bradford will be revealed today as Highways England unveils more than £1.3 billion of improvements to roads in the region over the next five years.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph published Train ploughs into car on level crossing in Burton - man arrestedA train with more than 40 people on board ploughed into a car last night on a level crossing. British Transport Police were called to the crossing at Claymills in Burton at 7.20pm. The car was reportedly destroyed on impact. A 35-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of obstructing the railway. No-one is thought to have been hurt. Travel was suspended between Wilnecote, Tamworth and Burton. A British Transport Police spokesman said: "Our officers were called to Claymills level...

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyrail introduces Apple Pay at its staffed stationsThe technology will allow travellers to pay for tickets with their phones and Apple watches
• Business leaders urge Government to expand Heathrow to boost LiverpoolRunway expansion proposals backed by Merseyside organisations, including Liverpool John Lennon Airport

London Evening Standard

• Trains delayed on London Overground after trespasser 'walks on to railway line and sits down on track'Trains were delayed on the London Overground this evening after a trespasser walked on to the railway line and sat down on the track.
• 'Eco-friendly' Routemasters running on diesel only thanks to battery problemsA number of Boris Johnson’s new Routemaster hybrid buses have suffered battery malfunctions, it has been revealed.

Morning Star

• Privateers Pounce on Network RailPRIVATEERS are poised to grab profitable slices of publicly owned Network Rail, transport union RMT warned yesterday.

Northern Echo

• Hitachi trains may have no track to run on, MPs toldINTER-city trains to be built in the North-East may have no track to run on, MPs have been told – forcing the taxpayer to “compensate” Hitachi.

The York Press

• Cyclist hits out at bus companies' bike policy A CYCLIST has called on bus companies to relax

Wales Online

• Welsh Government transport plans based on money that doesn't exist, claim Welsh Liberal DemocratsEluned Parrot says there is a giant black hole in the finances of the Welsh Government's transport plans
• Cost of diesel dips below petrol for the first time in 14 yearsCompany car drivers were given cut price diesel at expense of ordinary motorist, says AA

Yorkshire Post

• Five-year plan to tackle congestionThe Government will today announce a five-year plan to improve traffic congestion in Yorkshire, including a new “smart motorway” along stretches of the M62 and improvements on one of the principal routes into Hull.
• Extra patrols launched to tackle railway trespassing in West YorkshireA new team of specialist police officers will be patrolling near railway lines in parts of Yorkshire amid fears the start of the school holidays will prompt a rise in potentially fatal cases of trespassing.
• No guarantee for Network Rail bonuses amid turmoil on the tracksTRANSPORT SECRETARY Patrick McLoughlin has warned Network Rail bosses there is no guarantee they will get a bonus next year amid continued criticism over the company’s performance.

Burnley Express

• Counselling on offer for passengers after train death trauma THE Samaritans are to work with Network Rail to help support passengers and staff who were affected by the incident where a man was struck by a train in Brierfield.

Other Regional Press

• Revealed: New look for Ainsdale Station in SouthportMerseyrail unveils plans to local residents at public meeting - what do you think of the scheme?
• Rail Minister Claire Perry set for Grimsby & Cleethorpes area visitRAIL Minister Claire Perry could visit the area in the autumn after accepting a request from Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers.
• Harmondsworth could be the Greenham Common of a generation say protesters as court dates setAs court dates are set for protesters involved in the two separate incidents at Heathrow Airport in recent weeks, activists warn that Harmondsworth will be the Greenham Common of a generation and the defining battleground for “a fight against catastrophic climate change”.
• Video: Jaunty new messages for motorists being trialled on the M1A set of new messages for motorists will be trialled on the M1 in a bid to improve safety and make using the motorway ‘more enjoyable’ during roadworks.
• £2.6m of development cash waiting to be spent in PrestonCycle paths, junction improvements and access roads are among the projects still in the pipeline which will be paid for by Section 106 cash.
• Handing drone controls to teenagers to inspire new generation of engineersA future in engineering could be calling GSCE students after they paid a visit to a pioneering aviation company.
• Video: Jaunty new messages for motorists being trialled on the M1A set of new messages for motorists will be trialled on the M1 in a bid to improve safety and make using the motorway ‘more enjoyable’ during roadworks.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Sir Peter Hendy appointed new chairman of Network RailSir Peter Hendy CBE has been appointed the new chairman of Network Rail.  He brings extensive industry experience to the role, having previously served as commissioner of Transport for London (TfL) from 2006 to 2015.  Prior to this, he acted as managing director of surface transport for TfL from 2001 to 2006.  These roles saw him leading and preparing for the successful operation of transport in the capital for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  Network Rail chief executive officer Mark Carne welcomed Sir Peter, explaining that he has already worked closely with him in the past, as his or...
• Electrification of Bolton rail line nears completionWork on the final bridge to be reconstructed on Bolton's train line is due to start on July 27th.  Grimeford Lane in Blackrod will close from that date until November 16th to allow the work to be completed.  The development forms part of the wider project to electrify the line between Manchester and Preston.  More than £1 billion is being invested in the north of England by Network Rail to improve rail services in the region.  Bridges have to be rebuilt to increase the clearance underneath to accommodate overhead lines that power trains on the electrified lines.  Project manager for Network Ra...

Railnews

• Transport secretary faces grilling over rail project delays The House of Commons transport committee is expected to take a tough stance when it hears evidence about the railways from transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin today, while the RMT has condemned what it sees as 'creeping privatisation'. The transport secretary has been faced with major problems at Network Rail after recently published Board minutes revealed that some enhancement projects were known to be threatening to break the limits of their budgets as long ago as March. In the past 24 hours, the Welsh secretary has warned that Great Western electrification to Swansea could be delayed.
• Transport secretary admits NR costs are still not clear The transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has admitted that the extent of Network Rail's costs uncertainty will not be known before the autumn. In giving evidence to the House of Commons transport committee, the transport secretary quoted Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne as saying that running NR was like 'open heart surgery'. Mr McLoughlin also insisted that he had not known about the problems on the Midland Main Line electrification scheme until 15 June, well after the election, which led to his statement in the Commons ten days later.

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair battle with Aer Lingus to spark passenger price warRyanair chief Michael O'Leary: 'Nobody ever expects Ryanair to just sit back and let things happen'. Photo: Mark Condren Ryanair is planning a winter offensive at Dublin Airport to take on IAG following its looming 1.36bn takeover of Aer Lingus.
• Bag fees bring some advantagesJetBlue Airways began charging baggage fees to its lowest-fare passengers this month, leaving South- west Airlines as the only major carrier offering free checked luggage.
• Boeing: World’s airlines need to hire 28,000 new pilots annuallyBoeing has increased the number of pilots and maintenance technicians it forecasts will be needed by the world’s commercial airlines, reflecting a bulging order book for new aircraft. read more
• Germanwings Task Force report recommends improved pilot assessmentsThe European Commission (EC) has published a report into the March crash of Germanwings Flight 9525, compiled by a Task Force led by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). read more
• IAFC places Trent engine order with RollsIn a deal worth $930 million, Dubai-based lessor International AirFinance Corporation (IAFC) has ordered Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines for 20 Airbus A330-300 Regional aircraft to be leased to Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia). read more
• Businesses demand Cameron acts on Heathrow expansion270 CEOs and chairman call on PM to push through Airports Commission’s recommendations
• Flybe chief commercial officer to leave for Malaysia AirlinesPaul Simmons takes up new role in January 2016

Other News Sources

• Birmingham HS2 regeneration gets council nodBirmingham City Council has approved plans for one of the UK’s biggest regeneration programmes, including 4,000 new homes and a new High Speed 2 station.
• Construction chiefs rally behind Crossrail 2 as Boris urges Treasury backingMajor contractors have signed an open letter urging the government to press ahead with Crossrail 2, after Sir Merrick Cockel was appointed to lead a growth commission on the scheme.
• Top contractors urge government to back Heathrow expansionBam Nuttall, Mace and Morgan Sindall are among 270 companies to have signed an open letter calling on the prime minister to back airport expansion at Heathrow.
• The Lufthansa Group publishes its 21st Sustainability Report500 million euros to be invested in innovations by 2020The passenger fleets of the Lufthansa Group achieve a new fuel efficiency recordLufthansa extends its commitment in the fields of active...
• KLM welcomes record number of passengers KLM Royal Dutch Airlines this weekend welcomed a record number of passengers on board KLM and KLM Cityhopper flights. On Sunday, a total of 93,048 passengersnbsp;flew KLM on one of the KLM...
• Airbus' Runway Overrun Prevention System (ROPS) certified by EASA on A330 Family Airbus has achieved EASA certification of its innovative *Runway Overrun Prevention System (ROPS) technology on A330 Family aircraft. This on-board cockpit technology, which Airbus has...