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

Monday, 28 September 2015

BBC News

• Uckfield line platform extensions to cut overcrowdingThe 10-coach trains will increase capacity on the line between Edenbridge Town and Uckfield during the morning peak by 50% from next July.
• New Stirling to London train serviceA new rail service creating a daily direct link between Stirling and London is announced by Virgin Trains.

Department for Transport

• Investigation into a collision between a train and buffer stops at King’s Cross station, London, 17 September 2015At around 12:18 hrs, the 10:55 hrs service from Cambridge collided with the buffer stops at King’s Cross station, platform 11.
• Roads Minister sees plans for investment in the northRoads minister visits north of England to discuss proposals for better roads.
• A contract worth £2.4 million will see improvements take place in Bedfordshire providing smoother and safer journeys for drivers.Improvements on the A421, M1 and A5 have moved a step closer today (Monday 28 September) with the appointment of a contractor for the scheme.
• Cycling revolution goes electric£700,000 competition supports hire schemes across the country with hundreds of new electric bicycles to get more people cycling.

Financial Times

• Thames commercial traffic set to trebleRevitalised river juggles competing demands from passengers and industry
• O'Leary targets €2bn Ryanair profitsBudget airline chief wants to expand into range of leisure services from hotels to concerts

The Guardian

• All-blue skies in Paris as city centre goes car-free for first timeOne-day scheme promoted by mayor Anne Hidalgo sees city centre mostly free of cars and lower speed limit in other districts The lack of sound on the Champs Elysées was striking. With the eight lanes of France’s most famous avenue cleared of all traffic on Paris’s first car-free day, the usual cacophony of car-revving and thundering motorbike engines had given way to the squeak of bicycle wheels, the clatter of skateboards, the laughter of children on rollerblades and even the gentle rustling of wind in the trees. It was, as one Parisian pensioner observed as she ambled up the centre...
• Uber seeks legal advice after New South Wales suspends registration of 40 carsRoads and Maritime Services say taxi and hire car services must have authorised and accredited operators and a licensed and insured vehicleUber says it is “shockedâ€� and seeking legal advice after 40 of its New South Wales drivers had their vehicle registration suspended.Roads and Maritime Services director of safety and compliance Peter Wells said the government was cracking down on those who allowed their vehicles to be used for illegal ride-sharing. Continue reading...

The Scotsman

• FirstGroup to outline plans to boast bus divisionTransport operator FirstGroup will this week provide an update on how its plans to boost its bus division are helping to offset shortfalls at its rail business, which has lost a series of franchises.
• Volkswagen was ‘previously warned’ about emissionsVolkswagen was warned years ago about the use of illegal tricks to defeat emissions tests, according to reports in the German media.

The Telegraph

• Gatwick claims Heathrow’s expansion could break air quality rulesThe south London airport lost out to Heathrow in its bid to expand, but now says it would be the best option to keep air pollution down

Mail Online

• Moment a London pedestrian avoids being crushed by a runaway 376 bus This is the shocking moment a bus in Beckton, east London loses control and crashes into a parked car which then catapults a pedestrian through a gate and into a small bush.

This is Money

• Fast, green cars... Pull the other one ! VW deceived the public over an issue crucial for public health, says SIMON WATKINS If it turns out that gaming the emissions tests is widespread in the car industry, as many now suspect, can Europe afford to punish its car makers as severely as they may deserve?

Birmingham Mail

• Video: Check out new Birmingham Metro line before tram testing starts next monthOur walkthrough shows how work is going on for the historic line extension
• Where are nine extra 20mph roads going to be in Birmingham?Roads in Moseley, Kings Heath, Bordesley Green and Sparkbrook to be added to the 20mph zones being introduced by Birmingham City Council

Birmingham Post

• Video: Sneak preview of Birmingham Metro route with trams to return next month Work set to complete on the Metro extension but, to take the mystery out of it, we have filmed a short video showing the journey along the new line
• Land Rover donates Defender to Guide Dogs Through its guide dog training programme the charity provides mobility to blind and partially sighted people

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• REVEALED: The five bus lanes most misused by motorists DRIVERS forked out almost £2 million for straying into bus lanes last year and Bradford Council took almost 6,000 cases to court to recover payment, the Telegraph & Argus can reveal today.

Derby Telegraph

• 7,000 jobs: decision due on Castle Donington rail hub A PLANNING decision on a 250-acre warehousing complex near Castle Donington which could create 7,000 jobs could be made before the end of the year.

Lincolnshire Echo

• A further 500K could be spent to move transport hub plans forward An additional £538,000 could be invested by the council for the progression of the Lincoln transport hub.

Northern Echo

• North 'losing out' to London on rail spending despite hefty subsidies for train operators RAIL spending in the North is being overshadowed by that in London despite hefty subsidies for some of the region’s train operators.

Sheffield Star

• Timetables for cut bus services go out onlineNew timetables for Sheffield buses affected by major cuts are becoming available a month before changes are implemented.

Wales Online

• Funding to improve public transport is being 'diverted' to schemes which critics claim will actually encourage drivers to use their cars more The Welsh Government earmarked £13m for “bus priority” schemes but the money will mostly fund upgrading of junctions to benefit all traffic

Burnley Express

• ALL ABOARD! New Rosegrove station opens after £150k revamp BURNLEY’S new, improved Rosegrove railway station has been officially opened.

Western Daily Press

• West railway travellers get a raw deal with some of the most expensive routes in the country Train passengers travelling between Bristol and London are paying some of the most expensive rail fares in the country, a study has shown.

Other Regional Press

• Funding bid for fresh look at rail planNEW moves are under way to establish the viability of reinstating the rail link between Stratford-upon-Avon railway station and Honeybourne.
• Newport Transporter Bridge fun day a 'great success' HUNDREDS of people enjoyed a family fun day at the Newport Transporter Bridge over the weekend.
• Calls for spending overhaul to save busesCouncils have called for a “total overhaul” of the way bus services are funded.

Construction Enquirer

• Murphy £57m bid bags north London electrificationJ Murphy & Sons has bagged the job to carry out electrification works along the railway line running from Gospel Oak in North London to Barking in the east with a £56.9m bid.

Rail Magazine

• European Investment Bank backs London transport upgradeThe European Investment Bank (EIB) is loaning £1 billion to fund transport improvements in London

Transport Briefing (subscription)

• Cyclists get first bus stop bypass in ManchesterManchester is to follow London's example and introduce bus stop bypasses for cyclists. As part of a project to improve travel...

Other News Sources

• The future of the railways – a Liberal viewJeremy Corbyn’s proposal for a People’s Railway has sparked interest and support, tinged with more than a little nostalgia for a past that really didn’t exist. Those who hanker after British Rail were clearly not there. It was the butt of national jokes about punctuality, cancellations, strikes and stale sandwiches.
• Google's Sundar Pichai announces plans for Wi-Fi in 400 train stations in IndiaTo get millions of train travellers online, Google has announced plans to bring high-speed public Wi-Fi in 400 train stations across India. Working in a joint venture with the Indian Railways and RailTel that provides internet services as RailWire on several railway lines, the web search giant intends to bring first stations online in the coming months.
• Recycling energy from Tube trains to power stationsSuccessful trial of new technology on the Victoria line collected and recycled waste energy from Tube train brakes
• Virgin East Coast adds Stirling and Sunderland servicesVirgin Trains East Coast is launching two direct services from London Kings Cross to Sunderland and Stirling.