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

Friday, 20 November 2015

BBC News

• North Wales airport trains move closerTrain passengers in north Wales are a step closer to having more direct services to Manchester Airport, Arriva Trains Wales says.
• Tram extension gets green lightCouncillors in Edinburgh agree the city's tram line should be extended by three miles to reach Newhaven.
• Cyclists signal frustration at BorisA cyclist greets Boris Johnson with a rude gesture as the London mayor is heckled at a cycling
• Rail electrification costs 'staggering'A £1.2bn hike in the cost of the Great Western Main Line rail electrification is "staggering and unacceptable", the Public Accounts Committee has said.

Department for Transport

• Rail franchising PQQ passport: OJEU noticeAn Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) notice for the rail franchising pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) passport.

Financial Times

• MPs call for review of rail regulatorOffice of Rail and Road failed to ‘robustly scrutinise’ Network Rail’s plans and cost estimates

The Herald

• Edinburgh trams: councillors vote in favour of �145m route extension to Leith and NewhavenPLANS to extend the Edinburgh tram route to Leith and Newhaven have been approved by councillors.

The Telegraph

• Revealed: HS2 'abysmal value for money' at 10 times the cost of high-speed rail in EuropePlans to build a high-speed rail link between the north and south of England have sparked controversy for years - but how do they compare against the rest of the world?
• Edinburgh trams extension gets green lightCouncillors vote 'in principle' to extend controversial tram line to Leith at cost of �162 million
• Queen officially reopens New Street station in BirminghamThe Queen and Duke of Edinburgh have officially opened a �750 million railway station redevelopment in Birmingham

Reuters News

• MPs criticise Network Rail over upgrade failures LONDON (Reuters) - Network Rail faced strong criticism for its handling of an over-budget programme to upgrade the country's tracks in a report by MPs which could intensify questions about the future of the state-backed rail infrastructure operator.

Birmingham Post

• HS2 should be going north, not south, Jeremy Corbyn claims The Labour leader tells the Post that HS2 should be about benefiting the regions - not London

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Pie Stop Sign Bother Boris TRANSPORT bosses in London are all in a fluster over their famous sign – the barred roundel – being used to tempt people to get a taste of the capital in the Yorkshire Dales.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Bomb hoax at Manchester airport sees passengers evacuated from easyJet flight Two men have been arrested after hoax on Morocco bound flight

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph published Derby jobs 'safeguarded' as Bombardier agrees to sell 30% stake...THE parent company of Derby train-maker Bombardier has announced it has agreed to sell a 30% stake in its rail business in a deal worth almost £1 billion. Bombardier Inc has said it has entered into a "definitive agreement" to sell part of Bombardier Transportation to Canadian pension funds manager Caisse for $1.5 billion. The deal comes following months of speculation about the company's ownership. Bombardier Inc, which is also based in Canada, has been struggling this...

Manchester Evening News

• Network Rail 'has lost its grip' over Manchester to Leeds electrification, says top reportThe rail body has 'lost its grip' over major projects, says a damning report by a House of Commons committee

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• MPs slam chaotic Transpennine upgrades which could see improvements completed by 2022Nobody can be sure when long-awaited electrification of the Transpennine line will happen, Commons inquiry warns
• Tyneside's major roadworks: Round up of the biggest projects under way Newcastle City Council needs to spend £8.9m to bring 40 junctions up to scratch by 2030 here are some of the major works ongoing now

Sheffield Star

• LETTERS: Bus changes are ‘Emperor’s New Coach Service’“I have come to the conclusion that the people responsible for the bus debacle have revisited the children’s fairy story The Emperor’s New Clothes. They told us that we were to get a new improved service across the city and an improved fare structure.
• THE STAR SAYS: Bus cut rethink does not go far enoughIt’s a bit like trying to catch the number 1A - you hang around for ages waiting for one bus service review to turn up, and then several come all at once...

Sheffield Telegraph

• BUSES: Sheffield chief says complaints have ‘subsided’ after double deckers brought in to address cuts chaosSheffield Council’s transport chief says the punctuality of buses is ‘starting to improve’ after double deckers were brought in to help tackle the chaos.

Wales Online

• Escalating electrification costs denounced as 'staggering and unacceptable' as report warns delays are 'highly likely'The public accounts committee has delivered a scathing report on the Great Western electrification programme

Yorkshire Post

• Network Rail has ‘lost grip’ on train electrification in NorthSPEEDING UP journey times on key rail routes in Yorkshire faces ‘far too much uncertainty’ as Network Rail is criticised for having ‘lost its grip’ on overhauling transport in the North.

Carlisle News & Star

• Carlisle traders’ fury over plan to cut disc parking time Bosses say plans to change parking rules outside their businesses would drive customers away and kill off custom.

East Anglian Daily Times

• No trains – but Suffolk advertising staysTravellers might not be able to reach Felixstowe by train because of the shortage of diesel units – but that has not stopped Abellio Greater Anglia from advertising the delights of the Suffolk coast.
• Rail ministers’ shock at closure of rural lines because of leaf fallRail ministers have expressed their shock after discovering two Suffolk branch lines have been closed to passengers for more than a week because of leaves on the line.

The Shields Gazette

• Driving penalties generate more than �11,000 in fines for South Tyneside CouncilMotorists behaving badly on the roads of South Shields has generated more than £11,000 for a local authority.

Other Regional Press

• Arriva Trains Wales launches travel update service for Newport passengers ARRIVA Trains Wales has launched a new and improved live travel update service in a bid to provide customers with up-to date travel information and news.
• Campaigners demand: ‘Bring back our Hayling Ferry’BRING back the ferry. That’s the rallying cry as people from across the Portsmouth area are supporting a campaign to re-instate the Hayling Ferry.
• Technology experts will gather on trains to find rail industry solution More than 40 technology experts will work on innovative solutions to rail industry challenges by working together on Great Western Railway services at the weekend.
• “Uncertainty” over Midland mainline electrification, MPs warnMPs have raised serious concerns about rail investment in the UK following a series of delays to large-scale projects including the Midland mainline.
• Report damns Network Rail over costs and delays in improvements to TransPennine rail routePassengers paying a heavy price and there is too much uncertainty over the electrification plans

London TravelWatch

• Watchdog calls for action to improve bus performance in central LondonLondon’s passenger watchdog has expressed concern at evidence that bus service performance is deteriorating in central London and that ridership is down as a result.
• Watchdog calls for action to improve bus performance in central LondonLondon’s passenger watchdog has expressed concern at evidence that bus service performance is deteriorating in central London and that ridership is down as a result.

Rail Magazine

• Industry must sell itself betterRail Minister Claire Perry quotes recent Comment by RAIL Managing Editor and Events Director Nigel Harris, when telling industry it needs to sell itself better.
• Northern and TPE franchises to be Rail North's starting point for HS2Rail North’s starting point for HS2 will be the new Northern Rail and TransPennine franchises, Director David Hoggarth believes.
• Smart ticketing needs development says Northern's Alex HynesSmart ticketing is a big miss from the new Northern franchise, the current Northern Rail Managing Director Alex Hynes believes.
• Network Rail accused of “severe planning and budget failures”“Passengers and the public are paying a heavy price” for failings, says PAC chairman
• London's new Crossrail train revealedBombardier’s Class 345 Aventras will provide space for 1,500 passengers

Railnews

• Major Midland Metro expansion plans unveiled Extensions of Midland Metro to provide good connections with HS2 in Birmingham have been announced as part of an �8 billion investment in the West Midlands. Transport schemes worth almost �2 billion are included in the investment, which has accompanied a major devolution deal signed between the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Government. A new 'HS2 connectivity package' will include new tram lines from the HS2 station at Birmingham Curzon Street to Birmingham Airport via Bordesley Green and Chelmsley Wood, and between Wednesbury and Brierley Hill.
• Royal opening for Birmingham New Street The Queen has officially reopened the enlarged station at Birmingham New Street today. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Her Majesty alighted from the Royal Train to unveil a plaque marking her visit. The royal couple were greeted by a host of dignitaries, including Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy and chief executive Mark Carne. The station, including the new Grand Central shopping complex, was opened in September this year after a five-year, �750 million Network Rail project.

Aviation Industry

• Wizz Air, Lufthansa Technik renew MRO contracts Eastern European low-cost carrier Wizz Air has renewed two eight-year MRO contracts with Lufthansa Technik Maintenance International (LTMI) and Lufthansa Technik Budapest (LTB) for line maintenance services on its fleets based in Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. read more
• 1922 Committee chairman: end 'decades of dither and delay' on airport expansionLeading Conservative backbencher Graham Brady urged government to make a “quick decision” on the new runway in the South East, either following the Airports Commission’s recommendation of a third runway at Heathrow, or “offering an alternative based on the Commission’s findings.”
• Lufthansa CEO apologises for direct booking tech, hopes for more consolidation in EuropeCarsten Spohr warns of unsustainable amount of LCCs in Europe

Other News Sources

• Out now: Issue 122 of Passenger TransportIssue 122 of Passenger Transport is published on November 20 Contents include:       LEAD STORY Shaw sets agenda for attracting investment Industry sees Shaw Report as pointing towards greater involvement for private sector to fill ‘shuddering’ rail funding gap left by reclassification   NEWS GM operators take smart step forward Manchester’s bus operators have launched a smart-based multi-operator ticketing scheme as part of a commitment made by the ‘big five’ last year News Extra: Is partnership on the cards in Tyne & Wear? A Transport Focus conference in Gateshead las...
• Shaw sets agenda for attracting investmentIndustry sees Shaw Report as pointing towards greater involvement for private sector to fill ‘shuddering’ rail funding gap left by reclassification     The Treasury and Department for Transport have published a consultation and scoping report into the future shape and financing of Network Rail setting out options from full privatisation to full state control. Although the consultation headed by HS1 chief executive Nicola Shaw rules out no options, industry executives said the report set a clear direction based on attracting major private sector financial institutions to invest in the...
• £345m BSOG funding set for reform, not cutO’Toole believes £345m a year grant is safe   New additions to First’s fleet in Lanarkshire   FirstGroup’s discussions with the Department for Transport have indicated that the DfT’s £345m a year Bus Services Operators Grant budget is unlikely to be severely affected by the Treasury’s demands for spending cuts at the DfT. Instead chief executive Tim O’Toole said that changes to the way BSOG in England is allocated are the most likely outcome when the chancellor outlines the government’s spending plans later this month. “We have a lot of discussions with the Department on this subject...
• O’Connor sets sights on data-led growthThe new boss of Arriva’s UK bus business wants forensic scrutiny of what drives growth, and then bold action to deliver more of it     Kevin O’Connor was unknown in the bus industry when at the beginning of this year he was named as the new managing director of Arriva’s UK bus business. The 39-year-old joined the group in March from security firm G4S, where he held a variety of senior leadership roles, but he already seems at home in his new role. O’Connor heads a business with a fleet of some 5,900 buses and over 16,000 employees in England and Wales – the UK’s third largest b...
• Perry denies ‘sparks effect’ of electrificationRail minister Claire Perry has said that there are other ways to improve rail services beyond expensive electrification schemes. Rhodri Clark reports     Rail minister Claire Perry has said that electrification makes no difference to many passengers and there are other options when it comes to improving services. She made the comments last week at a North Wales rail summit, where business leaders and politicians from both sides of the border argued that the Chester to Holyhead line should be electrified to maximise future connectivity with the Northern Powerhouse and with the planned...