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

Thursday, 26 November 2015

BBC News

• Rail electrification to Swansea delayedThe electrification of the Great Western Railway line going west from Cardiff will take longer than initially expected, a Network Rail report says.
• Transport grant cuts to hit from 2018Transport for London will have to be self-sufficient with its operating costs as day-to-day grants end from 2018.
• Part-time Night Tube solution proposedPart-time Tube drivers and better pay are offered by London Underground in a bid to solve the dispute that has stopped the launch of its new Night Tube.
• 'Stand on left' Tube bid to cut queuesCommuters are being asked to stand rather than walk on the left side of escalators at a central London Tube station to see if it can cut queues.
• Network Rail sell-off to fund upgradesNetwork Rail wants to sell £1.8bn of railway arch space, disused depots and shop space in bigger stations to help raise the cash to upgrade UK railways.

Department for Transport

• Future of railAnnounces the latest developments on rail investment and publication of Sir Peter Hendy’s report.
• Department for Transport’s settlement at the Spending Review 2015The Chancellor has published the results of the spending review, including details of the Department for Transport’s budget over the course of this parliament.

Financial Times

• Regional airports back Heathrow expansionFillip comes just before government decides where to add air capacity in the south-east
• Container lines seek solace in scaleMerger talks between CMA CGM and NOL highlight consolidation
• Rail upgrade needs extra �2.5bnMost of the money to come from commercial property sell-off and the government

The Guardian

• Spending review 2015: things you may have missed in Osborne's small print8. London bears brunt of transport cuts, but HS2 survives
• Lessons from Leicester … the UK's unlikely new poster city for cyclingMayor Sir Peter Soulsby is using his strong mandate and the discovery of Richard III’s remains to reverse decades of car-centric planning in this medieval city
• Transport suffers deepest cuts after London subsidy axedDfT faces cut of 37% as Transport for London prepares to lose entire operational budget by 2020, fuelling concerns over higher fares
• Copenhagen glass-walled bicycle bridge plans abandonedCopenhagen Gate, designed by US architect Steven Holl, would have been suspended between two skyscrapersFor a city as avowedly practical as Copenhagen when it comes to transport, the project seemed grand, almost frivolous: a glass-walled bike and pedestrian bridge suspended 30 storeys above the harbour, between two skyscrapers.But after years of discussion, plus some premature reports that the scheme was about to be built, it seems plans for the so-called Copenhagen Gate were abandoned this week. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Network Rail to sell off �1.88bn of 'non-core assets' to meet costsNetwork Rail (NR) has announced plans to sell �1.8 billion of its
• Councils to seek City Deal funding for a tram-train rail link at Glasgow AirportA RAIL link between between Glasgow Airport and the city centre

The Telegraph

• Tube station abandons At Holborn station on the London Underground, rush hour commuters will have to stand on both sides for the next three weeks
• Network Rail to sell off �1.8billion of 'non-core' assets to meet costsNetwork Rail's chairman, Sir Peter Hendy, claims

Reuters News

• Runway protesters cause traffic chaos at London's Heathrow airportActivists opposed to the expansion of London's Heathrow Airport blocked an approach tunnel on Thursday by chaining themselves to a parked vehicle, bringing traffic chaos to Europe's busiest airport.

Mail Online

• Petrol prices could rise after George Osborne failed to mention fuel tax Motoring campaigners reacted with fury at the prospect of petrol prices rising by 2p a litre after the Chancellor neglected to mention fuel tax during his Autumn statement.

Network Rail

• Britain’s most breathtaking landscapes on view at the heart of the cityFrom today until 7 February 2016, London Waterloo station is playing host to the Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards exhibition for the second year in a row.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• North Wales rail winter timetable launchedSome new services and amendments have been announced by the rail operator
• Airbus secures patent for 'detachable cabin' where passengers can be boarded before plane even lands The aerospace giant has been seeking ways to reduce turnaround times at airports and may have found an interesting solution

London Evening Standard

• Whitehall ‘ready to let TfL control London’s commuter rail services’Transport for London took a step closer to greater control of commuter rail services in London today after it was claimed ministers were warming to the idea. 
• 'It doesn't make sense': Commuters bemused as Tube rulebook torn up with new escalator policy at HolbornCommuters have expressed doubt about whether new rules making escalators at one of London’s busiest Tube stations “standing only” in a bid to ease congestion will be effective.
• Revealed: New walkthrough Thameslink trains that will replace existing 1980s stock from next yearRail bosses have unveiled the new train design that will replace the crumbling stock on Thameslink lines from next spring.

Manchester Evening News

• Network Rail blasted for 'poor cost estimating' and 'inadequate planning' behind bungled TransPennine route The company will have to 'sell depots' and 'borrow £700m from taxpayer' to fund projects like Manchester-Leeds electrification, according to a new report

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Coast Road roadworks: Multi-million pound project to improve A1058 set to get under wayUnder the North Tyneside Council scheme, improvements will be made to Norham Road Bridge and Billy Mill Roundabout

Sheffield Star

• Cyclists get ready for winterSheffield commuters have been giving their bikes an early Christmas present at a new workshop which aims to keep cyclists on the roads during winter - as well as helping those less fortunate in society.

Wales Online

• Rail electrification on South Wales mainline could be delayed to 2024 A review into UK railway projects says electrifying the Great Western Mainline to Swansea will not be completed until 2024

Blackpool Gazette

• Train finally found to provide Fleetwood serviceFleetwood’s rail link moved closer to getting back on track this week after a train was finally acquired to provide the service.

Bucks Free Press

• Under-fire rail company announces increased carriage spaces for commuters A train company that was criticised by commuters after it introduced a new timetable will add extra capacity to trains when it brings in another new timetable next month. �

Doncaster Free Press

• Airline extends suspension of Doncaster to Egypt flightsThe suspension of flights from Robin Hood Airport to Sharm el-Sheikh has been extended, airline bosses have revealed.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Main line largely missing from latest rail investment reviewThe review into Network Rail’s investment proposals has been published – but there is little mention of any work to improve the main rail line between East Anglia and London.
• £2m revamp of
Ipswich station now under wayWork on a near-£2million refurbishment of Ipswich railway station has started – and is set to continue until August next year.

Get West London

• MP accused of 'being out of touch' with residents over Heathrow expansionLateef Shattu from Chiswick said: “Ruth Cadbury is out of touch with the views of most local people when it comes to the airport."

North Wales Live

• Merseytravel sets ambitious targets to increase numbers of people using buses Will free wifi and USB charging convince you to take the bus?
• Passenger levels still climbing as Liverpool John Lennon Airport continues investing Airport on track to serve almost 5m passengers in 2016 as momentum continues

Reading Evening Post

• Green Park station blow as electrification delayed until after 2019 Network Rail reschedule railway project after report into massive overspend

Other Regional Press

• Boris Johnson bids to take control of commuter services from Leatherhead and Dorking stations BORIS Johnson could take control of London commuter services from Leatherhead.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Peel Ports urges cargo firms to cut haulage milesPeel Ports has announced that it now has 50 advocates for its Cargo 200 initiative, which calls on cargo firms up and down the country - and particularly in the north-west - to pledge to cut their haulage miles.� The initiative was launched in May in the hope of encouraging importers and exporters whose journeys end in the north of the UK - where Peel is based - to switch from accepting ocean deliveries at south-east ports to accepting them at the centrally-located Port of Liverpool.� Some big name enterprises have already signed up to the Cargo 200 scheme, including Diageo, JCB, B&M, Jaguar L...
• Department for Transport’s settlement at the Spending Review 2015Chancellor George Osborne has today set out the state of the economy in the Autumn Statement and spending plans for the next four years in the Spending Review. The Chancellor used his speech to reveal details of the Department for Transport’s budget over the course of this parliament.  Osborne spoke of the ‘devolution revolution’ and declared Sheffield and Liverpool are to follow Greater Manchester in agreeing to elect local mayors. He also spoke of his commitment to ensure that the geographical imbalance of the UK is demolished with one of his main goals being to sprea...
• New Thameslink train makes successful first-ever test run, to BrightonThe future of commuting made its first outing on Thameslink tracks last night (Tuesday, 24 November). Govia Thameslink Railway took Siemens’ next-generation Class 700 train on its first-ever test run on national rail tracks between its depot at Three Bridges and Brighton in Sussex. The 240m 12-carriage train – half as long again as most Thameslink trains operating today – passed initial tests that proved its compatibility with signalling and will now begin other night-time test runs out of passenger service. Govia Thameslink Railway Programme Director Keith Wallace said: ...

Freight on Rail

• Rail freight upgrades needed now.Freight on Rail welcomed the Hendy Review’s 1 recognition of the significant benefits to the UK economy and society of increasing rail freight capacity on key routes 2 but expressed concern that the major projects were now be delayed until the next control period after 2019. 3

Rail Magazine

• “A railway the North can be proud of”The North’s rail system must be ready for High Speed 2, according to Northern Rail Managing Director Alex Hynes.
• Hynes: North’s rail will overtake the South by 2020The North will have better rail quality than the South by January 1 2020, Northern Rail Managing Director Alex Hynes believes.
• West Coast Railways responds to steam prohibitionCompany allowed to run certain steam charters on main line
• Chancellor announces 50% transport capital spending increaseDfT budget to fall by 37%, but capital spending up to £61 billion
• Osborne confirms HS2 construction in Spending ReviewOsborne confirms HS2 construction in Spending Review.
• VIDEO: Transport Focus response to Spending ReviewPassenger Director David Sidebottom of Transport Focus reacts to the Autumn statement/spending review
• Hendy confirms majority of enhancement projects can go ahead as plannedNetwork Rail chairman says some projects may cost more and take longer than originally expected
• First UK main line tests for new Thameslink Class 700A Class 700 made its debut on the UK network on November 24, when 12-car 700107 ran from its depot at Three Bridges to Brighton.

Aviation Industry

• New study finds major variations in fuel efficiency of transatlantic airlinesA new report by ICCT, the independent U.S. think tank, has ranked the fuel efficiency of the top airlines on routes between the U.S. and Europe, finding a 51% difference between the most (Norwegian Air Shuttle) and least (British Airways, BA) fuel efficient airlines.
• Wizz Air begins A321 servicesLow-cost carrier (LCC) Wizz Air has begun Airbus A321ceo operations. read more
• Lufthansa strikes called offAction planned for November 26-27 has been averted after unions agreed to hold more talks

Other News Sources

• Hacktrain unearths new solutions to industry problemsMORE than 120 software developers, designers and entrepreneurs from around the world joined together last weekend for Hacktrain, a 48-hour onboard "hackathon" with the goal of developing new innovations to benefit the British railway industry.
• Railway enthusiasts feel like "vultures" for taking away Plumpton level crossing gates RAILWAY enthusiasts admit they feel like “vultures” for volunteering to take away a much-loved Victorian-period village level-crossing.
• Travelport launches Eurostar seat map appTravel technology firm Travelport has launched an enhanced app for booking Eurostar seats