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

Tuesday, 02 February 2016

BBC News

• Reading businesses criticise £500m Heathrow rail link delayA delay of almost two years in building a new £500m Heathrow rail link has been criticised by businesses.
• 'Rocket-shaped object' shot past AirbusA rocket-shaped object the size of two

Department for Transport

• Track worker safety outside possessionsClass investigation into accidents and near misses involving trains and track workers outside possessions.
• East Riding’s roads get £16.7 million maintenance boostDfT funding will support a 5 year programme to improve roads and journeys with A63, A1079 and A161 among roads to benefit in the first year.
• Launch of the Rail Supply Group’s sector strategyThe rail supply chain now has an agreed plan for how it will grow in numbers, productivity and expertise.

Financial Times

• Ryanair plans largest ever share buybackEurope’s largest budget airline shows strongest evidence yet of revival after 2013 profit warnings
• EasyJet to trial hybrid aircraftAirline says hydrogen fuel cell system could save about 50,000 tonnes of fuel per year

The Guardian

• Choo choo! The creepy genius of Michael Portillo's railway showsLike an embarrassing dad, Portillo has an undeniable passion for railways and bucketloads of ham. Which is why he is so utterly, unstoppably watchableI have a small apology to make. A little over a year ago, confronted by a new series of Great Continental Railway Journeys, I wrote a piece confessing that I couldn’t stand its presenter. Michael Portillo, I said, seemed slimy and ill at ease on camera. I said he looked lacquered, that he dressed like an early 1990s gameshow contestant. The show itself was great, but I argued that this was despite Portillo, not because of him.But now I’m here to ...

The Independent

• Dubai International stretches its lead over Heathrow for international airline passengersDXB, as it is coded, handled a record 78 million travellers in 2015 - an average of one passenger flying in or out every 2.5 seconds

The Telegraph

• Tube drivers to strike this weekend, causing potential chaos next MondayUnion members to stage a 48-hour strike from 9pm on Saturday in dispute over ticket office closures
• Lost on London transport: prosthetic limbs and pogo-sticksEver wondered what happens to lost items on London transport? Take a look into TFL's lost property office...

The Mirror

• Fancy a drink? EasyJet could serve passengers WASTE water from hydrogen batteries during flightsLow-cost airline EasyJet has unveiled plans to serve wasta water from hydrogen batteries on its flights

Belfast Telegraph

• Call to open rail link to Belfast International AirportAlliance Party MLA Trevor Lunn called for better future planning and claimed the arrival of Ryanair was likely to bring a significant jump in passenger numbers.

London Evening Standard

• Drone in near-miss with plane above Houses of ParliamentA drone came within 20 metres of collision with a passenger jet as it flew above the Houses of Parliament, according to an official report.
• Westminster Tube station evacuated: Station closed due to 'security alert'Westminster station was closed at the height of rush hour due to a "security alert" this morning.
• Drivers face 18 months of delays due to revamp of 'relic' gyratory at Archway roundaboutMotorists and bus passengers were warned they face 18 months of delays as work began today to remove a "relic" of a gyratory system at Archway roundabout.
• Boris Johnson: Sadiq Khan must 'man up' and condemn night Tube strikesBoris Johnson today called on Sadiq Khan to "man up" and condemn Tube strike plans from transport union RMT.
• Pay-as-you-go charge for the capital's busiest roads backed by a third of LondonersLondoners are so fed up with traffic snarl-ups that millions now back pay-as-you-go charging for the busiest roads with peak rates at rush-hour, a new poll reveals today.
• Landslip causes travel disruption on Southern, London Midland and Virgin Trains services to Euston and Clapham JunctionCommuter rail services to and from Euston and Clapham Junction are facing disruption after a landslip closed some London bound lines.
• Man Tasered on platform at Victoria Tube stationA man was Tasered by police after behaving aggressively on an Underground platform at Victoria station.

Manchester Evening News

• Should motorists be able to drive in bus lanes to ease congestion?MP Graham Stringer wants a review of bus lanes to see if they're needed at all

Northern Echo

• Storm Henry causes problems for First TransPennine Express passengers at Newcastle, Chester-le-Street, Durham, Northallerton and Darlington RAIL passengers are facing disruption in the North-East due to Storm Henry.

Sheffield Star

• ‘Fantastic development’ will make months of city centre disruption worthwhile, say university bossesA major transformation of some of Sheffield city centre’s busiest streets is under way – with project bosses promising the inevitable disruption will prove to be worth it in the long-run.

Yorkshire Post

• North Yorkshire transport links ‘are a brake on the economy’IMPROVING east-west links to help the economy will be at the heart of a new transport plan for North Yorkshire.
• Northern Powerhouse dream ‘needs practical steps to survive’THE Northern Powerhouse will remain a distant dream until northern political and business leaders are given more powers, and steps are taken to protect cities like Leeds and York from flooding, a leading lawyer has warned.

Daventry Express

• UPDATED: London Midland disruption until Friday due to dramatic landslipEngineers have been building a makeshift access road through fields close to the railway line at Leighton Buzzard in the aftermath of a major landslip.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Turners of Soham acquires Felixstowe-based container transport firm MacIntyreFelixstowe-based container transport company MacIntyre Transport has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by Turners of Soham.

Other Regional Press

• Rare 1949 Oxford bus finally home after 31 years away A rare�double-decker bus not used�in Oxfordshire since the�1980s is finally home after�31 years away.
• Lower Thames Crossing: Charging drivers 'government policy' says Highways EnglandHighways England has indicated road users will be charged to use a new tunnel under the Thames – but stalled on revealing the width of roads.
• The end of M1 traffic jams? Drivers get to use new "Smart" motorwayHard shoulder in permanent use as extra lane
• Huddersfield bus gates: Taxi firms banned from town centre routes hit out after launch leads to traffic chaosPassenger missed train due to jams around St George's Square
• Huddersfield bus gates go live: Taxi firms banned from town centre routes and drivers ignore signsPassenger missed train due to traffic chaos — watch our timelapse video of the new gates in action
• Could it be the end of the line for the disused Weymouth Tramway? IT could be the end of the line for the disused Weymouth Tramway following proposals to remove the 'hazardous' tracks.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• �200 million commitment for rail welcomed by East Coast Main Line ConsortiumThe Consortium of East Coast Main Line Authorities (ECMA) today welcomed a £200m investment from the Scottish Government to improve rail links between Aberdeen, the Scottish Central Belt and destinations along the East Coast Main Line. The announcement from Holyrood comes after Prime Minister David Cameron announced Aberdeen would benefit from a £250m City Region Deal to invest in North East Scotland's economy. Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary of Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, said that, in addition to the City Region Deal, over the next 5-10 years an initial £200m wo...
• Gareth Llewellyn appointed as DVSA's new Chief ExecutiveGareth Llewellyn will become the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency's Chief Executive on 1 April 2016. Gareth Llewellyn has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The DVSA plays a critical role in improving road safety in Great Britain by setting standards for driving and motorcycling, and making sure drivers, vehicle operators and MOT garages follow roadworthiness standards. It also provides a range of licensing, testing, education and enforcement services. Department for Transport Permanent Secretary Philip Rutnam said: I am very ple...
• New Director to lead pull for new business in UK’s top energy portWales’ biggest port, The Port of Milford Haven, has appointed a new head of operations for Pembroke and Milford Docks tasked, among other roles, with bringing new business into the Port. Natalie Britton is the new Director of Operations and Commercial at Pembroke and Milford Docks and will take on responsibility for the running of key areas including Wales’ biggest fishing port - Milford Fish Docks, and Milford Marina. She will also be heading up South Wales’ largest ferry terminal operation and developing plans for increased cargo throughput at Pembroke Port. “Natali...
• Astons Coaches choose Scania againAstons Coaches Limited of Kempsey, Worcester has recently taken delivery of two further Scania coaches, both of which are former demonstration vehicles. The first is a Scania Touring fitted to Scania's Euro 6 K 410 EB6x2*4 chassis and the second is a Scania OmniExpress on a Euro 6 K 360 EB4x2 chassis.  Both vehicles have Scania's fully automated Opticruise gear selection system. The highly appointed touring coaches feature a range of equipment including, Bosch Audio/Video, climate control, washroom, serveries, fridges and reversing cameras. The Scania Touring provides seating for 57, whi...
• Co-op to transfer haulage drivers to Eddie StobartThe Co-operative Group is planning an unpopular move of 50 of its Coventry-based drivers to haulier Eddie Stobart Ltd (ESL). Due to the planned transfer, the Co-op's drivers have put forward a 1,000 consultative ballot to call for industrial action, reports Unite the Union. Trade union Unite says that it has raised serious concerns about the Co-op's proposal as ESL has been guilty of treating workers badly who were transferred to its operations on previous occasions. The country's largest union has used the example of when Tesco transferred 184 of its drivers to ESL, which resulted in those dr...
• Peel Ports secures new WEC Lines service for LiverpoolDutch company WEC Lines is to begin weekly calls at the Port of Liverpool from 10 February, providing a new option for shippers looking to access central and northern UK markets. The brand new service will connect Liverpool with Lisbon, Setubal, Leixoes and Sines and vice versa, with other links to Ireland, Scotland, Morocco, Spain and the Canary Islands. WEC Lines said: “This is a major new development for us, offering a dedicated, faster and direct container service for our customers in the Iberian peninsula, north Africa and the Canaries. We’re seeing growing demand to ship vi...

Railway Gazette

• GE and TMH announce Russian diesel engine joint ventureRUSSIA: A strategic business plan for the formation of a diesel engine manufacturing joint venture...
• Ostl�nken procurement begins as route confirmed SWEDEN: Infrastructure manager Trafikverket expects to start procurement this month for the...

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair Doubles Quarterly Profit, Announces $868 Million BuybackRyanair Holdings Plc doubled fiscal third-quarter earnings as passenger numbers surged and said it will return 800 million euros to investors via a share-buyback program. Profit after tax increased to 103 million euros in the three months ended Dec. 31 from 49 million euros a year earlier, aided by a 25 percent surge in passenger numbers to 20 million, Dublin-based Ryanair said Monday.
• Ryanair boosts passenger numbers by fifth with price cuts after terror attacksBudget airline Ryanair has seen passenger numbers rise by a fifth as it cut prices to boost bookings in the wake of recent terrorist attacks. The carrier's decision to drive down fares in the face of weakening demand caused by the atrocities in Brussels and Paris sparked a 20% rise in traffic to 24.9 million in the third quarter.
• Ryanair predicts fares to drop 6% Airline pledges to pass savings from low fuel costs onto passengers
• Bmi Regional adds double daily Southampton-Munich service12-times weekly route to start on April 15
• Easyjet opens Venice baseAirline to introduce 10 new routes including four-times weekly flights to Edinburgh

Other News Sources

• Government partners with industry leaders to drive UK rail growthThe Rail Supply Group (RSG) has now launched its strategy to build growth in the UK rail industry and support exports.