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

Thursday, 29 January 2015

BBC News

• Rail opportunities 'must be seized'A Borders business leader says there is a
• Bill 'for millions' over rail chaosNetwork Rail has issued Thames Water with a "multi-million pound bill" after leaks and a burst water main led to more than 1,000 trains being cancelled.

Financial Times

• Network Rail behemoth stuck in transitCalls for renationalisation of the entire system are rising, despite high passenger numbers and £25bn investment plan

The Guardian

• Great Northern trains rejected late-running refund claimRail operator refuses to refund the full amount for train delay because of the late arrival of my email claim

The Telegraph

• Rail misery hits five-year high as anger grows over train delays and lack of free seatsSatisfaction over Britain's trains drops to lowest level since 2009 as new survey reveals less than half of travellers in London and South East believe tickets are value for money

Network Rail

• Thames Water face massive bill for Thameslink disruptionThames Water faces a multi-million pound bill for a burst water main and several other leaks from other water pipes since Friday evening.
• Snow forecast: Yorkshire rail passengers advised to check before you travelSome rail services will be restricted in West Yorkshire on the morning of Thursday (29 January) as the rail industry responds to forecasts of deep snow.

London Evening Standard

• Fares on London train routes 'have more than trebled since railways were sold off' Rail fares on some of the busiest routes serving London have more than trebled since the railways were sold off 20 years ago, new research reveals today.
• Sixth day of misery for Thameslink commuters as SECOND burst pipe causes delays Thameslink passengers are facing a sixth day of misery as engineers tackle flooding caused by a second pipe burst in a tunnel in central London.

Manchester Evening News

• Panic buttons may be fitted on Greater Manchester trains to cut number of sex attacksThe proposal, as part of nationwide review, comes after figures revealed sex assaults against women went up by a fifth across the country

Sheffield Star

• Public to have say on buildign works for £60m tram-train schemeMembers of the public will get the chance to have their say on building work related to the delayed £60m Sheffield-to-Rotherham tram train project.

The York Press

• Grand Central tops league for passenger satisfaction YORK train operator Grand Central Railway has topped a new league table for customer satisfaction - but other York-based train firms have fared less well.

Doncaster Free Press

• Extra £30m Government funding for Sheffield to create new jobs and improve public transport linksNew £30m Government funding has been secured for the Sheffield City Region to help create jobs and improve public transport links.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Rail officials promise regular checks on bicycle parkA commuter has urged Peterborough railway station bosses not to allow their cycle park to become a dumping ground for unwanted bikes.

Other Regional Press

• Weekend delays on ThameslinkPassengers flying from or to Gatwick or Luton airports should allow an hour longer to cross London from 11.45pm on Friday (January 30) to the early hours of Monday (February 2).
• Rail bosses prepare for snow with timetable changes to routes across West YorkshireNetwork Rail bosses urge passengers to check journey details before travelling

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• UK launches rail ‘vision statement’The UK’s Rail Supply Group (RSG), a partnership between the British government and rail equipment suppliers, has presented its ‘vision statement’ for growth in the sector over the next 10 years. By 2025, the strategy predicts that the UK rail industry will more than double export volumes, be a global leader in high-speed rail and create a sustainable skilled domestic workforce.
• Crossrail exhibition at London Transport MuseumA new exhibition on the construction of the £16bn Crossrail project opens next month at the London Transport Museum.
• Skanska team scoops £400m Waterloo station revampNetwork Rail Infrastructure has awarded a Skanska-led consortium the job to bring Waterloo International Terminal back into use for domestic train services.
• The Mayor and TfL lay the foundations for the development of properties across LondonThe Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and Transport for London (TfL) have today announced ambitious plans to develop TfL’s property estate by creating property development partnerships as part of its wider programme to generate £3.4bn in non fare revenue over the next ten years. The revenue generated will be reinvested in the transport network and help TfL and the Mayor bear down on fares.
• South West Trains presents Stagecoach with £16 million dividendAn increase in ticket revenues has seen South West Trains deliver a £16 million dividend to Stagecoach. As well as the increase in revenue from £866.8 million to £910.1 million, the rail provider enjoyed an increase in its government subsidy - which jumped from £133.5 million to £160.2 million in the year to April 26 2014. As profits were elevated, South West Trains also saw the cost of its franchise rise, from £415.1 million to £461.2 million. This meant the company was left with pre-tax profits of £29.7 million -...

Global Rail News

• WSP and Ramboll to design Helsinki-Espoo light rail lineWSP and Ramboll are to draw up detailed plans for a new dual-track light railway linking Helsinki and Espoo.
• Thales and Alstom awarded MTR resignalling contractAn Alstom/Thales joint venture has won a €330 million contract to resignal seven metro lines on Hong Kong’s urban rail network.
• UK launches rail ‘vision statement’The UK’s Rail Supply Group (RSG), a partnership between the British government and rail equipment suppliers, has presented its ‘vision statement’ for growth in the sector over the next 10 years.

Rail Magazine

• Caledonian Sleeper website launchedSleeper.scot allows passengers to book tickets up to a year in advance
• First D78 at Long Marston for DEMU conversionThe first D78 London Underground D-Stock train to be withdrawn from service has arrived at Vivarail’s Long Marston base, ready for conversion to a D-train.

Other News Sources

• Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin on Ilkeston Train stationOngoing concerns about the new Ilkeston Station have been taken to the top by Prospective MP for Erewash, Maggie Throup.
• ‘National rail ticketing holds back innovation’Arriva calls for Department for Transport  to review anachronistic regulations and outlines potential option for radical ticketing reform   A magnetic stripe ticket   Arriva has called for the Department for Transport to revise “anachronisticâ€� requirements for all train operators to provide a common national ticketing technology and sell tickets for every possible rail trip nationwide from station ticket offices. The Deutsche Bahn-owned transport group said maintaining these ‘network benefits’, along with inflexible pricing and station staffing rules, had limited the introduction of ...