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

Thursday, 19 February 2015

BBC News

• Rail delays spark tweet complaintsFrustrated commuters sent train companies more than 280,000 tweets about delays last year, research finds.
• Tram stop reopens in £44m upgradeThe tram stop at Manchester's Victoria Station reopens after a year as part of a £44m refurbishment of the site.
• Tube staff assaults 'up by 44%'Assaults on London Underground (LU) staff members have risen by 44% since 2009, figures show.

Financial Times

• Labour pledges to bin rail franchisesDugher blasts privatisation as ‘disaster’ and promises publicly run operators

The Independent

• Large sections of the rail network could be publicly run under Labour Large stretches of Britain's railway network would be returned to public control as soon as possible after the election by a Labour government, the shadow Transport Secretary has said.

Mail Online

• Network Rail destroys Wiltshire Victorian bridge and replaces it with metal 'monstrosity'  The brick bridge in Brinkworth, Wiltshire, stood over the Great Western main line for more than 100 years - but its level had to be raised by four inches to fit a new overhead power line.
• Rail privatisation has been a 'disaster' and the public sector will start running trains say Labour Shadow transport minister Michael Dugher said privatisation had been a 'disaster', although he stressed Labour was not championing the return of the state-run British Rail.

Network Rail

• Network Rail station retail records strong growthA strong Christmas sales period, coupled with consistent October and November trading has helped Network Rail record positive like-for-like retail sales growth of 6.06% in the final quarter of 2014, the 11th successive quarter or growth. The British Retail Consortium in contrast announced 0.10% growth for the quarter.
• Network Rail Consulting Appoints Ron Hartman to lead North American OperationsNetwork Rail Consulting, a wholly owned subsidiary of Network Rail – the owner and operator of Britain’s railway infrastructure, has appointed Ron Hartman as its new vice president of North America.
• Network Rail Consulting Ltd certified to British Standard BS 10500:2011 (anti-bribery management system)Network Rail Consulting Ltd is delighted to announce that it has achieved certification to BS 10500:2011 in recognition of our continuing commitment to anti-bribery best practice.
• Wanted! 18 apprentices from the east of EnglandNetwork Rail is seeking to recruit 18 young people from the east of England for its award-winning apprenticeship scheme, as it continues the largest investment into the railway since Victorian times.
• Network Rail’s new bridge programme will reduce road closure time for drivers in Vale of GlamorganNetwork Rail has reduced the time it will take to replace an ageing railway bridge in the Vale of Glamorgan with a larger and improved structure. The new bridge will help to reduce a road traffic bottleneck as well as future-proofing the railway for electrification.
• Poole level crossing to close over two weekends while rail improvement work takes placeNetwork Rail / South West Trains Alliance is about to begin a programme of track renewals in the Poole area, as part of its continued investment in improving the railway.
• Talented apprentices wanted in WalesNetwork Rail is seeking to recruit young people in Wales and the borders for its award-winning apprenticeship scheme, as it continues the largest investment into the railway since Victorian times.
• An improved Foxhall Road bridge in Didcot is reopenedFoxhall Road bridge in Didcot reopened yesterday, Tuesday 17 February, after work to prepare it for the electrification of the railway was completed along with improvement work to make the bridge more accessible and safer for its users.

Belfast Telegraph

• Rail privatisation 'a disaster'A public sector operator will be running trains as soon as possible under a Labour government, with the current franchising system set to be scrapped, the shadow transport secretary has indicated.

London Evening Standard

• Attacks on Tube workers up by 44 per cent since 2009 Assaults on Tube station staff have soared in five years - with alcohol to blame for more than one in four recent incidents.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• East Coast main line could one day be run by public sector if Labour have their waySpokesman confirms reforms by Labour could one day see the public sector bid to take on the East Coast Main Line

Northern Echo

• Hopes raised for Darlington railway museum regeneration ANTICIPATION is growing over plans to regenerate a railway museum, but a council leader has warned there will be only

The York Press

• The rebuilding of York's Scarborough Bridge - six great photos GOING, going... and back again! As engineering challenges go, it was a doozy.

Wales Online

• British Transport Police investigate fight on board train from Barry to Merthyr TydfilOfficers are asking for the public's help to find out what happened

Crewe Chronicle

• Network Rail is looking into ways of preventing further incidents of dogs drowning in a culvert near to Hall Lane in ElworthPup Brian was swept underwater and drowned

Other Regional Press

• Getting the message – rail delays spark tweet complaintsTrain delays – it’s a topic which frustrates travellers the world over. Last year alone commuters bombarded companies with more than 280,000 tweets about journey disruption.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Victoria line to increase capacity by 40%Transport for London (TfL) have announced plans to upgrade the Victoria line so that it can run trains as frequently as once every 100 seconds during busy times. The Victoria line currently transports over 200 million passengers every year, and demand is set to rise further as London’s population grows. The improvements will provide a welcome 40 per cent capacity increase for the line. The points at Walthamstow central crossover currently prevent TfL from running more than 24 trains per hour along the route. The work will involve completely rebuilding the crossover, which is a projec...

Rail Magazine

• New fine dining menu launched on the Pullman rail serviceNew menu launched on rail service in South West of England
• Poetic campaign to reduce passenger delays launched by TfLPoetry competition to raise awareness of journey disruption issues.
• VIDEO: Network Rail level crossing safety filmSchool attended by two girls killed at Elsenham level crossing has helped make a film to raise awareness of the dangers

Railnews

• Eurostar passenger numbers rise Eurostar has reported that the number of people using its cross-Channel services to continental Europe rose by 3 per cent in 2014, reaching and all-time record of 10.4 million. Business travel, which was badly affected by the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, rose by 4 per cent, which Eurostar attributed to 'the strong recovery in the UK economy'. Operating profit was up 2 per cent, to £55.0 million. The figures have been released as the Government continues to assess whether it should sell the 40% British stake in Eurostar.
• GB Railfreight beats DB Schenker for sleeper contract Eurotunnel subsidiary GB Railfreight has won the £100 million contract to haul Caledonian Sleepers for Serco from 1 April, beating the long-standing operator DB Schenker. DBS had been hauling sleepers for more than a decade, but its current contract with FirstGroup ends when Serco takes over the newly-created separate Caledonian Sleeper franchise this spring. GBRf said the win was a 'significant development'.

Other News Sources

• GO-AHEAD ENJOYS £200M REVENUE RISEGo-Ahead Group, the company behind Govia Thameslink Railway, has reported a revenue rise of almost £200m during what its chairman described as a "very busy period".
• Heathrow Express app removes need for printed ticketsImproved app helps users book tickets and provide service updates