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

Wednesday, 18 November 2009

BBC News

• Lord Adonis on stations revamp [video]Ten railway stations in England most in need of modernisation are to get £50m to carry out urgent improvements.
• Preferred CityBus bidder revealed The preferred bidder for the purchase of Plymouth CityBus has been announced by the city council. Transport group Go-Ahead has been selected to acquire the business and its fleet of 173 buses and 11 coaches. A decision will be made on 30 November.
• Oyster roll-out 'early next year' London commuters will be able to use pay-as-you-go Oyster cards on the city's suburban overland rail network by early next year, officials said.
• School's bypass costs criticised Campaigners against the Aberdeen bypass have criticised the £51m cost of moving a school to make way for the road.
• What makes a terrible railway station? The Transport Secretary Lord Adonis is touring the 10 railway stations in England that are most in need of improvements. But what makes a bad railway station?
• Forth bridge legislation unveiled Scottish ministers have unveiled the legislation needed to build the new Forth road bridge, amid an on-going funding row with the UK government.
• Delight at railway station funds Liverpool Central railway station is set for a share of a £50m fund aimed at improving Britain's worst stations.
• Decision on Forth hovercraft due Plans for a new passenger ferry service across the Forth have been drawn up and are to be considered by councillors in Edinburgh next week.
• Carbon market clouded by uncertainty The offices of London's carbon trading companies are a little quieter than usual.
• Revamp funding for three stations Transport chiefs said Manchester Victoria station could be "the jewel in the city's crown" after it was chosen to benefit from part of £50m funding.
• Train drivers continue slow-downs Train drivers continue to reduce speeds at gate-free railway level crossings following the deaths of three people, a railway workers' union has said.
• Full steam aheadFresh signs of life for the US railroad industry
• Super-jumbo flights to seat 840Budget flights using the world's largest aircraft are planned, carrying up to 840 people on each flight.

Financial Times

• Fuel costs eat into EasyJet's profits The low-cost airline reported a 50% fall in profits to £54.7m after it was hit by a £330m charge for hedging its fuel requirements, despite a sharp fall in the price of oil
• Tankers store oil as futures prices rocketA research by a London shipbroker reveals that one in 12 of the world's largest crude oil tankers are being used to store oil rather than move it from place to place

The Guardian

• You ask, they answer: Campaign for Better Transport Put your questions to Campaign for Better Transport, formerly known as Transport 2000
• Boris accused of £17m 'bonus bonanza' for London transport staff Lib Dems say figures are a 'slap in the face' for London commuters Transport for London staff were paid £17m in bonuses under the watch of Boris Johnson, it emerged today.
• EasyJet warns of 'tough winter ahead' Slowing passenger growth and a misplaced bet on fuel prices forced easyJet into defending the budget airline business as Europe's second largest no-frills carrier reported a 65% slump in annual profits.
• Speed cameras – the bigger picture On Wednesday the London assembly member Victoria Borwick will, on my behalf, put a series of questions to the mayor, Boris Johnson, relating to the present plight of the London Safety Camera Partnership, a road safety initiative designed to reduce speeding and the number of vehicles running red lights in the capital.
• Brutish rail! Makeover for worst stations (9 pictures)The 10 worst train stations in Britain are set to undergo a £50m upgrade. All 10 stations and interchanges scored below 50% against the proposed minimum standards when inspected. Here are nine of them - Wigan North Western, unfortunately, we will have to leave to you imagination ...
• Aeroplane to carry 800 passengersLong-distance carrier orders 'high density' A380 to hold most passengers ever to fly in a single aeroplaneThe retail adage

The Telegraph

• Railway stations have turned into little hells The worst station in the land is Manchester Victoria, and Clapham Junction is held not much dearer in passengers' embittered hearts, we report today.

Times Online

• Britain's best railway stations Few people would disagree that St Pancras, the magnificently restored Victorian station that is now the terminus for Eurostar, is the finest station in Britain. Since it reopened in 2007, after a lengthy restoration that cost £800 million, it has won several major architectural and conservation awards.
• Former world champion John Surtees tests electric car under the ChannelThere are few things more tempting to a petrolhead than 31 miles (50 km) of clear track, and no corners.
• Rising fuel prices force up inflationHouseholds already struggling through the longest recession on record face yet more pressure after inflation rose sharply in October ” with the expectation of a continued climb.
• Taxpayer to suffer as Vauxhall limits job lossesThe new head of Vauxhall said yesterday he was confident that far fewer than 800 workers in the UK would be made redundant as the carmaker indicated that it wanted loans and guarantees from the British taxpayer.

The Mirror

• EasyJet profits dive despite cash riseBudget airline easyJet has seen profits fall 65% despite raising fares and raking in an extra £94million from rip-off baggage charges.

ATOC

• STATIONS REPORT WELCOME AND SHOULD LEAD TO GREATER ROLE FOR TRAIN COMPANIES SAYS ATOCMichael Roberts, Chief Executive at the Association of Train Operating Companies commenting on the station champion™s report “ œBetter Rail Stations published this morning said:"Stations are the shop front for the railways.  This is a comprehensive report which rightly highlights that while passenger satisfaction with stations has risen in recent years, much more needs to be done to deliver a consistently good station experience."

Network Rail

• NEW LIFTS AT TWYFORD STATION PROVIDE ACCESS FOR ALL

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham International railway station 'should be among the worst' Business leaders in Birmingham have expressed amazement that Birmingham International was not listed as one of the worst rail stations in the country.

Journal Live

• Passenger fury at ticket hikes on East Coast Main LinePASSENGER groups reacted with anger last night after it emerged some fares on the renationalised East Coast rail line are to increase.

London Evening Standard

• Electric car plug rules relaxedPlanning rules hacked back to encourage the spread of electric cars in London and other big cities

Nottingham Evening Post

• 'Electrify rail line instead of widening A453' ELECTRIFYING the Midland Main Line would bring more benefits to Nottingham than widening the A453, an inquiry heard.
• Brian Parbutt: Why we should be proud of our buses The chairman of Nottingham City Transport, Coun Brian Parbutt, outlines the importance of buses in the city and why control of the service should remain in Nottingham
• Transport plan clash fears FEARS have been raised that the city and county councils could be heading for clashes over transport spending priorities. It comes as the authorities consider a new way of planning how they spend Government cash for improvements to roads, public transport, cycling and walking routes.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• First electric car in the north takes to the roads in Cairngorms National ParkTHE first electric car in the Highlands has taken to the roads and streets of the Cairngorms National Park.

The York Press

• Better Rail Stations report suggests improved parking at York Station MORE and better parking facilities should be introduced at York Station, according to a landmark report into Britain’s rail services.
• Cycle lanes in Boroughbridge Road and Tadcaster Road/Mount Vale to be widened CYCLE lanes on two of York™s main roads are being repainted and widened.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Cash for worst train stationsLuton railway station is to get a slice of £50m to carry out improvement works.
• 'Good future' for UK Vauxhall plantsCar giant General Motors has raised hopes for the long-term future of Vauxhall factories in Luton and Ellesmere Port despite pressing ahead with plans to axe up to 10,000 jobs

Reading Evening Post

• Passengers should go via Paddington while Waterloo line closed Flood damage to a railway bridge on the Reading to Waterloo line is expected to disrupt journeys for commuters for the remainder of the week.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Road users urged to help mitigate effects of winterThe deteriorating winter weather could cause delays and other problems on Britain's roads and motorists are being asked by the Highways Agency to do as much as they can to mitigate its effects.According to the road body, during the coming months drivers should "play their part in keeping the nation moving" by carrying out preparations in the event of storms or ice and only travelling where necessary in difficult conditions.A recent poll by the Highways Agency - an executive unit of the Department for Transport - discovered that over half had experienced some form of severe we...

Other News Sources

• New train timetables omit high speed services - action groups complain LOCAL rail action groups are up in arms with rail authorities after it emerged that details of a flagship high speed train service is not listed in train timetable booklets.
• Crossrail’s chairman says the £16bn project is set to push ahead in 2010Crossrail’s boss says that London needs Europe’s largest building project The last time I saw Terry Morgan was a year ago at 2am, underneath Leicester Square. Then he was the Tube Lines chief executive and was standing on the underground tracks between Leicester Square and Covent Garden stations, telling a couple of engineers exactly what he thought of their work.
• Southampton Central station is too good for extra funding S O U T H A M P T O N Central railway station has missed out on extra investment because passengers were found to be too satisfied with the city’s facilities.
• New high speed rail services for ItalyJourney times to be slashedread more

News from Europe

• German freight trains show severe safety defects Almost one in every five freight trains is travelling through Germany with safety defects, according to a television report. Germany's rail authority has warned operators to improve controls.