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

Friday, 15 January 2010

BBC News

• Tickets to be used on rival buses in Oxfordshire Bus passengers in Oxford will soon be able to use the same ticket to travel with two different operators in a "ground-breaking" deal.
• Passengers confront rail bosses over Kent timetable Commuters have met railway bosses to complain about the impact of changes to timetables on services in Kent.
• Inquiry into late bus services in Somerset A public inquiry into the reliability of a Somerset bus service has been held by the senior traffic commissioner.
• Chiltern rail plans could cut travel times to London A £250m scheme which aims to cut rail journey times between London, Oxford and Birmingham has been announced.
• Rail crossing cyclists 'danger'A rail crossing in Porthmadog is a 'danger' to cyclists, according to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act
• City's bus strike threat avertedThe threat of more industrial action by First bus drivers in Aberdeen has been averted, it has been announced.
• Police cutting motorway patrolsPolice are to reduce their presence on motorways, as they say they are Northern Ireland's safest roads.

Department for Transport

• Franchise extension kick starts faster, more frequent journeys between London and Midlands Chiltern Railways are to be granted an extension to their rail franchise in return for making £250m of improvements which will cut journey times to the Midlands and could see a new main line from London Marylebone to Oxford established, Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis has announced.

Financial Times

• Chiltern plans line from London to OxfordOne of Britain's most successful train operators hopes to open the first rail route in a century between London and a UK city, as part of a £250m investment to keep its London Marylebone routes
• Tiger Air offering overcomes doubtsAn initial public offering by the Singapore-based budget airline has attracted institutional investors for all the shares on offer, in spite of initial criticism by some prospective investors

The Herald

• Opposition says SNP need new PPP deal for roads The big freeze has left the Scottish Government “caught like rabbits in the headlights” and should prompt it to consider private sector partnerships to pay for the devastating impact on the roads network, its opponents have claimed.
• FirstGroup shares drop by 4% as downturn weighs on market Shares in transport company FirstGroup plummeted 4% yesterday after it reported a continuing fall in revenues as the economic downturn and rising unemployment weighs on the sector.
• Axe hangs over Renfrew FerryThe Renfrew Ferry has survived more than 200 years of change on the Clyde, including the decline of the shipbuilding industry and the construction of the Clyde Tunnel and Kingston Bridge.
• Rail workers balloted in dispute over doorsA Scotland-wide rail strike could take place by mid-February following the failure of œlast-ditch talks between ScotRail and union representatives over who operates the doors on a new train service.

The Telegraph

• Network Rail chiefs would have bonuses cut under Tories Network Rail chiefs would have their bonuses cut if they fail passengers, under a Tory government, Theresa Villiers, the shadow transport secretary has said.
• Parliamentary sketch: frostbite on the platform of railway improvement Lord McNally’s train has been delayed. Some of us ask ourselves, when suffering from frostbite on a frozen platform because the train has not come, whether we feel strong enough to write to the train company to demand a refund, including the cost of having those of our toes which are beyond repair amputated.

Times Online

• Car giants giving false hope of emission-free future, report saysCar companies are raising false hopes of emission-free motoring in order to continue profiting from large, fuel-hungry vehicles, according to a study.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham Airport to remove frontline police officersBIRMINGHAM Airport is to remove frontline Police Community Support Officers and replace them with council traffic wardens.

Birmingham Post

• Government urged to make swift decision over Birmingham MetroThe head of Birmingham’s transport authority has urged ministers to make a swift decision about plans for a new £55 million tram system in Birmingham city centre.
• Bus operator calls for fairer competition in BirminghamBirmingham’s buses need to be “re-regulated” to give passengers the best service, one of the region’s public transport companies has said, Tom Scotney reports

Liverpool Post

• New planning laws to hit ports in Liverpool A CONTROVERSIAL planning shake-up will hit hopes of expanding northern ports such as Liverpool, MPs were warned yesterday.

London Evening Standard

• Tube staff taught new way to spot train bombersEXCLUSIVE: Police are using passengers’ body language to spot potential terrorists on London’s Tube and train network

Nottingham Evening Post

• Conservatives defend plan to cut gritting budget A ROW has broken out over plans to reduce the county council's gritting budget next year.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Rail crash probe to check records for any previous braking problems ReRAIL crash investigators working on the Carrbridge derailment are to check if drivers in similar trains have previously experienced braking problems.

The York Press

• Drivers advised of cheaper parking near York Railway Station A RAIL company is urging passengers with cars to park a short distance away from York station to save themselves up to £7.50.
• On-the-spot fines for cyclists who flout lights law A POLICE operation in York to catch cyclists who risk lives by breaking the rules of the road has been hailed a success.

Other Regional Press

• Cwmbran woman rallies support for streetlight campaign A CWMBRAN woman is looking to start up a campaign group in a bid to get the street lights in the area turned back on.
• Residents celebrate speed safety measures in MoiraResidents, walkers and cyclists are celebrating the completion of a £40,000 road safety scheme in the National Forest. Changes along a...
• Chiltern Trains' Oxford link seals franchise extensionCHILTERN Railways has secured the right to run trains between Oxfordshire and London until 2021 after the Government yesterday backed the firm™s plans to create a second route from Oxford to London.
• Chiltern Trains' Oxford link seals franchise extensionCHILTERN Railways has secured the right to run trains between Oxfordshire and London until 2021 after the Government yesterday backed the firm™s plans to create a second route from Oxford to London.
• School transport shake-up plan may cut down pupils’ free travelA proposed reorganisation of home-to-school transport could see a reduction in the number of children entitled to free travel.

The Economist

• Trouble down the track China’s love affair with high-speed rail is a boon to foreign suppliers—for now

Washington Post

• AP source: US calls for more security for flights WASHINGTON -- All airlines flying to the United States or within the country were told Thursday to prepare for even tighter security because of the al-Qaida threat from Yemen, a law enforcement official said.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Wincanton enhances foodservice operationsLogistics giant Wincanton has announced that it is injecting £3 million worth of investment into its foodservice infrastructure.The supply chain specialist is spending the additional money on developing a fully-composite distribution centre at its Trafford Park site in Manchester.Under the plans, the 110,000 sq ft facility is intended to support the expansion of the firm's foodservice operations and its growing presence within the sector, boosting throughput by more than 125 per cent.Wincanton foodservice managing director David Jones commented: "This site is just the beginni...

Transport for London

• Victorian-era Blackwall Tunnel to get 21st Century upgradeWork to improve safety, lighting and communications systems in the 112-year-old tunnel to begin on 7 February 2010. TfL's contractors, BAM Nuttall, to work at night to minimise disruption to road users.

Green Miscellany

• The cheapest electric car in the world If you can overlook its three-wheel configuration, its lack of a conventional steering wheel and the absence of any doors then the £4,000 BugE on display this week at the Detroit Motor Show is a good candidate for the title of cheapest electric car in the world.read more

Other News Sources

• Recession Pounds Rail Industry; Trains Carry 20% Less Cargo Than in 2008Recession Pounds Rail Industry; Trains Carry 20% Less Cargo Than in 2008
• £75 million wasted on rail franchising since 2003RAIL UNION RMT today slammed the government for 'presiding over a culture of private waste' on the railways after new figures obtained by RMT parliamentary convenor John McDonnell revealed that the cost of designing and tendering rail franchises since 2003 is a staggering £75 million.
• Calmac look to diversify into air travelScottish Government owned firm may lease to £2million aircraft to safeguard lifeline services to Isle of Barra.
• Bid for more cycle racks is 'stopped in its tracks' COUNCILLORS have hit out after a plea for more cycle racks at Cambridge railway station was snubbed by rail bosses.
• Big freeze could cost county council millions in road repairs : 06:00 - 15 January 2010A month of snow and subzero temperatures is likely to have caused major damage to Hertfordshire s roads and Hertfordshire Highways is asking for patience while they tackle the mammoth task of assessing the damage and making repairs. The worst condition...
• Network rail renews agreement with travel consortium Three-year extension for Portman, Capita and Hotelscene
• Network rail renews agreement with travel consortium Three-year extension for Portman, Capita and Hotelscene
• New train line to Oxford Chiltern Railways has announced plans to build a new rail link from London's Marylebone station to Oxford.
• Lord Adonis faces first departmental questionsTransport secretary Lord Adonis was the first ever secretary of state to take departmental questions in the Lords today, following a change in Parliamentary procedure.
• Jarvis Rail wins infrastructure work worth up to £91mJarvis announced today that its subsidiary Jarvis Rail has been awarded a Network Rail contract worth a potential £91 million.

News from Europe

• EU mergers and takeoversThe following are mergers under review by the European Commission, and a brief guide to the EU merger process French rail company Transport et Logistique Partenaires SA, part of French rail operator SNCF, to acquire Swiss rival Financiere Ermewa SA (notified Nov. 25/deadline Jan. 22)
• Railway sector seeking EU funds for projects The railway sector stands a chance of obtaining funds from the European Union and so far an application for the payment of zł.1.25 billion has been delivered to Brussels. The application concerns the payment for tracks to be repaired on the route from Wrocław to Poznań.
• Rail Baltica project is not ambitious enough Estonia’s Eurocommissioner Siim Kallas, who aspires for the post of European Transport Commissioner, said on Thursday that one of the reasons why the Rail Baltica project is lagging is that it isn’t ambitious enough, Eesti Päevaleht Online/LETA reports.
• Fraport Traffic Figures - December and Full Year 2009: Traffic at Frankfurt Airport Continues to Climb in December First Increase in Passenger Figures in One and a Half Years - Airfreight Up 29 Percent - Traffic Turnaround Definitely in Progress
• http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1562757?UserKey=CZECH REPUBLIC: Wagon manufacturer LOSTR has signed an agreement to produce Voith Turbo's Maxima diesel-hydraulic locomotives under licence.

Other Subscription Services

• Labour and Tories back longer rail franchisesBritain's rail franchising system is poised for a major overhaul under the next government, according to plans set out this week.Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers last night (13 January)...