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

Friday, 19 March 2010

BBC News

• Pollution row over tram diversion A residents' group in Edinburgh's west end has said traffic diversions for tram works have made air pollution so bad that they fear for their health.
• Lorry shunt motorway footage sparks probe Dramatic footage has emerged of a lorry apparently pushing a car sideways along a motorway in Yorkshire.
• Aberdeen university to asses electric motoring market The potential market for electric vehicles is to be examined by experts from the University of Aberdeen.
• More seats for East Midlands rail passengers Rail passengers in the East Midlands are to benefit from more seats on peak time services, it has been announced.
• Tram extension decision announcedPlans to extend the Midland Metro tram service from its current finish in Birmingham are given the go-ahead.
• New buses to improve rural routesBus services for rural areas of Northern Ireland are to be improved with the purchase of 48 new vehicles.
• Plague warning for Crossrail siteThe government warns traces of bubonic plague or anthrax could be found at a site of the £16bn cross-London Crossrail scheme.
• Bus station revamp gets go-aheadThe frequency of services on Glasgow's subway is to be reduced during off-peak times in a bid to save cash.
• UK car production rises sharplyUK car production jumped sharply in February, up 62.7% from a year ago, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says.
• Deutsche Bahn confirms Arriva bidDeutsche Bahn, the German national rail company, has confirmed its bid for Arriva, the UK transport group.
• BA strike talks to resume laterTalks between British Airways and the Unite union aimed at averting strike action will resume on Friday morning.

Department for Transport

• New London 2010 recruits to sniff out safer stationsA new team of explosives sniffer dogs will be deployed at key railway stations to help keep visitors to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games safe from harm, Transport Minister Paul Clark announced today as he saw the dogs in action at Stratford International station.
• Weston-Super-Mare To Benefit From £16m Transport Upgrade Weston-super-Mare is to one step closer to benefitting from a £16m package of infrastructure improvements, Transport Minister Paul Clark announced today whilst in the West Country.
• Funding boost provides more seats for commuters Commuters in South Yorkshire and the East Midlands will benefit from longer trains on peak time services thanks to a £17.8m Government funding boost, Transport Minister Chris Mole announced today.
• Funding boost provides more seats for North West commuters Commuters in the North West are set to benefit from longer trains on peak services thanks to a £17.8m Government funding boost, Transport Minister Chris Mole announced today.
• Thousands more seats for London's rail passengers Commuters on the First Capital Connect 'Great Northern' route into London are set to benefit from more frequent and longer trains, thanks to more than £27m of Government funding, Transport Minister Chris Mole announced today.
• Transport StatisticsThe Department for Transport has today published the following Transport Statistics:

Financial Times

• North-east hails Nissan™s electric car moveThe decision to site European production of the Leaf electric car at Sunderland has been welcomed in north-east England as a historic announcement and the start of a new era
• BA talks continue with strike loomingThe UK carrier is on course for its first strike in almost 13 years after talks with the Unite union stretched into the evening but failed to resolve the row

The Guardian

• BA strike talks enter final dayTalks with the Unite union to avert tomorrow's three-day strike by cabin crew are 'hanging by a thread'Attempts to prevent a weekend strike by British Airways cabin crew are set to enter their final day after senior figures at BA and the Unite trade union continued to wrangle over a compromise deal last night.The BA chief executive, Willie Walsh, and the joint general secretary of Unite, Tony Woodley, were attempting to draw up a document that would allow the union to suspend a three-day walkout due to begin tomorrow.It is understood that the face-to-face talks at the TUC headquarters in Londo...

The Herald

• Tram developers ˜responsible for delays™Edinburgh™s tram developers agreed to shoulder the risk of a key phase of preparatory works that are running nearly two years late, the main contractor has alleged.
• Garl™s demise good news for fast bus planIt was always the Cinderella transport project during a decade of rapid development and unbridled, if sometimes outlandish, optimism as to what could be achieved during Glasgow™s transformation from post-industrial waste land to European destination.
• Government ministers ˜knew of rail strike risk™ since last FebruaryThe Scottish Government was warned more than a year ago that it risked sparking a rail strike by approving staffing arrangements on a new east-west train service, correspondence published yesterday revealed.
• City boost as Salmond backs £40m tram linkGlasgow™s long-awaited trams-on-wheels project will receive Scottish Government funding and be operational by 2014, according to the chairman of the company set up to deliver the scheme.

The Scotsman

• BA talks resume as time runs outTalks to avert a damaging strike by British Airways cabin crew are resuming as time runs out on efforts to break a deadlocked row over cost-cutting.

The Telegraph

• Union behind BA strike receives £18m from taxpayers in 'money-laundering' deal with Labour The union behind the British Airways strike has received £18million from taxpayers under Labour, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

Network Rail

• £30M INVESTMENT FOR VICTORIA STATION Network Rail has announced a £30m package of work to make Manchester’s Victoria station fit for the 21st century. The work is being jointly funded by Network Rail, Manchester City Council/NWDA and GMITA, working alongside Northern Rail who manage the station. It will include a new roof, a better, brighter and more open concourse and improved facilities for passengers.
• PLANNING PERMISSION SOUGHT FOR NEW STATION AT KIRKSTALL FORGE
• TIP-TOP TIPTON STATION REOPENS A MONTH EARLY
• WORKS STARTS TO MAKE CANTERBURY WEST STATION MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE

Birmingham Mail

• High speed rail fares will be the same as slower trains Fares on the proposed high-speed rail (HSR) network would not be higher than on slower trains, according to Government plans, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said today.
• £127m scheme to expand tram network in Birmingham A £127 million scheme to expand and improve a region's tram network was given initial funding approval by the Government today.

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham Metro extension given planning approval by Government A £127 million scheme to expand and improve the West Midlands tram network has been given initial funding approval by the Government.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tram and roads chaos drive public view of city council to all-time lowPUBLIC satisfaction with the city council has slumped to a two-year low amid complaints over traffic congestion and growing calls to scrap the tram project completely.

Liverpool Post

• Port of Liverpool’s £100m expansion should start next year UPGRADING the Port of Liverpool to be able to handle the biggest ships in the world looks set to finally start next year.

London Evening Standard

• Cycle helmets do save lives but the proof has been buried, says MPHelmets could prevent the deaths of one in seven cyclists involved in serious road accidents, say researchers
• Tories: We could not give Crossrail go-ahead until we look at the Treasury booksLondon's long-awaited Crossrail scheme was thrown into fresh doubt as Kenneth Clarke raised a question mark over its funding package
• Last-ditch BA strike deal ’too late to halt massive disruption’British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh locked in last-minute discussions with senior union leaders

Manchester Evening News

• Extra train carriages to ease over crowding Train passengers in Greater Manchester will get much-needed extra train carriages under a £17.8m funding boost announced by the government.

Newcastle Journal

• Polluting ships have been doing the climate a favourNew restrictions on sulphur emissions from shipping will save thousands of lives “ but cutting back will take another brake off global warming

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• New bid to make bus travel more attractive AN OVERHAUL of bus routes will aim to link up communities and make it easier for people to get around.

Nottingham Evening Post

• More carriages for overcrowded trains THE most overcrowded service on East Midlands Trains' network will have carriages from next year – providing an extra 1,500 seats a day.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• EasyJet claims ˜UK™s national airline™ tagEASYJET has claimed the mantle of the UK™s favourite airline for a second year running “ putting troubled flag carrier British Airways (BA) well in the shade.
• North minister brands rail firm callous over crossings A Church of Scotland minister has branded Network Rail bosses œcallous and œself-righteous because of their attitude towards safety at level crossings in the Highlands.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Plans for a new Leeds railway station submittedPlans for a new railway station have been submitted to Leeds council.
• High speed fares to be the same as for slower trainsFares on the proposed high-speed rail (HSR) network would not be higher than on slower trains, according to Government plans, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said toda

Carlisle News & Star

• County council reveals road changes ahead of Workington bridge openingChanges are to be made to the roads system in Workington to keep traffic flowing once a temporary road bridge opens.

Sunderland Echo

• Nissan Leaf deal safeguards thousands of jobsThousands of jobs are safe today after Nissan announced plans to manufacture its new electric car on Wearside.
• Rivals may be eyeing ArrivaWearside transport giant Arriva could be facing a takeover battle with a German rival.

West Sussex Gazette

• Pollution concerns on county's congested roadsWEST Sussex roads have become so congested that six areas in the county are suffering from such excessive air pollution from traffic that they exceed government guidelines for

Other Regional Press

• Take-off for new jobs at airportTHIRTY new jobs could be created if Humberside Airport chiefs are given the go-ahead to build a 100-room hotel. Bosses at the Kirmington-ba...
• Third time unlucky for bus operatorA ST IVES bus operator has been told he can no longer run local services after a third public inquiry by the Traffic Commissioner. Nicholas...
• Call for SPT probe to look at fundingThe Liberal Democrats have called for an inquiry into Strathclyde Partnership for Transport to be widened to consider funding.

New Scientist

• Crystals + sound + water = clean hydrogen fuelA novel material absorbs the energy of sound waves and uses it to rip apart water molecules, releasing hydrogen gas

Campaign for Better Transport

• We've built a coalition against ticket office cuts18 March: We've objected to cuts proposed by South West Trains, together with nine other organisations. read more

Transport for London

• TfL's Travel Information Centres celebrate 70th year with opening of new centre at King's Cross St. PancrasLondon's Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, has celebrated the 70th year of Transport for London's (TfL's) Travel Information Centres with the opening of a new, larger centre at King's Cross St. Pancras Tube station.

Aviation Industry

• Virgin America to add nine aircraft, serve Toronto, OrlandoVirgin America yesterday announced it will add nine A320s (six arriving this year and three scheduled in the 2011 first quarter), bringing its fleet to 37 and enabling it to launch new daily flights to Orlando International from Los Angeles and San Francisco on Aug. 19.

Other News Sources

• Park and ride charging plan to end congestion THOUSANDS of commuters could face parking charges at Birmingham railway stations – because they are too popular. Birmingham City Council said the cash would be used to pay for multi-storey car decks to ease the burden of overcrowded park and ride areas at stations across the city.
• Wheelie good car-parking dealChesterfield Borough Council is hoping to drive more residents into the town centre with a wheelie good offer for motorists.
• Power for hybrid electric busesThe first of the hybrid electric systems that will power 56 double-decker buses in Oxford and Manchester has been delivered by BAE Systems to bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited.
• Transport policy 'in disarray' Passengers are suffering at the hands of Labour's failure to upgrade the intercity rail fleet, the Tories have said.
• London Underground PPP funding gap UK: London Underground is considering its options, including 'legal remedies', after PPP Arbiter Chris Bolt directed on March 10 that work to maintain and upgrade the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines in the seven and half years of Review Period 2 from July 1 2010 should cost £4·46bn.
• Police investigate YouTube videoPolice say they are investigating an incident following the appearance, initially on YouTube, of a video that seems to show a car being pushed up a motorway by an artic powder tanker.
• 'Cross the picket line' Cameron demandsDavid Cameron urged the prime minister to encourage British Airways workers to cross the picket line today, during a rowdy PMQs session focusing on the strike action.
• Conservatives attack Labour™s ˜limited™ high speed rail visionThe Conservatives have attacked Labour™s plan for Britain™s £30bn high speed rail network, claiming the route is fl awed and that it will take too long to start work.
• Peace deal in busway disputeCambridgeshire County Council™s decision to go public over its dispute with guided busway contractor Bam Nuttall this week yielded immediate results with senior executives stepping in to resolve the issues.
• Birmingham wins high speed focusBirmingham is set to become one of the biggest benefactors of government proposals for a new high speed rail network, as it will be brought to within 31 minutes of London.
• Euston to be Labour high speed rail hubBritain™s £30bn high speed rail line from London to Scotland will be centred on Euston station and not Heathrow airport, transport secretary Lord Adonis revealed this week.
• MPs criticise Government policy on portsAn influential committee of parliamentarians says the UK Government's National Policy Statement for Ports is not fit for purpose.
• Potholes worse than during war-time A LIB Dem county councillor has compared Hampshire™s pothole-ridden roads with a bomb site.
• Atkins walks off with huge £300m Oxfordshire highways contractAtkins is believed to have won Oxfordshire County Council™s £300 million integrated highways maintenance contract, which has the potential to double in value.
• 'Rail station facelift is what you all deserve'Blueprints unveiled for new-look Bedford railway station

News from Europe

• Interpipe to host 17th International Wheelset CongressThe International Wheelset Congress is one of the world leading events in the rail industry and is held every three years. The first congress took place in 1963 in Italy and has taken place in other countries including the USA, Canada, China, Japan, Australia and other locations all over the world.
• Talgo train factory, Ingeteam wind power factory win city approvalTwo Spanish companies that are opening factories in Milwaukee - one to build and maintain high-speed trains, the other to make wind power parts - had their financial arrangements approved Thursday by the city Redevelopment Authority.
• Rail Emergency Pushbutton Switch meets TSI-PRM standards.Designed for use by disabled passengers, especially visually impaired, Series 56 meets European Technical Specifications of Interoperability for Persons with Reduced Mobility (TSI-PRM) standards. Design features large pushbutton within bright yellow triangular bezel, which is visible in all light levels. Also, SOS is printed in ink and Braille text. Letters are 15 mm high, and Braille is raised more than 0.5 mm high.
• United States Department of Transportation Visits French National Railway Operator, SNCF, to Learn More About European High Speed Rail PARIS - (Business Wire) A delegation of officials from the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) yesterday completed a fact finding visit to French National Railway Operator, SNCF, to learn more about European high speed rail systems and operations. SNCF owns and operates France’s TGV, the country’s premier high speed rail network, and is a driving force behind much of Europe’s high speed rail industry.
• Companies are invited to apply for Marco Polo funding to fight road congestion and make freight transport greenerThe European Commission has published the fourth call for proposals for the creation and upgrade of freight transport services under the second Marco Polo programme. The projects to be chosen will fight congestion on European roads and improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system, which are two main objectives of the EU transport policy. Companies across the European Union and beyond are invited to submit proposals as from today.
• EESC calls for a green and competitive transport sector European transport policy needs to face the challenge of maintaining the sector's competitiveness whilst curbing emissions of greenhouse gases. This can be achieved through steps having a rapid, direct and tangible effect on costs, argues the opinion adopted by the EESC plenary on 17 March 2010.
• EU grants to move freight off roadsTHE EU Commission has launched a €64 million grant scheme aimed at moving freight from roads to more environmentally friendly transport forms such as rail or short-sea crossings.