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

Monday, 26 April 2010

BBC News

• Next stage of Birmingham New Street station work begins Work is beginning on the next stage of a £595m project to transform Birmingham New Street station.
• Hail-a-ride bus for Denbighshire countryside A "hail-a-ride" bus service is being launched to try and open up parts of the Denbighshire countryside and encourage visitors to ditch their cars.
• No agreement on London transport direction Transport is still high on the political agenda in the build-up to the general election - ash clouds and rail strikes see to that.
• Opposite lanesCarmakers bring contrasting fortunes

Financial Times

• Bottleneck Britain needs Heathrow's third runway It's hard to think of a better test of a nation's dependence on air transport and travel than a complete and extended shutdown of its airports. The volcanic ash cloud divided Britons into those (at home) relishing the silence and clear skies and those (abroad) cursing the lack of alternative routes home.

The Guardian

• Britain's assets are slowly being nationalised, unfortunately not by us The Deutsche Bahn bid for Arriva is evidence our open door policy towards foreign takeovers is starting to look absurd

The Herald

• Ministers face court challenge over £400m bypass decisionPlans for one of Scotland™s major new roads will be thrown into doubt this week when campaigners announce they are taking the Scottish Government to court.
• Plane crazyVirgin Atlantic boss Sir Richard Branson has branded the blanket ban on flights because of the volcanic ash as an œover-reaction as pressure grows on the UK Government to compensate airlines whose planes were grounded for up to six days.

The Telegraph

• Smiths Group offers in-flight internet and mobile phone calls Travellers may have to wave goodbye to one of the last refuges from the BlackBerry and mobile phone, if a new wireless internet connection for planes from Smiths Group takes off.
• China's super-rich are driving luxury car sales boom It is difficult to take your eyes off an £800,000 automobile, which perhaps explains why the Rolls-Royce Phantom at this week's Beijing Auto Show was that rare thing, a car attracting more avid attention than the skimpily-clad models preening over the bonnets of lesser brands.
• Volcano ash cloud: airports seek government rescue after £80m loss Britain's airports have asked the government for help after losing £80m.

Times Online

• The Andrew Davidson interview: Jim FrenchThe boss of Flybe puts it simply. “Not in my wildest dreams did I expect this to happen,” says Jim French, studying the sky outside his Exeter office. “This is my 40th year in the industry, and I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
• Volcanic cloud comes with silver lining for Skyscanner The online flight-search firm has been inundated since the eruption in Iceland
• Rail and airline chiefs attempt to avert strikes in run-up to football World CupRail and airline chiefs return to the negotiating table this week to try to head off a round of strikes in the run-up to the football World Cup.
• Put up or shut up, insists Forth Ports to biddersFORTH PORTS will seek an end to months of bidding uncertainty this week when it asks the Takeover Panel to issue a œput up or shut up deadline to a consortium of shareholders.

Daily Express

• HOW FIRST-CLASS TRAINS HAVE GONE OFF THE RAILS GREEDY train companies are jeopardising the future of first-class travel by using the service to boost profits, passengers have warned.

Mail Online

• New train ticket website targets a £6bn market A battle for the multi-billion pound online train ticket sales market is set to break out this week with the launch of a rival to the long-established thetrainline.com.

Network Rail

• £10M TO INVEST IN THE FUTURE OF A BRUNEL MASTERPIECE The most complex plan ever to refurbish the Royal Albert bridge has been finalised and Network Rail will soon be tendering for contract to carry out the improvement work.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Assembly urged to buy up Welsh railways THE Welsh Assembly Government should acquire the rail network of Wales and set up a company to operate track and trains together claims a railway campaign group.

Sheffield Star

• Speed cameras to be removedONE-third of fixed speed cameras on South Yorkshire roads could be removed, police chiefs have revealed.

Wales Online

• City’s new bus conductors will be just the ticket BUS conductors are making a return to public transport in Swansea – and rather than just collecting tickets, they are providing tourism advice and giving history lessons.

Carlisle News & Star

• WORKINGTON TEMPORARY RAIL STATION MAY BECOME PERMANENT Workington's temporary railway station could become permanent – if enough people keep using it.

Peterborough Telegraph

• First tram arrives for city scheme The first tram for Scotland's capital has arrived in the city. The 141ft (43m) long vehicle, which can carry 250 people, was transported to Edinburgh from Germany after a successful series of tests.

Other News Sources

• Rail improvements worth £3.4bn to the region's economy Improvements to the rail network could lead to a billion pound boost for the region's economy, a new report has revealed.
• Sustrans bring new local travel routes in Treforest Walking and cycling routes plans are made in the region to ensure pedestrians are given paths and routes to benefit their health
• Spooks technology sends bus crime plummeting Police armed with ’Spooks’-style gadgets have cut bus crime in half on one of Birmingham’s busiest routes.
• Landmark Agreement to provide top quality bus services Bus passengers in north Walsall are set to get top quality environmentally friendly services with excellent standards of punctuality and customer care thanks to the signing of a groundbreaking document today (April 23, 2010).
• Over 84% of Brits would choose high speed rail over air for future travel plansEurostar, the high-speed passenger rail service which links the UK with the continent, has commissioned independent research which shows a shift in perception as high speed rail is now seen as a serious option for short haul travel in Europe.
• Epsom station redevelopment is approved A £4.5M SCHEME to redevelop Epsom railway station has been approved by councillors, prompting angry outbursts from residents and local groups concerned about the scale of the project.
• Call to repaint bridge in original off-white colour A LEADING Plymouth business figure is calling for Network Rail to paint the Royal Albert Bridge in its original 'off-white' instead of the current 'battleship grey'.
• Bus fare prices rise across NorfolkThe price of bus tickets across large parts of Norfolk has crept up as one of the county's largest firms has introduced a new round of fares. First buses raised their ticket prices for journeys in and around Norwich, King's Lynn, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft from today.
• Wychwoods railway station needs a friend THE Cotswold Line Promotion Group is looking for someone to represent passengers who use Ascott-under-Wychwood station.