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

Tuesday, 19 October 2010

BBC News

• Gatwick cleared for A380 superjumbo flights Gatwick Airport has been granted planning permission to operate the world's largest commercial airliner, the 555-seat Airbus A380 superjumbo.
• Improvement work begins at Carlisle Station Major improvement work to "windy" Carlisle Citadel station has begun.
• Tube chiefs deny overtime ban caused rush-hour 'chaos' London Underground (LU) has denied union claims that Monday morning rush-hour "chaos" on the network was caused by an overtime ban.
• German rail firm DB competes for Channel Tunnel routes German train operator Deutsche Bahn says it will run direct services from London to Frankfurt and Amsterdam from 2013.
• Rail electrification faces cutsRail projects across the Thames Valley are set to be in the firing line in the government's Spending Review.
• Disruption mars rail line launchDelays and cancellations mar the opening of a part of a new £300m rail line in Bathgate, West Lothian.
• Tube passengers trapped for hoursHundreds of passengers are led from Tube trains through London Underground's tunnels after a power failure.

Financial Times

• ’No serious rule breach’ in Siemens order The commissioner who oversees the EU’s single market has told France’s biggest trainmaker the award of a €600m order for new cross-Channel high-speed trains to Germany’s Siemens did not involve any serious breach of rules.

The Herald

• Embarrassment as new station is hit by power cutIt was billed as a relatively auspicious date in the history of Scotland™s railways “ the opening of a new station and the formal completion of the longest stretch of track to be built in more than a century.
• Subsidy reduction may see rail fares increase by 10% a yearRail fares will increase by around 10% each year from this January under Government plans to cut the level of subsidy it gives to train operating companies, a union has claimed.

The Independent

• Tube passengers walk on track after power fails Hundreds of London Underground passengers had to walk along the track today after trains were stuck in tunnels because of a power failure.

The Scotsman

• Scotland to retain train fare price cap SCOTRAIL passengers will avoid a feared major hike in train fares next year, the Scottish Government pledged yesterday.
• Brian Souter wants to change track STAGECOACH boss Brian Souter has called for a radical reform of Britain's railways that would go some way to reuniting the trains and tracks.
• Channel Tunnel is a vehicle for growth in passenger numbers A RECORD number of passenger vehicles were carried through the Channel Tunnel during August, driving strong growth in revenues at Eurotunnel in the last quarter.

The Telegraph

• Rail commuters face 10 per cent annual fare rises for next four years Rail passengers face train fare increases of nearly 10 per cent a year for the next four years, in measures to be unveiled at the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Press Association

• Gatwick to get superjumbo flights Gatwick Airport has been granted planning permission to operate the world's largest passenger plane - the 555-seat Airbus A380 superjumbo.

Daily Express

• Boost for EurotunnelA RECOVERY in cross-Channel traffic during the summer helped Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel increase revenues.

The Mirror

• Eurotunnel in the money as travellers ditch airports AIRPORT delays and volcanic ash cloud chaos helped Eurotunnel’s takings soar 15% to £95million in the three months to the end of September.

Network Rail

• NEW STATION ARRIVES ON TIME FOR BATHGATE
• NEW RAILWAY SIGNALLING SYSTEM IS SWITCHED ON
• CHEADLE HULME RAIL PASSENGERS GIVEN A LIFT

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Private hire boss hits out at Bradford city centre bus-lane ban The boss of a private hire firm is calling for his drivers to be given the same access to city centre streets as Hackney carriages.

Bristol Live

• Fear is no reason to dismiss rail link EVEN in these tough economic times it makes sense to spend £37 million on reopening the railway link between Bristol and Portishead.

Derby Telegraph

• Plea for better rail links with London AMBER Valley and Belper Town Councillor Peter Arnold is hoping to persuade train operators to improve links between Belper and London

Edinburgh Evening News

• Anderson in call for a full tram inquiryA SENIOR council chief has admitted for the first time that a public inquiry must be held into the way the city's tram project has been mishandled.

London Evening Standard

• Rail commuters face 20% rise in ticket prices as cap is axedLondon rail commuters face a 'double whammy' of fares increases of up to 20 per cent over the next two years
• Crossrail 'will escape the spending axe'The £16billion east-west link has been saved from spending cuts, Chancellor George Osborne indicates
• Thousands trapped in Tube blackout forced to walk along tracksMore than 4,000 Tube passengers were trapped underground in the dark by a power failure today — some of them for two hours in packed rush-hour trains

Manchester Evening News

• Airport’s body scanners for all three terminals after successful year Body scanners are to be put in all three terminals at Manchester Airport “ a year after their controversial introduction. Around 400,000 people have passed through the scanners since they were unveiled in Terminal Two last October.

Metro

• Tube delays 'not caused by overtime ban'London Underground bosses have denied claims by the Rail Maritime and Transport union that severe delays to the tube service were caused by a ban on overtime.

Sheffield Star

• 'No' to bikes on trams bidPROPOSALS to allow bikes on Sheffield Supertrams have been rejected.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Sir Moir points to strong prospects for First overseas Bus and train firm FirstGroup can look to North America and Asia for global growth opportunities under its next chief executive, outgoing boss Sir Moir Lockhead said yesterday.
• Elgin bike lane plan could get go-ahead Cyclists will have a clear ride through Elgin if councillors approve plans tomorrow for bike lanes to link the edges of the town to the train station.
• Call to put road plans on ice A national transport group has urged the Scottish Government to scrap plans to make the A9 Perth-Inverness road dual carriageway in its entirety.
• Scrap city bypass plan, transport group urgesA NATIONAL transport group has urged the Scottish Government to scrap plans for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR).

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Gatwick cleared to operate superjumbo flightsGatwick Airport has been granted planning permission to operate the world's largest passenger plane - the 555-seat Airbus A380 superjumbo.

Yorkshire Post

• Train firm is honoured for its first-class training NORTHERN Rail's commitment to staff training was recognised at a prestigious awards ceremony. The train operator triumphed at the Yorkshire and Humber National Training Awards regional finals.

Bucks Free Press

• Train station project will 'cause delays' COUNTY transport chiefs are warning of huge traffic delays in the run up to Christmas as major highways work begins around High Wycombe train station next week.

Other Regional Press

• Metro supporting 1/4 of all bus miles in West YorkshireMetro spending almost £25m to subsidise local bus journeys.
• Residents demand road rethink in railway bridge project WEST Oxford residents are calling for a rethink of a plan to expand the city™s railway station which does nothing to tackle traffic problems caused by the Botley Road bridge.
• Brussels Eurostar trains scrapped in strikeRail services between London and Brussels have been hit by a 24-hour strike.
• City buses are axed in move to cut costsGlasgow™s biggest bus operator has been given the go-ahead to slash services on nine routes despite objections from transport chiefs.
• Weymouth traffic chaos: Call for public meeting ANGER is mounting over the constant cycle of roadworks which is jamming roads in Weymouth and Portland and affecting trade.
• High speed rail protesters launch fighting fund to take on government AN APPEAL has been launched to raise £40,000 to fight the planned high speed rail line set to plough through Warwickshire.
• £40,000 appeal to fight high-speed rail line in Coventry and Warwickshire AN APPEAL has been launched to raise £40,000 to fight the planned high speed rail line set to plough through Warwickshire.
• Coventry ands Warwickshire councils join forces for £100m roads deal COVENTRY and Warwickshire councils have joined forces for a new £100m highways contract in what is expected to be the start of multi-million pound savings plans.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Why the obsession with capital spending?18 October: This week both the Government and their Opposition will outline pathways to economic recovery. Why are they obsessed with capital infrastructure? read more
• Buses are vital to get people back to work18 October: Our latest report, in conjunction with Citizens Advice, shows that cuts to bus services would scupper the Government™s plans to reform the welfare system. read more

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• EU reviews heavy goods vehicle chargingA European Union (EU) ruling on charging heavy goods vehicles is being reviewed.The European Commission has proposed the revision of the "Eurovignette Directive", which was adopted in 1999.It is intended to provide a framework for levies on trucks using roads that form the trans-European network and authorises EU member states to impose users charges or tolls on lorries over 3.5 tonnes.The regulations stipulate that rates must not be discriminatory and should not be in excess of the sums required for the maintenance and replacement of the highway infrastructure.Tolls are curr...

Railnews

• News: Eurostar trains row may move to EU Commission The growing French antagonism to the prospect of Eurostar buying German-built trains may soon involve the European Commission, it is reported. The government in Paris and the French-train builder Alstom are fighting Eurostar's proposal to buy Siemens Velaro trains, on safety grounds. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bahn is claiming that a weekend test run of an ICE through the Tunnel and a trial evacuation was successful.
• News: Stagecoach urges radical reforms to rail franchising Stagecoach Group founder Brian Souter has entered the fray in the debate over future rail franchises, by urging ’radical’ reforms. His call comes as the government is poised to publish the McNulty ’value for money’ report. Mr Souter, who started his transport career as a bus conductor and now heads a major group, said ’tinkering at the edges’ would not be enough.
• News: Fresh doubt as vital rail funding plan goes on hold The Office of Rail Regulation's planning for Network Rail's next funding period has been put on hold, because of widespread uncertainties about future government spending. The ORR has revealed that its work on the new Periodic Review, which is the basis for Control Period 5 from 2014, is being postponed for six months.
• News: First DB train at St Pancras, as French protests grow The first foreign train was due to arrive in London at about 02.00 today, in preparation for a formal ceremony which will be attended by the transport minister Theresa Villiers. The Deutsche Bahn ICE set travelled through the Channel Tunnel after several tests, including a full-scale evacuation on Sunday, but has been hauled to London by Eurotunnel locomotives.

Other News Sources

• Gatwick prepares to handle A380 superjumbo LONDON — London's Gatwick Airport will become only the third British airport to accommodate Airbus' huge A380 superjumbo after winning planning permission to house the carrier, the airport announced on Monday.
• Threatened East Lancashire bus lane has cost £1.5m£1.5 MILLION of taxpayers' money has already been spent on the proposed £50m East Lancashire bus lane which could be scrapped this week.
• How will London™s transport network cope with the 2012 Games? 18 October 2010 Transport has been called the œbiggest risk in London™s plans for staging the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games[1].  What plans are being put in place to ensure that as well as athletes and visitors getting to events on time, Londoners can still get around as normal? On each of the 16 days of the Olympic Games, Londoners will share public transport and roads with at least 500,000 spectators, 140,000 Games workers and 55,000 members of the ˜Games family™ travelling between competition venues, training sites and a...
• Councils struggling to repair roads - RACRAC survey suggests £9.5bn is needed to bring roads ˜up to scratch™ in England and Wales
• Call for city regions to take over railCity regions should gain control of their local rail networks, the Passenger Transport Executive Group claims
• Busways proceed as Cambridgeshire damages hit £8mCouncil consortia press ahead with busway projects as Cambridgeshire™s problems mount
• £15m cash-boost to fund green buses Up to 50,000 tonnes of CO2 could be saved over the next year, according to a £15million government cash boost to more than a dozen green-transport schemes.
• Crossrail and Mersey Gateway spared Government axeSeveral key infrastructure schemes including Crossrail and the Mersey Gateway bridge have been spared from the Government™s spending cuts.