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

Thursday, 11 November 2010

BBC News

• Cycle hire scheme expands eastThe cycle hire scheme will be rolled out to east London ahead of the Olympics, mayor Boris Johnson says.
• French object to 'Zoe Renault' car nameThe French car maker Renault has defeated a legal challenge to its plan to call its latest model the
• Tata safety move after Nano firesLeading Indian car maker Tata offers free safety upgrades for the world's cheapest car, the Nano, after owners report a number of fires.
• Rail crash firms to be prosecutedNetwork Rail and maintenance company Jarvis Rail are to be prosecuted over the 2002 Potters Bar crash, the Office of Rail Regulation says.
• Boeing halts Dreamliner testingBoeing halts test flights of its 787 Dreamliner after a fire forced an emergency landing in Texas.
• Qantas keeps its A380s groundedAustralian airline Qantas says it will keep its Airbus A380 planes grounded for more checks after an engine on one exploded in flight last week.

The Herald

• Spending watchdog to report on trams projectScotland™s public spending watchdog is to examine Edinburgh™s controversial trams scheme, it was announced yesterday as relations between the company overseeing the work and its German contractor hit a new low.

The Independent

• Train crash firms face prosecutionNetwork Rail and the maintenance company Jarvis Rail are to be prosecuted over the 2002 Potters Bar rail crash in which seven people died.

The Telegraph

• Companies face prosecution over Potters Bar disaster Network Rail and the maintenance contractor, Jarvis, are to be prosecuted over the 2002 Potters Bar crash in which seven people died.
• Terrorism row as Bob Crow claims staff cuts will put public at risk The London Underground dispute has escalated with Bob Crow, the leader of the RMT transport union, being accused of "scaremongering" over his allegation that the public will be put at risk by staff cuts.

Daily Record

• Borders rail link fears as firm quits contract bid THE bill for a massive rail link between Edinburgh and the Borders could rocket after a bidder pulled out of the race for the contract.

Network Rail

• HAVE YOUR SAY ON RAIL IMPROVEMENT PLANS FOR STAFFORDSHIRE

Birmingham Mail

• Chiltern Railways service between Birmingham and London should be used as a model says MPs THE Chiltern Railways service between Birmingham and London should be used as a model for the rest of the country to reduce overcrowding on trains, according to MPs.

Derby Telegraph

• £748m contract shows airlines are still backing Rolls-Royce enginesROLLS-ROYCE has said that airlines are continuing to back its products after landing a deal worth almost three-quarters of a billion pounds. China Eastern Airlines has placed an order with the Derby manufacturer for Trent 700 engines to power a fleet of 16 Airbus A330s. The deal, worth £743 million, also includes a TotalCare agreement for Rolls-Royce to maintain the engines during their service. The two companies have formed a Carbon Partnership, which aims to reduce the airline's carbon emissions by 190,000 tonnes in its first year. Rolls-Royce will also provide a fuel management service for...
• Scotland Yard confirm device at East Midlands Airport set to explode over USOFFICIALS have confirmed the bomb found on a cargo plane at East Midlands Airport was set to explode over the United States. Scotland Yard today said the explosive device found hidden in a printer cartridge at the Castle Donington Airport was timed to detonate over the eastern seaboard of the US. Two parcels originating from Yemen containing explosive material, addressed to synagogues in Chicago, were discovered on cargo aircraft at both the UK airport and another in Dubai last month.

Liverpool Post

• River Mersey £250m quayside plans to lure world's biggest shipping line Maersk to Liverpool THE world’s biggest container shipping line could start services at the Port of Liverpool once construction of a proposed £250m in-river quayside is completed.

London Evening Standard

• Two rail firms face prosecution over Potters Bar crashNetwork Rail and maintenance company Jarvis are to be prosecuted over the 2002 Potters Bar rail crash in which seven people died, it was announced

Metro

• Potters Bar crash charges for Network Rail and Jarvis RailNetwork Rail and Jarvis Rail are to face prosecution over the 2002 Potters Bar rail crash in which seven people died.
• Cargo bomb 'set to go off over eastern US'The cargo bomb found at a British airport was timed to explode over the east coast of the US, it has been revealed.

Northern Echo

• Campaigning to keep bus routes TWO councillors are mounting separate campaigns in an attempt to keep threatened bus services.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Transport minister starts off A9 blackspot upgrade workThe Scottish transport minister launched construction work at a multimillion-pound project to dual the A9 at an accident blackspot yesterday.

Wales Online

• Plaid plans not-for-profit firm to run our railways PLAID Cymru will today set out proposals for a takeover of railways in Wales which could result in an extra £10m being pumped into the nation’s network each year.

Chester Standard

• Delamere Forest adopt a railway stationA CHESTER train station has been adopted by Delamere Forest as part of an attempt to encourage more visitors to use public transport.

Other Regional Press

• Hope for step up in rural rail links Rail services between Perthshire and the Central Belt could be set for significant investment, the government has revealed.
• Have your say on bus plansInformal consultation begins on Metro's Quality Contract Scheme proposals.
• MP hits back in rail row DAVID Mowat has hit back at Labour councillors who labelled a new high speed railway potentially as a ˜road to nowhere™.
• Prestwick is favourite for familiesGlasgow Prestwick Airport is first for families, according to a new survey.
• Views wanted on student transportCentral Bedfordshire Council is asking all residents to give their views on transport for students in further education to help shape future provision. The consultation, which runs until December 17,

Railnews

• News: Potters Bar prosecutions to go ahead—ORR The Office of Rail Regulation has started criminal proceedings against Network Rail and Jarvis Rail for alleged breaches of health and safety law in connection with the Potters Bar derailment more than eight years ago, even though the Crown Prosecution Service has recently confirmed its 2005 decision not to bring charges over the accident.
• News: Edinburgh tram court case was 'a waste of time' A dispute between Edinburgh Trams and its contractor has been branded ’a waste of time’ by the chief executive of the council-owned development company TIE. The company has been successful in fending off legal action by the contractor Belfinger Berger after it was allegedly defamed by recently-departed TIE chairman David Mackay. But it has also emerged that the finances of the deeply-troubled project are to be probed by Audit Scotland.

Transport for London

• Victoria Station Upgrade wins 'most outstanding project' awardLondon Underground's Victoria Station Upgrade has won the 'most outstanding project within the Rail and Transit sector' in the 2010 Bentley Be Inspired Awards.
• Pupils design and build Tube stationStudents from St Martin-in-the-Fields High School in Tulse Hill, Lambeth, and St Saviours and St Olave's School in Southwark rose to the challenge of designing and building an Underground station at Tube Lines' head office on Friday 5 November.
• Mayor's flagship Barclays Cycle Hire scheme heads east in time for the 2012 GamesExpanded cycle hire area will extend from Olympia in the west to Bow in the east.

Aviation Industry

• October traffic figures - BAA's airportsBAA today posted a 3.4 percent increase in total passenger numbers for October, boosted by a recovery in the level of business travel...
• easyJet celebrates 15th birthday at Glasgow AirportGlasgow Airport's biggest airline marks its 15th birthday milestone by throwing a party in the terminal.

Other News Sources

• County council to re-activate speed camerasOxfordshire County Council is close to reaching an agreement with Thames Valley Police to switch back on the county’s speed cameras just three months after de-activating them.
• Leeds transport boss asks for solution to train overcrowdingFollowing a report published by the Public Accounts Committee, Leeds’ transport chief has issued an invitation to the UK’s transport secretary to take a trip up to the city and see first hand how overcrowding it affecting the rail system. Chris Greaves has asked Philip Hammond to come and see how overcrowding is affecting the whole country, not just London and the Southeast.
• Tube job cuts hit London terror targetsIN A NEW analysis of the London Underground station job cuts plans RMT has revealed that major terrorist targets are right in the front line of the proposed reductions in staffing numbers:
• Glasgow Airport launches flight guideGlasgow Airport is now offering travellers a large selection of places to visit from Scottish shores.The UK travel hub has recently produced around 10,000 copies of a new holiday guide, which includes sunny locations that holidaymakers can reach from the airport.This winter, the travel hub's flight programme includes exotic destinations worldwide.Amanda McMillan, the airport's managing director, said: "From America to Africa to Asia, Glasgow Airport offers more long haul destinations than any other airport in Scotland, making it easier than ever for holidaying Scots to discover th...
• Bigger planes to leave Heathrow Airport for Las VegasLondon's Heathrow Airport is set to receive larger planes on its route to Las Vegas.The bigger vehicles will be installed next summer in the wake of British Airway's (BA's) success on the route, which has been used for a year.From this time, three-class Boeing 777s will be used instead of four-class Boeing 747s.This will mean that the daily flights to the Nevada hotspot will have an additional 124 seats each and an extra 14 spaces in first-class, which could accommodate 22,000 travellers more every year.Richard Tams, who works for BA, said: "… We are increasing capacity...
• EU to revive debate over air passenger data The EU is working towards a pan-European agreement for member states to share information on air travel passengers, revealed Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström.
• Transport Minister pledges to monitor high speed rail noisePhilip Hammond MP says he will personally monitor HS2 for noise impacts