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

Friday, 01 April 2011

BBC News

• Hanging up on mobile phone plans for the Tube You always got the sense when you spoke to City Hall that it was a long way off. Well it is now.
• Unemployed former Jarvis workers in York rally Former employees of rail maintenance firm Jarvis are holding a rally in York to mark a year since they lost their jobs when the company collapsed.
• Wales issues guide: Transport Transport is one of the 20 devolved policy fields that the Welsh Assembly Government is responsible for.
• Council's electric car purchaseTwo electric 'eco-cars' are being used by Carmarthenshire council as part of a strategy to encourage the use of green transport.
• VIDEO: When Heathrow Terminal 4 openedTwenty-five years ago today, Heathrow's Terminal 4 was opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
• Lorry legend Stobart dies aged 56Edward Stobart, who built up the huge Eddie Stobart haulage empire, dies in hospital following a heart complaint.
• City Airport challenge proceedingA legal challenge to the lifting of a cap on passenger numbers at Belfast City Airport is to proceed to a full hearing, a High Court judge rules.
• Drivers 'not getting tax cut'George Osborne's 1p reduction in fuel duty is not fully filtering through to motorists, says the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland.
• High-speed rail critics 'nimbys'A Cheshire MP hits out at what he calls an
• Tube drivers to vote on strikesTube drivers are to be balloted for strikes in a row over the sacking of two colleagues.
• Tube's mobile use talks collapsePlan to enable passengers to use their mobile phones on the tube falls through over funding issues.

Financial Times

• Hodge attacks 'toothless' rail regulatorRegulators meant to keep a control on spending by company that owns Britain's rail network have 'no teeth', says chair of a Commons committee
• Haulage magnate Edward Stobart diesStobart was managing director of the haulier Eddie Stobart for more 30 years, building the company started by his father, Eddie, into the leading brand and trucking business
• Nat Express investors face Elliott demandsShareholders are on a collision course with US hedge fund Elliott Advisors, which is demanding a boardroom shake-up at the transport company

The Guardian

• Lorry boss Edward Stobart diesHaulage supremo, who built up the Eddie Stobart empire, has died in hospital after suffering from heart problemsHaulage magnate Edward Stobart, who ran the Eddie Stobart lorry empire for more than three decades, has died at the age of 56.Stobart was managing director of Eddie Stobart Ltd, a business started by his father Eddie in the 1950s. Eddie Stobart is now in his 80s.He died on Thursday morning at University hospital, Coventry, after suffering from heart problems.Stobart is credited with having built up the brand. He first became involved in the company towards the end of the 1960s, and o...

The Scotsman

• Transport: 'Not one penny more for trams' Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott said he does not intend to spend "one more penny" on the troubled tram project in Edinburgh.

Mail Online

• High speed rail line will 'double the amount of trains available', claims Transport Secretary Passengers will benefit from more than 160 extra services a day into London - a rise of almost 50per cent - if a high speed rail network is built, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond insisted today.
• New rail 'fat cat' row as 60 per cent bonuses approved for Network Rail directorsIt follows a controversy over the 'James Bond lifestyle' and bonuses of top rail bosses and led to calls from unions to 'stop the gravy train'.

Birmingham Post

• Opponents to high speed rail link are not Nimbys, say MPs Opponents of high speed rail are not “nimbys”, MPs have insisted as they spoke out against plans for a high speed rail line between London and Birmingham, during a lengthy Commons debate.

Derby Telegraph

• Go-ahead for Rolls-Royce's £6m state-of-the-art academy ROLLS-ROYCE has been given the go-ahead to build a £6 million state-of-the-art training academy for hundreds of apprentices at its Sinfin site.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Cardownie is 'optimistic' trams are back on trackONE of the most outspoken critics of the Capital's trams has said there is now reason to be "optimistic" about the future of the project.

London Evening Standard

• All aboard the gravy train: Network Rail bosses on track for HUGE bonusesRail chiefs are on track for massive bonuses worth hundreds of thousands of pounds - just weeks after saying they would not take them this year.
• Haulage supremo Edward Stobart diesFreight supremo Edward Stobart, who helped build up the Eddie Stobart haulage empire, has died at the age of 56.
• I'll be bike: Arnold Schwarzenegger praises 'brilliant' Boris Johnson schemeArnold Schwarzenegger threw his muscle behind Boris Johnson today as he praised the Mayor's 'brilliant' leadership

Manchester Evening News

• Road accident toll drops as police hand out fewer speeding ticketsThe number of fines given out in Greater Manchester to motorists who broke the speed limit fell from 60,283 in 2006 to 41,817 in 2009 “ a fall of 30 per cent. But during the same period, the number of people killed or seriously injured on Greater Manchester™s roads fell from 780 to 733 “ a drop of around six per cent.
• Fares to go 20p on First busses after subsidy cutManchester biggest bus company is putting up its fares “ and blaming the region™s transport chiefs. First says it needs to find extra cash because of changes to the taxpayer-funded subsidy scheme for children and pensioners.

Metro

• Arnold Schwarzenegger bikes with Boris Johnson on visit to LondonHollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger praised London™s cycle hire scheme as he terminated his war of words with the city™s mayor Boris Johnson today.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Tram, bus and car park costs upBUS and tram fares and the cost of parking are going up next month in Sheffield.

The York Press

• Strong winds bring disruption to York roads and train servicesCars are damaged and trees brought down as gales hit the region.

Blackpool Gazette

• ˜Pavement parking puts people at risk™CAMPAIGNERS have warned pedestrians are being put at risk as more and more drivers mount pavements in order to park their vehicles.

Burnley Express

• 'New approach' to potholes on Lancashire's roadsROADS bosses have vowed to take a ˜new approach™ in a bid to get on top of the growing pothole menace across Lancashire.

Carlisle News & Star

• Changes go-ahead to early free bus travel in Cumbria Changes to concessionary bus fares in Cumbria tomorrow will end free travel before 9.30am on weekdays.
• Former Carlisle haulage boss Edward Stobart dies in hospital Edward Stobart - managing director of Carlisle haulage firm Eddie Stobart Ltd for more than 30 years “ has died.

Other Regional Press

• Bus reprieve joy for elderly groupMembers of a support group for partially sighted people are celebrating after the dial-a-ride service which many of them use was given a stay of execution.
• Undercover police ride bus to schoolUndercover police are being stationed on buses used by Preston schoolchildren after a host of complaints about yobbish behaviour.
• Olympic blackout for javelin trainsKent's high speed train windows are to be blacked out during London 2012 to prevent rail passengers making obscene gestures at VIPs near Olympic sites.
• Kirklees Council refuses to install speed cameras in Mirfield RESIDENTS failed in a bid to get speed cameras on a country road.
• Kirklees Council spends £65,000 on 350 yards of Waterloo bus lane COUNCILLORS have voted to spend £65,000 extending a bus lane by just 350 yards.
• Holiday bargain-hunt sparks flights boost at city™s airportA budget airline has sparked a stampede for cheap European flights out of Glasgow.

Global Rail News

• Gerrards Cross station improvements under wayChiltern Railways has completed the first element of the improvements at Gerrards Cross station this week with the addition of 80 new car parking spaces located ...
• Coleraine “ Portrush railway line re-opensTranslink NI Railways has reopened the Coleraine “ Portrush railway line following essential engineering work. The overall railway line upgrade project is now progressing ahead of ...
• Bombardier wins contract to supply 25kV rail cars for Adelaide, AustraliaBombardier Transportation announced today that it has received an order from the Government of South Australia, for the supply and maintenance of 22 Bombardier 25kV 3 ...
• London Midland strikes continue to affect servicesLondon Midland wants ASLEF to join ACAS meeting and put an end to disruption for passengers. London Midland is asking ASLEF to join them in a ...
• New rail station entrance boosts access to BirminghamAccess to one of Birmingham™s most important rail stations has been greatly improved following the opening of a second passenger entrance. The work at Snow Hill ...
• Passengers have their say on West Coast rail franchisePassenger Focus has called on the Government to ensure that the new West Coast rail franchise, currently run by Virgin Trains, is based on passengers™ needs ...
• Horsham station to benefit from improvementsHorsham station will be undergoing major refurbishment work under the National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP) scheme. NSIP is a Department for Transport funded programme of projects ...
• Deutsche Bahn ˜leaves crisis behind and emerges stronger in 2010²Deutsche Bahn AG recorded a strong recovery from the financial and economic crisis and was back on track for growth in 2010. Revenues and profits posted ...
• Network Rail reports tunnel & viaduct work ˜storming ahead™Work on Lindal Tunnel and Arnside Viaduct is making good progress according to Network Rail, in spite of some stormy weather. The railway line between Barrow-in-Furness ...

Railnews

• News: East Coast Main Line flyover gets green light at last The transport secretary Philip Hammond has approved Network Rail’s proposal to build a flyover just north of Hitchin on the East Coast Main Line. The new structure will carry the diverging Cambridge line, and the abolition of the present flat junction will remove conflicting movements which presently reduce ECML capacity.

Aviation Industry

• Stansted is voted the world's best low-cost airportStansted has been named the world™s best low-cost airport at the 2011 World Airports Awards.
• Stansted is voted the world's best low-cost airportStansted has been named the world™s best low-cost airport at the 2011 World Airports Awards.
• Mystery buyer bids for American AirlinesThe parent company of American Airlines, Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR Corp. , said it is investigating an offer of questionable legitimacy from a company called Sterling Global Holdings.
• Ryanair introduces €2 "delays compensation" feeNo-frills carrier Ryanair plans to start adding a €2 levy on all bookings in an attempt to cover the compensation it must pay out when flights are cancelled or delayed
• Aviation growth œnot at any priceAfter vetoing plans for new runways at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick, the government is now looking to lay down a new plan for aviation

Other News Sources

• Lack of information hinders scrutiny of Network Rail Network Rail must provide more information on costs to improve its efficiency, a report has said.
• High speed rail consultation branded a "sham" A LEADING campaigner against the planned high speed rail line through Warwickshire has branded the consultation a “sham”.
• TDG boss departs following completion of ND's acquisitionTDG CEO Mike Branigan is leaving the logistics operator following Norbert Dentressangle's (ND) acquisition of TDG, which was approved by the European Commission (EC) earlier this week.
• New Home for Cycling England™s Online ResourcesStarting on 1st April a range of guidance notes, case studies, reports and other resources from Cycling England™s website will start to be available at www.ciltuk.org.uk/pages/cycling hosted by The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport. The content will be uploaded gradually so a formal announcement concerning the facility will be made in due course. It [...]
• Farewell Note from Cycling EnglandCycling England is just about to celebrate its sixth anniversary. Set up by the Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, in March 2005 with a budget of £5 m. pa, and a team of two we have come a long way and achieved much in those six years. Thanks to the enthusiasm, professionalism and commitment of everyone [...]
• Pothole repairs 'to cost £10bn'A report into the state of Britain's roads says repairing potholes costs £10bn, with councils patching up one hole every 15 seconds in 2010 - a 59 per cent increase on the previous year.