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

Wednesday, 13 July 2011

BBC News

• Carnforth station bids for mainline return The Lancashire railway station featured in the film Brief Encounter should be added to the West Coast Mainline, a Conservative MP has told parliament.
• Transport Committee: High speed rail People protesting against the government's proposed high speed rail line are not "luddites or nimbys", opponents of the project told the Transport Committee on 12 July 2011.
• MPs told high speed rail may widen north-south divide For the government, high speed rail offers a once in a generation opportunity to end the north-south divide.
• Bombardier unions to meet minister Philip Hammond Unions representing workers at the UK's last train builder are set to have a meeting with ministers to urge a crucial contract be reconsidered.
• Conwy trams and cruise ships planCruise ships could visit Llandudno as part of plans to boost Conwy county's tourism economy.
• Ryanair's new Manchester routesAirline Ryanair, which cut its routes from Manchester nearly two years ago, announces new routes from the airport.
• Cyclist posts road-rage footageHelmet-cam footage of a road-rage assault on a cyclist in south London is posted online in a bid to catch the attacker.
• Union warns over Tube volunteersUsing

The Herald

• Ryanair™s chief has sights on Glasgow base dealTHE head of Ryanair has promised a massive expansion in low-cost flights from Glasgow Airport if he can cut a deal to locate its aircraft there.

The Telegraph

• Campaign launched against rail fare hikes A campaign against "unfair rail fares", including protests at 40 key commuter stations, was launched today.
• Call from EasyJet founder to reduce number of aircraft Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder of EasyJet, has written to the airline’s chairman Michael Rake to call for the group to reduce the number of aircraft it owns and to ask for Sir David Michels to step down from the board earlier than planned.
• MPs group call on coalition to 'showcase' UK car industry The UK car industry is an “essential part of the glue that binds our economy together” and must be supported by Government if it is to grow, according to a cross-party group of MPs and peers.
• Deutsche Bahn applies to run trains through Channel Tunnel Direct rail services from London to Germany and Holland have moved a step closer after Deutsche Bahn made a formal application to run trains through the Channel Tunnel.
• Heathrow's busiest June underlines importance of transfer passengers Passengers from other countries changing planes in London are keeping Britain’s airports and airlines in business during the economic downturn.

Reuters News

• German railway goes "invisible" fighting metal theft German national rail operator Deutsche Bahn is outfitting its rails with invisible codes to try to thwart theft from black-market dealers cashing in on high commodities prices, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

Daily Express

• PROOF THAT BOMBARDIER’S BID WAS THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY BRITAIN’S last train-maker Bombardier should have won a £1.5billion contract on economic grounds, a detailed report claimed yesterday.

Network Rail

• PASSENGERS BENEFIT FROM £150M INVESTMENT IN TRAIN STATIONS
• ROMSEY BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION RESCHEDULED
• BUCKSHAW BRIDGE LIFT

Birmingham Post

• 'We're not Nimbys', high speed rail opponents tell MPs Those against the Government's proposed £32 billion HS2 high-speed rail scheme are not

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Exhibition to reveal plans for new £5m train station in Low Moor A public exhibition and consultation about building a £5 million train station at Low Moor, Bradford, looks set for September.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Buskers highlight eco benefits of public transport COMMUTERS were treated to a surprise journey after buskers performed on board a train to highlight the environmental benefits of public transport.
• Wrexham council accepts yellow lines were invalid A COUNCIL has accepted parking markings on a busy town street were invalid.
• Trams and cruise ships - The future of tourism in Conwy TRAMS, cruise ships and seagull-proof bins are all part of a major masterplan to revitalise tourism in an area where the industry is worth £600m.

Derby Telegraph

• Labour and Tories join forces to urge re-think on Thameslink awardFOR the first time Labour and Conservative MPs joined forces yesterday to push the Government to rethink its decision on the Thameslink contract. Both county and city MPs urged Transport Minister Theresa Villiers to look at what could be done to reverse a decision to give the £1.4bn deal to German firm Siemens.
• NOW BISHOP ADDS VOICE TO GROWING DISQUIETBOMBARDIER'S plight has also been highlighted in the House of Lords. Bishop of Derby the Rt Rev Dr Alastair Redfern asked a supplementary question to Baroness Wilcox, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
• Train-maker named among UK's finest BOMBARDIER has been named as one of Britain's top manufacturers, according to an organisation which represents engineers.
• Now study by boffins backs Bombardier INDEPENDENT research by academics at Manchester University has concluded that trainmaker Bombardier should be awarded the Thameslink contract.
• UNIONS SAY DECISION WILL TOP AGENDA AT TUC MEETING UNIONS will today have their first chance to grill Transport Secretary Philip Hammond over his decision not to award the Thameslink contract to Bombardier.
• MP tables Commons motion on decision DERBY North MP Chris Williamson has tabled an Early Day Motion which calls on the Government to reverse the Thameslink decision.
• 'Contract put Bombardier at disadvantage from the start' WHEN it came to bidding for the Thameslink rail contract, Derby train-maker Bombardier never stood a chance.
• Soapbox Stephen Flinders: Why it shouldn't come as a surprise Bombardier lost out on contractDO not be too surprised by the awarding of the Thameslink contract to another country's rail manufacturer. It certainly is not the first and definitely will not be the last time that this kind of thing will happen, until of course we have no more industries left to run down or give away.
• Academics heap more pressure on ministers to scrap rail deal 'AT THIS late stage it is still sensible to maintain jobs at Bombardier in Derby as part of a commitment to restructuring UK supply chains and rebalancing the economy'.

Journal Live

• MP slams rail deal A REPORT from MPs has criticised the handling of National Express's East Coast rail franchise.

London Evening Standard

• Mind the doors... then Tube train leaves station with them still openCommuters have told how a packed rush-hour Tube train left a station with its doors still open
• Waterbuses make travel plain sailingThe East End's first
• Union blasts plan for volunteer helpers on Tube during GamesUnion leaders have demand Tube bosses drop plans to use 600 volunteers to help deal with extra passengers during the Olympics
• High-speed rail work 'would hit Euston for up to 8 years'Rush-hour services at Euston will be slashed and the station closed for days at a time if plans for high-speed rail go ahead, campaigners warn

Manchester Evening News

• Businessman Ged Tyrrell secures Leigh train station meeting with Network Rail A businessman who has been campaigning to bring a railway station to Leigh is a step closer after securing a meeting with Network Rail.
• The Hitman and spur: Music mogul Pete Waterman opens historic tram extension in Heaton ParkManchester's newest tram extension has been unveiled “ in Heaton Park. Members of the Manchester Transport Museum Society have spent months building an extra 360ft of track to the line they run in the park.
• Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary announces 26 routes from Manchester Airport which could create up to 2,000 jobsRyanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has claimed he will bring up to 2,000 jobs to the Greater Manchester region with the airline's return to Manchester Airport.

Yorkshire Post

• New rail link a safe bet, insist business leadersNORTHERN business leaders have responded angrily after southern critics of a high-speed rail network linking Leeds and London claimed they have been blinded by the project and do not understand it is a “reckless” £32bn gamble.

Other Regional Press

• Letter: Hypocrisy of Government over rail contract Letter: The pathetic underperformance of our politicians in protecting British manufacturing is illustrated yet again by the award of the Thameslink railway carriage contract to the Germans.
• Union may take action over Thameslink rail contract A rail union is considering legal action over a Government decision which led to hundreds of Sussex jobs being created.
• MP supports Brief Encounter station The Government has been urged to allow trains to stop at the Lancashire railway station made famous by Brief Encounter.
• More trains between King’s Lynn, Downham Market and Cambridge will boost economy in the Fens The economy in West Norfolk and the Fens could receive a massive boost if a scheme to increase train services from King’s Lynn to Cambridge is given the green light.
• Airport is on the up and up...Glasgow Airport has confirmed its turnaround with another sizzling month™s trading and more growth on the horizon.

Global Rail News

• Deutsche Bahn seeks approval to run ICE trains through the Channel TunnelDeutsche Bahn has submitted an application for fundamental approval of its ICE trains for the Channel Tunnel to the safety authority responsible for this, the Intergovernmental ...
• Bombardier announces winners of its Inaugural Sustainable Supplier AwardsBombardier has presented its suppliers Hitachi and ABB with the first Bombardier Transportation Sustainable Suppliers Awards. The awards recognise suppliers™ accomplishments in the field of sustainable ...
• Network Rail unveils outdoor art near New Street stationRegenerated and Network Rail have unveiled Birmingham™s largest outdoor art installation on a site near to New Street station. The location on Hill Street was previously ...
• South West Trains announces plans for London 2012 GamesLondon 2012 spectators planning to travel with South West Trains to next summer™s Games can now take advantage of some great value rail tickets, following the ...
• Three Bridges station set to receive series of upgradesNetwork Rail and Southern have announced a series of improvements to access, facilities and the overall station environment at Three Bridges which will provide better journeys ...
• Leeds™ business and civic leaders show support for HS2On the day the House of Commons Transport Select Committee convenes to hear from opponents to high speed rail, Yorkshire™s business and civic leaders supporting HS2 ...
• East Coast™s First Class fare offer proves to be a hitTrain operator East Coast™s latest fare offer “ designed to welcome new passengers to try out its new First Class complimentary food and drinks service “ ...
• Channel Tunnel reduces its carbon footprint by 20.5%Groupe Eurotunnel has been certified by the independent British organisation Carbon Trust Standard for its policy and achievements in carbon footprint reduction. The Carbon Trust Standard ...
• Rail freight has ˜significant potential™ to lower CO2 emissionsUp to 20 million tonnes of CO2 emissions from freight – some 7% of the total emissions from road and rail freight – could be reduced through ...
• c2c™s John is on his bike again to raise funds for Heart FoundationJohn Giffen of National Express train operator c2c is preparing to take part in the London to Southend bike ride to raise funds for the British ...
• 2012 Games rail tickets now available for spectators to buyMillions of London 2012 spectators can now buy great value rail fares, well ahead of next summer™s Games, following the launch of a new dedicated website. ...
• Network Rail engineering works between Glasgow & PaisleyNetwork Rail engineers will be renewing track and signalling between Glasgow and Paisley this weekend as part of a £170m project to increase capacity and flexibility ...
• Brits ˜leave the environment at home™ when they go on holiday, says Eurostar studyAlmost 70% of people in the UK don’t let environmental concerns influence their holiday choices, compared to 50% of our continental cousins in France and 60% ...
• Buckshaw Village rail bridge lifted into placeWork to complete a new railway station for Buckshaw Village moved a step closer at the weekend when a footbridge to link the two platforms was ...

Aviation Industry

• Air Asia X to swap Stansted for GatwickAzran Osman-Rani, AirAsia X™s CEO, said the decision came down to œcommercial opportunities
• No monkeying around for AAAmerican Airlines joins list of airlines that don't ship primates for research

Other News Sources

• “Train building contract should go to Derby factory”, says CRESC State procurement should take much of the blame for the 1,400 job losses at Canadian train maker Bombardier, according to a new report by researchers at The University of Manchester’s Centre for Research in Socio-Cultural Change (CRESC).
• Bombardier job losses will destroy lives in Derby The government’s decision not to give the £1.5 billion contract to build Thameslink carriages to the Bombardier firm is devastating for Derby.
• Thameslink decision must lead to a new approach to rail procurement - Maria EagleSpeaking in the Parliamentary debate on the ’Future of the UK’s train building industry’, Maria Eagle MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, has again called on Ministers to review the Government’s decision to award the Thameslink train contract to the German-based company Siemens. During the debate Maria Eagle MP also set three tests for the Government in carrying out future rail procurement:
• The British public are Rejecting the High Speed Rail White Elephant MPs were told yesterday that those opposing High Speed Rail are not "Luddites or Nimbys". The House of Commons Transport Committee was hearing evidence from opponents to plans for a high speed rail line from London to Birmingham (HS2).
• Does the Prime Minister have something to hide on Thameslink? - John DenhamJohn Denham MP, Shadow Business Secretary, raised a point of order today to ask if David Cameron is intentionally dodging questions on the decision to give the Thameslink contract to Siemens in Germany rather than Bombardier in Derby. David Cameron refused to answer John Denham’s question on when he knew that the contract would be going to Siemens.
• London Tube row flares over ’crowd control’ volunteers Passengers will put at “lethal” risk by untrained volunteers helping out at London Underground stations during the London 2012 Olympics, claims a union.
• £1.6m project to create social networking tool for travellers Road and rail users will be able to share information about their journey and update each other about delays thanks to a £1.6m research project at Lancaster University. Our Travel is a new type of travel information system based on social networking and direct information from transport workers. The aim is to reduce congestion and improve the transport system as users find more efficient ways to travel.
• Tom Kelly to join Network Rail as communications Director Announcing the news, David Higgins, chief executive, said: “Tom has a wealth of experience in the field of communications that will be invaluable as Network Rail continues its massive programme of change.”
• Costs of electric vehicles preventing take up 12 July, 2011 A hefty price tag and uncertainty over future battery-related costs are preventing more people from driving electric vehicles in the capital, the London Assembly™s Environment Committee heard today. At a meeting to discuss the Mayor™s plans to develop an electric vehicle network in the capital, Assembly Members were told that electric vehicles cost around double the price of a conventional petrol or diesel car. 360-house-thumb.jpg ...
• Cycle hire scheme launched in Guildford GUILDFORD commuters are being encouraged to get back in the saddle with the launch of a rental scheme.
• Cambridge Airport appoints new Airport Infrastructure Director to support growthCambridge Airport, the East of England aviation hub, has appointed Sheila Kissane as Airport Infrastructure Director with immediate effect. 13/07/11
• KDS names new CEODean Forbes has taken over from Yves Weisselberger at travel and expense management company KDS