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

Thursday, 14 July 2011

BBC News

• High speed rail debate hots up: MPs join war of words It's like Marmite: you love it or hate it but you can't be undecided.
• Bombardier unions meet minister Philip Hammond Unions representing workers at the UK's last train builder have met with ministers to urge a crucial contract be reconsidered.
• Electric cars a 'viable solution'Electric vehicles offer a
• Bombardier unions meet ministerUnions representing workers at the UK's last train builder meet the transport secretary to urge a crucial contract be reconsidered.
• Clogged airport risk to London growthBaroness Valentine - who speaks for London First - puts the case for further expansion at London's airports.
• LU increases Tube staff pay offerLondon Underground increases its pay offer to workers to a 4.75% rise this year.
• Bombardier job losses to hit one family hardRecent developments at Bombardier are particularly worrying for one Derby family, which has three members that could be affected by the job losses.

Financial Times

• Court defeat ends Alstom's Eurostar hopesThe decision removes the last obstacle to Siemens going ahead with a €600m contract to build 10 trains for the cross-Channel train operator

The Guardian

• Bombardier U-turn hopes fade Transport secretary rebuffs unions urging him to reconsider award of train-building contract to Germany's Siemens

The Herald

• Petrol prices edge higher againPETROL prices, which had dipped earlier this month, have edged up again, according to figures from the AA.

The Telegraph

• EasyJet row with Stelios escalates The row between easyJet and its founder and largest shareholder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has escalated after he branded claims from the airline "preposterous and misleading" and said he would press ahead with moves to oust one of its directors.
• Cameron to look at EU procurement rules David Cameron has suggested he is prepared to challenge European procurement rules to ensure that British companies have a better chance of winning local contracts in the wake of the Bombardier fiasco.

Daily Express

• Stelios slams easyJetA ROW between easyJet and its largest shareholder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has erupted after the tycoon criticised its fleet expansion and threatened to eject one of its directors.

ATOC

• Train companies respond to rail fares campaignResponding to the launch of a campaign against rail fare rises by the Campaign for Better Transport,...

Network Rail

• REGIONAL ECONOMIES BOOSTED BY £5BN GREAT WESTERN RAIL INVESTMENT

Birmingham Mail

• Travel West Midlands boss Dave Kaye comes face-to-face with Birmingham Mail readers THE CITY’S bus boss promised he was sacking bad drivers and having major success in tackling crime, when he came face-to-face with Birmingham Mail readers.
• Birmingham buses: Readers put their questions to National Express boss Readers put their questions to the boss of National Express West Midlands, David Kaye
• High-speed rail critics set to be questioned MPS have set up a campaign group in support of the proposed high speed rail link serving Birmingham.

Derby Telegraph

• Cameron says: I won't talk to you on Bombardier PRIME Minister David Cameron, who presented himself as a champion of British industry on a visit to Derby just four months ago, has refused to meet city leaders over the loss of 1,400 jobs at train-maker Bombardier.
• Rare show of unity as city councillors on all sides condemn Cameron and 'catastrophic' decision on Bombardier deal A RARE display of unity across the political parties on Derby City Council was demonstrated last night as councillors called on Government to reverse its Thameslink decision.
• Long wait to catch a high-speed train A COUNCILLOR believes it could be a "long time" before people catch a high-speed rail link in Amber Valley.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Abandoned tram route road repairs will cost city £3.4mCOUNCIL chiefs are to spend up to £3.4 million to fix temporary road repairs along the abandoned tram route from the city centre to Leith.

Liverpool Post

• Sir Stelios reopens row with Easyjet board over Airbus orders EASYJET founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has reopened hostilities with the airline over orders for new Airbus aircraft.

London Evening Standard

• Commuter rail fares to rise by up to 13% with more to comeLondon commuter rail fares will rise between eight and 13 per cent from January as part of the first stage in a three-year price increase

The York Press

• Police urged cyclists to register their bikes CYCLISTS in York have been urged to register their bikes with North Yorkshire Police, as part of an ongoing operation to combat cycle theft.
• York in push to win funding for congestion-busting scheme YORK is facing tougher competition from rival cities in its bid to win millions of pounds of Government funding for a vital congestion-busting scheme.

Wales Online

• Wales could become first country in Europe to ban smoking in vehicles carrying children Wales could be the first country in Europe to ban smoking in cars carrying children.

Yorkshire Post

• New rail link a safe bet, insist business leaders NORTHERN 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.
• Country life ˜hit by absence of transport links™The head of the Government’s rural watchdog has said that transport links remain an especially acute concern for people living in Yorkshire’s countryside.
• Campaign launched to oppose ˜unfair™ increases in rail faresA CAMPAIGN has been launched against “unfair rail fares”, including protests at 40 key commuter stations.

Daventry Express

• DAVID CAMERON ORDERS PROBE IN BATTLE FOR TRAIN JOBS DAVID Cameron yesterday ordered a review of EU contract rules as unions vowed to fight for jobs at Bombardier – Britain’s last train-maker. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has given a £1.5billion Thameslink contract to German giant Siemens instead.

Other Regional Press

• MP Steve Barclay calls for rail improvements as Whittlesea Station gets a makeover NE CAMBS MP Steve Barclay has pitched in at the Whittlesea Station Clean-up as his ongoing campaign to improve transport links in the area accelerates.
• £5bn programme for the Great Western route A £5bn investment programme to provide more seats and shorter journey times on the Great Western rail route will provide a massive boost to the economies of the south west of England and the Thames Valley, Network Rail has been announced today.
• Tett tells inquiry: ’HS2 is a big roll of the dice’ THE leader of Bucks County Council has blasted plans for HS2, telling MPs he does not accept the business case or the project’s green credentials.
• Ryanair axes London route because of ˜nuts™ taxationPressure is mounting to scrap airport passenger duty (APD) after an airline claimed it caused them to drop a route.
• HS2 campaigner given rough ride by MPs transport committee A CAMPAIGNER from Warwickshire fighting plans for the HS2 rail line through the county, faced a grilling by MPs at the Transport Select Committee.

Global Rail News

• Unite continues ˜fight™ for Bombardier workers following meeting with DfTFollowing a meeting between trade unions, the TUC and transport secretary, Philip Hammond, Unite has pledged to continue the campaign to ‘persuade the government’ to re-open ...
• Unite leader pledges support for BombardierLen McCluskey, leader of Unite, is in Derby has given his full support to the battle to save Bombardier. Len McCluskey met with union representatives and ...
• Japanese rail industry responds to power crisisThe Japanese rail industry is reducing train services and lighting at stations on many electrified routes to conserve the country’s dwindling power supply following the huge ...
• Reading Museum receives train nameplateEd Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture, Communications, and the Creative Industries attended a special handover ceremony at Reading Museum on Friday 1 July, when the Museum ...
• £5m pledged towards new Stratford stationWarwickshire County Council is working to secure a £4m funding package following the awarding of a £5m Government grant towards the £9m project to construct a new ...
• High speed rail message sent to council leaders across the North WestNorth West councils are being urged to show their support for a high speed rail link that would let them share in a £1 billion-a-year economic ...
• Support wanes for Merseyrail™s vertical integrationThe integrated transport authority Merseytravel, and its executive, have been campaigning for devolution regarding control of the tracks used by Merseyrail electric trains for several years. However, ...
• Opposition to HS2 to be consideredA report recommending Camden Council™s opposition to controversial High Speed Two (HS2) plans is set to be discussed by Cabinet on Wednesday 20 July. The government published ...
• Assembly to debate High Speed 2™s potential impact on LondonThe London Assembly™s Transport Committee will hold a public hearing tomorrow to debate the effects proposals for the High Speed 2 rail link between London and the ...
• East Coast passengers set to benefit from rail improvementsPassengers are set to benefit from a £multi-million programme of improvements to boost performance on the East Coast Main Line (ECML). The joint industry plan recognises ...
• TfL to help businesses make the most of 2012 GamesTfL and London 2012 are determined to ensure that businesses can take advantage of all these opportunities and have announced two new programmes to help small ...
• Amtrak to exceed 30 million annual passengersAmtrak is projecting that for the first time ever its annual ridership will exceed 30 million passengers and in the process set a new all-time record ...
• Rail safety experts Zonegreen awarded Alstom depot contractA decade after first working together, rail transport giant Alstom has invited UK rail safety company Zonegreen to provide the latest in depot protection systems at ...
• New South Manchester Metrolink line added to mapA new colour has been added to Metrolink™s service map following the launch of the new South Manchester Line. The map shows the different services that ...

Railnews

• £17m to help East Coast services get back on time Network Rail's East Coast route director Richard Lungmuss has revealed that an extra £17 million is being invested in the route, after a prolonged period during which performance dived. There have been signs of strain between Network Rail and the route's intercity operator East Coast, which called for improvements in the reliability of the infrastructure following falls in its key Public Performance Measure.

Transport for London

• Reminder to customers of four week closure for improvement works on most delayed part of Circle and District lines - Closure between 23 July and 23 August between High Street Kensington and Edgware Road to improve reliability
• New programmes launched to help businesses of all sizes keep on running during 2012 GamesTransport for London (TfL) and London 2012 determined to ensure businesses can make the most of all opportunities Games will bring.
• Transport for London seeks your views on proposed changes to routes 206, 224 and PR2 Wembley and Park Royal areaTransport for London (TfL) London Buses is seeking the views of the local community on proposed changes to routes 206, 224 and PR2 in the Wembley and Park Royal area.
• London Underground makes revised multi-year pay offerLondon Underground (LU) has made a revised five-year pay offer to trade unions which would see staff get a 4.75 per cent pay increase this year, followed by a rise of inflation (RPI) plus 0.25 per cent in the four subsequent years.

Green Miscellany

• Cities given more flexibility to introduce 20mph limits Measures to reduce time-consuming and costly bureaucracy for councils wanting to use 20 mph schemes were announced recently by Regional and Local Transport Minister Norman Baker. This is a good move “ not enough in my view but it is in the correct direction.read more

Other News Sources

• Buckshaw station nears completion Work to complete a new railway station for Buckshaw Village has moved a step closer after a footbridge to link the two platforms was lifted into place.
• Unite continues fight for workers at Bombardier following meeting with Department of Transport Following a meeting between trade unions, the TUC and transport secretary, Philip Hammond, Unite has pledged to continue the campaign to persuade the government to re-open its decision not to make Bombardier the preffered bidder for the Thameslink contract.
• South Northants Council: HS2 is the fast track to ’noise and poverty’ HS2 will create financial hardship, a long term noise nuisance and a permanent scar on the region’s beautiful unspoilt countryside, according to a draft report due to submitted to the Government by South Northants District Council.
• EU law probe over trains contract The Government will investigate the way European law dictates how it hands out contracts after Derby-based Bombardier lost out to German firm Siemens in its bid to build 1,200 train carriages, the Prime Minister has said.
• Sacrificed at the altar of profit Transport Secretary Philip Hammond cannot be allowed to hide behind his politically self-serving assertion that his hands are tied over the Thameslink train-building contract.
• Viaduct cycle plan moves closer with city council backing CIVIC bosses are putting £500,000 on the line to transform a disused railway viaduct into a landmark cycle path.
• Transport plan is green enough say civic chiefs CIVIC chiefs have backed the latest transport plan for Winchester, which includes four main targets.
• Assembly to debate High Speed 2™s potential impact on LondonThe London Assembly™s Transport Committee will tomorrow hold a public hearing to debate the effects proposals for the High Speed 2 rail link[1] between London and the North could have on the capital. Current plans for High Speed 2 involve extensive changes to already busy Euston station in order for it to become a terminus for the new rail link “ potentially doubling passenger numbers - and the construction of a new interchange station at Old Oak Common.  hs2new.jpg ...