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

Friday, 22 July 2011

BBC News

• Allowances are curbed at 'gravy train' Merseytravel Are the wheels coming off what's been dubbed the "Merseytravel gravy train"?
• Cash bid for Bristol's transport projects submitted A £114m bid for government cash to overhaul Bristol's transport infrastructure has been put forward by the Liberal Democrat city council.
• Free first class travel offered to MPs by Grand Central Twenty-seven MPs in Yorkshire and the North East have accepted free first class travel passes worth thousands of pounds each from the York-based Grand Central Railway Company.
• High speed rail plans condemned as high cost option There's a significant risk that High Speed 2 will become the latest in a long series of government big project disasters. So says the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in their new report that Andrea Leadsom MP has helped launch.
• Our high speed rail future Will the HS2 high speed rail project, with its £32bn price tag, add up to a good deal for Britain's economy?
• Warning over railway track vandalism British Transport Police have warned people to stay away from railway tracks after a number of incidents where objects were left on lines.
• Drop-off charges under scrutinyThe vehicle drop-off charge at Edinburgh airport is to be reviewed by EU officials, after issue is raised by MEP.
• Japan to get new budget airlineJapan's All Nippon Airways and budget carrier Air Asia agree a joint venture to serve the Japanese market.

Financial Times

• US airlines hit by high oil pricesCarriers remain profitable as business and leisure travellers continue to pay higher prices in order to take to the skies

The Herald

• UK rail passengers increase despite fare price hikesBRITAIN™S railways are carrying record numbers of passengers as above-inflation fare increases and economic uncertainty fail to dampen demand for train travel, industry figures have revealed.

The Independent

• Inquiry into why Diamond sat in Virgin plane cockpitBob Diamond has long been dubbed

The Telegraph

• Passengers will 'benefit’ from the sale of Stansted The sale of Stansted airport and one of BAA's Scottish airports will improve the experience of travellers and could result in cheaper flights, airlines and rival airport operators have claimed.
• Virgin Atlantic told to explain why it let banker onto flight deck Virgin Atlantic has been carpeted by the Department for Transport after a pilot invited Bob Diamond, Barclay’s chief executive, into the cockpit at the end of the Prime Minister’s flight from Africa.

Daily Express

• Halfords feels pinch but bike sales soarCASH-strapped motorists swapping their cars for bikes helped boost cycle sales at Halfords - but sales of car accessories took a hit.

The Sun

• Train rageTHE German trains giant that landed a £1.6billion contract from the British Government - costing 1,400 UK jobs - has yet to even test a critical component.

ATOC

• Vast majority of passengers "get the right ticket at the right price"In response to the latest Passenger Focus report into websites selling train tickets,...

Birmingham Post

• Institution of Civil Engineers gives backing to HS2 The Institution of Civil Engineers has thrown its backing behind plans for a high speed rail network, linking Birmingham to London.
• HS2 debate intensifies after economic think-tank's damning report The battle for hearts and minds in the consultation over high speed rail has descended into rancour as opponents of the scheme were branded right-wing “ideologues”.

Derby Telegraph

• Your city needs you - Join the Bombardier march Tomorrow thousands of people are expected to take to the streets in support of Bombardier and UK rail jobs. A march through Derby will culminate in a rally at Cathedral Green. Business editor Robin Johnson looks ahead to what promises to be the city’s largest public protest for a generation.
• 'Never stop believing this decision can be changed' ERIC Lancashire has a simple message to the people of Derby who are fighting to save the future of train manufacturing in the city – "Never give up".
• 'Give us an hour of your time to save livelihoods' BOMBARDIER workers have said that they will not just be marching tomorrow to save their own jobs – but also work for future generations.
• Calls for buyout to rescue the UK rail industry AN organisation which represents shop stewards has called on the Government to step in and buy Bombardier's Litchurch Lane business – just as it did 40 years ago with Rolls-Royce.
• Warning on dangers of driving while drowsy A DERBYSHIRE road safety group is urging motorists not to drive while tired after a survey revealed one in eight have nodded off behind the wheel.

Liverpool Post

• Rail line plans from London to Birmingham are backed by engineers SUPPORT for a controversial new high speed rail route was voiced by civil engineers today.

London Evening Standard

• Barclays chief enters cockpit of jet to watch pilot fly planeTransport Department officials are talking to Virgin Atlantic about an alleged incident in which Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond entered the cockpit of a jet

Northern Echo

• Rail station boss honoured as heroA QUICK-THINKING railway station manager who saved a distressed woman from the path of a speeding train has been honoured for his dramatic rescue.

Yorkshire Post

• Leader calls on councillors to get on board rail upgrade plan THE leader of Harrogate Council has issued a rallying cry in support of ambitious £150m plans to electrify the antiquated railway line between Leeds and York – urging members to get behind the scheme and help drag the current beleaguered services into the 21st century.

Blackpool Gazette

• Airport may fight new homes rulingBLACKPOOL Airport could ask the Government to overturn a housing decision it believes threatens its future.

Other Regional Press

• Extra train service for Hope Valley welcomed THE introduction of extra commuter train services through the Hope Valley has been welcomed by the chair of the Peak District National Park Authority.
• Derailed train plan hits buffers ANY chance of a train service operating between Little Eaton and Ripley has hit the buffers after contractors began ripping up existing track.
• Outside machines are not the ticket TRAIN users have faced difficulties buying tickets at Basingstoke railway station because of the poor visibility on the ticket machines which have been moved outside.
• Cash-grabbing speed cams will be reviewedTransport chiefs in Lancashire today pledged to review speed cameras which have failed to improve road safety.
• MP™s first class train fare bills are revealedMPs from Lancashire claimed more than £13,000 for first class rail travel over the past year, new figures show.
• One week to have say on HS2, says MEP A WEST Midlands MEP is reminding residents there is still time to have their say on the proposed multi-billion pound high-speed rail project.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Government should drop Heysham-M6 Link road20 July 2011: Friends of the Earth, Campaign to Protect Rural England and Campaign for Better Transport have teamed up with local campaigners to ask for government funding support to be withdrawn from a major road scheme near Lancaster. read more

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Double-deck load weight monitor 'to enhance safety'A new Load Weight Monitor (LWM) has been unveiled that is intended to enhance commercial vehicle safety.Created by Transdek, the device measures weight and distribution of goods on both decks of a truck to within a tolerance of one per cent, in order to maximise safety and efficiency when loading.The company claims the LWM could help to reduce the number of UK commercial vehicle roll overs from over 500 per year and cut deaths from such incidents.Double-deck heavy goods vehicles are at greater risk of toppling, which makes the distribution of payloads to enhance safety more important than on t...

Global Rail News

• Prince opens Llandovery stationLlandovery station in Carmarthenshire has been refurbished and smartened up by volunteers. The station building, which was closed in 1992, was re-opened by HRH Prince Charles ...
• Patrols stepped up by BTP on the Shore™s railsFollowing complaints from railway staff and passengers, British Transport Police is stepping up patrols on stations and trains in the north east as fans of reality ...
• Buying rail tickets online needs to be simpler, Watchdog saysPassenger Focus has today published research looking at how easy passengers find buying their train tickets online. The research found many examples of good practice but ...
• Passengers™ terror alert on FCC serviceIt reads like the beginning of a Lee Child novel but passengers who spotted a woman clutching a rucksack and fervently praying have been commended for ...
• Blackheath station becomes more accessibleNetwork Rail has completed access improvements at Blackheath station which include ‘a new step-free route between the entrance and both platforms’. The multi-million pound project, funded ...
• Vital Skills Training to deliver new rail qualificationVital Skills Training, a division of Vital Services Group, has become one of the first companies in the UK to deliver the new City & Guilds ...
• Express Medicals discuss importance of WellbeingDan Hegarty of Express Medicals discusses Wellbeing What is wellbeing and is it relevant to companies and their employees? Most adults have an in-built understanding of ...
• Virgin Trains™ drivers organise ˜Train of Hope™ eventManchester-based Virgin Trains™ drivers have come up with the idea of organising an event that would combine a passion for the railways with a desire to ...
• The importance of Personal Protective EquipmentPersonal Protective Equipment (PPE) is just what it says. It is the front line defence against injury for any railway worker, and Network Rail is quite ...
• Safely Home “ with HydrexHydrex is investing in the latest technology and the Safely Home initiative to improve safety awareness among its employees and the wider rail industry. Says Andy ...
• East Coast Station Manager commended for lifesaving rescueAn East Coast Station Manager has been praised for his quick thinking in rescuing a woman from a high speed railway line. Dennis Middleton, Duty Station ...
• ˜Brief Encounter™ at Chappel & Wakes Colne StationFilm buffs and rail enthusiasts alike are in for a treat at a special screening of the classic film Brief Encounter at Chappel & Wakes Colne ...
• Porterbrook awards overhaul contract to RailCarePorterbrook has awarded a contract to RailCare for C6 overhauls to Class 153 and 156 fleets. As part of the overhaul, Porterbrook has taken the decision to ...
• c2c turns lost property into cash for charityNational Express train operator c2c has donated over £3,000 to the local Essex based charity ˜Down Syndrome Extra 21™. The fundraising was spearheaded by c2c™s lost ...
• Bournemouth™s Pokesdown station transformed with artSouth West Trains passengers using Bournemouth’s Pokesdown for Boscombe train station are in for a surprise this week. A dramatic 450 square metre long art mural will ...

Aviation Industry

• Heathrow races to record summerSixteen-time champion jockey AP McCoy today swapped his horse for a ride-on suitcase to compete in the first ever Trunki race at Heathrow to launch the airport™s programme of summer activities...
• Airlines œslow to use mobile technologyMany airlines are slow on the uptake when it comes to the use of smartphones and apps, according to a website usability expert

Other News Sources

• I have asked National Audit Office to halt Bombardier decision THE school holidays are just upon us and Parliament has now broken up for the summer recess too. This was not without remaining in Westminster for an extra day to discuss the phone-hacking scandal and for the Prime Minister to give a statement.
• Driver-friendly tachograph package welcomed by FTAPublication of the European Commission’s new tachograph proposals have been welcomed by the Freight Transport Association (FTA). The leading trade body believes that the focus on making tachographs more driver friendly will cut down on unintended driver hours errors and the use of new technology will reduce tachograph fraud among rogue operators. Chris Yarsley, FTA™s Manager of Road Freight, Enforcement and EU Affairs, said: œThese new proposals introduce some genuinely helpful technological improvements which will improve the way tachographs are used by commercial vehicle operators. The...
• VOSA™s safe driver™s guide wins awardA pocket guide designed to improve road safety by helping professional drivers understand complex driver™s hours rules has been recognised with a national award. The Vehicle and Operator Agency™s (VOSA) ˜Staying Legal “ the Basics™ guide has won the Print Innovation Award at the 2011 Good Communication Awards. VOSA began distributing the fold-out pocket guide to HGV and PSV drivers at the roadside in March and, to date, 50,000 have been given out. It gives simple tips on drivers’ hours rules, vehicle condition and the responsibilities of the professional driver. Kevin Rooney, VOSA™s Head...
• UntitledGuardian Environment Editor on why air pollution is at the forefront of the environmental agenda

News from Europe

• Doubts cloud launch of EU biofuels sustainability schemes

Other Subscription Services

• Political tension keeps Asia™s anti-piracy efforts on back burnerShift from robbery to vessel hijackings is rising in South China Sea but international disputes could see owners and operators without adequate naval support