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

Friday, 30 September 2011

BBC News

• £200m Aberdeen to Inverness rail move among plansA £200m scheme to improve rail services between Aberdeen and Inverness has been announced as part of Scottish improvements.
• Network Rail hopes to electrify East Midlands rail route The electrification of the main rail route between London and the East Midlands could happen by the end of the decade, Network Rail has said.
• New Tunbridge Wells Hospital bus services criticised Bus services set up to serve the new £230m Tunbridge Wells Hospital, which opened last week, have been criticised.
• More than 50 killed on Devon and Cornwall's roads More than 50 people died on Devon and Cornwall's roads in 2010, according to new government figures.
• Rail link tender process scrappedThe Scottish government scraps its plan to get a private company to build the new Borders railway, because of a lack of interest.
• Ministers to look at 80mph limitThe government is to launch a consultation on increasing the speed limit on English and Welsh motorways from 70mph to 80mph.
• TfL used 'toxic' pesticide on TubeA "toxic" chemical was put on weeds on London Underground (LU) up to 18 months after European Commission (EC) guidance was given against its use, BBC London has learnt.
• Plan for Scottish rail investmentA multi-million pound scheme to improve rail services between Aberdeen and Inverness is announced as part of major Scottish improvements.
• Heathrow triples anti-snow teamsHeathrow airport triples the number of snow clearance vehicles to tackle severe winter weather.

Department for Transport

• Transport Statistics: Reported road casualties in Great Britain: annual report 2010The Department for Transport has today published the following Transport Statistics:

Financial Times

• Plan for 80mph motorway speed limitTransport secretary Philip Hammond has announced a review into whether raising the 70mph limit would help the economy by cutting journey times
• UK railways work to improve cost efficiencyThe cost of running the railways looks likely to decline by £1.3bn annually by the end of the decade
• Buses put brakes on FirstGroupThe transport group warns of more challenging conditions for its UK bus arm, while its US school bus business corrects mistakes from its past
• EasyJet founder's plan questionedRyanair's chief executive says the founder of EasyJet would find it tougher to set up new airline called Fastjet

The Guardian

• Government plans to raise speed limit to 80mphTransport secretary to announce proposed increase in speed limit from 70mph to 80mph at Tory conferenceThe government plans to raise the speed limit to 80mph from 70mph in a victory for the transport secretary, Philip Hammond.Hammond said on Thursday he will launch a consultation later this year with a view to introducing the new limit in 2013.The new policy is part of a determined bid to shift the government on to the side of the motorists after successive governments appeared keen to discourage driving.Hammond is expected to couple the increase with an expansion of 20mph limits in many urban...

The Herald

• FirstGroup predicts tough trading as economy bites SCOTTISH transport company FirstGroup revealed yesterday that the UK economic troubles were weighing on its bus passenger numbers in and around Glasgow, and in other areas, because people were cutting back on shopping trips and on going out.
• Blow for rail link as tender process axed A £300 MILLION rail link to the Borders will be built by Network Rail after the collapse of a government bidding competition.
• Budget cuts ˜set to hit exercise progress™IMPROVEMENTS in walking and cycling rates are likely to stagnate due to œshortsighted cuts in Government funding for active travel, a transport charity has claimed.
• Fury at plan to force more train passengers to standPASSENGERS will be crammed on to trains and forced to stand for long periods of their journey under new plans for Scotland™s railways.
• Motorway limit may be raised to 80mph THE speed limit on motorways could be increased from 70mph to 80mph under plans put out to consultation by the Coalition.

The Independent

• EU in Channel Tunnel competition warning Britain and France could face EU court action unless they open up Channel Tunnel rail services to more competition, the European Commission warned today.
• Exclusive: New 80mph motorway limit, 20mph in towns The speed limit on Britain™s motorways is set to rise to 80mph but with a big expansion in the number of 20mph zones in cities and towns, The Independent has learnt.

The Telegraph

• Speed limit on motorways to rise to 80mphMinisters argue that shorter journeys will help businesses.

Daily Express

• FirstGroup bus woesBUSES, not trains, are likely to be among the losers from the weakening UK economy, transport giant FirstGroup has warned.

ATOC

• Options for growth - rail industry unveils plans for the future of the railwayThe rail industry today publishes its vision for how it can deliver better value for money and play a key role in driving sustainable economic growth over the period 2014 -19....
• ATOC responds to Labour claims train companies are 'ripping people off'Responding to Ed Miliband’s claim that train companies are “ripping people off”, Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies,...

Journal Live

• Green Party councillor casts doubts over claimed Morpeth bypass benefitsDOUBTS have been cast over the claimed benefits of a £37m road project in Northumberland which aims to improve transport links and cut traffic congestion in a market town.

Liverpool Post

• FirstGroup on track for first half of financial year BUS and train operator FirstGroup was on track for the first half of the year to September 30, it said in a trading update.

London Evening Standard

• FirstGroup predicts slow down in bus lane as economy starts to biteIf you're reading this article on a bus this evening, you could be one of a diminishing number, if transport giant FirstGroup's predictions are anything to go by.
• Heathrow spends £32m gearing up for snow chaosHeathrow will have more equipment and more staff on hand to deal with bad weather this winter

Metro

• Motorway speed limit 'to be raised to 80mph to boost economy'The government is reportedly planning to raise the speed limit on Britain's motorways to 80mph in a bid to boost the economy.

Yorkshire Post

• Northern rail hub project to slash city trip timesA MULTI-million-pound rail project to transform the economy of the North by slashing journey times between its major cities could be up and running within 10 years.
• Ministers to consult on 80mph motorway speed limitThe Government is to begin a consultation on raising the speed limit on Britain’s motorways from 70mph to 80mph.
• Benn blasts Lib Dems over axed Forgemasters loan Hilary Benn said axing the Forgemasters loan and failing to back train firm Bombardier – which has missed out on a train-building contract in Derby – were among the iconic issues which would see Nick Clegg’s party punished.

Other Regional Press

• ˜Scam™ claim over easyBus ticketsAN angry passenger at Luton Airport has branded easyBus’s ticket policy ’a scam’.
• Kick in the teeth for city airportThe UK Government has cut flight taxes from Northern Ireland as calls grow for similar measures in Scotland.

Global Rail News

• British Transport Police make cable theft arrestRailway cable thief arrested in Nottingham as a direct result of the use of Leicestershire-based Data & Information Management Limited (DIML) equipment configured for real-time cable ...
• Back Yard bonus for InfrarailThe Yard, an exhibition display area dedicated to plant and machinery used for rail construction and maintenance, will be a major new feature at Infrarail 2012. ...
• All aboard for high speed welding innovationWith the rapid expansion of the Chinese high speed rail network underway, and major levels of investment in track and rolling stock infrastructure in place, Siemens ...
• Serco Docklands™ passenger focus celebrated at National Rail AwardsSerco Docklands won a highly commended award in the prestigious Passenger Operator of the Year category at the annual National Rail Awards on 15 September. Judges, ...
• Thales wins €87m signalling contracts in PolandThales has signed eight contracts for the design, delivery, installation and commissioning of signalling systems in Poland for the railway infrastructure operator, Polskie Linie Kolejowe (PKP PLK S.A). ...
• Alstom and Kazakh Railways to produce point machines in KazakhstanAlstom and Kamkor, an industrial subsidiary of Kazakhstan™s national rail company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), signed, on 19 September in Paris, a memorandum of understanding to ...

Aviation Industry

• Airport funds local festivalOne of Scotland™s most unique and exciting festivals starts on 1st October, with Renfrewshire once again leading the way in the number and variety of events being staged.
• ˜Don™t sell Aer Lingus to bigger rival™Mueller warns on œdamaging consequences

Other News Sources

• RMT begins balloting Virgin West Coast cleaners for strike action over pay and union recognitionRAIL UNION RMT confirmed today that it has begun balloting all Carlisle Cleaning and Support Services members on the Virgin West Coast Main Line for strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute over pay and the de-recognition of the union by the company.
• Vinci drives off with £15m Stoke bus stationVinci has seen off stiff competition from five rivals to secure the £15 million contract for a new bus station in Stoke city centre.
• Rail Industry sets out £5.6bn investment plansThe rail industry has set out plans for £5.6bn of investment in new schemes between 2014 and 2019.
• Motorway speed limit set to be raised to 80mphTransport Secretary Philip Hammond tells Channel 4 News
• ERA report challenges ˜bias towards rail™ ˜Trains not always greener than planes™