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

Tuesday, 18 October 2011

BBC News

• Can train technology re-invent the wheel? Rail transport has not fundamentally changed in the 200 years since the invention of metal rails but a new wave of transport ideas - from ones already in development to "concept" contraptions - could change the way we commute forever.
• Warning from pay row bus driversBus drivers at First Aberdeen meet with union officials as it is warned a row over pay could escalate into strike action.
• First tram arrives at Gogar depotThe first tram arrives on three low-loader lorries at the Gogar depot in Edinburgh from Irun, northern Spain.
• Incentives for 'green' journeysPeople who travel on foot or by bicycle in London are to be offered rewards and discounts under a scheme designed to cut pollution and improve health.
• Greening 'not biased on Heathrow'The government rejects concerns the transport secretary cannot be
• TfL taxi bill passes £3m per yearTransport for London spends more than £6m on staff taxis and minicabs in two years, figures show.

Financial Times

• Air France-KLM chief ousted Pierre-Henri Gourgeon will step down at the airline and be replaced by Alexandre de Juniac, the former chief of staff to Christine Lagarde

The Guardian

• Happy birthday to a transport of delight Middlesbrough marks the centenary of its famous bridge which still clanks to and fro on the quarter-hour.The comedian Terry Scott drove off it by mistake. More sedately, you can abseil from it for £3
• Kings Cross blog seeks corporate manslaughter charge over cycle and pedestrian safetyCycling campaigners are already exerting conspicuous pressure on Boris Johnson and Transport for London to alter their plans for Blackfriars junction to make it more cyclist and pedestrian-friendly, as the Guardian has extensively reported.
• Preparing for future volcanic ash clouds [letter -Andrew Haines Chief executive, CAA]You quote the Association of European Airlines as suggesting that there is little that the airlines can do to prepare for any future volcanic ash cloud (Airlines feel the heat as volcano rumbles, 14 October). In fact, there is a significant amount of work under way and further work that the aviation industry must do to ensure a future eruption causes the minimum amount of disruption while ensuring high levels of safety.
• TfL spreads digital information on bus travel Transport for London makes digital information for every bus stop in the capital available online and on mobile phones

The Scotsman

• Questions raised over trams deal selection process Concerns have been raised about the way major contracts are signed by the city council after details emerged of the £2.8 million spent on the firm brought in to run Edinburgh’s tram project.
• At last a tram … and it’s late, of course THERE was a certain inevitability that when Edinburgh’s first tram finally arrived, it would be later than billed.

The Telegraph

• Questor share tip: Railway boost for FirstGroup It appears that recession Britain really is letting the train take the strain. Industry figures released yesterday showed a continued increase in rail passengers over the summer. The data showed a 5.3pc rise in the three months ending September than in the same period last year. Questor says buy.

The Mirror

• Branson marks spaceport milestoneSir Richard Branson shook up a big bottle of champagne and took a swig while christening the world's first built-from-scratch commercial spaceport.

ATOC

• 5% growth in rail travel puts industry on course for busiest year since the 1920sPassenger numbers on the railways grew by 5.3% over the summer months. The figures, published by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC),...

Network Rail

• RAIL BRIDGE TO BE REPLACED

Birmingham Mail

• New battle to save free bus passes for children as council plans more budget cutsTHOUSANDS of Birmingham school children and their parents face a second battle to keep their free bus passes under revised plans to halve the city’s £12 million home to school transport budget.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented Experts predict impact of rail job losses on city's economyArticle

Daventry Express

• Town™s Dial-a-ride service more than just a busAFTER taking a trip on the DACT dial-a-ride service it’s easy to see how it’s viewed as more than just a bus.

Sunderland Echo

• Driving Sunderland car parkers off the pavementsPOLICE are helping to drive problem parkers off pavements.

Other Regional Press

• Westminster children learn to use buses WESTMINSTER: Pupils from College Park School in Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School in North Paddington, both special schools, had the chance to learn about using public transport on Friday.
• Lichfield MP to raise HS2 issues with new Transport Secretary Lichfield’s MP is planning to take up the issue of high speed rail with the Government’s new Transport Secretary.
• New transport boss faces HS2 dilemma CAMPAIGNERS against HS2 are urging residents to write to the new secretary of state for transport to tell her the project is not wanted. Unpopular former transport boss Philip Hammond was appointed Liam Fox's successor at the Ministry of Defence on Saturday (15), making way for junior minister Justine Greening at the Department for Transport.
• Wigan-Preston train ride hell angers MPDEPARTMENT of Transport chiefs will study disabled public transport access after calls from Wigan’s MP.
• Row over pot-holed roads is continuing onHousing developers have been accused of “unacceptable” behaviour after failing to respond to complaints about the state of roads on an estate.

Bus and Coach.com

• Hybrids start in SunderlandHybrid Optare Solo SRs have replaced diesel buses on the Sunderland Connect service.
• Greening at the DfTAs if to make sure no transport secretary stays in position long enough to really get to grips with transport policy, Philip Hammond has been moved to the ministry of defence to replace Liam Fox, who has resigned following concerns about possible impropriety in his behaviour.
• Optio grows to second Sheffield corridorThe joint operation of services in Sheffield by First and Stagecoach is being extended to a second corridor this month, following the success of the initial Optio Orange services launched in July.
• Belfast BRT consultation startsPublic consultation has started on the routes for the first phase of the planned Belfast bus rapid transit network.
• Customers give thumbs up for Go-AheadResearch carried out by Passenger Focus across the Go-Ahead Group™s bus operations outside London has revealed 91 per cent overall passenger satisfaction.

Global Rail News

• 5% growth in rail travel ˜puts industry on course for busiest year since 1920s™Passenger numbers on the railways grew by 5.3% over the summer months. The figures, published by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), confirm that the ...
• Paris Metro ˜pioneering the future in metro automation & signalling™With 14 lines, 300 stations, 213 kilometres of tracks and about 1.4 billion passengers per year, the Métro de Paris ranks among the densest and busiest ...
• FTA™s calls for Eurotunnel track access charge review ˜buoyed by EC support™Having commissioned a comprehensive report into the impact of Eurotunnel tolls on rail freight, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has warmly welcomed an announcement made by ...
• Network Rail reports further efficienciesNetwork Rail has made progress against its efficiency targets in 2010-11, but has more work to do to justify all of its claimed savings, said Office ...
• Calais field to be transformed into logistics parkWithin 4 years a field in Calais will begin to be transformed into Calais Premier, a 160 hectare logistics park which will be the largest logistics ...
• Eurotunnel to install new radio communication systemEurotunnel has launched a project to install a state of the art radio communication system in the Channel Tunnel which will provide full interoperability with the ...
• Community Rail designation in the ˜Heart of Wessex™Passengers in the South West will see a greater community involvement with the designation of the Heart of Wessex Line between Bristol and Weymouth as a ...
• Bombardier named Worldwide Supplier of the Year at the Light Rail AwardsFor the second year running, Bombardier Transportation has received the prestigious award for Worldwide Supplier of the Year at the 2011 Light Rail Awards, held in ...
• Southeastern achieves Investors in People Silver AwardSoutheastern has been awarded the prestigious Investors in People (IiP) Silver Award. Southeastern is now one of only 16 companies in Kent to have achieved the ...
• Work begins on improvements to Peterborough stationWork has begun on a major £2.5 million redevelopment scheme to revitalise Peterborough station, which will transform it into a vibrant gateway to the city for ...
• Southern passengers to benefit from 5,000 extra peak seats in DecemberSouthern will be introducing longer trains on three key routes when the new winter timetable comes into effect on 11 December. Platform extensions and power supply ...
• Eurotunnel Le Shuttle wins Best Train Company AwardEurotunnel Le Shuttle has won the coveted 2011 Guardian, Observer and guardian.co.uk Travel Award as Best Train Company in a year that has been ‘one of ...
• East Coast engineers get birds eye view of fleetEast Coast has commenced fitting its fleet of HSTs and 225 sets with a remote monitoring system, called Project Falcon. Using Nexala software and delivered by ...
• Rules on open access ˜could be relaxed™A consultation on open access rail services has been launched by the Office of Rail Regulation. Under the proposals, future open access rail operators could be ...
• Rail Media exhibiting at The Infrastructure Show 2011Rail Media will be exhibiting at The Infrastructure Show at the NEC in Birmingham for the next three days. Rail Staff, the rail engineer, rail.co and RailwayPeople.com ...
• Pyeroy wins contract to repaint one of the UK™s oldest railway viaductsProtective coatings specialist Pyeroy has won the £1.5m contract to re-paint one of the country™s oldest railway bridges – the Ouseburn Viaduct located in Newcastle upon ...

Aviation Industry

• Air France KLM Group CEO resigns; Spinetta and Van Wijk returnPierre-Henri Gourgeon stepped down as CEO of Air France KLM Group and CEO of Air France (AF) following a board meeting in Paris on Monday afternoon.
• New Berlin airport operating hours setA German court on Thursday has ruled on the operating hours of Berlin™s newest airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), which is expected to open June 3, 2012.
• Qantas CEO: ˜No end in sight to the dispute™Qantas (QF) is expected to ground its 747s and cut back on international flights this week as the industrial crisis deepens.
• Etihad reportedly interested in Aer Lingus stake, tie-up with Virgin AtlanticEtihad Airways (EY) has declined to comment on media reports that it has approached the Irish government to buy a 25% stake in Aer Lingus (EI).
• Boost for Heathrow-Glasgow routeBA will provide an extra 4,000 seats each week

Other News Sources

• RMT calls for meeting with new Transport Secretary in bid to save UK train buildingRail union RMT today demanded an urgent meeting with new transport secretary Justine Greening over the future of the Bombardier train building plant in Derby. The meeting should include representatives of the Derby workforce who Phillip Hammond repeatedly refused to meet direct.
• Mayor pleads for Boris Island to be taken seriouslyLondon mayor Boris Johnson has repeated his warning to the government today that the country risks becoming a œbit-part player in the global economy unless its gives serious consideration for construction of a new airport hub in the South East of England.
• TAS Transport switches to Palletline from PalletwaysHeathrow-based TAS Transport has left Palletways to join rival pallet network Palletline, covering parts of the TW area and all SW postcodes in south-west London.
• Mayor warns economy will lose out if hub airport not taken seriously 16 October, 2011 The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has warned the Government that the UK risks being relegated to a bit part player in the global economy unless they give serious consideration to the construction of a new hub airport in the south east of England. aviation60x60.jpg Yes read more
• Plans to reward walking welcomed 17 October, 2011 - 10:44 Chair of the Transport Committee, Caroline Pidgeon AM, today welcomed Transport for London™s plans to reward people who make their journey on foot or by bike under a new incentive scheme, saying: œThis incentive scheme is a very welcome step by Transport for London as it is exactly the kind of thing I pushed for in my report on walking last year. œAround a quarter of all journeys in the capital are already made on foot but rewarding people with offers and discounts should help get even more Londoners walking. ...
• Rail operators predict bumper 2011Train companies expect the number of journeys completed by train in the UK to reach more than 1.3 billion by the end of the year