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

Friday, 28 October 2011

BBC News

• Virgin Rail Group to expand West Coast line service Virgin Rail has announced plans to add thousands more seats to its service between Glasgow and London Euston.
• Bypass delay 'harming business'Slow progress on a long-awaited bypass in Powys is becoming a major barrier to business and frustrating residents, claims a councillor.
• 'Boris Island' airport is debatedProposals to build an airport in the Thames Estuary are debated by business leaders in Kent.
• Residents concern over derelict railway building Concerned residents have called for a derelict building on the platform of an east Cornwall railway station to be renovated and restored.
• 'Social value' to become factor in public services Councils, government departments and bodies like the NHS could be required to consider "social value" - as well as cost - when awarding contracts. The plans are part of a private member's bill put forward by Conservative MP Chris White.

Department for Transport

• West Coast passengers in line for 28,000 extra seats as franchise extension signedPassengers using the busy West Coast Main Line are set to benefit from extra carriages and more seats from April next year Rail Minister Theresa Villiers has announced, after the Government signed an extension to Virgin Trains' existing contract to operate services on the line.
• Transport Statistics: Road Freight Statistics 2010The Department for Transport has today published the following Transport Statistics:

Financial Times

• Higher fares drive Go-Ahead revenuesSales growth came mostly from paying passengers than concessionary fares to the elderly and disabled paid by the government
• Investment slows on China's high speed railwaysSimon Rabinovitch visits Bazhou, a small town in north-east China counting on high-speed rail to bring construction and growth to the area.
• Lufthansa scales back passenger forecastsGerman airline misses operating profit expectations for first nine months of the year due to eurozone crisis
• China's high-speed rail plans falterChina has slammed the brakes on investment following the fatal crash in July “ and the industry is desperate for such programmes to be revived
• US airlines earnings hit by fuel costsTwo of the leading US airlines on Thursday reported a sharp drop in quarterly profits, as higher ticket prices and solid passenger demand for travel failed to keep pace with soaring fuel costs
• DfT extends franchise on West Coast lineDepartment for Transport extends Virgin Trains' West Coast licence to give itself more time to further develop future franchising plans

The Telegraph

• Railways 'under attack' from metal thieves say police Britain's railways are "under attack" from metal thieves, it was claimed today as British Transport Police stepped up efforts to tackle railway cable theft.

Daily Express

• Go-Ahead sees switch to trainsGO-AHEAD yesterday said rising fuel and insurance costs were driving motorists out of their cars and on to its trains and buses.

Network Rail

• NEW PLATFORMS NOW ARRIVING AT GLASGOW CENTRAL
• BETTER ACCESS FOR CROSS CITY LINE PASSENGERS

Birmingham Post

• Think tank warns that HS2 will be expensive failureHigh speed rail will cost the nation £50 billion and add to the Treasury’s massive debts when interest payments are already sky high, an influential think tank was warned.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented MP urges Tories in areas threatened by rail job losses to back...Article
• Derby Telegraph commented Bus firm's plea over gritting during dayArticle

Liverpool Post

• Merseyrail train to be named in memory of late Liverpool Lord Mayor Jack SpriggsA MERSEYRAIL train has been named in memory of a former Liverpool Lord Mayor.
• Stobart Widnes hub in line for new jobs and investmentNEW investment and jobs are in the pipeline at logistics group Stobart’s Widnes multi-modal gateway.
• Merseytravel chief defends U-turn on plans to take control of railway networkTHE controversial decision to shelve plans permitting Merseyside to run its own rail network was “simply economic”, the chairman of Merseytravel will claim tonight.

London Evening Standard

• End of the yellow line?Feature: Westminster council plans to ban parking on single yellow lines in the evenings and on weekends from January despite howls of protests from West End businesses

Manchester Evening News

• Extra seats on Virgin Trains from Manchester after new Government dealPassengers will get thousands of extra seats on trains between Manchester, London and Glasgow after the Government extended Virgin Trains' contract to operate the route. Transport Minister Theresa Villiers said three new 600-seat trains will now be added to the line.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Anger at £10 disabled blue badge parking permit feeThousands of disabled people entitled to a blue badge parking permit will have to pay a £10 charge for the privilege from next year.

Other Regional Press

• Leicester Mercury published MP backing new road injury lawArticle
• Newport rail link calls are stepped up CALLS for action over the Ebbw Vale rail link were renewed yesterday after statistics revealed more train journeys were made from Blaenau Gwent to Cardiff than Newport.
• Minister urges Coventry to back HS2 rail line on visit to StratfordA GOVERNMENT minister has signalled it’s full steam ahead for the HS2 rail line as he issued a plea to opponents to see how it will benefit Coventry and Warwickshire.
• New trains boost for Glasgow to London rail route Plans to relieve overcrowding on the Glasgow-London West Coast Main Line were announced today.
• Newport rail link calls are stepped up CALLS for action over the Ebbw Vale rail link were renewed yesterday after statistics revealed more train journeys were made from Blaenau Gwent to Cardiff than Newport.
• 'Airport would create 70,000 jobs'An airport in the Thames Estuary would create 70,000 jobs, Boris Johnson's aviation adviser has argued.
• New trains boost for Glasgow to London rail routePlans to relieve overcrowding on the Glasgow-London West Coast Main Line were announced today.

Bus and Coach.com

• Bus cuts blame gameThe Department for Transport has reiterated that local authorities must be free to make their own decisions about the provision of local bus services.
• 2 Travel liquidators to sue Cardiff BusCardiff Bus is being sued for £50million by the liquidators of failed bus operator 2 Travel.

Global Rail News

• London Midland says goodbye to class 150 trainsThe introduction of 172 trains on Snow Hill lines marks the end of 26-years of service for class 150s trains which have operated across the West ...
• Work ˜doesn™t pay for parents™ as childcare & rail fares ˜swallow up 35% of families™ wages™Commuting families are now spending more than a third of their wages on childcare and rail fares, according to figures from Campaign for Better Transport. The ...

Railnews

• Revenue warning as Virgin wins West Coast extension Virgin has won an extension to the West Coast franchise, which will take the contract on from its previous expiry date of 31 March to 9 December next year. But there's been a warning that revenues are unlikely to meet a 'challenging' target set by the Department for Transport.
• Storm blows up over plan to axe Underground drivers LONDON UNDERGROUND is considering proposals to make its drivers redundant within a decade and close most of the ticket offices on the system. The RMT union, which has seen a leaked strategy document, has branded LU's plan a 'blueprint for carnage'.
• New Underground conflict over controversial changes A long-running pay dispute on the London Underground appears to be over after the RMT recommended that its members accept an improved offer, but a fresh call for action has been made by the union in a new conflict over changed operating procedures.

Other News Sources

• Recycled composites could be re-used in aircraft and cars New methods for recycling advanced composite materials could allow them to be re-used in non-critical parts of aircraft and cars.
• Ship Crews Seek Protection with EnGarde Body Armor in Dangerous WatersShipping supply companies are getting more requests from customers for EnGarde body armor and helmets to augment crew safety equipment. In response to rising concerns over piracy, ship captains are fitting crews with EnGarde tactical body armor.
• Cleaners on Virgin contract strike tomorrow (Friday) over pay and union rightsRMT membership doubles as fair-pay campaign spirals