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

Wednesday, 23 November 2011

BBC News

• Stoke Gifford rail depot plan opposed by more than 550 people Hundreds of residents have signed a petition opposing a rail depot which is being planned for Stoke Gifford near Bristol.
• Councils offered help to borrow £170m for road works The finance minister has announced plans to help councils borrow up to £170m to fund road improvements. Jane Hutt added that the Welsh government will publish an infrastructure investment plan.
• Humber Bridge £330m debt 'could be written off' A "considerable amount" of the Humber Bridge's outstanding £330m debt could be written off by the coalition government, an MP has said.
• Extra carriages for train serviceTrain operator First Great Western says it will introduce 48 more carriages to its services next year.
• Lorry review follows bike deathsLondon's mayor announces a review into HGVs operated by the construction industry after the deaths of two cyclists at a roundabout in east London
• Bus drivers 'pulling up barriers'A London council calls for bus drivers to be prosecuted over claims they are damaging safety barriers on Hammersmith Bridge on a daily basis.

Financial Times

• Ryanair to offer reserved seatingBudget airline to charge £10 to book a spot, underscoring the move by low-cost carriers away from traditional open-seating model

The Herald

• Fresh talks after ScotRail hits back in train driver rowA ROW over train drivers™ hours that could lead to widespread disruption for ScotRail services was triggered by two staff being refused a day off, the company has claimed.
• EasyJet™s strong Scots expansionEASYJET has expanded at twice the rate in Scotland as the rest of the UK this year, showing there is still strong demand for flights north of the Border, according to the company™s chief executive.

Mail Online

• Middle-class motorists hit hard as costs soar 14% a yearDrivers have endured a 14 per cent rise in the cost of motoring in a year, the RAC reveals today. Among the hardest hit is the 'Ford Focus' family of car users.

The Mirror

• Cost of running a car reaches all-time highTHE cost of keeping a car on the road has soared to an all-time high.

Belfast Telegraph

• New direction is needed for our transport links With the A5 road plan now on the long finger Greg Lloyd and Philip Griffiths take a look at the alternatives

Birmingham Mail

• Underground car park plan for Birmingham's Eastside and High Speed Two stationENGINEERS are investigating the possibility of building a vast underground car park close to Birmingham’s planned high speed rail station.

Liverpool Post

• Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport under pressure to introduce security body screeningBOSSES at Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport were last night under pressure to introduce controversial body scanners to screen passengers.

London Evening Standard

• Wild Westminster 'outlaws' blamed for rail fare hikesWild West-style 'wanted' posters featuring David Cameron, George Osborne and Nick Clegg have been handed out at mainline stations across London

Manchester Evening News

• Turning point for passengers on the 192 bus: Transport chiefs promise improvements on Stockport Road routeTransport bosses have given the green light to a scheme aimed at improving bus journeys along one of the busiest routes in Britain. They have joined forces with two local councils and bus companies to set up the region™s first Quality Bus Partnership on the A6 Stockport Road from Manchester to Stockport and Hazel Grove.
• 'Naked' body scanners will stay at Manchester Airport despite health fears, says minister Transport secretary Justine Greening spoke out after the European Commission stopped all new trials of the £80,000 device amid fears it could emit higher-than-expected levels of cancer-causing radiation.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Councils bid to take control of Tyne and Wear bus routesBUS services on Tyneside are facing a massive shake-up in a ground-breaking plan.

Wales Online

• Thousands more seats for Wales' rail passengersPassengers on commuter train routes between Wales and London will get extra capacity and more seats, it has been announced.

Other Regional Press

• Axe hangs over North rail services againAS THE Caledonian Sleeper eases into Inverness railway station just after 8.30am, a steady stream of passengers disembark having made the overnight journey from London Euston. They include a mix of business and leisure travellers who have opted to make the 11 hour journey by rail.
• Fartown doctor Tony Aguirre shocked at government decision to make ’naked’ body scanners mandatoryA HUDDERSFIELD doctor is shocked at the Government’s decision to make ’naked’ body scanning at airports mandatory despite the EUs decision to review the machines.
• £9m TOURIST BOOST EXCLUSIVE Five new direct routes to city have helped to make Glasgow an even more popular destination Air Passenger Duty ˜is undermining Glasgow™ Budget airline™s council fundingGLASGOW will reap the benefits of a £9million cash boost after the city linked up with some of Europe™s favourite hotspots.
• ScotRail row threatens Sunday rail shutdownSCOTRAIL could be œshut down on Sundays as a dispute over train driver shortages escalates.

Global Rail News

• East Coast invites tenders for train maintenance management systemTrain operator East Coast is inviting tenders to provide a new up-to-the-minute train maintenance management system, which the company expects will cut waste and boost performance. ...
• Government faces ˜commuter backlash if rail fares rise whilst fuel duty is frozen™The Government will face a ‘political backlash’ from rail commuters if planned hikes in train fares are brought in at the same time as Ministers help ...
• Abloy UK delivers high speed rail securityAbloy UK has delivered security solutions to Britain™s first high speed railway, known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), supplying over 1,500 units across the ...
• First Hull Trains appoint new head of operationsFirst Hull Trains has appointed a new head of operations. Keith Doughty, who hails originally from the east of London, recently joined the Hull-based rail operating ...
• Busy rail routes to benefit from extra seatsPassengers on some of the country™s busiest rail routes are set to benefit from extra seats Rail Minister Theresa Villiers announced today. Passengers in the Thames ...
• BTP appeal after cable theft causes rail disruptionBritish Transport Police (BTP) is appealing for information after cable was stolen from the railway between Silver Street and White Hart Lane rail stations. In the ...
• Latest figures show ˜continued trend of improved Tube reliability™Figures published yesterday by Transport for London (TfL) show that train services on London Underground (LU) have continued to improve as the number of people using ...
• First Class seat sale on Virgin TrainsCustomers looking to do some Christmas or January sales shopping in the UK™s biggest cities can enjoy a little bit of first class luxury when using ...
• Rail Delivery Group sees ˜significant opportunities™ to reduce rail industry costsBritain™s Rail Delivery Group, comprising the Chief Executives of the rail owning groups, freight operators and Network Rail recently briefed politicians, regulators, funders, stakeholders, Trade Unions ...
• Alstom to build new rail system in Belgrade, SerbiaDragan Djilas, Mayor of the city of Belgrade, and Gian-Luca Erbacci, Alstom Transport South Europe Vice President, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, in the presence ...
• Bombardier to design & build light rail system for Munich AirportBombardier Transportation will help Munich Airport authorities to realise their strategic expansion plans with a new INNOVIA APM 300 automated people mover (APM) system. The contract, ...
• Northern line platforms to reopen at Tottenham Court RoadNorthern line platforms at Tottenham Court Road will reopen on Monday 28 November after eight months of behind-the-scenes work to make it possible to build new ...
• c2c Twitter follower™s celebration cab rideNational Express train operator c2c recently ran a competition in which a special prize was offered to their thousandth follower to sign-up on Twitter. c2c asked ...

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair to roll out reserved seating on all routesAfter a successful trial, the no-frills carrier will introduce allocated seating permanently from January 2012

Other News Sources

• London Underground Simulator game Everything you need to be a tube driver, apart from the RMTIf you've ever wondered exactly what it is that Tube drivers do, World of Subways 3: London Underground Simulator gives a glimpse into this world below our feet. It simulates one railway, the Circle Line, and the ’C Stock' trains that serve it.
• London Underground Simulator game Everything you need to be a tube driver, apart from the RMTIf you've ever wondered exactly what it is that Tube drivers do, World of Subways 3: London Underground Simulator gives a glimpse into this world below our feet. It simulates one railway, the Circle Line, and the ’C Stock' trains that serve it.
• Tyne and Wear Metro vote for industrial action in pensions fightTRANSPORT UNION RMT confirmed this morning that members on the Tyne and Wear Metro working for DB Regio and Nexus have voted by large margins for strike action and action short of a strike in the dispute over pensions.
• Norbert Dentressangle wins Carlsberg primary distribution contractNorbert Dentressangle (ND) has been appointed Carlsberg UK™s primary logistics partner under a new five-year contract, following a œlong and tough competitive tendering process.
• STATEMENT FROM THE MAYOR OF LONDON ON CYCLE SAFETY 22 November, 2011 The Mayor of London has met with the family of Brian Dorling, a cyclist killed in east London on October 24, and expressed his condolences for their loss. During a meeting at City Hall the Mayor outlined the work his team have put into improving cycle safety at a time when the capital is experiencing unprecedented levels of cycling. The Mayor also explained how a comprehensive programme of work is being put together to make cycling in London safer. 360-house-thumb.jpg ...
• Advances in rail ticketing high priorityStudy pinpoints key areas of improvement for European high speed rail