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Wednesday, 30 November 2011

BBC News

• Questions on road 'need answers'The SNP group on Highland Council has said all questions on a planned new bypass must be
• VIDEO: Green light for 35 road and rail schemesGeorge Osborne has announced road and rail schemes across the UK, including a new rail line from Oxford to Bedford and halving tolls on the Humber Bridge.
• Flooding chaos for north westThere is flooding on roads across the north west following heavy rain overnight.
• Green light for £54m bus schemeMajor transport plans for Greater Manchester are to get more than £60m funding, the chancellor says in his Autumn Statement.
• Thames airport 'being considered'Plans for a new airport in the South East are being considered by the government, an MP confirms.
• Government backs Tube extensionThe chancellor gives his backing to a planned extension of the Northern Line to Battersea, which he says could bring 25,000 new jobs to the area.
• US airline AA shares plunge 81%American Airlines' parent company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but expects business to continue as normal.
• VIDEO: Barber: 'Strikes will win public support'The biggest strike for over 30 years has got under way with schools, hospitals, courts, transport and government set to be hit by a walkout involving up to two million workers.
• Strike cripples Scottish servicesSchools, ferries, airports and benefit offices throughout Scotland are among the services hit as 300,000 public sector workers go on strike.

Financial Times

• Gatwick beats rival in battle for passengersManagers' focus on improving performance combines with off-peak cost cutting efforts to bolster passenger numbers and attract carriers
• Hopes raised for new London airportOpposition to third Heathrow runway opens way for Thames estuary site as chancellor says he will explore 'all options for maintaining the UK's aviation hub status'
• Rail and road projects to receive a boostTrain electrification and main highway projects around country and extension to London Underground system
• Rises in transport costs scaled backPublic transport commuters and drivers will see their costs ease thanks to a reduction in planned fare price rises and delayed fuel duty increases

The Guardian

• Day of strikes as millions heed unions' call to fight pension cuts¢ Disruption across UK as many services come to virtual halt¢ Airports, schools, rail services and hospitals affected¢ Reform of public sector pensions is at heart of disputeThe UK is experiencing the worst disruption to services in decades on Wednesday as more than 2 million public sector workers stage a nationwide strike, closing schools and bringing councils and hospitals to a virtual standstill.The strike by more than 30 unions over cuts to public sector pensions started at midnight, leading to the closure of most state schools; cancellation of refuse collections; rail service and tunnel c...

The Herald

• Relief for rail passengers as airlines hitRAIL passengers will be spared an expected 8% fare increase next year, though hopes that airlines will benefit from a similar relief were dashed yesterday.
• Anger over extension to ferry subsidyMINISTERS have been accused of taking a œdivisive approach to Scotland™s islands after extending a controversial ferry subsidy on the Hebridean Isles but excluding Orkney and Shetland.

Daily Record

• SNP plans show dangerous A9 route won't be upgraded to dual-carriageway for 14 yearsMOTORISTS will have to wait until 2025 before all the A9 is upgraded to dual-carriageway, under SNP plans revealed yesterday.

The Mirror

• Huge pensions strike gets under wayThe biggest strike for over 30 years has got under way with schools, hospitals, courts, transport and government set to be hit by a walkout involving up to two million workers.

ATOC

• More passengers set to benefit from £100M station improvement fundPassengers are set to benefit from £46m of improvements to stations across England after the latest round of successful bids for rail industry funding was announced. The 21 successful projects...

Network Rail

• WORK STARTS TO REDUCE CONGESTION AT EAST CROYDON

London Evening Standard

• Better roads, rail travel and new river crossings in spending boost for LondonBoris Johnson has praised the Chancellor's announcement of backing for new crossings for the Thames, improvements on the M25 and an expansion of the Oyster card system to
• Huge pensions strike gets under wayThe biggest strike for over 30 years has got under way with schools, hospitals, courts, transport and government set to be hit by a walkout involving up to two million workers.

Manchester Evening News

• Chancellor gives go-ahead for £11.5m bus and tram station for RochdaleA multi-million pound tram and bus station was given the go-ahead by the government today. Chancellor George Osborne said the £11.5m Rochdale Interchange “ seen as crucial to the town's future “ would be built as part of a £30bn national infrastructure investment package designed to get the economy moving.

Metro

• Rail users given small comfort by fare rise capTrain passengers facing above-inflation fare increases were offered slight relief by George Osborne “ but could still have to pay hundreds of pounds a year more from January.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Pledge to upgrade A9 “ by 2025THE Scottish Government has pledged to complete work to upgrade a 115-mile stretch of one of Scotland™s most dangerous roads to dual-carriageway by 2025.

Wales Online

• Chancellor George Osborne promises to improve M4 transport links in autumn statementChancellor George Osborne today pledged to work with the Welsh Government to improve transport links on the M4 as he unveiled plans as he announced plans to cap public sector pay rises at 1%.

Burnley Express

• New 'average-speed' cameras proposed for Lancashire roads'Average speed' cameras, which monitor cars over a certain distance, may be introduced in Lancashire.

Carlisle News & Star

• Autumn Statement 2011: Osborne cancels January fuel duty rise, plans public sector pay rise cap Drivers enduring high petrol prices were given some respite by Chancellor George Osborne today.

Crewe Chronicle

• Breaking News: £30m Crewe Green Link Road to unlock £250m investment after Chancellor’s green lightHOT on the heels of a £6m deal to drag Crewe’s ailing Railway Station into the 21st Century, massive plans to build the £30m Crewe Green Link Road have been given the green light.

Other Regional Press

• Police set car ˜traps™BEDFORDSHIRE Police is to use ’trap cars’ to catch criminals this Christmas.
• Cash for new railway routeA LONG-touted rail route linking Bedford, Milton Keynes and Oxford is set to get the go-ahead after Tuesday’s announcement by Chancellor George Osborne.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Success! U-turn on rail fare hikes29 November: The Government has scrapped its plans to raise the cap on regulated rail fares. read more

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Hauliers to benefit from Dartford toll freezeA decision to hold toll charges at their current rate on the Dartford Crossing until after April 2012 has been welcomed.In a written statement, roads minister Mike Penning revealed that a final decision about increases will not be made until next year, with a proposed hike in costs to use the crossing this month now scrapped.His decision follows opposition to the November rise in charges and Mr Penning has now said that a response to a consultation report will be published in early 2012 alongside a decision on when price rises will take place.This month had been due to see an increase in the t...

Global Rail News

• Prime Minister visits Northern Rail depotEngineers at Northern Rail™s Newton Heath depot received a very important guest yesterday as the Prime Minister paid them a visit to outline plans for electrification ...

Rail Technology Magazine

• Bombardier supply propulsion system to Indian RailBombardier Transportation has won a $214m contract from Mumbai Railway Vikas (MRVC), a joint venture between the Indian Ministry of Railways and the Government of Maharashtra state, to provide rail propulsion systems and control equipment.Post to:Delicious  Digg  reddit  Facebook  StumbleUpon  

Aviation Industry

• SIA suspends flights in anticipation of UK strikeSINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines has suspended two passenger flights in and out of London on Wednesday as the United Kingdom's biggest city braces itself for a nationwide one-day public sector strike that is expected to cause massive delays at immigration.
• Government œconsidering all options for airport expansionIt seems the Tory-Lib Dem coalition government is now open to improving airport infrastructure around London

Other News Sources

• UKBA strike statement 30 November 2011
• Mayor welcomes huge boost to capital's economy 29 November, 2011 The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today welcomed the coalition Government's plans to invest heavily in London's infrastructure, driving growth with thousands of new jobs and securing the capital's global competitiveness. Key commitments from the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Autumn Statement to Parliament include: - supporting the extension of the Northern Line to Battersea and the creation of new stations at Battersea and Nine Elms which will help deliver an estimated 16,000 new homes and 25,000 n...
• Severn toll hike holds industry to ransom and highlights contractual shortcomings, says FTALorry operators using the Severn crossing, already the most expensive toll in the UK, will be forced to pay an extra 90p in the New Year. ...
• FTA welcomes £325m fuel duty reprieveFollowing sustained and concerted lobbying by the Freight Transport Association and its partners in the FairFuel UK campaign, the leading trade ...
• Dover's £400m second terminal gets green lightA £400m second ferry terminal will today be given the green light by government, a move which will double the capacity of the UK™s busiest trust port.
• Network Rail announces £46m funding for station upgradesNetwork Rail has announced more than 20 projects will receive £46 million of funding as station upgrades take place across the UK.