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

Wednesday, 18 January 2012

BBC News

• Former Nottinghamshire railway lines to become rural paths Nottinghamshire County Council is planning to turn four disused railway lines into routes for walkers and cyclists.
• London 2012: Olympic Route Network - Taxi fare hike concerns Black taxi driver Russell Hall, founder of hailocab.com, fears taxi fares will increase four-fold because of the time spent in clogged traffic as a result of the Olympic Route Network.
• 'Novelty wears off' for Boris Johnson's bike hire scheme [video]A leaked Transport for London report shows satisfaction levels with the mayor's bike hire scheme could be falling.
• North East has most electric car charging points The north-east of England has been "congratulated" by the Transport Minister after becoming the most connected area for electric cars.
• London 2012: New lifts hamper Paralympic station choice People hoping to travel by train to the Paralympic cycling event at Brands Hatch in Kent will have to catch a bus for the final 12 miles of the journey.
• Jersey roads to see cut in speed limit to 30mph A number of roads in Jersey will have their speed limit reduced from 40mph to 30mph from Friday.
• Virgin in .xxx domain name battleThe Virgin Group is attempting to claim control of the domain name richardbranson.xxx which has been registered by a third party.
• Cycle cafe and workshop plannedTwo women are planning to open a cafe in Inverness with a workshop where cyclists can fix their bicycles.
• Consultation over Thames airportControversial plans for a new airport in the Thames Estuary are to be put out to formal consultation later this year.
• Airbus sees record orders in 2011Plane maker Airbus reports record orders for 2011 but warns that demand for new planes will fall sharply this year.
• How will Games Lanes affect Olympics? Bus workers in London have said they want a £500 payment for being on duty during the Olympics.
• Wind farm projects prompt transport concern for Powys firms Fears of transport gridlock in Powys due to wind farm development will be aired at a meeting in Newtown later.

Financial Times

• Ship disaster sparks safety rules rethinkThe International Maritime Organisation said it would ˜seriously consider™ the lessons from the Costa Concordia incident, which killed at least six people

The Guardian

• 'Boris Island' estuary airport idea gets off the ground Government plans to hold formal consultation on proposals for Thames estuary hub championed by mayor of London
• Stobart slips as it buys properties owned by two of its directors Transport group plans to pay £101m for property business in deal flagged up last year
• Olympics opening weekend could bring 'perfect storm' for road users Fears of that London 2012 opening ceremony coinciding with Friday rush hour and holiday getaway will cause gridlock

The Herald

• Ferry service at risk after slump in demandA FERRY crossing that has carried passengers for more than 30 years is facing the axe following a dramatic slump in use.

The Telegraph

• Ryanair to create more than 1,000 jobs The Dublin-based operator said it would be hiring pilots, cabin crew engineers and sales and marketing staff as it raises the number of aircraft it owns to 305 from 270, in a move which will boost its 8,000-strong workforce by nearly 10pc.
• Stobart seals controversial property purchase from directors Transport group Stobart has completed a controversial £101m property deal with directors Andrew Tinkler and William Stobart.
• Cameron paves the way for new London airportPrime Minister to announce consultation on plans for new airport in the Thames Estuary within weeks, The Telegraph can disclose.

Mail Online

• Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino was ordered to 'get back on cruise ship' by coastguardFrancesco Schettino (pictured), who appeared in court today, is heard telling the coastguard: 'I’m in a lifeboat... I am not going anywhere'.

The Mirror

• London 2012: British Airways planes to celebrate Olympics with painted doveBritish Airways planes will carry a special dove logo to mark the London Olympics, it has been announced.
• British Airways says sorry after 'emergency' announcement played by mistakeShocked passengers were told their plane was about to crash into the sea -after a pre-recorded message was pressed by mistake.

Network Rail

• STATION TRANSFORMATION GETS GO-AHEAD

Belfast Telegraph

• Minister Sammy Wilson doles out extra £32m for roads, employment and transport Roads, youth employment and public transport will be among the main beneficiaries of end-of-year savings produced by Government departments.

Birmingham Post

• National Express West Midlands cuts bus fares in BirminghamNational Express West Midlands will cut the price of a bus ticket to £1 for short single journeys within Birmingham city centre.

Bristol Live

• Bristol Evening Post commented Petition against rail maintenance depot now signed by 550 peopleArticle

London Evening Standard

• Boris: Westminster must halt for good its blitz on parkingBoris Johnson will urge the new leader of Westminster council to halt for good its 'mass blitz' on parking in the West End

Metro

• Cable thieves heap misery on London-bound rail passengersCommuters have been faced with yet another tough journey to work after cable thefts, a cracked rail and cancellations led to widespread disruption.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Flybe reveals new Newcastle Airport routesPASSENGERS could soon be winging their way to one of Newcastle's twin towns after FlyBe announced two new routes from the city's international airport.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post commented Five minutes off journeys to London but we'll still trail DerbyArticle

Blackpool Gazette

• New work hope for staff at BAETHE news that half of the potential job losses at BAE have been saved has been welcomed – but any new orders for the firm should see yet more jobs saved.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Crossing to replace notorious Bourges Boulevard underpassTHERE have been mixed reactions to plans to replace an underpass notorious for crime and anti-social behaviour with a crossing over Peterborough’s busiest road.

Other Regional Press

• Pressure on Transport Secretary over rail links CALLS for a better rail network in the South West have been backed by a passenger watchdog after it outlined to the Transport Secretary what is needed.
• Crawley News published Transport secretary Justine Greening shown around Gatwick AirportArticle
• Reduced speed limit for A339 ONE of the major trunk roads out of Basingstoke could have its speed limit reduced in a bid to prevent accidents.
• Fears in North Herts over Luton Airport growthA PROPOSAL to double the number of people using Luton Airport has been criticised by North Herts residents, neighbouring councils and campaign groups, who claim it would cause environmental and noise problems.
• A rail way to get a jobGRADUATES looking to make tracks with their career have a chance to break into the rail industry, thanks to a new scheme.
• Train-users face 5 weeks of disruptionCOMMUTERS are being warned they face overcrowding on trains between Glasgow and Edinburgh after carriages had to be withdrawn because of storm damage.
• 63% around THIS THREATENED station don™t have a car... CUT OFF Careless communities would be left high and dry if planned rail closures are allowed to go aheadCOMMUNITIES in Glasgow in danger of losing their train stations have some of the lowest levels of car ownership in the country.
• Aberdeen man denies BA luggage fraud claimAN ABERDEEN man has denied operating a fraudulent scheme at Aberdeen Airport.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government drives down ministerial transport emissionsLess public money is being used to fund ministerial cars, the government has confirmed. According to the latest official figures, £3.8 million was spent on these vehicles during 2010-11. This was 44 per cent down on the sum spent by the previous Labour administration during its last year in government. The Department for Transport has therefore pledged to try to achieve further savings where possible in the future.However, security remains an issue that means ministers sometimes have no option but to travel in this way. A spokeswoman told BBC News: "We will continue to l...

Global Rail News

• HS2 Rail Project: The Greening of Great BritainHigh Speed Two, linking Birmingham and London with Leeds and Manchester, will act as a rail motorway hosting trains direct from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool, Preston and Lancaster. Purpose built high speed trains will run directly from the WCML and ECML onto HS2. Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening, announced the added bonus together [...]
• Network Rail to hold Haymarket Public MeetingNetwork Rail will host a Public Meeting at 7pm on Tuesday 17 Jan (today) in St Georges West Church, Shandwick Place, Edinburgh to inform the local community in Haymarket about the plans to upgrade the station. The meeting offers the local community the opportunity to find out when and how the work will take place, [...]
• High Fives “ How to Back HS2High Speed Two is good news for the rail industry. However it is not a done deal. Despite cross party support its opponents are powerful and well organised. Expect it to surface as an election issue. Five main arguments can be used by rail industry supporters to advance the case for HS2. The first point [...]
• King™s Cross crew celebrateOver 600 people, from engineers, electricians and builders to carpenters, stone masons and abseilers, working on the King™s Cross project came together recently to celebrate the end of major construction work on the new western concourse. The new concourse is the stand-out feature of the £500m redevelopment of King™s Cross. The domed roof covers an [...]
• March debut for Rail Tunnel MachineCrossrail has unveiled the first of eight 1,000 tonne, tunnel boring machines (TBM) that will burrow under London excavating the tunnels for the new west to east rail link. The 140 metre long, fully assembled tunnel boring machine is currently undergoing factory testing in Germany. The machine will then be dismantled and shipped to London [...]
• Numbers soar on HS1The second anniversary of the start of domestic passenger services on High Speed One has seen passenger numbers powering ahead. More services are being introduced to meet demand. Local people want more. Says Charles Horton, managing director, Southeastern, ˜This year we have responded to passenger and stakeholder needs and have introduced new services from Maidstone [...]
• Rail estate bonusRailway stations are good for business, the community and commerce. Investing in them boosts urban regeneration, drives up employment levels and increases property values by up to 30 per cent, says a study commissioned by Network Rail. The report, by Steer Davies Gleave, confirms that station investment can have a major impact on urban regeneration [...]
• c2c ˜recognised for excellence™ with 4 star awardNational Express train operator c2c has been awarded 4 stars in the British Quality Foundation™s Recognised for Excellence (R4E) programme. In achieving the R4E 4 stars c2c has worked to implement good working practices under the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Levels of Excellence programme. This award recognises the operator™s consistent achievements right across its [...]
• Dinner date for Young Railway ProfessionalsThe Young Railway Professionals will be holding their third Annual Black Tie Dinner on Thursday, 2nd February 2012 in London. The event provides a unique forum for young people working in the rail industry to meet with their peers, be inspired and have a great time. The Young Railway Professionals is keen to ensure that [...]
• Cable theft causes major rail delaysThousands of rail passengers suffered travel chaos this morning following a cable theft, leading to huge disruption into London’s Waterloo station. The cable theft in the Basingstoke area resulted in severe signalling problems early this morning. This was followed by a cracked rail just outside Waterloo, meaning services were heavily delayed and are still being [...]
• Keith Greenfield joins Heathrow Express as Managing DirectorThe rail service connecting Heathrow Airport to central London through Paddington station has appointed Heathrow ex Airline Business Development Director, Keith Greenfield with immediate effect. 2012 will see the service commit to new innovations underpinned by an extensive investment which will see the company, the only train operator to own both the rolling stock and [...]
• Indonesian rail authorities attempt to stop ˜train surfing™Indonesia’s rail authorities are trying out a new scare tactic to try and stop passengers from ‘surfing’ on the roofs of trains: concrete balls dangling above the carriage roof. Passengers often ride on the roofs during rush hour due to the overcrowding onboard or to simply avoid paying a fare. Grapefruit-sized concrete balls will be [...]
• Bombardier™s ERTMS system now operating in CroatiaThe first line in Croatia to be equipped with European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) / ETCS (European Train Control System) technology has started commercial operation. Bombardier™s INTERFLO 250 ERTMS/ETCS Level 1 system is now operating on the upgraded 33.5 km section of the Pan European Corridor X. The corridor from Vinkovci to Tovarnik enables train [...]
• Mott MacDonald awarded Stratford Parkway contractWarwickshire County Council has announced that Mott MacDonald Limited has been appointed to produce the outline designs for the new Stratford Parkway Station scheme. Mott MacDonald was appointed after ‘submitting the most competitive proposal for the works and by demonstrating strong experience in the design of new railway stations’. The firm has previously designed the successful Warwick and Coleshill Parkway stations [...]
• Swanage Railway volunteers carry out major drainage system replacement workDedicated Swanage Railway volunteers and staff are carrying out major £100,000 drainage system replacement work at Swanage station “ the first time such extensive work has been carried out at the Victorian terminus since the steam days of British Railways almost 50 years ago. Taking eight weeks to complete, the extensive work involves lifting the [...]
• Former station master™s house at Frodsham to be ˜transformed™Network Rail has been given the all clear by Cheshire West & Chester council to completely refurbish the former station master™s house at Frodsham, which dates back to 1850. Having been given listed building consent, the rail company has appointed Spence Refit Ltd to carry out the work which has to be done in keeping [...]

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair to create 1,000 jobs across Europe in fleet and base expansionThe operator said it would be hiring pilots, cabin crew engineers and sales and marketing staff as it increases its number of aircraft to 305 from 270 in a move which will boost its 8,000-strong workforce by nearly 10pc.
• Air China receives capital injection from Beijing for sustainable developmentThe Chinese government has given Air China (CA) a CNY50.7 million ($8.04 million) capital injection for the carrier™s sustainable development.
• Flybe adds six routes for summer 2012Regional carrier to operate 34 new flights per week

Other News Sources

• Thames Estuary airport plans set to take off Controversial plans for a multi-billion pounds hub airport in the Thames Estuary are set to take off.
• Vision for Oxford railway station overhaul unveiled THE main building at Oxford railway station could be knocked down to make way for new platforms under plans being considered by transport bosses.
• Street signs and markings could fade away due to cutsRoad signs and faded street lines will not be replaced if planned cuts to Brighton and Hove City Council's budget get the go-ahead