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

Thursday, 15 March 2012

BBC News

• Highland councillors back rail for moving nuclear fuel A plan to move nuclear fuel from Dounreay in Caithness to Sellafield in Cumbria should involve rail transport, Highland councillors have agreed.
• Increasing road use 'impacts on Heathrow air quality' The increasing number of vehicles using the road to get to Heathrow airport is worsening air pollution in the area, a London Assembly report has said.
• A55 truck stop plans are rejectedPlans for a truck stop near the A55 in Flintshire, which were deferred last year, have been refused by planners.
• Run airport properly, Jones urgesFirst Minister Carwyn Jones says the owners of Cardiff airport should run it properly or sell it, and criticises the impression it gives visitors of Wales.
• 'Metal moles' begin work below LondonThe first of eight giant tunnel boring machines are to start work on Crossrail
• Wi-fi Tube contract won by VirginVirgin Media wins the contract to bring wi-fi services to the platforms of the London Underground network from July.
• Boeing in $500m Air India disputeBoeing denies claims by the Indian government that it agreed to pay $500m (£319m) compensation for delays in the delivery of planes.

The Herald

• Warning Prestwick will find it difficult to expandPRESTWICK Airport will find it difficult to attract new airlines to boost passenger services after being sold, according to the man who oversaw its sale.

The Independent

• WiFi at Tube stations for Olympics Tube passengers will have access to free WiFi during the Olympic Games. Platforms at 80 stations will have wireless coverage after Transport for London appointed Virgin Media to provide the service.
• Tube workers reject Olympic offer Leaders of hundreds of London Underground engineers, electricians and other workers have rejected an offer of £850 for working during the Olympic games because of

The Telegraph

• Broadband on London Underground by the summerPassengers on London's tube network will be able to check emails from this summer.

Daily Express

• Luxury car sales abroad profit InchcapeBRITAIN'S biggest car dealer Inchcape said its profits were racing forward yesterday helped by growing demand in emerging markets for its luxury cars.
• Kingfisher flights cutKINGFISHER Airlines yesterday tumbled further into the mire yesterday after the struggling Indian carrier slashed overseas operations, including flights to London, and partner British Airways suspended their code-sharing agreement.

Mail Online

• Patching up potholes ¿is a waste of money¿ as it's revealed number has doubled in just five yearsMotorists are enduring a 'pothole pandemic' as a £10billion backlog in repairs is tackled by short-term and expensive patch-and-mend hole-filling, a damning report reveals today.

The Mirror

• Hole lot of bother: 1 in 5 roads will be beyond repair within five yearsA study reveals that despite councils filling in 1.7 million craters last year, it will take 11 years to fix them all in England and 17 years in Wales

Network Rail

• NEW ERA FOR KING'S CROSS STATION WILL DELIVER IMPROVEMENTS FOR MILLIONS OF PASSENGERS
• GOODWICK STATION MADE GOOD FOR RAIL USE
• IN PICTURES: NEW KING'S CROSS WESTERN CONCOURSE

Birmingham Mail

• Naked trio fined for Birmingham Airport protestTHREE environmental campaigners have been fined for stripping off at Birmingham Airport.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Six school buses off the road in North Wales safety checksPOLICE hauled six school buses and a taxi off the road in a safety crackdown on pupil transport.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Beaumont backs call for safer streets for cyclistsRound-the-world cyclist Mark Beaumont is backing a mass cycle on the Scottish Parliament to demand safer roads for bikes.
• VAT blunder halts parking charge plansA BID to impose unpopular car parking charges at Lothian beauty spots is set to be scrapped because council officials forgot to add VAT.

Journal Live

• Hitachi stands by Newton Aycliffe train deal despite delaysJAPANESE train builder Hitachi remains committed to building a new plant in County Durham despite delays in the final sign-off of a £4.5bn contract with the Government.

Northern Echo

• New bid to help London air links A FRESH attempt to revive air links to London from regional airports such as struggling Durham Tees Valley will be made by a North-East MP.

Wales Online

• Cardiff news: Direct rail link to Cardiff Airport "a £15m white elephant with five passengers per train"Campaigners say the £15m should be used instead to improve existing train services in and around Cardiff

Yorkshire Post

• Yorkshire airport marks 80 years of high lifeIN 1931 the idea that a rudimentary aerodrome at Yeadon would one day connect nearly three million passengers a year across the world could have been readily dismissed as fantasy.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Bus firm™s anger at ˜let-off™ for attackerA bus company is taking action against a teenager who was let off with a police caution after assaulting a ticket inspector who is suffering from cancer.

Other Regional Press

• Public meetings to air debate for and against demolition of Northampton™s Greyfriars bus stationTHE LEADERS of Northampton Borough Council have agreed to hold public meetings so they can hear views for and against the demolition of the Greyfriars bus station.
• Club will start chain reactionCYCLISTS in Glasgow™s East End are all geared up for the launch of a club in which they can hire bikes for free.
• Anger as bus fuel subsidy cuts go ahead TRANSPORT Minister Keith Brown has refused to scrap plans to slash the fuel subsidy paid to bus companies.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Stop the most pointless road in EnglandSeven green organisations have written to Transport Secretary Justine Greening urging her not to fund the Bexhill-Hastings Link Road. read more
• What™s the use of a bus pass with no bus to get on?14 March: We have written a joint letter with the Association of Transport Coordinating Officers to George Osborne calling for urgent action to fill the £60 million funding hole the bus pass scheme. read more

Global Rail News

• VTG continues on path of ˜controlled growth™VTG Aktiengesellschaft recently presented its preliminary unaudited figures for 2011. According to these figures, Group revenue rose by 19.2% from the previous year, to €750.0 million. Operating profit (EBITDA) increased by 9.3% compared with 2010, reaching a level of €168.7 million, achieving the upper half of management™s forecast. œWe used the year 2011 to actively [...]
• Smart thinking drives rail reformA national smart card railway ticketing system, greater freedom for longer franchises and local devolution are among the ideas set forward by the Secretary of State. The new Command Paper backs the McNulty report and hopes to cut costs by £3.5 billion a year. Justine Greening reinforced moves already being made by the industry to [...]
• Easter bus pledgeThe number of replacement buses in use this Easter during engineering works is expected to drop by a third. Although rail engineers will be working round the clock to lay new track, improve stations and repair bridges train disruption will be kept to a minimum. In some instances improvement work has been brought forward, as [...]
• Longer trains to boost Virgin Trains capacityLonger trains are set to enter service with Virgin Trains in April, providing 150 extra Standard seats on some of the busiest services on the West Coast Main Line. The longer trains will initially work services on the London to Birmingham route, but as more 11-coach trains come into service they will also operate some [...]
• Irish Government won™t extend EU rail derogationThe Irish Government has taken a decision not to seek an extension of Ireland™s derogation under EU legislation dealing with rail market access. The derogation will expire on March 14th 2013. Following yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Minister Varadkar announced plans for a consultation process which will consider how best to restructure Irish Rail in light of [...]
• King™s Cross western concourse completedCompletion of part of a five-year programme to improve King’s Cross station will be announced by Network Rail today. The station’s new western concourse was revealed today and is set to open to the public on Monday. The £550m scheme delivers the biggest transformation in the 160-year history of the Grade-I listed station and marks [...]

Railnews

• 'Fragmented' rail industry under fire from MPs Network Rail has come under fire from a Parliamentary Committee which says the hybrid status of the organisation makes it unaccountable, even though the Government has the final responsibility for its £25 billion debt.

Aviation Industry

• Aer Lingus to increase presence in UKDeal will see Aer Arann™s UK flights rebranded under Aer Lingus Regional name

Green Miscellany

• DIY bicycle water bottle cage costs pennies The lightest carbon fibre bicycle water bottle cages cost over £100, but even the £5 charged for the most basic types seems expensive when you can make your own in twenty minutes for pennies.read more