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

Tuesday, 20 March 2012

BBC News

• Road traffic allowed onto railwayRoad traffic has been allowed onto the railway at Stromeferry in Wester Ross to help ease travel in the area.
• Launch for first Scots satelliteThe first satellite to be built in Scotland is due to be launched next year as part of a pilot programme for the UK Space Agency.

Financial Times

• Ministers take pains to avoid the p-wordThe Treasury has been at pains to say Mr Cameron™s plan to hand roads to private companies on long leases did not amount to the œp word
• Road network could be sold on long leasesDavid Cameron hopes the move will unlock investment from sovereign wealth and pension funds. He ruled out tolls on existing roads
• Megabus faces challenge over weight limitsPoliticians in New York are challenging Stagecoach, owner of the popular Megabus brand, over the weight of its double-decker coaches
• FirstGroup makes second disposal in two weeksThe £14m sale of a bus depot agreed with smaller rival Go-Ahead comes as the group aims to hit reduced targets for cash generation this year

The Independent

• David Cameron sets out transport network plans David Cameron set out plans today to boost Britain's airport capacity and attract private money into the roads, as he promised to take on "vested interests" to force through improvements to the transport network.
• Government to scrap 53 green rulesThe Government today insisted it was not rolling back environmental safeguards as it announced it was scrapping 53
• Roads to riches “ or highways to hell? When Margaret Thatcher cut the ribbon on the final section of the M25 in 1986 she had little time for those who thought the new London orbital and its already notorious jams anything but a success.Related StoriesRaymond Blanc: My mission is to fight against intensive harvesting of the seasMassive boilers stop trafficLack of Gypsy sites makes a future Dale Farm 'inevitable'Olympic Torchbearers step into the limelight for historic journeyHeathrow and 'Boris Island' plans back on radar
• Heathrow and 'Boris Island' plans back on radarMore airport capacity is needed in the South-east of England for the country to remain a competitive force in world trade, David Cameron warned yesterday.Related StoriesRaymond Blanc: My mission is to fight against intensive harvesting of the seasMassive boilers stop trafficRoads to riches “ or highways to hell?Lack of Gypsy sites makes a future Dale Farm 'inevitable'Olympic Torchbearers step into the limelight for historic journey

The Telegraph

• Budget 2012: Government must be 'innovative' to attract road investment The Government must find "innovative ways" of getting private sector capital into Britain's roads, or the country's transport network and economic competitiveness will deteriorate, leading business groups have warned.
• David Cameron says Britain needs bigger airport for London Britain must have a bigger airport in the south-east even though building more runways will be "controversial", David Cameron said today.
• Shadow Transport Secretary: Road tolls 'will be another Tory rip-off'Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle and AA President Edmund King voice their concerns over David Cameron's plans to privatise roads, saying British drivers already pay record prices to drive.
• A fine diagnosis, but no cure is in sightTelegraph View: The Prime Minister's idea of road privatisation is electoral suicide.
• Surge in drivers 'running on empty' due to high cost of petrolHigh petrol prices have led to a surge in the number of motorists running out of fuel mid-journey because they have put off filling their tanks, the RAC has said.

Reuters News

• Cameron says could privatise some roadsLONDON (Reuters) - The cash-strapped government could lease chunks of its road network to the private sector as Prime Minister David Cameron seeks to improve the country's infrastructure to stop it falling further behind its competitors.

Mail Online

• Safety fears over £10 charge for Ryanair¿s exit seats as passengers refuse to pay extraThe seats are often empty on the budget airline because travellers won’t pay for what amounts to a few extra inches of legroom.
• Milking the motorist again... pay-as-you-go lanes will allow wealthiest drivers to bypass jamsMotoring and transport groups condemned David Cameron’s pay-to-drive proposals as ‘ludicrous’ and ‘a toll too far’.

The Mirror

• Running on empty: Sky-high pump prices fuel 20% rise in call outs for motorists out of petrolA total of 4,780 motorists called RAC rescue in February, compared with 3,900 in the same month last year
• Fatcat lanes for the rich: AA's warning over road privatisation plansAA chief Edmund King slammed the scheme after the Prime Minister vowed to defy public anger by ploughing ahead with the sell-off

Network Rail

• RAIL PASSENGERS STEP INTO NEW ERA AS KING™S CROSS CONCOURSE OPENS

Birmingham Post

• Opponents to road privatisation plans point to M6 Toll failingsOpponents of David Cameron’s plan to “privatise” some major roads in England will cite the distinct lack of success of the UK’s only existing motorway toll road in the West Midlands.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Wrexham bus town centre service set to launchA BUS service through a town centre is set to be launched.

Sheffield Star

• Take the bus to save big moneyTravelling by bus instead of car could save drivers in South Yorkshire more than £700 a year, according to bus operator Stagecoach.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Birmingham Airport in £65m plan to allow expansionA £65 million project to improve the roads around Birmingham Airport was unveiled today, laying the ground for a runway extension.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Cameron acknowledges need for increased airport capacityDAVID Cameron today acknowledged the need for more airport capacity in the South East and said ministers would study the case for a new airport in the Thames estuary.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Taxi ˜marshals™ to be employed at Peterborough railway stationTAXI drivers battling the recession and competition are to employ marshals at Peterborough railway station from Monday (19 March).

Other Regional Press

• Northampton bus station supporters to lobby council chiefSUPPORTERS of the Greyfriars bus station are expected to flock to a public meeting where its proposed demolition will be discussed.
• Northamptonshire syndicate of 12 bus drivers scoop £38 million on EuroMillions jackpotTWELVE bus drivers from a Northamptonshire town have won a massive £38 million EuroMillions jackpot.
• Buses destroyed in yard blazeFour buses have been burnt out and two others damaged in a suspected arson attack in Ramsgate early this morning.

Global Rail News

• Russian Railways calls for ˜improved relations™ with UKThe president of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin, recently met with the Guild of Travel and Tourism of Great Britain. During a speech, Mr Yakunin called for the development of improved relations between the UK and Russia. He spoke about the main projects of Russian Railways aimed at the ‘integration of the company into European and [...]
• Network Rail opens new maintenance depotNetwork Rail opened its brand new maintenance depot in Hereford on Friday. The new facility, costing around £1 million will be the strategic maintenance hub for the railway between Cwmbran and Ludlow and much of the railway in Heart of Wales. The depot, measuring around 4,000 square feet, is designed with modern facilities and extra [...]
• Roads to copy rail?David Cameron is considering plans to privatise parts of England’s road network. He is expected to make a speech today outlining his plans. It is thought the Prime Minister will say that tolls for new roads are one option, alongside attracting money from private investors and pension funds. He is expected to say that the [...]
• Young people turn to railYoung people are increasingly using the railways as costs of petrol and car insurance soar. Record numbers of young people are using the 16-25 Railcard, making 50 million journeys by rail every year. This is an increase of 60 per cent compared to five years ago, according to ATOC. There were over 1.2million 16-25 Railcard [...]
• New tram in Croydon begins serviceThe first of six new Stadler-built trams has taken to the streets of Croydon. The new trams represent an investment of £16.3 million. All six trams will be used on the new line between Elmers End and Therapia Lane when it opens in June. The new six will not be dedicated to this service and [...]
• Renewing century-old infrastructureWritten by Phil Sowden, Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) is a standard gauge, heritage railway, predominantly operated by steam locomotives, running between Bridgnorth in Shropshire and Kidderminster in Worcestershire. The railway regularly carries more than 200,000 passengers each year. SVR operations began in 1970 between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade, a distance of [...]
• India™s Railway Minister quitsIndia’s Railway Minister, Dinesh Trivedi, has resigned following protests from his own party against his decision to increase fares across India’s rail network. The Minister announced his budget last week which included plans to increase fares ˜across the board™ from Rs. 0.02 to Rs. 0.30 per kilometer. The announcement prompted protests from members of his [...]
• Balfour Beatty Rail awarded Gold Coast Rapid Transit contractBalfour Beatty Rail has been awarded a contract by Bombardier Transportation Australia Pty Ltd to design, procure, construct and commission the Overhead Catenary System on the Gold Coast Rapid Transit Project in Queensland, Australia. The contract, which is worth approximately AUD$14 million (£9.4 million), has been awarded through the Australian business, Balfour Beatty Australia Pty [...]
• Rail improvements along Lincolnshire coast near completionRail passengers on the Lincolnshire coast will have a smoother ride after Network Rail completes track improvements later this month. The work involves replacing 500 yards of rail, ballast and sleepers at Wainfleet on the Boston to Skegness line. Tony Raine, general manager for Network Rail, said: œIn recent years we have invested more than [...]

Railnews

• New King's Cross concourse gets down to business The first of 45 million annual passengers have started to use the new Western Concourse at London King's Cross, which will replace the existing concourse on the Euston Road side entirely from next year. The new concourse is the major element in a £550 million scheme to upgrade the station, which Network Rail intends to make a worthy companion to the enlarged and modernised St Pancras International next door.
• New train operator apologises for problems The Dutch operator which took over the Greater Anglia franchise at the start of February has apologised for the problems which have dogged its first few weeks. Abellio, which is the international arm of Dutch railways, said it had been affected by a combination of train faults and overhead line problems.

Aviation Industry

• American Eagle's future will soon be clearer for employeesWorkers at American Eagle will get a clearer picture of the regional airline's future Wednesday when the airline meets with unions to discuss its restructuring plans.
• Punctuality improves at UK airportsCAA figures show that 80% of flights were ˜on time™ last year at major airports
• Airlines warn on Olympics airport delaysLeading carriers write to government to urge changes

Other News Sources

• Jubilee line biggest risk to 2012 transport plans, says Assembly 16 March, 2012 - 09:58 The London Assembly Transport Committee has today written to the Mayor to welcome the good progress made on preparing the transport network to cope with the 2012 Games “ but some elements of the plans remain a concern[1]. The Jubilee line “ a key route to the Olympic Park and other Games venues - continues to be an issue.  Largely thanks to heavily delayed upgrade works, the line suffers regular disruption, and is the only Underground line to see an increase in delays caused by infrastructure failures duri...
• Rail report: can Europe's networks challenge air?Will short-haul business travellers really turn to rail instead of taking a flight?