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

Wednesday, 25 April 2012

BBC News

• Jersey transport minister expecting double decker buses Jersey's new bus operator is expected to bring five double decker buses when it takes over next year, the transport minister has said.
• 'No leadership' on cycling, SnowChannel 4 News presenter and cycling enthusiast Jon Snow has told MPs there is
• Translink face multi-million lossSignificant rises in rail and bus fares could be on the cards as Translink is heading towards a multi-million pound loss.
• Dreamliner aircraft's test flightA plane described as "the next generation aircraft" by Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has made a test flight from the airport.
• Lotus may sell to China, says MPThe owners of car maker Lotus, which employs 1,200 staff, is in talks with a Chinese firm about a possible sale, an MP reveals in the House of Commons.
• New plan aims to end fuel disputeA new set of proposals is drawn up after talks in the fuel tanker driver dispute, with the Unite union given nearly a month to consult on them.

Department for Transport

• Truck trials to drive down carbon from freightTrials of carbon-cutting trucks are set for support from Government, Transport Minister Mike Penning has announced.

The Telegraph

• EasyJet chief Carolyn McCall urges Government to look at second runway at Gatwick or Stansted airports Ministers must press ahead with an inquiry into a second runway at Gatwick or Stansted after last week slamming the door on Heathrow expansion, according to easyJet boss Carolyn McCall.
• Motorists 'should get six penalty points' for using a mobile phone while drivingMotorists caught using a mobile phone while driving should receive six penalty points on their licences to prevent people flouting the ban, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner said yesterday.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Sir Chris Hoy joins safety driveTHE cream of Scottish cycling talent has saddled up to call for improved cycle safety.

Manchester Evening News

• Video and pictures: Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Manchester AirportManchester airport has welcomed Boeing's 787 Dreamliner to the delight of hordes of planespotters.
• 200-space ’cycle hub’ to be built at Manchester city centre office block Cyclists are set to get their own ˜transport interchange™ beneath a city centre office block in a bid to promote biking to work. Plans to create a ˜cycle hub™ at the City Tower in Manchester™s Piccadilly Gardens have been detailed in a report by transport chiefs.

Metro

• City roads ˜safer™ for cyclists under Boris Johnson than Ken LivingstoneCycling in London appears to have got safer under Mayor Boris Johnson, Metro can reveal. Boris Johnson has pledged to build eight more cycling superhighways (Picture: Reuters) The number of accidents causing injury has fallen from one collision every 45,500 to one every 50,000,  a ten per cent drop. The total number of road traffic fatalities has fallen each year since 2008, when Mr Johnson replaced Mr Livingstone.In 2004-2006, there were 661 deaths on London™s roads, compared with 514 from 2008-2010 despite a 36 per cent increase in cycle journeys.But Labour candidate for London Ken Livingst...

Northern Echo

• Darlington railway station could become regional hub PLANS to turn a main line station into a regional hub for rail services have been unveiled.

The York Press

• Extended service on York bus route is trialed AN extended evening service on a York bus route has been introduced for a trial period.
• Clifton cycle lane challenge fails A BID to block the controversial scrapping of a cycle lane at a York junction has been lost.

Blackpool Gazette

• No more fees on airline ticketsA MAJOR airline which flies from Blackpool Airport has scrapped charges for booking and payments.

Other Regional Press

• Department for Transport praises Hertfordshire Highways A scheme to prevent potholes opening up in Hertfordshire's roads has been praised in a Government review of how to save money in transport budgets.
• Councillors show backing for Dundee railway station plans — but with a plea for public to be given their say Dundee councillors have signalled their support for the £14 million redevelopment of Dundee railway station — and heard the hotel proposed as part of the plan is already attracting interest from potential operators.
• Call for Abergavenny to London rail service CALLS have been made for trains from Ebbw Vale to run hourly through Newport into England and for a daily train from Abergavenny to London.

Global Rail News

• Arresting fashionBritish Transport Police officers are cutting a dash this spring with new uniforms designed to be more practical and hard wearing. Open neck wicking shirts replace the traditional collar and tie “ retained for formal occasions. There is no change to headgear, with helmets and flat caps worn in England and Wales and flat caps [...]
• Works at Connaught Tunnel ˜pick up pace™Crossrail has begun drilling wells at Connaught Tunnel to draw down the water table ahead of works to deepen and widen the 130 year old tunnel in east London. Once the wells are completed, drawing down of the water table will begin next month which is required ahead of works to widen and deepen the [...]
• East Midlands Trains drivers to strike over pensions rowASLEF train drivers working for East Midlands Trains have announced strike dates in a row over pensions. The industrial action follows confirmation by East Midlands Trains that pension contributions for employees will reduce from July. The train operator said ‘ASLEF™s stance is to maintain the higher pension contribution rates, which would see train drivers paying [...]
• Hoeft & Wessel awarded ticket machine contract by SNCBThe National Railway Company of Belgium has awarded Hoeft & Wessel a contract to supply stationary ticket vending machines. The ticketing systems specialist will deliver TVMs of its almex.station series to Belgian Railways (SNCB “ Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Belges). The company did not disclose the value of the contract. The scope of [...]
• Translink rail fares to rise by 3%Translink has announced that fares on Metro, NI Railways and Ulsterbus will increase by an average of 3% at the end of the month. However, the BBC has reported that there could be more ‘significant’ rises to come as Translink ’is expected to head towards a multi-million pound loss in the coming years’. The Department for [...]
• Paul Merton joins Advance TRSPaul Merton has joined specialist rail recruitment company Advance TRS as Operations Director, to work with close friend and former colleague Andy Ridout. Paul has 12 years experience in mechanical, electrical and rail telecommunications recruitment. He previously worked as a Business Consultant at Maple Resourcing Ltd and has worked for Resourcing Solutions and Marks and [...]
• LU announces shortlisted bidders for Bank station upgradeLondon Underground has announced the four bidding groups shortlisted to go through the new Innovative Contractor Engagement (ICE) procurement process for the ‘Bank Station Capacity Upgrade’ project. The pre-qualified bidders are BFK Joint Venture (BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial SA & Kier), CVC Joint Venture (Costain, VINCI Grand Projets & VINCI Construction), Dragados SA and MBA Joint Venture (Morgan Sindall, Balfour Beatty & Alpine Bemo Tunnelling). The Bank and Monument Tube station complex is the fourth [...]
• Infrarail seminars: Optimising the Rail LifecycleOn Wednesday 2 May at 11:10, Matthew Lock, Rail Consultant at Korec will be presenting ‘Optimising the Rail Lifecycle – How positioning solutions can help’ at Infrarail. Over the years, technology has become more user-friendly, flexible and productive. There have been tremendous advances in mobile communications, data capture and computing. In the world of surveying [...]
• Infrarail seminars: Signalling Plug & Play Project SolutionsOn Wednesday 2 May at 11:50, Phil Hickey, Senior Project Manager at Unipart Rail will be presenting ‘Signalling Plug & Play Project Solutions – Delivering 21st Century Signalling Technology’. This presentation will focus on some of the technical solutions to Network Rail™s modular railway challenges, specifically at how interconnects will unify different technologies into a [...]
• Masabi to launch first US smartphone rail ticketing system in BostonThe Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Masabi US Ltd, the transit mobile ticketing pioneer, have announced that they will be bringing mobile ticketing to MBTA commuter rail riders this fall. With applications for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry, customers will be able to ‘seamlessly purchase commuter rail tickets and passes’. Once tickets are purchased, customers [...]

Aviation Industry

• Airline Lets Passengers Choose Who To Sit With Through Social MediaOne airline is giving you a chance to sit next to the person of your dreams instead of the screaming kid.
• American Airlines' finances bleakAmerican Airlines has made its most forceful case yet to terminate its labour contracts as the company's top restructuring official laid out the airline's bleak finances in bankruptcy court.
• Transatlantic boost for business travel despite eurozone woesImproving US economy helps grow premium travel but Europe lags behind
• Walsh 'not confident' of selling Bmi subsidiaries IAG boss casts doubt on ability to sell Bmibaby and Bmi Regional

Other News Sources

• Transport director apologises for 'poor performance' of bus routeA transport director has apologised today for the “poor performance” of a Haringey bus route.
• Tube Lines strike - RMT warns of secret plan to reprivatise tube maintenance and unleash nightmare of PPP2With Tube Lines staff, including the Emergency Response Unit, geared up to strike for 72 hours from 4pm today in a dispute over pensions and benefits equality with other underground staff, tube union RMT warned that the failure of tube bosses to agree a simple harmonisation of the most basic employment conditions could be linked to a secret plan to reprivatise the maintenance work unleashing the nightmare of PPP2.
• Four shortlisted for £500m Bank station upgrade London Underground has announced four shortlisted bidders, including Costain/Vinci and BFK teams, to take part in an ˜innovative contractor engagement™ procurement process for the Bank Station Capacity Upgrade project.