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

Friday, 27 April 2012

BBC News

• Rail cable funding boost rejectedThe Transport Select Committee says it is
• Reward over railway arson attacksRail services in the West Midlands are disrupted by three separate arson attacks.
• Strike postponed but flights offStaff at Dundee Airport involved in a pay dispute postpone a one-day strike due for Monday but flights remain cancelled.
• New £25m road opened in GlasgowA new £25m road linking the M74 in Glasgow to several Commonwealth Games sites opens to traffic.

Department for Transport

• Alison Munro re-appointed as Chief Executive of HS2 LtdAlison Munro has been re-appointed as the Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd, the independent company set up by the Government to deliver a high speed rail network between London and the North of England.

The Herald

• Luxury ships boost numbers for StenaSTENA Line has seen a surge in ferry users on its Irish Sea routes following investment in two luxury vessels operating from Belfast to Scotland.
• May bank holiday railway routes disruptedMAJOR Scotland to London rail routes are among train services that will be affected by engineering work over the May bank holiday weekend.

The Independent

• Fuel tanker strike likely as Unite union rejects termsA strike by fuel tankers looked increasingly likely last night after union officials voted against a proposed deal and urged their members to do the same.Related StoriesHarman uses Clegg's backyard to launch all-out attack on Lib DemsHunt on borrowed time as Whitehall digs inNews Corp offered Gove £2m to build 'free school'New evidence emerges that Osborne was lobbied by MurdochHague denies Heywood was a secret agent

The Scotsman

• Rail travellers face lengthy delays over bank holidayTRAIN passengers travelling on the main rail routes between Scotland and London are among those who will be affected by widespread engineering works planned for the May bank holiday weekend.

The Telegraph

• Transport for London and RMT clash over tunnel incidentLondon Transport chiefs have accused the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union of being
• Motorists paying more for petrol than expected, as official miles-per-gallon figures found to be inaccurateMotorists could be paying hundreds of pounds more than they expect for fuel every year as official figures overstate how many miles cars can do to the gallon, a report has claimed.

Mail Online

• Threat of fuel strikes are averted... for now: Unite union given a month to decide whether to accept dealUnite union bosses will urge 2,000 tanker drivers to reject a proposed deal - raising fears of a petrol strike which could prompt shortages across the country.
• Why drivers can't rely on those miles per gallon figuresSome of the cars that trade most on their ‘green’ and fuel-efficient eco credentials are where the gaps between the official figures and reality are greatest, according to the study.

The Mirror

• Miles out! Car makers' official mpg fuel economy figures 'taking drivers for a ride'Some vehicles are out by as many as 26 miles per gallon, according to a study of 60 top-selling models

ATOC

• Train companies welcome record passenger journey figures released by the ORR In response to record rail passenger journey figures from the rail regulator, Edward Welsh,...

Network Rail

• ENGINEERING VIDEOS HELP BRING RAIL LIFE TO THE CLASSROOM

Birmingham Post

• Forty-nine West Midlands railway ticket offices under threatMinisters have denied secretly approving plans to close rail ticket offices across the West Midlands, after a leaked e-mail from government officials stated the closures were going ahead.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Fines plan sparks review for bus lane overhaulA MAJOR review of bus lanes in Edinburgh is to examine whether the current system needs to be overhauled.
• Traders asked for tram loss details for rates cutsCOUNCIL chiefs today announced they were assembling a dossier of evidence to win a cut in rates for businesses affected by the tram works.

Metro

• Ken Livingstone: I'm embarrassed I can't cut fares moreKen Livingstone says he is ˜embarrassed™ by his promised public transport fare cut “ as the seven per cent reduction he has pledged is too small. Regret: Ken Livingstone at Southwark College where he apologised over his fare cut promise (Picture: Rex) Labour™s London mayoral candidate said he wanted to help passengers by repeating the cuts he ordered in his last term of office, and as leader of the Greater London Council in the 1980s. But he said a bigger price reduction would leave a lack of funds to invest in the transport network. Questioned about tube and bus fares by students at South...

This Is Local London Network

• Boris' election pledge to bring trams to Sutton POLL: Boris Johnson promised if re-elected as London Mayor he would bring trams to Sutton.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Floods bring commuter chaos to LeedsCommuters in Leeds faced delays after flash floods closed rail lines and brought rush-hour traffic to a standstill.

Yorkshire Post

• Revamp on railways ˜would bring £12bn boost to UK economy™A HUGE upgrade of Yorkshire’s ageing rail network would give the UK economy a boost worth up to £12bn according to a major new study of the region’s badly overcrowded railways.

Crewe Chronicle

• UK & World News: Tanker drivers urged to reject dealFuel tanker drivers are to vote on a proposed deal aimed at averting strikes, with a recommendation to reject it, keeping alive the threat of industrial action.

Other Regional Press

• Cullompton could get new railway station A NEW railway station for Cullompton could become reality after the county and district councils backed calls for improved public transport links.
• 20mph speed limits considered for HitchinA NUMBER of roads in Hitchin could become 20mph zones, as support gathers in the town.
• UK & World News: Tanker drivers urged to reject dealFuel tanker drivers are to vote on a proposed deal aimed at averting strikes, with a recommendation to reject it, keeping alive the threat of industrial action.
• Weather causes rail chaosCommuters suffered long delays today as Kent's rail services are severely affected by the wild weather.
• Mobile cameras to catch illegal bus lane usersPeople caught using bus lanes when they shouldnt be could face being fined by the council...
• Talks aim to head off Aberdeen bus strikeCRUNCH talks are to take place in Aberdeen tomorrow to head off a potential strike by bus drivers.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• UK aviation sector 'offers huge opportunities for growth'The UK government has been encouraged to address issues surrounding the future of aviation and the economy by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It suggested using the national aviation policy consultation to address high taxes and capacity constraints, as well as developing the coalition's policies on climate change, to generate economic growth and jobs in the transport sector. Tony Tyler, the IATA's director general and chief executive officer, said the UK is the world's second largest market for international air travel, but warned that it was fall...

Railnews

• Government urged to come clean over Siemens bid MPs are urging the Government to reveal its reasons for choosing Siemens as the builder of the £1.4 million Thameslink fleet in preference to Derby-based Bombardier. The Government has, however, agreed to publish more details about its plans for future rolling stock orders.

Aviation Industry

• Aviation minister confirms no new runway policy at HeathrowA significant speech was delivered by Transport Minister Theresa Villiers MP at a Transport Times event on 19th April considering ’the case for new hub capacity’. œThe Chancellor announced in his Autumn statement that we would explore all the options for maintaining the UK™s aviation hub status with the exception of a third runway at Heathrow”, she [...]

Green Miscellany

• Bicycle helmet with headlights The idea of incorporating lights into a cycle helmet seems like a good one, but there are very few designs of this type available to buy.read more

Other News Sources

• Tata Steel's SilentTrack to reduce noise levels Tata Steel has installed a special railway track called SilentTrack for the first time in the UK at Blackfriars, London, to help reduce rail traffic noise in and around the station by up to 50%, informs Railway Technology.The installation of 1.3km of SilentTrack is part of the Thameslink Programme, which involves more frequent, longer and new trains serving three central London stations by 2018.Tata Steel engineer and developer of SilentTrack David Benton said that with increased traffic through Blackfriars, as part of the Thameslink Programme, it was important to consider measures to keep no...
• Railway sector 'not attractive enough' for young engineers A new report suggests that the British railway engineering industry is not attractive enough for young jobseekers and graduates.
• Cyclists denied red light go-aheadProposed alterations to the highway code to give cyclists the right to make a left turn at red traffic lights will probably not happen, Roads Minister Mike Penning told MPs. Updated on 26/04/2012 08:57:21. © RAC breakdown cover and car insurance.
• New Film - How Traffic Noise Impacts EuropeansEuropeans have been asked how traffic noise affects them, in a short film released on International Noise Awareness Day
• Fuel tanker drivers urged to reject dealFuel tanker drivers are to vote on a proposed deal aimed at averting strikes, with a recommendation to reject it.Related StoriesMinisters warned over tanker rowStansted Easter strike called offTanker strike talks stepped up100,000 NHS workers to strikeDecision due over tanker drivers strikeRelated StoriesDecision due over tanker drivers strikeDog climbs ladder to sit on roofBritain slips into recessionHSBC to cut over 2,200 UK jobsQueen congratulates Welsh rugby heroes

News from Europe

• Parliament begins scrutiny of EU airport noise rules (News) European Commission plans to ease noise restriction measures around airports has been met with scepticism by the MEP in charge of the dossier in Parliament, who believes the EU executive is placing economic considerations above citizen's concerns. More »