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

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

BBC News

• £60m borrowed for road repairsCouncils will borrow £60m to spend on road repairs this year under a 22-year commitment by the Welsh government.
• Train station reopens 48 years onA railway station in Pembrokeshire has officially reopened after being out of service for 48 years. Fishguard and Goodwick railway station closed to passengers in April 1964.
• Airport job for ex-civil servantFormer civil servant Sir John Elvidge is to be appointed as the chairman of Edinburgh Airport by its new owners.
• Bomb is found on plane in airportA bomb is found on a plane at St Angelo airport near Enniskillen in County Fermanagh.
• Third runway call by Tory peersConservative peers, including a former aviation minister, urge the government to abandon its opposition to a third runway at Heathrow airport.
• 'Compelling case' for road tollsThere is a "compelling" case for road charging in the UK rather than the current system funded by taxes on fuel, a study has suggested.

Department for Transport

• Government agrees station fundingMinisters have today approved £10m of Government funding for the redevelopment of Northampton station designed to help transform the town™s economy.

Financial Times

• America™s airlines: flying southIt is not all uplift for Latin American carriers as airlines have turned out to be terrible investments throughout the world, no matter how exciting the initial potential
• Female Network Rail staff in equality fightThirty-four middle managers are claiming back-pay of £25,000 each after a survey found they earned less than male counterparts
• Green cars to drive down tax receiptsGrowth in sales of fuel efficient, duty exempt vehicles will leave a £13bn hole in Treasury finances by 2029, the Institute for Fiscal Studies warns

The Herald

• MSP attacks SNP over bus servicesGOVERNMENT ministers have

The Independent

• Are electric cars about to make a surge at last? Extra charging points and new technology make it easier for motorists to go green

The Telegraph

• Virgin Atlantic installs music studio for rock stars at Heathrow airport Virgin Atlantic has installed an industry standard recording studio in its swankiest airport lounge at London Heathrow.
• Drivers face dearer tax disc as greener motoring hits Treasury finances Motorists face a potential rise of £20 rise in car tax or fuel duty to cover a black hole in the Government’s finances caused by green cars.
• Heathrow could be reduced to Heathrow could be reduced to the status of a "local airport" because of the Government's aviation policy, ministers have been warned.

Mail Online

• More than half of cyclists have jumped red lights to get ahead of other road usersA survey has revealed that the majority of cyclists admit to risky - end even illegal - behaviour on Britain's roads by jumping red lights and riding on the pavement.

Network Rail

• PLANS FOR NEW RAIL MAINTENANCE CENTRE IN DERBY SUBMITTED
• CROSSRAIL AND NETWORK RAIL OFFER RAPID TRANSPORT FOR WILDLIFE

Edinburgh Evening News

• Driver gets buslane fine before enforcement period startedA COUNCIL crackdown on the illegal use of bus lanes descended into farce today after it emerged that a motorist was fined for driving in a Greenway before the enforcement period even began.
• ˜Wheel fell off™ another bus run by school ban companyA COACH firm suspended from two school runs after a wheel fell off one of its buses had a similar mishap involving a city bowling club, it was claimed today.

Metro

• Motorways 'not safe enough to cope with 80mph speed limit'Motorways are not safe enough to cope with increasing the speed limit to 80mph, according to a new report. Motorways are not safe enough to cope with a raising of the speed limit from 70mph to 80mph, according to a report (Picture: PA) England's motorways do not provide enough protection to drivers and car occupants for an increase in the limit to be considered, the report from the Road Safety Foundation (RSF) says. It added that there would be a rapidly-rising risk of shunt crashes from the sheer volume of traffic using the motorways. The report also said there were widespread faults in t...
• Tony Robinson teaches railway staff to deliver joke announcementsBlackadder star Tony Robinson has been teaching Chiltern Railways staff how to deliver joke announcements to make the morning commute more bearable. Richard Preddy and Tony Robinson have taught Chiltern Railways staff joke announcements (Picture: PA) The actor and presenter teamed up with Green Wing writer Richard Preddy for the project, which will see a series of witty announcements played on trains between Birmingham and London's Marylebone.Robinson spent a month helping staff helping to learn their lines, which were written by Preddy.Preddy said of the initiative, launched by Chiltern Rai...

Carlisle News & Star

• Traffic congestion problems will return to Carlisle - claim Environmentalists say Carlisle™s traffic congestion will return, despite the temporary relief provided by a western 'bypass'.

Other Regional Press

• Additional carriages for South West Trains services Transport Secretary Justine Greening has confirmed government funding for 48 extra carriages on South West Trains services to and from London Waterloo - they will be introduced into service between March and December 2014.
• Plea to install lift at revamped Billericay rail station John Baron, Tory MP for Basildon and Billericay, is calling for a lift to be installed on the Southend-bound platform at Billericay station, to enable wheelchair users to easily access the platform.
• VIDEO NEWS: Funding secured for £20m investment in new railway station for NorthamptonNew funding has been secured which will pave the way for the transformation of Northampton’s railway station.
• Aviation blueprint against Thames Estuary airportKent County Council has pitched itself against re-elected Tory London Mayor Boris Johnson with a formal opposition to a Thames Estuary airport.
• 'Dumbest' cycle lane markings removed from middle of roadA council quickly removed cyclist markings just days after it was dubbed the dumbest cycle lane in Britain.
• Council backs new rail schemeA COUNCIL has joined other authorities along the route of the proposed western section of East West rail link to express their commitment to the scheme.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Treasury failed on equality duties when it cut bus funding14 May: The Equalities and Human Rights Commission today criticised Treasury ministers for failing to be clear on how they had fulfilled their equality duties when they cut funding for buses in the 2010 spending review. read more

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Major new Chinese logistics facility unveiled by DB SchenkerDB Schenker is constructing a major new logistics centre for one of its customers in China.The facility, which is located in Kunshan near Shanghai, will serve elevator and escalator specialist Kone and is due to begin operations this autumn at the Kunshan Junxi Eco-Industrial Park.It will cover 46,000 sq m and extends an existing relationship between the two companies that has been in place since 2009, with the current 26,000 sq m site operating at capacity.The new logistics centre will be used for storage and distribution of products from Kone's Chinese plants both domestically and to...

Global Rail News

• Plans submitted for new rail maintenance centre in DerbyPlans for a new maintenance centre in Derby have been submitted by Network Rail. Martin Frobisher, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “This maintenance depot is central to our plans to help sustain a modern, reliable railway in the East Midlands. By bringing our frontline teams into a single location we can better plan [...]
• Merseyrail to replace train fleetMerseytravel has said it has begun the process to replace the Merseyrail fleet of trains. Head-hunters have been appointed to draw up a list of candidates for the post of project director to deliver the procurement. Merseytravel has been looking at ways to replace the ‘aging fleet of trains on the Merseyrail network for some [...]
• Alstom awarded Lille metro contractAlstom has been selected as preferred bidder by Lille Métropole to modernise Line 1 of the city™s metro. The contract is worth more than €250 million and is for the supply of an integrated system which includes an automatic driver system and 27 rubber-tyred metro trainsets. After the signing of the contract, work will start [...]
• Shunter Safety: The industry™s hidden concernWritten by Christian Fletcher, Technical Director, Zonegreen There is no doubt that the rail industry is a potentially dangerous place to work. After all, there are not many industries that expect employees to deal with high voltage electricity, speeding vehicles, powerful machinery and thousands of members of the public on a daily basis. Because of [...]
• Network Rail to replace bridges on Esk Valley linePassengers on the Esk Valley line will be travelling over four new bridges after Network Rail completes ‘major improvement works’ over the half-term holiday. The work will see engineers replace Danby, Duck, Thorneywaite and Carr End bridges on the line between Middlesbrough and Whitby. Phil Verster, route managing director for Network Rail, said: œThis route [...]
• Blackadder star to cheer up Britain™s commutersCommuters to London and Birmingham may be pleasantly surprised to find that the standard train platform and in carriage announcements have been infused with an injection of humour, thanks to a new project from Chiltern Railways and the comedy channel GOLD, to cheer up Britain™s commuters. The project which aims to bring a smile to [...]

London TravelWatch

• London TravelWatch™s response to Essex Thameside rail franchise seeks an extension of Oyster and a reduction in overcrowdingLondon TravelWatch has responded to the Department for Transport's (DfT) consultation on the Essex Thameside Franchise, due to start in May 2013. Top priorities for the passenger watchdog include an extension of Oyster and smartcard ticketing across the network and investment in rolling stock to reduce overcrowding.
• Passenger watchdog welcomes new rules which should reduce rail disruption for passengersLondon TravelWatch has welcomed the rail regulator™s decision to introduce new rules which will force train operators to minimise disruption for passengers.
• Passenger watchdog alarmed by Chiltern route cutsLondon TravelWatch says it is alarmed by the new timetable being introduced on the Chiltern Railways route from Sunday. The independent passenger watchdog has been campaigning for improved services but fears that passengers will suffer from some quite drastic changes to the timetable.
• Consultation on the withdrawal of scheduled passenger services between Wandsworth Road, Kensington (Olympia) and Ealing BroadwayThe Department for Transport™s (DfT) consultation on the withdrawal of scheduled passenger services between Wandsworth Road, Kensington (Olympia) and Ealing Broadway began on 10 May and will run until 9 August 2012.

Railnews

• New finance chief for FirstGroup FIRSTGROUP has named its new finance director, who is expected to take up the reins towards the end of the summer.
• Merseyrail unveils plans for new fleet Merseytravel has launched a programme to replace the ageing fleet of Merseyrail electric multiple units, and says it will start the tendering process later this summer. The fleet running on local lines in and around Liverpool was built more than 30 years ago, and is coming to the end of its life.

Aviation Industry

• JAL posts FY net profit of $2.3 billion; ˜uncertain™ year ahead The JAL Group reported a consolidated net profit of ¥186.6 billion ($2.33 billion) in the 2011 fiscal year, which ended March 31.
• American agrees with unsecured creditors to consider a mergerAmerican Airlines (AA), which is operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, has slightly softened its anti-merger stance in order to reach a joint protocol agreement with its official committee of unsecured creditors.
• GTMC 2012: Revolting Tories could boost government transport strategyPolitical commentator says a right-wing rebellion could lead to increased airport capacity
• Virgin Atlantic launches onboard mobile phone services Airline is first UK carrier to allow passengers to make and receive calls on their mobiles

Green Miscellany

• Bicycle power: from coffee tables to aircraft As more and more of us save money on commuting costs and gym memberships by ditching cars, trains and treadmills in favour a bicycle, designers are looking to incorporate pedal power into other areas of our lives¦from coffee tables to aircraft.read more

Other News Sources

• Government does not know if bus punctuality targets are being met The Scottish Government does not gather information on the reliability of bus services, a minister has admitted. Transport Minister Keith Brown confirmed that information about the punctuality of services "is not held centrally", despite nationwide targets of 95% of buses being no more than five minutes late or one minute early.
• New Stourbridge interchange gets a ministerial welcome STOURBRIDGE'S new £7 million bus Interchange has been given a ministerial welcome during a ceremony to mark its official opening.
• More carriages means more seats for Winchester rail commuters MORE Winchester rail commuters will be able to sit down on the daily trip to work in London.