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

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

BBC News

• West Sussex council in short-term A27 congestion plan Short-term measures to tackle congestion on the A27 are to be explored while West Sussex County Council lobbies for major improvements.
• Sixty London Midland trains set to be cancelled More than 60 trains to and from Birmingham are expected to be cancelled on Tuesday as London Midland's shortage of drivers continues.
• Trams on track with £107m leftThe Edinburgh Trams project is still on track despite only 14% of the budget being left in the coffers, council officials confirm.

Department for Transport

• Rail passengers in the North West set for bigger sayPassengers in the North West will have more say on how local rail services are run after the designation of the Bentham Line as a community rail service.

Financial Times

• Oil tanker operator OSG near to failureA Chapter 11 filing by the US operator of oil tankers would represent the biggest corporate failure in the shipping industry in 20 years

The Guardian

• Aviation industry seizes on minister's pledge to accept airports advice Simon Burns says Conservatives will implement Sir Howard Davies' findings on runway capacity in south-east England

The Herald

• Further £15m for tram projectA FURTHER £15 million has been added to the cost of Edinburgh's tram project, though it remains on budget and on track for completion by summer 2014, the council has announced.

The Independent

• Black cab firm calls in administratorsThe maker of the distinctive London taxi is to appoint administrators after it failed to secure a funding boost from one of its largest shareholders.Related Stories19 people rescued from North Sea as helicopter carrying oil workers makes 'controlled ditching'Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal: A timeline of events as they unfoldedGeorge Entwistle under pressure: Seven questions MPs are likely to ask the BBC Director-GeneralCook Islands land claim is rejectedEntwistle prepares for starring role in his own BBC drama as he faces MPs over Savile affair

The Scotsman

• Scotland’s weather: Prepare for extreme conditions year-round, Scots told THE latest official ’winter’ advice warns people in Scotland to prepare for extreme conditions year-round as the next onslaught of severe weather is forecast to hit at the end of the week.
• Edinburgh trams: £100m left in budget as council pushes for faster progress JUST over £100 million is left to pay for Edinburgh’s troubled tram project – as council bosses confirmed it could open at least six months earlier than planned.

Reuters News

• London black taxi cab maker nears end of the road(Reuters) - Manganese Bronze, maker of London's black taxi, said it is set to appoint administrators after failing to secure funding needed to survive, putting hundreds of British jobs at risk.

Daily Record

• Winter awareness campaign launched by Transport Minister KEITH BROWN is urging motorists to be prepared ahead of making journeys this winter.

Birmingham Mail

• National Express buses in Birmingham leaving passengers stranded by setting off too early Clive Walder has never added his voice to the throng of complaints about late buses in Birmingham. It's the early ones that really get his goat.
• New Birmingham transport system links walking, cycling, buses, trams and trains A transport information system has been installed in Birmingham with the aim of making it easier for residents and visitors to get around the city.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Plans for future of Bradford rail services halted West Yorkshire transport chiefs are seeking a meeting with new Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin to clarify proposals for the future operation of local train services.

Derby Telegraph

• Julie_Bayley commented New cycle lane opens in Derby city centreArticle

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tube station fall MP™s good Samaritan hails from CapitalA GOOD Samaritan who leapt to the aid of a politician badly injured after tumbling down a flight of stairs on the London Underground was from Edinburgh.

Liverpool Echo

• Reports lift the lid on Merseytravel’s missing millionsLOCAL transport authority Merseytravel’s “vanity project” waterfront HQ is running an annual £4m deficit.

London Evening Standard

• Fog delays flights for second day in a row Fog disrupted London City Airport services for the second successive day with many flights cancelled or delayed.
• ˜Build 4-runway mega-hub at Stansted airport™Plans for a new four-runway London mega-hub at Stansted capable of handling 150 million passengers a year were unveiled today.
• Major upgrade planned for section of Central LineA section of Tube line is to shut for 12 days as part of a major upgrade.

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink trams could be running to Shaw in new year as work on Rochdale extension gathers paceTrams could start running to Shaw and Crompton early in the New Year “ with tests now underway. Metrolink bosses say good progress is being made on the new line, which extends beyond Oldham Mumps to Rochdale railway station.

Metro

• Cab-maker Manganese Bronze's rank bad luck brings in administratorsLondon black cab-maker Manganese Bronze is to appoint administrators after failing to secure a funding boost, putting almost 300 jobs at risk. London black cab-maker Manganese Bronze is to appoint administrators (Picture: AP) The Coventry-based company was reportedly in talks with Chinese private auto-maker Geely, which already owns a 20 per cent stake, over a £15million loan. However, the group, which recently recalled 400 black cabs owing to a steering fault, said it had been unable to secure funding and will bring in administrators. Manganese recently reported wider half-year losses of ...

The York Press

• Rail passengers have chance to air their views PASSENGERS using a North Yorkshire station are to get the chance to air their views to rail bosses.

Wales Online

• Concern as bus passenger numbers plummet in WalesBuses in Wales experienced the biggest fall in passengers in Britain – and its highest fare rises – after the Welsh Government said it would cut bus subsidy, official figures reveal.

Plymouth Herald

• Rail services could be left 'in limbo,'says MPPENINSULA rail services could be left in limbo for two or three years, says city MP Alison Seabeck. She fears that the West Coast rail franchise fiasco could have a knock-on effect on services to Plymouth.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government designates northern line as 'community rail service' The government has announced the Bentham Line in the north of England will become a designated community rail service.

Global Rail News

• Network Rail engineer takes home sustainability awardTahir Ayub of Network Rail has won this year™s Sustainability Award at the RailStaff Awards 2012. Working with industry stakeholders, Tahir, a senior design engineer at Network Rail’s Birmingham offices, has secured new methods of advancing signalling power design. Better systems have reduced the copper content of power cables by a third contributing to environmental [...]
• Greater Anglia maintenance manager scoops Depot Staff of the YearEssex rail engineer John Coates has won the national Depot Staff of the Year prize at this year™s RailStaff Awards 2012. The 65-year-old, who retired in July having worked his way up to maintenance manager at Greater Anglia’s Ilford depot, was recognised on October 20, at Birmingham’s ICC – 50 years after starting out in [...]
• TfL graduate wins newcomer awardTransport for London’s (TfL) Amy Selway has won this year’s Newcomer-Graduate of the Year Award at the RailStaff Awards 2012. Amy, who works as a Change and Effectiveness specialist at TfL in the Human Resources department, joined the company’s graduate trainee programme after gaining a first class honours degree in Human Resource Management and Business [...]
• Carter wins Outstanding Customer Service AwardSimone Carter, who works in the Travel Centre at Worcester Foregate Street station for London Midland, has won the Outstanding Customer Service Award at this year™s national RailStaff Awards 2012. Simone received 14 nominations from customers and colleagues, praising her cheerfulness and encyclopaedic knowledge of railway ticketing. Andy Milne, editor of RailStaff, said: “People like [...]
• Rail engineer recognised for Olympic effortChris Hooper, of communications company telent, has won this year™s Rail Engineer of the Year Award for his work throughout the London 2012 Olympic Games. Being able to hear Mayor of London Boris Johnson™s announcements on the Tube during the summer was largely down to Chris and his colleagues™ unstinting efforts. The Coventry development engineer [...]
• Samaritans course leader wins Rail Trainer of the YearSteve Tollerton, training officer for the Samaritans, has won this year™s Trainer of the Year Award at the RailStaff Awards 2012. Working for the Samaritans, Steve runs free training courses for frontline railway staff “ many of whom have to deal with people taking their own lives and the aftermath. Station staff, operations managers and [...]
• Infrastructure award for Balfour Beatty renewals managerIpswich-based renewals manager Simon Melville has won the Rail Infrastructure Award at this year™s RailStaff Awards 2012. Simon, who has been working in the rail industry for 10 years, was nominated by his colleagues at Balfour Beatty for his determination in organising a midweek re-railing job. Rails were replaced on a busy stretch of the [...]
• Signal success for Phil Graham at RailStaff AwardsPhil Graham of Network Rail has won this year™s Signalling Person of the Year Award at the RailStaff Awards 2012. Friends and colleagues nominated the York railwayman for having run voluntary evening classes for 25 years to teach the principles of railway signalling and the related rules and regulations. As well as staff from Network [...]
• Hosty wins Rail Manager of the Year AwardNorthern Rail’s head of HR Support Services has won the Rail Manager of the Year Award at the RailStaff Awards 2012. Nicola Hosty, who is based at York, was nominated for her work on projects leading to diversity and inclusion. Nicola said: “I can’t believe it. I’m really proud. Especially when you’ve been there since [...]
• Gallery: RailStaff Awards 2012A selection of images from this year’s RailStaff Awards at the ICC in Birmingham. For more pictures from the night visit the RailStaff Awards website.
• Heathrow Express driver wins Rail Person of the Year 2012A Heathrow Express train driver has been recognised after she convinced colleagues to work a day without pay to support a fellow driver who had taken time off to care for his terminally ill mother. Cheryle Cowell, who has worked for Heathrow Express for the last seven-and-a-half years, stepped in to help Glauco Hugentobler Ayres [...]
• Lambley named top train driverGavin Lambley of First Capital Connect has won this year™s Train Driver of the Year Award at the RailStaff Awards 2012. Gavin Lambley was driving a train between Shepreth and Foxton on the Baldock-Cambridge line when he realised the overhead power supply line was faulty. He stopped the train thus preventing further damage to the [...]
• Virgin team leader scoops Station Staff of the Year AwardRichard Hackney of Virgin Trains has won this year™s Station Staff of the Year Award at the RailStaff Awards 2012. Richard Hackney works as a team leader at Stockport station. Richard has been praised by colleagues for his level-headed approach -  never more apparent in successive crises that are all too familiar to railway staff. [...]
• King™s Cross safety boss wins RailStaff AwardLondon Underground’s Paul Garnish has been presented with the Rail Safety of the Year Award for his work keeping King’s Cross safe during the station’s redevelopment. Paul has worked as duty manager (DSM) and safety champion at London King’s Cross for the last five years – a period in which the station has more closely [...]

Other News Sources

• Arriva’s LNWR rail maintenance business wins £1 million Porterbrook contract Arriva’s LNWR rail maintenance and servicing business has won a £1 million contract to repaint 72 Class 150/2 vehicles owned by Porterbrook Leasing.
• Merseytravel slammed for 'financial failures'Merseytravel has been told to ’refocus’ entirely on delivering public transport, after two separate reports slammed the troubled transport authority for shocking financial failures.
• Stansted: Airport welcomes bid for lower airport taxes STANSTED Airport owners have welcomed a survey out today which found that the public want lower airport taxes and companies desire more Government support for aviation.
• Camberley Society calls for Woking rail link revival RESTORING a rail link between Camberley and Woking would slash train times to London and create new economic opportunities for the town, the Camberley Society has said.