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

Tuesday, 30 October 2012

BBC News

• Bristol 'bendy bus' plan scrapped Plans to run bendy buses on the proposed "rapid transit" routes through Bristol have been scrapped.
• VIDEO: Rail franchise process 'was flawed'Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has told MPs that an interim investigation into the West Coast Main Line franchise process has found a lack of transparency and inconsistencies.
• Station faces years of disruptionCommuters using London Bridge station face years of disruption when refurbishment work begins next year, Network Rail says.
• Inquiry into ferry firm takeoverEurotunnel's takeover of Sea France assets is referred to the Competition Commission over worries that cross-Channel travellers could face higher fares.
• Rail franchise deal 'was flawed'An interim investigation into the West Coast Main Line franchise process has found "significant errors", a "flawed process" and "inadequate planning".

ITV News

• Proposals to change Tyne and Wear's bus system The region could soon see cheaper fares, a new range of bus-to-bus tickets to maximise journeys, and savings for local councils if proposals go ahead.

Department for Transport

• West Coast Main Line: Laidlaw Inquiry interim findingsThe independent inquiry into DfT's handling of the franchise competition to run the West Coast Main Line has submitted an initial findings report.

Financial Times

• Olympics hits Heathrow™s profitsLondon games resulted in about 400,000 fewer travellers passing through the airport™s doors in July and August compared with last summer
• Councils attack ˜reckless™ Heathrow gambleCoalition of London boroughs doubt economic benefits projected by the government over another runway at Heathrow airport
• West coast report finds damning flawsTender for rail line was undermined by poor decision making and heavy cuts to staff, says Sam Laidlaw, in an initial report into what went wrong
• Hurricane Sandy disrupts eastern travelsDomestic and international flights are cancelled as Sandy approaches northeastern US, with fees waived for people who have to change travel plans
• Singapore Airlines bolsters Australia positionCarrier pays A$105m for 10% stake in Virgin Australia, which is repositioning to better compete with market leader Qantas

The Herald

• Bypass cost soars to £650mTHE cost of building a 28-mile bypass around Aberdeen has nearly doubled to £652 million following years of delay caused by local objections, the Scottish Government has confirmed.
• Government criticised over West Coast fiascoTHE Government carried on with the bidding process for the biggest Scotland to London rail franchise despite being aware it was flawed and open to legal challenge, a new report has found.
• US cities evacuated as Sandy strikes east coast citiesHUNDREDS of thousands of New Yorkers fled their city as one of the worst storms in American history lashed the east coast bringing widespread power cuts and disruption to transport networks.

The Independent

• Civil servants 'bungled West Coast rail deal', MPs told Civil servants committed an

The Telegraph

• Heathrow rejects Gatwick rail link plan Heathrow, the airports group rebranded from BAA, has dismissed proposals for a “dual hub” system in London that would see passengers transferred to smaller rivals such as Stansted or Gatwick.
• Department for Transport knew it risked legal challenge over West Coast franchise The Department for Transport knew seven months ago that it did not have the correct methods to evaluate multi-billion pound bids for the West Coast rail franchise and that it risked a legal challenge from one of the train operators competing for the contract.
• Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin tells MPs West Coast bidding process lacked transparency Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has told MPs that the bidding process for the West Coast Mainline lacked transparency and suffered from "inconsistencies" and "technical flaws".
• Tax wheezes that drive motorists to distractionCar owners would be a lot less aggrieved if their money was actually spent on roads, suggests Philip Johnston

Mail Online

• Rail deal 'was biased against Branson's West Coast bid' and wanted 'anyone but him', report revealsLabour said the fiasco has on it the ‘fingerprints’ of four serving Cabinet ministers - three of whom are or were Transport Secretaries.

Bristol Live

• Call to nationalise bus networkTHE Green Party's candidate for Bristol mayor has called for the city's bus network to be nationalised.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented Transport chief firmly rules out any review of rolling stock...TRANSPORT Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has said that those who still believe the Thameslink rolling stock contract should be...

Liverpool Echo

• Report reveals Department of Transport knew of blunders in West Coast franchise competition at start of 2012FLAWS in the disastrous contest to take over the Liverpool to London rail line were known as long ago as the start of 2012, a damning report found yesterday.

London Evening Standard

• Motorists face motorway tax - but car drivers on minor roads could pay lessMotorists could face a two-tier road tax under proposals reportedly being considered by the Government.
• Artists given £100 gift to re-invent the Tube logoPop artist Sir Peter Blake and Turner prize-winner Martin Boyce are among the artists who have reworked London Underground™s logo in a project celebrating its creation a century ago.
• London Bridge set for five years of disruption as Network Rail say massive redevelopment neededRail bosses today warned of years of daily disruption for commuters as they set out the timetable for the £700m rebuilding of London Bridge station.
• Tunnel of love... iconic Tube logo reimagined for its 100th birthday Pop artist Sir Peter Blake and Turner prize-winner Martin Boyce are among the artists who have reworked the London Underground logo in a project celebrating its creation a century ago.
• Councils convene in new bid to block third Heathrow runwayA powerful coalition of councils representing millions of London voters has joined forces in a bid to force the Government to permanently rule out a Heathrow third runway.
• West Coast bidding process 'flawed'An accumulation of "significant errors" by the Department for Transport (DfT) resulted in a "flawed" West Coast rail franchise process, MPs have been told.

Manchester Evening News

• Flights from Manchester Airport to New York, Washington and Philadelphia cancelled as Hurricane Sandy heads for USASome trans-Atlantic flights have been cancelled at Manchester Airport as Hurricane Sandy is due to hit the east coast of America. Most inbound flights from the East coast are also cancelled but passengers should check with their flight company for more details.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Just the ticket as bus firm says it will take its rivals' passengersA BUS company is set to accept rivals' tickets as it bids to beat major roadworks in the city. Premiere Travel will allow people to travel using other operators' tickets in order to help them beat the queues from Monday along its Red 5 route to Long Eaton.

Yorkshire Post

• ˜Significant errors™ hit rail franchise processAn accumulation of “significant errors” by the Department for Transport (DfT) resulted in a “flawed” West Coast rail franchise process, MPs were told last night.

Crewe Chronicle

• UK & World News: Flights cancelled amid US stormsThe travel plans of thousands of British travellers remain in disarray after Superstorm Sandy battered parts of the east coast of the US overnight, causing airline companies to cancel flights to and from the UK for the second day running.

The Shields Gazette

• New airport deal wipes £100m debtTHE leader of South Tyneside Council today said the announcement of a new financial partner for Newcastle International Airport was “great news for the region”.

Other Regional Press

• Greater Manchester transport bosses take better bus message to the Commons Greater Manchester transport bosses aim to get MPs and peers on board with their drive for better buses at a House of Commons event today.
• Ministers accused over rail fiascoFour Cabinet ministers have their fingerprints on the West Coast Main Line “franchise fiasco”, Labour has claimed.
• Free event to cut down on bike theftsBIKE owners can help protect their cycles from thieves for free at a property marking event.
• Kids get the message across to keep their dads safe at workOur Daddies Work Here is the name of a new safety campaign aiming to help protect workers on the road.

Other News Sources

• Chancellor backs Airport relief road plan as consultations openChancellor George Osborne is backing the £290m Manchester Airport Relief Road. Stockport MPs Mark Hunter and Andrew Stunell, plus Macclesfield's David Rutley, met with Mr Osborne ahead of the consultation on the road that will link Hazel Grove with the airport.
• News from Darren Johnson AM: Tolls on Blackwall Tunnel to pay for new Silvertown crossing 29 October 2012 The new Transport for London consultation on building a road tunnel crossing at Silvertown has recommended that tolls should be put on the new crossing and the existing Blackwall Tunnel. TfL state that: œThere is currently no funding set aside in TfL™s budget for the major infrastructure projects outlined in this consultation. This means that in order to deliver them we would need to identify a means of paying for them. Assembly Member Johnson commented: ...