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

Friday, 02 November 2012

BBC News

• Gore-Tex makers open £5m plant The makers of Gore-Tex are officially opening their upgraded fabrics plant in West Lothian, after a £5m investment.
• School bus firms run Oxfordshire routes after closure Two new school bus operators have been found to take on the Oxfordshire routes affected by the closure of the company that previously ran them.
• First bus pay talks go to AcasFresh talks between bus company First Aberdeen and union leaders in a bid to settle a dispute over pay get under way at conciliation service Acas.
• Airports call for air duty reviewScotland's three largest airports call on the chancellor to conduct an urgent review of air passenger duty.
• 'Seven years' to build airportA new airport on the Isle of Grain would take seven years to build, architects behind the scheme say.
• Airport capacity inquiry set upThe chairman of an independent commission into airport capacity is to begin setting up an inquiry into the issue, and also announce its members.

Department for Transport

• Consultations launched for Dartford free-flowTwo consultations in support of a project to improve traffic flow and ease congestion at the Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing are soon to launch.
• Transport Statistics 1 November 2012Statistical release about reported road casualties and biofuels.

Financial Times

• Ryanair increases reserved seatsLow-cost carrier seeks to charge for more services after rival easyJet rolled out allocated seating across all flights

The Herald

• Virgin rail travellers will face festive disruptionRAIL passengers will face severe disruption and extended journeys on Virgin Train services between London and Glasgow in the run up to Christmas due to a major engineering project.
• Scots face festive rail disruption on West Coast lineChristmas travellers will have to contend with disrupted services on a key Scotland to London rail route on December 23 and 24.
• Rail ban on booze hailed a successA LATE-night alcohol ban on trains has been hailed a success by rail chiefs.
• MSPs endorse move for stricter drink-drive limitMSPs have backed plans for a law change to reduce the drink-drive limit, as a new survey found seven out of ten Scots supported the move.

The Telegraph

• Birmingham Airport calls for 'congestion charge' on Heathrow and Gatwick Birmingham Airport has asked the Government to impose a “congestion charge” on Heathrow and Gatwick as it fights for a bigger slice of the aviation market.
• Road deaths fall by 18 per cent, Government figures showTransport: The number of people killed on the country's roads has fallen sharply, according to the latest Government figures.

Network Rail

• Crossrail to bridge the gapWork has begun on replacing four bridges in Slough and Hillingdon in preparation for the new electric Crossrail trains. Starting in 2018, Crossrail will provide a high-frequency rail service for passengers wanting to travel into central London, over to Maidenhead or through to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

Belfast Telegraph

• New Ryanair routes to create 1,000 jobsLow-cost airline Ryanair is to create 1,000 UK jobs next year by flying one million more passengers on a number of new routes.Related StoriesHousing co-op gets £50m funding hikeSlight decrease in work injuriesAnglo bank bailout bill to hit £20bnTranslink gets on track for awardHousing co-op gets £50m funding hike
• Translink gets on track for award Translink NI Railways is one of 50 companies to reach the UK finals of the European Business Awards for the transformation of its customer service offering on rail over the past 10 years. Related StoriesHousing co-op gets £50m funding hikeSlight decrease in work injuriesNew Ryanair routes to create 1,000 jobsAnglo bank bailout bill to hit £20bnHousing co-op gets £50m funding hike

Journal Live

• Elderly offer to pay to keep Blanchland bus on the roadTRANSPORT chiefs have promised an answer soon on the possible future of a “lifeline” rural bus service.

London Evening Standard

• Cracked rail on Jubilee line causes delays - as engineers go on strikeA cracked rail on the Jubilee line delayed peak time services today as union and Tube bosses clashed over a 24-hour strike by maintenance engineers.
• 'Impossible' Islington box junction rakes in £550,000A box junction in Islington has raked in as much as £550,000 in fines after the phasing of traffic lights was changed, making it œimpossible for drivers to navigate, it was claimed today.

Manchester Evening News

• Road deaths in Greater Manchester down by almost 40 per centThere were 36 fatal accidents between January and September “ compared with 58 during the same period last year.

Metro

• Christmas travel chaos ahead with major rail routes set for shutdownsTravellers heading home to some of Britain™s biggest cities this Christmas will have to leave on December 22 to avoid disruption on the railways. Virgin routes between major UK cities will be among those effected in the run up to Christmas (Picture: EPA/ Andy Rain) Leave it any later and you will be blighted by engineering works “ with no direct services from London Euston to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool or Glasgow.Trains will run once an hour on the Chilterns line to Nuneaton, in Warwickshire, where passengers will wait to change for their ongoing journey.The scheduling of the works wa...

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• 'Pothole capital' warning over £800,000 Dudley roads budget cutDudley would become œthe pothole capital of the Black Country if plans to slash thousands of pounds from the roads budget go ahead, it was claimed during a heated council debate. 

Yorkshire Post

• Tracsis looks at train black boxes TRANSPORT technology firm Tracsis said it spies big opportunities at home and abroad as it expands its range across the transport sector.
• Tracsis looks at train black boxes TRANSPORT technology firm Tracsis said it spies big opportunities at home and abroad as it expands its range across the transport sector.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Rail station is awarded secure statusCommuters and passengers using the trains can feel safe at Peterborough train station after it was re-accredited with Secure Stations status for another two years.

Other Regional Press

• First insists it will listen to concerns about buses in Old Catton First Buses has promised to look again at its journeys through Old Catton after villagers made a impassioned plea for the return of an hourly service last night.
• Airport chiefs™ plea for Government supportINVESTMENT in the Tees Valley’s airport links is lacking because the Government is concentrating on congestion in the south of England, it was claimed today.
• Rail delays will ˜hurt town™The future of one of Bedford's most vital transport links to the capital is uncertain after the tender for the Thameslink line was put on hold.
• Easyjet to fly to new destinationsEasyjet has announced expansion plans which will see the airline begin flying to the Greek resort of Mykonos and the Sardinian resort of Olbia.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Network Rail seeks views on reform of rail freight propertyA new consultation that will gather views relating to a proposed reform of rail freight property has been launched by Network Rail.The train infrastructure company stated the industry exercise will feed into changes to the management and ownership of such assets, including plans to transfer the majority of the 250 property interests held by DB Schenker Rail to Network Rail.According to the organisation, the goal of the exercise is to promote freight network capacity, improve timekeeping, attract more business in the sector, facilitate competition between operators and introduce staging yard lo...

Global Rail News

• Network Rail launches consultation over DB freight property acquisitionNetwork Rail has launched a consultation over plans to transfer the majority of DB Schenker Rail UK’s 250 property interests over to the infrastructure owner. The move is designed to improve open access as highlighted by the McNulty report. Network Rail hopes that by acquiring the properties it would promote freight network capacity on the [...]
• New London Overground route to open next monthA new Overground route between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction is due to open next month, completing London’s orbital network. More than 12 million passengers are expected to use the route, which will call at Wandsworth Road, Clapham High Street, Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, Queens Road Peckham, Surrey Quays, each year. The service will connect with [...]

Railnews

• Government denies Thameslink deal is tainted The transport secretary has denied that the Thameslink rolling stock contract may be back in the melting pot, although the Government has admitted that it is looking at alternatives to completing the £1.4 billion deal for which Siemens was named preferred bidder in June last year. Patrick McLoughlin was giving evidence to the Commons Transport Committee, who also pressed -- without much effect -- for more details about the collapse of the West Coast franchise competition

Aviation Industry

• Easyjet adds new destinations from south-east airports Easyjet has added 10 new routes from its four bases in the south-east for summer 2013. The no-frills airline had already announced Gatwick to Moscow flights after winning the battle with Virgin Atlantic to secure the rights to fly to the Russian capital. Easyjet will also launch flights from Gatwick to the Greek city of Kalamata, as well as services from Stansted to Sharm el Sheikh, Marrakesh and Sofia. Flights from Luton to Mykonos and Olbia (Sardinia) are also new for summer 2013 as are year-round services from Southend to Berlin and Krakow. Paul Simmons, Easyet™s UK director, said: œMoscow...
• British Airways 'commits' to Australian flights British Airways said it has shown its commitment to Australia by putting its new Boeing 777-300 ER on the route to Sydney. There has been speculation about BA™s future plans for its Australian flights following the announcement that its 17-year-old joint venture with Qantas will end on March 31, 2013. BA is also moving its Sydney services from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5 at Heathrow from March 31 when the flights will also be served by the Boeing 777-300 ER, which will feature First, Club World, World Traveller Plus and economy cabins. Jamie Cassidy, BA™s area general manager for Asia Pacific, s...

Other News Sources

• Noise, air quality and climate concerns must be addressed in regard to aviation policy, says Assembly 1 November 2012 Noise, air quality and climate change are serious concerns that must be addressed, both now and in the future, the London Assembly today says. In its response to the Government™s Draft Aviation Policy Framework consultation[1], the Assembly™s Health and Environment Committee welcomes the Government™s commitment to establishing a framework that more strongly incentivises noise reduction and mitigation. It suggests an independent body should administer the airport mitigation and compensation schemes, which could help to reb...
• Davies Commission must look beyond a third runwayLeading engineering and transport experts say the aviation debate has become too heavily politicised and centred on a third runway at Heathrow, when in the long term, the UK is likely to need significantly more national hub capacity, which we must plan for now.