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

Wednesday, 21 November 2012

BBC News

• Call for Boris Johnson and TfL to cut cycling casualties A report by London Assembly's transport committee said the number of cycling casualties had risen by 50% between 2006 and 2011.
• Cambridgeshire guided bus comes off tracks A driver has been taken to hospital after his bus came off the guided busway tracks in Cambridgeshire.
• Leicester school principal criticises transport cuts plan The principal of a school in Leicester has said he fears budget cuts to school transport would affect the city's most vulnerable children.
• Great Western electrification could be extended Extending the electrification of a Great Western branch line is to be considered by the government.
• Work to upgrade major A160/A180 road brought forward Work to turn a major road in North East Lincolnshire into a dual carriageway has been brought forward.
• Easyjet announces Moscow flightsAirline Easyjet announces three new routes from Manchester, including the first regular direct flights from the city to Moscow.

Department for Transport

• Crucial road improvements to be delivered twice as fast Motorists and hauliers will benefit from increased capacity on England’s motorways by spring 2015 thanks to the acceleration of three upgrades, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced today.

Financial Times

• CMA CGM in deal to revamp $4.6bn debtThe French container shipping group™s agreement with its 72 banks will see a $400m tranche, due to mature in February, deferred by two years
• EasyJet doubles dividend on business boostAirline pursuing ˜constructive relationship™ with Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, whose family is the company™s largest shareholder with a 37 per cent stake

The Herald

• Plans to ban alcohol on new tram serviceAN alcohol ban will be enforced on Edinburgh's tram service when it opens in 2014, under proposals to be put to councillors this week.
• MSP backs investigation into 'bathtub boats' ferry serviceEDUCATION Secretary Michael Russell has sparked fresh controversy by backing calls for an investigation into alleged

Daily Express

• Aerospace engineer Hampson Industries placed into administrationBRITISH aerospace engineer Hampson Industries was last night placed into administration as faltering demand sank its business.

Network Rail

• Network Rail™s plans for faster, more frequent rail services across the NorthCouncillors and business leaders from across Manchester and Salford last night viewed Network Rail™s plans for improved rail travel in the North. At an event in the Museum of Science and Industry, the new Ordsall Chord, a scheme to connect Manchester™s Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Victoria stations, was unveiled to stakeholders ahead of this week™s public consultation.

Derby Telegraph

• MP dissatisfied with response of minister over ThameslinkDERBY North MP Chris Williamson has called in Parliament for the termination of the Thameslink contract process with Siemens. During a debate he secured in Westminster, Mr Williamson said the contract, awarded to Siemens rather than Bombardier in Derby, was "discriminatory" and flawed.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Passengers face hard line and fines of up to £1000 under tough tram rulesAN army of conductors able to dish out four-figure fines will be recruited to enforce a barrage of rules on Edinburgh’s new tram line, the Evening News can reveal.

London Evening Standard

• ’Shorter bus routes and flexible fares to end Oxford Street chaos’ Transport bosses have been urged to think the unthinkable to liberate the West End from its “great wall” of double decker buses.
• Plans to charge foreign lorry rivers to us UK roads backed by MPsPlans to charge foreign lorry drivers for using British roads received cross-party support today.

Manchester Evening News

• Budget airline Easyjet to launch Manchester flights direct to Moscow and PragueThe first ever scheduled flights between Manchester and Russia will be launched next year. The M.E.N can today reveal that budget airline easyJet will fly four times a week to Moscow from March.

The York Press

• Transport transformation agreed at private meeting YORK’S transport bosses are to look at creating a city-centre bus station and changing car-parking charges.

Wales Online

• November bike blog: Safe winter cycling In this month’s post, yourCardiff bike blogger Simon Nurse talks about a controversial month for his sport, and how to stay safe on your bike during winter. Simon cycle commutes daily, races cyclo-cross for Cardiff JIF, and edits the Odoni sponsored cycle blog

Blackpool Gazette

• Air firms™ £2.8m training schemeAEROSPACE companies across the Fylde have teamed up with BAE Systems to launch a £2.8m apprenticeship scheme.

Bucks Free Press

• Campaigners angry at Prime Minister's judicial review plans ANGRY HS2 campaigners have hit out at the Prime Minister's announcement he plans to cut back on the number of consultations his government holds and the amount of judicial reviews at court.
• Survey: HS2 not the way to boost economy JUST four per cent of respondents to a major survey felt building HS2 is the best way of boosting the British economy.

Other Regional Press

• New rail freight link opened at Nuneaton Known as the North Chord, the £28.3 million project involves just under a mile of track to join up the rail route from Felixstowe with the West Coast Main Line and allow freight trains to travel through Nuneaton station without affecting passenger services.
• Jurby transport chairman oustedTHE founder of the Jurby Transport Museum has been ousted from the trust board.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Going local with bus fundingThe Government is giving councils more control over funding for buses. The change mustn't mean passengers lose out. read more

Global Rail News

• Vital appoints former Conservative minister to boardFormer Conservative minister Steve Norris has been appointed to the Vital Services Group board. During his political career, Norris spent five years in the Department of Transport where he held the positions of Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport and Minister for Transport in London. Steve, the former executive chairman of Jarvis Plc, is [...]
• ˜Dumb ways to die™ rail safety cartoon becomes web hitA cartoon rail safety awareness ad in which cute animated characters meet a grizzly end has become an online viral sensation. The ‘Dumb ways to die‘ ad campaign, which also features an unbearably catchy song of the same name, has been unleashed onto the world by suburban rail operator Melbourne Metro. The video is now [...]
• East Croydon footbridge slid into placeA 1,000 tonne footbridge linking all platforms at East Croydon station has been slid into place. The £20 million structure has been under construction next to the station for the last 12 months. Over the weekend, the 100 metre-long, 14 metre-wide bridge was moved into position at a speed of six metres an hour while [...]
• New trains for World Cup host citiesWorld Cup host cities Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre have agreed deals to boost their train fleets ahead of the global football tournament in 2014. FROTA BH, a consortium made up of European rolling stock manufacturers CAF and Alstom, has been awarded the Belo Horizonte contract by the Brazilian Urban Rail Company (Companhia Brasileira de [...]

Railnews

• Business case for HS2 'is improving' Official forecasts of the business case for HS2 have been revised upwards, accompanied by a prediction that they are 'very conservative', although opponents of the project are claiming that only a small minority of the public are in favour of it. In a parallel development, the prime minister has unveiled plans to limit the use of judicial reviews which are intended to thwart or delay major infrastructure projects, even as five HS2 opponents prepare for a judicial review in the High Court in early December.

RMT

• West Coast shambles rolls on with Virgin deal still not signed off two weeks away from end of current franchise RAIL UNION RMT today warned that the West Coast Main Line franchise shambles is still rolling along with the Government failing to sign off their lashed-up extension of the current Virgin deal just over two weeks away from the 9th December deadline for the end of the current deal.
• Parliamentary debate on Thameslink/Siemens deal as contract descends into chaos 18 months onDerby MP and RMT Parliamentary Group Member Chis Williamson has secured a Commons debate on the Thameslink and Crossrail fleet procurement contracts this afternoon as rumours persist that Government officials are now looking at an alternative on the Thameslink deal which is no closer to sign-off and is clearly riddled with serious contamination 18 months on.

Aviation Industry

• Easyjet to start Manchester-Moscow flightsCarrier will serve Russian capital from both Gatwick and Manchester from spring 2013
• Singapore Airlines agrees codeshare with AegeanAsian carrier also extends its current deal with Virgin Australia to cover more flights

Other News Sources

• Boris Johnson faces renewed calls for more cycling investment City Hall politicians have called on Boris Johnson to put a timescale on plans to install a new east-west cycle superhighway to go towards stemming the rise in cycling injuries in London.
• Ban Night FlightsSaturday: Europe-wide day of action on night flights
• TRANSPORT UNDER SECRETARY BLUNDER ON DISABLED PASSENGERS RIGHTSUnder Secretary for Transport Norman Baker MP, responsible for accessibility and equalities, was caught in a blunder on disabled passengers’ rights.

News from Europe

• Rail motorway, electrification and passenger plans announced FRANCE: Visiting Boulogne-sur-Mer on November 12, Transport Minister Frédéric Cuvillier announced that a third piggyback service is to be launched to connect Bayonne near the Spanish border with Dourges south of Lille.