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

Thursday, 22 November 2012

BBC News

• North Norfolk Railway: Sheringham signal box returns A 106-year-old railway signal box has been returned to a Norfolk level crossing, 40 years after volunteers removed it to ensure its survival.
• The 'pregnant plane' that can give birth to a new 787 [video]In Seattle, the world's biggest building - 100 acres under one roof - is used to piece together sections of plane from different parts of the world, such as Japan, the UK and Italy.
• Heavy rain causes commuter delaysHeavy rain causes transport problems across the West Midlands.
• Pregnant woman refused tram seatA pregnant woman on crutches who says she was left standing on Manchester's Metrolink when passengers refused to give up seats complains staff failed to help.
• VIDEO: Calls to cut cycling casualtiesThe mayor of London is being called on to reduce the number of serious cycling accidents on London's roads.

Department for Transport

• Tough new measures to tackle drink drivers A consultation on tough measures to crack down on drink drivers has been unveiled.
• Passengers to benefit from Olympic boost to services Plans to make it easier for train operators to adjust timetables and better serve passengers when dealing with music and sporting events.

The Herald

• Single car journeys surgeDRIVERS appear increasingly reluctant to give up the sanctity of their cars, with figures showing the proportion of journeys in Scotland with only one person in a vehicle has risen.
• Markings on roads decliningTHE quality of road markings is in rapid decline, particularly in Scotland, it was revealed today.
• Key road repairs are haltedDISRUPTION caused by Edinburgh's trams project is so bad the council has halted major road repairs.

The Scotsman

• Restrict bus passes to over-65s, says charityONLY people over 65 should receive free bus travel, a leading charity has concluded, to ensure more cash can be spent on other pensioners.

The Telegraph

• Britain facing pothole crisis Britain is on the brink of a major pothole crisis because of Government spending cuts, councils have warned.
• More than 5,000 children banned from drivingMore than 5,000 children - including five 11-year-olds - have been banned from driving since 2009, it has emerged. But many will still be able to get behind the wheel on their 17th birthday
• Wealthy pensioners should lose free bus pass, MPs suggestPensioners with incomes of more than £50,000 should lose their free TV licences, bus passes and winter fuel allowances to help cut the deficit, senior Tory MPs have said.

Daily Express

• EasyJet profits soar as bankers take to the airBUDGET airline easyJet said MPs and bankers are saving cash by flying on its planes, helping it post record annual profits and double its dividend.

The Mirror

• Hole lot of problems: £10bn needed to stop thousands of miles of roads going to potLocal councils are responsible for maintenance but the Tory-led Government is slashing the highways maintenance budget by £442million

ATOC

• Train companies welcome greater freedom to plan servicesTrain companies have welcomed plans to make it easier for them to adjust timetables and better serve passengers when dealing with music and sporting events. The changes,...

Network Rail

• Chance to find out about Christmas Crossrail works in ActonMajor engineering work will take place in Acton over Christmas as part of the construction of a new train underpass needed to improve rail services in the area. A public information session will be held this month so that local residents can find out more about the Christmas works.
• Network Rail appoints new public interest director to its boardMichael O™Higgins, former chairman of the Audit Commission and current chairman of The Pensions Regulator, has been appointed to Network Rail™s board as a non-executive director.

Bristol Live

• The Bristol Post published 'Huge step forward' for rail linksArticle

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Speed limit changes to 24 roads in FlintshireA MUM fears more lives will be lost because of the failure to cut the speed limit on the “dangerous” road where her teenage son was killed.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Edinburgh to halt all major road repairsMAJOR road repair schemes across the city are to be put on hold to avoid causing even more chaos on top of the tram works.

London Evening Standard

• Buggies on buses must move for wheelchairsMothers with buggies and tourists with unwieldy suitcases are to be targeted in a new campaign to give wheelchair users priority on buses.
• Half of new Tube fleet sent back to factory for repair workMore than half of the new £7‰million trains on the Metropolitan line are being sent back to the manufacturer for urgent modification.
• Rail services suffer massive disruption after train hits 'fox'Commuters suffered travel chaos when train services were halted for two-and-a-half hours after the driver hit a 'fox'.

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink passengers refuse to give up a seat for heavily pregnant woman on crutches Meenakshi Minnis, 31, found all the seats were taken when she got on a tram at Deansgate-Castlefield on her way home to Timperley. Mrs Minnis asked passengers on the tram if they would give up their seat “ but no-one moved.

Metro

• Cuts to roads budget 'catastrophic' for motorists as crisis continuesMotorists who believe crumbling roads are in urgent need of repair face even bumpier journeys “ from nearly £500million of maintenance cuts. Councils say decades of underfunding have made it ˜nearly impossible™ for them to keep on top of road repairs (Picture: PA/ Tim Ockenden) On top of a pothole problem which is reaching crisis point, highways bosses expect to be stripped of more funding in the chancellor™s autumn statement next month.And they fear the impact of a harsh winter similar to 2010/11 which caused £600million of road damage could be ˜catastrophic™ without a government change of he...

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Wakefield: Overnight closures for upgrade of M1 junctionThe Highways Agency starts a £150,000 scheme to remodel an exit slip road from the M1 motorway at Wakefield next week.

Yorkshire Post

• Minister refuses aid to repair flood-hit roadsLOCAL taxpayers in Yorkshire will have to fund repairs to essential roads and bridges damaged in this summer’s flooding after ministers confirmed the Government will not offer any financial support.

Burnley Express

• New gritters out on the roads this winterMORE salt stocks and new gritters and satellite navigation systems have been bought by County Hall bosses to improve driving conditions on Burnley’s roads over the winter.

The Shields Gazette

• £4.9m revamp for historic tunnelsWORK costing £4.9m is set to transform a historic transport link in South Tyneside.

Other Regional Press

• Railway plans for new platform on outskirtsPLANS to extend a railway into Carmarthen — attracting thousands of visitors and bringing huge economic benefits — have taken another step forward.
• Road safety charity urges drivers to slow down near school’Slow down or you could hurt us’.

Airportwatch

• NEW BODY TO FOCUS ON UK WATERWAYS FREIGHT More freight could be carried on waterways in the UK following the decision to hire a transport professional by a leading body. David Quarmby CBE has been appointed as the chairman of the Canal & River Trust's freight advisory group, bringing a wide variety of experience to the organisation.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• READING BUSES WIN PRESTIGIOUS BUS AWARDS Reading Buses is today celebrating their greatest success in the prestigious 2012 UK Bus Awards. Company employees including drivers, engineering staff and Chief Executive Officer James Freeman were among a gathering of 700 at the 17th annual ceremony at the London Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, yesterday.
• UK MOTORISTS 'OPPOSED TO GOVERNMENT TOLL PLANS' Rather than having more toll roads across the UK as part of government plans to alleviate road congestion, drivers want better maintenance.

Global Rail News

• Advance warningThis Christmas whilst sat around the table with your family spare a thought for the Signalling Testers who will be working hard to ensure that plans to update the British railways are delivered on time, reports Victoria Turner of advance-TRS. Unfortunately every year, during the Christmas period, the rail industry faces a challenge mustering enough [...]
• Young people get into transportFour young people from the West Midlands have been offered apprenticeships with Centro after completing a Prince™s Trust scheme. Leon Castle, Moah Nur, Vanessa Smith and Anthony Bell (pictured L-R), all from Birmingham, won the coveted places through ˜Get Into Transport™ run by Centro on behalf of the Prince™s Trust. The Get Into Transport scheme [...]

London TravelWatch

• London TravelWatch welcomes many of the recommendations in London Assembly Transport Committee cycling reportThe London Assembly Transport Committee today published its cycling report, Gearing up.

Railnews

• McLoughlin named as keynote Derby speaker Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has been confirmed as the keynote speaker at the Derby and Derbyshire Rail Forum's annual conference. Mr McLoughlin can expect close interest in the franchising situation when he attends the event. As things stand he has less than three weeks left in which to complete arrangements for operation of West Coast intercity services from 9 December. The DfT and Virgin Trains have been locked in talks for more than a month over a possible operating contract which could last for a year or so, but so far without result.

Aviation Industry

• Easyjet prepares for next push into business travelNo-frills carrier is working with technology suppliers on project targeting corporate market
• Xiamen Airlines becomes Skyteam memberCarrier becomes the fourth Chinese airline to join global alliance

Other News Sources

• Transport department pilots fast-track highway schemesThe Department for Transport is responding to the prime minister’s demand for infrastructure to be delivered more quickly by trialling four fast-track road schemes.
• Kennedy welcomes transport forum Caledonian Sleeper intervention LOCHABER MP Charles Kennedy has welcomed the agreement of local transport campaigners to lobby the Scottish Government over the controversial diversion of funds intended for the Caledonian Sleeper service into the account of Scottish Water.
• Four pilot roads schemes chosen for speedy constructionThe government will look at measures including off-site and 24 hour construction in an attempt to reduce build times on major roads projects through four pilot schemes.
• Bus companies’ success at top industry awards Bus companies across Britain are today celebrating their great success in the prestigious 2012 UK Bus Awards.