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

Thursday, 06 December 2012

BBC News

• A30 section in Cornwall to be dualled A bottleneck on the A30 trunk road in Cornwall is to be made into a dual carriageway.
• West Coast Mainline: Report expected to criticise government The government is expected to be heavily criticised in a report into the collapse of the West Coast Mainline train contract.
• Chancellor cancels fuel duty riseA 3p per litre rise in fuel duty that had been scheduled for introduction in January has been cancelled by the government.
• New transport schemes unveiledThe Chancellor, George Osborne, announces £5bn of new investment spending, including details of a number of new road and rail schemes.
• Singapore pressured on bus strikeA human rights group urges Singapore to drop charges against four Chinese bus drivers accused of instigating a strike at transport firm SMRT.
• 'Critical' West Coast report dueA report into the failure of the tendering process for the West Coast Main Line is expected to be critical of the government when it is released later.

Department for Transport

• Virgin Trains to run improved west coast services Rail passengers will experience better services including 28,000 more seats a day under an agreement announced today for Virgin Trains to continue operating rail services on the West Coast Main Line.
• £420 million to support local infrastructure Communities Secretary and Transport Secretary announce funding to help communities deliver vital local infrastructure projects.
• Campaign to reward designated drivers launched by Coca-Cola Great Britain and THINK! Designated drivers will be rewarded with a buy 1 get 1 free deal on Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero this Christmas.

Financial Times

• Road network gets £1bn boostFour big roads schemes get the go-ahead, including a £314m upgrade to part of the A1 in North Yorkshire, with biggest share of funding set aside for maintenance
• No mention of third runway for HeathrowChancellor brings forward a consultation on Heathrow ˜operational freedoms™ but disappoints the aviation industry with no mention decision on capacity
• Agreement reached in US ports strikeTerminal operators say it could take months to restore the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to smooth functioning after eight-day strike
• Alstom wins $5.8bn South African contractIn one of the country™s largest government deals, the French group will help update the ageing network, supplying 3,600 trains over 10 years from 2015
• Infrastructure funds disappoint industryThe coalition will provide £5bn of capital funding to invest in transport schemes, education and science, but critics say it will do little
• Canadian Pacifics announces major cutsThe new chief executive of the rail company has announced plans to cut nearly a quarter of the company™s workforce, speed up services and review a line™s future
• Stagecoach™s UK buses perform robustlyGroup weathers pressure from costs and government cuts in market that has hurt rival FirstGroup, while US operation™s revenue growth slows

The Herald

• Airline's new routes help lift the gloom at PrestwickA TROUBLED airport has been given a major boost with the addition of new routes and a long-term commitment from a budget airline.
• Respite for drivers as 3p duty rise axedFUEL
• West Coast deal could include Stirling to London serviceDIRECT trains between Stirling and London are being planned as part of a West Coast rail franchise deal due to be signed today, The Herald has learned.
• Edinburgh airport unveils rebrandEDINBURGH Airport is to be labelled the place where

The Independent

• Infrastructure: HS2 - green light for new rail, roads and schools George Osborne managed several surprises on his infrastructure plans, even though the Government™s spending on roads, rail and schools as the way out of the financial crisis has been well-trailed.Related StoriesThree sailors dead after ship sinks in North SeaDiamonds, fur coats and a food bank... all in Osborne™s backyardBenefits: Fair or foul, Osborne keeps welfare downFuel: Amid the austerity, drivers are cheered as duty rise is scrappedHunt for mother and seriously ill boy

The Scotsman

• Cycle safety improved in just a flashA YOUNG inventor has devised a potentially life-saving light, which beams a laser image of a bicycle on to the road ahead to alert motorists of their presence.

The Telegraph

• Temporary West Coast franchise 'to be awarded to Virgin tomorrow'Virgin Rail, the train company partly owned by Sir Richard Branson, is expected to be allowed to temporarily carry on running trains on the West Coast Main Line under Government plans.
• Labour: Government at fault for £40m Virgin Rail West Coast fiascoAhead of the expected publication of the report into the West Coast Main Line fiasco, shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle MP says the blame lies squarely at the feet of the Government.

Mail Online

• Audi unveils RS6 Avant, the world's fastest estate car which can go at speeds of up to 190mphThe new Audi RS6 Avant is faster than a Porsche 911 and can do 0-60mph in just 3.9 seconds.

Network Rail

• Network Rail awards contracts for key Crossrail works in West LondonNetwork Rail has awarded two contracts for works in west London that will deliver important infrastructure improvements for the Crossrail programme, allowing greater numbers of passenger and freight trains to run more reliably once the new rail link opens in 2018.

Belfast Telegraph

• MPs slated over airport expansionPoliticians have been afraid to take tough decisions on airport expansion, the chief executive of British Airways' parent company has told MPs.Related Stories£390m in profits, but zero tax bill147 face dole after painting firm is sunk by Patton collapseUlster firm top of class with £6.5m 'rapid' school contractsInvest NI chief sees his salary rise by £30k£390m in profits, but zero tax bill

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford Council criticised over 'silly' kerb plan A bemused plumber has criticised Bradford Council for installing a œsilly plastic kerb randomly on a busy road which he fears will lead to accidents when it snows.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Deal to allow Virgin to carry on running West Coast Rail LineA deal to allow Sir Richard Branson’s train company, Virgin Rail, to temporarily carry on running trains on the West Coast Main Line, which runs through Crewe and to Liverpool and Manchester, is expected to be announced by the Government.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Edinburgh Airport unveils new brandingEDINBURGH Airport has unveiled a brand new logo and image as the place “where Scotland meets the world.”

Journal Live

• Councils should sell Newcastle Airport stake to save jobs and servicesSCATHING cuts to council services and jobs could be avoided if city leaders sell off their stake in Newcastle Airport, it was claimed today.

London Evening Standard

• Snow in London: first winter fall makes travel by Tube, road and air flakySnow hit London and the South-East today for the first time this winter ” and immediately caused disruption on the roads, rails and at airports.
• Tube and bus passengers face decade of inflation-busting risesTube and bus passengers face 10 years of inflation busting fare increases, London's transport chiefs have confirmed.
• Osborne scraps 3p fuel duty riseHard-pressed drivers have been given some respite when Chancellor George Osborne decided to scrap the 3p-a-litre fuel duty increase planned for January 2013.
• Meltdown after sprinkling of snowA sprinkling of snow has sent UK transport into meltdown, with a major holiday airport shut for more than two hours and road and rail journeys delayed.

Sheffield Star

• Warning to plan festive trips on South Yorkshire public transportREDUCED timetables will operate on buses, trains and trams in South Yorkshire over Christmas and New Year.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Promise of 1,500 jobs in plan for new port PLANS are under way to create a new port near Inverness “ with the promise of up to 1,500 new jobs.

The York Press

• Trains ˜bounced™ over damaged rail track TRAINS were œbouncing along the East Coast mainline and shaking a nearby home for a fortnight before a five-inch gap was found in the track near York, a local resident has claimed.

Bucks Free Press

• Commuters: 'Timetable changes are the difference between seeing kids in the morning and evening' THE changes in the Chiltern Railways timetable mean the difference between whether parents see their children in the morning and evening, two user groups have said.
• Council chief "quietly confident" about HS2 High Court battle A COUNCIL chief says he feels œquietly confident of success in the Judicial Review into the proposed £32bn High Speed 2 plan.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Essex: Passengers frustrated after snow closes Stansted runwayPassengers stranded after snow forced Stansted Airport to close its runway for two hours have spoken of their frustration.

Other Regional Press

• Rail chaos continues for Weymouth passengers SOUTH West Trains is operating an amended timetable for the remainder of the day as a result of disruption caused by ice.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Autumn Statement sounds road-building alarm5 December 2012: Local communities need to be vigilant for a wave of new road building projects springing up as a result of today™s Autumn Statement by the Chancellor. read more

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• TfL unveils sharp increase in transport spendingTransport for London (TfL) has announced that it is planning major enhancements across the city in order to attract investment and further funding during the next decade.Mayor of London Boris Johnson unveiled a series of major new initiatives in the capital that will be used to stimulate economic growth and employment.He explained that TfL's latest draft Business Plan outlines vital new improvements and upgrades across the network, with funding agreed with the government to the end of 2014-15.The organisation claimed its proposals will improve reliability of services and boost traffic ...

Global Rail News

• First Class 156 undergoes refurbThe first Greater Anglia Class 156 has returned to service, as the operator carries out £3 million refurbishment of its Norfolk and Suffolk fleet. The operator’s nine two-car Class 156 trains are receiving a complete interior overhaul including a deep clean and installation of new passenger information system. Guy Dangerfield of Passenger Focus will formally [...]
• Eurostar to trial new services to south of FranceEurostar is trialling a new high-speed services to Lyon and Aix-em-Provence next spring. The new weekly service, which will run between May and June, will add the new destinations to existing direct service from London to Avignon. Passengers will be able to travel direct from London St Pancras or Ashford International to Lyon, before continuing [...]
• Invensys handed Bowesfield re-control projectInvensys Rail has been picked to deliver the Bowesfield re-control project by Network Rail -the first project to be awarded under the Network Rail Framework Contract in the Central East Region where Invensys is a secondary contractor. Works will include the re-control of the existing Bowesfield area, as well as the relocking and re-control of the [...]
• Trenitalia places €440m train orderAlstom is to supply 70 new regional trains to the Italian rail operator Trenitalia. The 440 million euro order is part of a 3 billion euro investment in regional services by the operator. Henri Poupart-Lafarge, president of Alstom Transport, said: œThis contract is the result of Alstom™s involvement in the development of Italy railway market. œThis [...]
• Production starts on new Sapsan fleetProduction has begun on a new batch of Sapsan high-speed trains which once complete will double Russia’s current fleet. Valentin Gapanovich, senior vice president at Russian Railways, and Jochen Eickholt, chief executive officer (CEO) of Business Unit Rail Automation, Siemens, Infrastructure & Cities Sector, announced the official start of production in Germany on December 3. [...]
• Carillion and BAM awarded Crossrail infrastructure contractsCarillion has been awarded the main civils contract to build a flyover at Stockley in Hillingdon which will allow Crossrail services to run to Heathrow. The new flyover, which will be built close to the Heathrow Airport junction, will be used by trains to and from the airport as well as along the Great Western [...]
• Atkins™ boss responds to Autumn Statement infrastructure announcementAtkins’ UK chief executive David Tonkin said that the UK’s engineering and construction sectors should be optimistic following George Osbourne’s commitment to infrastructure investment. In a statement, Tonkin said: Infrastructure is one of the few areas of investment which allows governments to deliver short-term gains in a way which have long-term benefits. œThis is why [...]
• Stagecoach sees growth in UK rail operationsStagecoach has recorded increased profits in the last six months, citing good revenue growth in its UK rail division. The company has seen revenue increase by almost nine per cent to £1.4 billion and profits rise to £116 million – up from £90 million in 2011. Chief executive Sir Brian Souter said Stagecoach, which holds [...]

Middle East North Africa (MENA) Rail News

• Azerbaijan and Georgia Railway Restoration Proposals Fail to StartQuestions are being raised about the feasibility of proposals to restore the Zugdidi-Ochamchire section of the Georgian Railway which would link Georgia with Russia.
• Russian Rail Company Restarts Benghazi to Sirte RailwayThe Russian Railway Company JSC commenced building the Benghazi to Sirte high speed railway in 2008, prior to the revolution. Voice of Russia reports that the project will be recommenced. 30 km of the railroad is already completed.
• Future Investment Plans for Middle Eastern RailSaudia Arabia looks set to inject a huge $45 billion investment in its rail projects over the coming year, establishing a huge rail network across the entire region.

Aviation Industry

• Fastjet makes move for South African airlineNew no-frills operator also in talks with Emirates over possible partnership
• Air Passenger Duty to rise by 2.5 per centChancellor ignores pleas from travel industry over high level of aviation tax

Other News Sources

• Transport minister Simon Burns MP to visit Manston AirportTransport Minister Simon Burns MP will visit Manston Airport tomorrow (Wednesday) to hear Kent County Council's plans to reduce rail travel time between London and Ramsgate to less than one hour.
• Cambridge Airport is home to new flight simulator Marshall of Cambridge is delighted to welcome Virtual Aviation, a new tenant, to Cambridge Airport, located in new purpose-built premises on the Newmarket Road. Virtual Aviation is operating its new multi-million pound Boeing 737 Next Generation Flight Simulator, being used to train airline pilots, and this is the first professional flight simulator to be based in the region.