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

Saturday, 12 January 2013

BBC News

• London is prepared if snow falls, say transport chiefs Londoners are being warned of sub-zero temperatures and the possibility of snow by the end of the weekend.
• New planned flight paths revealedAircraft would fly closer to some villages, but other areas would benefit, under plans to change Birmingham Airport's flight paths.
• VIDEO: Driverless trains and the TubeBBC London's transport correspondent Tom Edwards travels to Paris to look at the Metro's fully automated driverless trains.
• Exploiting the 'suburban dream'How the London Underground exploited the
• Could Paris inspire driverless Tube?The Paris Metro's Ligne 1 has been automated and I've been over to the French capital to see how it's being received by commuters and ask will it ever come to London?
• Tube drivers' strike called offStrikes planned by London Underground drivers are called off to allow talks to be held over a pay dispute.
• Nine stun guns seized at HeathrowNine stun guns are seized at Heathrow Airport - days after a BBC investigation raised fears they can be illegally imported with ease.
• Numbers fall at Edinburgh AirportGlasgow Airport reports an annual increase of 4.2% in passenger numbers to almost 7.2 million.
• Ford to hire 2,200 extra US staffFord plans to hire 2,200 new staff in the US this year, in response to the continuing rise in American car sales.
• Dreamliner plane review orderedUS regulators order a review of the 787 Dreamliner after a series of incidents put a question mark over the safety of Boeing's flagship plane.
• Warning of driving licence finesMany drivers are facing a fine of £1,000 for failing to update their photo-card driving licences, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency warns.

Financial Times

• US regulators to review Boeing DreamlinerAircraft™s electrics to be scrutinised following five incidents this week, including a battery catching fire, that raised questions about jet™s safety
• Fredriksen raises $310m for shipping pushMoney from the placement will be used to help cover cost of expanding fleet, and comes despite gloom in the industry as tanker owners go bankrupt

The Guardian

• EDF £3bn deal with Network Rail makes trains 'mainly nuclear powered'French firm's eight UK nuclear power stations behind supply to electrified tracks that will power 75% of trains by 2020The majority of Britain's trains will be indirectly running on nuclear power for the next 10 years following Network Rail's agreement to a £3bn deal with EDF to supply electricity to the railways.At present just over half of rail traffic is electric rather than diesel, but by 2020 three-quarters of Britain's trains will be running on electricity as another 2,000 miles of tracks are converted, with lines in south Wales, the north-west and the Midlands among the biggest works ah...

The Herald

• Surge in passengers at Glasgow AirportGLASGOW Airport has seen its busiest year since 2009 while its main rival, Edinburgh continued to see a slump in passenger numbers.
• Network Rail in green power deal with EDFA 10-YEAR deal to supply
• Free Sunday parking faces axe in capitalFREE Sunday parking in Edinburgh could be abolished from 2014 as part of a five-year strategy designed to cut congestion and boost public transport.

The Telegraph

• Passengers could face congestion charge at Gatwick and HeathrowMinisters have drawn up plans to impose a 'congestion charge' on passengers at Heathrow and Gatwick to enourage them to fly from other airports.

The Mirror

• Welcome to the rail world: Transport minister looks miserable after giving up cosy limo for trainTory bruiser Simon Burns had tried to defy the outcry over using an £80,000-a-year chauffeured limo to whisk him 35 miles to Westminster
• How can Honda revive its fortunes? Simply build cars people want to buy The quality is top notch but there is nothing much in the Honda range to excite younger buyers let alone petrolheads

Network Rail

• Swindon to Kemble railway enhancement project beginsNetwork Rail has begun work on a £45m project to upgrade the railway route and infrastructure between Swindon and Gloucester via Kemble and Stroud.
• Countdown to New Street's half-time switch overPassengers using Birmingham New Street will soon see the first major changes to the station in over 40 years when the huge project to redevelop the station reaches the half way point this April.
• Ten-year deal powers Britain™s biggest rail electrification programme in a generationNetwork Rail has awarded EDF Energy a ten-year deal for the supply of low carbon electricity to power Britain™s growing electrified rail network.
• National train performance for period 10 is 88.2%Punctuality on the railways reached 88.2% during Period 10, according to monthly performance data released today by Network Rail.

London Evening Standard

• Reports boost Mayor™s bid to take control of rail services Boris Johnson's bid to take control of London suburban railway services has been boosted by two new reports, the Standard has learned.

Northern Echo

• Transport funding short changes North-East EMBATTLED North-East construction and engineering firms have accused the government of short changing the region and putting jobs at risk.
• Rail punctuality down FLOODS, staff shortages and constant morning rush-hour problems combined to drag down rail punctuality last month.

The York Press

• Risk to ’underused’ part of bus serviceA YORK bus service could be scrapped as transport chiefs claim it is underused.
• East Coast rail franchise move looks back on track PLANS to refranchise the East Coast Mainline look set to get back on track after an independent review of Government strategy recommended sticking with franchising.

Bucks Free Press

• Rail boss will be at timetable changes meeting THERE will be a meeting in Princes Risborough on Tuesday about the recent train timetable changes.

Other Regional Press

• MP urges Network Rail to build "Henbury Loop" line Bristol North West Tory MP Charlotte Leslie says Bristol is being left short-changed if Network Rail does not change its vision for train services in the Bristol area.
• Vandals torch speed camera at accident blackspot on A90A SPEED camera at an accident blackspot on the A90 Aberdeen to Dundee road was torched by vandals.
• Aberdeen International Airport reveals near-record figuresMORE than 3.3 million flyers used Aberdeen International Airport last year “ a near record high.

Global Rail News

• Tottenham Court Road Station upgrade projectAnyone who has visited Tottenham Court Road in the vicinity of Centre Point recently couldn’t fail to have noticed the huge construction site adjacent to the tower block. It is all related to a comprehensive upgrade of Tottenham Court Road underground station and preparations for Crossrail which will have an exchange station on the same [...]
• New Street prepares for April openingBirmingham New Street’s concourse, which has been in use since the 1960s, will close in April. Opening up the first section of the brand new station marks the station’s biggest transformation for 40 years and next week Network Rail will be hosting a series of exhibitions to show passengers what to expect. Chris Montgomery, Network [...]
• Las Vegas luxury train agrees refurbishment dealThe operators of a proposed luxury train service between Las Vegas and Los Angeles have signed a deal with Rail Enterprises to refurbish the company’s 12-car fleet. The luxury service, known as the X Train, is scheduled to start in late 2013, with regular services starting the following year. Features will include comfortable lounge areas [...]
• ORR increases freight access chargesFreight operators could see the variable access charge they pay to run on Britain’s rail network increase by up to 23 per cent under a new directive from the ORR. The regulator has announced a new package of charges for freight operators to access the network, which will be come into effect from 2016. The [...]
• Work to start on Crossrail stationWork is due to begin on the new Crossrail station at Custom House next week. The Crossrail station, which will be built on the site of the former North London Line station, will include a new ticket hall and an interchange with the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The new station will be largely manufactured off [...]

London TravelWatch

• Passenger watchdog welcomes many of the findings of Richard Brown™s report on the Government™s rail franchising programmeLondon TravelWatch has welcomed a number of the key points made in the Brown Review of the Rail Franchising Programme which was published today

Aviation Industry

• London mayor opens up airport debateJohnson begins consultation process on how to increase air capacity
• US authorities launch probe into DreamlinerBoeing insists that aircraft is "safe and efficient" despite five incidents this week

Other News Sources

• Eurostar suspends ticket sales to AmsterdamTrain operator is currently not selling tickets through to the Netherlands