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

Thursday, 31 January 2013

BBC News

• Cardiff Airport sale deal 'close'The Welsh government is close to signing a deal to buy Cardiff Airport with the two sides
• What Muscovites get up to in traffic jamsWhen their cars grind to a halt in the traffic jams that blight the Russian capital, commuters get creative to pass the time.
• 'Major failures' over rail dealThe fiasco over the collapse of the West Coast Main Line franchise deal was the result of "irresponsible decisions", an MPs' committee has said.
• NI most expensive for petrol: OFTThe Office of Fair Trading confirms Northern Ireland's position as the most expensive part of the UK for petrol and diesel.
• Late-night Tube being consideredPlans to run the Tube later on Friday and Saturday nights are being considered by London Underground.
• Royal couple takes London TubeThe heir to the British throne has taken a Tube with his wife for the first time to celebrate London Underground's anniversary.
• 'Great progress' in rail plansThe final plans for Transport for London (TfL) to take over suburban rail services in the capital could be announced in April, mayor Boris Johnson says.
• Boeing reports record revenuesBoeing says its revenues in the last quarter of 2012 reached a record $22bn, just before its flagship Dreamliner was grounded due to a battery fault.
• UK petrol market 'working well'The OFT says petrol and diesel competition is working well in the UK but motoring organisations are unhappy with the findings.
• Boeing defends Dreamliner batteryBoeing backs the battery used in the Dreamliner after Japanese airlines say they changed a number of them over the past few months.

Department for Transport

• The government is announcing its plans for the 3 live competitions which were put on hold last October.A major step in delivering a more robust and improved rail franchising system was taken today as the government announced its plans for the three live competitions put on hold last October.
• Rail franchisingAnnouncing the decision about 3 live rail franchise competitions.
• Six new members appointed to passenger watchdog Announcing the appointment of 6 new members to the board of Passenger Focus.
• Transport Minister Norman Baker has announced details of a £62 million investment in cycling. In the largest ever allocation of funding for cycling to date, Transport Minister Norman Baker has today unveiled details of a £62 million investment to make travelling on two wheels more attractive for people throughout England.

Financial Times

• Boeing 787 suppliers face revenue doubtsProlonged failure to find the cause of why a battery became charred on Nippon Airways flights will likely have ramifications in Japan™s aerospace industry
• EU unveils rail network reform proposalVertically integrated companies will have to erect firewalls between their infrastructure and transport services before they can compete for passengers
• Dreamliner faults cloud Boeing earningsThe jet maker has made fixing the problems with Dreamliner 787 battery its top priority in the wake of it reporting better than expected fourth-quarter earnings
• Union requests IAG meeting on IberiaSpanish carrier has been hurt by the country™s recession, although its problems are compounded by its struggle to compete against more nimble rivals
• MPs split on blame for West Coast fiascoThe Commons transport committee findings are at odds with statements from both Downing Street and Patrick McLoughlin, transport secretary

The Guardian

• West coast mainline fiasco was caused by 'irresponsible decision'Cross party group of MPs say rushed programme of railway refranchising with a depleted staff led to west coast mainline fiasco
• Government to announce £62m boost for cycling infrastructure Almost half of the money will be set aside so cities can bid for money to improve their streets for cyclists

The Herald

• Seatbelt warning for driversDrivers and their passengers have been urged to
• Rail route power line deal agreedTHE first part of a rail electrification programme which will eventually see wires put up over the main Edinburgh to Glasgow route has been confirmed.
• 'Ambitious reform' hit West Coast dealAN ambitious and rushed reform of the rail franchising system was to blame for the collapse of the £5 billion West Coast contract last year, MPs have concluded.

The Scotsman

• Charles and Camilla take the TubeIT IS a daily chore for millions of London commuters, but for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall yesterday brought their first joint trip using the Underground.
• Officials lied about West Coast rail fiascoA GOVERNMENT department has been condemned for being “irresponsible” over its role in the collapse of the £5 billion West Coast Main Line rail contract.

The Telegraph

• West Coast rail fiasco was caused by ministers asleep at the wheel Full marks to MPs on the transport committee for nailing one misconception in their report published today: that the West Coast rail franchise fiasco was not the fault of Government ministers. It’s just a shame the committee was so restrained.
• Fears of fresh rail fiasco as Great Western franchise bid is halted The Government is expected to scrap the bidding competition for another major rail franchise, just months after it pulled the contract for the West Coast Main Line, costing the taxpayer more than £50m.
• HS2 likely to cause 'pain, misery and disappointment' to locals, says Nick BolesThe high-speed rail network is likely to cause
• Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall take the tubePrince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall catch the tube to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the London Underground.
• AA calls for fuel price regulatorAA president Edmund King says OFT report is a

ATOC

• ATOC responds to government announcement on cycle rail fundingResponding to the government's announcement on cycle rail funding,...

Bristol Live

• The Bristol Post published U-turn brings better night bus servicesArticle

Derby Telegraph

• Union urges Government to 'come clean' about ThameslinkA UNION has repeated a call for the Government to "come clean" over the delays to the Thameslink rail contract.
• Plans for blue-badge holders to pay at car parks may save...TEN thousand blue-badge holders face losing their right to up to three hours of free parking in the city council's car parks.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Princes Street could ban all traffic except tramsPRINCES Street could become a traffic-free zone under radical proposals to ban cars, buses and taxis from the famous thoroughfare.
• New trams firm will have ˜no drive for efficiency™A new company to be set up to run Edinburgh’s trams would have no financial incentive to maximise revenues under proposed arrangements, council chiefs have admitted.

Liverpool Post

• Liverpool Cruise Liner terminal to see 25% growth in 2013THOMSON Cruises will start operating full turnaround journeys from Liverpool's River Mersey cruise terminal business in 2013, as part of a 25% rise in ship numbers.

London Evening Standard

• ˜Build monorail to serve Nine Elms™A monorail from central London has been proposed as a cost-effective alternative to the Northern line extension to Battersea.
• Party on, London... Tube will run an hour later on Fridays and Saturdays Londoners will be able to party for longer at weekends after the boss of the Tube today revealed plans to run extended services until 2am from 2015.
• Thousands delayed when man jumps on track and waves at oncoming trainThousands of commuters were stranded after a man jumped onto tracks and waved at the driver of an oncoming train.
• Ever decreasing circles: Maxwell Roberts alternative Tube map London Underground's iconic Tube map has been updated a tweaked many times since Henry Beck's original design in 1933.
• Ministers 'lied to' over rail dealA Government department has been slammed for being "irresponsible" over its role in the collapse of the £5 billion West Coast Mainline rail contract.
• Anger as fuel price probe ruled outCampaigners say they are "bitterly disappointed" that the competition watchdog has ruled out a full investigation into the fuel market after concluding high prices are the fault of taxes and the cost of crude oil.

The York Press

• New campaign to reopen rail station at Haxby A FRESH campaign to reopen a railway station at Haxby will be launched at a public meeting next month.
• Rail firms ahead in passenger satisfaction survey THE two York-based train operators who provide the York to London service are jubilant after scoring very high marks in the latest passenger satisfaction survey.
• High-speed rail hope for York Central YORK could be in line for a multimillion-pound windfall to kick-start a major development following the high-speed rail announcement, according to a city MP.

Wales Online

• Arriva Trains Wales service derails near BargoedAn early morning Arriva Trains Wales service has derailed near Bargoed.
• Criticism for HS2 as Wales ignored in potential new routesNew high-speed railways in northern England will not provide any direct trains for Wales – dealing the nation an economic blow, according to opposition politicians.
• First Minister says Cardiff Airport approached Welsh Government over saleThe owners of Cardiff Airport did not take “a great deal of notice” of the airport and first approached the Welsh Government about selling it, the First Minister has revealed.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• 225mph rail revolution comes to LeedsDavid Cameron and his entire cabinet travelled to Leeds to give the green light to a new £32 billion high-speed rail line to London. Jack Blanchard reports.

Yorkshire Post

• MPs urge boost for road and rail links¨to coastPOLITICIANS and industry leaders are lobbying the Government to reignite hopes for multi-million pound investment in the road and rail infrastructure to cope with a renaissance in the Yorkshire coast economy.

Burnley Express

• Lancashire highways chief hits back in gritting row LANCASHIRE County Council is reviewing the effectiveness of this week™s gritting of roads in East Lancashire.

Carlisle News & Star

• High-speed trains will slash journey times to Carlisle, pledges minister High speed trains will slash journey times to Carlisle improving connections from the city to major destinations across the UK, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has pledged.

Crewe Chronicle

• UK & World News: Ministers 'lied to' over rail dealA Government department has been slammed for being

Plymouth Herald

• Plymouth City Airport urges council to stop going begging to WhitehallAIRPORT campaigners have urged Plymouth to stop going cap in hand to Whitehall – and to stand on its own two feet.

Other Regional Press

• Ditch franchise for Thameslink, says MP AN MP has called for a major change to the way trains are run on the Thameslink route.
• Lucy Powell MP slams West Coast Mainline Farce Manchester Central MP and Transport Select Committee member, Lucy Powell today welcomed an all party Transport Select Committee report calling for the Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin, to explain how the shambolic franchise awarding process fell apart and explain how much of taxpayers’ money will be wasted as a result.
• Green light for ticket barriers at Huddersfield Railway StationCONSENT has been given for ticket barriers at Huddersfield Railway Station.

Global Rail News

• Why Britain needs HS2This year will see a massive mobilisation of those opposed to building a high speed rail network in Britain. It seems the new railway will cut a path through the groves and gardens of the most politically articulate. Arguments have been advanced that High Speed Two, costing upwards of £30 billion, is unaffordable at the [...]
• Project management partnership picked for California high-speed railThe California High-Speed Rail Authority has appointed the project and construction management team which will oversee the delivery of the first section of the high-speed rail system. PGH Wong Engineering and Harris & Associates have been awarded the $34.9 million contract for the initial 30-mile length between Madera and Fresno. Jeff Morales, chief executive of [...]
• Unusual artwork at Temple MeadsTwo new art installations have been unveiled at Bristol Temple Meads to launch a new creative commissioning project in the city centre. Bristol-born artist Inkie – the curator of See No Evil – has produced a new artwork entitled ˜Bristol to Brooklyn™ for Platform 3. A 10-metre-high inflatable artwork, created by Bristol street artists Filthy [...]
• São Paulo™s 7000 series fleet returnsSão Paulo’s 7000 series trains have returned to service on the city’s Line 8 following the completion of a fleet modernisation programme. Rail operator CPTM has invested millions overhauling the fleet of CAF trains and modernising stations along the line. The Itapevi – Amador Bueno extension remains closed while rennovation work continues.
• Design accolade for Washington Union Station developmentAmtrak’s Washington Union Station Master Plan has been recognised with a design award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Burnham Place – a proposed commercial development for the area surrounding the station – has received the Institute Honor Award for Regional and Urban Design. The Washington Union Station Master Plan sets out Amtrak’s vision [...]
• Carillion to deliver first phase of Edinburgh-Glasgow electrificationNetwork Rail has handed Carillion a £40 million contract for the first phase of electrification under the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP). Under the agreement, Carillion will deliver electrification of the 50km Cumbernauld-Glasgow Queen Street line, as well as lengthening the Cumbernauld station platforms and constructing a new turnback facility at Springburn. The contract, which will [...]

The Business Desk

• Carillion secures £40m Scottish rail contract WOLVERHAMPTON-based Carillion has secured a £40m contract from Network Rail for the electrification of the Cumbernauld-Glasgow Queen Street railway line.

Aviation Industry

• Two recent academic papers on aviation and climate changeAcademics from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research – Professor Kevin Anderson, Dr Alice Bows and Dr Ruth Wood – have returned to the vexed question of aviation and climate change. See articles Aviation and shipping privileged – again? UK delays decision to act on emissions and A one-way ticket to high carbon lock-in: the [...]
• Bmi Regional to axe Aberdeen-Groningen flightsAirline said that traffic on route had fallen "significantly in recent months"

Other News Sources

• News from Darren Johnson AM: Silvertown tunnel would flood Greenwich with yet more traffic 30 January 2013 Greenwich residents could see an influx of between 6-12 million new vehicle trips a year if the proposed Silvertown tunnel is built, according to data obtained by Transport for London through roadside surveys (1). The figures show that 45% of existing motorists using the Blackwall tunnel started their journeys in Greenwich and 12 million trips forwards and backwards were ...
• HS2 chairman backs new procurement strategyHS2 chairman Douglas Oakervee has told CN he will push for the £33 billion scheme to use a new infrastructure procurement routemap that could have sped up construction of Crossrail.
• East Coast Trains takes on the airlinesRail operator cuts executive ticket from Edinburgh to London by £100

Other Subscription Services

• Underground remains delay Dalmarnock reopening Discovery of old station remains has prompted Network Rail to extend the closure of Dalmarnock station, which is being rebuilt in time for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.After shutting for renovation...
• New Bus for London takeover complete by summer Route 24 will become the first bus route in London to be served entirely by a fleet of New Bus for London vehicles.The route, operated by Metroline - a subsidiary of Singapore based ComfortDelGro,...
• Bristol Metro rail development funding agreed Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson has approved funding allocations required to support development of the Greater Bristol Metro rail project.Last week's Bristol City Council cabinet was presented...
• Baker announces cycling funding allocations Transport minister Norman Baker has given details of a £62m investment in cycling - described by the Department for Transport as the largest ever allocation of UK funding for cycling.Over the past...
• M9 junction ready as new Forth crossing advances The second of the three main contracts let for the Forth Replacement Crossing is due to conclude this week with the opening on Friday (1 February) of the new M9 junction 1a.The £25.6m junction is...
• Carillion bags Cumbernauld electrification deal A key contract for the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvements Programme was awarded this week as Glasgow's transport authority said it awaited further clarification of what the revised project scope involves....