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Wednesday, 06 March 2013

BBC News

• Who drives electric cars?Who drives electric cars?
• Restructuring costs hit John MenziesEdinburgh-based distribution and aviation firm John Menzies announces a growth in profits despite
• Barra beach airport on Brazilian TVTourism bosses hope a beach airport in the Western Isles will help to attract more visitors to Scotland from Brazil.
• Hounslow 'worst' for fuel theftsHounslow is the worst borough in the capital for fuel being stolen from vehicles according to figures obtained from the Metropolitan Police.
• Thomson delays start of 787 flightsThomson cancels plans to start services using Boeing's 787 Dreamliner planes in May, transferring long-haul passengers to its 767 aircraft.
• RAC warns on transport povertyThe poorest 10% of car-owning households in the UK are spending more than a quarter of their disposable income on buying and running a vehicle, research suggests.

Financial Times

• Disarray as road sale plan hit by hold-upDays after the Conervative party™s defeat in the Eastleigh by-election, ministers have delayed the plans amid fears they would anger millions of motorists

The Scotsman

• Dreamliner plans ditched by holiday firm Thomson HOLIDAY airline Thomson has had to scrap plans to operate Boeing’s troubled new ultra-green Dreamliner plane from May.
• Edinburgh tram works to be clear by end of 2013 ALL major tram works will be cleared from the streets of Edinburgh by the end of this year, city leaders pledged last night.
• Twin Pin planes to fly for Scottish homecoming trip One of the only aircraft to have been designed and built in Scotland will return to the skies under plans to celebrate the country’s aviation heritage, The Scotsman has learned.
• Borders rail link could cut 530,000 road trips THE new Borders rail line is set to cut car journey numbers by more than half-a-million every year, according to a new report.

The Telegraph

• MPs angered by car dubbed the ProvoThe Korean carmaker, Kia, has run into trouble by calling its latest concept car the Provo, triggering fury from two Democratic Unionist MPs.

Mail Online

• And you thought you were bad at parking! Hilarious pictures show where the world's worst drivers leave their carsThe photos uploaded by web users show a choice selection of hapless parkers who have managed to drive their cars into scrapes which look almost impossible to escape.
• Volvo unveils scanner that will automatically slam on the brakes when it detects a cyclist wobbling into the car's pathAll of Volvo's new cars sold from May will include the sensors, which initially warn drivers with a row of red lights that flash up on the windscreen.

Network Rail

• Further improvements planned for Tarka lineNetwork Rail has vowed to keep disruption to passengers to a minimum as it carries out vital improvement work on the Tarka line between Exeter and Barnstaple during March.
• Transport Minister officially opens new £2m Carseview bridge

Belfast Telegraph

• Transport wish-list is stuff of fairytales The biggest bottlenecks in the provision of better transport services in the region are both in Belfast.
• Train gets back on track after £30m line refurbishment This is the first train to make the journey between Londonderry and Coleraine on the £30 million project to upgrade the track

Bristol Live

• Railway line passenger figures to top a million Read more: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Railway-line-passenger-figures-million/story-18322837-detail/story.html#ixzz2MjxDcwIv Follow us: @thisisbristol on Twitter | thisisbristol on FacebookFOR the first time ever more than one million rail journeys are expected to be made on the Severn Beach line this year.

Derby Telegraph

• Bombardier rejects Deutsche Bahn defects claimTRAIN-MAKER Bombardier has rejected claims made by a German train operator over a fleet of trains it has supplied.

Edinburgh Evening News

• East Coast Rail line could be privatisedThe state-owned East Coast rail line that runs services between Edinburgh and London could soon be put back into private hands.
• Tramworks: Pop-up Haymarket taxi rank causes chaosAn UNOFFICIAL taxi rank is causing fresh traffic chaos near Haymarket Station, leading to rush-hour gridlock on one of the city’s busiest routes.
• Tram depot legionella bug sparks health cuts fearTHE discovery of legionella at the new tram depot has sparked concerns about the potential human cost of health inspector cuts – after their ranks were slashed by a quarter last year.

London Evening Standard

• Part-time travelcards would ease Tube overcrowding, say ToriesCommuters should be offered flexible travelcards and rebates on monthly tickets to help curb overcrowding on the Tube.
• Jaguar plans 700 engine jobs boostCar giant Jaguar Land Rover has given the economy a huge boost by announcing plans to create 700 new jobs and £165 million of extra investment.
• Thomson gives Dreamliner refundsThomson Airways today became the first carrier to offer refunds to passengers who had tickets to travel on the grounded Dreamliner planes.

Manchester Evening News

• Flybe announces Manchester to Waterford route Low-cost airline Flybe will launch a new route from Manchester Airport to Waterford in Ireland in May.

Sheffield Star

• MP™s debate on motorway planSHEFFIELD MP Meg Munn has secured a debate in Parliament to highlight safety concerns over proposals to use the hard shoulder of the M1 motorway as an extra lane.
• Pavement parking fearTHE problem of cars half parking on the pavement alongside Tickhill Road, Bawtry, making it potentially dangerous for pedestrians, is causing concern for the town council.
• Sheffield airport bidder has fund ready A MYSTERY bidder behind moves to buy and reopen Sheffield City Airport has put together funding and has now contacted the owners of the defunct facility.

The York Press

• University pedestrian and cycle links to be improved PROPOSALS have been drawn up by City of York Council for improving pedestrian and cycle links between the university™s Heslington West and East campuses, focusing on University Road and Field Lane.
• Mass brawl at York train station investigated A BRAWL involving two groups at York train station is being investigated by British Transport Police.
• UPDATED 8.50pm: Level crossing crash causes East Coast Mainline delays RAIL passengers travelling between York and London were caught in lengthy delays tonight following an accident at a level crossing on the East Coast Mainline.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Letter: How can we begrudge pensioners a bus pass? I have been deeply dismayed by recent letters in the YEP which begrudge pensioners their free bus passes. Is this what we’ve come to as a society?
• Legal challenges are up ahead for HS2, says expertA law expert today said the Government should brace itself for legal challenges to plans for a high-speed rail link in Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Post

• Car firm set to create 700 extra jobsCar giant Jaguar Land Rover yesterday gave the economy a huge boost by announcing plans to create 700 new jobs and £165m of extra investment.
• MPs debate motorway safety as hard shoulder concerns growSAFETY concerns over plans to turn the hard shoulder of the M1 in Yorkshire into a permanent traffic lane will today be the subject of a debate in Parliament, after MPs also raised worries.

Other Regional Press

• Croydon Airport's time as the busiest in the country ONE politician might want to see Gatwick Airport adopt the Croydon name but, once upon time, this borough was home to the country’s busiest airport, as Bunmi Adigun reports...
• Airport to expand - but passengers to foot the bill HEATHROW has announced plans for a £3bn investment over the next five years.
• Man jailed for stealing bike at Bedford Train StationA CYCLE thief who was caught going equipped to steal bikes at Bedford rail station has been jailed for three months.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• PORT OF TYNE REPORTS BUMPER CARGO VOLUMES IN 2012 The Port of Tyne handled its biggest volume of cargo for over 20 years in 2012.
• NORTHERN DELIVERY DRIVERS 'AT GREATER RISK OF POTHOLE DAMAGE' With sky-high fuel costs and waning consumer confidence, the last thing delivery drivers need at the moment is a hefty repair bill.
• NETWORK RAIL PLOTS TARKA LINE UPGRADES Network Rail will make improvements to the Tarka line between Barnstaple and Exeter this month.

Global Rail News

• Hidden talentFour people with hidden impairments have completed a 12-week job placement at Transport for Greater Manchester. The exercise is aimed at helping them build confidence in the world of work. Abigayle Murray, 20, of Altrincham, Sharik Riaz, 21, of Cheetham Hill, David Fogg, 51, of Hyde, and Mikey Rice, 21, of Stockport, took part in [...]
• Austin heads OvergroundThe finance director of London Overground Rail Operations Limited, Peter Austin, has been moved up to head the organisation as managing director. An experienced rail strategist, Peter Austin started his career with KPMG as a trainee accountant in 1989 after reading a BSc in Geography and Economics at Reading University. Peter moved on to work [...]
• Trams to New StreetNext month will see the opening of the new section of concourse at Birmingham New Street station. This will be the first major public milestone in the Birmingham Gateway project, the progress of which THE RAIL ENGINEER has covered for the last few years. However, New Street is not the only major transport project underway [...]
• Pics: New York™s 86th Street StationNew York’s transport authority MTA has released more photos of the excavation work being carried out beneath the city. The images show the future site of the Second Avenue Subway’s 86th Street Station.
• Serbia win for StadlerAn order for 21 next-generation Stadler FLIRT EMUs has been confirmed by Serbian Railways (ŽS) at a ceremony in Belgrade. The new fleet, which is worth around 100 million euros, is being financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The vehicles will be delivered in two-week intervals between autumn 2014 and late [...]
• Å koda to supply 60 trams to Turkish light rail networkCzech rolling stock manufacturer Å koda has beaten Bombardier and CNR to a $132 million tram contract in Turkey. Å koda Transportation will supply 60 fully low-floor trams to the Turkish city of Konya. Zal Shahbaz, vice president of worldwide sales at Skoda Transportation, said: “Winning this tender is the next big step, which confirms our strategy to [...]
• Ottawa LRT signalling award for ThalesThales’ semi-automatic Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) technology is to be installed on Ottawa’s planned $2.1 billion light rail network. Thales will design, build, maintain the systems, and support its installation and commissioning. The Ottawa east-west link will be 12.5 km long and serve 13 stations. The $2.1 billion ˜Confederation Line™ is scheduled to open in [...]
• Network Rail announces further Tarka Line closuresNetwork Rail has announced another series of closures on the Tarka Line to allow for essential infrastructure works to be carried out. The Exeter to Barnstaple section will be closed between March 10-13 and then again between March 23-24. In November last year, the Crediton-Barnstaple route was closed for 16 days for track renewal works. [...]
• Video: Grand Central DiaryTalking clocks and water fountains tell the story of an average day at one of the world’s most famous railway stations. The film, which has been produced by Brooklyn-based London Squared, has been released through MTA as part of the cultural celebration surrounding Grand Central Terminals’s 100th anniversary. It’s not the first time the filmakers [...]
• DMRC launches first girder on Faridabad Metro corridorThe first precast girder has been moved into place on the 14 km Badarpur – YMCA Chowk Metro corridor. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has launched the 150-tonne concrete U-girder near the proposed Old Faridabad Metro station. The new corridor, which will have nine stations, will be made up of 548 piers and 883 girders. [...]

Aviation Industry

• Delta to add destinations, increase flights at LAXA passenger looks out towards a Delta Air Lines Inc. plane at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Tuesday, July 26, 2011.
• Dreamliner grounding forces Qatar to change new schedulesAirline has to reduce Chicago flights and postpone service to Chengdu
• British Airways announces first A380 routes to LA and Hong Kong British Airways has confirmed that Los Angeles will be the launch destination for its first A380 aircraft from this October. The superjumbo will be rostered onto the Heathrow-LAX route from October 15, with tickets on sale from today.

Other News Sources

• BLP, Pinsents and Eversheds among winners on Heathrow Airport panel Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Morton Fraser are among nine firms to have landed spots on Heathrow Airport Holdings' legal panel, with the duo appointed to the roster for the first time.
• Ferry users buoyed by meeting with transport minister Ferry users were among those floating their concerns, as a cross-party delegation met a top Government minister in London on Tuesday.
• Rail passengers can text crime to transport police Rail passengers in Cambridge can for the first time report incidents to police by text in a move to tackle crime.
• Bus timetable text service launches in West Cornwall Passengers using buses between Penzance, St Just and St Ives can now send a text message to find out when the next service is due.

Other Subscription Services

• Overground blamed for drop in Southern passengers Patronage declines at Go-Ahead's Southern franchise have accelerated with loss of business on all its major routes exacerbated by poor operational performance and new travel patterns caused by...
• Dunstable busway three quarters built by BAM The new guided busway between Luton and Dunstable will not meet the planned spring 2013 opening date with the public transport corridor unlikely to open before June.A report to Luton Borough Council...