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

Thursday, 11 July 2013

BBC News

• East Cardiff link road plan announced by Welsh government Plans for a new road to improve links between Cardiff Bay and the east of the city have been announced.
• Second Cambridge railway station plans submitted The planning application for a £26m second railway station in Cambridge has been submitted by the county council.
• Metro trams disrupted for fourth dayPassengers on the Midland Metro tram service faced disruption for a fourth day due to overhead line problems.
• Park offers electric bike hiresElectric bikes are being offered for hire in the Cairngorms National Park in a bid to offer more environmentally friendly travel through the area.
• Edinburgh backs Gatwick runway callEdinburgh airport calls for increased air capacity in London which it says can easily be delivered at Gatwick.
• 'Boris bike' staff vote for strikeStaff running London's bike hire scheme vote in favour of strike action in a row over pay and conditions.
• Glasgow Airport unveils new logoGlasgow Airport unveiled its new logo and slogan as part of a £17m redevelopment.
• Plan to ban cars from George SquarePrivate cars could be banned from the north side of George Square under plans drawn up by Glasgow City Council.
• Why not... nationalise the railways?The case for and against renationalising Britain's railway system

Financial Times

• Aviation chiefs demand capacity solutionAirport chiefs demand resolution of southeast’s capacity crunch, warning that continental rivals will benefit if action is not taken
• The train is the best workplaceBeneath the UK’s high-speed rail debate lies some muddled thinking People have been working while travelling since business travel began

The Guardian

• HS2 will not deliver a better rail service. Here is a radical alternative Making Paddington the focus of services from the West Midlands would save billions and provide a better infrastructure
• Quebec train crash: families of 30 missing people told all presumed deadCanadian police have told families of 30 missing people that they are presumed dead, with 20 bodies found alreadyCanadian officials are now telling the families of the 30 people missing in a runaway oil train crash over the weekend that all are presumed dead.With 20 bodies found, that would put the death toll from Saturday's derailment and explosions at 50.The head of the US railway company whose oil train crashed into the Quebec town has blamed the engineer for failing to set the brakes properly. A fire on the train just hours before the crash is also being investigated.Parts of the devastate...

The Telegraph

• Heathrow will be 'left behind' by foreign rivals unless it builds third runway Heathrow could provide direct links to 130 long-haul destinations by 2030, 40 more than at present, if it is allowed to build additional runway capacity, the airport’s boss has said.
• HS2 will draw jobs to London rather than North, MPs told Britain’s planned high-speed rail network will draw jobs to London rather than the North, a leading academic has told MPs.
• Claims for London Underground injuries hit £2.5 millionClaims for accidents on the London Underground have reached more than £2.5million in the last four years.    

Mail Online

• London's 4,000 Boris bikes cost taxpayers £1,400 for each bicycle every year despite sponsorship from BarclaysThe annual £11million charge to the taxpayer has sparked criticism over London Mayor Boris Johnson's failure to secure a better sponsorship deal with Barclays which pays just a sixth of the total operational cost.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented County council veto for HS2 alternativeDERBYSHIRE County Council leader Anne Western has come out against proposals to change the route of HS2 to create a station in Derby.The Labour chief said that while she understood the reasons behind the newly unveiled plans there were concerns about the environmental impact on the Derwent Valley and the loss of regeneration in Ilkeston.The current Government proposed route would see a newly created station at Toton Sidings, as well as a maintenance depot at Staveley.The revised route,...

Liverpool Post

• Southport pier tram trips suspended after cracks appear in supporting columnsTHE Southport pier tram was temporarily suspended after cracks were found in the supporting columns.

London Evening Standard

• Christian Wolmar: £50 billion HS2 has reached the end of the line As the cost of the high-speed rail link soars, it is time to look for far better ways to spend money on transport
• London's best bike helmetsIf the Tour de France has inspired you to get on your bike, you’ll need a helmet. Here’s our selection of the hottest headgear around
• Soaring temperatures are eased on Boris ‘Bikram yoga’ buses London’s transport commissioner today vowed that problems with soaring temperatures on the new “Boris bus” had been solved — after taking one for a test-ride.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Average speed plan for West Midlands roads given cold shoulderPlans for new average speed cameras at the sides of roads in the West Midlands have been given a cold reception by Express & Star readers.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• West Yorkshire: Plans for HS2 rail ‘shopping list’Transport bosses in West Yorkshire are drawing up proposals for a major investment programme in local rail services to ensure the whole region benefits from the new high-speed rail link to London.

Blackpool Gazette

• Concern over bus lanes planPolice have raised concerns over plans to make parts of Central Drive two-way for buses – because of the effect it will have on emergency access.

The Shields Gazette

• That’s a fare old career on the buses!LONG-serving staff members at a bus company have been honoured by their employer.

Other Regional Press

• Vision for Cambridge calls for congestion charging to bankroll transport improvements An influential vision of Cambridge’s future which was backed by councils, businesses and the university has concluded that congestion charging is the only way to solve the city’s traffic woes.
• Bus station decision ‘could take months’A decision on the future of Preston’s bus station could be months in the making.
• Bus snub leads to 14-mile hike homeA Preston cyclist suffered a nightmare day trip to the Fylde coast when a bus driver refused to allow him on board after he suffered a puncture –leading to a 14-mile trek home in sweltering conditions.
• Nostalgia: Back to the 1960s for a ride on Huddersfield’s trolley busesHERE is another collection of photographs of trolleybuses on Huddersfield’s roads in the 1960s.
• Heatwave delays trains between Aberdeen and EdinburghSOARING temperatures led to delays for train passengers after the heat caused signalling problems at a major railway station.

Airportwatch

• Forest of Dean businessman's pitch for Severn bridge toll cut A Gloucestershire businessman has met with a government minister to argue that tolls on the Severn bridges are detrimental to the local economy.

Global Rail News

• Consortium aims to join up European transport networkThe European Commission (EC) has appointed an Amadeus-led consortium to develop a pan-European information and booking system to better integrate air, road and rail services. The ’All Ways Travelling’ consortium,[...]
• Crossrail over ’40% complete’London’s £14.5 billion Crossrail project is 40 per cent complete, with 14 of the 42 kilometres of new tunnels now completed beneath the streets of the capital. Construction of the[...]

The Business Desk

• Yorkshire bidders celebrate success in £506m RGF funding round A HOST of bidders across the region that applied for a share of a £506m pot of funding from the government's Regional Growth Fund have been successful, as it was announced that £50m will be pumped into Yorkshire.
• Chiltern Railways named most punctual rail franchise CHILTERN Railways has been named top franchise rail operator for right time train punctuality for a record seventh consecutive period, according to latest research from Network Rail.
• National Express becomes first firm to pledge guaranteed interviews for ex-services personnel BIRMINGHAM-based transport group National Express is the first company in the UK to sign the Government’s new pledge to support the ex-members of the armed forces find employment.
• Telford manufacturer's boarding ramp product set for take off A TELFORD manufacturer is setting its sights on changing the way people board aeroplanes all over the world.

Aviation Industry

• American Airlines' passenger revenue up, but still asking for more cutsSure every airport has bomb-and-drug-sniffing dogs, and Tulsa has its fair share off tweeting birds, but a few airports are ... Could American Airlines and AMR Corp. actually swing a profit during the second quarter? In May AMR Corp. managed a ... An American Airlines jet takes off, as another American Eagle commuter jet pulls into a gate at Tulsa ... (more)
• UK could lose hub airport status – Heathrow bossAirports Commission is warned that UK could be left behind by foreign rivals

Other News Sources

• Introduction from Carolyn McCall to Airports Commission Evidence Session on airport operating models Irsquo;d like to thank the Commission for inviting easyJet to give evidence. As we all know, aviation plays a vital role in supporting the UKrsquo;s economy and connecting British businesses...
• Claude Poulain named Chairman and CEO of PowerJet Claude Poulain is the new Chairman and CEO of PowerJet, decision made by the board of directors who met on July 8th at Snecmarsquo;s headquarters (Safran). He replaces Jacques Desclaux who is ...