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

Sunday, 14 July 2013

BBC News

• Police chief David O'Connor calls for A9 priority Higher priority should be given to plans to transform the killer A9 into a dual carriageway, a senior police officer has insisted.
• Loose rail connector 'may have caused' France crash The train crash south of Paris which left six people dead may have been caused by a fault in the rail tracks, says the state rail company.
• Batteries 'not linked' to 787 fireThere is no evidence of a direct link between the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's batteries and the fire at Heathrow Airport on Friday, an investigation finds.

Financial Times

• Equipment blamed for French train crashThe deadly intercity train crash south of Paris was caused by a detached connector between rails not human error, according to SNCF
• ‘No evidence’ 787 fire linked to batteriesInvestigators have begun examining the cause of the Boeing Dreamliner fire at Heathrow but decline to discuss possible causes

The Herald

• Transport Scotland sued for £1m by gritting firm SCOTLAND'S transport authority is being sued for almost £1 million by a gritting company for failing to follow the correct purchasing procedure for de-icing salt during two of the country's coldest winters on record.
• 18 dead after bus collides with lorryAT least 18 people were killed after a truck carrying concrete collided with a passenger bus in an outlying area of Moscow.
• Tracks blamed for French rail crash as rescue work goes onRescue workers yesterday searched for any more passengers buried in the wreckage of a train that derailed in central France, killing at least six people and injuring dozens.
• Dreamliner jet probeThere is no evidence to suggest a fire on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet at Heathrow Airport was caused by its batteries, an investigation has found.

The Independent

• Paris rail crash 'due to Potters Bar-style fault' Friday's derailment, in which at least six died, raises major questions over track maintenance
• Dreamliner fire hits Boeing's fortunes Problems for Boeing's Dreamliner aircraft were mounting yesterday, with worries the fleet could be grounded for an unprecedented second time.    

The Observer

• HS2 is vital for Britain's prosperity [Patrick McLoughlin]The transport secretary argues that the high-speed rail link is essential for the future economic wellbeing of the country, north and south

Mail Online

• French rail crash victims still stuck inside a day after train derailed following points failure as police say looters stole from people's bodiesThe high speed intercity train was travelling from the French capital to the city of Limoges when it derailed onto its side in a train station in the suburb of Bretigny-sur-Orge.
• Look who's at it again! Rail Minister who took £80,000 chauffeur-driven car to work is pictured back in his government limoSimon Burns is risking the wrath of David Cameron by using his £80,000-a-year official car to travel to Westminster again despite a public outcry shaming him into giving up his chauffeur-driven car earlier this year.

Bristol Live

• The Bristol Post commented Bus fares could be cut on certain routes, say FirstSOME bus routes in the Bristol area could see cheaper fares within the next few months.A top executive from bus operator First told a transport forum yesterday that the company will be introducing a new fare structure in the autumn.This is unlikely to see a blanket reduction in fares but more likely to be cheaper rates on targeted routes.The company has suffered a backlash from passengers because fares are so high compared with other cities in Britain.The issue came to a head a few months ago...

London Evening Standard

• Mr Loophole 'wants cyclists to obey motor laws'The traffic and speeding lawyer to the stars known as Mr Loophole has called for cyclists to be subjected to the same laws as motorists.

Northern Echo

• A67 to reopen to traffic after landslip commuter chaos A BUSY commuter route is to partially reopen to the public, months after it was closed to traffic because of a landslip.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post commented Teen's death sparks plan to upgrade tramArticle
• Nottingham Post commented The bus will be king if cars are banned from roadsArticle

Sheffield Star

• Train crews in work-to-rule protest over disruptionRail staff at Sheffield to London operator East Midlands Trains have announced they will be working to rule in a dispute over the impact of engineering works.
• Traffic cones left on rural roads for ‘ditch inspection’Cones left on rural roads near Sheffield for months were there while ditch inspections took place, highways chiefs say.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Are airport charges a first-class rip-off?Parking fees to drop off passengers at Birmingham Airport are among the highest in the country, according to new figures.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Transport chiefs field Leeds trolleybus questions TRANSPORT bosses in Leeds are taking to the streets in a bid to win over the city’s trolleybus doubters.

Other Regional Press

• Minister takes trip on new tourist busA junior minister in the Department for Transport tried out a new tourist bus serving Rutland Water this week.
• Free bus rides for youngsters on Magic Mondays Youngsters can avoid boredom during the school holidays with a special Magic Monday offer from bosses of the CallConnect bus service.
• Mine company pledges £1.5m investment for rail servicesExtra train services will be put on in Whitby - on the condition that the potash mine is given the go-ahead.
• Harbour board vents council frustrationsWhitby Harbour Board members have spoken openly for the first time of their frustrations at a perceived lack of borough council support
• Leicester Mercury commented Untaxed cars sent to crusherA council has seized and crushed two cars after discovering they had not been taxed.A Peugeot 406 and a Ford Mondeo belonging to an Enderby man were lowered into the crusher at Wigston Car Breakers, in Harrison Close, on Thursday.One of the vehicles had not been taxed since August 2008. It had a tax disc registered to another vehicle on display.Blaby District Council, which seized the vehicles, did not give details of the second car.Nigel Roe, owner of the South Wigston breaker's yard, said:...
• Severn Bridge tolls ‘should not pay for Newport M4 relief road’ - hauliers SEVERN Bridge tolls should not be used to finance an M4 relief road for Newport, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) said.

Middle East North Africa (MENA) Rail News

• Could rail be a viable outlet for South Sudan’s oil exports?By Peter Feuilherade The latest flare-up between Sudan and its landlocked neighbour South Sudan over cross-border flows of oil via pipelines raises the issue of whether building a railway line to export South Sudan’s oil via Kenya instead could turn out to be a better long-term option. In June, Sudan threatened to block exports of [...]The post Could rail be a viable outlet for South Sudan’s oil exports? appeared first on MENA Rail News.
• U.S. experts set put major advantages of South Sudan railway optionBy Sharon Hutchinson, University of Wisconsin and Eric Reeves, Smith College, Massachusetts Two American academics specializing in Sudanese affairs set out their views on the significant shortterm and long-term advantages that building a railway line to export South Sudan’s oil via Kenya hold over any pipeline project. An alternative to the oil pipeline proposal that [...]The post U.S. experts set put major advantages of South Sudan railway option appeared first on MENA Rail News.
• Saudi Mega Transport & Infrastructure Projects 201316-18 September 2013 Riyadh Marriott Hotel, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia MEED’s Saudi Mega Transport & Infrastructure Projects 2013 will be the definitive event in Saudi Arabia for all those seeking opportunities in the Kingdom’s transportation, construction, housing and social infrastructure projects markets. With mega project growth forecasted at nearly US$80bn in 2013, the Saudi Mega Transport [...]The post Saudi Mega Transport & Infrastructure Projects 2013 appeared first on MENA Rail News.
• Turkey Set to Become Global Hub for Rail Manufacturing Says ReportTurkey is set to become a global hub for rail manufacturing over the coming decade, according to a report just published. Turkey’s strategic location places it central to infrastructure projects from North Africa, the Middle East and Europe, says analysis from Frost and Sullivan Rail Outlook Study 2013. While European projects have stalled due to [...]The post Turkey Set to Become Global Hub for Rail Manufacturing Says Report appeared first on MENA Rail News.

Other News Sources

• Opinion: To list or not to list Preston Bus Station, that is the question It looks like there’s still hope for Preston’s beleaguered bus station, after Culture Secretary Ed Vaizey agreed with English Heritage’s recommendations, and gave grade II listed status to Metro Central Heights in the London Borough of Southwark.
• RMT's Bob Crow to call for new party of labour at Durham Miners GalaAt Saturday's Durham Miners Gala (13th July 2013) RMT General Secretary Bob Crow - one of the events speakers - will issue a call to the trade union movement to support the creation of a 'new party of labour' to challenge head on the pro-business, anti-worker agenda of the three main political parties, Tory, Labour and Liberals.