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

Wednesday, 21 August 2013

BBC News

• Fast in-flight wi-fi by early 2014Passengers on planes, trains and ships may soon be able to take advantage of high-speed wi-fi connections, says Ofcom.
• £150m boost to transform airportEdinburgh Airport announces plans for a £150m investment programme which will make it
• London free parking changes proposedTransport for London is consulting Londoners on whether to increase free parking on some of London's busiest roads to 30 minutes.
• Firms to make £415m motorway upgradeThe preferred bidder is announced for a £415m project to upgrade the motorway network in central Scotland.

Financial Times

• Internal Treasury HS2 concerns mountOfficial projected cost of the flagship scheme is £42.6bn, but senior figures are using a much bigger figure to add bite to their criticism

The Guardian

• Nasa sells shuttle launch platformsHuge transporters mounted on crawler tracks also carried Apollo moon rockets from hangar to launchpad for liftoffNasa is selling three huge mobile platforms used to launch the Apollo moon missions and the space shuttle – adding to the list of historic facilities and equipments it wants private industry to take over, including a shuttle launchpad and its landing runway. The massive steel structures – 7.6 metres high (25ft) 49 by 41 metres on top – were used to move spacecraft from rocket assembly hangars at the Kennedy Space Centre to the launchpad on crawler tracks. They were originally built ...

The Independent

• Plane bound for San Francisco forced to turn back to HeathrowPilots of a transatlantic passenger plane have had to turn their aircraft round and return to Heathrow.     

The Scotsman

• Online campaign to save Cessnock underground arches THE man who designed the metal arches adorning the entrances to a Glasgow underground station says he is ’amazed’ at the online reaction that sprung up after one was removed.
• Edinburgh trams ‘will be as quick as buses’TRAM chiefs in the capital have insisted that the new service should be as speedy as the airport express bus – despite claims it could be eight minutes slower.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Edinburgh Airport £25m expansion brings 100 jobs The £25 million expansion is the first part of a £150 million investment in the airport over the next five years. Building work is due to start in October and will create more than 100 jobs, the airport said.
• £1m Forth Road Bridge banner sparks safety fearsRADICAL plans to erect a giant £1 million advertising banner on the Forth Road Bridge have been slammed as a “gimmick” and a case of “putting money ahead of driver safety”.

London Evening Standard

• Tube closed off as Leicester Square is "full to capacity"Leicester Square Tube station was blocked off as One Direction mania reached fever pitch this afternoon.

Sheffield Star

• Funding agreed to save threatened buses from axePublic funding has been approved to keep buses running on a service into Sheffield which had been threatened with the axe.

The York Press

• Roads will close to ensure cycle safety during Sky Ride York RESIDENTS in York are being encouraged to get on their bikes to take over York as part of a new city-wide cycling initiative.

Wales Online

• Road deaths and serious injuries reach record low in WalesNew figures showing drop in deaths and serious injuries on Welsh roads welcomed by politicians, but they warn against complacency

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Bus pass petitioners collect 10,000 namesCampaigners in Walsall fighting to keep bus services free for pensioners have so far collected more than 10,000 signatures from supporters backing the effort.

Blackpool Gazette

• More cyclists hurt as ‘driving getting worse’A keen Fylde coast cyclist today said the standards of driving near those on two wheels are getting worse.

Burnley Express

• Burnley’s exciting new £2.3m railway project is underwayA major project has begun to regenerate a Burnley railway station.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Suffolk: Transport secretary listens but makes no promises to rail travellersTransport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin met regional business leaders and MPs yesterday to hear the case for a major upgrade on the Great Eastern Main Line from London to Norwich through Ipswich.

Other Regional Press

• Redbridge Labour group calls for Boris Johnson to keep fare rises at level of inflation Boris Johnson is being urged by the council’s Labour group to keep transport fares at the rate of inflation for 2014.
• Transporter Bridge to be repainted for first time in a decadeTwenty thousand litres of paint will be used as Middlesbrough landmark closes for 40 days to receive a facelift
• Birthday treat for airport’s 75thTo celebrate London Luton Airport’s 75th birthday, a special family fun day is taking place on Saturday at Stockwood Discovery Centre. As well as funfairs, circus entertainers and vintage cars, the day will also feature a very special appearance by Lorraine Chase!
• Shake up for Dorset bus services DORSET’S supported bus network is set for a shake-up with some services being scrapped to save money.

Global Rail News

• Britain to test battery-powered trainA Greater Anglia Class 379 is to become Britain’s first battery-powered train as part of a study into the feasability of extending the technology across the network. If successful, the[...]
• First of new B-series trains under test in PerthWestern Australia’s Transport Minister, Troy Buswell, has inspected the first of a fleet of 22 new trains being delivered to Perth over the coming months. The new three-car B-series trains[...]
• Gauteng develops 25-year rail strategyPolicy makers in the South African province of Gauteng have launched a transport masterplan which aims to make rail the ’backbone’ of the region’s public transport network. The 25-year plan[...]
• Back foot forwardOn the back foot. What does it mean? Being on the defensive, unable to make progress. It’s an appropriately topical cricket expression particularly as the 2013 Ashes test series has just started and England is, of course, on the back foot in their first innings. Whether or not they will be able to make real [...]
• Vienna West voted Austria’s prettiest stationPassengers have voted Vienna Westbahnhof as Austria’s prettiest railway station. Out of the 15,000 passengers questioned by transport interest group VCÖ, Linz Hauptbahnhof was identified as the second most popular and[...]

Aviation Industry

• Baggage staff strike at Stansted called offPlanned walkout over bank holiday weekend is cancelled

Other News Sources

• Ryanair Enhances Consumer Security On Ryanair.ComRyanair today (20 Aug) launched a new consumer verification security system on the Ryanair.com website, which offers increased security when booking Ryanairrsquo;s lowest fares on Ryanair.com. ...