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

Thursday, 22 August 2013

BBC News

• Air passengers to the Isles of Scilly drop by 25% The Isles of Scilly Council claims air passengers to the archipelago are down 25% compared with last year.
• Ministers 'failing' over rail delayMinisters are failing to deal with a major delay to a £36m project to make rail journeys faster between north and south Wales, say assembly members.
• £150m boost to transform airportEdinburgh Airport announces plans for a £150m investment programme which will make it
• McLoughlin: HS2 'to stay on budget'Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin insists his budget of £42.6bn for the HS2 high-speed rail project has not changed.

Financial Times

• Doubts over UK’s runaway train lineWhitehall is rightly sceptical of HS2, but for the wrong reasons. Cost-benefit analysis is not a substitute for political debate
• US flights to run from regional UK airportsJet2 to test out services to New York, Boston and Toronto in the spring, in a trial that could lead to the provision of regular services

The Herald

• Cross-party political campaign fights to save Glasgow Subway signPOLITICAL heavyweights 
have joined in a fight to save a 24-year-old metal sign that adorns a Glasgow Subway station.
• Free Church leaders call for dualling of A9A group of ministers said it is their

Mail Online

• Birds hitting planes doubles to 2,200 in three years: Air safety watchdog reports engine fires and emergency landingsFigures from the Civil Aviation Authority show that around three ‘significant’ collisions take place between birds and planes in Britain every week

Daily Post (North Wales)

• David Jones MP hears proposals for Holyhead Truck stop and train line under discussion

Liverpool Post

• £160m railway upgrade means Liverpool-Manchester in 30 minutes A £160m upgrade to slash train journey time between Liverpool and Manchester could be ready by the end of next year.

London Evening Standard

• Workers 'use more public transport'Cars are in decline as the main form of transport people use to get to work in England and Wales, a study has shown.

Sheffield Star

• Final chance to have say on changes to bus servicesTransport bosses are reminding people to have their say on proposed changes to some of Sheffield’s bus routes.
• Bus change set to ‘cut off’ Sheffield neighbourhoodAround 70 pensioners showed strength in numbers as they battled against bus service changes in their Sheffield neighbourhood.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Rural fuel stations told to state case for rebateRural petrol stations in the Highlands are being reminded that they could be eligible for the proposed extension to the rural fuel rebate scheme.
• Bishop adds his voice to calls for duallingAn Episcopalian bishop has added his voice to calls for a stretch of Scotland’s most dangerous road to be dualled as a matter of urgency.

The York Press

• New cycle parking sites for York SIX new cycle-parking sites are to be set up in the centre of York as transport bosses look to drive down the number of car journeys into the city.
• Network Rail creates super signalling centre in York What was once two men working for eight hours a day in a confined space operating 35 levers is to become cutting-edge rail signalling technology.

Yorkshire Post

• A patchy problem on our weather-beaten road systemproblem potholes on the city’s road have been driving motorists round the bend for years.

Blackpool Gazette

• Rail power to councils plan welcomedPlans to devolve powers to manage rail franchises to local councils have been greeted with “cautious optimism”.

Other Regional Press

• Should dirty Boston bus shelter be removed?CONCERNS over plans which could see seated shelters removed from Boston Bus Station have been voiced by passengers.
• Bus firm spends £2m on hi-tech fleet with Wi-FiBUS travel is about to become more comfortable between Portsmouth and Havant.
• Railway station footbridge to be dismantled this weekend The footbridge at Northampton’s railway station will be dismantled on Sunday.
• Northampton private hire drivers go on strike over cash rowA taxi firm insists it will be ’business as normal’ despite more than 100 private hire drivers going on strike following a row over cash.
• Anger over ‘appalling’ remarks from ticket manA rail passenger has hit out after a ticket inspector allegedly asked her if she had ever had an IQ test.

Global Rail News

• UK trains could benefit from high-speed satellite broadband serviceOfcom is exploring the possibility of allowing a new high-speed satellite-based broadband system onboard trains, planes and ships in the UK. The regulator has launched a consultation into the use[...]
• Croydon Tramlink orders more Variobahn vehiclesStadler is to build an additional four trams for Croydon Tramlink to add to its fleet of Variobahn light rail vehicles. The new trams, which will be delivered in 2015,[...]
• NS announces €76m losses amid Fyra troublesThe ongoing Fyra dispute has contributed to Holland’s national rail operator, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), recording a net loss of 76 million euros in the first half of 2013. Withdrawal of[...]
• Private European train service allowed into IranA new private train tour will set off from Budapest destined for Tehran in October – the first private European train service ever allowed into Iran. The 15-day journey, which[...]
• Spain looks to build coastal rail link between Valencia and AlicanteThe Spanish government is to look into of building a new coastal rail link between Valencia and Alicante. The Ministry of Public Works has opened the bidding for a 1.1[...]
• TfL issues Bank Holiday travel advice in face of industrial actionSource: TfL press office Some members of the RMT union are expected to take industrial action on London Overground services this weekend (Sunday 25 and Monday 26 August) which will[...]

Railnews

• Think tank's HS2 report dismissed as 'wild guesses' Birmingham Chamber of Commerce has dismissed a report claiming that HS2 could cost £80 billion as 'short sighted' and based on 'wild guesses'. The claims were made by the free-market think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs, which condemned the High Speed plan for its lack of genuinely green credentials. But its findings have been described as 'lacking in evidence'.

Aviation Industry

• Eurozone stability helps boost premium air bookingsDemand rises for business class tickets from Europe to emerging markets
• Satellite system set to boost airline wifi speedsHigh-speed internet could be made available onboard by 2014
• Scoot creates 'quiet zone' on aircraftSingapore-based airline creates child-free seating area

Other Subscription Services

• Cosco International posts 44% fall in first-half profitWeak coating margins hurt the shipping services arm