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

Wednesday, 04 September 2013

BBC News

• Wolverhampton rail station rebuild backed in £36.8m boost for transport plans Multi-million pound transport plans for the Black Country including the long-awaited rebuild of Wolverhampton rail station have been backed by council bosses.
• Border staff 'taken off' searchesBorder Force staff at Calais were told to stop searching vehicles for illegal immigrants to deal with queues at passport control, the public spending watchdog says.
• Train left suspended over large holeThe first carriage of a train with 150 passengers onboard was suspended over a giant hole for 12 minutes, the Rail Accident Investigation Board says.
• Sacked Crossrail worker reinstatedAn electrician on London's Crossrail project who claims he was blacklisted for raising health and safety concerns is reinstated to his job.
• Village 'not awake' to Heathrow planResidents of a Surrey village have "not yet woken up" to the threat posed by proposals to expand Heathrow airport, a county councillor has said.

The Herald

• Rail chiefs allay fears of long-term closure of station during revampGLASGOW'S Queen Street Station will not be closed for months for improvement works, rail bosses have pledged.
• Train operator ScotRail adds £1.5bn to country's economyA STUDY has estimated Scotland's largest train ­operator is worth around £1.5 billion to the economy.

The Independent

• Disgruntled businessman buys promoted tweet to bash British Airways After British Airways allegedly lost luggage belonging to Hasan Syed’s father he, like many of us, took to Twitter to vent. However, instead of just complaining to his own followers Syed reached out to a much larger audience.    

The Telegraph

• Tax free motoring for anyone who buys an electric carAnyone who buys an electric car will get tax-free motoring until at least 2020, ministers have announced.    

Network Rail

• New footbridge opens at Fishbourne level crossingA new footbridge which will replace a high-risk footpath level crossing in Sussex has opened to the public.

London Evening Standard

• Boost for Circle line as big, cool trains come into serviceNew trains came into service today on the Circle Line.
• 5,000 cyclists protest for better safety on London's roads after spate of deathsThousands of cyclists brought central London to a standstill as they called on the mayor to give them more space following a spate of deaths.

Manchester Evening News

• Simulator puts trainee Metrolink tram drivers on the right track Dubbed ‘Tram-Pro’, the software will be used in a special training suite at Metrolink’s Queen's Road depot so up to 10 drivers can learn the ropes at one time
• Revealed: Plans for massive Piccadilly station revamp – if HS2 goes ahead Planners want to create a new ‘gateway quarter’ modelled on Amsterdam and New York, centred around a new high-speed rail link terminal

Yorkshire Post

• Northern councils lose out on £125m to fix roadsThe North of England has missed out on almost £125m of Government funding for repairing its pot-holed roads over the past three years owing to a disputed funding formula which continues to favour the South.

Carlisle News & Star

• Ten days of repairs to A66 road near Penrith A £356,000 scheme will be carried out this month to repair a section of the A66 road near Penrith.

Doncaster Free Press

• New tickets introduced for Doncaster public transport users Bus travellers in Doncaster and district can benefit from changes to public transport tickets in September thanks to new products from TravelMaster.

London24

• Crossrail worker reinstated after alleged blacklisting dismissal An electrician on the Crossrail project has been reinstated after claiming he was sacked because of trade union activity and whistleblowing.

Other Regional Press

• Trains will do 60-70mph on city link in spite of protests TRAINS going through Oxford on the new £130m rail link to Marylebone will be travelling at a minimum of 60mph – despite a lengthy campaign for lower speeds.
• Lewes station transport interchange an excellent idea It is encouraging to know that Councillor Caitlin has tackled the dire need for an increased public parking provision in the Railway Station area of Lewes by approaching Network Rail directly.
• City transport policy is back to front, says traffic expert A TRANSPORT planning expert from Oxford Brookes University has said Oxfordshire County Council is addressing Headington transport issues in a “back-to-front” manner.
• Chancellor says controversial HS2 rail line through Northamptonshire is “vital” to economic growthThe Chancellor of the Exchequer says he is “passionate” about the controversial HS2 high-speed rail line that is planned to run through south Northamptonshire.
• HS2 money could be spent on our rail network, Kent County Council leader Paul Carter arguesBillions of pounds being spent on a rail project branded a white elephant by some could be spent on the county's transport network, it's been argued.
• New European service to take off from Aberdeen International AirportA NEW European air service is to take off from Aberdeen in the spring.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Improved rail 'could help airport capacity'The London Assembly has called on the government to improve transport links at the city's airports.Specifically, it wants a new strategy to improve surface transport - with a strong emphasis on rail connections - to and from airports.Chair of the London Assembly's transport committee Val Shawcross said: "Luton, Stansted and Gatwick all have spare airport capacity that might prove useful to determining the UK's future aviation policy."In it's report, 'Airport Capacity in London', the committee states Luton, Gatwick and Stansted a...

Global Rail News

• Could smart rings replace smart cards?With electronic ticketing on the rise around the world, the way we buy and use train tickets is quickly evolving. Most mass transit systems now have some kind of smart[...]
• Union backtracks on Crossrail blacklisting claimsUnite has dropped claims against the BAM Ferrovial Kier joint venture (BFK) over alleged blacklisting of union members delivering Crossrail projects across the capital. In a statement Unite said “BFK and[...]
• S Stock trains take to Circle lineNew S Stock Tube trains have started service on the Circle line, nine months after the first of 53 new vehicles was delivered to the Hammersmith & City line. The[...]
• Many sites at Liverpool StreetThe £14.8 billion Crossrail project is now progressing at a pace. The route from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the West to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the East will run through 21km of twin-bore tunnels up to 40 metres below the ground. More plans have recently been submitted for a new station at Abbey Wood [...]
• Siemens reveals Cityjet designsInterior and exterior designs for Austria’s newest regional train, the ÖBB Cityjet, have been unveiled. Siemens is building 100 of the three-car EMUs for Austria’s national rail operator for the[...]
• EIB to fund Lille Metro upgradeThe first chunk of a 300 million euro loan to upgrade Lille’s metro system has been signed off. A ceremony was held in the city on August 29, with the[...]
• Train builder plans legal action over cancelled Fyra orderAnsaldoBreda has threatened to take legal action against NS after the Dutch operator officially announced the cancellation of its order for 16 Fyra trains. NS confirmed the cancellation last week,[...]
• Madrid Metro to reopen line after three-month closureEngineers in Madrid have almost finished a 1.1 million euro project to renew a section of the city’s oldest metro line. Madrid Metro is hoping to restore services to the[...]

Aviation Industry

• Ex-flight attendant wins Facebook fightA former Air New Zealand flight attendant who was forced to hand over her bank records and access to her Facebook page for an employment investigation has won her case against the airline.
• Competition inquiry reveals Aer Lingus tie-up talks Irish regional Aer Lingus, which was looking to combine with another carrier in 2012, has more recently explored a variety of merger and acquisition scenarios, according to information released by the UK Competition Commission (UKCC). read more
• Easyjet launches new fare for business travellersInclusive fare will only be available through B2B booking channels

Other News Sources

• Deal struck over Crossrail blacklisting dispute Worker at centre of row given new job on £15bn project as contractor BFK and union Unite issue joint statement
• New town bigger than Hove needed if Gatwick runway is built Up to 45,000 new homes would be needed if a new runway is built at Gatwick.
• Caroline Lucas's pro-cycling motion passed by Parliament A Brighton MP is calling on colleagues to get Britain cycling. Caroline Lucas, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, was one of the sponsors of a motion, which was discussed in the House of Commons last night.
• British road warriors taking more day tripsAmex survey reveals fewer overnight stays and more train travel