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

Saturday, 07 September 2013

BBC News

• £22m Londonderry to Coleraine rail plans delayed The second stage of a £22m upgrade for the Londonderry to Coleraine railway line has been delayed for a further year.
• Virgin spaceship passes technical milestone What looks like being the world's first commercial space plane has just passed another technical milestone.
• Plans for Merseyside combined authority mooted It follows a governance review by the authorities - as well as Merseytravel and the Local Enterprise Partnership. If approved it could bid for extra government money on transport, economic development, employment and skills
• Bike festival hails Enduro boostA Borders bike festival will host a round of the Enduro World Series as part of a programme it hopes will generate £1.2m for the local economy.
• A9 job to pass half way mark by 2022More than half the A9 between Perth and Inverness will be dual carriageway by 2022, Transport Minister Keith Brown has said.
• Strike at bus firm Alexander DennisWorkers at the UK's biggest bus and coach builder, Alexander Dennis Limited in Falkirk vote to strike in a row over pay.
• Historic clipper handed to new ownerThe world's oldest surviving clipper ship has been handed over to new owners ahead of its planned move from Scotland to Australia.

The Herald

• Ministers frustrated by meeting over A9A DELEGATION from the Free Church Of Scotland expressed disappointment after meeting Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown to discuss plans to tackle the
• Rail leader in call for new 'party of labour'Rail union leader Bob Crow is to call for a
• Bus makers to go on strike over 'unjust' pay rise offerWORKERS at one of Scotland's largest manufacturing firms have voted to go on strike in a row over pay.

The Independent

• Calls for speed restrictions as Kent politician claims 130-car crash could have been prevented Basic speed restrictions and better lighting could have prevented the horrific 130-car pile-up on the Sheppey crossing in Kent which left 60 people injured, a local politician has claimed.    

The Telegraph

• Heathrow and Gatwick in dogfight over noise Heathrow and Gatwick have gone to battle over noise pollution as they both seek to persuade a commission that will decide where to build new runways in Britain that their respective expansion plans will have a minimal impact on local communities.
• Calls for speed restrictions on 130-car crash bridgeHorrific 130-car pile-up in heavy fog prompts calls for speed restrictions and lighting to be introduced on bridge.    
• Sale of road atlases soars as satnav drivers seek extra helpThe sale of road atlases is increasing, as motorists appear to be losing faith in their satnav systems.    

Mail Online

• Ministers braced for savaging in 'damning' HS2 report by Spending watchdogsParliament's powerful Public Accounts Committee is set early next week to deliver its own 'damning' verdict on official plans and costings for 225mph HS2 line linking London to the Midlands and the North.
• Is this the end of the 'no-frills' airline? EasyJet to sell tickets that include all the extras (but yes, there is an extra charge for that)The Luton based company, which was at the forefront of budget travel, is to start offering business passengers the opportunity to buy all-inclusive tickets.

The Mirror

• HS2: David Cameron pledges to fight for rail project amid fears over rising costsAt the St Petersburg G20 summit, the Prime Minister hit out at the “unholy alliance” of critics of the fast service

Network Rail

• Major bridge improvement work in CannockMotorists using Old Hednesford Road in Cannock should allow extra time for their journeys for the next two months as Network Rail undertakes a major project to repair and improve a bridge repeatedly hit by oversize vehicles. As a result, the bridge will be closed to vehicles with a diversionary route in place.
• New collaboration signals next step toward extra rail destinations for Bicester and OxfordA new collaboration has been announced today which will oversee the project to allow fast train services to operate between Oxford and London Marylebone. The first services are expected to start in two years time.

Birmingham Mail

• Virgin Trains backs community title at Birmingham Sports Awards New Street Station team leader says people - staff and customers - are at the heart of its business and so community award was obvious choice

London Evening Standard

• HS2 will save our green belt, Nick Clegg insistsLondon will be blighted by “never-ending sprawl” on surrounding green belt land unless transport links are improved, including a new high-speed rail line, Nick Clegg warned today.
• Heathrow bosses claim third runway can help cut noise from flightsHeathrow chiefs today told the Government’s aviation supremo that they could build a third runway and still cut noise pollution by 20 per cent.

Northern Echo

• Aycliffe to become centre of excellence THE North-East's reputation as a global engineering powerhouse will continue for generations under plans to build the region's first university technical college, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Sheffield Star

• High speed rail land values support pleaStaff from Santander’s office in Sheffield took a day away from their desks to tend the gardens at Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.
• No evidence from ‘fake’ Sheffield bus crash accusedA man accused of staging a bus crash in Sheffield so passengers could make bogus compensation claims for false injuries has declined to give evidence in his defence.

Sheffield Telegraph

• MP to push for bikes on tram-trainsCyclists should be able to take their bikes on the new tram-trains between Sheffield and Rotherham, the Commons was told this week.

The York Press

• Lendal Bridge closure has had 'minor' impact on other roads, says council YORK’S transport bosses say there have only been “minor changes” to traffic levels in York since the Lendal Bridge trial began.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• HS2 will deliver 50,000 jobs boost to the West MidlandsHigh speed rail will create 50,000 permanent jobs in the West Midlands boosting the economy by £4billion a year, a new report released today has revealed.

Blackpool Gazette

• Bus firm ‘making changes’Bus chiefs today pledged they are making improvements after Blackpool Transport had its knuckles rapped over maintenance standards.

Bucks Free Press

• Gillan: HS2 could affect up to 500 more residents FIVE hundred more homes than first thought could be affected by building work on HS2 in the Chiltern district, it emerged this week.
• New-look Chiltern trains get first run out THE first new-look Chiltern Railways train makes it maiden journey today as a major investment programme kicked in.

Other Regional Press

• Rail Fair petition launches to improve trains from Lincoln to Nottingham A petition has been launched to improve a local rail service dubbed one of the UK's worst.

Aviation Industry

• Third runway will not increase noise – HeathrowAirport claims modern aircraft and new flight paths will reduce noise pollution
• Edinburgh to get new Zurich serviceEdelweiss Air will operate twice-weekly on the route from next spring

Other News Sources

• Railway wave boards delay is extended Further delays have hampered work starting on the wave-like sculptures, which have been boarded-up for more than a year, outside Skegness railway station.
• Heathrow tells Airports Commission: “We can be bigger and quieter” Heathrow today submitted evidence to the Airports Commission showing that the airport can increase flights while continuing to reduce the number of people affected by aircraft noise. If...