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

Monday, 09 September 2013

BBC News

• A14 toll road between Huntingdon and Cambridge outlined Proposals for a new stretch of the A14 to be funded by a toll system have been revealed.
• HS2 speed focus was wrong - ministerPromoting the HS2 rail link on the basis of speed rather than capacity has been wrong, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin says.
• HS2 benefits dwindling, say MPsThe estimated benefits of the proposed HS2 high-speed rail link are dwindling as costs spiral, an influential group of MPs says.
• Nissan launches driver's smartwatchA smartwatch that monitors the performance of a vehicle as well as the driver has been launched by car maker Nissan.

The Guardian

• HS2 is not the only answer to divided Britain HS2 doubters and HS2 promoters should both think bigger (David Cameron urges HS2 doubters to 'think big', 6 September). HS2 is too big for the Department for Transport alone.

The Independent

• Meet Britain's double decker champion: Bus Driver of the Year Gordon Cutting Gordon Cutting is not your typical bus driver. Having graduated with a degree in physics and astrophysics from Birmingham University in 1992 he thought it would be a good idea to get to know the industry in which he intended to work as a scheduler from the bottom up, so he applied for his licence. “I found out I was good at it and I enjoyed it,” he said.    
• HS2: High-speed rail plan will not help regions, warns Public Accounts Committee report The controversial High Speed Two (HS2) rail project has received one of its most damning assessments yet – just days after the Prime Minister called for a fightback in favour of the project – with the Department of Transport accused of basing  projections on “fragile numbers, out of date data and assumptions that do not reflect real life”.    

The Telegraph

• Outdated noise maps could see more nuisance for residents under flightpathThe Commission investigating London's airport capacity could underestimate the impact of noise on people under the flight path because it is working from outdated maps, councils have warned.    
• HS2 costs spiralling and benefits dwindling MPs warnHS2 has been dealt a devastating blow by Westminster's financial watchdog, which warned the Government has yet to present a

Mail Online

• Did PM leave red box on train unattended? Passenger says yes... No10 says noDavid Cameron had been using the distinctive briefcase, bearing his title of ‘Prime Minister’, to carry official papers as he travelled to a wedding in Yorkshire.
• There's no proof £50billion HS2 pan will give voters value for money: Damning report by MPs warns of spiralling costsPlans for the HS2 high-speed rail link are unrealistic and there is no real evidence that it will provide value for money, a report warns.

Belfast Telegraph

• HS2 comes under renewed attack The HS2 high-speed rail project has come under renewed attack as a public spending watchdog said the apparent benefits were dwindling as the costs spiralled.

Birmingham Post

• Chiltern unveils new look Birmingham to London trainsLaunch of upgraded rolling stock is part of a £5.3 million train investment programme

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Call to bus users to air their issues Bradford councillor Keith Dredge has been chosen to lead the county’s bus travel watchdog.
• Fresh criticism over HS2 rail link The troubled £42.6bn HS2 scheme – which promises 225mph trains from West Yorkshire to London – is an expensive leap in the dark, MPs warn today.

London Evening Standard

• Parties united in HS2 plan defenceA cross-party fightback against mounting criticism of a planned high-speed rail link gained momentum as advocates switched focus from reduced journey times to the need to ease overcrowding.
• HS2 comes under renewed attackThe HS2 high-speed rail project has come under renewed attack as a public spending watchdog said the apparent benefits were dwindling as the costs spiralled.

Sheffield Star

• Bus company picks up stars for green effortBus firm Stagecoach Yorkshire’s efforts to reduce vehicle emissions have been rewarded with a four-star rating in the Care4Air ECO Stars Fleet Recognition programme.

This Is Local London Network

• Road resurfacing delayed in Sutton until next year The resurfacing of a road has been delayed until next year.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Delays warning as £500,000 Cannock bridge improvement on the wayA bridge in Cannock is to undergo £500,000 worth of improvements after being ‘repeatedly’ hit by oversized vehicles, leading to warnings for drivers that they face weeks of delays on the road.
• West Midlands drivers dodge £1 million in parking finesMore than 14,500 parking fines dished out to drivers in the Black Country remain unpaid –  with councils missing out on more than £1 million.

Yorkshire Post

• Watchdog questions benefits of costly HS2The HS2 high-speed rail project has come under renewed attack from a public spending watchdog which said the apparent benefits were dwindling as costs spiralled.

Other Regional Press

• Pledge over bus servicesA charter setting out the standards passengers can expect from bus companies was due to be finalised today.
• ‘Serious concerns’ about plans to reduce bus serviceA public transport watchdog has expressed its ’serious concerns’ about the reduction of a bus service.
• Sheppey Crossing safety fears raised in Kent County Council report 16 years before horror pile-up involving 130 vehiclesKent County Council flagged up its concerns about the potential for accidents in bad weather at the Sheppey Crossing in 1997, it has been revealed.

Global Rail News

• Franchise payments rise while rail profits fall for Go-Ahead“We continue to believe in the fundamental strengths of the UK rail market,” said Go-Ahead chief executive David Brown after announcing a £15.7 million fall in rail profits. Brown maintained[...]