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

Monday, 30 September 2013

BBC News

• Southeastern trains 'leaves on line' timetable begins A railway timetable introduced to help train drivers cope with leaves on the line in south-east England has come into effect.
• Balcombe Tunnel repair failures 'could have been fatal' Passengers on the London to Brighton line could have been killed because of years of maintenance work failures in a Victorian tunnel, a whistle-blowing rail engineer has claimed.
• Ipswich Old Cattle Market bus station to reopen after delays A Suffolk bus station is to reopen next week after delays meant the £700,000 revamp was not finished when planned.
• Funding boost for Leeds station improvement plan Transport projects across West Yorkshire, including improvements to Leeds city railway station, have been given a funding boost.
• Euro-MPs to vote on pilots' hoursA vote is due on changes to European rules governing pilots' flying hours, a move the UK's pilots' union says could put flight safety at risk.
• Germany's Siemens to axe 15,000 jobsIndustrial giant Siemens is to cut up to 15,000 jobs, a third of them in Germany, as part of a cost-cutting programme.
• Reading Thames bridge 'needs separate cycle lanes' Cyclists in Reading have said a planned pedestrian and cycle bridge needs to include separate lanes to avoid bringing "people into conflict".

Financial Times

• Inquiry finds flaws in Heathrow’s expansion plan Heathrow’s case for expansion is flawed because it has failed to account for how London’s roads and public transport will cope with millions more passengers, the inquiry on UK flight capacity has heard.
• Boris Johnson fears Heathrow on flight path to victoryBoris Johnson has admitted he is losing the battle to decide Britain’s hub airport strategy as support grows for what he called the “tragedy” of Heathrow expansion over his vision of an “aerotropolis” in the Thames estuary.
• Norwegian takes Dreamliner off long-haulNorwegian Air Shuttle decision is latest setback for aircraft that entered service more than three years late and has been dogged by safety concerns

The Herald

• Social route bid 'immoral' says bus giant chiefA SENIOR manager with one of Scotland's largest bus companies has branded proposals to force operators to run socially needed but unprofitable routes as
• Engineers call for high-speed rail extensionEXTENDING the new high-speed rail link into Scotland and reviewing the impact of Air Passenger Duty on the country's airports are among the key recommendations of a new expert study.

The Telegraph

• If HS2 ever gets built, it'll take a hike to ride it Forget the £50 billion cost – regional leaders are questioning the logic of a high-speed train line that will stop on the edges of their towns
• David Cameron insists HS2 'is going to happen' David Cameron has said there is a "limit" to the amount of money that he will spend on the HS2 rail link between London and the North, but insisted: "HS2 is going to happen."
• If HS2 ever gets built, it'll take a hike to ride itLatest rail project re-branding shows how out of touch the Tories are, says Andrew Gilligan    
• Ministers still considering 80mph limit on motorwaysMinisters are still working on plans to raise the motorway speed limit to 80mph, it has been disclosed.    

Mail Online

• Now a pilot falls asleep on approach to Gatwick: Damning dossier reveals testimony of flight crew who have fallen asleep at the controlsThe British Airline Pilots’ Association has released a damning dossier of testimony from flight crew admitting to nodding off in the cockpit, sometimes simultaneously.

Birmingham Mail

• £10m pledge to put rail services back on the right track Centro and London Midland unite in bid to woo commuters onto the railways

Birmingham Post

• HS2: Cameron admits 'limit' to funds for £42 billion rail link Future of the proposed line linking the capital with cities including Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds was thrown into doubt at last week's Labour conference

London Evening Standard

• High drama on the Thames as 30 passengers are rescued from burning tourist boat Flames ripped through an amphibious tourist bus on the Thames shortly before midday with about 30 people on board, 15 of whom had to be pulled from the water by the London Fire Brigade.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post published 'Sorry' over complaint on revamped railway stationArticle
• Nottingham Post published No-go! Drivers face paying the penalty at another junctionCAR drivers are being banned from using another city centre junction.A second bus-only road has been set up near the train station, preventing drivers using the junction of Queen's Road and Summer Leys Lane.It comes days after the Post revealed the first such scheme – in Station Street – had lined the city council's coffers with more than £430,000 in fines.A council spokesman said the new restriction was part of safety measures around the tram extension work.Road closures will...

Wales Online

• Women are the biggest losers when bus services are cut, warns think tankBevan Foundation report says that loss of public transport in Wales gives women fewer opportunities to work or study

Yorkshire Post

• Blue plaque installed at railway station to celebrate Brontë linksA BLUE plaque has been installed at Sowerby Bridge railway station to commemorate Branwell Brontë’s connection with the town and its first railway station.
• Airline ‘snobs’ snub carriersAirline “snobs” are snubbing certain carriers to avoid particular types of people, according to a survey.

Doncaster Free Press

• Doncaster rail passengers on track for bargainsDoncaster rail passengers have been given a chance to snap up cheap tickets as First Hull Trains launches its biggest promotion in its 12-year history.    

North Wales Live

• Derek Hatton: Scrapping bus lanes will put cyclists at risk Bus lane suspension to begin late October

Other Regional Press

• Bus service launched during closure A NEW bus service and half price fares have been introduced to help keep Evesham town centre connected during the 10 week Abbey Bridge closure.
• Bus route campaign Bus company Arriva has decided not to reinstate eight services through the town centre, despite pleas from struggling traders.
• Railway at War event transports village back to 1940sA village in near Northampton was transported back to the 1940s for the annual Railway at War event.