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

Tuesday, 01 October 2013

BBC News

• More rail stations rethink pleaPlans for 20 new railway stations across south Wales have been criticised as failing to look at how passengers will get to their nearest station.
• VIDEO: Concerns for rail station plansPlans are unveiled for a quicker, greener and more efficient train service for tens of thousands of commuters across south east Wales.
• VIDEO: HS2 to bring 'jobs and prosperity' - OsborneGeorge Osborne told the conference in Manchester the high speed rail line would bring
• HS2 critics should 'stop moaning'Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin says he is
• £140,000 road scheme for MagilliganRegional Development Minister Danny Kennedy announces a road resurfacing scheme worth £140,000 for Magilligan, County Londonderry.
• Bus driver 'ditched me for arcade'An angry passenger complains that a bus driver 'ditched him alone on the bus' and nipped into a local amusement arcade.
• Tobermory attracting cruise businessTobermory reputation as a cruise ship destination
• Eurostar in East Coast Main Line bidThe Channel Tunnel operator announces a joint bid to take over the running of the London to Scotland rail route.
• Changes to pilot hours rejectedPlans to standardise pilots' working hours regulations are rejected in a surprise European Parliament vote after unions expressed safety fears.
• Rail mobile broadband plan announcedThe rail industry plans to roll out high-speed mobile broadband across the busiest parts of Britain's rail network, says the government.

Financial Times

• McLoughlin dismisses HS2 criticsTransport secretary dismisses ‘moaning London commentators’ and stresses the need to increase rail capacity
• Eurostar to bid for UK rail franchiseSubsidiary of French national railway enters the race for the East Coast mainline, while the current state-owned operator is barred from bidding

The Herald

• Eurostar and Keolis to bid for East Coast franchiseCHANNEL Tunnel operator Eurostar is bidding to take over the running of the main London to Scotland rail line, with the new franchise due to come into effect from February 2015.
• Alarm at pedestrian death figures for tiny blackspotMORE than one-third of pedestrian road deaths in Scotland last year were clustered in an area half the size of Arran, according to newly obtained figures.

The Independent

• Tory Party Conference: Transport secretary announces high speed broadband to roll out on rail network High speed mobile broadband is to be rolled out across the busiest parts of the UK's rail network, the transport secretary has announced.    
• Passenger safety at risk after EU rejects changes to pilots’ hours, transport official warns The European Union’s top transport official has warned that passenger safety could be at risk after a European Parliament committee on Monday rejected changes to pilots’ flight and rest times.    

The Telegraph

• Ultrasound device 'gives blind people ability to cycle safely'People who have lost their sight could soon be able to ride a bicycle independently thanks to a new invention which uses ultrasound technology to warn of hazards.
• HS2 is 'essential heart bypass' for UK but bill too high, says ministerPeople should stop
• Osborne to freeze fuel duty until 2015George Osborne announced that he will freeze fuel duty until 2015 as the Conservatives attempted to respond to Ed Miliband's pledge to limit energy prices.    

Times Online

• Rail freight on HS2 ’would boost economy’ [Letter] SubscriptionBuilding HS2 will free up much needed capacity on the West Coast Mainline which is a vital freight artery

Daily Express

• George Osborne: I want to freeze fuel duty until 2015 to ease squeezeGEORGE Osborne yesterday declared his ambition to freeze fuel duty until at least 2015 to help households hit by the squeeze on living standards.

Mail Online

• BALPA: Controversial plans to change how pilots' hours are regulated are rejected by EU over safety fearsPilots claim the proposed changes to flying hours and rostered rest periods will put lives at risk. The proposals face further votes by the full European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.
• George Osborne to freeze fuel duty until 2015 electionIt will cost £750million to cancel the rise next September, which is the last of the annual above-inflation increases pencilled into the public finances by the previous Labour government.

Belfast Telegraph

• Four out of five want George Best Belfast City Airport's seats limit lifted, poll reveals A new poll suggests that 82.1% of people in Northern Ireland are in favour of lifting the seats for sale cap at Belfast City Airport.
• £750m pre-election sweetener for motoristsMotorists were offered a £750 million pre-election sweetener today, as Chancellor George Osborne declared his ambition to impose a freeze on fuel duty until polling day in May 2015.    

Birmingham Mail

• Transport secretary: HS2 is ‘heart bypass’ for UKPatrick McLoughlin reiterates need for high-speed rail investment amid criticism over cost

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Railway landmark celebrated The 125th anniversary of the opening of the Skipton to Ilkley railway line will be celebrated this weekend.

London Evening Standard

• Rail commuters promised ultra-fast mobile broadbandMobile phone and internet connections will be boosted for millions of train passengers, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin pledged today.

Manchester Evening News

• Gorton residents vow to fight HS2 threat that could see homes demolishedThe High Speed Rail line would see 22 homes in the Bennett Street area knocked down to make way for the high speed line as it emerges from an underground tunnel around a mile from Piccadilly. 

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Eurostar makes East Coast rail bidChannel Tunnel high-speed train company Eurostar has launched a bid to operate the East Coast mainline

Northern Echo

• Road safety campaign launched amid concern over mounting number of pedestrian deaths and injuries THE number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured on County Durham’s roads has reached an eight year high, figures show.

The York Press

• Eurostar bids to run East Coast main line Channel Tunnel high-speed train company Eurostar is bidding to operate a key London to Scotland rail route.

Yorkshire Post

• Eurostar and French firm in joint bid to run East Coast lineChannel Tunnel high-speed train company Eurostar is bidding to operate the main rail route between Yorkshire and London.

Bucks Free Press

• Speed camera covered to judge how effective it is A SPEED camera in West Wycombe Road has been covered over for county council officials to review how effective it is.

Daventry Express

• Exploring Britain by bus is just the ticket Bus-Pass Britain Rides Again: More Of The Nation's Favourite Bus Journeys celebrates 50 trips, many recommended by Sunday Express readers. These are our favourites...
• Stop HS2 campaigners call on Tory’s to step back and look at plansStop HS2 campaigners have responded to claims that it is an ’essential heart bypass’ by saying it will not come in on time and on budget.

Doncaster Free Press

• Eurostar Bid for Doncaster rail linePassengers could soon be taking the Eurostar from Doncaster – but it will not get them to France.    

Peterborough Telegraph

• New Peterborough bus services to beginMonday 6.10pm: Three new timetabled bus services begin in Peterborough tomorrow (Tuesday, 1 October) replacing Local Link services.
• Eurostar makes East Coast rail bidChannel Tunnel high-speed train company Eurostar is bidding to operate a key London to Scotland rail route which runs through Peterborough.

The Shields Gazette

• Bus shake-up will increase fares, says firmBUS firm Stagecoach claims a plan by local authorities to take over services will mean hundreds of passengers in South Tyneside paying higher fares.
• Jail for Shields pair who stole luggage from trainsTWO South Shields men who committed a series of luggage thefts from trains in the North East have been jailed after a British Transport Police investigation.

Other Regional Press

• 'Cyclepathic' city - but Cambridge station cycle park branded 'shambolic' A MATHEMATICIAN has done his sums and branded Cambridge’s rail station cycle park a “shambles” - and a disgrace to the city’s “cyclepathic tendencies”.
• Rail centre is chuffed Visits to Didcot Railway Centre are up 11 per cent on last year.
• Souvenirs of Preston bus station flying off shelvesLove it or hate it, Preston’s iconic bus station has certainly sparked debate.
• Teen work to save iconic bus stationTeenagers armed with cans of paints made a beeline for Preston Bus Station - but it wasn’t to emblazon it with graffiti.
• Cyclist still face “selfish” driver problemA cyclist has told how there is still a “selfish” attitude on the road when it comes to motorists and bike riders.
• Buses and trains across Kent and Medway could get Oyster-style cards if Kent County Council trial with Arriva in Maidstone proves successfulCounty transport chiefs are trying out a pay-as-you-go card for buses and trains that might be rolled out across Kent and Medway.
• Boost in peak hour services on the Thameslink franchise around Maidstone EastTrain passengers in parts of Kent are to get a boost in rush hour services... but not for another five years.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Third runway equals transport chaos30 September 2013: One of the most pressing, but least considered problems when proposals are made to expand Heathrow is that of surface transport to and from the airport. read more

Global Rail News

• Ashton Metrolink extension to open next weekThe first Metrolink tram is set to arrive in Ashton on October 9, completing the latest extension of Manchester’s light rail network. Trams are currently undergoing testing along the 3.4km[...]
• Keolis and Eurostar to enter joint bid for East Coast franchiseKeolis and Eurostar have announced that they are to enter a joint bid in the competition to operate the UK’s East Coast main line (ECML). Keolis, which already operates the[...]
• Bridge works to begin for Chase Line electrification projectNetwork Rail is to begin bridge works in the West Midlands in preparation for the electrification of the Chase Line in 2017. In November, Network Rail will begin rebuilding three[...]
• New Auckland commuter station enters detailed design phaseDetailed design work is set to be carried out on a proposed railway station in the Auckland suburb of Parnell after being approved by the city’s transport authority. The board[...]
• Spanish government approves plans to split up state-owned train operatorThe Spanish government has given the green light to a planned restructuring of rail operator Renfe. The state-owned operator will be split into four under the proposals, with separate bodies[...]

Railnews

• Eurostar, Keolis to bid for Intercity East Coast Keolis and Eurostar International have announced they intend to launch a joint bid for the Intercity East Coast franchise. The competition is highly controversial, because unions and others are calling for the present 'franchise' to remain state-owned. However, under present Department for Transport plans, the successful bidder is expected to be awarded a contract in October 2014, with the franchise starting in February 2015.
• Eurostar to serve Amsterdam from 2016 Eurostar has taken a major step towards developing the international rail market from London, by announcing that it will be providing two direct trains a day from London to Rotterdam and Amsterdam from December 2016. The services will use Eurostar™s new e320 trains, and will also call at Antwerp and Schiphol Airport.

Aviation Industry

• Bristol boosted by new Easyjet servicesAirline adds destinations in Iceland and Morocco from regional airport

Other News Sources

• New crossing welcomed by road safety campaigners in HorsellA petition for a pedestrian crossing signed by more than 400 people was presented to the local committee meeting in Woking
• Brighton pressure group - "Time to stop hitting motorists so hard" A crackdown on “aggressive” parking policies has been welcomed by a motorist pressure group.
• Transport secretary hits out at HS2 criticsMcLoughlin attacks London-based opponents of rail project
• Eurostar to launch East Coast bidChannel Tunnel operator will join French consortium bidding for UK franchise