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

Thursday, 10 October 2013

BBC News

• MPs call for rail investment after Greater Anglia delays MPs in Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk have called for more money to be spent on the region's railways following a day of disruption on the Greater Anglia service into London.
• 'Gaping hole' in rail fare formula, says campaigner A cap on the amount train companies can increase rail ticket prices by in England is not significant enough, according to campaigners.
• London cabbies' poster anger over licence delays Posters of the home secretary are being used by taxi drivers campaigning against delays in background checks.
• Axing Liverpool's bus lanes 'may lose passengers' Transport minister Norman Baker has expressed concern that plans to scrap bus lanes in Liverpool could lead to lost passengers and more congestion.
• MEPs back flying hours bill in defiance of committee The European Parliament has backed a bill to regulate pilots' working hours despite its rejection by their own transport committee.
• Ford car wrests control of steeringFord is testing a car that takes control of the steering wheel away from the driver if it believes they are failing to take the action necessary to avoid a crash.
• Aston Martin axes Cygnet small carLuxury car maker Aston Martin will end production of the Cygnet this year after poor sales.
• Airport 'could be given away free'Glasgow Prestwick's owners suggest they may give away the airport for nothing, as they begin sale talks with Scottish ministers.

Financial Times

• MTR on track for Beijing rail dealsThe Hong Kong metro rail group is in talks to operate two new lines in China’s capital, including a high-speed link to the new international airport
• End of the jumbo jet era approachesAirbus and Boeing, in their different ways, were both too ambitious a decade ago, took on excess risk and are living with the consequences

The Herald

• French strike to hit UK air passengersThousands of UK air travellers face possible delays and cancellations today due to planned industrial action by French air traffic controllers.
• Pothole compensation costs councils £2.5mBritain has a pothole epidemic, according to a breakdown company.
• Safety work on notorious stretch of A9 gets under wayWORK has begun on one of the most difficult sections on the A9 trunk road, on the east coast of Caithness.

The Telegraph

• New crackdown on disabled blue badge abuseFresh curbs are being introduced on the fraudulent use of blue badges which can be worth as much as £1,500 on the black market    
• Potholes crisis continuesFresh research suggests that there is no end in sight to the pothole crisis, with nearly 10 per cent of drivers complaining of damage to their car    
• Illegal immigrants to be kept off roadIllegal immigrants will be denied driving licences under laws to be announced on Thursday.    
• Rail fares cap to 'help hard-working commuters'Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin says the planned cap on rail fare increases will be a

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented Soapbox David Gibson: A tram system would improve our city if it...Article

Liverpool Echo

• New 'baby' expected at Halewood JLR factory Secret preparation work for the  new car is  already under way at the factory is set to  go into production in the next 12  months

London Evening Standard

• Ministers consider freeze on rail faresMinisters are considering freezing rail fares amid mounting political concern about the cost of living crisis, the Evening Standard has learned.
• Crossrail tunnels reach the halfway markCrossrail workers were celebrating today as excavation work on its tunnels reached the halfway mark.
• Caught on film, distracted drivers applying make-up and brushing their teeth at wheelDistracted drivers have been caught doing their make-up and even brushing their teeth at the wheel in police footage.

Sheffield Star

• Sheffield HS2 rail station bid sparks rowSheffield Council’s campaign for a city centre high speed rail station has caused a row with neighbouring authorities and transport chiefs.

The York Press

• £500,000 bus-stop upgrade for York TRANSPORT bosses in York have announced plans for an upgrade of key bus stops in the city, costing £500,000.

Wales Online

• South Wales Metro system given green light as Welsh Government allocates £62m to the scheme Finance Minister Jane Hutt has confirmed the plans with the £62m to be spent on the scheme over the next three years

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds street identified as one of worst in country for potholesA street in Leeds has been identified as one of the worst in the country for potholes.

Yorkshire Post

• Yorkshire hits rock bottom on potholesroads in Yorkshire are among some of the worst examples of the country’s “pothole epidemic”, according to newly released research.

Blackpool Gazette

• Rail bosses pledge on capital rail linkRail bosses today said they are working to free up capacity by 2016 in a bid to allow Virgin Trains to introduce new services between Blackpool and London.

Bucks Free Press

• Treasury Committee reveals HS2 'serious shortcomings' 'SERIOUS shortcomings' have been found in the HS2 economic case by an influential group of MPs.

Doncaster Free Press

• Leave the car and try the bus for free in DoncasterTransport bosses are urging Doncaster commuters to leave the car at home and ‘Give the Bus a Go’ in a new scheme designed to cut congestion in the town.    

North Wales Live

• Liverpool bus lanes plan criticised by Government Former transport minister wants to see evidence behind suspension

Other Regional Press

• West Cornwall's rural bus service reprieved - but only for winter WEST Cornwall's lifeline rural bus services will run this winter – but the rescue package is only guaranteed until April.
• Hole appears in Newport street over rail tunnel A HOLE has appeared in the road on Tunnel Terrace in the Baneswell area of Newport this morning.
• Battlefield in Northamptonshire is ‘registered’ following HS2 threatEnglish Heritage has listed a battlefield in Northamptonshire which could be affected by the route for the proposed HS2 rail link.
• Bus station parade plans postponedA parade to save Preston Bus Station has been delayed until next month due to a clash with another event.
• Lower rail fare hikes for Kent passengers as ticket price powers curbed for train operators including SoutheasternTicket prices for the Kent rail network will not rise by as much as expected next year after the government announced a cap to protect passengers.
• Huddersfield road safety group Brake say most drivers break law but think they’re safeMost drivers are breaking traffic laws, it emerged today

Global Rail News

• Warsaw Inspiro enters serviceSiemens’ new Inspiro metro has begun transporting passengers on Warsaw’s underground network. Having gained certification at the end of September, the first train has now been officially launched on Line[...]
• Virgin Trains announces aspirations for the futureVirgin Trains has outlined a raft of improvements and plans to make the forthcoming engineering works at Watford as painless as possible for passengers. The train operator says it would[...]
• Vienna U-bahn extension opensA 4.2-kilometre extension of the U2 metro line in Vienna has opened – four years after work first started on the project. The new line takes the U-Bahn further north[...]
• First Crossrail tunnel completedCrossrail has completed the construction of the first of its new train tunnels under London. It comes as Crossrail’s tunnelling machines reach the 13 mile point in their 26 mile[...]

Railnews

• ORR to probe marketing of rail tickets Fare increases are being reduced by the Government, which is cutting the limit of the 'flex' deployed by train operators from 5 per cent to 2 per cent. The move is part of the delayed Fares and Ticketing Review, which has been published today. Other measures include a new Marketing Review to be carried out by the Office of Rail Regulation, examining whether current markets are operating efficiently, effectively, and in the best interests of passengers.

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair to hire new senior executive to boost imageRyanair is to hire a new senior executive to spearhead efforts to create a new, softer image after it was voted the worst of the 100 biggest brands serving the British market by consumer magazine Which? The decision comes weeks after Chief Executive Michael O'Leary promised to transform the company's culture, admitting for the first time that a ... (more)
• Airports Commission: UK will need additional runway capacityEleven months into its duty to examine the UK’s airport capacity requirement, the government-appointed Airports Commission has given early indications it believes additional capacity is required in the form of new runways in the southeast of England. read more
• French strike set to cause flights disruptionAirlines warn of delays and cancellations due to air traffic controllers' industrial action