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

Wednesday, 16 October 2013

BBC News

• Minister's help for under-threat Arriva bus services Short-term funding is to be given to some bus routes in and around mid Wales after Arriva Buses Wales announced they could be scrapped.
• First tram from £40m fleet unveiledThe first of 20 new trams for Birmingham costing £40m in total is due to be officially unveiled later.
• Airport rail service to shut downA major link between Gatwick Airport and London will be closed during the Christmas holiday period.
• Views sought on 'airspace motorway'Residents near Gatwick and London City airports are asked to comment on changes to the way planes are managed above the South East.
• Boris lanes 'a danger to cyclists'The Mayor of London's flagship cycle superhighways are criticised by the Met at an inquest into the death of cyclist Brian Dorling.

Financial Times

• Alitalia shareholders agree rescue dealAirline’s board members offer to resign to reflect Alitalia’s new ownership structure after a €300m capital increase, which is part of rescue plan
• UK drives jump in Eurostar revenuesEurostar reports its best quarterly performance since 2008, as traveller numbers grow 5% to 2.7m with more sales of premium class tickets

The Herald

• Stagecoach founder buys airport for £1STAGECOACH co-founder Ann Gloag has agreed to pay £1 to buy Manston Airport in Kent from Infratil, its New Zealand owners who have also been trying to sell Prestwick Airport.

The Independent

• European meltdown for easyJet as its computer system crashes Thousands of easyJet passengers faced long delays and flight cancellations after a Europe-wide failure of the airline’s computer system. Queues at its main bases built up rapidly as ground staff struggled to check in passengers’ bags manually.    

The Telegraph

• EU delays introducing car CO2 emissions limitBritish and German pressure leads to EU delaying 95g per km carbon emissions limit for cars    
• Is the royal train grinding to a halt?Those who built the royal train say it hasn't reached the end of the line, says Joe Shute    
• Government accused of cutting corners over HS2Opponents have taken their fight to block HS2 to the Supreme Court, where their counsel has accused ministers of failing to carry out a proper environmental assessment    
• Nick Clegg: Labour indecision on HS2 is 'betraying the north'Labour is betraying the north by refusing to fully back the HS2 railway, Nick Clegg says.    

Daily Record

• Scott Douglas: City tram project is just a massive black hole WITH some £776m having been spent to bring trams to Edinburgh, one must ask where the money has actually been spent.

Mail Online

• Rural drivers could get a 5p fuel duty cut: 15 areas could see price drop because of higher costs of supplying petrol and dieselFuel duty in remote rural areas will be slashed by 5p a litre under plans to be put forward by ministers this week.

Network Rail

• Better facilities for Salford Crescent passengers Passengers are benefitting from better access and facilities at Salford Crescent station following a £12m upgrade which will allow the station to meet growing passenger demand in the city.

Derby Telegraph

• Consultation begins on student transport plansPARENTS are being asked for their views on proposals to end subsidised transport to faith schools in Derbyshire.

London Evening Standard

• Olympic cauldron creator Thomas Heatherwick bids to design new Northern Line stationsOlympic cauldron creator Thomas Heatherwick could design the new stations on the Northern line extension to Battersea, it emerged today.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post commented Leaders visit roads to see tram workArticle

Sheffield Star

• Buses damaged by Sheffield vandalsVandals are being hunted by police after attacking five buses serving a Sheffield estate.
• Bitter Sheffield HS2 station row is ‘unprecedented’The heated debate over where to locate Sheffield’s station on the high speed rail network is unprecedented, according to a senior HS2 executive.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Revealed: Demolition list for Leeds trolleybusA full list of the buildings earmarked for demolition to make way for the Leeds trolleybus scheme can today be revealed by the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Lancashire Telegraph

• £150m proposal to improve East Lancashire's transport links and widen M65 WIDENING the M65 to three lanes throughout, from the M61 at Clayton Brook to Blackburn, was promised yesterday as part of an ambitious strategy to improve transport links into East Lancashire.

Other Regional Press

• Tram simulator idea gives Milton Keynes firm another award chance A Milton Keynes company has its fingers crossed for this Thursday after being shortlisted for a third major award for its tram driver training simulator.
• Train hits bike 'dumped' on railway line between Deal and DoverPolice say passengers' lives could have been put at risk after a train hit a bike left on a railway line.
• Weymouth bus driver in line for top award Weymouth-based First bus driver Gus Iandi has been nominated for a bus industry “Oscar”.

Global Rail News

• South Africa orders 600 trains in order worth €3.8bnSouth Africa’s rail authority PRASA has agreed an order with an Alstom-led joint venture for 600 new trains worth €3.8 billion. The new passenger trains, which will amount to 3,600[...]
• Mont Blanc Express: Ain’t no mountain high enoughIn the shadow of central Europe’s highest mountain, The Mont Blanc Express line is a narrow-gauge single railway line winding its way just over 55km between Saint Gervais-les-Bains in the French Alps to the Swiss town of Martigny. Way back when the journey between Geneva and Chamonix took seven and a half hours by cart, [...]

Aviation Industry

• UK airports threatened by ground staff strikeBaggage handlers and check-in staff vote for industrial action
• BA parent firm hits out over Alitalia dealIAG says rescue deal for Italian carrier should be blocked

Other News Sources

• Traders hit by Blackburn bus station closure TRADERS in Railway Road, Blackburn, have asked the council for help to survive after the closure of the Boulevard bus station last month.
• Passengerfta gets the key to the door with TfL contractPassengerfta celebrates 21 years of service in style after being awarded the main Engineering Quality Monitoring (EQM) contract by Transport for ...
• Sir David Higgins to discuss HS2 with Ed Balls HS2’s incoming chairman Sir David Higgins will discuss HS2 with Labour’s shadow chancellor Ed Balls and former transport secretary Andrew Adonis at a meeting today.
• Sir David Higgins: HS2 second phase could be built earlyHigh Speed 2’s incoming chairman David Higgins said he would look at speeding up the delivery of the second leg of the scheme.
• Eurostar benefits from rise in business travellersTrain service sees 14 per cent increase in revenue from corporate market