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

Wednesday, 06 November 2013

BBC News

• Birmingham Midland Metro's £127m extension work startsThe first rails have been laid on a £127m project that will see trams return to Birmingham city centre.
• First Great Western train cleaners strike againCleaners for train operator First Great Western (FGW) are to stage another walkout in a dispute over a 2% pay offer and zero-hour contracts.
• Lincoln to Nottingham: Funding issues hit 'worst train line' appealThe government has said local authorities should fund improvements to a train service claimed by campaigners to be "one of the worst in the UK".
• Rails laid for £127m tram schemeThe first rails are laid on a £127m project that will see trams return to Birmingham city centre.
• Airport breach 'could happen again'An airport security breach that saw illegal immigrants smuggled on to planes by airline staff
• Bike hire scheme costs £60 per rideThe cost of a bike hire scheme in Dumfries works out at more than £60 per rental over its first three years, new figures show.
• Trans-Pennine route will not reopenTwo Victorian rail tunnels in the Pennines are to be sealed, dashing hopes the historic Manchester to Sheffield route could reopen.
• 'Managed motorway' plan unveiledThe hard shoulder of a busy stretch of motorway near Manchester is to open as an extra lane during busy times.
• HS2 minister corrects budget muddleThe minister overseeing the HS2 rail project issues an official correction after getting muddled over the size of his department's budget.
• Cyclist killed on cycle superhighwayA cyclist dies after a collision with a tipper lorry in east London on a cycle superhighway.
• Heathrow airlines ranked by noiseBritish Airways' short-haul services have the quietest planes at Heathrow according to the first list of airline noise performance at the airport.
• Govan: A shipbuilding historyA history of Govan's shipbuilding powerhouse
• Workers await news on shipyard jobsWorkers at BAE Systems shipyards on the Clyde and in Portsmouth are waiting to hear further details after some 1,000 job cuts were predicted.

Financial Times

• KPMG defends key HS2 reportTreasury select committee questions the evidence used to calculate estimated £15bn boost to the economy from the high-speed rail project
• Heathrow names the noisiest airlinesHeathrow has named and shamed its noisiest airlines as the London airport seeks to protect nearby residents and garner support for a third runway

The Herald

• Scots yards fight for future as 1000 jobs face the axeCONCERN is mounting over the future of shipbuilding on the Clyde after it emerged that BAE Systems plans to cut 1000 jobs and could close either its Govan or Scotstoun yards.
• £1m fund set up for minibusesA £1 MILLION community minibus fund has been set up to help local transport operators buy new vehicles to expand their services or replace older models.
• Inverness Airport to get runway upgradeINVERNESS airport is to undergo a £1.4 million revamp of its runway ,as part of an overall upgrade of the site.

The Independent

• Dutch-style bike lanes set for roll-out in Bristol - Britain’s cycling capital In a bid to save lives and reduce the fear factor preventing people from taking to two wheels, Bristol is to announce radical new proposals which will make it Britain’s first city to adopt Dutch-style cycle lanes.    

The Telegraph

• HS2 benefits 'essentially made up', economists tell MPsLeading academics question figures used to justify £50 billion high speed rail scheme in evidence to Treasury Select Committee    

Mail Online

• £15bn boost from HS2 is a sham, MPs are toldProfessor Henry Overman was one of a number of academics giving testimony to MPs which undermined the ministerial case for the 351-mile HS2 line.
• Polish planes are the loudest: Noise survey of 50 carriers landing at Heathrow finds nation's LOT airline is the noisiestA survey at Britain's busiest airport found the Polish carrier, along with Israel's El AL and Thai Airways, were the worst noise offenders while BA short-haul came top.

Network Rail

• Local children lend a hand to reopen Blackfriars Road footbridge in PortsmouthA footbridge which links Portsmouth and Southsea has been refurbished and reopened to provide a safe route across the railway between Portsmouth and Southsea.

London Evening Standard

• London has 'world's best taxis'London has been voted the world's favourite city for taxis, as long as cabbies do not take "the scenic route".

Sheffield Star

• Supertram service returns to normalDelayed repairs to Sheffield’s Supertram network have finally been completed – five weeks behind schedule.

Wales Online

• Train rage soars on Welsh rail network as passengers get violentFigures reveal that violent incidents are on the increase on the rail networks with gun crime more than doubling in the space of just one year, the figures show

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Richard Lewis: The logical solution to region’s transport conundrumTHE debate about HS2 may be hotting up at the moment, but we have spent far too long talking about the future of our rail network without actually achieving anything.
• Call to arms over Leeds trolleybus ‘land grab’Campaigners against the Leeds trolleybus have issued a new call to arms to fellow objectors amid claims of further ’land grab’ attempts by project bosses.
• OAPS hit out as Leeds bus service is axedPensioners have hit out at the scrapping of part of a popular bus route through their estate, which they claim was done with no notice and will leave many of them stranded.

Yorkshire Post

• Locked-out birders let fly at rail firmWILDLIFE lovers have been barred from part of a nature reserve after Network Rail put locks on a level crossing.
• Case for HS2 link not made yet says senior councillorWAKEFIELD Council chiefs remain unconvinced the proposed HS2 rail link would benefit the district as a deadline looms for the local authority to submit its views to the Government.

Doncaster Free Press

• Dearne railway park project in funding bidA steam railway and mining memorial park project in the Dearne Valley has made the final of The People’s Millions, in its bid for Lottery cash.    

Plymouth Herald

• Department for Transport confirm Plymouth rail line will have "potential" to host new electric trains THE Department for Transport has confirmed the railway line to Plymouth is being prepared so it can support faster electric trains when they are rolled out in 2017.

Other Regional Press

• Networking goes on the buswayA business networking group will be going on the busway for a social evening later this month.
• Removing free school travel will save £2m COUNCIL officials say they are looking at saving up to £2m by withdrawing free school buses for some pupils – months after postponing similar plans.
• It's full steam ahead for £70m revamp of Oxford rail station THE £70m transformation of Oxford railway station will now go ahead after Government officials finally approved the plan.
• £4m Greyfriars demolition plan to be discussed by councilThe demolition of Northampton’s Greyfriars bus station will take 18 months and begin on March 31 next year.
• Fines on the rise as Aberdeen drivers ignore bus lane rulesHUNDREDS of drivers are continuing to flout bus lanes rules in Aberdeen, the Evening Express can reveal today.
• Busy Aberdeen road starts to sink after repairsA BUSY Aberdeen commuter road was found to be sinking after repairs to a burst water main, the Evening Express can reveal today.
• Plans for Weymouth cycle route to go on display PLANS for an improved cycleway in Weymouth town centre are going on public display

Railnews

• New role for train driver who averted disaster A ScotRail driver whose swift actions averted a serious disaster after a landslip has been named as the new president of REPTA – the Railway Employees and Public Transport Association.

Aviation Industry

• Green organisations tell Sir Howard Davies that allowing another runway jeopardises UK climate goalsGreen groups have written to Airports Commission chairman Sir Howard Davies challenging his view that new runway capacity is compatible with the Government’s climate change goals (1).   The letter is a response to a recent speech by Davies which he used to rule out a “no new runway solution” (2). The eight national environmental NGOs […]
• Lufthansa: Bombardier needs to improve CSeries salesLufthansa Group hopes to see sales of the Bombardier CSeries aircraft improve, the company’s head of fleet management said Tuesday. read more
• Aer Lingus reports improved 3Q operating profit Irish carrier Aer Lingus has reported a third-quarter operating profit of €94.9 million ($128.1 million), up 4.4% from €90.9 million in the year-ago period. read more

Other News Sources

• Free parking after 3pm and at weekends in Blackburn council-owned car parks to be launched FREE stays from 3pm on weekdays on all council-owned surface car parks will be offered from November 21 to attract shoppers to drive into the town centre.
• Greece strike to disrupt flightsAir traffic controllers will take part in public sector walkout

Other Subscription Services

• Manchester airport relief road team in place A joint venture of Carillion and Morgan Sindall will build the 290m A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road scheme.The appointment of a main contractor was announced as Stockport Council, along...