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

Thursday, 07 November 2013

BBC News

• Government approves Bristol 'rapid transit' metrobus schemeThe government has given its approval to the planned "rapid transit" bus route through Bristol.
• Bus beams live CCTV images to policeA Birmingham bus becomes equipped to stream live footage of crimes or incidents of anti-social behaviour to police.
• Delays warning over M4 relief roadThere will be at least
• VIDEO: Can UK make cost-effective ships?The BBC's defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt assesses the changing nature of ship-building in Britain.
• 10 ways to prevent plane bird strikesHardly a week goes by without a plane somewhere in the US making an emergency landing after hitting birds. As these incidents reach record levels, airports are coming up with increasingly imaginative ways of combating them.
• Concept car ditches steering wheelToyota previews a concept car that lacks a steering wheel, instead suggesting drivers would control it by shifting their body weight.
• Villiers hopes DVA jobs can be savedThe secretary of state says she hopes 300 jobs at the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) in County Londonderry will not be moved to Wales.
• VIDEO: Cycle superhighway extension opensAn extension of a cycle superhighway in east London has been officially opened, a day after a cyclist was killed on the route.
• 'Super-port' opens for businessLondon Gateway, the UK's newest container port, is due to welcome its first vessel as it opens for business.
• Oldest Tube carriage goes on paradeThe oldest working London Underground carriage is to appear as a float in the Lord Mayor's Show to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Tube.
• BAE cuts 1,775 jobs at UK yardsBAE Systems is to cut 1,775 jobs at its yards in Scotland and England and end shipbuilding altogether at Portsmouth.

Financial Times

• Alstom to cut 1,300 jobs and sell assetsFrench industrial bellwether could sell stake in transport arm as part of an accelerated cost-cutting drive it hopes will boost competitiveness
• Ryanair, Airbus and nightmare flightsTake pledges to improve service with a pinch of salt. Flying is an inherently awful experience because of the lack of room, and it is likely to remain so
• FirstGroup cuts losses to £8mUK transport group says it has put in place foundations for its recovery and is on track to meet its goals after narrowing its first-half losses
• Brussels probes state aid for Lot airlineThe airline last year posted a loss of 400m zlotys (€96m), its fifth year of losses in a row, and needed an immediate injection of aid to keep flying

The Herald

• Treasury considers increasing rural fuel duty areasRURAL communities have welcomed news that the Treasury is considering increasing the number of remote mainland areas which could benefit from fuel duty discounts.
• £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.
• Coalition 'playing politics' with future of Clyde yardsTHE UK Government has been accused of threatening people's livelihoods for political ends after Coalition ministers suggested the future of shipbuilding on the Clyde would be in jeopardy if Scots voted Yes in the independence referendum.

The Independent

• Milton Keynes to introduce driverless public transport pods by 2017 Milton Keynes has announced plans to deploy a driverless public transport system. 100 pods will be introduced to the town alongside an accompanying smartphone app that can be used to book and pay for journeys.    

Network Rail

• Rail safety in Essex to improve as bridges and an underpass replace six level crossingsWork to replace six level crossings in Essex with modern, safer alternatives has begun as part of Network Rail’s national level crossing safety improvement programme.
• Network Rail launches public consultation on plans to increase rail capacity on the Hope Valley lineNetwork Rail has launched a consultation giving members of the public the opportunity to comment on plans to construct two new sections of railway track close to Grindleford and Dore & Totley stations.
• Plans for bridge over Lincoln High Street level crossing submittedNetwork Rail has submitted plans to Lincoln City Council for a new bridge which will allow pedestrians and cyclists free-flowing access along High Street in Lincoln 24-hours-a-day.

Birmingham Mail

• New Jaguar F-Type Coupé revving up for Los Angeles debut Motoring world eagerly awaiting unveiling of new all-aluminium Castle-Bromwich-made car

Birmingham Post

• Passengers escaping on fire 'duck' tourist boat were not wearing lifejackets All 28 passengers on board the Thames cruise tour were plucked to safety from the water, investigation committee heard

London Evening Standard

• Boris Johnson faces complaint over £4,000 claim for flightsThe Mayor faced an official complaint today after he claimed £4,000 for flights during his recent trade mission to the Gulf.
• Boris Johnson announces £35m scheme to improve cyclist safety in LondonBoris Johnson today announced a £35 million scheme to improve safety on London’s busiest bike lanes.

Manchester Evening News

• Rail route to boost offices A new rail line through Manchester city centre is set to unlock the development of a string of new office blocks.

Sheffield Star

• Cyclist demands action on submerged potholesA cyclist who made an urgent report about a ’dangerous’ pothole submerged beneath puddles in Sheffield has complained about the response to his complaint.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Runway boost for high-flying airportINVERNESS Airport is to be boosted with a runway upgrade so the terminal can handle a boom in flights.

Wales Online

• South Wales to Heathrow rail link would provide major economic boostSecretary of State for Wales David Jones said a £500m direct rail link between Heathrow and South Wales would be a major economic driver

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Objectors make voices heard on Leeds trolleybus planNEARLY 1,000 formal objections to the Leeds trolleybus scheme have been lodged with the Department for Transport.

Yorkshire Post

• Woodhead tunnels to be closed for goodRAIL campaigners have reacted with dismay after the Government announced it will not seek to reopen the Woodhead tunnels beneath the Peak District to establish a faster rail link between Sheffield and Manchester.
• Dales drivers
must wait for fuel discountPLANS to offer fuel duty discounts to motorists in rural North Yorkshire and other parts of the UK face a delay.

Blackpool Gazette

• Bus fears allayed as work set to startTransport chiefs have agreed to plans for a contra-flow bus lane in part of Blackpool – despite objections from some road users who fear the scheme will add to congestion.

East Anglian Daily Times

• East Anglia: Extra ‘flexi-space’ could add room for bikes on trainsPressure is growing on railway operator Greater Anglia to ensure its trains not only have enough space for cycles, but also luggage, wheelchairs and baby buggies.

Other Regional Press

• Saffron Walden MP looks to Manchester to solve air capacity issues Saffron Walden’s MP has spoken out on Stansted Airport’s future and made it clear expansion is not an option.
• Green party protest railway privatisation at Weymouth station MEMBERS of the West and South Dorset Green Party supported a national protest at Weymouth train station.
• Bedford Bus Station to be demolished... and then replacedA CONTRACTOR has been chosen to demolish Bedford Bus Station.

Global Rail News

• Bond Street office development approvedPlanning permission has been granted for a 65,000 sq ft development above the new Crossrail Bond Street station. Westminster City Council has approved the construction of the new office development[...]
• High-speed train for Hong Kong-Guangzhou line revealedMTR has unveiled the new high-speed train which once operational in 2015 is expected to strengthen economic ties between Hong Kong and mainland China. Testing is set to begin on[...]
• Alstom looking to sell stake in transport armAlstom has announced it is to look into selling off a minority stake in its transport division in an attempt to strengthen the company’s balance sheet. Chief executive Patrick Kron[...]
• Biting the bullet – the Danish ERTMS roll outMuch has been written on the deployment of the European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Level 2 across Europe. Most of the more recent High Speed lines are equipped with the system (or more accurately the ETCS – European Train Control System plus GSM-R) where infrastructure and trains are more or less self contained and [...]

Aviation Industry

• AEF Autumn Newsletter 2013The AEF Autumn edition of Flying Green is now available on our website. Please follow this link to the PDF version. If you would like to receive future e-newsletters, you can subscribe on the sidebar of our home page. In this edition of Flying Green, we have stories on: The latest from the Airports Commission […]
• British Airways eyeing US expansion Though British Airways (BA) already flies extensively to the US, serving more than 20 destinations in the continental US with 5X-weekly London Heathrow-Austin Boeing 787 service set to start in March 2014, the carrier is eyeing further US expansion. read more
• Probe launched into LOT’s bailoutEC will examine whether Polish airline's €200 million state aid is legal

Other News Sources

• Ryanair Welcomes Belgian Court Ruling Upholding EU Law Ryanair today (6 Nov) welcomed the ruling by the Charleroi Labour Court dismissing a case taken against Ryanair by a former crew member, which confirmed that Ryanair crew are employed on Irish ...
• The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has given approval to Jetstar Airways to begin Boeing 787 aircraft operationsThe Civil Aviation Safety Authority has given approval to Jetstar Airways to begin Boeing 787 aircraft operations.CASA has authorised the addition of the first 787 to Jetstarrsquo;s fleet, with ...