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

Tuesday, 14 January 2014

BBC News

• BMW demos 'drifting' self-drive carAs BMW shows off a self-driving car that can
• Work under way on third Don crossingWork on the site of a controversial new road bridge in Aberdeen - linking the Bridge of Don and Tillydrone - gets under way.
• Station car and taxi ban to beginA ban on cars and taxis in Edinburgh's Waverley Station is due to come into force from the beginning of next week.
• Minister orders review of grittingNorthern Ireland's regional development minister orders a review of decisions made regarding road gritting.
• HS2 rail scheme 'to have FE college'The HS2 high-speed rail project is to have a dedicated further education college to train engineering staff, ministers have announced.
• Scottish airports report bumper yearScottish airports enjoyed a bumper year for passenger numbers with records tumbling in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, according to figures.
• Airbus sees record orders in 2013Airbus delivers a company record of 626 planes last year, but it still undershoots rival Boeing
• Toyota unveils concept sports carJapanese carmaker Toyota has unveiled a new concept sports car, Future Toyota-1 (FT-1), at the Detroit motor show.

Financial Times

• Airbus eyes A320 ramp-up to match BoeingEuropean group won the battle for passenger aircraft orders with Boeing last year, although it delivered fewer jets than its US rival in a boom year
• Europe’s banks face shipping challengeGerman lenders among the hardest hit by portfolios of non-performing loans after five years that have seen shipping volumes slow in the downturn
• Heathrow passenger numbers rise 3%Numbers boost as airlines use bigger A380 superjumbo which seats up to 850 people and increase the percentage of seats occupied on flights
• HS2 chairman dashes hopes of big savingsSir David Higgins warns that scrapping the UK rail project would prove disastrous "not only for the railways, but for what it does to the country"

The Guardian

• Further education college will train workforce needed to build High Speed 2FE college being opened to service construction of high-speed rail line will create generation of engineers, says Vince Cable
• HS2 may ease housing pressure in London, says project bossDavid Higgins claims high-speed rail will mean resources and wealth will be redistributed between north and south

The Independent

• Britain’s first new Further Education College for more than 20 years will train 2,000 engineers for HS2 project Britain’s first new Further Education College for more than 20 years is to be built to train 2,000 engineers for the planned High Speed 2 rail link, the Government will announce today.    

The Telegraph

• France attacks 'ailing' NHS and claims it has better roads and railBritain embroiled in diplomatic row with France after embassy says NHS is 'ailing' and its roads, rail and tax system is better

The Mirror

• Boss of not-for-profit disabled transport scheme earned £846,000 in pay and perksCritics have questioned why Mike Betts, chief executive of taxpayer-backed Motability Operations, was given a 'banker-type salary'

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham cycle paths set for upgrade on city green routesCouncil to approve £1.7m of improvements to paths alongside rivers Rea, Cole and Tame
• Minister's fury over 'misleading' information to residents affected by HS2 David Lidington complained 800 pages of environmental assessment were missing and inaccurate letter has added to uncertainty

London Evening Standard

• Tube workers mock Boris Johnson ticket office U-turn using Quote of the Day boardBoris Johnson has come under fire over London Underground ticket office closures from an unlikely source – a station’s information board.
• HS2 engineers training college plan Plans for a new college to train the next generation of top engineers to work on the construction of the £50 billion HS2 high-speed rail project have been unveiled by the Government.

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink start work on second city centre tram crossing Starting in Lower Mosley Street, it will run through St Peter’s Square before turning down Princess Street and along Cross Street

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Northern rail says trains are ready for cold snapNorthern Rail has said it is ready for winter as the colder weather hits the region

Blackpool Gazette

• All change at under fire bus route companyThe company that terminated a vital bus service without warning amid rumours of financial difficulty has gone into administration. Blackpool-based Classic Bus North West sparked outrage when it pulled out of its contract to run the number 80 bus, linking the resort and Preston, after just 11 days.

Bucks Free Press

• HS2 campaigns lead to Parliamentary Award nominations for Chesham and Amersham MP Cheryl GillanCHERYL Gillan has been nominated for two prizes in the annual Parliamentary Awards for her work campaigning against HS2.

Other Regional Press

• Network Rail apologises over Brayford Wharf East road closure confusion Network Rail has apologised for confusion over the proposed closure of Brayford Wharf East in Lincoln.
• Change of heart on bus fare price rise after pressure from councillor BUS FARES due to rise by around 35 per cent last weekend have been altered following pressure from a Cornwall councillor.
• Fed up of delays on the train? This'll make you app!SICK of endless train delays, but never got time to fight for a ticket refund? A new phone app could be the answer to your prayers.
• Heathrow stance will be vote winner, says Green Party candidateDaniel Goldsmith claims 'flip-flopping' by other parties means Green Party is the only group which can be relied upon to oppose a third runway at Heathrow
• Deadline looms on HS2 environmental consultation, warns Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant LICHFIELD MP Michael Fabricant has highlighted the importance of replying to the latest consultation on HS2 – which closes in just over a week.
• 'Don't judge a book by its cover': Arriva bus driver Neil Collins from Milton Regis shunned by strangers over facial tattoosA bus driver who believes he is shunned by strangers who think he is a thug because of his facial tattoos is planning to have more.

Global Rail News

• Contractors make a start on Manchester’s 2CC tram lineUtility diversions are being completed along the route of Manchester Metrolink’s Second City Crossing (2CC). The new line, which will provide a new city centre link connecting St Peter’s Square,[...]
• E-ticketing extended on Germany’s regional rail networkTouch & Travel e-ticketing has been extended to cover the whole of Brandenburg, marking another significant milestone in the rise of the technology throughout Germany. The service, which was previously[...]
• Work starts on Semmering base tunnelWork has begun on a €623 million tunnelling contract to construct the main central section of a planned 27.3-kilometre rail tunnel in Austria. A consortium comprising Swiss firm Implenia and Austrian[...]
• More Tango trams for StuttgartOperator Stuttgarter Strassenbahnen AG has placed a €73 million order for 20 Tango trams from Stadler Pankow. The additional S-DT8.12 vehicles are an option from an earlier contract, which was signed[...]
• Alpha Trains secures RBS rolling stockLeasing company Alpha Trains has acquired a fleet of 202 rolling stock assets from The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (RBS) in a mixed asset and shares deal. Alpha Trains,[...]
• São Paulo monorail takes test runTesting has begun on the first of São Paulo’s new monorail vehicles M01 made the way from its depot to Oratory station on Friday 10 on the first of a[...]

Railnews

• Mistakes in letters prompt new HS2 protestsMINISTERS have been put on the back foot after two mistakes in letters from HS2 Ltd. One caused hundreds of people to fear that their properties could be disrupted for almost four years, after one letter mentioned '203 weeks'. The letter, sent to 140 addresses, should have said 'two to three weeks', and is being attributed to a drafting error.

Aviation Industry

• Southwest pilots grounded after airport mix-upIn this Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014 photo provided by Scott Schieffer, passengers line up to board a Southwest Airlines flight from Branson, Mo., to Dallas' Love Field.
• Google to revamp its flight search engine, Ryanair's CEO saysGoogle will add prices for Ryanair to its flight search engine, the CEO of the discount airline said in an interview published Sunday.
• Heathrow increases traffic to BRIC countriesAirport benefits from extra capacity to China and India
• Saudia Airlines returns to Manchester airport with Jeddah routeMiddle Eastern carrier will operate direct route from airport to Jeddah