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

Wednesday, 22 January 2014

BBC News

• Faster internet on trains, boats and planes on horizonPeople on boats, planes and trains could soon enjoy fast broadband on their travels after Ofcom approved the use of new satellite technology.
• Waterside Totton and Hythe rail plan shelvedPlans to reopen a freight railway line near Southampton to passenger trains have been shelved over cost concerns.
• North Yorkshire County Council approves £2m bus subsidy cutBus subsidies in North Yorkshire will be cut by £2m from April after councillors approved the plan.
• Row over Humber Estuary port development plansA local authority has objected to a port's plans to build a new jetty on the grounds it could "kill off" a £450m wind turbine factory.
• Rail satisfaction varies too much, Passenger Focus warnsSatisfaction with rail services still varies too widely across Britain, the Passenger Focus watchdog has said.
• A5 consultant advice to be reviewedRegional Development Minister Danny Kennedy orders an independent review of the advice his department received from a consultant on the A5 road project.
• Crossrail passenger estimate revised at three stations [video]An extra 65 million journeys could be made using three Crossrail stations annually by 2026, revised figures show.

Department for Transport

• Supreme Court dismisses all appeals against HS2Appeals against HS2 have been unanimously dismissed by the Supreme Court.

Financial Times

• German transport authority claims it was ’misled’ by JPMorganJPMorgan Chase “knew” or “ought to have known” that a German transport authority was “naive in the world of complex credit derivatives” when the investment bank sold it a complex deal, it has been claimed in court documents.
• Bike-share leader wobbles into bankruptcyCanadian group that runs schemes in New York, London and Sydney fails, after two cities withhold payments amid software glitches
• Delta Air Lines: flying highKey issue not about survival but affordability of shares. Latest results and outlook confirm the fine condition of Delta and the US airline business
• Delta results underscore lift for sectorFigures were latest evidence of robust recovery in US airline profitability, after more than a decade when many carriers were pushed into bankruptcy
• Leasing fuels Boeing’s China pipelineAircraft maker says robust sales to leasing companies, subject to less stringent government approvals, will help sustain record sales in China

The Herald

• Half of travellers say train tickets offer valueSATISFACTION with train operator ScotRail has fallen, a survey has revealed, with just over half of travellers believing tickets are good value.

The Independent

• A glass of white with your petrol, sir? Pouring pints for parched drivers along a British motorway At 8.30am, the fog hangs low over Beaconsfield services, about 25 miles north-west of London, and cars are arriving from the M40 at a painstaking crawl. Road conditions are not ideal. All the same, if motorists squint as they turn into the car park, they will dimly perceive the words “the Hope and Champion” looming out of the fog. And, they may reflect, at least they’ve arrived in time to avoid an early encounter with a new automotive danger: the first drinkers to head back out on the roads after a session at a motorway branch of Wetherspoon’s.    

The Scotsman

• 5 mph bike speed limit proposed for Glasgow parksCYCLISTS would be limited to 5 mph in Glasgow City Council’s parks while the existing 10 mph limit for other vehicles remains, Scotland’s biggest local authority has proposed.
• ScotRail passenger satisfaction levels fallPASSENGER satisfaction with ScotRail has fallen by 3 per cent to 87 per cent in the latest independent National Passenger Survey published today by watchdog body Passenger Focus.

The Telegraph

• Dangerous drivers flout level crossing rulesCCTV released by Network Rail captures motorists and pedestrians putting their lives as risk dashing through level crossing while the red lights are flashing and the level crossing barriers lowering    
• Crossrail's giant drill breaks through to Whitechapel: a 360 degree viewClick and drag the image to pan around the scene under Whitechapel as the huge Corssrail boring machine breaks through    

The Mirror

• Network Rail bosses' bonus insult over level crossing deaths Three executives on six-figure salaries are set for £300k in April, sparking fury after some tragedies were blamed on the operator’s failures

Network Rail

• Lincolnshire school visit gives safety message as company marks closure of 750th level crossingThe mother of a young girl killed on a level crossing has joined Network Rail teams to tell her story to pupils at Cherry Willingham School. Tina Hughes agreed to speak to pupils after reports of schoolchildren running around the barriers at nearby Cherry Willingham level crossing in Lincoln.
• Level crossing closure programme hits target on East Coast Main LineThe closure of Cardells level crossing on the East Coast Main Line means Network Rail has now reached its target of closing 10% of Britain’s crossings by April 2014. The target was set in 210 and has resulted in the closure of 750 crossings.The LNE & EM Route, which manages the East Coast and Midland Main Lines and connecting routes, has closed 231 of the total.
• East Midlands level crossing closures help Network Rail meet national targetThe closure of Cardells level crossing on the East Coast Main Line means Network Rail has now reached its target of closing 10% of Britain’s crossings by April 2014. The target was set in 210 and has resulted in the closure of 750 crossings.LNE & EM Route, which manages the East Coast and Midland Main Lines and connecting routes, has closed 231 of the total. 26 of them in the east midlands.
• Over 90 level crossings now closed on the Anglia route since 2010The closure of a level crossing on the East Coast Main Line in Cambridgeshire means Network Rail has now reached its target, set in 2010, of closing 10% of Britain’s crossings – 750 in total – by April 2014, contributing to a reduction in the overall risk level crossings pose to the network by 25%.
• 115 level crossings closed in the West Midlands and north west as part of national closure programmeA total of 115 level crossings in the West Midlands and north west have closed since 2010 as part of a national programme to make the railway safer.
• Drivers and pedestrians still risking lives at level crossingsDrivers and pedestrians are continuing to put lives at risk by ignoring flashing lights and warning sirens at level crossings in the south east.
• 58 Scottish crossings close as Network Rail reaches target to shut 750 UK-wideNetwork Rail has now reached its target of closing 10% of Britain’s crossings – 750 in total – by April 2014.
• First phase of London Bridge redevelopment nears completion as £6.5bn Thameslink Programme stays on trackPassengers are being reminded to check for changes to their journeys to and through London Bridge station when the first phase of Britain’s biggest station redevelopment project completes at the end of March.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Arriva launches new Urban Zone bus fare scheme for Bradford City centreA group of Arriva Yorkshire bus drivers are taking to the streets of Bradford this week to let passengers know about the bus company’s new Urban Zone tickets.

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyrail named UK's top performing rail operatorThose polled in nationwide survey give overall passenger satisfaction rate of 93 per cent

London Evening Standard

• Oxford Circus the worst offender for lengthy escalator repair workTube chiefs today came under fire over lengthy closures to escalators as it was revealed that Oxford Circus is the worst hit station.
• New Nissan model creates 500 jobsA new Nissan model will come off the production line today, which has helped create 500 new jobs at the Japanese car giant's UK plant in the coming months.

Manchester Evening News

• Transport for Greater Manchester to slash funding by £19m Transport for Greater Manchester chiefs say they are facing 'unprecedented pressures' after their budget was frozen

Newcastle Journal

• Views sought on East Coast Main Line investmentThe views of businesses are being sought to help strengthen the case for investment in one of the region’s most important transport links.

Northern Echo

• Councillors attack Network Rail over bridge improvement works in Middleton-St-GeorgeCOUNCILLORS have attacked Network Rail for leaving a potential eyesore and safety hazard in the centre of a picturesque village.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Station revamp leads to fall in customer satisfaction DISRUPTION at Nottingham Station has led to a fall in customer satisfaction with East Midlands Trains. Independent watchdog Passenger Focus has revealed that 86 per cent of customers were satisfied with the service they received from East Midlands Trains in autumn 2013.

This Is Local London Network

• Cabinet member in charge of roads spent 'disproportionate sum' on his own ward, says predecessor A cabinet member in charge of the borough’s roads has spent a “vast” and “disproportionate” amount of money repairing streets and pavements in his own ward, according to his predecessor.

Wales Online

• Tunnel smash prompts calls for M4 rethinkA crash between a lorry and a tanker in a motorway tunnel near Newport have sparked calls for a new relief road

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Yorkshire rail users put focus on packed carriagesRAIL BOSSES have pledged to raise their game after passengers in Yorkshire delivered a withering verdict on the state of some of their services.

Yorkshire Post

• Rural bus passengers loose servicesRural bus passengers in parts of North Yorkshire face losing vital transport lifelines after senior councillors yesterday backed plans to slash £2 million from spending on bus subsidies.

Doncaster Free Press

• Business bosses meet to give green light to East Coast Main Line investment proposalsMayor of Doncaster Ros Jones welcomed business chiefs from across the region to a forum aimed at securing investment and the long-term future of the East Coast Main Line.    

East Anglian Daily Times

• East Anglia: Passengers give mixed view on the region’s rail servicesPassengers using InterCity rail services between East Anglia and London showed the largest overall increase in satisfaction in the country during 2013.

Londonist

• Buses, Books And Bar Snacks At London Transport MuseumThe ’Year of the Bus’ gets off to a promising start at London Transport Museum, with a season of events that all sound promising.
• Heathrow Express: Secret Tunnels And Unused PlatformsYou probably noticed that London Underground celebrated its 150th anniversary last year. At the same time, the Heathrow Express quietly enjoyed its 15th birthday. As a geeky kind of spin-off from our Secrets of the Tube series, we recently took a ride in the cab of a Heathrow Express train, from Paddington to the airport.

Other Regional Press

• Leader admits Heathrow expansion is 'not an easy issue' while continuing supportCouncil decides to maintain its pro-expansion stance at a meeting to discussed preferred options on the future of aviation
• Reading's transport boss attacks Eric Pickles' proposals to relax parking controlsCouncillor Tony Page, who chairs the traffic management committee, said the council now had a chance to defend itself in the response to a Government consultation on local authority parking
• Minister urges police to be more lenient on cyclists riding on pavements Police should be more lenient with cyclists who mount the pavement at dangerous sections of road, the police have been told.
• Customer satisfaction at 81 per cent, says independent report on South West TrainsCustomer satisfaction with train services on the South West Trains network is at 81 per cent, according to the latest data from independent watchdog Passenger Focus.
• New ticket office for railway stationWork has started to build a new ticket office at Leyland Railway Station.
• £100k bill to fix potholes across Dorset DORSET County Council has had 1,800 potholes reported on the roads in just three weeks.
• Passenger train of the future is showcased by ThameslinkThe new Thameslink passenger train will be showcased to the public next week.

Global Rail News

• Millions more to use Crossrail than first predictedThree of Crossrail’s central London stations will reach capacity quicker than originally predicted, according to a new report. Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and Farringdon are now expected to serve[...]
• Skoda tram launched in MiskolcThe Hungarian city of Miskolc has taken delivery of the first of 31 new trams being built by Å koda. Built in Plzeň, the light rail vehicle is part of a CZK[...]
• India approves construction of locomotive factoriesMinisters in India have backed the construction of two new locomotive manufacturing sites which are expected to supply the country with almost 2,000 new rail vehicles over the next 10[...]
• MTR to advise on Shenzhen Metro extensionMTR is to help design and commission the North Extension of Shenzhen Metro Longhua Line. MTR Corporation (Shenzhen) Limited, which operates the line, has signed a Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement[...]
• Nottingham tram extension enters final phaseNottingham is taking several steps closer to realising a £570 million modernisation of the city’s tram network at the start of 2014, as work gets underway on the final stretch[...]

Aviation Industry

• Bombardier to lay off 1,700 employeesBombardier Aerospace will lay off 1,700 employees in a bid to contain costs after stretching out CSeries development by at least 12 months and seeing business and commercial aircraft orders decline in 2013. read more
• Delta Air Lines’ strong 2013 results include 15% return on invested capital Delta Air Lines posted a $2.7 billion net profit in 2013 excluding special items and boasted a 15% return on invested capital for the full year. read more
• Flybe marketing director steps downShake up continues as Simon Lilley leaves his post
• Ryanair launches Leeds to Barcelona route Airline to operate the service from April to October

Other News Sources

• Plan to boost public transport would let buses beat red lightsCameras which switch traffic lights to green to help late buses travel faster are to be given the go-ahead in Edinburgh.
• Plan to boost public transport would let buses beat red lightsCameras which switch traffic lights to green to help late buses travel faster are to be given the go-ahead in Edinburgh.
• Bus subsidy reduction approvedMembers of the County Council's Executive today approved reductions in bus subsidies of approximately £2m.
• Just 20 people fined for using Lewes Road bus lane Only 20 vehicles have been caught illegally using a new £1.9 million bus lane in three months – an average of one every four and a half days.
• Ofcom approves technology for faster internet on planes and trainsRegulator’s decision could soon mean faster internet for business travellers