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

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

BBC News

• East Midlands MPs want regional rail improvementsEast Midlands MPs have been lobbying for more cash to improve the region's main east-to-west rail links.
• Child car smoking ban before LordsA Labour plan to ban smoking in cars carrying children is due to be put to a vote in the House of Lords later.
• Docklands Railway strikes cancelledTwo 48-hour strikes planned for the Docklands Light Railway are cancelled.
• Thameslink unveils electric trainThameslink unveils an electric train that will run on the line from 2016.
• Ford reports 'one of its best years'Ford says 2013 was
• First Porsche was an electric carGerman carmaker Porsche reveals that the first vehicle designed by its founder, Ferdinand Porsche, was an electric car built in 1898.

ITV News

• Lincoln MP calls for better rail links [video]A Lincoln MP has called for the rail line between Lincoln and Nottingham to be improved.

Department for Transport

• New state-of-the-art passenger train unveiledA new electric Class 700 train is set to improve the travel experience for passengers and boost the economy.

Financial Times

• American Airlines swings to profitThe merger of US Airways and AMR Corporation resulted in a fivefold jump in profits for the new company, as US airlines continue to improve

The Guardian

• Rail minister casts doubt on future of UK manufacturingStephen Hammond says government cannot guarantee industry recovery as new German-built Thameslink unveiled

The Herald

• City street's parking cost raised by 300%ONE street could generate more in parking charges in one year than it has for the past five years after a council quadrupled fees.
• Plans unveiled for tours of top of Forth Bridge towersRAILWAY bosses have released images of proposals to open the Forth Bridge to visitors and take them to the top of its 110-metre (360ft) towers.

The Telegraph

• Emphasis will be on British jobs in new rail bids, says Siemens directorSiemens, the controversial winner of a £1.5bn contract to make new Thameslink trains, says bidders for UK contracts feel they have to demonstrate how they will generate British manufacturing jobs
• Ministers have 'stalled' on young driver safetyFresh calls for new restrictions on young drivers as public health experts accuse ministers of

Network Rail

• Second bridge to be rebuilt as part of North West Electrification ProgrammeWork is to start to rebuild a second bridge in Ashton-under-Lyne as part of a £400m electrification project which will deliver a better railway across the north of England.
• New images released as Forth Bridge Experience takes shapeThe public are being invited to give their views on new artist’s impressions of The Forth Bridge Experience, released today by Network Rail.
• More improvements announced for Haywards Heath stationNetwork Rail and its partners have announced plans to build a three-deck car park at Haywards Heath station, in addition to a regeneration scheme unveiled last year.

Birmingham Post

• Train operator claims top place for customer satisfaction on Birmingham to London routeIn the latest National Rail Passenger Survey conducted by Passenger Focus Chiltern scored an overall satisfaction score of 96 per cent for its Birmingham to London trains, beating those run by rivals Virgin Trains (89 per cent) and London Midland (80 per cent).
• Jaguar and Land Rover awarded top motoring accolades West Midland business triumphs at automotive industry’s 2014 BusinessCar Awards
• Nissan's new Taxi for London to be built in Coventry by ADV ManufacturingADV will build a production facility for the vehicle next to its existing premises, with a view to delivering the first petrol-engined versions in December 2014

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Grand Depart schedule is revealed Cycling fans from across the Bradford district can now make specific plans ahead of the Tour de France after detailed timings for the first two stages through Yorkshire were announced.

Liverpool Echo

• Company responsible for constructing Liver building and Mersey tunnels given Wirral roads contract BAM Nuttall will take over contract valued at £30 – £33 million

London Evening Standard

• Boris Island plan ’delays upgrade of Heathrow Tube’Boris Johnson has been accused of deliberately dragging his feet over the Piccadilly Line upgrade because of his own “grandiose” proposals for a Thames Estuary airport.
• London parking wardens ‘get bonus if they issue more tickets'Parking wardens across London are receiving incentives to issue motorists with more tickets, it was claimed today.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Contactless payments introduced by East Midlands TrainsPEOPLE catching a train from Nottingham will be able to buy tickets quicker and more easily, says a train operator.

Sheffield Star

• Work starts on new link road between Sheffield and RotherhamWork has begun on a new high-speed link road to make journeys between Sheffield and Rotherham quicker.
• South Yorkshire woodlands at risk from HS2Ten ancient South Yorkshire woodlands are at risk from plans to link Sheffield, Leeds and London with the High Speed 2 rail line, according to an environmental group.

The York Press

• HS2 rail upgrade ’vital for North Yorkshire’, says York MP Hugh BayleyFAILING to upgrade a rail line near York as part of the HS2 scheme will see “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” being missed, a city MP has warned.
• National Railway Museum in hunt for new curator NINE jobs are to go at a York museum in a staffing shake-up which will also see a new head of its collection of rail artefacts.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds trolleybus chiefs aiming to answer their criticsTRANSPORT bosses have revealed details of the revised blueprint that they hope will win over Leeds’s trolleybus doubters.

Yorkshire Post

• Revealed: Programme for Yorkshire’s 100-day cycling festivalThe countdown is on. Sarah Freeman reveals the highlights of the 100-day festival which will celebrate the arrival of the Grand Départ in Yorkshire
• Leeds trolleybus chiefs aiming to answer their criticsTRANSPORT bosses have revealed details of the revised blueprint that they hope will win over Leeds’s trolleybus doubters.

Bucks Free Press

• HS2 campaigners consider European appeal THE fight against HS2 is set to go to Europe, with a Bucks-based action group planning to launch a further appeal.

Peterborough Telegraph

• New trains set to improve Peterborough to London rail servicesFirst Capital Connect unveiled on Tuesday (28 January) new trains that should provide ’faster, reliable and more frequent services’ from Peterborough to London.

Other Regional Press

• Safety measures at Knebworth train station have ’increased risk of accident’Safety measures installed at a railway station in a bid to prevent fatalities have been described as “seriously flawed”.
• Improved transport links to airports needed, say Essex businessesBusinesses stressed the importance of air travel to the Essex economy at a meeting attended by a Government minister.
• Rail improvements between Lincoln and Nottingham discussed in the House of Commons Improvements to the Lincoln to Nottingham rail services are vital for the city according to Lincoln MP Karl McCartney. His comments come after an adjournment debate in the House of Commons last night. It was attended by MPs from Sleaford and North Hykeham, Newark, Sherwood and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport.
• New Haywards Heath station ’enhanced’ plans confirmed by Network RailNetwork Rail and its partners have confirmed plans to add another floor to the new Haywards Heath station multi-storey car park and to build a new entrance.
• New train for Bedfordshire commuters is launchedThe future for Bedfordshire’s many thousands of rail commuters has been unveiled - with the theme that train travel will be better than ever.
• MP's backing for Mirfield station access bid Shadow Transport Secretary and Wakefield MP Mary Creagh has joined a call for urgent action to be taken to provide wheelchair access to the eastbound platform.
• FMG stages vehicle incident for transport minister A company helping to clear major road incidents demonstrated its skills in front of a government minister
• Train customer makes video to help rail passengers with travel informationFirst Capital Connect (FCC) has launched a video on its website and YouTube to highlight some of the different ways that passengers can get travel information, especially with winter weather approaching.
• State-of-the-art trains unveiled in £6.5 billion Thameslink ProgrammeThe state-of-the-art train that will transform rail travel from Bedford and other stations into and across London, boost the economy and generate thousands of jobs throughout the UK, was unveiled in London by Rail Minister Stephen Hammond today (Tuesday, January 28).
• New train for Bedfordshire commuters is launchedThe future for Bedfordshire’s many thousands of rail commuters has been unveiled - with the theme that train travel will be better than ever.

Global Rail News

• Gmunden orders Vossloh tramsThe Upper Austrian town of Gmunden €30 million order for new Tramlink light rail vehicles from Vossloh. Design and assembly of the fleet of 11 new bidirectional trams will be[...]
• Madrid Metro freezes fares for first time in 30 yearsThe cost of subway fares has been frozen in Madrid for the first in 30 years thanks to a successful programme of cost cutting and overseas investment. President of the[...]

Aviation Industry

• Easyjet launches mobile boarding passes at Belfast AirportTravellers can download pass via airline's app

Other News Sources

• Network Rail loses another senior directorThe finance boss of Network Rail’s infrastructure division has stepped down, Building can reveal, in the third high-profile departure from the rail operator in recent months.
• Contactless payments speed up journeys for Stagecoach rail passengersStagecoach Group has started the roll out of contactless payments across its rail companies, making it even easier for passengers to buy their train tickets.
• Chance to have your say on Abellio bus service changesProposed changes would affect routes in Spelthorne, Runnymede, Elmbridge and Woking
• Qantas Cash takes off over Holiday Season Qantas Frequent Flyers have taken advantage of their new Qantas Cash cards over the Christmas break with a 61 per cent spike on money loaded onto the cards during December, compared to...
• Air Canada and Travelport extend dealAgreement will give Travelport users continued access to airline's content
• Expedia CEO to deliver Business Travel Show opening keynoteDara Khosrowshah to give keynote address at next week's event