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

Friday, 31 January 2014

BBC News

• Pye Corner, Newport, railway station plans revealedPlans for a new railway station near Newport on the line between Cardiff and Ebbw Vale have been revealed.
• 'Public backs' child car smoking banMost Scots would back a ban on smoking in cars when children are present, according to a survey by Lib Dem MSP Jim Hume.
• Record passengers for Lothian BusesEdinburgh's main bus operator announces ticket sales hit a 25-year high, with an increase over 4.6 million from the previous year.
• £600,000 boost for NI electric carsMotorists who drive electric cars in Northern Ireland are to benefit from a £9m UK-wide scheme aimed at encouraging more people to make the switch.
• HS2 report blocked by governmentAnti-HS2 campaigners suffer a setback after ministers block a report into the controversial high-speed rail scheme.

Financial Times

• Transport secretary vetoes HS2 reportAssessment of planned rail link blocked using powers that were used to suppress legal advice the attorney-general gave ahead of the Iraq war
• Cartel probe launched into Deutsche BahnThe Federal Cartel Office has revealed it is to investigate after the state-owned rail operator's competitors complained of limited access at most
• Costly trains force commuters to use coachesRail fares rose an average of 2.8% in January, needling commuters hit by pay freezes and higher prices and turning many to other modes of transport
• UPS to invest to avoid delivery problemsAfter problems with holiday shopping deliveries, the company will bring forward $500m in investments in operational technology to avoid future jams

The Guardian

• Transport secretary blocks HS2 reportOpponents of high-speed rail network accuse Patrick McLoughlin after he vetoes publication of November 2011 reviewAnti-HS2 campaigners have accused the government of censorship after the transport secretary blocked the release of a sensitive report believed to undermine the case for the proposed high-speed rail network.Patrick McLoughlin took the unusual step of vetoing the publication of a November 2011 review by the Major Projects Authority, despite the information commissioner saying it should be released after Freedom of Information requests.Opponents of the £42.6bn HS2 project believe tha...

The Herald

• Work to begin on £310m upgrade of motorwaysA MOTORWAY improvement scheme that could shave almost 20 minutes off journey times between Scotland's largest cities is finally ready to begin, more than three years after the project was given the go-ahead.
• Watchdog makes U-turn on cycling safety advert banA ban on a cycling television advert that shows a rider without a helmet pedalling along the middle of a road has been lifted.

The Scotsman

• ScotRail ’forced to scrap political badge ban’RAIL unions today claimed they had forced ScotRail to scrap plans to ban its 4,700 staff from wearing political badges in the run up to the independence referendum.

The Telegraph

• Critical HS2 report blocked by ministersAnti-HS2 campaigners furious after Government overrules information watchdog to block publication of critical report    

Mail Online

• Transport Secretary suppresses damning report into HS2 with same veto that kept Iraq war papers secretA key report into whether the HS2 rail line would give value for money is being kept secret by the Government.

Network Rail

• Revised plan means less passenger disruption on West Coast main line during essential Watford upgradeTwo proposed closures of the West Coast main line at Watford have been withdrawn after a detailed review of the work meant they were no longer necessary.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham health chief: Speed up car smoking ban The House of Lords has approved the new amendment, which would make it an offence for a driver to ‘fail to prevent smoking in the vehicle when a child or children are present’

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Have a say on 20mph limit move People in Calderdale have one last chance to give their views on a plan to turn all residential areas into 20mph zones.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented Controversial Derby cycle track recommended for approvalPLANNING officers have recommended that the controversial cycle track on Pride Park be given the go-ahead. Derby City Council applied to its planning department to build the cycle track on part of a nature reserve, called The Sanctuary, it had created for birds. A coalition of 15 Derbyshire groups, including the county's wildlife trust, opposed the application. But planning officers at the council have today said that the plans should be given the go-ahead by councillors. A report from...

London Evening Standard

• Dangerous 'rogue' lorries will be banned from London's roads to save cyclistsThousands of "rogue" lorries will be stopped from driving in London within months under an outright ban to protect cyclists announced by the Mayor today.
• Tube commuters warned of delays next week as workers strike over ticket office closuresPassengers have been warned to expect disruption to their journeys because of two 48-hour strikes by London Underground (LU) workers over the closure of Tube ticket offices.
• Ministers block HS2 report releaseMinisters have blocked the release of a report into the controversial HS2 rail project by over-ruling a decision by the freedom of information watchdog that it should be disclosed to campaigners.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Councillors defy protesters as they back western linkCouncillors voted yesterday to keep the controversial Elgin western link road project in the Moray local plan.

The York Press

• York fare-dodging figures revealed York has been identified as a rail fare-dodging hotspot

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Is it time for Leeds Bradford airport to take flight from its current home?SENIOR politicians have this week sparked new discussions about the future of Leeds Bradford airport, suggesting it could be relocated and expanded to fit in with the HS2 high speed rail link and the region’s wider transport visions.
• Tiger tour: Bus route overhaul for Leeds studentsImprovements to bus routes aimed at Leeds students have roared into action.

Bucks Free Press

• Publication of HS2 report vetoed by Transport Secretary THE Transport Secretary has angered campaigners after using a power of veto to prevent a report on HS2 being made public.

Carlisle News & Star

• Government cash for more electric car charging points in Cumbria The number of charging points for electric cars in Cumbria will be boosted by more than £560,000 of Government funding.

North Wales Live

• Merseyside rail passengers set to be hit with severe disruption More than week of disruption begins February 7 at 10pm

Reading Evening Post

• Reading Buses charity of the year is LaunchpadOne of the company’s double deckers has been covered with the branding of the homeless charity to mark the year-long partnership

Other Regional Press

• HEXHAM: LINEAR BUS STATION PLAN IS ’NONSENSE’PLANS to turn Hexham’s Priestpopple into a linear bus station have been dismissed as “half-baked and unworkable.”
• MP leads fight for vital rail improvmentsMP Amber Rudd, who is spearheading the campaign, has announced she is to hold a rail summit in Hastings, which the Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin will attend.
• Hull railway electrification: Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin to meet MPs and business leaders TRANSPORT Secretary Patrick McLoughlin will meet a delegation of MPs, city councillors and business leaders next month to discuss proposals to electrify the railway lines in and out of Hull.
• Southeastern and Network Rail issue train chaos warning ahead of stormy weather set to batter KentPassengers are today being told to expect train delays and cancellations as Kent is expected to be battered by strong winds and heavy rain.

Global Rail News

• UK government needs to rethink HS2 Heathrow linkThe UK needs to act quickly and integrate its rail and air strategies by adding Heathrow to the HS2 route plan, a new parliamentary report has urged. Britain’s plans for[...]
• Queensland finalises new train dealThe Queensland Government has finalised a 30-year deal for the manufacture and maintenance of a new fleet of trains. The AUD $4.4 billion project is being delivered through a public-private[...]
• Tågkompaniet names maintenance partner for X-trafik routeTågkompaniet has appointed EuroMaint to maintain the rolling stock currently operating on Sweden’s X-trafik route for the next 10 years. Having won the combined operations and maintenance contract last year,[...]
• Nomad to support PKP’s Wi-Fi rolloutNomad Digital has been awarded a contract by T-Mobile Poland to fit out 300 passenger cars with Wi-Fi equipment. Described by Nomad as one of the biggest passenger rail Wi-Fi[...]
• Laing O’Rourke to deliver Willesden depot upgradeTransport for London (TfL) has awarded Laing O’Rourke a £22 million contract to modify Willesden depot and provide additional sidings at Wembley to accomodate London Overground’s new five-car trains. Laing[...]

Aviation Industry

• Easyjet appoints former Amex boss to business travel roleAirline strengthens corporate travel team with appointment of Anthony Drury

Other News Sources

• UK electric vehicle network to be 'one of Europe's best' says Nick Clegg Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced that the UK Government will invest more than £9m to boost the number of charging points for electric cars.
• Capita and Virgin Trains strike loyalty dealTravellers booking through TMC can join Virgin loyalty club

News from Europe

• London Mayor protests UK block on EU ‘safe lorries’ law The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has written to the British transport minister, Stephen Hammond, protesting British opposition to "safe lorries" legislation in the European Parliament that could save hundreds of cyclists’ lives every year.The issue captured UK press headlines after six cyclists were killed on the British capital’s roads over just one fortnight in November. But lorry-makers are opposed to mandatory new design restrictions, and David Cameron’s administration has made c...