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

Friday, 14 February 2014

BBC News

• Timelapse video reveals Dawlish rail workTeams of engineers from Network Rail have been working around the clock to repair the coastal railway at Dawlish which was badly damaged in storms.
• VIDEO: '£61m to fix roads and rail lines'Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin outlines how the government intends to help repair the damaged transport network following Wednesday's severe storm.
• Battle between councils over HS2Local councils are fighting between themselves over the location of high-speed railway stations.
• 'Gas leak' closes stretch of M62Homes were evacuated and part of a motorway closed following a reported gas leak, Greater Manchester Police say.
• Train derailment avoided by chanceA rail derailment was prevented by chance after two large drills came through a tunnel onto the track in London, a report says.
• Cycle-hire benefits 'outweigh risks'London's cycle hire scheme provides a health benefit to users that outweighs the hazards of riding them, a study finds.

Department for Transport

• Transport Secretary meets with bus industry to help tackle weather disruptionTransport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has chaired an urgent resilience meeting with the bus and coach operators to ensure that all necessary extra services are in place to reduce the impacts of severe weather, and to plan for further capacity that may be needed should adverse conditions continue or spread to other parts of the country.

Financial Times

• Train maker celebrates Crossrail triumphDerby says it is most efficient train factory in Bombardier’s global network after facing threat of closure for almost a year
• Iberia strikes deal with pilots’ unionSpanish flag carrier agrees pay and productivity agreement with Sepla that looks set to help airline chart path back to productivity
• EasyJet investors back chief’s pay riseEasyJet shareholders overwhelmingly vote through record pay package for Carolyn McCall, under new rules giving investors a binding vote on pay policy

The Herald

• Clearest message yet that three-hour rail journeys for Plymouth are a priority TRANSPORT Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has offered the clearest signal yet the Government wants train services between Plymouth and London taking less than three hours.

The Scotsman

• Aberdeen buses get augmented reality technologyBUS passengers in Aberdeen are being given free access to hi-tech entertainment and information on the backs of their bus seats, in what is claimed to be a world first for the Granite City.

The Telegraph

• Transport network has 'taken a battering' [video clip]Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin gives an update for those parts of Britain's transport network affected by the storm
• 60mph speed limit planned on M3 stretchThe latest proposal, from the Highways Agency (HA), affects a three-mile section of the M3 between junction 3 at Lightwater in Surrey and junction 4 near Farnborough in Hampshire    
• End navel gazing over airport capacity, business leaders urgeGroup of 52 business leaders urge Ministers to make most of Britain's current air capacity ahead of decision on extra runway    

Network Rail

• Polystyrene platform steals the show at PeterboroughTimelapse video released today shows a modular polystyrene platform being installed as part of the Peterborough investment project by Network Rail.To reduce disruption to passengers during construction the extension of platform 1 was cut from 20 weeks to just 20 days.
• Sussex media update: Rail firms watching the waterNetwork Rail is working with the Environment Agency to closely monitor rising ground water levels in Patcham area outside Brighton, where the Brighton Main Line runs through a tunnel in the South Downs.
• National rail update: 0900Immense efforts by hundreds of rail engineers overnight have seen scores of trees removed from blocked lines, over a dozen dewirements repaired and hundreds of pieces of debris cleared of the track across Wales and the north of England.

Bolton News

• Mirrors to be installed at dangerous Bolton junctions as transport bosses pledge to make town safer for cyclists TRANSPORT bosses say they are working hard to keep Bolton’s cyclists safe after pledging to improve some of the town’s worst junctions.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford and Shipley cycle hire offer is made for twoIt’s ’on your bike’ with a difference. And it could be just the ticket for rail travellers who are being encouraged to step off the train and on to a cycle ride.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented Bombardier's Crossrail tender team deserve the most creditIT was excellent to read that Bombardier won the recent contract that will help sustain employment within that particular organisation, but what really stuck in my throat was the outsiders claiming it was them who had helped win the award.Almost every national daily newspaper claimed it was because of some campaign they were running, politicians of all parties put their six penneth in as well.I feel sorry for the actual team who put together the tender and went to the meetings because it would...
• Derby Telegraph commented Queen is the only person who can block mysterious HS2 projectCONGRATULATIONS to Bombardier on obtaining this contract. It is nice to see my old workplace and mates still in business, making the world's best rolling stock.It is a pity that this Government has not the same intelligence over HS2.Yet again this Government and their Europhile friends are deceiving us over the real reason for HS2. In fact HS2 is a directive from the EU Directive 94/48 and also states that it must connect inter-operable, which means that it will not stop at St Pancras but go to...

Liverpool Echo

• Bitter sweet: Strike action imminent for railway cleaning staff over chocolate bar rowLiverpool man refused access to company premises despite no evidence of charge against him

London Evening Standard

• Rail travellers stranded for SEVEN hours on train heading from King's Cross after stormsPassengers told of their misery today after being stranded for seven hours on a train from London King’s Cross as storms caused havoc across the network.
• Full details of Heathrow night flight plans 'dug up' by campaignersThe full extent of the Government's plans to increase night flights into Heathrow has been 'dug up' by anti-noise campaigners in a report's technical appendix.

Manchester Evening News

• New cycle hub aimed at getting workers the Beeb their on bikes.Plan submitted for MediaCity to get centre for cycling

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Major rail disruption after fierce winds batter the West MidlandsGale-force winds of more than 70mph brought trees crashing down on to cars, mayhem on the trains and left many homes without power as the West Midlands felt the brunt of fierce storms.

Crewe Chronicle

• Crewe Station re-opened despite disruptionStation manager describes weather as 'worst she's ever seen'

Other Regional Press

• Minister signals reversing Beeching cuts to protect South West rail network Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has signalled re-opening railway lines slashed under the Beeching cuts after renewing the Government pledge to ensure the South West network is immune from closure.
• The rerouting railway line plan that Adolf Hitler put paid to The Prime Minister has been grappling with how to deal with the collapsed Devon and Cornwall mainline at Dawlish.
• Duke Street entrance closed as Chelmsford railway station revamp continuesAn entrance to Chelmsford railway station will be closed for 10 weeks as £3.2 million work to revamp the hub gets under way.

Global Rail News

• Open access operator submits East Coast applicationAn open access operator hoping to run train services on the East Coast main line between King’s Cross and Edinburgh from 2016 has submitted a formal application to the Office[...]
• Tutor Perini awarded $844m East Side Access contractsContractor Tutor Perini has won two new contracts worth a combined $844 million to fit out a new tunnel system beneath New York. The first contract ($294 million) includes the[...]
• Government confirms flood damage fund for railwaysUK Prime Minister David Cameron has said that £31 million will be made available to protect vulnerable rail infrastructure from further flooding. The Government has said it will fund 10[...]
• São Paulo opens first of new line 5 stationsSão Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin has officially opened Adolfo Pinheiro station – the first of 11 new stations being built along an extension of the city’s Line 5. From February[...]
• Siemens delivers final metro train to OsloThe final MX300 metro train has been delivered to Oslo, taking the Norwegian capital’s fleet of Siemens trains to 115. Since placing an initial order for 33 vehicles in 2003,[...]
• India to close all unmanned rail crossingsAll unmanned railway crossings in India are to be closed under a new proposal in the country’s Interim Rail Budget for 2014-15. The removal of unmanned crossings is one of[...]

Railnews

• Lines restored after 'immense effort' to repair damage The overnight storms left many parts of the railway network disrupted on Thursday morning, with lines blocked by fallen trees, damaged overhead wires or floods. Network Rail said 'immense efforts by hundreds of rail engineers overnight' had seen scores of trees removed from blocked lines, over a dozen dewirements repaired and hundreds of pieces of debris cleared away The most extreme parts of the storm hit Wales and north west England, and the West Coast Main Line was closed between Preston and Lancaster for a time.

The Business Desk

• Plans for East Coast high speed trains on trackPLANS to introduce new high speed trains between London, Newcastle and Edinburgh have taken a step forward as a formal application was put forward.

Aviation Industry

• KLM introduces Twitter and Facebook payment methodsCustomers can pay for flights using social media platforms

Other News Sources

• Review: Nomad ChargekeyJump on a train or bus, listen to some music, send a few Tweets and make a call, and before long your smartphone will have lost a hefty amount of battery life.
• Labour Seeks Assurances In Parliament In Rail Services For Milton KeynesLabour's Shadow Rail Minister, Lilian Greenwood MP, has raised concerns about the future of Milton Keynes' two rail franchise in a debate in Parliament.
• New S class trains through Fulham and Putney to WimbledonA new generation of bigger and better ’s-class’ trains are now being rolled out on District Line services between Wimbledon and Edgware – bringing overcrowding relief to thousands of local commuters in Fulham, Putney and Wimbledon.
• Karen Crispe appointed as FTAs Commercial DirectorThe Freight Transport Association has confirmed  that Karen Crispe will be joining the team in April 2014 as their Commercial Director.She is currently Managing Director of Tachodisc, a role she has held since 2005, as well as Non-Executive Director of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). At FTA Karen will have direct responsibility for sales and marketing together with a number of service offerings, in addition, she will be influential in shaping FTA’s future development agenda. FTA Chief Executive, Theo de Pencier, stated: “Karen is a high profile figure in our industry and...
• FTA welcomes new fuel marker“This has to be good news to help reduce fuel laundering,” was the response from the Freight Transport (FTA) today, following the announcement by the UK and Ireland governments that they are to introduce a marker that will help tackle fuel fraud. The product will be used to mark rebated fuels, including the off-road diesel commonly known in the UK as ‘red diesel’, in a move that will boost both countries’ fight against illegal fuel laundering. The marker will help HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Irish Revenue Commissioners tackle the criminal market in off-road diesel, marked with a red ...