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

Thursday, 13 March 2014

BBC News

• HS2: Northamptonshire County Council to hire expertNorthamptonshire County Council has agreed to spend up to £100,000 to hire a parliamentary specialist to oppose the HS2 high-speed rail bill.
• Hopes boosted for the reopening of the Wisbech lineWhitehall, it seems, now realises that rural parts of the country have been neglected when it comes to spending on infrastructure.
• Storm-hit Dawlish: Where could a second rail line run?The winter weather has severely damaged the South West's rail network and it is now almost eight weeks since a train from the rest of England reached Newton Abbot, Plymouth or Cornwall.
• Approval likely for 20mph pilotA pilot scheme for 20mph speed limits across Birmingham is expected to be approved next week, despite objections.
• Line closed 'until further notice'Network Rail says it has no idea when the line linking East Sussex, Kent and London will fully reopen.
• Killed Crossrail worker identifiedPolice formally identify a Crossrail construction worker who died after a piece of concrete fell on to his head.
• 'Teething problems' warning for T2Passengers using Heathrow's new Terminal 2 are warned to expect early teething problems.

Financial Times

• HS2 chairman identifies £1.5bn savingsSir David Higgins is set to outline on Monday his recommendations for building the line more cheaply, including a U-turn on plans for Euston station
• Heathrow’s new terminal risks bumpy rideOfficials have adopted a cautious tone in advance of the opening of their £2.5bn development, following the fiasco at Terminal 5 in 2008
• Passenger revenue fuels Cathay profitFull-year net profit surges 204% as Hong Kong flag-carrier benefits from stronger passenger revenues and measures to hedge against high fuel costs
• Malaysia criticised over missing flightFrustrated relatives, aviation analysts and regional governments attack Kuala Lumpur’s handling of the investigation and search operation

The Guardian

• Heathrow bosses admit Terminal 2 likely to face opening-day problemsWith 12 weeks till doors open, airport chiefs say they have learned from T5 debacle but there is a high risk of trouble
• Malaysia Airlines flight: new theory emerges on how long plane kept flyingReport says computers on 777 were still sending routine data back to Boeing engine workshop hours after last sightingKate Hodal

The Herald

• U-turn on festive bus lane penaltiesROADS officials have made a U-turn on a decision to fine motorists for driving in bus lanes at Christmas - when there are no buses on the roads.

The Telegraph

• TfL to launch pop-up shops in Tube stationsTransport for London has signed a deal with short-term letting agency Appear Here to rent vacant retail units    

Mail Online

• Hijacked and hidden? US counter-terror officials fear plane could have been captured after debris spotted by Chinese is ruled out and new data reveals it was airborne FOUR hours after vanishingUS investigators officials believe that Malaysian Airlines flight 370 remained airborne for four more hours after vanishing from its last recorded position - raising the startling prospect the plane was hijacked.

The Mirror

• Live: Investigators probe 'lost 45 mins' of missing Malaysia Airlines jet as search area is extended even furtherMalaysia Airlines flight 370 is still missing and officials today said they are extending the size of the search to an area the size of the UK

This is Money

• Motoring lobby urges Government to cut fuel duty by 3p in the BudgetFairFuelUK - led by motoring personality Quentin Willson - is presenting a letter to 10 Downing Street calling for fuel duty to fall down to 54.95p per litre.

Birmingham Post

• Commuters reject congestion charge idea for BirminghamA survey found just 12 per cent of those asked supported making people pay extra to use the city centre roads

London Evening Standard

• French company to put 3,000 electric ‘Boris cars’ on the streets of LondonA French company today announced plans to put 3,000 electric rental cars onto London’s streets.

Manchester Evening News

• MP slams scheme to move trains to Home Counties as 'disaster'Stalybridge and Hyde MP Jonathan Reynolds spoke out after it was revealed that First TransPennine Express will have its fleet of trains axed by 13 per cent from next spring.

Northern Echo

• Bus firms' fury as Durham council lets taxis onto bus lanesTHE North-East’s biggest council is risking the wrath of two of the region’s largest bus companies by opening up its bus lanes to taxis.
• Rail activists from Berwick have joined the fight against re-privatisation of the east coast mainline.AGEING ’Pacer’ trains still running across the North will finally be replaced, a transport minister vowed today (Wednesday). Stephen Hammond said dumping the hugely-unpopular “cattle trucks” – now almost 30 years old – would be a requirement for winning a new contract to run services.
• Disabled man criticises Metro service after he was stranded at Newcastle Airport A WHEELCHAIR user who struggled to use the Metro system at Newcastle Airport was left frustrated after he was advised he would need to provide six hours notice for future help.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Greens fear A9 dualling will push out bikesThe Scottish Green Party fears cyclists could be sidelined by the long-awaited dualling of the notorious A9.

Yorkshire Post

• Questions for Ministers over plan to move trains to SouthLABOUR says Ministers have “questions to answer” over “catastrophic” plans to remove trains from Yorkshire’s over-crowded railways and hand them to operators in the South East.

North Wales Live

• Merseyside road branded one of country's worst Road Safety Markings Association claim 83% of markings on A551 are in desperate need of replacement

Other Regional Press

• Further bus service cuts would have a devastating impact on rural communities, campaign group warns Further cuts to bus services would threaten to have a devastating impact on rural communities, a leading campaign group has warned.
• Barry Sheerman blasts loss of TransPennine Express trainsLabour MP Barry Sheerman has criticised moves by a leasing firm to transfer rolling stock from Yorkshire to southern England
• Campaign to keep east coast line publicRail activists from Berwick have joined the fight against re-privatisation of the east coast mainline.
• Boats lifted from water for repairs to Goytre canal A BOATING company carried out a major operation yesterday to relocate five of its fleet following the closure of a two-kilometre stretch of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.
• UPDATE: 200 people sign petition to stop council taking over Flitwick train station car parkNEARLY 200 people have signed a petition against Central Bedfordshire Council taking over a car park at Flitwick train station.
• Malaysian plane disappearance unlikely to have been caused by bomb, says Cranfield expertA BOMB is unlikely to be the cause behind the missing Malaysian Airlines plane, according to an expert.

Global Rail News

• Southeastern to extend high-speed rail servicesSoutheastern has submitted plans to the Department for Transport (DfT) to create a new ’coastal loop’ high-speed rail route. The operator hopes to run additional services on a circular route[...]
• Contractor appointed for Oxford-Bicester line constructionA joint venture between Carillion and Buckingham Group Contracting is to deliver an £87 million project to create a new rail route between London Marylebone and Oxford. The new Chiltern[...]
• Thales wins S&T contract in PolandThales is to install modern signalling and traffic management systems on a 125-kilometre stretch of railway in Poland. An ETCS Level 2 signalling system, ERTMS and a GSM-R communications system[...]
• Å koda to supply traction motors to Suzhou metroÅ koda has won a contract to supply the traction motors for 40 new metro trains being built for the Chinese city of Suzhou. The new trains, which are being manufacture[...]
• Madrid marks 10th anniversary of train bombingsSpain paused yesterday (March 11) to mourn those who were killed during a terrorist attack on Madrid’s rail network a decade ago. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the[...]
• Watford – Out of the naughty cornerWatford junction – the troublesome child of the WCML! It was ever thus. Writes Grahame Taylor Many years ago, aspiring engineers were bused out to Watford Junction after a few days at the BR Watford training school to gasp at the multitude of track faults. What terrible behaviour! It needed a really good thump. But […]

Railnews

• No end in sight for Hastings line landslip disruption Engineers rebuilding the damaged railway embankment at Whatlington in East Sussex, between Battle and Robertsbridge, have been hampered by further ground movement at the site. Network Rail had hoped that services could be restored along the full length of the Hastings line last week, but additional strengthening work is now needed. The route's managing director has spoken of her 'disappointment' that the closure must continue.
• First Great Western may get second direct award The Department for Transport may give FirstGroup a second direct award for the Great Western franchise, it has emerged. It is thought that the second award could run until 2020, when it would be succeeded by a conventional, competitively-tendered franchise.
• Report suggests HS2 station in central Sheffield The argument over whether the HS2 station serving Sheffield should be at Meadowhall – as currently proposed – or close to the city centre on the site of the former Victoria station has been given new impetus by a report from the Volterra consultancy, which says an HS2 station at Sheffield Victoria could provide the Sheffield City Region with a significantly bigger economic boost than the interchange currently proposed at Meadowhall.
• DRS unveils new Class 68 diesel in Crewe A new mixed traffic diesel locomotive has been formally unveiled by Direct Rail Services at its depot in Crewe. DRS has ordered 15 EuroLight UK machines from Vossloh in Spain, and the first to arrive has been undergoing trials for the past few weeks.

Other News Sources

• Heathrow Terminal 2: ‘chances of smooth opening are low’ Around 20 million passengers a year expected through T2