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

Saturday, 22 March 2014

BBC News

• McGill's places order for new busesWest of Scotland bus operator McGill's Buses places a £2.5m order for 14 new vehicles with Mercedes Benz.
• HS2 'needs minister to boost growth'HS2 task force says a government minister should pull together growth projects around high speed station sites to
• Row threatens delay to rail revampAn escalating row over funding is threatening to delay a major upgrade of the Great Western main line between Swansea and London, it is claimed.
• Sheffield Supertram marks 20-year journey It is exactly 20 years since trams rolled into Sheffield. A total of 15 million journeys are made on the network every year and now extensions are planned on the line. But, two decades on has it been a success?
• Bus operator 'freezing most fares'Bus operator First Aberdeen is freezing or reducing the

Financial Times

• Comment: Budget penalises jet operatorsA steep rise in air passenger duty for business jets deals a blow to the UK economy, says leading private aircraft executive
• How jet mystery could have been avoidedInvestigator who proposed changes after Air France flight 447 crashed says the disappearance of flight MH370 could have been avoided
• No high-speed line to oasis of prosperityThe idea that HS2 will bring wealth wherever it goes is an appealing one. But it might also take it away

The Guardian

• MH370 search enters third week with still no trace of missing planeAircraft and ships from around the world scour Indian Ocean off Australia's west coast for Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777

The Herald

• Family of cyclist call for stricter road lawsThe family of a cyclist killed by a lorry have backed calls for a
• East Coast rail journeys 'could get faster under privatisation'PASSENGERS on the East Coast Main Line can expect faster journey times between London and Edinburgh when it returns to private hands.

The Mirror

• MH370 recap: 'Transcript of last 54 minutes of communication aboard flight has emerged' A transcript of the final moments will reveal all communication between the Malaysia Airlines flight cockpit and ground control

London Evening Standard

• How 16 jets running out of fuel landed at HeathrowMore than 260 planes landed at Heathrow with low fuel, engine  problems or other technical faults in the last five years, official figures revealed today.
• New action to cut motorbike death toll on London roadsThe biggest ever campaign to cut motorcyclist deaths and injuries in London was launched today.
• From London to Mont Blanc by car: a road trip to the Italian slopesRacing along the edge of a dark mountain ridge, clinging for dear life to the jacket of our driver Vico, I wondered whose madcap idea it was to place a restaurant halfway up a treacherous mountain slope.

Manchester Evening News

• Anger as Arriva scraps 'vital' bus route for schoolchildren and hospital patientsCouncillors appeal for operator to take over and save the number 16 route that goes between Altrincham and Piccadilly
• Transport minister vows to improve all northern rail routesHigh speed rail is a 'skeleton' for better links, say a taskforce put together to improve infrastructure in the region
• Taxi drivers probed over claims they're defecating on quiet cul-de-sac while workingManchester Council and police are both investigating reports drivers are using Parksway in Blackley as a 'drop-off' spot

Northern Echo

• Minister paints gloomy picture for future of Durham Tees Valley Airport THE transport minister has questioned the future of struggling Durham Tees Valley Airport after a disastrous slump in passenger numbers.

Sheffield Star

• Cheaper flights boost to airportCheaper long haul flights - promised as part of Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget - have been welcomed by the Robin Hood Airport chief.
• Sheffield residents urged to saddle upYoung bike enthusiasts are urging residents to take up two wheels – in line with The Star’s Let’s Get Cycling campaign.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Man rescued from van after it plunges into seaA man was rescued from the roof of a van after its crashed off a road, plunged down a 30ft embankment and landed in the sea yesterday.
• Two new city railway stations could cut traffic problemsTransport leaders are exploring plans for two new railway stations in Aberdeen to help address the area’s booming population and ease chronic traffic congestion.

Wales Online

• The Electrification debate: The future of the Valleys is on the line As the question over who will pay for the electrification of the Valleys lines heats up, Business Editor Sion Barry looks at the events of the past week

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Tour chief says predicting Yorkshire stages’ budget correctly would have been ‘miracle’The man at the helm of the UK’s stages of the 2014 Tour de France has said it would have been a “miracle” if its event production budget for Yorkshire had been predicted correctly, after a £2m funding gap was found.
• Souvenir to savour of Le Tour de YorkshireA Tour de France to remember is on our doorstep.

Bucks Free Press

• Road treatment works scheduled for Bucks next week ROADWORKS will get underway across a range of sites in the county next week, including Loudwater, Marlow and Bourne End, as Transport for Bucks continues its ‘We’re Working On It’ road treatment programme.

Carlisle News & Star

• Five-vehicle crash shuts part of M6 in Cumbria A section of the M6 in north Cumbria is blocked following a crash involving a lorry and four cars.
• High Court verdict throws Carlisle Airport plans into disarray Stobart Group is to submit new plans for the development of Carlisle Airport despite a legal set back today.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Needham Market: Residents fears over proposals for crossing which was scene of rail deathA group of residents claim they are not being listened to as proposals to build a footbridge over a busy railway line face criticism.

Other Regional Press

• Bob’s great 550-mile bus trip raises £1,500 for brave boyA FORMER chimney sweep is back home after making his way from the southern-most to the northern-most part of the country – using nothing but his bus pass.
• Seven Sisters takes to waves on Le Havre routeFERRY operator DFDS Seaways has welcomed a new ship to the Portsmouth to Le Harve route following the end of the charter period of Norman Voyager.
• Shipping information for Sunday, March 22 and Monday, March 23, 2014The latest movements for the port of Portsmouth
• Northampton’s bike hire scheme to be named ‘Cycle CoNNect’The name for Northampton’s Boris-Bike style hire scheme has been revealed as ’Cycle CoNNect’. after more than 500 entered a county council competition to come up with a name.

Global Rail News

• East Coast invitation to tender releasedA milestone in the transformation of rail services along one of the UK’s most iconic rail routes has been reached today with the release of the invitation to tender (ITT)[...]

Railway Gazette

• Study considers long-term options for Devon - Cornwall rail link UK: Following the catastrophic destruction of around 100 m of sea wall at Dawlish during an exceptional storm in February, a taskforce has been established to undertake high-level study into ways of...

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair boosts London Stansted servicesIreland-based low-cost carrier (LCC) Ryanair is to substantially increase its services from London Stansted Airport for the winter 2014 season. read more