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

Wednesday, 30 April 2014

BBC News

• Leeds trolleybus scheme public inquiry startsA public inquiry has started into a £250m trolleybus system for Leeds.
• Blackpool council agrees to pay £4.7m for tram extensionFunding for an £18.2m extension to Blackpool's tram system is in place after the town's council agreed to pay the remaining £4.7m towards the scheme.
• Station reopening support increasedScottish Borders Council increases its financial commitment to reopening a railway station on the East Coast Main Line at Reston.
• Tube strike continues for commutersCommuters are set to face further disruption getting into London as Tube workers carry out a second day of strike action.

Department for Transport

• DfT departmental improvement planThis plan outlines what we will do to ensure the long term health and success of our department.

Financial Times

• Stagecoach looks to extend revenue growthOutlook for group’s rail business uncertain as it waits for the results of bids to run franchises including East Coast main line
• New business-only airline raises fundsOdyssey plans first flight from London to New York in 2016, despite previous failures in this sector such as Maxjet and Silverjet

The Telegraph

• Tube strike: which lines are still workingAs London's tube strike enters its second full day, we explain which Overground and Underground services continue to run

Mail Online

• Norwegian Air and easyJet voted best for budget flights Norwegian Air topped the poll, voted the best for holidaymakers looking for value for money - with easyJet second, British Airways third, Jet2 fourth and Monarch making up the top five.
• Switch to diesel cars 'costs 7,000 lives every year': Toxic fumes blamed for health crisis Ministers have created a public health crisis by ‘blindly’ promoting diesel cars, a top Government adviser said yesterday.

The Mirror

• London Underground tube strike live: Latest updates as 48-hour industrial action continuesCommuters are struggling to get into work as industrial action cripples London's transport network

Network Rail

• New route managing director for Network Rail ScotlandNetwork Rail, the owner-operator of Scotland’s railway infrastructure, has appointed David Dickson as the new route managing director for Scotland.
• Footbridge replaces West Coast main line level crossing in Staffordshire as part of nation wide safety commitmentA footbridge has opened across the busy West Coast main line in Staffordshire to replace a footpath level crossing as part of Network Rail’s commitment to improve safety on the railway.

Birmingham Post

• Region's railway stations to benefit from improvement worksNew funding aims to better access for disabled people at trio of West Midlands stations

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford Council free school transport cut to be probed A controversial decision to make cuts to free school transport will be examined by a scrutiny committee next week.

London Evening Standard

• Tourists at Heathrow hit out at 'terrible first impression'Air travellers and commuters caught up in the strike today said the action “embarrassed” London.
• Ashok Sinha: Strike reminds us why London needs safe cyclingAs the capital grapples with today’s Tube strike, tens of thousands of Londoners want to use their bikes as an alternative way to commute. Yet most won’t do so — because they find our streets too dangerous to cycle.  Many more want to cycle regularly for all sorts of everyday trips but daren’t ride alongside heavy lorries or around fast-moving cars and vans.
• Police appeal after commuters clash on District line train as Tube strike kicks inPolice investigating a violent clash on the Tube have released a picture of a man they would like to speak to.
• London Tube strike: Boris Johnson heaps blame onto RMTBoris Johnson today accused union members of entering a "pointless battle" as millions of Londoners were hit by Tube strikes.

Metro

• Millions defy Tube strike to crawl to work: Heaving platforms, closed stations and packed buses as RMT members walk outCommuters across London struggled into work yesterday as a Tube strike caused severe disruption across the city.

Sheffield Star

• East Midlands Airport flights suspendedAir passengers planning to use East Midlands Airport were this afternoon still being advised to contact their airlines before travelling - as flights out remained suspended.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• ‘We vow to fight link road bid tooth and nail’PROTESTERS vowed last night to fight tooth and nail against Moray’s most controversial building project in decades.

The York Press

• MP joins fight to restore Tadcaster bus service OLDER people campaigning for the restoration of their bus service have won the support of their local MP.
• North Yorkshire rail station to get share of £100m of government funding to make it fully accessible A NORTH Yorkshire station is to benefit from a share of £100m of government funding to make it fully accessible for disabled passengers.
• Bid goes in for York to host high speed rail college THE bid to bring the national high speed rail college and its 2,000 apprentices to York is being submitted to Government tomorrow.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• MP adds voice to criticism of £250m Leeds trolleybus plansA Leeds MP has joined the ranks of protesters aiming to put the brakes on the city’s trolleybus scheme.

Burnley Express

• £2m. rail improvement work on trackRail bosses say £2m. improvements to the line between Burnley and Colne are on track.

Other Regional Press

• South Northamptonshire MP abstains as Tory rebellion fails to stop HS2 rail link schemeSouth Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom - one of the most vociferous campaigners against the HS2 rail link - did not vote in the amendment debate on the controversial scheme last night.
• Adjournment debate called on rural bus services SOUTH Dorset MP Richard Drax will call on the government to look at its funding for rural bus services.

Global Rail News

• Stadler in new GTW train order in USStadler is to supply eight  GTW trains for Californian mass transit operator BART. The $58 million order will see San Francisco operating the same model of diesel multiple unit currently[...]
• New Crossrail programme director appointedNetwork Rail’s Simon Wright has been appointed by Crossrail as the project’s new programme director. Simon, who was previously director of infrastructure and utilities with the Olympic Delivery Authority, will join the Crossrail team in the summer. Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail chief executive said: “Simon Wright is an outstanding candidate who successfully led the delivery and […]
• Financial close for €4bn South African train orderPRASA (Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa) and the Alstom-led Gibela consortium have reached financial close on a €4 billion order for new commuter trains. Alstom, in partnership with Ubumbano Rail[...]
• €200m to be spent upgrading Bordeaux Saint-Jean stationRFF and SNCF have launched a joint €200 million scheme to renovate Bordeaux Saint-Jean station ready for the inauguration of the Tours-Bordeaux TGV in 2017. The three-year programme is made up[...]
• Strong backing for HS2Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has said he hopes to see construction begin on Britain’s new high-speed rail network in 2017 after the HS2 hybrid bill was passed in the Commons.[...]
• UPDATE: Siemens joins GE in Alstom approachSiemens has said it now plans to make an offer to Alstom as it looks to develop a new strategic partnership with the French engineering giant. Siemens had previously announced[...]
• Thales pre-qualifies for SSL signalling contractThales has been invited to tender for London Underground’s Sub-Surface railway signalling contract. The contract, which will see capacity increased markedly on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines, the[...]

Other News Sources

• Megabus revenues rise 16.5% across America  Trading statement published by Stagecoach this week reveals that the fastest-growing part of the group is Megabus.com in North America Despite the prolonged period of adverse weather across North America, Stagecoach this week revealed that revenue from its Megabus budget coach services in North America grew 16.5% in the 11 months to March 31, 2014. The operation is the fastest-growing part of Stagecoach. A trading statement published by the group said that the growth had been driven by existing services, as well as the contribution from new networks in Texas and California. The expansio...
• MPs see off rebels to overwhelmingly back HS2 bill legislation MPs have overwhelmingly backed legislation for the High Speed 2 bill in its second reading in the House of Commons last night.
• Cathay Pacific is first airline to confirm operating at Changi T4Changi Airport Group (CAG) and Cathay Pacific Airways announced today that Cathay Pacific will operate at Changi Airportrsquo;s newest terminal ndash; Terminal 4 (T4) ndash; when it opens in...