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

Friday, 04 July 2014

BBC News

• French firm wins 7 year Docklands Light Railway franchiseFrench transport group Keolis has been awarded a new franchise to operate London's Dockland's Light Railway (DLR) from December 2014.
• Direct rail link to city restoredA direct rail link between north east Wales and Liverpool is to be restored, after being lost in the 1970s.
• HS2 top team 'must get more than PM'The boss of the HS2 rail project says he will pay 20 to 30 staff more than David Cameron earns, describing the salaries as
• Trafford Centre Metrolink discussedPeople in Greater Manchester get a chance to view plans to extend its Metrolink tram system to the Trafford Centre.
• Ryanair to begin flying from GlasgowBudget airline Ryanair confirms it is to start flying from Glasgow Airport in October, but has cut some flights from struggling Prestwick.

Financial Times

• UK company helps beat airport liquids banCobalt Light Systems, a small Oxfordshire-based enterprise, has landed the prestigious MacRobert Award which seeks to recognise engineering excellence
• Norwegian tests low-cost UK to US flightsFuel-efficient aircraft hold the key to cracking intercontinental conundrum and making transatlantic flights both profitable and more affordable
• Air travellers warned of tighter securityNick Clegg has told people to expect a tougher regime for the foreseeable future after the US asked European allies to beware terror attacks
• At the wheel of a 40-tonne self-driving truckAdvances in radar sensors, stereo-cameras and computing power have propelled autonomous vehicles from science fiction to the cusp of reality

The Herald

• Ryanair committed to Prestwick RYANAIR has insisted it is committed to Prestwick after the airport's sole airline axed nearly half of its winter schedule and announced plans to open a third Scottish base in Glasgow.

The Independent

• UK airport security urgently tightened due to credible threat of al-Qa ida bomb attack Security at UK airports is being immediately tightened after US spies warned of the “credible threat” of an al-Qa’ida terror attack.
• Labour would let public and private sectors to compete for rail franchises The Government would compete with private companies for rail franchises under plans drawn up by Labour that stop short of a full-scale programme of renationalisation, according to a report.

The Scotsman

• Leaders: Glasgow transport links the way aheadBY ANY measure the announcement of £1 billion of investment in Glasgow from the UK and Scottish governments is good news for the city and for Scotland’s economy.

The Telegraph

• UK terror alert: body searches at British airportsHolidaymakers face invasive physical checks and lengthy delays at Britain's airports amid fears that jihadists returning from Iraq and Syria plan to target transatlantic flights with laptop explosives and 'body bombs'

Mail Online

• Airport security crackdown in hunt for 'undetectable' bombs Intelligence sources fear Al Qaeda is plotting to smuggle the devices on to planes travelling between Britain and America.

The Mirror

• British airports on alert over fears that terrorists are plotting attack using 'human bombs'Al-Qaeda’s top bomb-maker is working on a device that can evade scanners and be hidden inside a terrorist’s body or electronic gadgets
• Speed cameras cost motorists £22million last year - and busiest caught 26 drivers a DAY Figures also show 15% of drivers who got tickets in 2013 were caught out by altered speed limits, introduced by nine out of 10 councils last year

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• South Craven MP welcomes potholes cash SOUTH Craven MP Julian Smith has welcomed an extra £5.2 million to be spent on tackling potholes on North Yorkshire's roads.

London Evening Standard

• All roads in the City will have 20mph speed limit by the end of the month All roads in the City of London will have a 20mph speed limit by the end of July in an attempt to reduce traffic accidents.
• Night routes are a very safe and happy experience, says London's bus boss Transport chiefs today hit back at claims that London’s night buses were plagued by anti-social behaviour.
• Evening Standard Comment: New airport security - the price of freedom Those preparing to fly on holiday this month may be dismayed by the latest anti-terror measures at airports. Security is being tightened for direct flights to the US after reports that al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists in Syria and Yemen may be planning new attacks. Details are sketchy, though there have been suggestions that a new wave of bombings might involve devices made of all-plastic parts or planted in the bodies of suicide bombers. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has ruled out “significant disruption”, though the risk, as with the ban on liquids in hand luggage from 2006, is that ...

Manchester Evening News

• Pictured: What trams outside the Trafford Centre could look like if route extension gets go-aheadImpressions of what the route could look like outside different locations along the proposed extension have been revealed

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Harewood cycling festival close to being ready for Grand Depart launchThe stage is being set for the ceremonial start of the 2014 Tour de France at Harewood House.

Bucks Free Press

• Work on new £500k cycle network begins this month WORK on a new town centre cycle network will begin this month after a group of dedicated cyclists and the council won funding for the project.

Carlisle News & Star

• New parking restrictions come into force in Carlisle city centre Work is continuing on the introduction of new parking rules in Carlisle’s historic quarter.

Doncaster Free Press

• RMT warns of ‘looming’ dispute affecting Doncaster East Coast routesDoncaster commuters could be faced with disruption on the trains following the threat of a looming dispute on First Great Western and East Coast routes from rail union, The RMT.

Other Regional Press

• Bus firm boss says only solution to relieve traffic is to knock down new Northampton bus stationThe owner of a Northampton bus company has said the long-term solution to regular town-wide traffic jams is to rebuild the new bus station.
• Works to roof of North Gate Bus Station in Northampton are “routine”, says borough councilWork being carried out inside North Gate bus station in Northampton town centre is “routine,” Northampton Borough Council have said,

Freight on Rail

• Permission to expand Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal win for economy and society.Today’s permission for expansion of Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal will remove trucks from our roads and create more green jobs, according to Freight on Rail.
• New research: Britain’s lorries receiving £5bn annual subsidyNew research1 has revealed that lorries using Britain’s roads are subsidised to the tune of £5bn each year2.

Global Rail News

• Edinburgh tram bells will not be silencedTransport for Edinburgh has said its tram bells will not be silenced in some residential areas following stories about complaints from unhappy residents. The Edinburgh Evening News reported that drivers had[...]
• Istanbul Metro awards train contractCAF and Mitsubishi Corporation have won a €119 million contract to supply metro cars to Turkey’s largest city. Istanbul Metro has procured 21 six-car trains. In 2009, the operator awarded[...]
• Alstom to start building new PRASA train fleetProduction of South Africa’s new suburban train fleet is set to begin after Alstom and PRASA unveiled the finalised vehicle design at Africa Rail this week. The first 20 trains[...]
• Cornwall to benefit from £146.6m rail investment packageThe UK government has announced that £146.6 million is to be  Cornwall’s rail network including a substantial upgrade to sleeper services. Tourism is at the ’core’ of the investment, the[...]

Aviation Industry

• Security stepped up for US flightsAirports introduce new measures following “credible” terrorist threat
• Ryanair expands in Scotland with new Stansted routesNo-frills carrier adds flights from Edinburgh and Glasgow for winter season
• ‘Europe must push through air traffic reform’ – IATAAirline association says current system is costing more than €9 billion per year

Other News Sources

• Manchester Airports Group Expands Noise Monitoring HorizonsNOMS 9 enables M.A.G. to monitor and report on noise and operations at multiple airports, including London Stansted, Bournemouth, East Midlands and Manchester, with a single system. The four airports serve around 43 million passengers every year and are an important part of the local economy.
• Check this groovy way to cut out airport noiseNo one wants to live near a runway, but you definitely don't want to live by Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. It's the fourth-busiest in Europe, and it's in what might be the least soundproof place on Earth: a cold, wide-open flatland where noise can travel unobstructed for kilometres. Which is why these mysterious-looking formations appeared in the area last year.
• Transatlantic flights from just £149 are coming to Gatwick Holiday makers can now get to the United States from just £149 as new low cost transatlantic flights are coming to Gatwick.