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

Tuesday, 03 February 2015

BBC News

• Heathrow Airport boosts new runway noise compensationHeathrow Airport has offered to boost the amount it pays towards residents' noise insulation costs from £250m to £700m if a new runway goes ahead.
• British Transport Police releases level crossing near missesBritish Transport Police have released footage of motorists and pedestrians acting dangerously at level crossings around the UK.
• More train disruption after landslipRail passengers experience a third day of disruption and delays as workers clear an estimated 300,000 tonnes of earth and rock from a landslip in Warwickshire.
• Bus roof torn off after hitting treeThe roof of a bus is ripped off after it hits overhanging trees in central London.
• Ryanair raises profit forecastIrish airline Ryanair raises its guidance for annual profits, but warns shareholders and analysts to

Department for Transport

• Overhaul to rail penalty fare appeals proposedThe government has launched a consultation on proposals that will make the rail penalty fare system fairer for passengers.

Financial Times

• China railway makers: on trackMexican signalling problems should not affect long-term potential
• Skymark undone by ‘reckless’ expansionBudget carriers struggling to prise open Japan’s incumbents-dominated aviation market
• Ryanair lifts forecast for fifth timeO’Leary cautions investors against exuberance amid limited oil price gains
• IAG seeks to ease Aer Lingus bid concernsWalsh promises to leave ownership of Heathrow slots with Irish carrier
• Ryanair: gloomy placeRyanair did a good job downplaying a good earnings report
• Uber funds driverless car researchGoogle looks at launching rival to ride-hailing group’s service

The Guardian

• Aer Lingus offered Heathrow slots guarantees by British Airways’ ownerIAG steps up pursuit of Irish flag carrier and moves to allay Dublin’s fears with offer to preserve Aer Lingus brand and presence at Heathrow
• London bus roof ripped off after hitting tree in HolbornEmergency services at crash site after No 91 double-decker bus collides with tree in central LondonFive people escaped with minor injuries after the roof of a double-decker bus was torn off after hitting a tree in central London.The bus, a No 91 heading to Trafalgar Square, was badly damaged after the incident in Holborn on Monday. A bus with its roof taken off on Kingsway, Holborn. I can only hope no one was on the top of the bus. pic.twitter.com/1dGVd4gaBJThe clean up team move the roof to the side road #kingsway #bus https://t.co/srDdxslss2So there are now two warning signs for buses: 1) ov...
• Heathrow proposes big extension of noise insulation schemeAirport to spend £700m installing noise protection at homes from Windsor to Richmond if third runway plan gets go-aheadHeathrow has proposed a big extension of its noise insulation scheme at a cost of around £700m should the third runway be developed, in a final attempt to persuade the Airports Commission of its case.The move would almost treble the previously designated budget to offset the effects of aircraft noise, which has been the dominant factor in rousing local opposition to expansion.

The Herald

• Inverness Chamber back third Heathrow runwayA new third runway at Heathrow is backed by Inverness Chamber of Commerce, but only if the Highland capital is guaranteed flights to and from the airport.
• Operator fined £1500 over missed bus servicesA BUS operator convicted of drink driving has been fined £1,500 for failing to run timetabled bus services.
• Mind the gape: prepare for new driverless Subway trains with viewing deck windows at each endPASSENGERS using Scotland's only underground system will be able watch their journeys from giant windows at either end of the trains if the companies bidding to design the new Glasgow Subway fleet replicate the designs they have rolled out in other cities.

The Independent

• London Underground ticket office closures start todayTransport for London’s tube transformation plan begins today with its first wave of underground ticket closures.

The Telegraph

• Rail chaos as major landslip closes line between Leamington Spa and BanburyEngineers monitor stretch of line in Harbury area of Warwickshire after section of land around 160m long slips next to railway in 'dangerous' incident
• Rail passengers making innocent mistakes to be protected from prosecutionGovernment proposals aim to make appealing against penalty rail fares fairer and more open
• Rip up the busiest railways and replace them with bus lanes, says Thatcherite thinktankThe Institute of Economic Affairs said in a report published on Tuesday morning that it was 'viable' to convert rail tracks into bus lanes

Mail Online

• Video released by British Transport Police shows near-misses on level crossings The heart-stopping CCTV clips, taken from across the UK, were released by the British Transport Police (BTP) as part of a new safety campaign to stop people misusing crossings.

The Mirror

• Ryanair blasts British Airways for failing to pass on the slump in oil prices to customers The budget airline slammed competitors which had yet to cut the fuel surcharge that they add to fares

Network Rail

• Improving performance with Southern and ThameslinkNetwork Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway and Southern are working together to improve performance on one of the most congested railways in the country.
• Look! Don’t risk it! Level crossing awareness events across BritainNetwork Rail is joining the British Transport Police (BTP) at level crossings across Britain this week, as part of the BTP’s ‘Operation Look’ awareness campaign.
• Have your say: new Chord to support Tram Train operations in SheffieldPlans for a new section of rail that will allow European-style Tram Trains to run between Britain’s rail and tram network for the first time are out for consultation.

Birmingham Post

• Jaguar Land Rover plans Minworth expansion Prologis UK submits new plans to grow storage and distribution base for luxury car manufacturer on north Birmingham industrial estate

Bolton News

• Major disruption expected when Bolton train station closes at weekends for five months BOLTON train station will close at the weekend for five months — and three other stations in the borough will close completely between May and October.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented Shocking video shows cyclist hit by level crossing barrier in...A shocking video shows the moment a cyclist was floored by a level crossing barrier in Derby.The video is being used by British Transport Police (BTP) officers as part of a new campaign called Operation Look which aims to highlight the dangers at level crossings.Watch the video here - it follows a video of a near-miss in Dundee.Between 1 April, 2014 and 1 January, 2015, 400 motorists were charged or summonsed for crossing misuse, a further 357 received fixed penalty notices, 16 were cautioned...

London Evening Standard

• Colin Stanbridge: If we mean business we must expand both Gatwick and HeathrowTo raise capacity at just one airport would be madness. Let’s take the short-term pain now for long-term gain
• Heathrow makes £450m noise relief pledge in fight for third runwayHeathrow chiefs today threw an extra £450 million at their bid for a third runway with a huge expansion of their noise insulation scheme.
• Campaigners 'disgusted' as builders dismantle Paolozzi murals at Tottenham Court Road Campaigners fighting to save Eduardo Paolozzi’s iconic murals at Tottenham Court Road tube station today reacted with disgust as it emerged that much of a key element of the works have already been dismantled.
• Campaigners 'disgusted' as builders dismantle Paolozzi murals at Tottenham Court Road Campaigners fighting to save Eduardo Paolozzi’s iconic murals at Tottenham Court Road tube station today reacted with disgust as it emerged that much of a key element of the works have already been dismantled.
• Holborn bus crash: Four injured as roof torn off bus on Kingsway The roof of a double-decker bus has been ripped off after it hit a tree in central London.
• Passenger on bus in Holborn crash: 'I ducked and when I looked up the roof was gone' A shopkeeper who was on the top deck of a London bus when its roof was ripped off in a crash has told how he escaped after being showered with debris.

Manchester Evening News

• Passenger highlights 'security issue' at Manchester Airport after being unable to find bin for syringeBosses promise review after woman with heart condition asked shop to dispose of needle before flight

Northern Echo

• Pay 1p you owe or your son may be refused school transport, council letter warns A COUNCIL has apologised for writing to a parent to warn him to pay 1p or risk his son being refused school transport, after it emerged he was the one out of pocket.

Nottingham Evening Post

• AlexBritton commented HS2 chairman 'hopeful' of announcing site of East Midlands...The site of East Midlands' new high speed rail station could be known by the summer.Sir David Higgins, chairman of HS2, has said he is

Wales Online

• Would you prefer a bus to a train if it was 40% cheaper? This expert says we should 'tear up rail tracks and make busways'Richard Welling, of the Institutue of Economic Affairs, says 'guided busyways' offer a better deal for passengers than rail

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds City Station is just the ticket for a really romantic rideAll aboard the love train - Yorkshire Evening Post readers are being offered a unique chance to get their romance on track this Valentine’s Day.

Yorkshire Post

• Third Heathrow runway ’could add £9bn to region’The expansion of Heathrow is needed to help businesses in Yorkshire to reach their full potential, the London airport’s chief executive has said.
• Aladdin’s cave of Doncaster rail treasures comes out of shadowsTO THE unenlightened, it is a stuffy school room strewn with tatty old knick-knacks. To educated enthusiasts, however, it is one of the rail world’s best kept secrets.
• Stop criminalising honest passengers, Government tells rail firmsTHE Government is stepping in to ensure that rail passengers making innocent mistakes over ticketing are not threatened with criminal proceedings.

Blackpool Gazette

• Airport enterprise zone bid to launchBlackpool Council is set to launch a bid to have the airport included in the Lancashire Enterprise Zone.

Burnley Express

• Taxi boss in 700-mile round trip to pick up electric carA Cornish cab driver has hailed a Burnley firm – after becoming one of the first people in the UK to take delivery of a new Nissan electric taxi.

Carlisle News & Star

• Bus crash in Carlisle city centre A bus has crashed into an empty shop in Carlisle city centre.
• £8m wish-list to improve Carlisle's road network An £8 million wish-list for the future of Carlisle’s roads and transport network has been drawn up to help ease congestion over the next 15 years.

Doncaster Free Press

• Secret railway collection set to go on show in DoncasterA collection of memorabilia from the golden days of Britain’s railways is set to steam into Doncaster this week.
• Extra police patrols at level crossings in South YorkshireExtra high visibility patrols are to be carried out at level crossings in a new operation aimed at driving down offending.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Stena reports 5.7% rise in passenger numbers on Harwich-Hook of Holland ferry routeStena Line has reported continued growth in passenger numbers on its Harwich-Hook of Holland ferry service.
• Rail bosses hail the new-look carriages – and the engineering work didn’t over-runRail bosses in East Anglia enjoyed a double dose of success yesterday as they showed off the first of their new-look carriages – and were able to celebrate the main-line reopening on time after a weekend of engineering work.
• Campaigners hand petition to rail bosses over disabled access at Marks Tey stationA petition signed by 540 people calling for lifts to be installed at a north Essex railway station has been handed to rail bosses.

Sleaford Standard

• Parking ban plan over cycle laneParking on the cycle lane in Sleaford’s Boston Road may soon become illegal, under plans from Lincolnshire highways chiefs.

Other Regional Press

• ‘Mr Pothole’ from Northamptonshire takes his campaign to repair the UK’s worst roads to WestminsterA Northamptonshire man spent the day at the Houses of Parliament as his campaign to fix broken roads continues to grow.
• 'Structural damage' after Arriva bus hits Middlesbrough Bus StationNumber 28 service careered into stand six just before 8.45am :: Cleveland Police say an investigation will be needed
• British Transport Police vans stationed at level crossings across Kent this week to catch drivers jumping lightsMotorists and pedestrians are risking their lives for the sake of minutes by
• Bus operator Damory welcomes new services A BUS operator is set to welcome five new buses to Dorset this week.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Sussex bus companies go head to head over routeA bus company in Sussex is hoping to win over passengers after adding a new route to its timetable. The Sussex Bus Company will start operating a new route from Lindfield to Haywards Heath and on to the hospital - but there is already a bus service running on this route. However, this route is already occupied by Southdowns PSV bus company running a similar route - meaning the two companies will have to go head to head in order to win the loyalty of customers. Southdowns customer Roy Hayward told the Mid Sussex Times that the new route will run five minutes ahead of the existing bus. He contin...

Stagecoach Group

• Catching the bus around 60% cheaper than commuting by car despite falling pump pricesCatching the bus is around 60%* cheaper than commuting to work by car despite falling pump prices, according to new research published today (2 February 2015). The study by Stagecoach, Britain's biggest bus and coach operator, found that bus users save an average of £1,200* a year – or £100 per month - by leaving their car in the driveway. The saving is enough to pay almost all of the average household’s gas and electricity costs for a year**.
• MEGABUS.COM US AWARDED TOP SAFETY ACCOLADELow-fares inter-city coach provider megabus.com has been named Safety Champion by the Transportation Safety Exchange (TSX) in the US.

Aviation Industry

• GTMC: Heathrow expansion has massive business travel supportGTMC CEO Paul Wait has said there is “massive” support for expanding Heathrow airport among the business travel industry.
• Monarch Airlines forecasts double-digit profit for 2014-2015 UK leisure carrier Monarch Airlines is forecasting a double-digit net profit for 2014-2015 following a rapid turnaround under new 90%-owner Greybull Capital. read more
• Pilot mobility, aircraft leasing keys to revamped Chorus AviationChorus Aviation, the parent company of Canada’s largest regional airline, has overhauled its business model—including securing an 11-year labor contract with its pilots. read more
• Chorus Aviation orders 13 Bombardier Q400sChorus Aviation, parent of Jazz Aviation, has finalized its amended capacity purchase agreement (CPA) with Air Canada and placed an order for 13 firm Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft valued at $424 million plus 10 options. read more
• Etihad deploys Boeing 787 Dreamliner into serviceGulf carrier posts record passenger growth for 2014
• IAG to guarantee Aer Lingus Heathrow slotsBA owner attempts to secure Irish government approval

Other News Sources

• Comment: Can Davies Commission achieve take-off?How much closer are we to new runway capacity as public consultation on airport expansion ends, asks Ian Taylor
• MPs to join anti-Heathrow campaigners for march on Downing StreetMPs and protesters against Heathrow expansion will march on Downing Street tomorrow to mark the end of Howard Davies’ public consultation on airport capacity.
• Heathrow offers sweetener to neighbouring housesHeathrow Airport is offering a new noise insulation scheme to neighbouring houses if it gets the go ahead for a third runway.
• Heathrow Airport pledges new runway noise compensationHeathrow Airport has upped the sum that could go towards residents' noise insulation costs from £250m to £700m if the proposed runway goes ahead.
• Department for Transport hires Heathrow PR director Simon BaughSimon Baugh, director of PR at Heathrow Airport, is moving to the Department for Transport to take up the role of group director of comms.
• Heathrow makes £700m noise abatement vowHeathrow has offered to spend £450 million more on protecting homes from aircraft noise if it wins the green light for a third runway.
• Heathrow expansion ’could see £9 billion added to Yorkshire economy’third runway at Heathrow Airport could see an additional £9 billion in economic growth and 11,200 jobs to the Yorkshire region, according to research undertaken by the airport itself.
• Axe falls on Blackburn with Darwen council’s fleet of buses for disabled and elderly THE final axe has a fallen on Blackburn with Darwen council’s fleet of community transport buses for the disabled and elderly due to cease service on March 31.
• M25 pothole compensation claims still being worked outThe Highways Agency has been examining how and why a section of the M25 carriageway subsided
• McLaren expansion supported by Woking's MP MP Jonathan Lord believes plans announced by the car manufacturer would bring 'high quality' jobs to the area
• Five injured as roof ripped off London busTwo people are taken to hospital after the number 91 bus has its roof completely ripped off in central London.
• First Great Western SAD therapy train carriage uses Lumie LightsPassengers today enjoyed the first ever SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) therapy train carriage on the First Great Western 7.06am train from London Paddington Station to Penzance, Cornwall.
• Heathrow responds to calls for world - class noise insulation scheme Meets public challenge to develop noise insulation scheme comparable to other European hub airports including Schiphol, Madrid, Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt New offering shaped by...
• Bombardier and Chorus Sign Purchase Agreement for up to 23 Q400 NextGen Aircraft and Launch New Extended Service Program for Dash 8-300 AircraftBombardier Commercial Aircraft and Chorus Aviation Inc. ('Chorus') (TSX: CHR.B CHR.A), parent company of Jazz Aviation LP ('Jazz') announced today that they have signed a firm purchase agreement ...