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

Saturday, 07 February 2015

BBC News

• Heathrow rail link plans to go on showPlans for a new £500m rail link connecting the main line into London from the west with Heathrow Airport are going on public show.
• Helicopter lands safely after alertA North Sea helicopter lands safely at Aberdeen International Airport after emergency services were called out ahead of its arrival.
• Tram strike timed to hit United gameA union leader admits a Metrolink tram strike has been timed to
• Watchdog threatens East Coast probeCompetition watchdog orders Stagecoach and Virgin to take action on overlapping routes.

Department for Transport

• Stagecoach/Virgin consortium given chance to resolve limited competition concerns arising from the East Coast rail franchise awardICRL, a subsidiary jointly owned by Stagecoach and Virgin Trains, has the chance to avoid an in-depth merger investigation into its successful bid to run the East Coast rail franchise, if it can offer an acceptable solution to address competition concerns.
• Business contracts: alternative railway signalling systemsHow do you keep trains moving when existing signal systems fail? £4 million in contract funding is available to help find a solution.
• £1.4 Million resurfacing investment on M5 between Junction 9 and 10Resurfacing work totalling £1.4 million will start next week on the M5 in Gloucestershire improving journeys between Junctions 9 and 10 southbound.
• Patrick McLoughlin sees how transport schemes are boosting local economy.Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has visited Liverpool to see how more than £500 million investment is improving the local economy.

Financial Times

• Watchdog alert over East Coast rail dealCompetition authority warns it may investigate Stagecoach-Virgin contract

The Guardian

• Business rates: Heathrow, the BBC and Harrods among hardest hitBritain’s biggest airport will pay at least £164m, with power stations, government departments, banks and department stores also facing steep bills
• Competition watchdog raises concerns over East Coast rail reprivatisationGovernment plans to return key London to Scotland rail route to private sector hit snag due to Stagecoach’s existing services. The government’s plans to return a key London to Scotland rail route to the private sector after five years of public sector operation have run into difficulties.

The Herald

• Hundreds back call for speeding motorists to go on driving coursesHUNDREDS of motorists have signed up to a petition calling for speeding drivers to be sent on a course instead of facing prosecution.
• Stagecoach-Virgin East Coast deal faces late threat from regulatorsThe new East Coast rail franchise between Scotland and London is to go ahead as planned from next month, despite claims it could lead to higher fares.

The Telegraph

• Taxi boss: 'cyclists are the Isis of London'The head of London's biggest taxi drivers' association compares cyclists to terror group, as plan for new cycle 'superhighways' in the capital gets go-ahead
• Could cyclists use London's disused underground tunnels?The London Underline project suggests opening up abandoned tunnels under London's roads to help ease congestion in the city centre
• Rail fares: guilty until proven innocentTrain companies treat their customers like criminals and the independent appeals service is nothing of the sort

Times Online

• New rail link offers direct access to HeathrowPlans for a new rail link into Heathrow could provide direct access to Europe’s busiest airport for millions of passengers outside London.

Mail Online

• Driverless cars get green light and you WON'T need a licence meaning they'll be able to do the school run on their own  Women are expected to benefit the most because almost a third do not have a licence, compared with just one in seven men. Others likely to gain include the disabled, the elderly and even children.

Network Rail

• Minor derailment – Georgemas JunctionA minor derailment involving a freight train carrying industrial pipes occurred shortly before 08:00 today (Friday, February 6) at Georgemas Junction on the Far North line.
• Network Rail’s Brixton investment plansNetwork Rail is working closely with businesses in a series of railway arches in Brixton that are earmarked for future refurbishment.
• Welsh Secretary visits state-of-the-art Welsh operations centre to see how Network Rail is delivering a more reliable railway for passengersSecretary of State for Wales, Stephen Crabb MP and Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns visited the Wales rail operating centre in Cardiff today to see how state-of-the-art technology makes running the railway more efficient and reliable for passengers.

Birmingham Post

• Jobs axe at Ring and Ride after £700k budget cutElderly and disabled may be 'left stranded' after bus service cuts result in more than 50 posts going at 'lifeline' transport service
• Birmingham City Centre rejects call to open up bus lanes to ease jams Transport chiefs have rejected calls to suspend bus lanes in a bid to get Birmingham moving during rush hour.

Bolton News

• Yobs 'put lives at risk' by putting water drums and cement bags on train track A TRAIN hit two 25 litre drums of water and two bags of cement that had been deliberately placed on the track.

Liverpool Echo

• Peel Ports welcomes Transport Minister to site of the new £300m Liverpool2 container terminalOn completion the facility will be able to accommodate the world’s largest deep sea container vessels

Sheffield Telegraph

• More research needed into road safety measures in South YorkshireSheffield lawyers who specialise in helping people seriously injured in collisions are calling for more research into measures aimed at reducing accidents.

Burnley Express

• May start for Burnley to Manchester direct rail linkThe long-awaited direct rail link between Burnley and Manchester is scheduled to start on Sunday, May 17th.

Doncaster Free Press

• More research needed into road safety measures in South YorkshireSheffield lawyers who specialise in helping people seriously injured in collisions are calling for more research into measures aimed at reducing accidents.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Diversion at Peterborough station starts on MondayFriday 3pm: Motorists driving to Peterborough Railway Station will face a diversion as they leave the area for two weeks starting on Monday (February 9).

Bus and Coach.com

• Live Edition 6 Feb 2015
• CPT's Hiron pulls no punches
• IEA calls for rail to bus conversions
• TAS report highlights spending cuts and profit levels
• RDA Workshop provides opportunity for UK exhibitors
• Material concerns for brake suppliers
• New Tourismo for Catteralls Coaches
• Goodsir Coaches take high spec Setra
• New Altano for Edwards Coaches
• First new coach for Abbot Coach Travel

Rail Magazine

• Passengers want new rail app featuresPassenger Focus research on mobile rail apps says more features are needed
• Bell appointed next CILT UK presidentSenior Traffic Commissioner for Britain to take over presidency of the Chartered Institute of Land Transport
• FTPE launches pioneer assistance initiativeBlue Assist helps those with disabilities and more
• WCML closures cancelled due to Harbury Tunnel landslideWork at Watford postponed to provide direct London route
• Freight derails at Georgemas JunctionFreight train carrying industrial pipes derails on the Far North Line
• Class 68s haul Daventry-Grangemouth Tesco trainDirect Rail Services Class 68s trialled on Tesco train

Railnews

• Railfreight link restored at Sunderland Port Freight trains are returning to the Port of Sunderland after a gap of more than two decades. Network Rail has invested £600,000 to reinstate the line, and transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin was there to see the first ceremonial use of the track by a DBS locomotive. The Transport Secretary was visiting the Port of Sunderland as part of a three day trip to meet northern leaders to discuss how transport can help to create a 'Northern Powerhouse'.
• New vision for railway, but 'there is much more to do' The Rail Delivery Group has unveiled its vision of tomorrow's railway, but has admitted that there must be improvements to performance and how tickets are explained and sold to passengers. The RDG said its plans formed 'an ambitious blueprint', but added:

Aviation Industry

• IATA: Passenger travel up 5.9% in 2014Worldwide air passenger traffic grew 5.9% year-over-year in 2014, exceeding the 10-year average growth rate (5.6%) and besting 2013’s YOY growth performance (5.2%), according to IATA, read more
• Briefs: Aircraft NewsFlydubai took delivery of its 44th Boeing 737-800 of an order for 50 placed at the Farnborough Airshow in 2008. The remaining 737s from the order will arrive at the airline this year. The average age of the flydubai fleet is 3.1 years. Flydubai also has on order 75 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 11 more Boeing 737-800s, placed at the Dubai Airshow 2013. read more
• Lufthansa Cargo CEO: ANA cargo JV positiveThe joint venture (JV) begun Dec. 1 by German Lufthansa Cargo (LHC) and Japan-based ANA Cargo is already a success for both partners. read more
• Bombardier completes more CSeries tests towards certificationBombardier has completed flutter, cold-weather and passenger-evacuation testing as CSeries flight tests pass the 900-hour mark en route to the 2,400 hours expected to be required for certification of the initial CS100 version. read more
• Safety officials recommend aircraft tracking standardICAO wants airlines to transmit location every 15 minutes to boost safety

Other News Sources

• UK DfT launches public consultation on closure of existing Rochester stationThe UK Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a public consultation on plans to close the existing rail station in Rochester after a new station starts operations in December.
• Train driver risked life to save woman A SELFLESS train driver has been lauded as a hero after risking his own safety to rescue a woman on the tracks.