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

Thursday, 03 December 2015

BBC News

• Bridge traffic restrictions to continueTraffic on the Forth Road Bridge will continue to be restricted to a single lane in each direction until at least the middle of the day on Thursday.

Department for Transport

• New contract to make journeys better for West Midlands rail passengersPassengers will benefit from £13 million worth of improvements – including more services, around 6,600 extra seats, free Wi-Fi and better ticketing – after the government agreed a new deal for rail services in the region today (3 December 2015).
• Rail franchising: West Midlands - Statement to Parliament - Claire Perry MPToday (3 December 2015) I have announced the successful conclusion of negotiations for a new directly awarded franchise agreement with London Midland.

Financial Times

• Eurotunnel: capitalism at workThe company was never bailed out by taxpayers, and it has reinvented itself
• Malaysia Airlines strikes Emirates dealCode-share agreement will see Malaysia Airlines double the destinations it can offer its customers

The Guardian

• Volkswagen takes €20bn loan as emissions crisis deepensParent company Porsche vows jobs will not be squandered after VW takes out bridging loan to limit reputational damage and police raid Italian officesThe dynasty that controls Volkswagen has vowed to protect jobs, as the company reportedly took a €20bn (£14bn) loan to help it survive the diesel emissions scandal.Fallout from the affair widened on Wednesday, as fresh data in Germany showed a dip in sales and police raided the Italian offices of VW’s parent company, Porsche. Continue reading...
• Uber backed by competition watchdog in TfL regulation battleCompetition and Markets Authority says nine of 25 proposals put forward by Transport for London to regulate taxi trade would be bad for customersUber has been given a boost in its attempts to stave off proposed changes to regulating the taxi trade in London, after the competition authority said the reforms would not serve the public interest.Transport for London (TfL) is consulting on a range of requirements for licensed hire cars, after advances in technology, and particularly the advent of Uber, challenged rules governing the traditional black cab industry. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Motorists face third day of disruption due to defect on Forth Road BridgeMOTORISTS face another day of restrictions on the Forth Road Bridge.

Birmingham Mail

• Longbridge traffic misery to be tackled with �10.6 million transport investment Plans for upgrades to A38 and Longbridge Lane junctions as well as rail, cycling and bus upgrades set to be approved

Birmingham Post

• �10m upgrade for congested Longbridge junction Area in south Birmingham blighted by delays for years looks set to be given some welcome relief with new traffic and public transport measures
• Jaguar Land Rover and Silverstone: a marriage made in BritainThe Midland car giant has made an ambitious bid to buy and redevelop the home of the British Grand Prix - our business editor believes it is another sharp move

Derby Telegraph

• Bus firm comes under fire for Alvaston service changesBUS firm Arriva has been criticised for "clueless and senseless" changes to its timetable in Alvaston. The company, which has come under fire following a shake-up of its city routes, has reduced the frequency of buses in Radford Street from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes. The changes were made following a public consultation in which the company asked for views about its routes. However, since they were implemented during the past few months there have been many...

Liverpool Echo

• Liverpool John Lennon Airport monthly passenger figures soar by 19% Increase maintains momentum as airport targets further growth

London Evening Standard

• Tottenham Court Road station's striking new glass entrance opens today... and trains will stop there again (from Monday)Tottenham Court Road Tube station's new entrance opened today complete with a brand new 15m tall glass structure.
• Mayor unveils plans to transform London with 13 new river crossingsLondon could be transformed by a series of new river crossings, if bold new plans to transform travel in the capital are given the green light.
• 'Half a million cars will break down on Britain's roads in December'There will be half a million breakdowns on Britain's roads this month, it has been claimed.
• Londoners are impressed with the striking new entrance to Tottenham Court Road stationLondoners have welcomed the new-look entrance to Tottenham Court Road station that opened to the public today.

Northern Echo

• Train manufacture starts at Hitachi Newton Aycliffe plantTHE North-East is once again making trains, as the production lines have started up at Hitachi’s £82m facility, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Sheffield Star

• Electric car brings Christmas to deprived Sheffield childrenA feel-good campaign to give deprived South Yorkshire kids a Christmas present has ditched the sleigh for an electric car.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Hospice lights up city stationSt Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield has brought some festive sparkle to the city’s railway station.

The York Press

• Decision due on free weekend York bus travel for young people YOUNG people could get free bus travel on the weekends in January and February, under a City of York Council plan due to be confirmed next week.

Wales Online

• Electrification will reach Swansea and HS2 is good news for Wales, UK Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin will insist todayMr McLoughlin's visit to Wales comes amid alarm at soaring estimates of the cost of electrifying the rail line

North Wales Live

• Trespasser on Merseyrail line removed by police as trains disrupted Electrics on Chester and Ellesmere Port lines turned off after man trespassed onto the tracks

Other Regional Press

• Heathrow shrugs off MPs’ environmental concerns – but £12 billion debt mountain could put its Third Runway dream out of reachHeathrow Airport has shrugged off yesterday’s damning report on the environmental impact of expansion, insisting that MPs’ concerns were not obstacles to giving the go ahead. But amid complaints of “Government dithering” the elephant in the room remains whether Heathrow can afford the costs of surface transport improvements.
• Government should ‘not run away’ from backing Heathrow expansion - South Downs MP The Government should ‘not run away’ from backing a third runway at Heathrow over expansion at Gatwick, Arundel and South Downs MP Nick Herbert has urged.
• Work starts next week on �32 million road project to improve links between Daventry and NorthamptonWork on the A45 Daventry development link road will start next week with a sod-cutting ceremony officially launching construction work.
• Hitachi starts production as jobs drive continues - here's how to apply The first carriages will soon start rolling off the lines, as workforce increases by 20 a week from February :: Here's how to apply for work
• Huddersfield bus strike: Free bus by South Pennine Community Transport proves popular to stranded village commutersBut the company is unsure if it will be able to provide the same service again
• 'Rail users in Coventry are being taken for a ride' Rail services and road works - Coventry Telegraph Letters for November 24
• Fund to improve railway performanceA new fund has been set up to improve performance on the Thameslink railway line.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• New regional air routes offer fast journeys across UK and EuropeAviation Minister Robert Goodwill backs routes to bring new business and visitors for whole country. Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill has welcomed the new domestic and international routes that will start in 2016 from regional airports across the UK. The Chancellor announced in last week’s Spending Review that 11 successful bidders had been awarded support from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund. These new flights will offer fast journey times within the UK and also introduce new routes to Europe for the first time. Robert Goodwill said: Our smaller airports are vital engines for loca...

Rail Magazine

• Excessive leaf fall causes absence of AGA DMUsServices returning to normal after excessive leaf fall forced Abellio Greater Anglia to cancel some services and provide alternative transport for passengers.
• Rail industry needs more women, says reportEfforts should be stepped up to increase the number of women working in the rail industry, says a new report by Women in Rail.
• Refurbished ‘Enterprise’ enters service in IrelandTranslink Northern Ireland Railways has launched the first refurbished ‘Enterprise’ train into service, as part of a £12.2 million upgrade programme.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Siemens to deliver Vectron locomotives for operation with DB Schenker Rail Italy Germany-based Unicredit Leasing has awarded a contract to Siemens for the delivery of eight Vectron DC type locomotives.
• Plasser & Theurer Machine Series for Low Axle Loads The maximum permissible axle load for line category C2 is 20t. Many Plasser & Theurer machines are suited for this line category.

Railnews

• London Midland wins franchise extension The London Midland franchise has been extended until October 2017. The news comes after protracted negotiations between its owner Govia and the Department for Transport. The existing contract would have ended in April next year. The new contract includes tougher performance targets and additional services on some lines, as well as the introduction of on-board WiFi.

Railway Gazette

• Alstom and Bombardier win Barcelona ETCS contractSPAIN: Infrastructure manager ADIF has awarded a joint venture of Alstom and Bombardier an €87â‹…9m...
• Feature articles in the December 2015 issue of Railway Gazette International Feature articles in the latest issue of Railway Gazette International, the leading business journal...

Route One

• Yutong to pass 150 in 2016Pelican Bus and Coach, importer of Yutong coaches, has confirmed that it will soon pass the 150 mark for orders placed with the factory in China, and that two new models – the high-specification HTC12 tourer and a low-height model – will join the existing 9.4m TC9 and 12.2m TC12 next year.
• Belfast goes for Van HoolNorthern Ireland Transport Minister Michelle McIlveen has announced that Van Hool will supply the buses for the Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT) network, scheduled to begin full operation in September 2018.
• Lift off after £400,000 route revampTransdev’s Keighley-Bingley-Bradford route 662 has been given a £400,000 rebrand in bright blue as The Shuttle and 16 buses have been upgraded with new features including USB charging points, Wi-Fi and re-upholstered seats.
• Operators fight parking changeNottingham City Council (NCC)’s plan to move coach parking from Mount Street to South Sherwood Street in the city centre has drawn scorn from operators in the area.
• Alliance is ‘new partnership’ in West MidlandsBus operators across the West Midlands have signed up to a groundbreaking new initiative delivering millions of pounds of investment to the region’s network.
• Bid for ‘poo bus’ fleet to clean BristolA fleet of ‘poo-powered’ buses could be providing a service in Bristol next year as part of an initiative to improve air quality in the city.
• PSVAR regulations: Are you ready for PSVAR?rom 1 January 2016, all single-deck buses used on local or scheduled services must satisfy the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000. These legal obligations are not as simple as making sure you’ve got a low floor and a wheelchair bay. Tim Deakin explains.
• Cornwall steps back from using franchising powersDespite the government pledging franchising powers under a devolution proposal, Cornwall County Council has now announced that it does not plan to go down the franchising route, but instead would use it as a ‘last resort’.

Transportxtra

• Cameron warned on Heathrow: no approval without surface transport guaranteeMPs on the environmental audit committee have warned the Prime Minister to not approve a third runway at Heathrow if the airport does not commit to covering the costs of surface transport upgrades and can meet legal air pollution limits.

Aviation Industry

• Cross party committee of MPs recommends Government should not give go ahead on Heathrow expansionThe Environmental Audit Committee today called on Government not to give Heathrow expansion the go ahead unless it is ready to make a ‘step change’ in its approach to environmental mitigation. The EAC’s report on the implications for Government commitments on carbon …
• Norwegian raises €125m through bond issueMoney will help support purchase of 19 787-9 Dreamliners

Green Miscellany

• Injured cyclists seeking compensation shortchanged by George OsborneIn a populist move to reduce insurance premiums for drivers, changes to the personal injury claims process proposed by George Osborne are likely to have a detrimental effect on injured cyclists seeking compensation. The government plans to remove the right to recover general damages for soft tissue injuries in an attempt to stop spurious claims for whiplash. George Osborne has… The post Injured cyclists seeking compensation shortchanged by George Osborne appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Environmental Audit Committee: Heathrow Third Runway Carbon emissions, airThe House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee said firm plans to deal with climate-changing emissions, air quality and noise must be put in place.
• Syria vote 'delays Heathrow decision'Reports that today's Commons debate and vote on military intervention in Syria has delayed a decision on the expansion of Heathrow airport until next week feature in today's newspaper round-up.
• Heathrow used to have six runways. Yes, six. Here’s an aerial photograph. Check it outThe people in charge of Heathrow must be kicking themselves
• MPs call for air pollution assessment before decision on Heathrow's third runway MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) have urged the government to withhold final approval to Heathrow Airport’s expansion until the airport can commit to meeting certain environmental improvements.
• Addison Lee launches ‘snooze’ feature in appTravellers have the option to delay their cab for fifteen, thirty, forty-five or sixty minutes