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

Tuesday, 24 January 2012

BBC News

• No-cash parking trial extended beyond Belfast A trial scheme which means drivers can park without having to find coins for a meter is being extended beyond Belfast for the first time.
• London Underground Tube stations have no light switches [video]Councils have been turning off street lights to save money and protect other services from the cuts, but London has bucked the trend and added more lights in the last year.
• Funds sought for drought-damaged roads in East Anglia The cost of repairing "millions of pounds" of road damage caused by the East Anglian drought could be eased if a government funding bid is successful.
• Passenger worry over unstaffed Tube stations [video]Transport bosses have been accused of failing to deliver on a promise to have "visible" staff at London's Tube stations.
• Rail signal staff suspend strikeThe RMT union suspends a planned walkout by staff at a rail signal centre in Glasgow in a row over career progression.
• Can shipping go green?Can the power of the sun revolutionise shipping?

Department for Transport

• New Traffic Commissioners appointedTwo new Traffic Commissioners have been appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening. Nick Denton and Kevin Rooney will be Traffic Commissioners for the South Eastern and Metropolitan Area Traffic Office and North Eastern Area Traffic Office respectively and will take up their new roles in the Spring.

Financial Times

• Turkish Airlines eyes Lot purchaseTurkish flag carrier™s shares rise after group says it is looking at buying lossmaking Polish airline but some analysts see little logic in a deal

The Independent

• Network Rail plans 'alliance' with South West trains Network Rail today announced moves aimed at working more closely withrail operators under a "deep alliance" with one of the UK's biggest train firms.

The Scotsman

• Regular BA flights to Libya will resumeBritish Airways will resume flights to Libya in May, the airline announced, 15 months after they were suspended as the country descended into bloodshed.

The Telegraph

• Tougher driving test comes into forceThe driving test will become tougher on Monday as a result of sweeping changes to the theory exam.
• London and South East could face petrol shortage after refinery closureOne of the main oil refineries to London and the South East has been closed by its Swiss owner, raising the prospect of fuel shortages on the capital's forecourts.

Press Association

• NR plans train firm 'alliance' Network Rail has announced moves aimed at working more closely with rail operators under a "deep alliance" with one of the UK's biggest train firms.

The Mirror

• Learner drivers 'should be tested on country roads'DRIVING on rural roads should be a compulsory part of the driving test, campaigners claim.

Network Rail

• PASSENGERS SET TO BENEFIT FROM NEW NETWORK RAIL / TRAIN OPERATOR ALLIANCES

Birmingham Mail

• Forget "Boris Island" and expand Birmingham Airport instead, claims Solihull MPMINISTERS should reject plans for a new “Boris Island” airport in the Thames and let Birmingham Airport expand instead, a Midland MP insisted.

Birmingham Post

• Virgin Trains faces battle to keep West Coast Main Line franchiseVirgin Trains faces a battle against rivals from across Europe to keep its West Coast Main Line franchise, Ministers have revealed.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tram bosses press ahead with PR firmTram bosses have hired one of Scotland’s biggest communications firms to take on the project’s public relations battle.

Journal Live

• Northern Rail to add carriages to Tynedale trainEXTRA carriages to ease congestion on a packed Tynedale train are expected to be restored from this morning following a surprise deal, The Journal can reveal.

London Evening Standard

• Rail chiefs join forces in a bid to improve commuter trainsPlans to improve commuter services by merging control of track and trains - last done by British Rail - have been announced
• Tube commuters will get wi-fi access by the summerTube platforms across the capital are to get wireless internet access in time for the 2012 Games, Transport for London bosses said

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink chiefs review plans to replace 'unreliable' older trams after four break down in a fortnightTransport chiefs are reviewing plans to replace the 32 older blue-and-grey trams still running on the Greater Manchester Metrolink network after they broke down four times in the last fortnight.
• Transport bosses promise bus services will continue as Hyde-based Speedwell foldsPassengers have been promised that services will continue after a bus company ceased trading. Hyde-based Speedwell ran 10 bus routes in Hyde, Glossop, Oldham and Ashton-under- Lyne before it suddenly pulled its vehicles from the road.

Wales Online

• Bid to halve Welsh road deaths by 2013 unveiled by Transport Minister Carl SargeantThe Welsh Government today set ambitious new targets to cut by half the numbers killed or seriously injured in road accidents by the end of the year.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• ˜Boycott buses™ plea in fares protestBoycott a bus – that’s the call from transport campaigners today to passengers across West Yorkshire.
• 30,000 flout new Leeds bus lane rulesA Leeds city centre enforcement camera snapping motorists illegally nipping into bus lanes to avoid traffic congestion is proving a mega money spinner for the council.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Funding bid to repair drought-hit roadsA BID for extra funding to repair the East of England’s drought-damaged roads has been lodged.

Other Regional Press

• Shropshire may see return of direct trains to London Read more: http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/01/23/shropshire-may-see-return-of-direct-trains-to-london/#ixzz1kMGQfuokFour companies were today expected to start bidding for the West Coast Main Line train franchise which could see Shrewsbury’s direct rail link to London restored.

Bus and Coach.com

• OFT may investigate McGill™s takeoverThe Office of Fair Trading is considering an investigation into the acquisition by McGill™s Bus Service of Arriva Scotland West.
• Scottish government to fund more hybridsThe Scottish government this week announced a further £2million to support the introduction of low-carbon buses.
• Optare announces new minibusOptare is pulling out of coach sales, ending its agreement with Spanish builder Ferqui to sell the Mercedes-Benz-based Sirocco and Toro.
• King Long splits from BMCThe King Long and BMC businesses in the UK have reached what King Long Direct director Paul Bicknell describes as an œamicable commercial divorce� and the business will now be concentrating exclusively on King Long products.
• Stagecoach franchises Sussex serviceA Stagecoach service in West Sussex has been taken over by Compass Travel of Worthing under a franchise arrangement.
• Expansion coming at Epsom CoachesWith the winning of two Transport for London contracts starting in April and June the Epsom Coaches Group will need an extra 50 drivers for its Quality Line bus division.
• Multi-operator ticket for St AlbansA multi-operator ticket, Busnet, has been launched in St Albans as part of the Network St Albans partnership.

Global Rail News

• Stagecoach announces new rail division appointmentsTransport group Stagecoach has confirmed the senior management teams at its rail companies. This follows new South West Trains™ Managing Director Tim Shoveller taking up his post earlier this month, and David Horne taking over as Managing Director of East Midlands Trains. The following management teams have now been confirmed: South West Trains Operations Director [...]
• Station receives $200,000 heritage boostYarra Glen railway station has received a $200,000 heritage grant, Minister for Consumer Affairs Michael O’Brien and Member for Seymour Cindy McLeish recently announced. Mr O’Brien said the grant was one of 13 community projects around Victoria to preserve and protect significant heritage places and objects, with $500,000 of a total $1.13 million provided by [...]
• Crossing closuresNetwork Rail says it has now closed 500 level crossings in Britain since April 2009. The company intends to close a further 250 by 31 March 2014. Many of these are user-worked crossings often connecting private land and are not public rights of way. Located in rural areas, many cross busy main lines. The barriers [...]
• Operation Tornado blows thieves off trackA new trial scheme aimed at combating metal theft has been launched in the north east. Operation Tornado requires anyone selling scrap metal to participating dealers in Northumbria, County Durham and Cleveland to provide proof of identity via a photo card. The trial will last for six months. Lord Henley, Minister for Crime Prevention and [...]
• National Express completes station upgrade at Bury St. EdmundsThe Mayor of St. Edmundsbury, Councillor Christopher Spicer officially opened the newly upgraded station facilities at Bury St. Edmunds on Friday 20 January. The £150k station upgrade has been delivered by operator National Express East Anglia (NXEA) as part of the Department for Transport™s Access for All scheme. The station improvements include: Transformation of the [...]
• RMT suspends rail signal worker strikeThe RMT has suspended plans for strike action at the West of Scotland Signalling Centre this week, following ACAS-facilitated talks. 32 members of staff were due to walk out in a dispute over career progression. The union and Network Rail will instead ‘progress the union™s grievance regarding appointing signallers on merit through the established collective [...]
• First Hull Trains £5m modification programmeFirst Hull Trains has announced the beginning of a major mechanical and electrical modification and reliability improvement project on the company™s fleet of trains. Part of a £5 million overhaul of the entire Class 180 fleet, along with those of other train operating companies, will go through a comprehensive programme to enable train operators ‘to [...]
• Network Rail plans to ˜form alliances™ with train operatorsNetwork Rail has plans to form alliances with at least half a dozen train operators as it ‘looks to work more closely with operators and deliver passenger benefits more quickly’. Streamlined decision making and the delivery of a more passenger focused operation at lower cost are at the core of the move. Alliance framework agreements [...]

Aviation Industry

• CAA wades into environmental controversy with advice for Government alongside consultation on its own strategyThe CAA has published for consultation its first ever environmental strategy programme, setting out in a 50-page document areas in which its work already has relevance for environmental objectives, and those where it considers it could play a greater role in future. It follows the publication by CAA of three Insight Notes, which make a [...]
• Iberia to be hit by more pilot strikesHeathrow-Madrid schedule reduced over three strike days
• Emirates checks A380 wings for cracksAirline carries out inspections following European directive

Other News Sources

• DFDS-LD Lines eye early launch on Calais-DoverFerry operators will give priority to ex-SeaFrance workers as they recruit for start of service next month
• MP calls on government to act on Southampton expansion'Bureaucratic paralysis' holding back scheme for new berths so port can handle next generation of mega-containerships