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

Wednesday, 01 February 2012

BBC News

• New look Kings CrossPreview if new western concourse
• Defibrillators for m-way policeThree motorway police patrol vehicles are kitted out with potentially life-saving equipment.
• Williams is to retire completelyFormer Wales wing Shane Williams will retire from all rugby at the end of this season, BBC Sport Wales understands.
• Heritage railway marks 150 yearsSevern Valley Railway celebrates rich 150-year history
• Minister opens Fochabers bypassTransport Minister Keith Brown opens the Fochabers bypass, as well as announcing the construction date for the start of A9 dualling.
• Is London in love with the Jubilee Line?Mayor of London Boris Johnson says Olympics chiefs will

Financial Times

• DP World surprises amid gloomy industryContainer terminal operator expects strong growth to continue in 2012 despite gloomy tone expected from container shipping lines this results season
• EasyJet fined by Paris courtLow-cost carrier ordered to pay €30,000 for charging passengers extra for paying with some credit cards, and for ˜unclear™ terms and conditions
• BAA signals end to Stansted runway hopesChief executive confirms company is selling homes it bought on proposed route amid coalition commitment to block new runways

The Guardian

• Ministers accused of 'negligence' for ruling out third Heathrow runwayLobbying group representing many of capital's biggest employers says expanded Heathrow is 'only credible option'A commission of influential London business leaders has denounced the coalition as

The Herald

• Rail workers' union strike threat over sacking of ticket examinersTHE rail workers' union is considering calling its members out on strike and mounting other industrial action over the sacking of two Scottish workers.

The Independent

• Parents claim cover-up after fatal Network Rail safety lapse The parents of two teenage girls killed at a level crossing six years ago have said that the individuals responsible for safety failures must be brought to justice, after Network Rail pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws yesterday.Related StoriesPolice watchdog admitted system was ineffectiveGangs brought face to face with victims as London tries US schemeMandaric: tax charges are an insult to my familyMuslim girl 'attacked by siblings for kissing man'Police in stand-off with gunman in Lincolnshire

The Scotsman

• Minister outlines schedule for dual A9THE long-awaited upgrade of the A9 to a full dual carriageway will begin in 2017, it has been announced.

The Telegraph

• Smart GPS gritters to keep Britain's busiest roads moving during snow and iceA fleet of smart road gritters has been launched to keep Britain's busiest roads moving during sub-zero conditions using GPS technology to guide them to the most treacherous routes.
• Cheap day return to Chichester - three different pricesWhen it comes to train tickets, it's always pique time, says Joan Bakewell.
• Rail crossing victims' fathers welcome Network Rail apologyThe father's of Olivia Bazlinton and Charlotte Thompson, who were hit by a train in 2005 as they crossed tracks at Elsenham, Essex, welcome Network Rail's decision to admit guilt for the tragedy.

Reuters News

• London First says UK needs Heathrow expansionLONDON (Reuters) - Britain should consider all options for increasing capacity at London Heathrow airport, including a third runway and allowing planes to land and take-off simultaneously on its two runways, according to business group London First.

Daily Express

• Carnival profits blowTHE world's largest cruise company Carnival Corporation yesterday slashed its profit forecast because of the costs of the Costa -Concordia disaster.

ATOC

• Record number of disabled people travelling by trainRecord numbers of people with disabilities are getting out and about by train, according to new figures published to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Disabled Persons Railcard. The research...

Network Rail

• THIRD TIME LUCKY AS FINAL ROUND OF BIDS FOR £100M STATION IMPROVEMENT FUND OPENS

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham city centre bus travellers face summer of disruption during £14miillion upgradeBUS passengers in Birmingham face weeks of disruption with some stops moving four times in a six-month period during the £14 million project to prepare for the Metro tram extension in the city centre.

Liverpool Echo

• Transport experts to look into Wirral tram plansTRANSPORT experts will investigate plans to create a tram system around the proposed £4.5bn Wirral Waters skyscraper scheme.

London Evening Standard

• 'Vote Ken and Bob Crow will get keys to capital's transport system'Union baron Bob Crow will be "handed the keys" to the transport network if Ken Livingstone is elected Mayor, Tory MPs warned today.
• Any old iron... redundant Westminster parking ban signs to be sold for scrapRoad signs ordered for the doomed West End parking ban are likely to be sold for scrap

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester MIPIM speakers announced Manchester Airports Group chief executive Charlie Cornish and Juergen Maier, boss of engineering giant Siemens' UK industry unit, and leading figures from the property sector will address audiences as the city showcases a raft of key developments.
• Transport bosses submit plans for new £48m interchange in Bolton This is how the new bus interchange in Bolton could look under plans that have been submitted to council bosses for approval.

Northern Echo

• Owner of Durham Tees Valley Airport responds to council criticisms THE owners of Durham Tees Valley (DTV) Airport last night rejected claims from local councils that they had reneged on investment pledges.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Tenders issued for £1million preparation work on city bypass Transport chiefs are advertising for contractors to start work on Aberdeen™s bypass “ although judges have yet to decide whether it should be built.

The York Press

• York's ftr bus to be axed by EasterUpdated: YORK™S controversial ftr superbus is set to be taken off the city™s streets by Easter and replaced by a fleet of double deckers.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• £20m investment in new buses for West Midlands A total of £20 million will be spent on more than 100 new buses in the West Midlands this year, transport bosses revealed today.

Yorkshire Post

• Transport decisions to be made locally in shake-upDECISIONS over which major local transport schemes get the go- ahead could be taken in the region rather than Whitehall under plans unveiled by the Government.

Other Regional Press

• Bus company to pay for damage to green A bus company has agreed to pay for repairs to the green in Croxley Green after a bus became stuck on the grass, and had to be dug out.
• £3m SPT boost for park and ride planFOUR new park-and- ride car parks will be built at a cost of almost £3 million.

Global Rail News

• Edinburgh™s Waverley Steps reopenEdinburgh Waverley station’s Waverley Steps have reopened to the public after refurbishment. Their reopening marked the end of the first phase of the project to refurbish the station’s Princes Street entrance. The steps have been rebuilt and had escalators installed, with a steel and glass canopy also being built. The refurbishment is part of the [...]
• Construction of Paddington Crossrail station ˜steps up™The new Paddington Crossrail station is to take a step further towards construction as the excavation of the station box gets underway in February. The new station will be built under Eastbourne Terrace and Departures Road. Westminster City Council has agreed to a full closure of Eastbourne Terrace from 12 February 2012 until early 2014 to [...]
• RMT rejects ˜unacceptable™ Olympics Tube pay offerThe RMT has rejected the latest Olympics pay offer from London Underground. The union said it would ‘step up the pressure for a fair deal for all staff across the grades’ because of the ‘additional workload and pressure’ they will be under during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The RMT said the money offered was [...]
• Network Rail to plead guilty over Elsenham level crossing deathsA court has heard that Network Rail is to plead guilty to health and safety offences over the deaths of two girls at a level crossing. The Office of Rail Regulation’s prosecution of Network Rail is for breaches of health and safety law which led to the deaths of Olivia Bazlinton and Charlotte Thompson, at [...]
• Spanish rail operator Renfe to sell train tickets globally via SilverRailRenfe, the largest rail operator in Spain, has partnered with SilverRail Technologies to make tickets on their entire network available to online travel agents (OTAs), travel management companies and traditional travel agents around the world. SilverRail will make Spanish rail connections available on its global multi-country ticketing platform SilverCore later this year. This will include [...]
• Thales & Balfour Beatty win £335m Danish rail signalling contractA consortium of Thales and Balfour Beatty Rail has been awarded a contract by Danish rail operator Banedanmark to update much of the country’s rail signalling system. The two companies will ‘form a collaborative and integrated team’ to re-signal around 60% of Denmark’s network. Following the European Union rail network directive, which requires operators to [...]
• Record passenger numbers at East Midlands ParkwayAccording to train operator East Midlands Trains, East Midlands Parkway station has seen a record number of passengers using the station in the last year. The station was opened in 2009 and has seen 450,000 journeys made in the three years since it opened. East Midlands Parkway provides links to cities including London, Derby, Leicester, [...]

Railnews

• Network Rail lodges guilty pleas after crossing deaths Network Rail has told a magistrates' court that it is pleading guilty to three health and safety offences, following the deaths of two teenage girls on Elsenham level crossing in Essex just over six years ago.

Aviation Industry

• Virgin Australia signs GDS deal with SabreRegional carrier secures full-content distribution agreement

Other News Sources

• Government should devolve powers over delivery of local transport as well as investment - Maria Eagle Maria Eagle MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, responding to the launch of a consultation on devolving local major transport schemes, said:
• RMT ballots for strike action in Scotland over ticket examiners sacked for defending themselves from gang attackRAIL UNION RMT confirmed today that it is beginning a ballot for both strike action and action short of a strike on Scotrail after two ticket examiners were sacked for defending themselves from attack by a gang who have waged a two year campaign of abuse and violence against them.
• Save Our Railways, No to McNulty, Nationwide Campaigning Day of Action, Thursday, February 2, 2012As part of RMT's ongoing campaign against the McNulty Rail Review the union has organised a further campaigning day of action this Thursday February 2.
• Winchester residents win campaign for road crossing ROAD safety campaigners in Winchester have succeeded in tackling one of the city's busiest roads.