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

Friday, 13 July 2012

BBC News

• Suffolk school buses policy passed by county council Home-to-school transport plans covering Suffolk's free schools have been approved by the county council.
• 'We need an effective hub', says Virgin Atlantic boss [video]The Department for Transport has published its Aviation Policy Framework which includes some measures to increase capacity in the short term.
• Nottingham has most deteriorated roads, figures suggest Nottingham's roads are among the most deteriorated in England, figures from the Department for Transport suggest.
• Train derails after hitting cowsA train carrying 30 passengers derails in Pembrokeshire after hitting cows on the line, says Arriva Trains Wales.
• Boulder 'caused train to derail'A boulder dislodged during a landslide is identified as the likely cause of a freight train derailment, investigators say.
• £500m Heathrow rail link boostA new rail link to Heathrow Airport is announced which will cut journey times by up to 30 minutes for travellers. It means time savings from passengers travelling from south Wales, the west of England and the Thames Valley on the Great Western main line.
• Campaign over 'unfair' bus faresOldham Council is launching a campaign for a "fairer deal" for local residents on bus fares. It claims First Bus is charging people who live in the town between 13% and 50% more to travel than other operators in Greater Manchester.
• HS2 compensation decision delayedConsultations over the compensation to be paid to people affected by the building of a high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham will not start until September.
• Disabled fears over 2012 crowdsDisabled people face a challenge navigating London's overcrowded Games transport network
• Airport expansion debate delayedThe government delays consultation over expanding airports in south-eastern England for a second time, amid reports of disagreements on how to go ahead.
• M4 reopens after emergency repairThe M4 motorway between central London and Heathrow Airport reopens in both directions, following emergency repairs after a crack was found.

Department for Transport

• Foundations laid for future growth of aviation as government unveils long-term strategyTransport Secretary Justine Greening has published the draft aviation policy framework.
• Transport StatisticsThe Department for Transport has today published the following Transport Statistics on Accessibility statistics: 2011.

Financial Times

• Boeing secures $15bn United orderAmerican aircraft maker fends off a strong challenge from Airbus to win a contract to build 150 narrow-body jets for the largest US airline by revenue

The Herald

• Road reopens to motoristsA MAIN thoroughfare which has been disrupted by tram works will reopen to traffic this weekend as the next phase of the project gets under way.
• £27m bridge bid despite rail cutsNETWORK Rail is to plough ahead with bridge heightening work and compulsory property purchases despite them being rendered unnecessary because of cuts to a £1 billion electrification programme.

The Independent

• Tories set for a U-turn over opposition to third runway at HeathrowThe Conservatives are preparing for a controversial U-turn over their opposition to building a third runway at Heathrow.Related StoriesMPs call for ministers to come clean on lobbyingForeign Office balks at EU move to let Mugabe back into EuropeDefence reform a challenge, minister admitsOsborne's watchdog: bring in migrants to cut deficit by billionsThey left Olympics high and dry “ but G4S will still get their full fee

The Telegraph

• Airlines and businesses hit out at delay to airport capacity debate Britain is being “held back” by the Government’s lack of a coherent aviation strategy and the postponement of a long-awaited consultation on airport capacity, business leaders claimed on Thursday.
• Emergency plans being drawn up as Olympic road stays shutEmergency plans are being drawn up to ferry Olympic athletes and dignitaries from Heathrow Airport to central London as the M4 may still be closed when many arrive for the games.
• Airport price war could benefit passengersAirline passengers could benefit from lower transatlantic fares after the Government announced plans to allow international carriers to pick up passengers at Gatwick, Luton and Stansted en route to America.

Mail Online

• Why it¿s harder to park the car: Number of spaces in residential areas falls by 9 per centThe average amount of space available for parking in residential areas – both on and off-road – has reduced by 9 per cent over the past decade, according to a report.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Wrexham's £30m link road set to be unveiledA VITAL £30m link road scheme to ensure the survival of business on a major industrial estate is set to be unveiled.

London Evening Standard

• Airport policy delayed in bid to avoid controversyDavid Cameron and Nick Clegg delayed a major consultation into the air capacity crisis because it was seen as too controversial.
• Highways Agency boss dismisses M4 link closure as 'HICCUP' - from his office 120 miles awayHighways Agency boss Derek Turner described the M4 closure as a œhiccup� - as he oversaw the repairs from his Birmingham office 120 miles away.
• M4 repairs 'completed within days'Repair work on the M4 in west London is progressing well and the motorway should open in the next few days, the Highways Agency said.

Sheffield Star

• Passengers gather for bus shake-up debateBUS passengers are gathering this evening for a public meeting to discuss a shake-up of Sheffield’s network.

Wales Online

• £500m rail link to provide direct trains from South Wales to HeathrowThe Secretary of State for Wales Cheryl Gillan has today [12 July] welcomed the announcement of a £500 million western link to Heathrow by the Transport Secretary Justine Greening.
• Train derails between Letterston and Wolfscastle, PembrokeshireA train carrying about 30 passengers has been derailed in Pembrokeshire after hitting several cows.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds family™s plea to change law over driving licencesA Leeds MP has secured a debate in Parliament asking to change the law to have driving licences suspended for people charged with death by dangerous or careless driving.

Blackpool Gazette

• Ramping up the tramsBLACKPOOL’S £100m new tram service is now running every 10 minutes during peak times.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Video: Anti-slip drain cover trialled in PeterboroughThe first anti-slip, non-metal manhole in Peterborough has been installed in a bid to improve motorcycle road safety and cut metal thefts.

Other Regional Press

• Next stop...railway open days Long-standing dreams of reopening a historic railway reach a major milestone this weekend. On Saturday, the Aln Valley Railway (AVR) holds its very first open day, to give visitors a glimpse of the progress being made on the ambitious project, which has been nearly two decades in the making.
• Airport consultation delayed againA consultation into building a massive airport in Kent has been delayed again, it has been confirmed.
• Virgin Galactic could lift-off from North-east space baseA SPACE base could be counting down to lift off on a North-east site after winning new funding.

Global Rail News

• Osprey chick saved by rail workerSaving osprey chicks doesn’t appear in the job description of most Network Rail employees, but for Gavin MacDonald that’s exactly what he was asked to do as torrential rain submerged parts of Wales last month. The Network Rail electrical worker was called out to the Dyfi Estuary on June 16, after severe weather knocked out [...]
• Eurostar sees fall in business passengersEurostar has seen less business passengers using the high-speed service in the last three months. The company announced today that business travel, which was broadly flat in the first quarter of 2012, weakened in the second quarter, citing the number of public holidays and the eurozone crisis as contributing factors. Other figures showed that sales [...]
• First Great Western strike ballot called offUnion members have called off a strike ballot on First Great Western after agreeing an Olympics pay deal with the operator. Following negotiations with RMT union representatives, members will now receive a flat rate payment for the Olympic period, in addition to enhanced payments for additional services being run by First Great Western. This offer [...]
• HS2 property consultation delayedThe Transport Secretary has delayed a consultation with members of the public whose homes and businesses will be affected by the construction of HS2 until after the summer recess. Justine Greening said that a consultation over the property and compensation package for HS2 will now be carried out after Parliament returns in September. In a [...]
• New wires for oldœThen, and only then do we cut the wire….� Words of caution – deliberately spoken. The wire in question is the overhead line wire, the cutting of which completely stops the running of electric trains and indeed most trains. It™s not like a piece of rail. You can™t change your mind, bar in a closure [...]
• Investigation into West Highland derailmentRail accident investigators have carried out a preliminary examination after a freight train struck a boulder and derailed in Scotland during torrential rain. Freight train 6S45 derailed between Corrour and Tulloch station on the West Highland line just after 7pm on June 28. The locomotive ploughed down the slope and came to rest away from [...]
• Top 5 ˜No to HS2² protest videos1) No HS2 across the Chilterns with voice-overs – 13,459 views Uploaded by ThePhotoGroup Voiced by Geoffrey Palmer – one of HS2′s most famous objectors - this slideshow uses picturesque shots of the Chilterns to explore how high-speed rail could affect Britain’s countryside. 2) UKIP Nigel Farage says NO to HS2, speaks on Transport and [...]

Railnews

• £12m Paisley electrification confirmed Work is starting this week on a scheme to electrify the Paisley Canal line in Glasgow, as the result of a joint investment of £12 million by Network Rail and ScotRail. The work is being carried out by contractor Babcock, and the new electric service is set to start in December. The scheme will be the first major project to be carried out by a new ‘deep alliance’ between Network Rail and ScotRail, as forecast by Railnews on Monday.

Aviation Industry

• Boeing claws back ground lost to AirbusThough the highlight of its week was unveiled Thursday in Chicago, where it announced a United Airlines order for 150 aircraft, Boeing said it took total orders and commitments over the past week for 396 airplanes, valued at around $37 billion.
• Could China's "Gutter Oil" Be Used To Save The Environment?However, recycled oils in China may soon be subject to a sophisticated multi-step refining treatment, to be turned into high-grade fuel for jet aircraft.
• Analysis: Can business travel avoid a slowdown?Europe is suffering as the eurozone crisis drags on but is there any room for optimism for the rest of 2012?
• Dismay over government's new delay on airport expansionWarning from industry as Greening pushes hub airport consultation into the autumn

Other News Sources

• RMT calls for disinvestment by London Transport pension fund from Semperian PPP/PFI outfitREPRESENTATIVES OF tube union RMT on the London Transport pension fund have called for disinvestment from Semperian PPP after it emerged that one of their subcontractors on the Great Western Hospital PFI contract in Swindon, Carillion, has been involved in a long-running dispute with sister union GMB over racial abuse, bullying and extortion.
• RMT secures major Olympics payments breakthrough on key train operator - two other ballots continueRAIL UNION RMT today called off a strike ballot over Olympics payments on key train operator First Great Western after hammering out a new agreement that will ensure that all staff right across the service will secure additional benefits.
• MP 'delighted' with Government's £500m Heathrow rail pledgeREADING East MP, Rob Wilson, has said he is "delighted" with the Government's £500m pledge for a western rail link to Heathrow.
• Heathrow link 'essential' to boosting businessTHE Government's pledge for a £500m western link to Heathrow is "essential" in boosting commerce in Berkshire and the Thames Valley, business chiefs say.
• Eurostar sees fall in business travelTrain operator says companies are cutting back “ particularly in the financial sector