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

Saturday, 14 July 2012

BBC News

• London drivers feel the effects of host city status It might be two weeks until the start of the Olympic Games but motorists are already starting to feel the effects of driving in a host city.
• Midlands line 'to be electrified' A £500m scheme to electrify the Midland Mainline is expected to be announced by the government, the BBC understands.
• Hopes for rail electrificationCampaigners meet to make a final bid to make the case for electrifying the main Paddington-south Wales railway line as far as Swansea.
• Busy city road closes for tramsOne of the busiest roads into Edinburgh city centre is to close on Saturday as the latest phase of tramworks gets underway.
• UK aviation policy up in the air?The government's long-awaited aviation policy has been delayed prompting questions about the future of airport capacity and new runways.
• Games lanes axed if jams too badSport Minister says priority lanes for Olympic athletes and officials could be suspended if London grinds to a halt.

Financial Times

• Osborne backs £10bn rail planThe chancellor is to seek to reinvigorate the government™s growth agenda next week, before MPs depart for their long summer break
• Virgin Australia chief takes on QantasJohn Borghetti wants a large slice of the Australian travel market, which Qantas “ or, the ˜competition™, as he calls the carrier “ has dominated
• Boeing sales fly higher at FarnboroughUS rival notches up more orders than Airbus thanks to demand for the 737 Max, its planned narrowbody aircraft that is more fuel efficient

The Guardian

• Transport for London's 'keep away' message may leave an Olympic legacy Boris Johnson's voice is being used to keep Londoners off a crowded network. But if it works, perhaps they'll get used to it
• Rail network to see 'biggest investment' since the VictoriansCameron and Clegg to announce electrifications of lines as part of plans that include £10bn capital investment from 2014-19David Cameron and Nick Clegg will join forces next week to declare that the government is to embark on the biggest investment in the rail network since the Victorian era as ministers move to demonstrate their commitment to boosting economic growth.In an attempt to show a renewed sense of purpose, after last week's bruising rows over Lords reform, the prime minister and his deputy will announce the electrification of a series of lines and the symbolic reversal of s...

The Herald

• Cheaper to insure vehiclesTHE cost of car insurance is falling after years of steady rises.
• Astor's new attack on high-speed railTHE Prime Minister's father-in-law has renewed his attack on the Government's HS2 high-speed rail project.

The Scotsman

• Price of car insurance driven downThe cost of car insurance is falling after years of steady rises.

The Telegraph

• London 2012 Olympics journey planner: TfL unveils its social media strategyTransport for London will operate a range of new social media platforms to assist and inform commuters before and during the London 2012 Olympic Games.
• Train delays trigger new Olympic fearsDelays into three London mainline rail stations trigger fresh fears of Olympic transport disruption
• Quiet rural roads face 40mph limitsExclusive: Speed limits on swathes of country roads set to be cut to 40mph under new Government plans to reduce road casualties.
• Border desks still not manned despite peak hour promisePassengers facing huge delays at Heathrow after Border Force fails to deliver ministerial promises to man all immigration desks at peak times
• Rail journey times to be cut thanks to new investment plansJourney times between London and the north of England will be cut under new plans that have triggered fears that ticket prices will have to go up to pay for the upgrade.

Mail Online

• Hated M4 bus lane springs back to life on Monday... but only for exclusive use by Olympic VIPs and their coachesVIP Olympic guests and buses carrying athletes, officials and members of the 'Games Family' are the only travellers allowed on the controversial bus lane - other motorists face £130 fines.
• Speed limits on rural roads could be cut from 60 to 40mph and more 20mph zones to be added in townsThe Coalition handed councils more flexibility to change the restrictions, but said limits could also rise if they are set too low ‘for no good reason'.

Network Rail

• MULTI-MILLION POUND EUROPEAN FUNDING FOR FREIGHT IMPROVEMENTSTransport fund agrees money for three vital projects
• NEW AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWS CHANGING LONDON STATIONS

Birmingham Post

• Airport and business leaders welcome delay to government's aviation strategyBirmingham Airport boss Paul Kehoe has welcomed delays to a crucial Government blueprint for the skies – as it aims to double its nine million passengers.

Bristol Live

• The Post commented Bristol Airport's fears over £500 million rail link to...BRISTOL Airport bosses are "concerned" after the government pledged up to £500 million to link the city with...

London Evening Standard

• M4 opens to bring in athletes¦ but lorries are still bannedThe M4 link reopened today so coaches and lorries carrying officials and athletes and their kit will be able to travel into the city.
• Councils to get speed limit powersCouncils will be given greater freedom to introduce 20mph schemes under new government proposals to improve road safety.
• Government 'to electrify rail line'Plans to electrify the Midland Mainline are expected to be announced by the Government next week, according to reports.

Metro

• Boeing is flying high after United Airlines places £9.5billion orderBoeing has secured a £9.5billion order to build 150 new planes. The US manufacturer received the booking from United Airlines, which claimed that fuel efficiency was key to its decision. Boeing's Ray Conner, left, presents a model of the airline's new 737 Max 9 to United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek (Pic: AP) Boeing™s latest aircraft have been designed to consume about 15 per cent less than older planes.The deal took more than a year to broker, according to Jeff Smisek, CEO of United™s parent company, United Continental Holdings. He said: ˜We look forward to offering our customers the modern fea...
• Peugeot sheds 8,000 jobs to reverse fortuneStruggling French car-maker Peugeot Citroen is cutting 8,000 jobs as sales in its core markets slow down. Pressure: Chairman Philippe Varin breaks the news in Paris (Picture: AP) The job losses are a result of the ˜profound crisis™ in the eurozone, the company said.Its plant in Aulnay near Paris, which employs 3,000 workers, will stop production in 2014 while 1,400 more posts will go from its factory at Rennes in western France.Some 3,600 non-assembly jobs will also be scrapped across the country.˜I am fully aware of the seriousness of today™s announcement, as well as the shock and emotions th...
• M4 motorway in west London reopens after 'complex repairs'The M4 motorway in west London between junctions 2 and 3 has reopened after a week of frustration for drivers.Cracks were discovered on a viaduct on the busy motorway network, which is expected to be one of the main transport routes during the London 2012 Summer Olympics. The M4 has reopened after complex repair work was completed (Getty) Officials said the delays were caused by the 'complex' nature of the repairs, with the road reopening at 5.30am.A Highways Agency spokesman said: 'An exceptionally delicate and difficult operation to repair cracks in the Boston Manor Viaduct on the M4 has bee...

Sheffield Star

• Don™t block South Yorkshire buses plea on school runONE of South Yorkshire’s biggest public transport operators has backed The Star’s campaign to combat irresponsible motorists putting children at risk.

Sheffield Telegraph

• 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.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Boulder cause of derailmentThis is the dramatic picture which shows how lucky a freight train driver was to escape uninjured when his locomotive ploughed 300 yards down a slope towards a loch in Lochaber.

This Is Local London Network

• Northern line partly suspended this Sunday The Northern line will be partly suspended due to engineering works this Sunday.

Burnley Express

• Aerospace deal ˜is ˜good for Burnley™TWO East Lancashire aerospace giants have signed a major deal off-ering services for Trent 900 engine parts on British Airways™ A380s.

Crewe Chronicle

• UK & World News: Government 'to electrify rail line'Plans to electrify the Midland Mainline are expected to be announced by the Government next week, according to reports.

Wirral Globe

• Merseytravel wants your views on public transport MERSEYTRAVEL is to hold a series of meetings with Wirral commuters to get their views and suggestions on improving public transport.

Other Regional Press

• Transport minister opens cycle centreTransport minister Norman Baker visited Leicester to launch a project offering cycle maintenance training. He was in town for the opening of Cycle Works at Leicester Adult Education Centre, in Wellington Street.
• Western Morning News published £500m Heathrow rail link 'will boost region's economy'The Westcountry economy could be in line for a major economic boost after the Government confirmed it would build a direct rail link into Heathrow Airport.
• UK & World News: Government 'to electrify rail line'Plans to electrify the Midland Mainline are expected to be announced by the Government next week, according to reports.
• 37 drivers fined for ignoring new signs at Aberdeen hospital FURIOUS motorists blasted the new road layout at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary today after more than £2,000 in fines were issued to drivers in just 24 hours.

Campaign for Better Transport

• We™re consulting on Smarter Choices13 July 2012: Send us your evidence for the benefits of smarter travel initiatives. read more
• Transport cuts are hitting young people hard13 July 2012: Young people are facing higher fares, fewer buses and less support. The Youth Select Committee inquiry into public transporrt must make politicians listen to their needs too. read more

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Aviation industry moves closer to aircraft CO2 standardNews that a new standard for carbon dioxide emissions from aircraft is closer to realisation has been welcomed by the aviation industry.According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), an important milestone has been passed for a global metric for emissions.The body welcomed an agreement on the subject by the International Civil Aviation Organization's environment committee and declared it demonstrated the will of the industry to commit to environmental sustainability."Establishing a standard for future generations of aircraft will help to ensure that the envir...

Global Rail News

• London™s changing stationsA series of aerial photographs have been released today showing how major redevelopments are changing the face of London’s railway stations. Views include the new concourse roof at King’s Cross, the development of Farringdon where Thameslink and Crossrail services will meet the Tube, and the changes at Stratford in the shadow of the Olympic stadium. [...]
• Network Rail fined for level crossing deathNetwork Rail has been fined £356,250 after a woman was killed at a level crossing while out walking her dogs. Julia Canning was struck by the First Great Western 17.11 service travelling from Newbury to Bedwyn on May 6, 2009, while walking her two dogs. An investigation by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) found [...]
• Bombardier and UVZ sign deal to modernise MoscowBombardier has signed a deal with rail manufacturer UVZ to modernise Russia’s public transport system in time for the 2018 World Cup. Bombardier and UVZ will jointly develop and market metro trains designed for the Moscow Metro and other cities in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Oleg Sienko, chief executive officer of UVZ and [...]
• Government backs £500m Heathrow-South West rail linkThe Government has backed an investment of up to £500 million to build a new rail link between Heathrow and the South West. The link is expected to take more than one million cars off the roads around Heathrow and create the airport’s first rail link outside London. Steve Lamb, chairman of the Thames Valley [...]

Railnews

• Union claims '800 jobs at risk' on West Coast The RMT union is claiming that up to 800 jobs could be at risk on the West Coast intercity franchise, because on-board catering services are facing the axe when the next contract starts in December.
• New rail link included in DfT aviation plans A NEW RAIL LINK to Heathrow Airport has been included in the Government's latest plans for aviation. The line includes a west-facing connection near Slough, allowing through trains to serve the airport from south Wales and the south west of England.
• More comfort for mums-to-be on c2c c2c has launched a ‘baby on board’ badge scheme to give mothers-to-be a more comfortable ride on its trains.

Other News Sources

• RMT slams proposals to axe catering and passenger services on new West Coast inter-city franchiseRAIL UNION RMT today called for concrete assurances that suggestions that bidders for the new West Coast Inter-City franchise will seek to axe catering and other passenger services, threatening over 800 jobs, will be overruled with a guarantee that current functions will be maintained. RMT has begun preparations for an industrial action ballot of all staff affected.
• 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.

News from Europe

• Transport: MEPs call for improvement of passenger rights With the holiday season in full swing, millions of Europeans will travel in and outside the EU, using planes, trains, buses and boats. As passengers they enjoy certain rights, but these are often little known or even ignored. MEPs want to strengthen them, especially carriers' obligation to inform passengers about their rights.