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

Friday, 20 July 2012

BBC News

• Gatwick Airport plans to handle 40m passengers by 2021 Gatwick Airport has unveiled its vision for growth up until 2020, including plans to handle up to 40 million passengers a year.
• Rail drink ban comes into forceAlcohol is banned on Scottish trains in the evenings and mornings following concerns over drink-fuelled anti-social behaviour.
• A14 upgrade to be toll roadThe government announces plans to introduce a toll road to upgrade part of the A14 through Cambridgeshire to ease congestion.
• Aer Lingus confirms airport moveAer Lingus has confirmed it is switching its operations from Belfast International Airport to Belfast City Airport in the autumn.

Department for Transport

• Transport statisticsLight rail and tram statistics for 2011/12.

The Guardian

• FirstGroup hangs on to Great Western – and state subsidies FirstGroup may be handed an extension to its Great Western rail franchise, underwritten by a multimillion-pound taxpayer subsidy – despite having served notice on the contract to avoid a payout of more than £800m to the government.
• London 2012: Olympic transport and travel questions answered Ahead of the Guardian's day-long online Olympics Q&A on July 23, our travel and transport correspondents answer key questions about getting around, last-minute hotel deals and enjoying the sights during the Games

The Herald

• New road schemes in the pipelineTHREE road schemes in the south of Scotland worth nearly £70 million have moved a step closer as the Scottish Government announced details of the bidding process to build them.
• Union accused of holding the Olympics to ransomUNION leaders have been accused of holding the Olympics to ransom after they announced thousands of UK Border Agency airport staff would strike on the eve of the world's biggest sporting spectacle.
• ScotRail begins its night ban on alcoholSCOTRAIL will deploy extra staff at key stations tonight as it implements the UK's first blanket alcohol ban on late night services.
• Anger at Network Rail plan to reward directorsFRESH anger has erupted over public sector executive pay after golden handcuff payments totalling nearly £1 million were awarded to three Network Rail directors at its annual general meeting in Glasgow.

The Independent

• Gatwick 'may need second runway' Gatwick could be handling 40 million passengers a year by 2021/22 and around 45 million by 2030, the West Sussex airport's bosses said today.

The Scotsman

• Three ˜fat controllers™ share £1m bonusesRail bosses have approved 
almost £1 million of publicly-funded special bonuses – as union members stood outside raging against the “great train robbery”.
• Airport staff to strike on eve of Olympic GamesThousands of Home Office staff, including airport immigration workers, are to stage a 24-hour strike the day before the opening of the Olympics in a row over jobs, pay and other issues.

The Telegraph

• Drivers are 'victims of speculators' as petrol prices riseCost of unleaded rises from 132.28p to 132.28p, while diesel increases to 137.33p, according to analysis by the AA.
• Train drivers to strike during GamesTrain drivers are to stage three days of strikes during the Olympics in a row over pensions, threatening disruption to spectators travelling to the Games.
• Border force staff to walk out ahead of OlympicsUp to 5,500 immigration officials will strike in dispute about job cuts and pay, disrupting nearly 130,000 passengers as they arrive the day before Olympic opening ceremony.
• Network Rail bosses to share £1m bonus potNetwork Rail has approved “golden carrot” awards totalling almost £1million to three directors.

Mail Online

• That's a nice little earner! £1m bonuses for rail chiefs just to stop them leavingThe performance-related payments of £300,000 each will be made on top of the trio’s £360,000-plus salaries. They were approved at Network Rail’s annual general meeting, triggering anger among union members.

Network Rail

• £100m INVESTMENT SIGNALS NEW START FOR NOTTINGHAM
• GOVERNMENTS ON COURSE FOR £310M REBATE

Liverpool Post

• Passenger growth could see new Liverpool underground stationLIVERPOOL city centre will need a new underground rail station to cope with capacity if its increase in passenger numbers continues.

London Evening Standard

• Olympic Torch will take the Tube... flame goes by public transport around London The Olympic torch will be carried on an open-top bus and on the front of a Tube train, it can be revealed today.
• Tube to run later than usual during the OlympicsTrains on the London Underground will be running later than usual during the Olympics to make sure spectators can get home from the Games.
• Signal failures cripple Tube for second day running ahead of OlympicsSignal failures crippled Tube and mainline rail services today increasing transport fears for the Olympics.
• Three days of rail strikes to hit key route into London during OlympicsUnion barons today ordered three days of rail strikes during the middle of the Olympics on a key main line connecting the Midlands to London.

Manchester Evening News

• Snap! The speed camera in Manchester which has clocked up £800k in finesSpeed cameras around Greater Manchester have snared nearly 176,000 motorists over five years “ raking in fines totalling £10.5m. The camera which caught the most speeding drivers “ some 13,330 “ stands in a 30mph zone on the A62 Oldham Road near Manchester city centre.

Sheffield Telegraph

• News In Brief: Bus route hopeA THREATENED bus service along Cemetery Road and Psalter Lane could be saved after public pressure.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Train on Oban to Glasgow line smashes into landslip Heavy rain was blamed yesterday for another landslide that caused disruption on a west Highland railway line.

The York Press

• Father hits out in school bus row A FATHER says he is ˜outraged™ after being told by county council officials that his son™s home to school transport is to be withdrawn as the family live 49 metres over the qualifying distance.
• Locomotive trip for Prince Charles THE National Railway Museum in York will provide the nameplate for the locomotive taking The Prince of Wales on his first trip to the Northumberland coast.
• Former rail workers return to York station control room A FATHER and daughter who both worked at York railway station returned to a special event organised by the National Railway Museum.

Yorkshire Post

• Borders staff strike on eve of OlympicsThousands of staff at the Home Office, including airport immigration workers, are to stage a 24-hour strike the day before the opening of the Olympics in a row over jobs, pay and other issues.

Other Regional Press

• Protesters at in Carshalton and Sutton garner support for rail meeting Politicians and protesters rallied outside the Sutton's train stations yesterday to save a key rail link .
• Railway workers stop short of Olympic strike actionMEMBERS of a train union voted against going on strike during the Olympics by four votes.
• UK & World News: UK set for busy weekend of travelWhile Britain welcomes Olympics arrivals, around two million people will be heading abroad at the start of the school holidays this weekend.
• Most attackers on public transport are never caughtSexual assaults and violent attacks are among scores of crimes which were committed on buses in Lancashire over the past year.

London TravelWatch

• London TravelWatch Board meeting, 24 July 2012London TravelWatch's next public meeting will be its Board meeting on Tuesday 24 July 2012. The meeting is the first Board meeting to be held at our new offices at Dexter House, 2 Royal Mint Court, London, EC3N 4QN.

Railnews

• Last orders called on ScotRail at night A complete ban on carrying alcohol on ScotRail trains after 21.00 has come into force, after a 'soft' trial period. The new clampdown will not affect the Caledonian Sleeper nor trains operated by Virgin and East Coast.
• Great Western franchise to be extended The present Great Western franchise is to be extended because the DfT's franchise renewal programme is running behind schedule. The contract, which is held by FirstGroup, was due to end in April next year after First declined to take up an option to keep it until 2016.
• New union warning over ticket offices The RMT is claiming that at the close of Parliamentary business earlier this week, the Government 'slipped out' a possible change to regulations under its 'Red Tape Challenge' that would remove a layer of protection from rail ticket offices, making it easier for many to be closed.
• Threat of rail strikes during Olympics Drivers at East Midlands Trains are planning to strike for three days in early August. The action, if it takes place, could affect train services during the Olympics fortnight.

Aviation Industry

• Etihad cleared to grow Virgin Australia stakeAirline set to double investment
• Southampton airport to lose German hub linkFlybe axes route
• Restrictions on liquids in hand luggage to stay, says EUSome relaxing of rules by 2014
• Border Agency staff plan strikeAction called for eve of Olympics

Green Miscellany

• MPs slam Olympic Games Lane bicycle ban A group of MPs has backed a campaign to overturn a dangerous ban on cyclists using Olympic Games Lanes.read more

Other News Sources

• Miliband should U-turn on a third runway before the coalition does The Labour leader is missing a political opportunity.
• Transport Secretary: 'Miliband should get union to call off strike action' Transport Secretary Justine Greening has responded to today's latest announcement that drivers at East Midlands trains have voted to take strike action across three days during the Olympics.
• RMT warns of Government threat to rip up regulations protecting ticket offices from closuresRAIL UNION RMT warned today that at the close of Parliamentary business earlier this week, the Government slipped out a possible change to regulations under their 'Red Tape Challenge' that would remove a layer of protection from rail ticket offices enabling the McNulty plans to wipe them out to be bulldozed through regardless of public opposition.
• 'Do nothing' ministers criticised as road deaths rise Ministers need to show some leadership on road safety to halt the increase in deaths on the roads, MPs have urged.
• Rail strike to affect air passengersEast Midlands Trains' staff call action