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

Thursday, 26 July 2012

BBC News

• Justine Greening concerned by airport security breach [video]An eleven-year-old boy has succeeded in boarding a flight for Rome from Manchester airport without a ticket, passport or boarding pass.
• Stagecoach plans new north Devon routes Stagecoach has announced it will introduce new and expanded services in north Devon one day after First said it was cutting all bus routes in the area.
• Doncaster Mayor renews call to scrap town's park-and-ride schemes There has been a fresh call to scrap two park-and-rides in South Yorkshire.
• Hitachi train contract will create 900 jobs in Newton Aycliffe More than 900 jobs will be created as part of a £4.5bn contract to build and maintain new inter-city trains, the Department for Transport has said.
• Great Western high-speed trains set for Thames Valley A £4.5bn contract has been signed to introduce high-speed trains on the Great Western Main line through the Thames Valley.
• FirstGroup speeds up bus overhaulAberdeen-based transport firm FirstGroup says it is accelerating its plans to overhaul its underperforming UK bus division.
• Tracking system sold to airportItaly's second largest airport adopts a high-tech passenger tracking system developed by a Scottish company.
• May urged to relax border checksBorder checks should be relaxed to prevent three hour queues at airports - now that the
• Firms face 'unforgiving' Games LanesSmall businesses rise to the challenge of operating in London during the Olympics
• Fault on Thames Olympic cable carThe cable car which links two Olympic venues in London breaks down, leaving passengers dangling in the air for half an hour.
• Ford profits hit by European lossFord reports a sharp fall in second quarter profit to $1bn as it continues to suffer heavy losses at its European unit.
• Japanese cars are 'most reliable'Japanese carmakers Honda, Toyota and Lexus are the most reliable used car brands in the UK, a survey finds.

Financial Times

• Easyjet upgrades as fuel costs fallUK carrier upgrades full-year forecast after poor summer weather pushed up passenger costs and drop in fuel prices buoyed pre-tax profits
• BAA revenue rises ahead of OlympicsHeathrow airport continues to defy critics over London 2012 traffic but is bracing itself for ˜biggest peacetime transport challenge™ on Thursday
• Hitachi secures largest UK train orderBritain™s biggest and most ambitious rail transport procurement programme has been confirmed after delay of more than three years

The Guardian

• BAA says Stansted airport will rebound when UK economy recovers Operator awaits ruling on airport's forced sale and says its fall in passenger numbers reflects poor consumer confidence
• London 2012: transport authorities report smooth start to Games route changes Traffic flowing well on Olympic route network in the capital but severe delays reported on parts of the tube network

The Herald

• Funds to improve Leith WalkEXTRA funding to improve Edinburgh's Leith Walk was confirmed yesterday as the council announced a work programme that will see at least 16 months of disruption on the famous thoroughfare.
• Jams in London as Olympic lanes come into forceThe first day of Olympics-only traffic Games Lanes caused congestion for rush-hour drivers today.
• £4.5bn train deal to create 900 jobsA £4.5 billion deal to replace the train fleet that operates between London, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness has been announced following years of delay.
• Helpline launched to target bus travel fraudTHE latest weapon in the battle to prevent abuse of the Scottish Government's free bus travel scheme will be launched today.

The Independent

• Urgent investigation launched after 11-year-old boy flies alone to Rome without passport or boarding passMinisters have launched an urgent investigation following a catalogue of security errors which allowed a boy of 11 to fly alone to Rome after boarding a flight at Manchester Airport without a passport, boarding card or money.

The Telegraph

• BAA: Forced sale of Stansted will 'discourage' foreign investorsHeathrow-owner BAA has cautioned that Britain is at risk of discouraging foreign investment in UK infrastructure.
• No traffic gridlock for first day of Olympic 'zil lanes'London 2012: Feared gridlock as the Olympic Games Lanes came into force fails to materialise.
• Motorists suffer 12-mile Olympic tailback...as transport chiefs deny gridlockTransport chiefs deny gridlock despite 12-mile tailback as the Games lanes come into force.
• Olympic-sized denial about London 2012 transport problemsIt is hard not to believe that those responsible for the road network in and around London are in Olympic denial.
• £4.5bn Intercity express train deal to create 900 jobsBritain is to get a new train factory after the Government agreed a £4.5bn deal with Hitachi that will see the Japanese conglomerate supply the UK with 596 railway carriages.
• Relax checks to cut 'unacceptable' three hour airport queues, say MPsStrict security checks on all passengers should be relaxed in order to cut
• London 2012 Olympics: flagship cable car breaks down in searing heatDozens of passengers were left dangling up to 300 feet in the air yesterday after a multi-million pound cable car linking key Olympic venues broke down in the searing heat.
• Boy, 11, stows away on flight from Manchester to Rome with no passportA government inquiry is under way after an 11-year-old schoolboy, Liam Corcoran, flew from one of the country's busiest airports to Europe on his own without a passport, ticket or boarding pass.

Mail Online

• It¿s a Boris bonus: London mayor offers hand outs to transport workers totalling £35m to stop them striking during OlympicsBonuses worth up to £35million are being handed out to transport workers in a desperate bid by London Mayor Boris Johnson to stop strikes during the Olympics.

ATOC

• Train companies respond to new IEP intercity trains announcementResponding to the intercity express programme announcement, Michael Roberts,...

Belfast Telegraph

• Bus company in line for iconic London contractLondon Mayor Boris Johnson has indicated that buses made by a Ballymena firm currently on trial in London will get the thumbs up in a potentially multi-million pound deal.Related StoriesNew figures 'show worst double-dip in 50 years'4G mobile airspace auction to be biggest everFirm flies high after £5m cash injectionFarm packaging firm's eggs-ellent outlook with £500k DARD grant£2m innovation centre to create hundreds of new jobs

Birmingham Mail

• Railway chaos after power lines fail at Birmingham New Street stationRAIL services across the West Midlands were plunged into chaos when several overhead power lines failed at Birmingham’s New Street station on Wednesday morning.

Liverpool Echo

• People evacuated from Dingle homes after disused Liverpool Overhead Railway tunnel collapsesDOZENS of families were evacuated from their homes after an underground tunnel collapsed.

London Evening Standard

• The third runway debate is back, and it’s all about greed It won’t lie down. Like some ancient vampire, the “third runway at Heathrow” is the living dead. Born of greed and sucking lobbying cash into its veins, its coffin is hammered shut time and again. Yet come the fall of dusk over west London, with much creaking and howling, it slinks back on stage.
• Court to rule in BAA battle to keep Stansted Airport A court will rule today in the latest round of a battle over the sale of Stansted Airport.
• London 2012 Olympics: Passengers warned your journey could take 30 minutes longer from todayTube passengers were warned today it could take more than half an hour just to get on a train at key stations during the Olympics.
• Hundreds of thousands of commuters suffer delays on Tube... as space on London's roads is squeezed by 'Zil' lanesHundreds of thousands of Tube commuters suffered major disruption today with services on four lines affected.
• London 2012 Olympics: East Midlands Trains to travel into London for Games amid three-day strike over pensionsA train company set to be hit by a three-day drivers strike has announced a special timetable to get people to the Olympics.
• Olympics lanes: You must be blind if you can™t follow the signs, says TfL chiefTransport chiefs today said: "No Olympics are without pain," as drivers suffered severe delays when Games traffic-only lanes came into force at morning rush hour.
• Life is easy... ‰in the exclusive fast laneThe Games Lanes had been switched on for 30 minutes, parts of London were gridlocked and Twitter was alive with Olympics-inspired road rage.
• Passengers stranded 90 metres in the air as London's new cable car breaks downPassengers were stranded on the Thames Cable Car today after the river crossing failed in the searing heat.

Metro

• London 2012 Olympics: Rush hour chaos as Games Lanes openDrivers in London faced increased congestion during rush hour today as the special Games Lanes opened.The 30 miles of special lanes, which are open to only Olympics traffic, led to jams on a number of roads, including the A4 and A40 in west London, Hyde Park Corner and Euston Road. The Games Lanes have opened ahead of the Olympics causing travel chaos (Getty Images) The lanes, which are in operation from 6am to midnight throughout the Games, are only to be used by authorised 'Olympic Family' vehicles including those used by athletes, Olympic officials and VIPs.Any other motorists caught drivin...

Sheffield Star

• BREAKING: Rail depot plan for DoncasterA DEAL for new intercity express trains which will see a maintenance depot set up in Doncaster has been given the go-ahead.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Change to bus times not fareMore than 100 residents in the east of Inverness have signed a petition after Stagecoach axed a daytime Sunday bus service to Raigmore Hospital.
• Air scare for 58 as flight is aborted A flight from Inverness to Amsterdam had to be aborted 10 minutes after take-off yesterday when one of the aircraft™s engines malfunctioned.

The York Press

• All aboard for jubilee train TWO historic engines gave railway enthusiasts a treat as they visited York to recreate one of the great railway journeys in the Queen™s jubilee year.

Peterborough Telegraph

• New high-speed trains for Peterborough through £4.5bn investmentA £4.5 billion investment from the Government will see a new fleet of high-speed intercity trains operating the East Coast Main Line through Peterborough by 2019.

Other Regional Press

• Transport minister Norman Baker urged to ‘hop on’ Norfolk’s treasured Coasthopper bus A government minister will be invited to take a trip on a coastal bus service as campaigners try to save it from looming cuts.
• Protests over ticket office opening hours changes Campaigners from Action for Rail are holding a day of protest today over fears the Department for Transport will give the green light to the closure or severely-reduced opening hours of 86 of the 90 stations operated by London Midland.
• First Group to sell off £100 million of businessesFIRST Group today said it will sell off £100 million of its UK businesses.

Global Rail News

• Great Western franchise extended until summer as IEP signals shift in bidding processThe start of the next Great Western franchise has been put back from next April to July 21. The change of date is due to a delay in the DfT issuing invitations to tender to the various interested parties. The £4.5 billion IEP contract for 596 carriages means that there is to be a fundamental [...]
• Government announces £4.5bn Intercity train investmentThe Government has approved a £4.5 billion contract to build almost 600 railway carriages at a new factory in the north east of England. In an announcement this morning, Transport Secretary Justine Greening said the project would create more than 900 jobs and secure thousands more. Agility Trains, a consortium made up of Hitachi and [...]
• Construction of Crossrail launch shafts nears completionWorkers have reached the temporary bottom of the two huge launch shafts at Crossrail™s major tunnelling site in east London, ahead of tunnelling between Docklands and central London. The larger of the two shafts is 30 metres in diameter and will be 44 metres deep when completed. Construction has now commenced on two mined tunnels [...]
• Crossrail in pictures
• Tube cleaners to strike on opening day of OlympicsTube cleaners have called a two-day strike which will begin on the day of the Olympics opening ceremony. ISS and Initial tube cleaners and Carlisle DLR cleaners have voted for industrial action between 5.30 on Friday, July 27 and 5.29 on July 29. As well as the dispute over Olympic payments, LUL staff are being instructed [...]

Railnews

• Intercity Express gets green light at last The Government has confirmed that it is to spend £4.5 billion on a new fleet of Intercity Express trains, almost three and a half years after naming Hitachi as preferred bidder.
• Delayed Olympics travellers are told to have a beer If Olympics transport arrangements sag during the next couple of weeks, the best thing to do might be have a beer, said the Mayor of London. Boris Johnson was speaking as comparatively minor transport blips multiplied during the last few days of the Olympics countdown.

Aviation Industry

• Easyjet sees dip in demand for OlympicsBut no-frills carrier expects market to recover quickly and make higher profits this year
• Border Agency union calls off pre-Olympics strikeUnion cancels industrial action which would have affected passengers arriving for the games

Other News Sources

• Heathrow will cope, CEO says LONDON, July 25 (Reuters) - Heathrow airport operator BAA has coped well with the influx of passengers flying into London for the Olympics and is confident it will handle the busiest day of Games flight arrivals so far on Thursday, its CEO said.
• Former railway line to be turned into cycle route as part of £7m transport boost PUBLIC transport, pedestrian walkways and cycling routes will be strengthened to help commuters get to emerging employment hubs thanks to £7 million of funding.
• Transport for Greater Manchester hopes for 'Wiggo effect' boost to cycle commuting Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is hoping that heightened interest in cycling due to Bradley Wiggins’ Tour de France victory will give a boost to its Commuter Cycle Project. The agency is encouraging those taking to two wheels for the first time, or getting back in the saddle after a break, will take advantage of the free cycle training it offers.
• RMT secures £680 Olympics payment, pay increases and harmonisation upgrades for rail signalling contractorsPLANNED INDUSTRIAL action at signalling technology contractor Thales has been halted as a result of a massive breakthrough on pay, harmonisation and Olympics payments secured by RMT negotiators on the back of a 95% vote for action amongst the members.
• Peers back ban on smoking with children in cars The prospect of a ban on smoking with children in cars moved a step closer yesterday after peers voted in support of the move.
• No-one happy after coalition's climate change standoff The government has dropped plans to end Britain's reliance on carbon energy by 2030, it has been confirmed.
• Heathrow strike called off for Olympics Last-minute talks have prevented a meltdown at Britain's largest airport as the union representing border staff agreed not to strike tomorrow.
• NEWS FROM JOHN BIGGS;John Biggs Welcomes Improvements for Cyclists at Mile End Junctions 25 July 2012 John Biggs has welcomed the announcement by Transport for London that a number of junctions in East London will benefit from improvements for cyclists. John has campaigned for improvements at a number of dangerous junctions in East London, including at Mile End-Burdett Road, which will make the junction safer for the growing number of cyclists. Consultations are ongoing but the proposals will be implemented within the next eighteen months. 360-house-thumb.jpg ...