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

Saturday, 16 April 2016

BBC News

• Train guards balloted on strike actionScotrail guards who are members of the RMT union are to be balloted on industrial action in a row over driver-only trains.
• Bombardier in possible Delta planes dealThere is growing speculation that Bombardier is close to finalising a deal to sell more than 100 C Series planes to Delta Airlines
• Camden calls for HS2 compensationCamden Council petitions the House of Lords calling for more compensation for residents living along the route of the planned HS2 railway.
• European car sales rise in MarchEuropean new car sales last month rise by 5.7% to 1.74 million registrations despite another dip in sales for Volkswagen.
• Oil exporters to discuss output freezeOpec members, together with a few other oil producers, are meeting in Qatar on Sunday to discuss freezing output in an attempt to push up oil prices.

The Guardian

• Luton airport to replace bus transfers with £200m light rail linkLink between airport and local train station set to make transfers to London faster than those from Gatwick to capitalLuton airport plans to park its much-maligned bus transfer service once and for all and build a £200m light rail link to the nearest railway station.The fast-track service would make journey times between the capital and Luton airport faster than for those flying via Gatwick, the airport claimed.

The Herald

• Do you take the train to work? Strike action may be on the horizonMEMBERS of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union working as guards at ScotRail are to be balloted after talks failed to resolve a dispute.

The Scotsman

• Jobs at risk in new round of cuts at M8 motorway maintenance firmThe company which maintains Scotland’s busiest motorways is to shed more staff in the third round of cuts since it took over the contract three years ago.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Pupils get all aboard new library bus donated by First SCHOOL pupils and teachers were delighted when a long shot appeal for help to find a new library was answered by a bus company.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Where the North Wales Metro will - and won't - be stopping Labour unveils plan for new North Wales rail system, but opposition say idea is half baked and snubs many parts of region

Manchester Evening News

• Trams held up in Manchester by group of protesters sat on Metrolink tracksA small group of people stopped the network through Manchester at St Peter's Square at rush hour on Friday

Wales Online

• How an apprentice from Abertillery became the chairman of the �14.8bn Crossrail projectFailing the 11-plus inspired Terry Morgan to 'try harder' in every challenge he faced

Plymouth Herald

• Plymouth vision: a retail Mecca with good rail links and nobody moans about it The views were expressed by three key city figures at an event run by the Hi Friday networking club, which attracted about 150 business people to the Holiday Inn (below).Moor View's Tory MP Johnny Mercer, city centre manager Jon Walton, waterfront manager Sarah Gibson, and George Cowcher, chief executive of Devon Chamber of Commerce, were each given 10 minutes to outline their "vision for Plymouth".

Other Regional Press

• State of the art links for Luton airportPlans for a state-of-the-art £200 million mass passenger transit (MPT) system linking London Luton Airport (LLA) with Luton Airport Parkway railway station were announced today by the airport’s owner, London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL).

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• TfL Added to Microlise Transport Conference AgendaTransport for London’s (TfL) Glen Davies, responsible for FORS, CLOCS and the new LoCITY initiative to reduce commercial vehicle emissions, has been confirmed as a speaker at the Microlise Transport Conference, being held on the 18 May at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena. Davies is Freight & Fleet Programme Manager at TfL and will discuss the strategies being put in place to ensure London’s transport infrastructure can meet future commercial and population needs, whilst being sustainable, safe, effective and clean. He joins an exciting line up which includes Transaid Patron The P...
• Two weeks to go for Greater Manchester public to have their say on air pollution action planGreater Manchester residents, businesses and other interest groups have until Friday 29 April to give their views on an action plan to tackle the region’s air pollution – a serious issue which contributes to the premature deaths of thousands of people each year. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), on behalf of Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), is calling for final feedback on a wide range of proposals set out as part of the draft Greater Manchester Low-Emission Strategy and Air Quality Action Plan. The Low-Emission Strategy and Air Quality Action Plan propose a ran...
• TfL publishes new parking map and improves parking facilities for coachesTransport for London (TfL) today launched a new map, which provides coach drivers with information on parking in the Capital, special arrangements outside popular tourist attractions and general advice on driving in London. The publication comes as TfL trials the use of dual purpose parking bays which are primarily loading bays and can also be used to set down and pick up coach passengers. Five new dedicated coach parking bays will be opened this year, two on Park Lane and three on the Albert Embankment.  Our intention is that 21 of the Capital’s 27 short-stay bays will also have ...
• Peel Ports Great Yarmouth named as assembly base for Galloper windfarm projectPeel Ports Great Yarmouth has been selected as Siemens’ assembly location and installation base, as part of works on the 56 turbine offshore Galloper Wind Farm project.  A multi-million pound co-investment in port infrastructure has been agreed to support the construction of primary infrastructure and groundworks. This includes the delivery of yard storage and marshalling, as well as the installation of heavy lift quay facilities.  Siemens will supply 56 six megawatt turbines for the Galloper Wind Farm, which will have the capacity to generate enough energy for up to 336,000 ho...
• Record number of First Bus drivers receive top performance awardA record 921 drivers from First Bus have received a special commendation for their driving performance.    The drivers, who are based right across First Bus from Cornwall to Aberdeen, have been presented with ‘GreenRoad Fleet Elite Awards’, designed to reward and recognise the company’s safest and greenest drivers.  The number of First Bus drivers to achieve the much heralded Fleet Elite status has increased by 13% since 2014 (817 drivers received Fleet Elite awards in 2014). All First Bus drivers are measured on their ‘DriveGreen’ performance - a...
• Strategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce to boost apprenticeshipsStrategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce to boost apprenticeships and ensure investment in transport delivers for young people. Strategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce (STAT) launched to bring together employers to address the skills gap in the transport sector STAT will support the government’s ambition to create new 30,000 apprenticeships in transport by 2020, and to increase the diversity of the workforce work is likely to focus on shaping quality training for new entrants and the existing workforce, as well as promoting careers in transport to young people, mid-...
• Ecocem and Peel Ports launch �2million bulk handling facility in RuncornEcocem Ireland has upped its export capacity with the launch of its first UK-based bulk import terminal along the Manchester Ship Canal. The terminal which represents a £2million investment has been developed in partnership with Peel Ports, to help Ireland’s premier manufacturer of high performance, low carbon cement capitalise on the booming UK construction market. A further £2million has already been committed to increase capacity at the Runcorn Docks site to meet the growing demands of the market. The new bulk import facility will handle cement from Ecocem’s produc...
• Industrial and logistics hub to be built in County DurhamMajor developer Citrus Durham has been awarded planning permission to build a mega logistics hub in County Durham. The site is expected to be two million square feet and will be known as Integra 61 as part of a 200-acre site at J61 of the A1, which is close to Durham city, reports Logistics Manager. A mix of businesses will fill the units when the project is finished, including a 70-bedroom hotel, a residential care home, restaurants and retail units, among other things. There will also be up to 270 homes built along the boundaries of the site, which is next to Bowburn village. Property consul...
• Work at Glasgow Queen Street picks up the paceWork has begun on the Glasgow Queen Street tunnel, as engineers have begun to break up and remove the track running through it. This is part of the �60 million renovation project that is happening throughout the entirety of the whole station. Engineers have been working on changing the track since 20th March and have so far renewed it and key junctions to the north of the tunnel near Cowlairs. They have also spent time lengthening and rebuilding platforms and track layouts within Glasgow Queen Street station. Passengers can expect the high level to reopen again on 8th August, after the team wi...

Railnews

• Upgrading West Coast line 'not an alternative to HS2' The project to build HS2 had 'withstood fierce debate and cross-examination', former transport secretary Andrew Adonis has told the House of Lords. Lord Adonis maintained that not building the line would be a 'reckless disregard of the national interest', and that 'From the outset the central argument for HS2 has been about capacity with speed and connectivity significant additional benefits. Since 2010 the imperative of more capacity has become greater still, which is essentially why HS2 has withstood scrutiny and controversy'.

Aviation Industry

• European Parliament approves sharing of air passenger dataSystem being introduced to combat terrorism

Other News Sources

• Hendy outlines Network Rail strategy at InfrarailIRJ at Infrarail, London: Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail (NR), outlined some of his thinking for the future of Britain infrastructure manager to Infrarail delegates.
• Southern staff balloted over strike action A leading rail operator is embroiled in a series of industrial disputes which could flare up in the coming weeks on some of the country's busiest routes.