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

Tuesday, 24 January 2012

BBC News

• London Underground Tube stations have no light switches [video]Councils have been turning off street lights to save money and protect other services from the cuts, but London has bucked the trend and added more lights in the last year.
• Passenger worry over unstaffed Tube stations [video]Transport bosses have been accused of failing to deliver on a promise to have "visible" staff at London's Tube stations.
• Rail signal staff suspend strikeThe RMT union suspends a planned walkout by staff at a rail signal centre in Glasgow in a row over career progression.

The Independent

• Network Rail plans 'alliance' with South West trains Network Rail today announced moves aimed at working more closely withrail operators under a "deep alliance" with one of the UK's biggest train firms.

Press Association

• NR plans train firm 'alliance' Network Rail has announced moves aimed at working more closely with rail operators under a "deep alliance" with one of the UK's biggest train firms.

Network Rail

• PASSENGERS SET TO BENEFIT FROM NEW NETWORK RAIL / TRAIN OPERATOR ALLIANCES

Birmingham Post

• Virgin Trains faces battle to keep West Coast Main Line franchiseVirgin Trains faces a battle against rivals from across Europe to keep its West Coast Main Line franchise, Ministers have revealed.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tram bosses press ahead with PR firmTram bosses have hired one of Scotland’s biggest communications firms to take on the project’s public relations battle.

Journal Live

• Northern Rail to add carriages to Tynedale trainEXTRA carriages to ease congestion on a packed Tynedale train are expected to be restored from this morning following a surprise deal, The Journal can reveal.

London Evening Standard

• Rail chiefs join forces in a bid to improve commuter trainsPlans to improve commuter services by merging control of track and trains - last done by British Rail - have been announced
• Tube commuters will get wi-fi access by the summerTube platforms across the capital are to get wireless internet access in time for the 2012 Games, Transport for London bosses said

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink chiefs review plans to replace 'unreliable' older trams after four break down in a fortnightTransport chiefs are reviewing plans to replace the 32 older blue-and-grey trams still running on the Greater Manchester Metrolink network after they broke down four times in the last fortnight.

Other Regional Press

• Shropshire may see return of direct trains to London Read more: http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/01/23/shropshire-may-see-return-of-direct-trains-to-london/#ixzz1kMGQfuokFour companies were today expected to start bidding for the West Coast Main Line train franchise which could see Shrewsbury’s direct rail link to London restored.

Global Rail News

• Stagecoach announces new rail division appointmentsTransport group Stagecoach has confirmed the senior management teams at its rail companies. This follows new South West Trains™ Managing Director Tim Shoveller taking up his post earlier this month, and David Horne taking over as Managing Director of East Midlands Trains. The following management teams have now been confirmed: South West Trains Operations Director [...]
• Station receives $200,000 heritage boostYarra Glen railway station has received a $200,000 heritage grant, Minister for Consumer Affairs Michael O’Brien and Member for Seymour Cindy McLeish recently announced. Mr O’Brien said the grant was one of 13 community projects around Victoria to preserve and protect significant heritage places and objects, with $500,000 of a total $1.13 million provided by [...]
• Crossing closuresNetwork Rail says it has now closed 500 level crossings in Britain since April 2009. The company intends to close a further 250 by 31 March 2014. Many of these are user-worked crossings often connecting private land and are not public rights of way. Located in rural areas, many cross busy main lines. The barriers [...]
• Operation Tornado blows thieves off trackA new trial scheme aimed at combating metal theft has been launched in the north east. Operation Tornado requires anyone selling scrap metal to participating dealers in Northumbria, County Durham and Cleveland to provide proof of identity via a photo card. The trial will last for six months. Lord Henley, Minister for Crime Prevention and [...]
• National Express completes station upgrade at Bury St. EdmundsThe Mayor of St. Edmundsbury, Councillor Christopher Spicer officially opened the newly upgraded station facilities at Bury St. Edmunds on Friday 20 January. The £150k station upgrade has been delivered by operator National Express East Anglia (NXEA) as part of the Department for Transport™s Access for All scheme. The station improvements include: Transformation of the [...]
• RMT suspends rail signal worker strikeThe RMT has suspended plans for strike action at the West of Scotland Signalling Centre this week, following ACAS-facilitated talks. 32 members of staff were due to walk out in a dispute over career progression. The union and Network Rail will instead ‘progress the union™s grievance regarding appointing signallers on merit through the established collective [...]
• First Hull Trains £5m modification programmeFirst Hull Trains has announced the beginning of a major mechanical and electrical modification and reliability improvement project on the company™s fleet of trains. Part of a £5 million overhaul of the entire Class 180 fleet, along with those of other train operating companies, will go through a comprehensive programme to enable train operators ‘to [...]
• Network Rail plans to ˜form alliances™ with train operatorsNetwork Rail has plans to form alliances with at least half a dozen train operators as it ‘looks to work more closely with operators and deliver passenger benefits more quickly’. Streamlined decision making and the delivery of a more passenger focused operation at lower cost are at the core of the move. Alliance framework agreements [...]