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

Friday, 15 July 2011

BBC News

• £300m plan to develop land around Edinburgh Airport A plan to create a "world class" business and transport hub on land around Edinburgh Airport has been unveiled.
• Peterborough's £5m boost to cut car use [video clip]Peterborough has been given £5m to encourage people out of their cars and on to bicycles.
• Reading scraps peak bus fare charges for disabled people Reading Council's Labour administration has reversed the decision to charge disabled people to use buses at peak times introduced in April.
• PM turns down Derby council Bombardier meeting A decision by David Cameron not to attend a meeting about Derby train maker Bombardier is "unacceptable" according to city officials.
• Ex-Underground train bid for lineAn ambitious scheme to utilise former London Underground trains on a commuter line between Harrogate, Leeds and York is unveiled by business leaders in Harrogate.
• Man, 78, crashes car onto railwayA man escapes uninjured after his car crashes onto a railway line in the south side of Glasgow.
• BMW unveils London 2012 vehiclesBMW unveils a range of cars, motorcycles and bicycles that will be used during the 2012 Olympics in London.

Department for Transport

• New measures to cut delays at HeathrowPassengers using Heathrow and communities around the airport could benefit from reduced delays, less stacking and fewer unscheduled night flights at the UK's busiest airport as part of a trial of new measures announced today by Aviation Minister Theresa Villiers.
• Government announces updated Coastguard reformsCoastguard stations will be better coordinated and more resilient to the challenges of the coming decades under updated modernisation proposals announced today by Transport Secretary Philip Hammond.

Financial Times

• Opposition to runway freeze deepensLobby group for London-based multinationals criticises UK government for not addressing constraints on airport capacity and for banning new runway building
• Avianova fires British chief executiveThe Russian budget airline says Andrew Pyne had been unwilling to comply with local laws and had caused 'unreasonable' flight cancellations

The Guardian

• Government climbdown on coastguard cutsTransport secretary bows to public and parliamentary pressure by agreeing to keep more coastguard centres openThe government has watered down plans to drastically reduce the number of coastguard centres.The original proposals envisaged cutting the centres from 19 to nine, with only three remaining open 24 hours a day. But transport secretary Philip Hammond said 11 centres would remain open and all would operate round the clock.The original proposals were criticised in a recent report by the Commons transport committee, which said it had
• Siemens keeps €600m Eurostar order after Alstom legal challenge failsHigh court rejects Alstom claim that tender process was 'ineffective'Siemens will keep a €600m (£527m) train order from Eurostar after the high court rejected claims from French rival Alstom that the bidding contest was flawed.The victory comes weeks after the German manufacturing group beat Bombardier's Derby factory to a £3bn contract for the Thameslink route, prompting political and trade union protests that the government was not doing enough to protect Britain's industrial base.Eurostar, whose largest shareholder is the French national rail operator, has also found itself embroiled in a...

The Herald

• Shake-up is ordered after boulder blamed for derailing ScotRail train RAIL accident investigators have ordered Network Rail to improve the way it maintains railway verges after blaming a dislodged boulder for derailing a ScotRail train at the Falls of Cruachan last year.
• Stagecoach chief waives cash for worker schemeSIR Brian Souter, chief executive of Stagecoach, enjoyed a sharp rise in remuneration as the bus and rail group™s profits surged, but he again waived a large part of his bonus to fund an employee heart health scheme.

The Telegraph

• Sat nav loses more motorists than maps Satellite navigation systems may not be all they are cracked up to be, according to the AA.
• Airport delays could be cut by security overhaul Passengers could be spared the chore of removing shoes, belts and having to unpack their laptops every time they go through airport security, under measures to be announced today.

Daily Express

• Fury as David Cameron snubs Bombardier rescue bidMINISTERS were last night accused of “hiding behind the EU” over their decision to hand a £1.5billion train contract to German giant Siemens. And David Cameron was criticised for snubbing Derby, where 1,400 jobs are being axed by Britain’s last train maker, Bombardier, after it lost out in the deal.

Belfast Telegraph

• Sir Stelios threatens shareholder rebellion in easyJet rowSir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has reignited his feud with the board of easyJet by threatening to organise a shareholder rebellion unless it abandons plans to buy more planes.Related StoriesBarroso criticises 'junking' of Irish economyWetherspoon warns drinkers of rising pricesRoyal style icon Kate helps Burberrry smash sales targetsEmployers out of sync with new graduatesStyle icon Duchess Kate helps Burberrry to blockbuster sales

Birmingham Post

• Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant claims HS2 survey asks 'leading questions' The official consultation into a planned high speed rail line between London and Birmingham uses “leading” questions designed to provoke the response Ministers want, a member of the Government has warned.

Derby Telegraph

• In Cameron's constituency, there's anger at rail decision IT may be his own backyard – and a beautifully manicured one at that – but behind the tidy white picket fences in Witney, constituents have been left stunned by their MP's latest move.
• Bombardier deal and £9bn IMF rise have hacked me off [Nigel Mills MP]WESTMINSTER has been dominated to such an extent this week by the terrible revelations on the phone-hacking scandal it's easy to miss other important decisions being taken.
• Region's Tory MPs are given a chance to quiz Prime Minister on Bombardier MID-Derbyshire MP Pauline Latham has said that the Prime Minister has promised to meet with her and fellow Conservative MPs from the region on Monday morning.
• Contract loss is a result of our political system WITH regard to Bombardier, is it not a result of the political system that we operate? Is there really a coherent opposition?
• Soapbox Paul Sanders: UK will lose vital skills if contracts keep being given away I WISH to write about the awarding of a contract to build £1.4bn worth of rolling stock to a German firm instead of Bombardier's Derby works.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Trams 'may worsen air quality in Capital'THE Capital's tram project could worsen air pollution in some areas of the city by encouraging lorries and trucks on to Edinburgh's roads, a senior council official ha

Journal Live

• North regional development expert questions high speed rail link benefits MPS have been told that claims a new high-speed rail line will transform the British economy are “weak” by a leading North expert on regional development.

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyside’s Hidden Treasures: St James railway station THE DISUSED St James railway station was built in 1872 in a cavernous deep cutting at the junction of St James Street and Parliament Street.

Liverpool Post

• Diesel exhaust fumes ’create risk of heart attack’ TINY chemical particles in diesel exhaust fumes could increase the risk of heart attacks, research shows.

London Evening Standard

• More flight noise misery under Heathrow plan to tackle delaysCommunities in west London could suffer more aircraft noise under plans to tackle delays at Heathrow
• Signal failures hit passengers across the Tube networkThe Waterloo & City line was suspended early today and there was disruption on three other lines after four separate signal failures

Metro

• Airports to finally relax anti-terrorism security checksAirports could become far more ˜passenger friendly™ under new rules aimed at relaxing anti-terror checks.

Yorkshire Post

• London's scrapped trains to revamp rail lineTRAINS from the London Underground could be brought North to service one of Yorkshire’s most important lines in the biggest upgrade planned for the region’s rail network in nearly 20 years.

Carlisle News & Star

• Stobart staff set to lobby Carlisle Airport meeting Employees of Stobart Group are expected to turn out in force for a crucial planning meeting tomorrow that will decide the future of Carlisle Airport.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Suffolk: Concern as speed cameras are switched offROAD safety concerns were raised last night as it emerged all of Suffolk’s fixed speed cameras had been switched off.

Other Regional Press

• MPs call for more trains RAIL bosses are to examine plans which could see more frequent train services introduced on the line between Lynn and Cambridge.
• Today’s Vote - The Shields Gazette Was the Government right to award the trains contract to Siemens? Siemens, with its electrical switchgear plant in Hebburn, has been named the preferred bidder for the Government’s massive £1.4bn Thameslink rail project.
• Glasgow has higher risk of exhaust fume deathsTiny particles emitted by diesel exhaust fumes can raise the risk of heart attacks, according to new research.
• Town bucks the trend and boosts bus servicesBus services across the borough are set to be transformed with major improvements to routes in rural and urban areas launching on August 21st 2011. The timetable changes include a long hoped-for

Campaign for Better Transport

• All stations go with new petition and summer campaign13 July: It™s an exciting day here as we launch our brand new petition and month of action at key commuter stations. read more

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Airport security overhaul 'could cut delays'Delays experienced at airports across the UK could be substantially reduced by overhauling current security systems.This is the claim made by aviation minister Theresa Villiers, who has stated plans to encourage airports to employ technology such as full body scanners more widely for inspections could lead to shorter times to get through checks.In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, she explained: "What we are looking for is a better security outcome and we want this done in a more passenger-friendly way."Transport secretary Philip Hammond is due to unveil the security ref...

Global Rail News

• Regional economies boosted by $5bn Great Western rail investmentA £5bn investment programme to provide more seats and shorter journey times on the Great Western rail route will provide a massive boost to the economies ...
• Parts of Circle and District lines to be suspended for 4 weeksUpgrade works to improve the reliability of service, renew old infrastructure, and prepare for new trains are set to take place on one of the oldest ...
• London Underground makes revised pay offer to unions to cover Olympic GamesLondon Underground has made a revised five-year pay offer to trade unions which would see staff get a 4.75% pay increase this year, followed by a ...
• CSX increases 2011 capital investment to $2.2bnThe CSX Corporation Board of Directors recently authorised an increase in 2011 capital investment for certain asset purchases – primarily railcars, to meet the growing near and ...
• Rail fares petition launched by Campaign for Better TransportCampaign for Better Transport have launched a national petition against ‘unfair rail fares’. Fair Fares Now is a national campaign from the sustainable transport charity. As ...
• Invensys Rail consortium wins contract in IndiaA consortium of Invensys Rail and Frauscher Sensor Technik has won a major new contract worth a total of £7.3m from India’s Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation ...
• Local MP lends a helping hand at Letchworth station gardenOliver Heald, MP for North-East Hertfordshire, last week joined First Capital Connect and Fair Trade Letchworth to complete the new station gardens at Letchworth Garden City. ...
• Railway cutting could be filled in to help combat anti-social behaviourFurther work to clean up a disused railway line that has become prone to anti-social behaviour is being considered by Centro, the region™s transport authority. More ...
• New Alstom Pendolino train to enter service with Virgin TrainsA new 125mph Pendolino train, which will enter service next week, has been formally handed over to Virgin Trains by train builder Alstom. Leased by Virgin ...
• Amey awarded 5 rail signalling contracts across UKNetwork Rail has awarded Amey five rail signalling contracts worth a total of £37 million, as part of a major investment scheme to increase the capacity, ...
• Chief Executive of Merseytravel awarded Honorary FellowshipThe last craft apprentice to work for Sunderland Corporation Transport has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship for his services to a region™s regeneration. Neil Scales, who ...
• Minister launches latest round of Scottish rail station grantsA £1 million pot that will help to bring life to empty station premises is being re-opened to new applications said Transport Minister Keith Brown. The ...
• Rail regulator ˜must drive cost reductions™The Rail Freight Group say they supporte the findings of the Parliamentary Account Committee™s (PAC) report, which has concluded that the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) ...

Aviation Industry

• Aberdeen Airport AmbassadorAberdeen Airport has appointed a well known and leading member of the City and ˜Shire business community to the position of ˜Airport Ambassador™.
• Glasgow Airport nets hat-trick of awardsGlasgow Airport has scooped a hat-trick of awards in recognition of its excellent health and safety performance and its continued efforts to enhance its green credentials
• Lufthansa figures reveal Bmi shortfallThe number of passengers travelling with Bmi between January and June fell by more than 700,000, compared to the first half of 2010
• Ryanair to move into Glasgow city?Low cost carrier Ryanair is considering ceasing flights from London Stansted to Glasgow Prestwick, the airline™s CEO Michael O™Leary has said
• CAA to investigate Heathrow chargesThe Civil Aviation Authority is to investigate a complaint by Bmi that Heathrow is discriminating against the airline with increases in charges for domestic routes
• Government announces Heathrow congestion planIn an attempt to improve Heathrow Airport™s recovery time after disruption, it will be permitted to use its two runways for both landings and take-offs
• Hammond hails end to "one-size-fits-all" airport securityUnder new Department for Transport proposals, airports will be rewarded for good practice by being granted greater autonomy in security procedures

Other News Sources

• The Procurement Pond Just got a Little Murkier - Bombardier The Canadian state-of-the-art aerospace and transportation maker Bombardier has announced it will be regrettably axing 1400 jobs as a direct result of missing out on the £1.4bn Thameslink contract.
• Prove Thameslink claim, chamber tells DfT Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce has called on transport secretary Philip Hammond to open up to public scrutiny his claim that awarding the lucrative Thameslink contract to Siemens instead of Bombardier provided the best value for UK taxpayers.
• Pirate attacks rise in first halfPIRATES attacked 266 ships in the first half of the year, up from 196 ships a year earlier, the International Maritime Bureau said today.
• Race for Hounslow roads deal down to twoThe race for Hounslow Borough Council™s £1.4 billion highways maintenance PFI contract is now down to two, with Skanska/Jacobs understood to have been knocked out of competitive dialogue.
• Former Arup chairman joins Crossrail boardFormer Arup chairman Terry Hill will join Crossrail™s board in September while Andrew Wolstenholme will begin his role as chief executive next month.
• Amey secures Network Rail contracts worth £37mAmey has secured Network Rail contracts worth £37 million to provide rail signalling services in five regions across the UK.
• The Interview: Click Travel™s Simon McLeanSimon McLean, Click Travel™s managing director, talks all things trains and technology, six months after the TMC's entry into the rail ticketing market with Open Rail and Takethetrain.com