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

Monday, 01 August 2011

BBC News

• Warning to Newton Aycliffe rail line trespassers People who trespass on railway lines in County Durham have been told they are putting their lives at risk.
• Support for restoration of Buckingham Canal A Northamptonshire council has pledged its support for the restoration of the Buckingham Canal, which closed down in the 1960s.
• Bikers urged over 'crash cards'West Midlands Ambulance Service asks motorcylists to carry cards which contain potentially life saving information in the event of an accident.
• Whitehall's web habits revealedWebsites about belly dancing, Doctor Who and the Roman Empire are among those visited regularly by Department for Transport civil servants while at work.
• Group wins Tube busking licenceA seven-piece

Department for Transport

• Thameslink preferred bidder correspondenceThe Department has received a large number of queries regarding the announcement on 16 June 2011 confirming that Siemens Plc and XL Trains is the preferred bidder for the supply of the new rolling stock for the Thameslink Programme.

Financial Times

• Kuwait Airways to sell $280m stakeGroup courts international carriers and investors as the oil-rich region's first airline privatisation gets under way

The Guardian

• Driving licence applicants asked to join organ donor register Department of Health says compulsory question about donation is aimed at giving people more opportunities to sign up
• Down the tubes [Letters - Daniel Moylan]It will definitely mar the high-speed rail passenger experience if, having saved an hour on a journey from Leeds to London, you then find you have to wait half an hour at Euston before being let on to the Victoria line because London Underground cannot cope with the extra arrivals

The Herald

• Anger at Edinburgh tram project™s £38m spend on ˜line to nowhere™EDINBURGH™s tram firm has spent another £38 million in the past two months without having the funding in place to complete the troubled project.
• Edinburgh™s £700m harbour in doubt after takeoverEDINBURGH City Council™s £700 million plan to develop Leith Docks jointly with Forth Ports is at risk of collapse due to the council™s failure to sign a binding agreement with the Leith-based company before it was taken over last month.

The Independent

• China apologises for move to ban legal help for rail crash families The Chinese authorities were yesterday forced to apologise for trying to stop lawyers representing the families of victims ofthe bullet train crash that left 40 people dead.

The Scotsman

• Top tram boss quits project THE man who has led the city's embattled tram project since it first began has dramatically quit ahead of a major shake-up of the scheme.

The Telegraph

• Drink drive tests fall The number of breath tests fell sharply over the summer, while the number of motorists stopped for suspected drug-driving rose by nearly a third.
• BBA Aviation may switch results to dollars BBA Aviation is considering changing its reporting currency from sterling to US dollars to simplify its accounts for investors.

Derby Telegraph

• Business Secretary in city to visit Bombardier BUSINESS Secretary Vince Cable is in Derby today to find out firsthand about the impact of the 1,400 job losses at Bombardier. The Derby Telegraph previously reported that the Government was considering sending Dr Cable to the city to highlight support for private enterprise, after Bombardier lost the £1.4 billion Thameslink contract to German company Siemens.
• Derby not a priority for new Minister for Cities, but these places are... DERBY has failed to make the list of priorities for a new Minister for Cities, despite the huge challenges it faces with job losses at Egg and Bombardier. The Government has appointed Greg Clark MP to take on responsibility for representing cities in Parliament and monitoring the impact of policies on them.
• Another crass decision which is based on the simplest equation CONSIDERING the great number of statistics which are amassed by government officials, it seems only the very simplest equations resonate in Whitehall.
• Council leader tours neighbourhoods THE leader of Derby City Council has been hearing the concerns of residents by visiting neighbourhood meetings.
• Political suicide for PM to fail to act on Bombardier [letter]FOR 20 years I have been an adopted son of this great city and my time in Derby has been happy and lucrative working in the haulage industry.
• Support along route of march was appreciated AS one of the thousands who were on the march to try to help save the jobs of the Bombardier employees, I would like to thank not only the thousands who marched but the support we received as we walked the route.
• I was so proud to be part of this demonstration [letter]I WILL always remember Saturday, July 23, 2011.

Journal Live

• High speed rail plans attacked by Newcastle Airport chiefs AIRPORT chiefs have launched a fierce attack on the Government’s high-speed rail plans as questions mount over the benefits it will bring to the North East.

Manchester Evening News

• Stagecoach set to handover Metrolink to French firmManchester's tram network is set to be taken over by a French-government owned firm in a secret deal. The M.E.N. has learned that bosses of Stagecoach, which has run the Metrolink system since 2007, are to pull the plug despite having six years left to run on their contract.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Don't make our city wait for high-speed rail, says council A HIGH-SPEED rail line should be built through the East Midlands before work starts on a line to Manchester, the city council has told the Government.
• New rail line will help create 32,500 jobs in Nottingham alone NEW research claims the High Speed Rail network will help create 32,500 jobs in Nottingham. The study was carried out by Arup and Volterra, on behalf of Britain's Core Cities, including Nottingham.

The York Press

• Number of bike thefts in York doubles BIKE thefts in York have rocketed to more than 2,000 a year “ and only a fraction of the crimes are being solved.

Other Regional Press

• Business brains back rail link to cut time to London A GROUP of influential business leaders are backing plans for a high speed rail link to cut travel time to London.
• Standing forecast unlikely to cheer Brighton and Hove commuters Commuters from Brighton, Hove and Portslade are likely to face continued overcrowding, according to the latest strategy document from Network Rail. The track owner said: “Standing for durations longer than the recommended 20 minutes is likely to remain an issue.”
• New X99 buses unveiled in Thurso by Stagecoach BUS operator Stagecoach has unveiled an investment of more than £1.5 million in a fleet of new coaches in a major boost for public transport in Caithness.
• Council shows unity in response to HS2 plans COMPLETE opposition to plans to build a high-speed railway line through the Warwickshire countryside was shown at Leamington town hall on Wednesday.
• Dewsbury cycle route opened THE Mayor of Kirklees has opened a new cycle route.

Railnews

• French 'set to take over' Manchester Metrolink IT'S REPORTED that the French operator RATP is poised to take over the Manchester Metrolink concession from Stagecoach.

The Business Desk

• Ministers asked to back £17m transport plan A NEW £17.2m bid to build two rail stations in West Yorkshire has been put forward to the Government.

Other News Sources

• Public consultation on a review of the internal market in road freight transport (deadline 31/10/2011)The White Paper on Transport presented by the Commission on 28 March 2011 called for additional actions to further integrate the internal road freight transport market.