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

Thursday, 05 January 2012

BBC News

• Warning over railway trespassing at Dove Holes Police are to increase patrols at a Derbyshire railway station after people were seen walking on the track.
• Truro's park and ride users increase There has been a significant increase in the amount of passengers using Truro park and ride, according to a survey by Cornwall Council.
• Jersey Airport roadworks project begins A £750,000 road resurfacing project for routes to Jersey Airport is getting under way.
• Rail user group attacks 13% riseA rail watchdog attacks a 13% increase in a rail fare between Birmingham and London.
• How do you cycle to the South Pole?An expedition is attempting to be the first to use a bike to reach the South Pole. So how can you cycle in some of the most extreme conditions on the planet?
• Plane hit by bus shelter in stormAn investigation is launched after a plane was hit by a bus shelter which was blown over a fence at Edinburgh Airport during Tuesday's storms.
• Clarify piracy defence laws - MPsGuidelines on when ships sailing under British flags can use
• Nissan Sunderland breaks recordNissan produced 480,485 vehicles at its Sunderland plant in 2011, up 14% from 2010 and a new record for a single UK car plant.
• China airlines shun EU carbon taxChina's biggest airlines will not pay a new European Union tax aimed at cutting carbon emissions, their trade body says.

Financial Times

• Clarity sought on use of force against piratesMinisters asked to remove ambiguity over measures that can be taken by private armed guards to defend ships against pirates off Somalia

The Guardian

• Boris Johnson, beware the voter on the number 48 bus Route 48 brings to life statistics about the transport mode used by London's low-paid. But are they listening to Ken Livingstone?
• Why some of us like to drive in the middle of the road Psychologists and silver drivers get together at Leeds University for another round in the great debate over 'middle lane hogging'
• Boris Johnson and the 'invisible crisis' of air pollution Cleaner air. I think we can agree that we need more of it. It is therefore good news is that phase 3 and, indeed, phase 4 of the capital's Low Emission Zone (LEZ) programme came into effect yesterday, obliging owners of a larger group of polluting vehicles than before to either drive something cleaner or pay a daily fine of £100 each time they spew health-hurting stuff from their exhausts when using the capital's roads.
• Stormy weather set to return as damage from gales is cleared up Transport services prepare for more disruption from second round of windy weather
• Italian rail company lambasted for 'racist' web commercialTrenitalia replaces video which promoted its new four-tier system by showing a black family in lowest-class carriageThe idea was never going to be an easy one to sell. Italy's state-owned railway corporation, Trenitalia, decided to replace the traditional first and second classes on its high-speed trains with four categories.And since the occupants of fourth-class will not be allowed to use the on-board cafeteria, or even set foot in carriages reserved for better-off passengers, it was already facing accusations of introducing a form of segregation. By Wednesday, however, the company was prepa...

Derby Telegraph

• Chancellor hits back at city MP's claimsA DERBY MP who accused George Osborne of making misleading comments about the Thameslink rail contract in his Autumn statement has received a response from the Chancellor.
• Derby Telegraph commented Complaining about late buses makes them laterArticle

Journal Live

• Family of Eilidh Cairns angered as law change delayedTHE family of a woman killed after being knocked off her bike by an HGV have hit out at Euro politicians for a further delay in a response to their fight to change the law.

Liverpool Post

• Edge Lane dual carriageway roadworks to finish by March after years of delaysTHE vision of a dual carriageway along the length of Liverpool’s Edge Lane will finally be complete in March when roadworks on the long-awaited creation of the widened road into the city centre will finish.
• Liverpool bus lane fines collect more than £3.5mLIVERPOOL council has collected more than £3.5m from drivers straying into bus lanes.

Metro

• Will Routemasters provide the route ahead for London?The newly designed Routemaster buses is a modern-day take on the iconic classic and it hits London's roads this moth. The team from Autocar were invited to take the vehicle for their 'biggest' road test yet.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Train fares go ˜off the rails™FED-UP commuters in Sheffield branded inflation-busting rail fare rises ’ridiculous’ as they returned to work after the holidays.

Wales Online

• Cardiff business group calls for high speed rail rethink A GROUP of Cardiff businesses has written to the UKGovernment urging a rethink on its plans for a new high speed rail link (HS2) between London and the Midlands.

Crewe Chronicle

• Train-builder Bombardier wins £188m contract THE decision to award Bombardier a £188m contract to build 130 carriages at its Derby plant can only be good for the firm’s South Cheshire workers, a union rep has said.

Peterborough Telegraph

• All change for £45,000 roadworks at Queensgate bus stationPASSENGERS may have to wait for buses in cold, wet and dark conditions when temporary closures start at Peterborough’s Queensgate bus station from 16th January.

Other Regional Press

• Rail users hit out over rising cost of train faresCommuters returning to work after the festive break have strongly criticised above-inflation train fare increases.
• Transport Minister to hear Stranraer rail woes SCOTTISH Transport Minister Keith Brown is set to visit Stranraer next week for talks about the future of the town’s railway line.
• Spa's MP puts train services between London and county in the spotlight DROITWICH Spa’s MP Peter Luff is urging his constituents to respond to a consultation on the future of train services between London and Worcestershire.
• FirstGroup to re-bid for Great Western railway franchiseRail company FirstGroup has confirmed it will enter the race to win the Great Western Franchise – eight months after it severed a 10-year contract.
• Bus passengers face long wait for normal servicesTHE holidays are over but public transport in Glasgow still has to gear up to 2012.
• ˜We won™t rule out closing rail stations™THE Scottish Government is unable to rule out closing nine Glasgow train stations despite Transport Minister Keith Brown stating there are no plans to close any stations.

Global Rail News

• London Midland passengers to benefit from infrastructure improvementsLondon Midland customers will see faster journey times with forthcoming improvements to infrastructure on two key commuter routes. Work to improve the Chase Line, which includes the stations between Walsall, Hednesford, Cannock and Rugeley, will see the line speed increase from 45mph to 75mph. Originally closed to passengers during the Beeching era, passenger services were [...]
• ScotRail apprentice scheme scoops awardA pioneering ScotRail initiative to develop young talent has scooped the Best Business Newcomer title at the Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Awards 2011. The prestigious award follows ScotRail last year launching the UK rail industry™s first Modern Apprenticeship in Customer Service. The £250,000 initiative is designed to both boost business and provide opportunities for young people to enter the challenging [...]
• New venture for Ironman AndyAndy Ridout has launched Advance Training and Recruitment Services, a Link Up approved recruitment company specialising in railway engineering and construction. The move marks the high point of Andy™s 15-year career in the industry, including ten years as Director for a leading Rail Recruitment company. He is now using his wealth of experience to place [...]
• Porterbrook signs agreement for future of Class 458sPorterbrook Leasing has signed a contract with Stagecoach South West (SSW) to reconfigure the Class 458 fleet into 5-car units and to create 6 additional units by incorporating equipment from the Class 460 fleet which was previously used on the Gatwick Express services. The new fleet of 36 5-car units will be known as Class [...]
• Leeds Sergeants commended by British Transport PoliceTwo Leeds Sergeants who disarmed and arrested a knife-wielding man on the rail tracks in Kirkstall, Leeds, have been commended by the British Transport Police (BTP) Chief Constable. Sergeant Robert Pedley and Acting Sergeant Mark Mowvley were commended for their brave actions during a ceremony at Force™s London Headquarters on Friday, 16 December. Certificates of [...]
• Cross-boarder sleeper train has ˜long term future™The cross-border sleeper service linking England with Scotland has been assured a long term future with the Scottish National Party agreeing to match a £50 million funding package from Westminster, allowing the ageing sleeper fleet to be refurbished. It had been feared that, because of the options laid out in the Transport Scotland public consultation, [...]
• London Assembly calls on Mayor to cut faresEast London Assembly member John Biggs has called on Mayor Boris Johnson to cut fares by seven per cent to take pressure off Londoners and ‘put money back in their pockets’. The call comes after Londoners were ‘hit with the Mayor’s latest fare rises’ – up 5.6% on average from yesterday, 3 January. Local London [...]
• Race is on to run new generation of franchisesExpressions of interest in running the new Thameslink, Essex Thameside and Great Western rail franchises have been invited by the Department of Transport. The Thameside and Great Western franchises will run for 15 years, starting in May 2013 and April 2013 respectively. Bidders for the new generation of longer franchises will be expected to shoulder [...]
• Stansted Express launches mobile ticketingStansted Express, the fastest way between Central London and Stansted Airport has launched a new and convenient ticketing option via its website offering customers the opportunity to purchase tickets which can be sent direct to their mobile telephone or smartphone via a text message. Customers using Stansted Express can already request tickets through the Print [...]
• Former Northern Rail manager receives MBEA former Northern Rail manager, who dedicated fifty years to the railway industry, has received an MBE in the Queen™s New Year™s Honours List. Phil Thickett, 65 of Darlington, who was recognised for ˜services to the railway industry™, recently retired from his position as Area Operations Manager at Northern, but still works for the rail [...]