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

Tuesday, 05 February 2013

BBC News

• MPs call for better checks on local transport spending Central government should scrutinise more closely how local authorities are investing in roads, light rail and buses, a committee of MPs says.
• Free pupil transport to be examinedNorthern Ireland's education minister has agreed to carry out a feasibility study into providing free public transport for all school pupils.
• Wrong card charged for bus faresIs contactless payments overcharging you?
• Etihad Airways profits tripleAbu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, sponsor of Manchester City Football Club, triples its full-year profits and maintains its order for 41 Dreamliners.
• Boeing seeks test flights for 787Boeing asks US aviation authorities to allow test flights of its 787 Dreamliner passenger plane, after battery problems forced the plane to be grounded.

Financial Times

• German carmakers extend lead in EuropeData show the country produces almost half the cars made in western Europe as manufacturers benefit from ˜enormous gains™ in labour competitiveness
• Etihad Airways boosted by partnershipsAbu Dhabi-based airline™s net profits increase by 200% as it looks to expand its presence into India via a possible stake in Jet Airways
• Airlines step up fight over passenger dutyAbolishing air passenger duty will add 0.46% to GDP in its first year, says a report commissioned by the UK™s four biggest airlines
• Hailo taxi cab app to launch in New YorkLondon-based online taxi network to start service in New York in March with the backing of Union Square Ventures, which led a $30.6m funding round

The Herald

• Safe levels of air pollution exceeded at 26 locationsTHE health of thousands of Scots is being put at risk every year with cities failing to meet targets on air pollution, environmentalists have warned.
• Victorian rail signals replacedONE of the last of Scotland's sets of Victorian railway signals, which have controlled trains on the main line between Edinburgh and Perth for more than 100 years, are to be replaced by electric

The Telegraph

• Boeing facing payouts battle over Dreamliner Boeing is preparing for a compensation battle with airlines over the grounding of its new Dreamliner aircraft .
• Investor confidence in UK rail industry 'at all time low' Investor confidence in the UK rail industry “couldn’t get much worse” in the wake of the West Coast rail franchise fiasco, according to the incoming boss of Stagecoach.
• Investor confidence in UK rail industry 'at all time low' Investor confidence in the UK rail industry “couldn’t get much worse” in the wake of the West Coast rail franchise fiasco, according to the incoming boss of Stagecoach.
• Scrapping Air Passenger Duty 'would create 60,000 jobs' Airlines have told the Chancellor they can help “drag Britain out of recession” if he abolishes Air Passenger Duty (APD) at next month’s Budget.
• Councils admit using parking cash to keep tax downMotorists are being used as cash cows to keep council tax down, local authorities have admitted.
• Rail fares outstrip cost of living risesWalk-on fares on countries busiest rail routes have gone up three times faster than inflation since privatisation, research shows.
• Village residents complain of being Residents of a small village in North Yorkshire have complained of

Daily Express

• Etihad scores as passengers pass 10 millionABU DHABI'S Etihad Airways has hailed the benefits of a buying spree after it tripled annual profits.

Mail Online

• 'Legalised daylight robbery': Rail firms slammed as new figures show train fares soared three times faster than cost of living since privatisationThe Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) published a list of the biggest rises, saying a walk-on fare from London to Manchester had jumped by 208%, to Exeter by 205% and to Cardiff by 196%.

The Mirror

• Walk-up rail fares 'up by three times cost of living' since privatisation Manuel Cortes, general secretary of TSSA, said it demolishes the Tories™ claim when they sold off British Rail - namely that fares would get cheaper          

Network Rail

• Sleeping snakes uncovered at Slough bridge worksIt could have been a rude awakening for a pair of hibernating grass snakes discovered by Network Rail contractors in Slough last week “ but thanks to expert advice the relaxing reptiles are continuing their slumber at a specialist wildlife centre until the spring.
• New lease of life for 150 year old River Thames railway bridgeWork to strengthen and repair a bridge which has carried trains across the River Thames for 150 years is due to begin later this month.
• Lancaster and Fleetwood MP sees improvements first handAn £8.6m project to provide faster, more efficient rail services at Lancaster has been given the seal of approval by Lancaster and Fleetwood MP Eric Ollerenshaw OBE.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Council warn of £4.4m bill for Forth Bridge claimsCOUNCIL taxpayers in Edinburgh could be left with a £4.4 million bill for compensation claims over the new Forth Road Bridge unless the Scottish Government agrees to pick up the tab.

London Evening Standard

• Black cab fares to rise above fuel hikeBlack cab fares in London are to rise again ” and passengers from Heathrow will be the hardest hit.
• Privatised train fares rise three times faster than cost of livingTrain fares on some of the busiest routes have risen up to three times faster than the cost of living since privatisation, figures reveal today.
• Villagers 'reeling' over HS2 plansVillagers living close to the most northerly end of the proposed HS2 high-speed rail link say they feel like they have been "hit over the head and mugged".

Sheffield Telegraph

• Environment fears amid high speed Sheffield rail joyCONFIRMATION this week that high speed trains are coming to Sheffield delighted civic, business and transport leaders - but prompted concerns over the environment that the line could destroy.
• Sheffield wildlife group™s environmental fears over high speed linePROPOSALS for the new high speed rail line have caused environmental concerns.

Yorkshire Post

• ˜Future bright™ for hydrogen carsAs many as 1.6 million hydrogen-powered cars could be on UK roads by 2030, a Government-industry joint report says.

Bucks Free Press

• Survey shows national opinion split on HS2 A POLL suggests more people are opposed to HS2 than support it - but opinion on the controversial project is split.

East Anglian Daily Times

• East Anglia: Highways Agency wins court battle over region™s roadsTHE Highways Agency has won a court battle with its contractors over the cost of maintaining trunk roads in East Anglia.

Other Regional Press

• Council leader talks to commuters about Northampton Railway station redevelopment The leader of Northampton Borough Council joined early morning commuters today to talk to them about the plans for a new railway station.

Global Rail News

• Plans unveiled to extend life of historic rail bridgeWork to strengthen and repair a bridge which has carried trains across the River Thames for 150 years is due to begin later this month. Battersea Rail Bridge, also known as Cremorne Bridge, will be refurbished by Network Rail to extend its life expectancy by another 100 years. The bridge, which links Battersea with Chelsea [...]
• Grand Central turns 100One of the world’s most famous railway stations, Grand Central Terminal, is celebrating its centenary this month and to mark 100 years of service, New York’s transport authority has hosted a very special birthday party.
• Grand Central past and presentGrand Central is synonymous with New York’s railway. This month, the station is 100 years old and celebrations are already underway to honour the iconic transport hub, but back in the late 1960s, there were some who sought to demolish the station and replace it with an 80-story skyscraper. Completed in 1913 at a cost [...]
• Consortium awarded Evergreen Line contractA consortium led by SNC-Lavalin has been chosen to deliver an $889 million contract to design, build and finance Vancouver’s Evergreen Line. The $1.4 billion line, which is an extension of the city’s SkyTrain service, will connect Coquitlam to Vancouver, with stops at Port Moody and Burnaby. EGRT Construction will build the elevated and at-grade [...]
• Video: Passengers return to Adelaide Railway StationAdelaide Railway Station has reopened following a month-long closure for vital upgrade works. The programme of improvements was part of the region’s Rail Revitalisation project. Upgrades completed include: New masts and gantries have been installed to hold the electric wires that will power the new electric trains from Seaford (formerly Noarlunga) Tamping machine used to [...]
• Sao Paulo announces Orange Line tenderThe São Paulo state government has invited bids for the construction and operation of the city’s proposed metro Line 6. The BRL $7.8 billion Orange Line will link Brasilândia in the north of São Paulo with São Joaquim station in the city’s Liberdade district. In addition to construction works and the purchase of new trains, [...]

Rail Technology Magazine

• High Performance RFID for Transportation and Railway Solutions In this type of application the ID tag is mounted directly on to the wagon or the locomotive and the RFID reader is mounted either on the trackside or on the sleepers. This configuration is suitable for applications requiring the automatic identifica¦

Aviation Industry

• 'Scrapping APD will boost UK economy' - reportStudy into impact of air tax shows that government could benefit financially from policy change
• Dreamliner™s grounding forces JAL to postpone Helsinki routeJapanese carrier will not launch Tokyo-Helsinki service as planned
• Etihad Airways trebles profit in 'game-changing' yearAbu Dhabi airline boosted by higher revenue and passenger numbers

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