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

Tuesday, 16 April 2013

BBC News

• Tram line opens after platform workThe Midland Metro tram system that connects Wolverhampton to Birmingham reopens after a two-week revamp.
• Bans and fines for 250 A-road racersMore than 250 drivers caught on CCTV using the A47 as a
• Minister accepts ruling on A5Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy says he will not appeal a judges's quashing of the decision to go ahead with a new £330m dual carriageway project.
• Derailed train disrupts servicesTrain services are disrupted in south London after an engineering train derailed causing damage to the tracks.
• Tube workers balloted for strikeWorkers on the Piccadilly Line on London Underground are to be balloted for strike action in a row over working conditions, a union says.
• VIDEO: Airbus to trim plane window seat sizeAirbus plans to reduce the size of its window seats to make room for wider ones in the aisles.
• Biofuels are 'irrational strategy'A new report says the UK's use of biofuels is

The Guardian

• Lydd airport danger [letter]Re plans to expand Lydd airport (Green groups challenge Kent airport expansion, 12 April): while it is good to see the environmental issues being aired, one problem that is rarely mentioned is the fact that Lydd airport is adjacent to two nuclear reactors
• Crackdown on rail metal theft starts to take effect as incidents drop two-thirds Network Rail figures show delays down 50% from 2011 peak after concerted effort to stop thieves taking copper cables

The Herald

• Air fares to London cheaper than rail ticketsFLIGHTS from Scotland to London are nearly always cheaper than travelling by train, a survey by The Herald has found.

The Independent

• Liberian man claims he wasn't offered a job by Virgin Atlantic because of his African name A graduate has told an employment tribunal that he was discriminated against by Virgin Atlantic because of his African name.Related StoriesPolice horse attacked as Newcastle and Sunderland fans clash after Tyne-Wear derbyExtremists planned to use radio-controlled car in attack on Army base, court told'I booted him and now he's dead': boys beat homeless man to death in a dare'I booted him and now he's dead': Boys sentenced for beating homeless man to death in a dare'I booted him and now he's dead': Boys beat homeless man to death in a dare    

The Scotsman

• Cyclists want drivers accountable for accidentsMOTORISTS would be held responsible for all accidents involving cyclists in Edinburgh under strict liability laws being sought by campaigners.
• Waverley station to get taxi barriers Electronic barriers will be installed at Waverley Station next month to limit the number of taxis allowed to enter.
• Appeal launched after Aberdeen trains vandalised BRITISH Transport Police have appealed for information after the windows of passenger trains were smashed by vandals on successive nights on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
• Costa Concordia cruise liner owner seeks damagesTHE owner of the shipwrecked Costa Concordia has asked a court to consider it a victim of the disaster, saying it too wants to seek damages for the 2012 grounding off Tuscany that killed 32 people.

The Telegraph

• Disabled travel becomes 'more difficult', study suggestsDisabled travellers are facing more problems now than they were four years ago, new research suggests.    
• Bob Crow: Tories are 'like Hitler' for calling for fewer Tube strikesUnions: Militant rail union leader Bob Crow has compared a group of Conservative politicians to Hitler after they called for curbs on transport strikes.    

Reuters News

• Next Chairman Barton front runner to chair easyJet - report(Reuters) - John Barton, the chairman of No. 2 British clothing retailer Next Plc, is poised as the front runner to chair low-cost airline easyJet Plc, Sky News reported on Monday, citing a source.

Network Rail

• Bridge near Streatham Common station to reopen two months earlyA bridge near Streatham Common station which has been closed since November 2012 is to reopen more than two months early.

London Evening Standard

• Londoners call for Tube strikes to be outlawed in exclusive pollAlmost two thirds of Londoners think it is too easy for Tube workers to go on strike and half want to outlaw industrial action altogether, according to a new poll.
• Cashless buses are the next stop, TfL report revealsTransport for London is studying plans for phasing out cash completely on the capital’s 7,500 buses this year.
• £53 million is just lying around on our unused Oyster cards - but TfL says refunds will get easierAlmost £53 million of passengers’ money is lying dormant on Oyster cards, figures show today.

Manchester Evening News

• Vital Rail wins Tube contractVital Rail has won contracts worth more than £7.5m with London Underground maintenance company Tube Lines.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post commented Trains from city to London 'face axe' when high-speed line opensDIRECT trains from Nottingham Station to London are set to be halved if the new high-speed rail plans are approved.Details have emerged from the small print of the proposed HS2 high-speed rail network's business plan, which includes a new East Midlands station in Toton.HS2 Ltd predicts that only 16 trains would leave Nottingham Station for the capital each day if the new line opened in 2033, compared to an expected 30 trains a day if the plans were rejected.The reduction is expected because the...

Yorkshire Post

• Transport revolution promised in £1.4bn shake-up THE biggest overhaul of Yorkshire’s creaking transport network in generations will move ahead this week when council leaders give the green light to a ground-breaking £1.4bn investment package of new roads, railways and other key infrastructure.

Bucks Free Press

• Transport chiefs 'understand frustrations' at London Road resurfacing delays TRANSPORT chiefs have acknowledged the public’s frustration at the long-winded resurfacing of London Road.

Other Regional Press

• Major upgrades as part of £1bn transport fund Schemes to improve transport in Calderdale and reduce congestion were discussed at a Calderdale Council Cabinet meeting.
• REVEALED: The rapid growth of community transport group that has taxi drivers fuming over use of public money IN the week they announced expansion into Huntingdonshire, March based FACT – Fenland Association for Community Transport- have been told they are to face an audit following the intervention of MP Steve Barclay.
• Hailing a new type of borough bus serviceA TAXI firm has been given permission to launch a bus service with a difference – that Wiganers can flag down on the street.
• Hitchin road ‘not designed’ to cope with HGVsLORRIES travelling through a residential area to reach a scrap metal centre are causing serious damage to the roads, it has been revealed.
• New coffee kiosk for Huddersfield's railway station?PLANS for a new retail kiosk at Huddersfield Railway Station have been submitted.

Global Rail News

• Indian Railways Minister calls on private sector to aid rail network expansionIndian Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has again stressed the need for private sector participation to achieve the country’s rail vision. Bansal made the comment during The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) conference in New Delhi. Speaking at the international conference on dedicated freight corridors, Bansal said: “To meet the needs [...]
• Stobart Rail schools campaignOver a three-week period, Stobart Rail successfully ran three day long depot visits for two local schools. On each occasion the schools were welcomed by members of the Depot Visits Team, shown into the executive board room and given a presentation on the history and background of the Stobart Group and its subsidiary companies. They [...]
• Midland Metro reopens after Easter closureServices have returned to the Midland Metro following a two-week closure for major infrastructure work. Every platform along the route from Birmingham Snow Hill to Wolverhampton has been narrowed by approximately 100mm to accommodate a £40 million fleet of new and bigger trams. The work is part of a £128 million project to extend and [...]
• ‘On-street’ milestone for Nottingham tram extensionThe first 80 metres of ‘on-street’ tram track is to be fixed into place in Nottingham, marking a major milestone in the extension of the city’s light rail network. Work will start in The Meadows this week along the route which will connect the existing network with Chilwell via QMC and Beeston. NET Phase Two [...]
• California announces bid results for high-speed construction contractA  joint venture (JV) comprising Tutor Perini, Zachry and Parsons is leading the competition to design and build the first section of California’s high-speed rail system. The California High-Speed Rail Authority announced that the JV had scored highest with its bid of $985,142,530 to construct the Madera to Fresno route. The design-build contract was estimated [...]
• Rail freight industry anger over ‘megatruck’ proposalRailway association UNIFE has said plans to allow ‘megatrucks’ on Europe’s roads go against the EU’s long-term vision for freight transport. The European Commission is looking at proposals to allow road vehicles exceeding 40 tonnes and 18.75m in length to cross EU borders. UNIFE and thinktank CER believe that opening Europe up to megatrucks is [...]
• ‘No credible threat’ to Washington metro system, says operatorWashington’s metro operator WMATA has increased security on the city’s subway system and assured passengers that there is ‘no credible threat’ against the network. Several people have died and many more injured following a series of explosions beside the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Security is heightened across the USA in the aftermath of [...]

Railnews

• Porterbook announces £40m fleet upgrade Porterbrook has signed a £40 million contract with Vossloh Kiepe UK to replace the DC motors on 91 Class 455 units which it leases to South West Trains, and has revealed it may follow suit with the Class 319 fleet run by First Capital Connect.

Aviation Industry

• More Trouble For Boeing: FAA Orders Inspections Of 737sFederal aviation officials have ordered the inspections of more than1,000 Boeing Company jets in search of a faulty part that could break and cause pilots to lose control of the aircraft.
• American Airlines set to file reorganization planUS Airways Group Inc., whose CEO will run the combined company, said in a message to employees that American was expected to file its reorganization plan later Monday in federal bankruptcy court in New York.
• ERA: New passenger rights proposals could bankrupt carriersRegional airlines fear new passenger rights proposals by the European Union could bankrupt carriers if proposed consumer legislation becomes law. read more
• Low-cost carriers will keep adding new frillsExtra services will be introduced to attract corporate travellers
• Jet 2 to axe Manchester-Tel Aviv flightsCarrier will close route in November after four years

Other News Sources

• Winchester going bike crazy after CycleFest launched KEEN to maintain momentum from the London Olympics, Winchester will be going cycling mad this summer.

Other Subscription Services

• Midlands rail and rapid transit contenders listed West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority has published a list of major bus, tram and rail schemes which could be delivered by...
• Porterbrook hands Vossloh £40m SWT refit deal Porterbrook Leasing Company has signed a contract worth £40m with Vossloh Kiepe UK to fit IGBT traction equipment to its 91 Class...