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

Saturday, 04 May 2013

BBC News

• Hemel Hempstead's £2m bus station and leisure plans revealed Plans to build a new bus station in the centre of Hemel Hempstead have been revealed.
• 'Plebgate row' bike sold for £10,600The bike at the centre of the Downing Street
• 15 transport firms facing inquiriesA government unit which revoked the licence of a transport company owner convicted of fraud says it has 15 other such inquiries pending.
• Local elections: What does UKIP stand for?TRANSPORT: UKIP says it is the only political party to oppose the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail line arguing it will destroy countryside for little economic gain. It also opposes a third runway at Heathrow, arguing instead for an expansion of Manston airport, in Kent.

Financial Times

• Losses widen at Air France-KLMEuropean airline group reiterates goals of cutting costs and debt as disappointing revenue performance outweighs cuts in unit cost and net debt
• Heathrow looks to rural shires for new airportHeathrow has identified rural Berkshire and Buckinghamshire as possible sites for a new four-runway airport that would replace its hub to the west of London

The Guardian

• Motorist given community sentence for causing death of second cyclistGary McCourt, 49, who had previously been jailed over fatal road accident, hit 75-year-old cyclist in EdinburghA motorist with a previous conviction for causing the death of a cyclist has been given a community service order after he hit a second cyclist who later died.Gary McCourt, 49, from Edinburgh, claimed he had a

The Herald

• East Coast and Virgin come bottom of train punctuality tableThe two main London to Scotland train companies - East Coast and Virgin Trains - were the poorest performers in terms of punctuality last month.
• Stags and hens face dry train as drink ban gets green lightA FRIDAY alcohol ban is being trialled on an East Coast morning train between Aberdeen and Newcastle after a spate of anti-social behaviour.

The Telegraph

• House prices near Crossrail 'to rise by 40pc' Prices of properties near central London stations have already risen by more than 30pc since Crossrail was announced, according to a new study.
• Wales’ least used railway station on sale Station House, part of the reputedly least used railway station in Wales, is on sale, offering prospective buyers a unique bit of history and the chance to play stationmaster.

Daily Express

• David Starkey: Pensioners should lose bus passes to solve 'major national crisis' DAVID Starkey has made an unequivocal stance against pensioner benefits claiming that Britain is 'in a major national crisis'.

Mail Online

• Magnificent vintage steam trains power through the countryside to celebrate the 40th birthday of the world's busiest heritage routeThe magnificent locomotives were on show as the North Yorkshire Moors Railway began celebrating its 40th anniversary.

The Mirror

• Andrew Mitchell: Bike at centre of Plebgate scandal sells for £10,600 for charity Andrew Mitchell had put the 18-speed Reflex Westminster on sale on eBay to give it a “good home out of the limelight”

Network Rail

• Burnley and Todmorden rail users urged to find out more about Holme Tunnel upgradeLocal people in Burnley and Todmorden will have the chance to find out more about the planned refurbishment of Holme Tunnel at a public information event on Saturday 11th May.
• National train performance for period 1 is 93.0%Punctuality on the railways reached 93.0% during period 1, according to monthly performance data released today by Network Rail
• International awareness day to help make level crossings across the south and south west of England saferLevel crossings across the south and south west of England are being targeted this week to raise public awareness about the importance of using them safely and correctly.
• International awareness day to help make level crossings in Kent saferLevel crossings across Kent are being targeted next week to raise public awareness about the importance of using them safely and correctly.
• International awareness day to help make level crossings in Sussex saferLevel crossings across Sussex are being targeted next week to raise public awareness about the importance of using them safely and correctly.

Belfast Telegraph

• Irish haulier family will make $1bn from sale of its global businessAn Irish family is lining up for a $1bn sale of the global empire they started as a local haulage business in the west of Ireland.    

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented Way clear for £6.7m roundabout worksWORK has begun to prepare two busy Derby roundabouts for multi-million-pound schemes to cut congestion, the Transport Secretary has announced in Parliament.A total of £6.7 million of Government cash will be spent at the Little Eaton and Markeaton roundabouts.Now Transport Secretary and Derbyshire Dales MP Patrick McLoughlin has announced that "work has already started on preparing the sites".The Highways Agency has confirmed it expects to start work on both sites in July and...

Liverpool Echo

• Thornton relief road passes Department of Transport hurdleTHE MULTI-MILLION pound Thornton relief road project has passed a major hurdle.

London Evening Standard

• ’Create new super airport or double size of Heathrow’ A “superhub” airport with four runways could be built in the home counties or west London under plans drawn up for Heathrow bosses.

The York Press

• Road safety demonstrations ROAD-safety demonstrations will be held across North Yorkshire next week, with speed monitors in place on key roads.
• MP calls for review of city bus services York Outer MP Julian Sturdy has called on First and other bus operators to review their networks in the city.

The Shields Gazette

• Winners really are on the buses!FIVE people from South Tyneside are the face of local buses after winning a competition.

Other Regional Press

• Plans for ’new Vale airport which would destroy two villages’ A new airport located just five miles from Aylesbury is under consideration, according to national media reports.
• Work to build Northampton’s new bus station begins at former Fishmarket siteWorkmen at the former Fishmarket site in Northampton town centre have now begun work to erect the town’s new bus terminal.
• Award for bus workerA LANCASTER man has been recognised with a long service award after working for Stagecoach for 30 years.

Global Rail News

• What is the future of iconic train design?High-speed trains are symbolic of the countries they serve, according to designer Paul Priestman – one of the minds behind the Virgin Pendolino. Japan has its Shinkansen, France the TGV[...]
• CAF trams for Midland Metro Expansion ProjectIt is now approximately a year since Balfour Beatty won the contract from Centro to extend the Midland Metro light rail line by 1.3 km through central Birmingham as part of a £128 million project to increase capacity. A general outline of the extension, and its route down Corporation Street to Stephenson Street and New [...]
• Oran tram network opensAlgerian officials have joined RATP chief executive Pierre Mongin to inaugurate Oran’s new tram network. Around 90,000 people are expected to use the city’s new light rail system, which opened[...]
• London Underground to trial energy recovery systemAlstom has been awarded a 1 million euro contract by UK Power Networks Services to trial its energy recovery technology on London’s Victoria Line. Alstom’s Harmonic and Energy Saving Optimiser (HESOP)[...]
• Network Rail Consulting lands US advisory roleNetwork Rail’s international consultancy arm has joined a group of international operators and infrastructure owners set up to advise on the multi-billion dollar modernisation of America’s busiest passenger rail corridor.[...]
• Tresham College LinkVital Skills Training, part of the Vital Services Group, and Tresham college of Further and Higher Education in northamptonshire have signed an agreement to provide a higher level qualification in rail engineering. Writes Lawrence Dobie, education and training director Vital Services Group The NVQ Level 3 course will initially be offered to 16 apprentices who [...]

London TravelWatch

• London TravelWatch Board meeting 7 May 2013London TravelWatch's next public meeting will be its Board meeting on Tuesday 7 May 2013 at Dexter House, 2 Royal Mint Court, London, EC3N 4QN. The meeting will begin at 9.30am and end at approximately 11.30am.

Railway Gazette

• Insulation provides hotter pointsNETHERLANDS: Heatpoint has developed synthetic insulation for use with point heaters which it says offers an average energy saving of 50%, with higher rail temperatures and thus increased turnout availability during freezing weather. Trials in Amsterdam during February found that when Isoblock insulation was applied the rail temperature was 7°C higher than before, with the same energy consumption. The manufacturer says the product pays for itself within three years.
• Route selected for Roissy linkFRANCE: Transport Minister Frédéric Cuvillier announced on April 30 that he had selected the ‘centre-north’ route option for a 7 km connection between the Paris – Amiens main line and the LGV Interconnexion, the high speed bypass running to the east of the capital. It is expected that the new link would be used by inter-regional TGV services from Amiens and Creil to destinations such as Strasbourg, Marseille and Bordeaux. It would also enable conventional TER services from the Picardie region to serve Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at Roissy, which lies at the centre of a major employment are...

Aviation Industry

• Simon Calder: Why airports are unlike theme parksSimon Calder is Travel Editor at Large for The Independent, writing a weekly column, various articles and features as well as filming a weekly video diary.
• No-frills airline boom continues in UKLatest figures show that sector has grown by 15 per cent in last year

Other News Sources

• New Bus For London Cost Revealed Transport for London has released the costs for buying the New Bus for London fleet, and despite years of soothing reassurances from the Mayor that they’ll cost less than normal hybrids, they’ll actually cost a bit more.
• RMT slams Orkney Ferries over 'complete contempt' for workforce in long-running pay disputeSHIPPING UNION RMT today slammed managements complete contempt for the workforce in a long-running dispute over pay justice on Orkney Ferries and warned that that arrogant and bullying attitude of the company could force an escalation of the current action.
• Minister Fletcher addresses Western Canadian Aviation Forum, stresses the importance of a strong and competitive aviation sector to Canada's economy The Honourable Stevennbsp;Fletcher, Minister of State (Transport) and MP for Charleswoodmdash;St.nbsp;Jamesmdash;Assinniboia, today addressed key decision makers from Western Canada's...
• Paris-Barcelona TGV service delayedPlans for new service have been set back by technical problems