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

Thursday, 06 February 2014

BBC News

• Coastal surge leaves 'hole in road'A section of a coastal road in County Down collapses following record rain levels and tidal surges in recent weeks.
• 'Smiling and bearing' Tube strikePassengers tackle rush-hour commute
• Tube strike travel delays continueLondoners are facing a second morning rush hour with a disrupted Tube service because of 48-hour industrial action.
• Jaguar to build XJ model in IndiaJaguar says it will build its XJ saloon car in India, but the company's chief executive tells the BBC he is
• Tube strike commuters endure delaysTube passengers endure delays because of strike action, with Underground bosses now calling on unions to meet sooner to discuss the impasse.
• Aston Martin recalls 17,000 carsLuxury car maker Aston Martin recalls more than 17,000 cars because of a counterfeit part.

Department for Transport

• Crossrail rolling stock and depot contract to be awarded to Bombardier65 trains to be built in Derby, with over 1,000 jobs and around 100 apprenticeships supported in the UK.

Financial Times

• Rail link to southwest washed awayCornwall and parts of Devon could be without rail links to London for up to six weeks after storms sweep away seawall in Dawlish

The Guardian

• Virgin Atlantic drops flights to AustraliaAirline to cease flights from Britain to Sydney in May, leaving BA as the only UK carrier to operate a direct service
• Tube strike brings disruption to millions of London commutersConservatives call for tougher strike laws after walkout stops most of tube running and brings delays to roads and trainsThe first of two days of tube strikes in London disrupted the journeys of millions of commuters, with only limited Underground services running and buses, trains and roads heavily congested – prompting Conservatives to propose tougher strike laws.Tube workers from the RMT and TSSA unions will remain on strike until 9.30pm on Thursday evening. On Wednesday, while managers, non-union staff and volunteers operated a limited service on sections of eight of the 11 tube lines, onl...
• Smartphone swipe payment scheme unveiledWeve, formed by Britain's three largest mobile operators, has joined up with Mastercard to build a payments system that links bank cards to SIM cardsTapping a smartphone on a card reader to pay for a sandwich or a bus journey could soon become an everyday event, under a scheme unveiled on Thursday by Vodafone, O2 and EE.Paypal and Google, as well as banks and mobile operators, have been trying for years to create mass market mobile phone payments systems, so far without much success.Now Weve, a joint venture formed by Britain's three largest mobile operators to create advertising and payments ...

The Herald

• Transport poverty increasing, says RACThe least well-off families are slipping further into

The Independent

• London tube strike: Union and TfL clash as action looks set to enter second day Fresh from struggling home on Wednesday evening London’s commuters prepared to face another day of dreadful Tube crushes, over-crowded buses and wet walks to work as the capital’s Tube looked certain to enter a second day.    

The Telegraph

• Bob Crow: London tube strike 'very effective'RMT general secretary Bob Crow says the London Tube strikes have been
• Boris Johnson apologises for 'pointless' Tube strike delaysLondon Mayor Boris Johnson apologises for the

Reuters News

• London hit by travel chaos as Tube staff goes on strikeLONDON (Reuters) - Millions of Londoners were caught up in commuting chaos on Wednesday, as Underground workers began the first in a series of strikes that Prime Minister David Cameron branded as

Daily Express

• Devon rail line washed away by the monster wavesMAINLAND Britain was battered by 90mph winds and monster waves yesterday – with more violent storms forecast to cause further damage over the coming days.
• Commuters defy London Underground strikeMILLIONS of commuters battled into work in London yesterday in defiance of the Tube strike.

Mail Online

• Drivers face £200 bill to fill up with EU eco-fuelThe new green fuel is set to be introduced because of an EU directive saying that major suppliers must add environmentally friendly alternatives to petrol.
• World's fastest steam locomotive Mallard gets a tow from sister train on their way to National Railway Museum for historic reunionThe iconic train was towed by its sister Union of South Africa to Shilton, County Durham, for the final of a series of events dubbed the Great Gathering.
• Crumbling homes are falling into the sea after battering by huge waves forced families to flee for their lives as railway line and coastal wall were destroyedIn Dawlish, Devon, a section of sea wall beneath the coastal railway line and sea-front road collapsed after it was lashed by huge waves whipped up by high winds.

Network Rail

• Network Rail signs five-year haulage agreement with five suppliersNetwork Rail’s National Delivery Service (NDS) has signed a contract with five suppliers to provide haulage for the company’s fleet of engineering trains in control period 5 (2014-2019).
• Engineers working to restore rail services in Devon and CornwallThe railway between Exeter and Penzance is currently shut after damage at several locations caused by storm force winds, heavy seas and flooding.

Airwise News

• BP Looks To Market Jet Fuel In IndiaBP has applied for a license to market aviation fuel in India as it aims to expand in emerging markets, it said on Wednesday.
• Unions Lobby To Halt Norwegian Long-haul LicenseAirline unions and pilot groups asked European and US authorities on Wednesday to deny Norwegian Air Shuttle's request for a new long-haul license, accusing the budget carrier of trying to avoid taxes and skirt employment laws.
• EU Parliament Votes To Bolster Passenger RightsThe European Parliament has called for stricter rules to make it easier for stranded air passengers to claim compensation from airlines.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham New Street Station nominated for global regeneration award Redeveloped railway station has been short-listed for a People's Choice Award at the MIPIM world property trade fair in France.

Derby Telegraph

• Crossrail decision which could make or break Bombardier may come...A DECISION on whether Derby train-maker Bombardier has won a major contract that could secure its long-term future in the city could be made tomorrow, according to Derby Telegraph sources.Transport for London (TfL) was holding a board meeting today at which it was expected to discuss the £1 billion Crossrail rolling stock contract.Bombardier is one of three firms bidding for the right to build the 60 trains, which will operate on a new network currently being built in the capital.It is up...
• Derby Telegraph published It's the £1bn question - has Bombardier in Derby got the...A "long and distinguished history of building trains in Derby" hangs in the balance today, according to a city MP. Derby train-maker Bombardier hopes to find out today whether it has won a major contract following a key meeting in London. Tthe board of Transport for London (TfL) met yesterday to discuss the £1 billion Crossrail rolling stock contract. Bombardier is one of three companies bidding for the right to build the 60 trains, which will operate on a new network...

London Evening Standard

• Bombardier set to learn bid outcomeA British-based trainmaking company will learn today whether it has won a key £1 billion contract to supply rolling stock for the cross-London Crossrail project.
• Tube strike talks set for tomorrowTalks aimed at resolving the London Underground dispute will be held tomorrow, but a crippling strike will continue today.

Manchester Evening News

• Airport City scheme marketed Bosses of the £800m Airport City scheme, which aims to create thousands of jobs by luring global firms to the area, have turned to the Manchester office of creative design agency Start JudgeGill and Trafford Park-based digital agency theEword.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Shipbuilding on the Tyne: A third gallery of historic imagesTo celebrate the historic industries of the Tyne we have assembled a third gallery of images from the shipyards along the river

Sheffield Star

• Speed camera plans for South Yorkshire’s motorwayPlans for ’secret’ speed cameras to catch drivers exceeding 70mph are set to hit South Yorkshire’s motorways.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Date set for start of public inquiry into Leeds trolleybusA date has been announced for the start of the public inquiry that will decide the fate of the Leeds trolleybus scheme.
• After all those delays - another YEAR of roadworks on M62MORE roadworks misery is in store for drivers on the M62 in West Yorkshire.
• Residents urged to have their say on new Leeds cyclewayTransport bosses have launched a public consultation process to help decide the exact route of a £30m ’super cycleway’ connecting Leeds and Bradford.

Yorkshire Post

• Rail software firm on track to see revenues more than doubleTransport software firm Tracsis reported strong trading in its first half and said revenues will be more than double last year at over £9m.
• Go-ahead for university’s £20m rail safety centrePLANS for a £20million railway research and experimental development facility at a Yorkshire university are expected to bring long-term improvements to rail passenger comfort and safety, according to the project’s leaders.

Carlisle News & Star

• Trial run for changes to Carlisle clinic bus service Patients attending a Carlisle community clinic will again be able to get a direct bus there and back.

Doncaster Free Press

• Speed camera plans for South Yorkshire’s motorwayPlans for ‘secret’ speed cameras to catch drivers exceeding 70mph are set to hit South Yorkshire’s motorways.    

Reading Evening Post

• Direct rail route from Reading to Heathrow announced New line could open by 2021 and allow 28 minute journey from Reading to Terminal 5

Sleaford Standard

• Parking bottle-neck tackledConcerns about parking on a bend in Sleaford are finally being addressed by the county council highways department.    

Other Regional Press

• Railway stations win more awardsEllesmere Port and Little Sutton scoop honours at Cheshire Best Kept Station awards
• Second wave of new buses in NorthamptonA second wave of new single-decker buses will be launched in Northampton.
• Bombardier wins £1bn Crossrail dealDerby-based Bombardier has won a £1 billion contract to supply the trains for the cross-London Crossrail project, in a big boost for UK manufacturing.

Bus and Coach.com

• First drops corporate look in SomersetIn the first major break from its corporate identity, First buses in Somerset are being given a new green livery with no external First branding.
• Community transport gets CPT attentionCPT is asking its members to advise it of cases where they are losing business to a community transport operator.
• Go North East £8.5m Gateshead depotGo North East this week opened a new £8,5million depot at Gateshead Riverside.
• London ends cash fares on busesLondon will this summer become the first city in Britain where cash will not be accepted as a way of paying for fares on its buses.
• Silver Borismaster for Year of the BusLondon mayor Boris Johnson has launched a year of events to mark the importance of the city's buses.

Global Rail News

• Tube strike travel updatesThere is currently no service on the Bakerloo line. As previously announced, services will not be operating on the Waterloo & City or Circle lines today, but most of their[...]
• Singapore rail operations record first quarterly lossSMRT Corporation rail and LRT services have reported their first-ever quarterly loss due to a sharp rise in operating costs. Announcing its 3QFY14 results, SMRT said profit after tax had[...]

Railnews

• Weather – more serious damage in the South West WIND, rain and rough seas battering the South West peninsular have caused major damage to the sea wall at Dawlish carrying the Great Western Main line from Exeter through Devon into Cornwall.

Aviation Industry

• Boris Island ‘waste of taxpayer money’, says Gatwick CCOGuy Stephenson dismisses plans for an airport hub in the Thames estuary

Other News Sources

• Bus trial reveals PFC pads last longer and cut disc wear - SNottingham City Transport (NCT) is specifying PFC Brakes' products across its bus fleet, after trials to monitor brake disc and pad wear revealed twice the lifespan, delivering a potential saving of £60,000.

News from Europe

• European Parliament votes on air passenger rightsThe European Parliament has voted today on proposals from the European Commission to strengthen passenger rights including: measures to ensure that air passengers have new and better rights to information, care and re-routing when they are stranded at the airport. At the same time there will be better complaint procedures and enforcement measures so passengers can actually obtain the rights to which they are entitled.