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

Thursday, 08 May 2014

BBC News

• Edinburgh City Council lorry drivers take cycling road danger classA group of council lorry drivers have taken to the saddle as part of a scheme to make them more aware of the dangers facing cyclists on Edinburgh's roads.
• Dauntsey railway bridge in Wiltshire is demolishedA railway bridge in Wiltshire has been demolished as part of a £45m project to electrify the Great Western line.
• Rail funding 'pretence' droppedWelsh Secretary David Jones has told MPs the Welsh government now accepts it will have to pay some of the cost of rail electrification in south Wales.
• Scottish new car sales lag behind UKScottish car sales lag behind the UK in April despite a year-on-year rise in registrations, according to new figures.
• Easyjet develops inspection dronesEasyjet is developing drones to inspect its fleet of Airbus aircraft, and may introduce the flying maintenance robots as early as next year.
• Malton rail level crossing crash victim, 77, diesA 77-year-old man died when his car was struck by a train at a rural level crossing in North Yorkshire.

Financial Times

• Stobart chief has court charges dismissedClaims stopped against Andrew Tinkler and Trevor Howarth, the company’s former legal services director, brought by a self-proclaimed whistleblower

The Herald

• New car sales on the road to a summer highSALES of new cars are expected to return to their pre-credit crunch peak for the first time in seven years this summer.
• Earlier roll-out for new helicopter breathing kit for offshore workersLIFE-SAVING new breathing equipment is to be rolled out across offshore helicopters 15 months earlier than planned, the industry regulator has announced.
• Gloag's airport says no to American offer A CLOSURE-threatened airport owned by one of Scotland's richest women has rejected an offer from an American firm to buy it.

This is Money

• Aircrafts to be checked by drones as easyJet embraces new technology to cut maintenance downtimeThe no-frills carrier said drones could start scanning and assessing its fleet as soon as next year, reporting back to engineers on anything that might require repair.

Network Rail

• Platform lengthening to help deliver extra capacity for Chiltern Railways passengersWork has started to extend platforms at five stations between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street to provide the option for longer trains and extra seats on the Chiltern main line.

Birmingham Post

• New car sales drive forward for Jaguar Land Rover and MG Bumper April for automotive companies while Aston Martin suffers a dip
• Centro calls for Midlands roads to be sold to fund new projects Region's transport authority pushes government for radical toll schemes to raise capital

Bolton News

• Work on £44 million Manchester Victoria revamp gathers pace BUILDING work has started on an ultra-modern new roof at a railway station used daily by Bolton commuters.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Caernarfon: Passengers miraculous escape after bus fire Eyewitnesses tell of eight passengers having to flee the blaze which left the Express Motors single-decker bus gutted

London Evening Standard

• Map your house hunting future: new homes hotspots along the Hammersmith & City Tube lineIn part seven of our series finding hot homes on London's Tube network, we take the Hammersmith & City line - the route that runs from Hammersmith to Barking, skirting the capital's prime core.

Manchester Evening News

• Convicted sex offender gets job at Manchester Airport - frisking passengersJames Burns was employed as an aviation security officer and passed a criminal record and counter terrorism check.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Transport bosses reveal £3m improvement plans for Cowgate roundaboutWork one of Newcastle's busiest junctions, the Cowgate roundabout, will take months but make junction safer

Sheffield Telegraph

• Sheffield cyclists’ demand election actionHundreds of cyclists will demand action to make bike riding safer from candidates standing in Sheffield’s local elections.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Fears A9 dualling could be delayed by camerasCampaigners opposed to average-speed cameras on the A9 fear the £2.5million scheme could lead to delays in upgrading the trunk road to dual carriageway.

The York Press

• Cyclist captures drivers behaving badly on York roads A CYCLIST who filmed bad behaviour by fellow pedallers and posted the footage on YouTube has now produced a new video exposing poor driving.

Wales Online

• Welsh Secretary claims Welsh Government has abandoned 'pretence' that UK Government would pay full cost of rail electrificationShadow Welsh Secretary Owen Smith insists prime minister pledged to fund project.

Blackpool Gazette

• Fresh hope of London rail linkBlackpool could have a direct rail link with London restored before the end of the year, it was today revealed.

The Shields Gazette

• ‘Light ranger’ makes poster protest over unpopular traffic lightsA “LIGHT Ranger” has struck at a new traffic system which angry motorists claim is causing major delays in South Shields town centre.

Other Regional Press

• Shropshire's London rail link on track for end of the year, say MPsShropshire’s direct rail link to London is “on track” to be delivered by December, MPs revealed this afternoon after a meeting with train bosses.
• Tree on line causing rail delays TRAINS are delayed for about 15 minutes between Bicester and Haddenham and Thame Parkway after a tree fell on the line.
• Clean-up a rail good deedA rubbish hotspot at a disused railway line has been given a spruce up, thanks to volunteers from Network Rail and other local organisations.
• Manston airport: Former managing director Tony Freudmann acting for American group RiverOak who had £5m offer rejected before closure announcementThe former managing director of Manston airport says it still has a future as it emerges he is working for the American group trying to buy it.

Global Rail News

• Overground station for Old Oak CommonWSP has been appointed to begin the next stage of planning for a new London Overground station at Old Oak Common. The consultant is to carry out a Grip 3[...]
• Lucchini UK to supply Class 800 wheelsetsLucchini’s Manchester factory is to supply the wheelsets for the Intercity Express Programme’s (IEP) new fleet of Class 800/1 trains. Hitachi has awarded Lucchini a contract to manufacture 3,500 wheelsets under[...]
• AnsaldoBreda and SNCB reach Fyra settlementAnsaldoBreda and Belgium’s national rail provider, SNCB, have reached an out-of-court settlement in a dispute over the ill-fated V250. AnsaldoBreda’s parent company Finmeccanica has agreed to pay SNCB €2.5 million to[...]
• Funding found for Melbourne Rail LinkVictoria’s state government has committed to finding up to $11 billion to fund the Melbourne Rail Link. More than half of the $24 billion allocated to public transport spending in[...]

Aviation Industry

• BA and US Airways start codeshare agreementAgreement will give BA passengers access to nearly 40 North American destinations
• Easyjet to introduce drones for aircraft inspectionAirline testing drone technology to help assist engineers
• Heathrow set to name new CEOJohn Holland-Kaye tipped for top job

Other News Sources

• Five factors at the heart of better transport systemsIt’s hard to be a successful city without good transport. Transport allows us to enjoy the benefits of density – access to jobs, leisure activities and amenities – without suffering too heavily from the downsides, such as traffic jams and pollution.
• Heathrow launches flight path trackingHeathrow has today launched a new online tool providing residents with information about flight paths and flight patterns over time. The new system, the first of its kind to be used in the UK,...