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

Thursday, 10 December 2015

BBC News

• Stagecoach pulls out of East Anglia rail franchise bidOne of the companies shortlisted to run rail services in the East of England has pulled out of the bidding.
• 'Back at square one' over Gatwick runway decisionCampaigners against expansion at Gatwick Airport say they are "in limbo" and "back at square one" after a decision on a new runway was delayed.
• Timeline of Heathrow expansion delaysAn announcement is expected on Thursday from the prime minister on the future expansion of Heathrow airport.
• Stagecoach: Paris attacks deter travelStagecoach has blamed the Paris terror attacks for slower revenue growth, saying passengers have cut back on trips to big cities.
• Bridge work 'considered' five years agoOperators considered replacing the part of the Forth Road Bridge which has cracked five years ago but decided not to, Scotland's transport minister says.
• £1.2bn boost to northern rail journeysWidespread improvements to trains in Greater Manchester are promised with new contracts for two rail franchises.
• A83 safety measures prevent closureA 1,000-tonne landslide around Rest and Be Thankful during Storm Desmond did not lead to any road closures thanks to protection measures.
• Investor sells Rolls-Royce stakeStar fund manager Neil Woodford has sold his stake in the engineering firm Rolls-Royce, saying he has lost his confidence in the business model.

Financial Times

• Shell weighs NZ exit as oil prices plungePart of broader industry scramble to shed assets globally and streamline as oil prices sink
• VW cuts number of cars hit by CO2 errorsCarmaker now says this emissions issue affects 36,000 vehicles, not 800,000
• Stagecoach warns on effects of Paris attacksGroup’s shares slide despite a 27.5 per cent rise in first-half revenues
• Northern powerhouse in �1.2bn rail boostArriva wins regional rail franchise, while FirstGroup retains Transpennine Express services
• FirstGroup awarded Transpennine contractSeven-year deal helps transport operator put a difficult year behind it
• Virgin Atlantic lands airport slot bondTake-off and landing rights at Heathrow used as collateral to raise �220m for aircraft investment

The Guardian

• Stagecoach shares slide as travellers avoid cities amid terrorism fearsStagecoach’s shares have plunged after the bus and rail operator said its business is being hit because people have been fewer trips to big cities in the UK and Europe since the Paris attacks.
• Will we ever get a truly car-free city?Oslo is the latest city to announce plans which shift the focus away from cars – by banning all private vehicles from the centre by 2019. Car-free days have slashed pollution in Paris while new eco-cities are aiming to design out the need for vehicles – but will cars in cities ever be consigned to history?When Oslo revealed plans to ban all private vehicles from the centre by 2019, it joined a lengthening list of cities seeking to shift the focus away from cars and towards greener, citizen-focused mobility solutions.Around 7 million people globally are estimated to die from air pollution every...
• Uber launches feature which is basically a very small busIf you want to get a ride from one pre-arranged location along a fixed route to another pre-arranged location, but don’t want to get a bus, UberHop is for youMinicab company Uber has launched a new service in Seattle which allows riders to save money and time by waiting for their cab in a pre-arranged location, sharing it with strangers, and being dropped off at any point along a predetermined route.It’s a bus. Uber has launched a bus. Albeit a car-sized bus. Continue reading...

The Herald

• UK ministers to look into concerns about nuclear material being transported across Scotland THE UK Government is to investigate concerns that plans are being drawn up to transport dangerous nuclear material, so-called “exotic fuel”, on public roads in Scotland for possible shipment to the US.
• Transport minister: cancelled 2010 Forth Road Bridge works 'would have replaced faulty section'Transport minister Derek Mackay has admitted that work cancelled on the Forth Road Bridge in 2010 would have replaced the faulty section that caused its closure.

The Independent

• Daily catch-up: Third runway at Heathrow – never going to happenOutdated 'predict and provide' thinking about air travel, plus Tony Blair on the case for New Labour

The Scotsman

• Forth Road Bridge: MSPs claim minister misled HolyroodA PARLIAMENTARY inquiry is to be held into the prolonged closure of the Forth Road Bridge, it emerged yesterday.

The Telegraph

• SNP minister admits cancelled repairs included Forth bridge faultDerek Mackay admits a contract cancelled in 2010 included
• Transport Minister dodges Forth bridge inquiry demandLabour and the Tories ask Derek Mackay to agree to an independent investigation after Nicola Sturgeon insists the bridge's closure was unforeseeable

Mail Online

• Malaysian Airlines' MH370 was crippled by sudden electrical failure The findings by the Australian Transport Bureau explain why two crucial communications systems stopped working and why air traffic controllers failed to contact the pilots.
• Heathrow Express has to axe 'every 15 minutes' advert The rapid train service from London to Heathrow Airport can no longer claim it runs 'every 15 minutes' after a complaint. Advertising watchdogs acted after a disgruntled customer contacted them.
• Muslim student thrown off National Express coach because of his faith pictured A Muslim student who was chucked off a coach after complaints from fellow passengers, said he was targeted because of his religion. Ibrahim Ismail, 42, from Bristol, said he felt 'angry' and 'humiliated'.

Belfast Telegraph

• Heathrow expansion: Businesses urge David Cameron to give go-aheadChambers of commerce from across the country have written to the Prime Minister demanding that he approve expansion of Heathrow airport by the end of year.

Birmingham Post

• Network Rail pulls out of Daw Mill regenerationTransport body delivers another blow to Harworth Estates' plans to breathe new life into defunct colliery which has been empty for two years

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Airbus signs contract to build Jupiter spacecraft The probe will travel 600 million kilometres to study the giant planet and its icy moons

London Evening Standard

• William Hague leads calls to David Cameron for no more ‘dithering’ on Heathrow runway decisionWilliam Hague today led senior MPs and business leaders warning David Cameron to stop “dithering” over a third runway at Heathrow.

Manchester Evening News

• Watch: Passengers give cautious welcome to bold new plans to bring bigger, better and faster trains to Greater ManchesterThe shakeup in operators was won with a promise of a total of 500 new carriages and space for 40,000 more passengers at peak times

Northern Echo

• Heathrow expansion is good for North-East business, says HagueDAVID Cameron should back plans to expand Heathrow Airport as it will help create jobs across Tees Valley, former Foreign Secretary William Hague has said, ahead of a much-anticipated decision on airport capacity.

Sheffield Star

• Purple route trams partly restored across Sheffield after suspension, Supertram announcesPurple route trams are set to partially resume across Sheffield from Thursday, December 10.

The York Press

• Massive rail boost for York and region: 500 new carriages and 2,000 extra services a week MASSIVE investment has been promised to rail services in Yorkshire today, with new carriages and services across the county.

Yorkshire Post

• At a glance: What the rail companies are promising Yorkshire passengersNew companies will take over the Northern and TransPennine Express franchises next year. Here is what they are promising
• Jones promises “bums on seats” will pay for better rail servicesTAXPAYERS and passengers will not pay the price for a raft of improvements to Yorkshire rail services, Transport Minister Andrew Jones has promised.
• New white rose signs proposed for Yorkshire's roadsGOD'S own country needs a welcoming facelift according to MPs, who have asked the Government to install new white rose road signs.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Rail summit called to discuss key upgrade workA rail summit will take place in the new year to discuss a key upgrade to the network serving Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, it has been revealed this morning.

Other Regional Press

• Stagecoach pulls out of bid with Greater Anglia to run East Anglia’s rail networkPrivate companies are currently drawing up proposals to run the train services from 2016, including mainline services between Norwich and London and branch lines in the region.
• Stagecoach withdraws from Abellio's bid to run the Greater Anglia rail lineA JOINT bidder for the new Greater Anglia rail franchise has withdrawn from the running for the line.
• Cornish businesses urge Cameron to give go-ahead to Heathrow expansion Cornwall is among chambers of commerce from across the country that have written to the Prime Minister demanding that he approve expansion of Heathrow airport by the end of year. Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Cornish-businesses-urge-Cameron-ahead-Heathrow/story-28330524-detail/story.html#ixzz3ttpTLICc Follow us: @WMNNews on Twitter | westernmorningnews on Facebook

Rail Magazine

• London Underground beats busiest day recordMore than 4.8 million passengers travel on the Tube on December 4
• £1.2 billion upgrade for North as Arriva wins Northern and First retains TransPennine ExpressSecretary of State says deals will “bring Northern Powerhouse to life”
• ORR prosecutes West Coast Railway CompanyFirst hearing set for Swindon Magistrates Court next month

Rail Technology Magazine

• Arriva and First Trans win Northern and TransPennine Express franchises The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded new contracts to operators for the Northern Rail and TransPennine Express franchises to offer improved rail services in the north of England and Scotland.
• DAMM Wins Western Railway Upgrade and continues the success with public transportation in Mumbai In 2010, the DAMM TetraFlex® solution delivered critical communication systems for two lines and 17 stations of the Mumbai Monorail.

Railnews

• Franchise awards 'make Northern Powerhouse a reality' Arriva has won the Northern franchise and Transpennine Express has been awarded to FirstGroup. The transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: �We promised passengers a world class rail service that would make the Northern Powerhouse a reality � and I�m delighted that we have found two operators that will deliver exactly that.
• Steam operator prosecuted over Great Western SPAD Heritage and charter train operator West Coast Railway Co is being prosecuted for alleged breaches of health and safety law, following an incident on the Great Western Main Line on 7 March. The company is currently banned from operating steam locomotives on Network Rail infrastructure after another incident in October. The ORR has also announced a review of West Coast's safety certificate.
• Cumbrian Coast route reopens after floods Trains began running again between Carlisle and Workington at 04.05 today, after three days of round the clock work by Network Rail to clear and repair the railway following the weekend's devastating floods. Network Rail said the Cumbrian Coast route had been 'severely damaged', particularly as the torrential rain had caused several landslips.
• Arriva and FirstGroup promise new trains for North Arriva has won the Northern franchise and Transpennine Express has been awarded to First. Both operators will be introducing new routes and trains as part of their contracts, which start in April. Many stations will be improved, and Arriva will be upgrading 43 of the smaller Northern stations by introducing staff.

Aviation Industry

• Lufthansa, not Qatar, to be Airbus A320neo launch operatorAirbus is making a last-minute swap and now plans to deliver the first Airbus A320neo to Lufthansa, not to Qatar Airways. read more
• United joins Delta with on-time guarantee for corporatesAirline will offer compensation if it fails to beat American and Delta in on-time performance
• Manchester airport breaks passenger traffic recordNorth west airport saw 1.4 million passengers pass through last month, helped by a rise in long haul traffic

Other News Sources

• Winchester climate campaigners lobby for change at Paris conference TWO of Winchester's leading climate change activists are in Paris to push for a global deal to cut carbon emissions.
• Downs Link: Reopening railway route to ease A281 congestion included in development planCranleigh’s draft neighbourhood plan includes the Downs Link as a potential "transport link to Guildford, bypassing the A281 at peak times"
• Union rejects Night Tube pay deal, branding plans for 24-hour tubes a 'Boris vanity project' Talks between London Underground and transport unions over the long-mooted Night Tube service have broken down again
• New edition of FTA Van Drivers’ Handbook now availableThe Freight Transport Association has published an updated edition of its Van Drivers’ Handbook - the essential guide to ensuring the safe, legal ...
• FTA everywoman Transport & Logistics Awards open for nominationsThe Freight Transport Association is once again the title partner of the FTA everywoman Transport & Logistics Awards and is delighted to announce ...
• Sussex MPs criticise Government delay over Heathrow expansion decision Sussex MPs have criticised Government delays over a decision on whether or not to back expansion at Heathrow over a second runway at Gatwick