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

Saturday, 28 January 2012

BBC News

• Concern at £3m cut in bus fundingBus companies and councils across Wales voice concern after the Welsh Government says it is to cut £3m from its local transport subsidy.
• Bridge among options for new roadA new high-level bridge crossing a river and canal is among three options being considered for a controversial new road.
• Eurostar cleaners plan to strikeWorkers who clean Eurostar trains and stations on the UK side of the route vote to go on strike in a row over pay.
• Italian cruise firm offers payoutThe Italian firm that owns the stricken cruise ship Costa Concordia reaches an agreement on compensation with several Italian consumer groups.
• Top Euro MP quits in piracy rowA European Parliament rapporteur has stood down in protest as a controversial anti-piracy agreement is signed by several countries.
• Carmaker Ford's profits increaseUS carmaker Ford has reported a surge in profits in 2011, fuelled by a one-off payment and strong sales in its home country.

Financial Times

• United costs wipe out higher fare gainsBiggest US carrier reports a fourth quarter loss, although revenues were resilient due to full aircraft and increased ticket prices
• Brussels launches probe into airline allianceThe European Commission™s scrutiny of carriers™ partnerships shifts to Air France-KLM, Alitalia, Delta tie-up

The Guardian

• Couple facing deportation to Cameroon released after campaign by writersLeading writers condemned home secretary's decision to deport playwright Lydia Besong and her husbandA couple facing imminent deportation to Cameroon have been unexpectedly released from detention this week after a campaign by leading writers to halt their removal from the UK.A week ago, leading writers and barristers wrote to the home secretary, Theresa May, to condemn the UK Border Agency's decision to deport Lydia Besong, a playwright, and her husband, Bernard Batey.The former children's laureate, Michael Morpurgo, Monica Ali, Hanif Kureshi, Alan Ayckbourn, Nick Hornby and Helena Kennedy si...
• Couple facing deportation to Cameroon released after campaign by writersLeading writers condemned home secretary's decision to deport playwright Lydia Besong and her husbandA couple facing imminent deportation to Cameroon have been unexpectedly released from detention this week after a campaign by leading writers to halt their removal from the UK.A week ago, leading writers and barristers wrote to the home secretary, Theresa May, to condemn the UK Border Agency's decision to deport Lydia Besong, a playwright, and her husband, Bernard Batey.The former children's laureate, Michael Morpurgo, Monica Ali, Hanif Kureshi, Alan Ayckbourn, Nick Hornby and Helena Kennedy si...
• Costa Concordia passengers offered compensation settlementCosta Cruises has offered compensation to passengers from the Italian disaster as its US parent company faces legal actionCosta Cruises has offered to pay 11,000 euros ($14,500) in compensation to each of the more than 3,000 passengers aboard the ship that capsized near the island of Giglio two weeks ago, Italian consumer groups said on Friday.The offer, negotiated by the consumer groups, is an attempt by Costa Cruises to limit the legal fallout of the accident.Each passenger would also receive a refund on the cruise and costs of their return home. The offer applies to all passengers, whether ...

The Herald

• Cheap peak-time fares for elderly to be axedCHEAP rail fares for pensioners in and around Scotland's biggest city are to be scrapped during evening rush hour.
• Road safety fears after traffic police numbers are reducedROAD safety campaigners claim lives are being put at risk by cuts in the number of traffic police, with figures showing Scotland's largest force has lost more than 50 officers in four years.
• Rail costs higher north of BorderRAIL travel in Scotland requires twice the level of government subsidy than the UK as a whole due to the low number of passengers on most trains, Britain's rail regulator has found.
• Bypass bridge options discussedA NEW high-level bridge crossing the River Ness and Caledonian Canal is among three options being considered for a road to ease traffic congestion in Inverness.
• SPT manager is sacked for not disclosing 'affair'A BUS operations manager has been sacked by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport after claims she was in a relationship with the director of a cleaning company working for the organisation.

The Telegraph

• Country diary: HS2 or more car chaosThe Prime Minister's stepfather-in-law, the 4th Viscount Astor, has has been accused of knifing his stepson-in-law in the back by writing a piece for the Spectator setting out his opposition to the proposed high-speed train link between London and Birmingham.
• Olympic Games will hit transport and energy projectsThe Olympics will disrupt key industry, energy and transport projects for up to six months as construction firms are told to down tools and over-sized equipment is prevented from moving around the country by road.

ATOC

• Value for money in the railways – what Europe can learn from Great BritainBritain’s experience in developing Europe’s first liberalised passenger rail market can help inform rail policy for other EU countries, a conference at the European Parliament will hear....

Journal Live

• Port of Tyne cruise rival faces bigger money orderTHE Government has said Liverpool must pay far more than expected if it is to be allowed to tempt cruise ships away from Tyneside and other ports.
• Port of Tyne cruise rival faces bigger money orderTHE Government has said Liverpool must pay far more than expected if it is to be allowed to tempt cruise ships away from Tyneside and other ports.

London Evening Standard

• Eurostar Brussels service to be suspended due to 24-hour strikeEurostar warns it will be unable to operate any services to or from Brussels on Monday because of a 24-hour national public sector strike across Belgium
• Compensation for Costa Concordia passengersThe Italian company that owns the Costa Concordia cruise ship which capsized off the coast of Giglio is offering passengers £9,000 in compensation
• TfL fined £25m over Jubilee line delaysTransport for London has had to pay about £25 million in penalties to Canary Wharf's owner because of delays to the Jubilee line upgrade

Manchester Evening News

• Transport bosses urge MPs to reject bus pass means test for pensioners Transport chiefs in Greater Manchester will write to MPs calling on them to oppose plans to means test pensioners before giving them free bus passes. It comes after deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said better-off elderly people should make a ˜sacrifice™ to help the government balance its books.

The York Press

• MP calls for ‘radical’ measures to tackle problem of metal thefts RADICAL improvements are needed in the metal industry to tackle the increases in theft, one of York’s MPs has said.

Bucks Free Post

• HS2 fund "unacceptable drain on depleted finances" A SUPPORTER of the High Speed 2 project has expressed concern at the amount of taxpayers' money being spent on a fighting fund, calling it

Peterborough Telegraph

• Offices created for rail station revampTEMPORARY office space is being created on land opposite Peterborough train station for rail staff who will be displaced by an ongoing £2.5 million revamp.

Other Regional Press

• London Luton Airport Ltd answer The Comet™s questions on airport expansionPUBLIC exhibitions will be held at four Comet country venues, where people can drop in to see proposals for the expansion of Luton Airport.
• Bus fares to be reviewedBus fares in Preston will be reviewed this Spring as its leading operator tackles rising costs.
• Grand Central tops passenger satisfaction surveyA COMPANY running trains between Mirfield and London has come top in a passenger survey.
• 89% of rail travellers say train firm is on right linesScotRail has been praised by passengers for improving its services “ but travellers want better and more up to date news about delays.
• Stations axe fight steps upPRESSURE is mounting on Transport Minister Keith Brown to give a categorical assurance that train stations in Glasgow will not close.
• Government says 8.5% rise in Aberdeen bus fares ˜not their fault™TRANSPORT minister Keith Brown today insisted the Government was not at fault for rises in Aberdeen bus fares.

Campaign for Better Transport

• One last push to defeat the link roadDerrick Coffee from the Hastings Alliance writes about the best chance in a decade to defeat a damaging road proposal on the south coast. read more

Rail.co

• Invensys Rail wins major contract in TurkeyTurkish State Railways has awarded Invesys Rail and its Turkish joint venture company Fermak, a €76m signalling contract. The contract consists of installing ERTMS signalling and communications systems on a 310km line stretching from Bandirma to Menemen. Invensys Rail will also install automatic train stop equipment, GSM-R voice and data communications and a Central Traffic [...]
• DfT issue invitation to tender for the West Coast rail franchiseAn invitation to tender for the West Coast franchise has been issued by the Department for Transport. Although the successful bidder will have to provide principal first and last trains, along with a minimum number of station stops per week, they will also be given, from December 2013, the freedom to vary timetables on individual [...]
• Major UK Rail companies sign up to the Network Rail Fair Payment CharterThe charter, which has been signed by the biggest construction and engineering companies in the rail industry, is aimed at increasing liquidity through the rail supply chain as Network rail spend £7bn on renewals over the next two years. Network Rail will reduce its own payment terms from 56 to 21 days and asks its [...]
• Tram extension for NottinghamNottingham™s tram network is set to double in size with a similar boost to the tram fleet after funding was agreed. Work on the five mile extension to Clifton and the six mile route to Beeston starts soon. The new services should be running by 2014. Tramlink Nottingham has taken over the running of the [...]
• RMT secures Olympics pay deal for DLRThe RMT said it has ‘secured a ground breaking’ pay deal for the Olympics on the Docklands Light Railway. The ‘deal’ is worth £2,500 per staff member and includes an attendance bonus of £900 and guaranteed overtime payments. RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said “This is a truly groundbreaking deal raising the bar in the [...]
• ˜Urgent action™ needed to control rail cable theftA group of MPs have said anyone trying to sell scrap metal should have to prove their identity. The MPs want ‘urgent action’ to be taken on scrap dealers buying stolen metal in a bid to cut theft from the rail network. In a report, the Transport Select Committee said the government needed to test the [...]

Aviation Industry

• Travel disruption expected as Belgian strike loomsTrain and plane services likely to be hit

Other News Sources

• Transport Minister Theresa Villiers breaks collarbone in fall from bikeTransport Minister Theresa Villiers, who regularly commutes by bike from her Chipping Barnet constituency to the Houses of Parliament, has suffered that unfortunately all-too-common injury that many cyclists encounter at some point, breaking her collarbone after coming off her bike earlier this week.
• DOT Fines Finnair for Violating Price Advertising RulesThe U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today assessed a civil penalty of $35,000 against Finnair for violating federal aviation laws and the Department's rules prohibiting deceptive price...
• Skyguide reports tangible traffic growth and top punctuality in 2011Skyguide, Switzerland's air navigation services provider, saw a 3.1% increase in the volume of flights it handled last year: 1.19 million, compared to 1.16 million in the prior-year period....
• Iberia will help ease the situation created by the ceasing of operations of SpanairIberia is working closely with the Catalonian and national authorities to take measures to ease the situation created by the ceasing of operations by the Spanair airline and to provide relieve...
• Profit warning Spanair applies for bankruptcySAS writes down SEK 1.7 billion - liquidity effect limited to MSEK 200-300 The SAS Group has continuously informed that following the divestment of most of its ownership in Spanair early...