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

Friday, 27 January 2012

BBC News

• Rail fare 'dissatisfaction' growsThere is a growing feeling that train tickets across the UK do not represent value for money, a survey of rail passengers suggests.
• Police combat metal theft threatMetal theft becomes one of the top priorities of British Transport Police, second only to the threat of terrorism.
• VIDEO: Anger over DLR Olympic bonus dealWorkers on the Docklands Light Railway could pocket an extra £2,500 for working during the Olympics.
• Olympic bonus deal for DLR staffDocklands Light Railway staff could earn up to £2,500 for working over nine weeks the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Financial Times

• Rail users suffer as fare rises outstrip salariesPassenger watchdog finds that proportion of people satisfied with their rail expenditure falling with London and south-east especially feeling the pinch
• Scotland calls on Westminster to extend HS2Holyrood offers to pick up half the extra £17bn bill to continue the line north to Glasgow and Edinburgh in plea to include Scotland from the start

The Scotsman

• Central Belt high-speed link could be acceleratedA HIGH-speed rail link between Edinburgh and Glasgow could be an early part of the Scottish Government’s involvement in building the planned line from London.

Daily Record

• Revealed: High speed rail link could be built in Scotland.. BEFORE link north from ManchesterA HIGH-SPEED train line could be built in Scotland before the completion of the English leg of the railway, Infrastructure Secretary Alex Neil has said.

Mail Online

• London 2012 Olympics: Strike-threatening DLR railway union negotiates extra £2,500The 500 Docklands Light Railway workers will also be guaranteed five hours of overtime a week, for which they will be paid 75 per cent above their normal shift rate.
• Rail passenger satisfaction plummets as fares soar sky high and overcrowded trains don't even run on timeLess than half of rail users believe they get value for money - significantly down on a year ago - dropping to nearly a quarter on the worst-performing routes.

London Evening Standard

• Fare rises make London rail users UK's angriestLondon has more mainline rail commuters who believe they don't get value for money than almost every other city in the UK

Metro

• High fares for poor service, say unsatisfied rail usersThree out of four rail passengers on some routes are unhappy about the cost of their tickets and the standard of service they get.

Yorkshire Post

• Passengers vote Northern Rail among UK™s worst train companiesNORTHERN Rail emerged today as one of passengers’ least favourite rail companies - with rival Grand Central finding itself at the top of a nationwide satisfaction survey.

East Anglian Daily Times

• East Anglia: National Express passengers are œleast satisfied� in BritainPassengers using National Express trains in East Anglia are the least satisfied rail travellers in Britain.

Other Regional Press

• Bristol Evening Post published Trains could return to Portishead railway line within five yearsArticle
• Western Morning News published Rail satisfaction found to be moveable feastArticle

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• HS2 line 'will mean improved West Coast Main Line services'The government's decision to support the creation of a high-speed rail network in England has been commended by a major train operator. According to Network Rail, the HS2 project will help to ease the burden on the existing West Coast Main Line and result in fewer services being overcrowded. Paul Plummer, group strategy director at the group, described the West Coast Main Line as the "busiest and most economically vital rail artery" in the UK.However, he said that unless steps are taken to offer alternative ways of travelling between England's major cites, i...

London TravelWatch

• London TravelWatch Board receives customer services update from TfL™s Shashi VermaBoard receives customer services update from TfL™s Shashi Verma

Other News Sources

• Scotland sets the pace on High Speed Rail Scottish Ministers today set out the œutterly convincing� case for High Speed Rail to come to Scotland. They also highlighted advice from the Scottish Partnership Group which recommends that work in Scotland could actually start ahead of planned completion in England.  Addressing the ˜Making HS2 Happen™ conference in London this afternoon, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment Alex Neil also provided more detail on the timetable for bringing forward planning for new high speed lines north of the border. read more