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

Friday, 13 November 2009

BBC News

• Road £730,000 revamp plans shown Transport bosses have unveiled plans for a £730,000 revamp of a major road in a Shropshire town centre.
• Quick decision on Waterloo urged The Transport Secretary has called for "early recommendations" for the future of the redundant Eurostar terminal at London's Waterloo Station.
• Funding agreed for railway works Funding has been secured to turn the railway line between Swindon and Kemble from single-track to a two-way service.
• Actors stage third runway protest Actors, politicians and the country's leading poet plan to plant an orchard on the site of the proposed third Heathrow runway during a protest later.
• Eurostar is 15Will rival operators cut short birthday celebrations?
• Oil rise 'could derail recovery'The International Energy Agency says that if the recent rise in oil prices continues it
• State taking over key rail routeThe government takes control of the East Coast Main Line when operator National Express hands back the franchise later.
• BA and Iberia agree merger dealBritish Airways and Iberia reach a preliminary agreement to merge, a deal which would create the world's third biggest airline.

Financial Times

• East coast rail line takes the public routePassengers catching trains from Kings Cross to Edinburgh tomorrow morning may notice little difference. But at one minute to midnight a small piece of railway history...
• National Express faces Eurostar billThe indebted transport group, which is set to give up its lossmaking East Coast rail franchise, could be obliged to pay up to £32m to cover losses by the cross-Channel rail service
• Maersk hits out at container line rescuesThe head of the company that owns the world's largest container carrier has criticised rescues of struggling container lines by governments and shipowners, accusing them of 'inflicting damage on the healthy part of the industry'
• BA and Iberia prepare for landing on mergerThe anticipated deal, which would create an airline group bigger by revenue than most other European carriers, raises questions over synergies and savings expected by shareholders

The Guardian

• Railways: Changing the driverWarren Buffett and the British government have something in common. Both are taking over a railway. The American investment wizard has spent $26bn on the Burlington Northern while the Department for Transport is being landed with the East Coast mainline. It is not clear who has got the better deal.
• Government anger at train drivers' dispute The government criticised "irresponsible" action by train drivers tonight after staff shortages caused travel chaos for passengers on some of the busiest routes in the country.

The Herald

• Urgent report to set out case for airport An urgent study in to the economic impact of Glasgow Airport is to be carried out amid fears for its future.
• Minister claims East Coast rail passengers will not face disruption Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has said rail travellers on the East Coast route linking Scotland and London will not be disrupted by the changeover to public ownership later this week.

The Telegraph

• Passengers face years of overcrowding while platforms mothballed Millions of commuters face years of overcrowding on one of Britain's busiest routes because the former Eurostar station at Waterloo has been mothballed at a cost of £13 million to the taxpayer.
• Adonis timing 'cute' over East Coast takeover Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has chosen to take control of National Express' East Coast franchise at just a minute before midnight today to scupper the company's other rail ambitions.
• BAIberia £4.4bn merger creates Europe's thirdlargest airlineBritish Airways has made its biggest ever strategic move by agreeing a £4.4bn allshare merger with Spain's Iberia to reinforce its position as one of the world's biggest airlines.

Times Online

• Government fury at train drivers as Thameslink travel chaos deepens The Government was involved in a row with train drivers tonight as passengers endured worsening travel chaos on some of the busiest routes in the country.
• Network Rail invites passenger comments about £3bn railway overhaulCommuters are being asked to comment on plans to improve 2,000 railway stations. Funds to be spent on improving stations total £3.25 billion, Network Rail said yesterday, as they asked for input on how the money is to be spent.
• Government™s emissions target is unachievable, says studyBritain has no chance of meeting its main carbon-reduction target because it lacks the engineering and manufacturing capacity to deliver the required renewable energy, a study has found.
• Peugeot moves into car rental on way back to profitPSA Peugeot-Citroën is to offer pre-paid cars by the day to young city dwellers as part of the French motor company™s drive to regain market share and enhance the appeal of its brands with consumers and investors.
• Business big shot: Richard Parry-Jones of the Automotive CouncilRichard Parry-Jones, the engineer once known as Ford™s œsecret weapon, has been charged with saving Britain™s car manufacturing industry from the scrapheap.

Press Association

• Government pledges over rail service improvement The Government has promised improved services on a key London to Scotland rail route, which runs through the region, as it is taken back into public ownership.

Daily Express

• Morning meetingWILLIE Walsh has experienced plenty of turbulence since he took the controls of British Airways four years ago. The former pilot, who joined from Aer Lingus, became chief executive just ahead of the worst economic downturn the aviation industry has faced.
• BA announces £4bn merger with IberiaBRITISH Airways yesterday agreed a £4billion merger with Spanish airline Iberia to create one of the world's biggest airlines.

Network Rail

• FIRST EVER PASSENGER RESEARCH ABOUT STATIONS LAUNCHED (ANGLIA)- £3.25bn to be invested in Britain's train stations- 150+ stations in Anglia to receive investment- Passengers to have their say
• FIRST EVER PASSENGER RESEARCH ABOUT STATIONS LAUNCHED (KENT)
• FIRST EVER PASSENGER RESEARCH ABOUT STATIONS LAUNCHED (SUSSEX)
• FIRST EVER PASSENGER RESEARCH ABOUT STATIONS LAUNCHED (SURREY & HANTS)

Belfast Telegraph

• British Airways and Iberia agree $7bn merger British Airways has confirmed that it will merge with the Spanish airline Iberia in a $7bn (£4.2bn) deal, creating the world's third biggest airline . Related StoriesWatchdog to open price-hike inquiryKing's cautious short-term forecastSainsbury’s hails Ulster stores as profits rise 18.5%Tesco and First Source provide double jobs boost to Waterside

Birmingham Post

• Businesses should fund upgrades to West Coast Mainline Business should pay extra tax to fund upgrades to the West Coast Main Line, according to rail operator Virgin Trains. Journey times between London and Birmingham could be cut to less than an hour - but only if cash is available to pay for improvements, according to the operator.
• Network Rail unveils plans for New Street and Bromsgrove stationsA £3.25 billion plan to improve hundreds of train stations, including Birmingham’s New Street and Bromsgrove station in Worcestershire, has been unveiled by Network Rail (NR).

Daily Post (North Wales)

• A55 to suffer roadwork hell for another seven monthsMOTORISTS will have to endure another seven months of roadworks hell on the A55.

Journal Live

• Tyneside transport police crack down on cable thievesMETAL and cable thieves who make life a misery for rail passengers have been stopped in their tracks.
• Rail jobs worry as East Coast line changes handsHUNDREDS of workers could face an uncertain future as the Government prepares to nationalise East Coast rail services, The Journal can reveal.

Liverpool Post

• Merseyside firms may be asked to pay for West Coast rail upgrade BUSINESSES will have to pay for badly-needed improvements to the Liverpool to London rail line as government cash dries up, Virgin has told MPs.

London Evening Standard

• Taxpayers hit with £13million bill for empty Eurostar terminalTaxpayers are to be hit with a bill of up to £13million to keep Waterloo's international terminal in mothballs, the Standard reveals
• MPs’ fury at Thameslink chaos as commuters left strandedNEW: MPs attack First Capital Connect and union bosses for leaving thousands of commuters stranded due to a driver shortage on Thameslink trains

Nottingham Evening Post

• Call for cheaper transport for youngsters in Notts MORE than 1,000 youngsters in Mansfield have signed a petition organised by former Mansfield Youth Mayor Scott Beasley and deputy member of the Youth Parliament Natalie Smith calling for cheaper public transport.
• NCT wins national award NOTTINGHAM City Transport is celebrating after picking up the Winning New Customers Award at the 2009 UK Bus Awards.
• 'Clifton bypass better than dualling A453' A NEW road bypassing Clifton would be a better option than upgrading the existing A453 to a dual carriageway, an inquiry has heard.

The York Press

• York Railway Station ticket barrier plans set to be ’scrapped’ York MP Hugh Bayley said he expected Transport Secretary Lord Adonis to make an announcement today over the plans for barriers, and he was hopeful they were being dropped.
• Anger over frequent changes to York's bus routes FREQUENT service changes by bus companies are undermining efforts to improve public transport in York, a report claims.

Wales Online

• Railway line closed after rocks hit tracksA busy railway line was closed this evening after heavy rain caused rocks to slide on to the track.

Yorkshire Post

• East Coast line back in public hands CASH-strapped transport giant National Express will tonight hand over the East Coast Main Line to public ownership after running up huge losses.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Railway station set for a faceliftRail users in Kettering will be able to wait in comfort as part of a station refurbishment scheme.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Train drivers condemned over commuter 'chaos'The Government has hit out at "irresponsible" action by train drivers who brought commuter chaos to a busy rail route in the region.

International Herald Tribune

• British Airways and Iberia Plan to MergeA $7 billion merger of the two European airlines would conclude more than 16 months of talks.

The Economist

• The fallout from GM keeping Opel : The German charm offensiveGM’s decision to keep Opel has left Germany fumingAFTER General Motors’ dramatic U-turn on November 3rd over the sale of its European subsidiary, Opel/Vauxhall, its chief executive, Fritz Henderson, came to Germany this week to begin repairing relations with Angela Merkel’s government and with the country’s angry unions. Both have little option other than to come to terms with GM’s decision not to sell a majority stake in the unit to Magna International, an Austrian-Canadian car parts maker, and Russia’s Sberbank. But they are still furious with the American...

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• New proposals to boost drivers' skills unveiledThe Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has launched new plans to enhance lorry and bus drivers' skills and improve road safety.The proposals, which also cover new motorcycle riders, have been released in conjunction with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the Department for Transport (DfT).Part of moves to implement European Union legislation on the issue, the documentation suggests that all drivers of lorries - as well as medium-sized and large buses - will be required to renew licences every five years after the age of 45, producing a medical report to confirm their fitness to fulfill t...

Railnews

• London Midland on warning as Remedial Notice is issued The troubled London Midland franchise has been issued with a formal Remedial Plan Notice by the Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis. The move is attributed to a particular day of disruption, but actually follows a long period of problems. Lord Adonis said: "The performance of London Midland on 6 September 2009 fell short of its customers’ expectations and was unacceptable to both passengers and Government."
• National Express bows out tonight: so what is East Coast worth now? National Express Group will surrender the East Coast franchise at 23.59 tonight, and the operation will then be nationalised until further notice. NXG is the second operator to default on East Coast in three years, and now observers are wondering what kind of financial return from the line the government can hope for in future.
• News: Thameslink in tatters, as ASLEF ballots for strike and MD is replaced First Capital Connect has halved the Thameslink service, as drivers continue to refuse overtime and rest day working in protest at the company's pay offer. ASLEF has announced a strike ballot, while FCC has warned that the emergency timetable will continue until further notice. FCC managing director Jim Morgan has been replaced by the head of the FirstGroup Rail Division, Mary Grant.
• News: Tram contractors chase crucial Christmas deadline Tram contractors who have occupied Princes Street in Edinburgh for most of this year have been warned that the prestigious street must reopen to ordinary traffic by the end of this month, because retailers have insisted that work be suspended for the Christmas period. Railnews has been to Edinburgh to find out more.
• News: Network Rail unveils £3.25bn plan for stations Network Rail has outlined plans to spend more than £3 billion on stations between now and 2014, when Control Period 4 ends. It says most National Rail stations will receive some investment over the next five years, 'ranging from tens of thousands to tens of millions'.

Other News Sources

• Actors, writers and politicians join campaigners to plant trees in Sipson village in protest to Heathrow expansion Celebrities opposed to Heathrow expansion will plant an orchard on the site of a proposed third runway. Actors, writers and politicians will meet in Sipson village at noon today to dig the apple trees in a protest against the contraversial project.
• Grimshaw to oversee Heathrow expansion The practice, which prides itself on its green credentials including designing the Eden Project and being a founder member of the UK Green Building Council, beat firms including YRM, HOK and RMJM in a competition launched by BAA in the summer.
• Rail firm must spend £4.4m on services Rail company London Midland has been ordered by the Government to spend £4.4 million and reduce train cancellations after a problem with Sunday working arrangements saw services thrown into disarray in the Black Country.
• MP Claire Ward ups pressure on London Midland MP Claire Ward has warned under-fire train operator London Midland it has “a long way to go” before it satisfies Government expectations.
• FirstGroup FD buys initial stake LONDON (SHARECAST) - Recently appointed FirstGroup finance director Jeff Carr has not let the industrial dispute at the bus and train operator’s Thameslink subsidiary put him off buying his first shares in the group. Carr spent £58,198 on 15,000 shares.
• Bombardier hands over first ALP-46A USA: The first of 36 type ALP-46A electric locomotives being built for New Jersey Transit was ceremonially handed over at Bombardier Transportation's Kassel plant in Germany on November 12.
• Eddie Stobart wins £60m Unilever dealEddie Stobart has won a £60m ambient transport contract covering the majority of Unilever's manufacturing and distribution activities in the UK.

News from Europe

• Pre-Event to COP15: Focus on Transport SectorCOPENHAGEN, November 11 /PRNewswire/ -- At a climate symposium in Copenhagen on 5 December, transport, energy and climate experts from Asia, Europe and the US will explore what must be done in order to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by the year 2050. The main focus of the discussions is how to reduce CO2 emissions in the world's transport sector.
• European Travel Retail Council set to host closed one-day workshop to discuss key industry issuesThe European Travel Retail Council (ETRC) is to host a one-day workshop on 28 January 2010 in Brussels to discuss key industry issues.

Other Subscription Services

• Maersk on course for $1bn full year lossAP Moller-Maersk posts $166m loss in the third quarter.
• Somali pirates hijacking success rate surges to 50%As Somali pirates attack vessels further from the coast hijacking success increases