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

Friday, 27 November 2009

BBC News

• Euro train booking system shelvedPlans for a system that would have made it simpler to book tickets for rail travel across Europe are shelved.
• Transport chief defends amount spent on railway Lancashire passengers HAVE benefited from investment to improve trains, the Government's top transport chief says.
• Bus drivers begin 24-hour strikeA 24-hour bus strike begins in east London, affecting four routes and travel services including transport across the 2012 Olympic Park site.
• National Express loses rail routeNational Express will have its East Anglia rail franchise terminated three years early, the government says.
• Vauxhall job cut plans unveiledVauxhall's owner plans 354 job cuts at Vauxhall, but will expand production at Ellesmere Port, securing jobs there.

Financial Times

• Network Rail cuts operating costsThe company that runs Britain's mainline rail infrastructure has cut operating costs, in a sign that it is on target to meet regulatory targets. Network Rail's...
• Jarvis remains in the redThe maintenance group's revenue falls 44% due to sharp cutbacks by Network Rail, which remains committed to £35bn of improvements
• Operators show signs of getting back on courseOne sign that the big container terminal operators are getting a grip on costs to offset the sharp downturn in volumes is contained in the scant financial data available for the year so far
• Ports “ containing the problemAn FT investigation into the global container port industry and how it is coping with the global economic downturn
• National Express loses East Anglia franchiseThe decision, which comes ahead of an extraordinary meeting on a possible rights issue, follows the government's move to strip it of its East Coast mainline franchise

The Guardian

• Network Rail revenues fall to £2.8bn Rail network and station operator sees revenues drop after being forced to cut charges and costs
• Airport liquid ban to remain until 2013 EU could waive 100ml hand luggage restriction where airports upgrade security equipment to detect liquid bombs

The Telegraph

• Network Rail warns of more job cuts as it targets 21pc cost savings Network Rail, the owner of Britain's tracks, signals and stations, warned of further job cuts to come as it posted an 11pc fall in half-year operating profits to £1.09bn.

Times Online

• Vauxhall plant escapes first round of redundanciesGeneral Motors™ Vauxhall plant at Ellesmere Port will escape redundancies under an early restructuring plan laid out by the US carmaker.
• National Express to hold rail franchise until 2011National Express, the troubled transport group, won a stay of execution yesterday when the Government held back from an immediate withdrawal of its profit-making rail franchises.
• Network Rail chief defends ˜sensible™ hedgingA £326 million hedging charge on its colossal debt and a new regulatory regime hit Network Rail™s first-half profits, the company said yesterday.

The Mirror

• Spaghetti Junction rated 'scariest'Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham is Britain's most intimidating road system, a survey has revealed.

ATOC

• Train companies respond to East Anglia franchise announcementATOC responds to Government announcement that it will not extend the National Express East Anglia franchise

Network Rail

• FARRINGDON TO BECOME ONE OF LONDON'S BUSIEST TRANSPORT HUBS - MINISTER SEES PROGRESS

Birmingham Post

• New Street Station won't be demolished in redevelopment Network Rail has revealed it won’t be knocking down Birmignham's New Street station as part of redevelopment plans.

Journal Live

• Nomad Digital train deal set to double revenue TECHNOLOGY company Nomad Digital is expecting revenues to double to £10m this year after winning the biggest contract yet for linking train travellers to broadband.
• Doubt clouds plan for new train fleetTHE prospect of a new train assembly plant employing hundreds of workers coming to the region is hanging in the balance, The Journal can reveal.
• Bus and Metro passes could lead the way to cash-free economyELECTRONIC bus and Metro passes could pave the way for a “cash-free” North East economy, transport bosses say.

Metro

• National Express to lose rail routeStruggling transport group National Express is to be stripped of its East Anglia rail franchise three years early, the Government has said.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• North-east BMI staff ˜safe™ despite plans for 600 job cutsBMI yesterday said administrative and maintenance operations at its Aberdeen-based regional business are safe, despite the airline unveiling plans which could see about 600 jobs cut.

The York Press

• Travel firm Arriva Yorkshire unveil new £1.4 million fleet for York A GOLDEN touch has been added to a North Yorkshire travel firm™s unveiling of its new £1.4 million fleet.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds and Bradford: £20m bid launched for two new railway stationsTransport bosses want to spend £20m on two new rail stations in West Yorkshire.

Carlisle News & Star

• Extra train laid on from Maryport to WorkingtonNorthern Rail will operate seven extra train services between Maryport and Workington, in addition to the normal timetable, in response to the record numbers of customers using its services.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Bus pass perk for elderly to be axedFree early morning bus travel for almost 13,000 elderly and vulnerable people has been scrapped in a bid to save £36,000 a year.

Peterborough Telegraph

• National Express to lose East Anglia rail franchiseStruggling transport group National Express is to be stripped of its East Anglia rail franchise three years early.

Other News Sources

• Council object to AirtrackAn objection to the proposed high-speed rail link with Heathrow Airport has been supported by councillors. Airtrack would link Wokingham with the airport, slashing travel times by nearly one hour, however there are major concerns the extra trains would cause chaos at level crossings.
• NEW 'MILLWALL' STATION COULD STILL BE ON CARDS A new train station that would serve Millwall Football Club and the surrounding area could now be built, just months after being apparently dropped from plans.
• Rail expert Ben Wilson disagrees with Network Rail's view of the strategic rail freight interchangeExamination of a statement of facts presented by Network Rail continues. Helioslough barrister Martin Kingston told rail expert Ben Wilson: “Network Rail clearly see no insurmountable problems in the implementation of a working strategic rail freight interchange.”
• Bolt-on fix for New Street 'eyesore' BIRMINGHAM’S New Street Station will not be demolished when work on a £600 million makeover gets under way, it has emerged.
• Hundreds wait for platform passes PASSES which let workers and students cut through automatic ticket gates at Derby's railway station have run out due to high demand. The gates, which aim to clamp down on fare-dodgers and improve security, were installed by East Midlands Trains in August.
• National Express loses rail franchise A TRAIN operator has been stripped of its franchise on the East Anglian mainline - just one week after unveiling ambitious plans to transform it.
• Who will take over from rail operator?Three major rail operators last night said they would watch developments in East Anglia closely - and did not rule out bidding to take on the service from 2011.
• Virgin Blue expects to post a profit this fiscal yearAustralian carrier Virgin Blue, which posted a net loss last fiscal year, expects to post a full-year profit this fiscal year despite the uncertain economic...
• Easyjet calls for laws on aircraft emission levels  "Old smokers" should be grounded - Harrison read more

News from Europe

• Hitachi eyes up France’s TGVJAPANESE train manufacturer Hitachi is expected to bid against the French-built TGV in its home country for a rolling stock contract in a move that would target the world’s biggest rail market.
• EU Sustainable Transport Policy: new steps forwardFollowing the European Commission’s discussions on the future of EU transport policy, the recent conference in Brussels managed to formulate policy’s general vision and specific steps for the years to come.
• Research and Markets: European Rail Electrification Market Picks up Steam as Countries Realize the Need to Reduce Carbon Footprints Signals 2009 StudyDUBLIN, Nov 24, 2009 Research and Markets has announced the addition of Frost & Sullivan's new report "Strategic Analysis of the European Rail Electrification Market" to their offering.
• EU parliament passes green tyre-labeling law The European Union is to introduce a tyre-labelling scheme intended to encourage consumers to buy greener tyres for their vehicles.
• EU set to extend travel protection Holiday travel protection is set to be extended further within a few years, according to plans published for consultation by the European Commission on Thursday.
• High- flying McEvaddy poised to realise his Berlin airport vision THE MAN in the digger isn’t at all pleased at the taxi trying to squeeze past him on the windswept building site. To clarify matters, the Turkish taxi driver rolls down his window and indicates the pinstripe-suited man in the back seat.
• European common rail platform shelvedEuropean rail alliance Railteam has shelved plans for a common booking platform across all its members, said Eurostar today (November 26), citing spiralling costs. The alliance of highspeed train operators had planned to develop a single ticket booking engine to cover all its seven members, among them Eurostar, Thalys, SNCF and Deutsche Bahn.