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

Tuesday, 22 June 2010

BBC News

• British Airways reaches pension deal with trustees British Airways has reached agreement with its pension trustees on a plan to reduce its £3.7bn pension deficit.
• New drive to tackle railway crossing misuse Drivers accused of flouting rules at railway level crossings will be shown footage of their motoring captured by British Transport Police officers.
• Exeter-based Flybe rated 98th in top 100 businesses A Devon-based airline has been rated as one of the UK's top 100 private companies.
• Pedestrian crossings with timers to ensure safety A "countdown" timer on traffic lights, which will tell pedestrians how much time they have to cross the road, is unveiled outside Southwark Tube station in south London.
• 'Large' man removed from flight to see dying aunt A man who wanted to fly to Canada to see his dying aunt says he was taken off the plane because he was too large.
• City bus services are hit by cutsSome off-peak and lesser used bus services in Swansea are being dropped due to a cut in subsidies.
• Bidders picked for Borders rail linkThree organisations are selected to tender for the £295m rail link project between Edinburgh and the Borders.
• Translink announces fare rises Increases in public transport fares are criticised by the Consumer Council.
• Road casualties lowest since 1949The number of people injured on Scotland's roads has dropped to its lowest level in 60 years, new statistics have suggested.
• High-speed rail link up for saleThe 68-mile London to Folkestone high speed rail link is being put up for sale by the government.

Department for Transport

• High Speed Rail sale to raise money for public purseThe Government has begun the sale of rights to operate Britain™s first high speed railway, 'High Speed 1', Transport Secretary Philip Hammond announced today. The sale will help raise funds for the public purse as well as creating better opportunities for new rail services to new destinations to run on the line.

Financial Times

• Gatwick steps up airports battleGatwick airport signalled the first moves to increase competition among London's airports yesterday with the launch of a new brand identity and advertising campaign...
• Garuda in talks on aircraft fundingIndonesia's flag-carrier is in talks with the US Export-Import Bank for $1.5bn of financing for planned purchases of Boeing aircraft
• New strike ballot for BA cabin crewUnite is expected to notify British Airways of the ballot for a third round of strike action, raising the prospect of a further bout of disruption for travellers during the peak summer season
• Hammond hopes sale of HS1 will foster competitionThe new owner of the company that runs Britain's only dedicated high-speed rail line will be expected to encourage new operators in order to open up the route to greater competition, the transport secretary says

The Guardian

• High speed, low ball The government must ensure that this top-quality infrastructure asset does not go for a knock-down price What are we bid for this rare piece of railway? High Speed One – running for 68 miles from London's St Pancras to the Channel tunnel – is the only high-speed line in the UK. The right to run this railway for the next 30 years, and receive the track-access charges, was put up for auction yesterday.

The Herald

• Delay fails to stall Borders rail plan Plans to build a 35-mile railway between Edinburgh and the Borders remain on track for completion in 2014 despite further delays in appointing a contractor, Government ministers said yesterday.
• Crackdown on level crossing danger driversPolice are to use dedicated video surveillance vans to target drivers who ignore warning lights at level crossings.
• Scotland™s road fatalities at lowest since records beganThe number of people killed in Scottish road accidents has fallen to its lowest in more than 50 years, new figures show.

The Independent

• Minister launches sale of high-speed rail link The Government today signalled the start of the sale of High Speed 1 (HS1) - the 68-mile London to Folkestone Channel Tunnel rail link.
• Crossing 'countdown' is tested in LondonStop, look, listen, leg it. Normally, few pedestrians would risk dashing across a busy road in front of a queue of waiting traffic, with the lights threatening to change at any moment. But yesterday, they took their chances as the country's first countdown tickers “ which indicate how long remains before the green man turns red “ were unveiled.

The Scotsman

• Lothian Buses faced fine for bad service LOTHIAN Buses chiefs are facing an official probe into why services are not running on time, it emerged today.

The Telegraph

• Riding a bike is incredibly hard, scientists discover Few things are said to be easier than riding a bike but scientists investigating our ability have discovered that it is actually extremely complicated.

The Mirror

• THE CROWN FOOLS Train unions blast sell-off of prized high-speed rail link

Meet the Boss TV

• Changing perceptions Christiano Carlutti SVP Sales, Tesla MotorsAt the core of Tesla Motors is the belief that an electric car need not be a driving sacrifice. But how does a company go about marketing a product that has such a stereotyped, undervalued identity? How do you go about reversing people's presumptions

Network Rail

• STATION IMPROVEMENTS PLANNED FOR WANDSWORTH TOWN

Birmingham Mail

• Council drops red route plan MOVES to introduce more zero-tolerance parking bans on Birmingham’s main roads have been dropped.

Liverpool Post

• Tesco’s Widnes deal part of Stobart’s improved trading NEW and enhanced contracts have improved trading at logistics group Stobart, although it said market conditions remained “challenging”.

London Evening Standard

• Last-ditch bids to prevent Tube and DLR strikes starting tomorrowLast-ditch efforts to avert strikes by two sets of railway workers in London were being made today, with time running out on stopping the action going ahead.
• Top retailers warn over delays to new Bond Street stationLeading retailers believe the Government is considering delaying the Crossrail station at Bond Street, delivering a 'huge blow' to West End shops
• Gatwick drops London in £1.5bn revampNew owner of Gatwick drops London from its name and pledges to wipe out all links with its BAA past

Manchester Evening News

• Scottish airport park boss gives World Cup the red card A popular tourist attraction has been declared a World Cup free zone “ by its Scottish boss! Manchester Airport™s runway visitor park will be football free for the duration of the tournament because manager Colin Harris thinks hundreds of people are sick of the competition “ just like him.

Sheffield Star

• Bus gate ban stays despite traders' pleaOPERATING hours of the Wicker bus gate will not be relaxed despite a campaign by businesses - but a separate traders' campaign has resulted in the introduction of 15 minut

The News (Portsmouth)

• Gosport to Fareham bus scheme well on trackA bridge has been removed to make way for a controversial bus route.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Campaigners demand new road to end rat-run peril Frustrated residents have launched a campaign for a new road to counter the traffic œnightmare at Cults and Pitfodels.

The York Press

• Grand Central gets backing of MPs YORK-based train company Grand Central Rail has called on the Government to help it find ways of linking more towns with London after its latest expansion won support from across the country.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• UK airlines score low on passenger satisfactionUK airlines compare unfavourably with foreign carriers in passenger satisfaction figures from Which? Holiday magazine out today.

Bucks Free Press

• Rail protestors launch new campaign CAMPAIGNERS from more than 30 action groups protesting against plans for a high speed rail link met at a National Trust home which would be affected by the proposals.

Other Regional Press

• High Speed One sale to be launchedThe London to Folkestone Channel Tunnel rail link is being put on sale today with big investors lining up to buy it.
• People power buys one-year reprieve for Colne Valley bus A BUS service which connects the hillside hamlets of the Colne Valley has received a one-year reprieve.

Railway Gazette

• High Speed 1 goes on sale UK: Transport Secretary Philip Hammond invited bids to buy HS1 Ltd on June 21. Currently a wholly -owned subsidiary of the state-owned London & Continental Railways Ltd, HS1 Ltd has a 30 year concession to manage the 109 km high speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel. The Secretary of State for Transport will continue to own the land and infrastructure, while HS1 Ltd will have the right to sell access to the track and stations on a commercial basis, monitored by the Office of Rail Regulation. Hammond said the winning bidder would be 'incentivised to attract new operators serving...
• Newag unveils remanufactured shunting locomotivePOLAND: Newag has unveiled a prototype Type 15D shunting locomotive based on a rebuilt Soviet-built TEM2, known as the SM48 in Poland. The underframe, bogies and original traction motors have been retained, but a new generator and 1·5 MW Caterpillar engine fitted to give both more economical operation and improved performance. The bodywork and cab are also new. The design of the TEM2's three-axle bogies means conversion from standard to 1 520 mm gauge only involves a relatively simply wheel change, and trials on the PKP LHS broad gauge line to from Silesia to Ukraine are planned.

Aviation Industry

• Heathrow to serve a taste of WimbledonHeathrow is getting into the full swing of Wimbledon by serving the traditional tennis treat of strawberries and cream to arriving passengers from 21 June...

Green Miscellany

• Vans could be greener and cheaper New vans could be up to 16% more fuel efficient and 10% cheaper simply by using the smaller engines that were commonplace ten years ago.read more

Other News Sources

• Passenger satisfaction remans at record high levels, new survey showsIn response to the publication of the latest National Passenger Survey, showing record levels of customer satisfaction, Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies, said:
• Live train map for the London Underground This map shows all trains on the London Underground network in approximately real time. The yellow pins are stations (click for a local map of that station), the red pins trains. I have a (per-station)
• Rail users petition for Weybridge ramp to reopen FRUSTRATED rail users in Weybridge are joining together to sign a petition to get South West Trains to open a ramp at the train station.
• First Capital Connect boss to answer St Albans commuters' concerns THE top boss of beleaguered rail company First Capital Connect will come face-to-face with the district council to answer questions over a string of failures which brought the majority of its services to a halt.
• Travel: How improvement works will affect getting around London WEEKEND works on the Tube and Overground will cost travellers time, its admitted. Hence, if you plan to travel on the networks check before you start your journey, Transport for London advises.
• Atkins wins design contract in Chiltern Railways upgradeAtkins is to undertake the detailed design of the Chiltern Railways upgrade, currently one of the UK™s most important and technically challenging rail modernisation programmes.
• High-speed rail link to go up for saleThe British Government has signalled the start of the sale of High Speed 1 (HS1) - the 68-mile (110km) London to Folkestone Channel Tunnel rail link.
• Gatwick Airport drops 'London' brand ahead of £1bn revampLondon Gatwick Airport is to be known simply as Gatwick Airport and will undergo a £1 billion ($1.48 billion) facelift, its new owner Global Infrastructure...
• GMITA appoints new chairmanGreater Manchester's Integrated Transport Authority has announced the appointment of Councillor Ian McDonald as its new chairman.
• Solid start as Stobart benefits from new contractsStobart Group Ltd (LSE: STOB), the Warrington-based logistics company, said trading was in line with expectations after a and#8220;solidand#8221; start to the year.
• Bidders vie for Borders Railway ContractThree organisations have been invited to bid for the Borders Railway Contract by Transport Scotland.