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

Thursday, 23 June 2011

BBC News

• Coastguard plan raises 'serious safety concerns' Plans to close coastguard centres around the UK raise "serious safety concerns" and have little support, a report by MPs has warned.
• Mayor urged to tackle London's congested roads London needs a more dynamic approach to tackling its transport issues or face gridlock, a report has warned.
• Worcestershire section of National Cycle Network opens A new section of the National Cycle Network has opened in Worcestershire.
• Petition to save Lydney to Chepstow bus service A petition to save a Forest of Dean bus route from cuts has been handed in to Gloucestershire County Council.
• Humber Bridge toll will rise to be UK's most expensive The Humber Bridge toll will be the most expensive in the UK after the bridge board approved a toll increase in its annual general meeting.
• MP calls for smoke ban in cars carrying children A Labour MP has called for a ban on adults smoking in cars where children are present, saying it would bring "tremendous" health benefits.
• Maglev carriage resold for £100Birmingham Airport's magentic carriage sells for £100 after a £25,100 eBay bid was not paid
• Scrapping trams would cost £750mScrapping the Edinburgh tram project would bring the total cost to about £750m, according to a leaked report.
• Tram line to open by end of JuneAn extension to Greater Manchester's tram network is due to open by the end of the month, the region's transport authority has announced.
• KLM to use cooking oil for fuelThe Dutch airline KLM says it plans to use recycled cooking oil on 200 flights between Paris and Amsterdam.
• BA staff back deal with airlineBritish Airways cabin crew staff back the agreement to settle their long-running industrial dispute with the airline.
• Airbus seals record aircraft dealIndian airline IndiGo buys the largest number of aircraft bought in a single order - 180 planes from Airbus.

Financial Times

• Fuel surcharges help FedEx make solid gainsRapid growth in demand for shipping services helped FedEx to report better than expected earnings and to issue an upbeat 2012 forecast
• BA cabin crew vote for peace dealThe staff vote overwhelmingly to accept a settlement, ending 18 months of conflict in one of the most bitter recent industrial disputes
• Qantas and Rolls-Royce settle disputeAustralia's biggest airline reaches a deal with the UK aerospace group over compensation for flight disruptions caused by engine explosion on an Airbus A380
• EU watchdog probes SNCF's SeaFrance rescueCompetition watchdog opens a probe into whether a €223m restructuring plan for the cross-Channel ferry operator may have breached EU state aid rules

The Guardian

• Are Londoners ready to die for their air quality? Poor air quality causes more than 4,000 deaths in London each year. Join our 'die-in' and get Boris Johnson's attention
• Labour policy review – have your say: transport After his election as Labour leader last autumn, Ed Miliband promised a fresh start for Labour, giving his party "a blank sheet of paper" on policy. Miliband commissioned policy reviews in 19 areas, and today we're asking you to help Labour fill in that blank sheet. What do you think Labour should be proposing on transport? Read Tom Clark's analysis of the issues involved and have your say below

The Independent

• After decades flying high, Branson hits turbulence Twenty-seven years to the day after Virgin Atlantic's maiden flight, Sir Richard Branson's airline yesterday looked to be on the verge of its first-ever strike.

The Telegraph

• MPs call for coastguard plan to be shelved Plans to slash the number of coastguard stations should be withdrawn, an all-party committee of MPs has said in a report.
• British Airways dispute finally overThe bitter British Airways cabin crew dispute finally came to an end today after staff accepted a peace deal to end 18 months of conflict.

Daily Express

• Rolls settles disputeROLLS-ROYCE and Qantas have settled over an exploding engine that forced an Airbus A380 to make an emergency landing and grounded all of the other super jumbos in the Australian airline's fleet.

The Mirror

• Boris bike firm wrongly charges 15,000 THE firm that runs the London bike-hire scheme has been accused of wrongly charging 15,000 users.

The Sun

• Cameron and co stabbed us in the back ONE of the oldest workers at Britain's last remaining train factory has slammed David Cameron for "stabbing us in the back". Hundreds of staff at BOMBARDIER in Derby face the axe after the Government gave a £1.5billion contract to build THAMESLINK trains to a German firm last week.

Derby Telegraph

• Bombardier rise while shares in R-R fall by 2% THE markets can be a strange place sometimes.
• Soapbox Anne Johns: Why is Britain the only one playing by EU's rules on these huge contracts? SO: now we know. They're all in it together – the politicians, that is – leaving us, the "Bog Society", outside looking in, unable to trust any of them.
• Risk aversion and human rights making us a joke [letter]I THINK most of us in Derbyshire are still numb with anger and disbelief over the rail contract being given to Siemens.
• Rules are good reason to question being in EU [letter]SUCCESSIVE governments have awarded major rail-building contracts to German and Japanese firms rather than Bombardier.
• Other EU countries do not buy foreign trains [letter]HAVE we got such a inept, hopeless set of politicians running this country?
• Bombardier losing out is disgraceful and appalling [letter]BOMBARDIER losing out to Siemens is appalling, disgraceful and yet unsurprising.
• Thameslink decision is an anti-English policy THE recent act of giving a £1.4 billion contract to Siemens in Germany, denying this work to Bombardier, shows that the Conservatives have no intention of looking after the interests of England.

Journal Live

• Great North Cycleway launched to connect existing routes AN EW cycleway which will connect a number of existing routes across the entire North East region has been launched.

Liverpool Post

• Government coastguard closure plans are unsafe, say MPs panel led by Louise Ellman GOVERNMENT plans to cut back on coastguard centres raise serious safety concerns and should be withdrawn, a report by MPs said today.

London Evening Standard

• Boris bike firm told to improve after 15,000 charging errorsThe firm that runs the Boris Bike scheme has been read the riot act by the Mayor over its "unfortunate" performance after it emerged that nearly 15,000 customers have been incorrectly charged.
• BA cabin crew vote to end disputeThe bitter British Airways cabin crew dispute has finally come to an end after staff accepted a peace deal to end 18 months of conflict.
• Tube driver wins dismissal claimThe London Underground driver whose sacking sparked a campaign of industrial action has won his claim of unfair dismissal, it has been revealed.

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink to start running on Chorlton line from next week, but Oldham and Rochdale lines have been delayedThe long-awaited Metrolink extension to Oldham has been delayed by up to three months, but trams should be running on the Chorlton line next week. Transport chiefs confirmed that 'technical issues' have stalled work on the service from Manchester to Oldham.

Northern Echo

• Scheme aims to cut congestion A PILOT scheme aimed at cutting congestion, pollution and journey times in a busy city suburb will come into force later this week.

Wales Online

• Scrap coastguard plans, cross-party committee urges GOVERNMENT plans to cut back on coastguard centres should be scrapped amid serious safety concerns, a cross-party report by MPs warns today.

Yorkshire Post

• Cameron supports high-speed rail link as campaign growsDAVID Cameron threw his full backing behind high-speed rail and declared its “time has come” – even though he may lose a Cabinet Minister if it goes ahead.

Blackpool Gazette

• ˜Pavement and road look same™SAFETY fears are growing around Blackpool’s multi-million pound Promenade after a local charity revealed the design could force the blind off the Golden Mile.

Other Regional Press

• Parliamentary report picks holes in HS2 business case AN independent review has cast doubt over the government's economic case for HS2 as a parliamentary inquiry into the £32billion plan is opened.
• UK & World News: Tube driver wins dismissal claim The London Underground driver whose sacking sparked a campaign of industrial action has won his claim of unfair dismissal, it has been revealed.
• UK & World News: BA cabin crew vote to end dispute The bitter British Airways cabin crew dispute has finally come to an end after staff accepted a peace deal to end 18 months of conflict.
• Warwickshire bus driver in finals of national championships BUS driver Jason Madden has manoeuvred his way into the finals of a national competition.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Mayor's congestion policies fail to convince22 June: London is already the most congested city in the UK and the third most congested city in Europe. read more

Global Rail News

• Network Rail announces new delivery partnership contractNetwork Rail has announced the 11 successful contractors who will compete for a range of civil engineering and building works across Britain as part of a ...
• Deutsche Bahn orders 56 regional trains from AlstomGerman operator DB Regio AG has placed a €325 million order with Alstom to supply 56 Coradia Lint regional trains. The trains are slated to go ...
• ATOC responds to Oyster card researchResearch published yesterday claimed that public trust in the Oyster card could be ‘undermined unless changes are made’. The research was prompted by concern about the ...
• Arriva Trains Wales teams up with RSPBA new partnership between a popular nature reserve and the Wales’ public transport company is encouraging visitors to travel by train and enjoy the wildlife of ...
• Nokia Siemens Networks to provide broadband for Austrian trainsPassengers using Westbahn™s new luxury express trains on the Salzburg-Vienna route will enjoy a superior travel experience with broadband and other online services by the end ...
• RMT suspends Heathrow Express strikesThe RMT has announced that following the receipt of an improved offer from the company, strike action and action short of a strike on Heathrow Express ...
• UK train ticket retailer announces partnership with Rail EuropeOnline train ticket retailer thetrainline.com has announced a new international partnership with Rail Europe, the European experts in train travel. The new partnership means customers can ...
• BSIF & REMA join forces to combat illegal PPEThe British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) and the Reflective Equipment Manufacturers Association (REMA) have joined forces to help combat illegal personal protective equipment (PPE) entering the ...
• BNSF and YSVR amend agreement on Montana rail lineBNSF Railway (BNSF) and Yellowstone Valley Railroad (YSVR) have announced that they will amend their lease agreement on the rail route between Snowden and Glendive, Montana. ...
• Interfleet Transport Advisory launchedInterfleet Technology has announced the addition of a new strategic dimension to its expanding portfolio of services with the launch of the Interfleet Transport Advisory (ITA). ...
• RMT Tube driver wins unfair dismissal caseArwyn Thomas, the driver at the centre of a row over his sacking, resulting in a series of Tube strikes has won his claim of unfair ...

Other News Sources

• China's key high-speed rail to open July 1: report BEIJING — China's much-anticipated high-speed rail link between Beijing and Shanghai will go into service on July 1, state media said, after a corruption scandal that toppled the former railways minister.
• Serco Docklands reappoints Flagship Consulting Flagship Consulting has been reappointed by Serco Docklands, the operator of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) which serves Docklands, Greenwich, Lewisham and East London.
• Labour Shadow Transport Secretary attacks longer-semi trailers Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle says she is "appalled" at the prospect of longer HGVs being driven on roads in the UK, as the war of words against a proposed trial of longer semi-trailers heats up.
• MP calls for limited in-car smoking banParents should be banned from smoking in their cars while their children are passengers, the Commons has heard.
• London Underground to require CSCS cardsLondon Underground has announced plans to require all its contractors to ensure their staff are registered on the Construction Skills Certification Scheme or similar from September this year.

News from Europe

• More bus and rail hikes on way as services cut, CIE chief warns TRANSPORT chiefs are planning to introduce further hikes in bus and rail fares -- while also cutting services.