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

Monday, 31 October 2011

BBC News

• 'Thomas the tank' railway Talyllyn's engineers' award The railway which inspired the author of the Thomas the Tank Engine books has been honoured.

Financial Times

• Qantas chief's 'shock and awe' strategyDecision to ground fleet in response to strikes is the biggest gamble yet by Alan Joyce in his bruising confrontation with trade unions
• Stagecoach shrugs off foreign invasion fearsChief of the London-listed bus and rail operator dismisses concerns that foreign operators with deep pockets will dominate the next round of rail franchising
• 15,000 UK aviation jobs at riskSubmission predicts losses of between £20bn and £47bn to the economy and calls for aviation capacity increase in the south-east
• Qantas resumes flights after dramatic groundingFirst flight departs Sydney for Jakarta after tribunal orders a stop to the industrial action and tells the Australian flag-carrier and unions to negotiate a settlement

The Guardian

• How to break into the transport sector Consultancies, local authorities and big operators are all options

The Herald

• Why is there no Wifi on Scotland’s trains? ASK any business person on the move in Scotland what single small concrete measure would improve their productivity.
• Why is there no Wifi on Scotland’s trains? ASK any business person on the move in Scotland what single small concrete measure would improve their productivity.

The Independent

• Labour drops support for Heathrow runwayLabour will abandon its previous support for building a third runway at Heathrow airport.
• UK ships to be armed to ward off Somali piracyMerchant shipping owners warned yesterday that a policy to allow British vessels sailing off Somalia to carry armed guards is at best a

The Scotsman

• Qantas to resume flights after court orders union to end strike action Stranded British passengers could be in the air today after a court ended the Qantas union strikes and the grounding of the airline’s fleet last night.
• ’Disastrous broken teeth’ streets force city shoppers awaySCOTLAND’S city streets are a “disaster”, driving shoppers to out-of-town malls, according to one of the country’s most influential transport academics.

The Telegraph

• Qantas back in the air as strike affects Kings of Leon tour Qantas flights are set to resume after an Australian tribunal ordered an end to the dispute that has cost the airline more than £20m and hit the travel plans of nearly 70,000 passengers.
• Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou faces £400,000 legal bill from former employee EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has been left with a potential bill of more than £400,000 after losing his latest legal dispute with a former employee.
• UK aviation policy – a messy, illogical mess It was not the easiest of introductions. Willie Walsh, the president of the London Chamber of Commerce and chief executive of International Airlines Group, had the honour of welcoming a very special guest to a gala evening earlier this month.
• Commuting 'bad for health' Commuting by car or public transport can be bad for your health, a study indicates.

Daily Express

• Nandan to tap into budding biofuel marketGREEN energy firm Nandan Cleantec is hoping to cash in on Western demand for biofuels and healthcare products when it joins Aim next month.

Mail Online

• The steam-bike (wonder why it never caught on): Antique motorcycle expected to break world record price at auctionThe 117-year-old 'Roper Steam Powered Motorcycle' was designed by Sylvester Roper and is now expected to reach £325,000 when it is sold in Las Vegas in January.

London Evening Standard

• Take-off hopes for stranded BritonsFrustrated Britons whose travel plans were hit by an industrial row could take to the air after Qantas was cleared to resume flights following the grounding of its fleet.

Other Regional Press

• Minister speaks on cycle routes TRANSPORT minister Norman Baker came to Basingstoke and said money should be available for better cycle routes in the borough.

Other News Sources

• Lichfield MP welcomes extra seats for West Coast Main Line passengers Lichfield’s MP has welcomed the news that extra carriages and seats will soon be available for passengers travelling on the West Coast Main Line.
• MP takes drive for better rail services to top WESTON-super-Mare MP John Penrose has taken up the problem of local train services with the new Transport Secretary Justine Greening.
• Chiltern Railways release free revolutionary real time app The launch of this app comes at a time when Passenger Focus today shared new research about how train companies can improve information during unplanned disruption and particularly highlights the need for real time accurate information. Previously, the only way to get live departure information in an app cost £4.99.