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

Saturday, 10 March 2012

BBC News

• First Great Western buffet cars made seating carriages Disused buffet cars are being stripped and turned into seating carriages by rail operator First Great Western (FGW) to try to curb overcrowding.
• MSP Elaine Murray calls for A75 works after baby death A renewed call has been made to improve a stretch of road in Dumfriesshire after an accident claimed the life of a three-week-old boy.
• Jersey minister wants comprehensive bus network Jersey's transport minister says there will be a bus within easy reach of everyone when the new service launches.
• Transport Scotland in talks on Skye's Eilean Bàn A small island where the author of otter story Ring of Bright Water once lived is the subject of discussions about who should own it.
• Cargo ship captain pleads guiltyThe captain of the cargo ship which collided with a passenger ferry in Belfast Lough on Wednesday was over the alcohol limit while being in charge of his ship, a court hears.
• Carnival loss from Costa disasterCarnival loses $139m in the first quarter and says profits could be wiped out this year due to the Costa Concordia sinking.

Financial Times

• Emirates Airlines to seek compensationCarrier plans to seek redress for disruption caused following the discovery of cracks on the Airbus A380™s wings

The Telegraph

• Miles of rail line could be re-openedMiles of railway line shut under the Beeching Axe could be reopened under an overhaul of the rail industry.

Daily Express

• Progress at EurostarTRAVELLERS from Asia, the US and Latin America are helping to keep train operator Eurostar on track for higher profits.
• Costa cruise disaster hits Carnival profitTHE capsizing of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy, when 32 people died, pushed owner Carnival Corporation into the red.

The Mirror

• Bombardier's rival pays out £225m to end 'bungs for contracts' allegationsSiemens struck the out of court settlement with Greece after claims it gave bungs in return for contracts there

Network Rail

• BOB NEILL MP VIEWS PROGRESS ON BROMLEY

Bristol Live

• Proposed rail reforms 'could see fares increase by ten per cent'RAIL passengers in Bristol could face massive 10 per cent fare increases under its new management, it has been claimed.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• North Wales rail passengers warned of service shake upRAIL passengers in North Wales were last night warned their services will suffer through plans to save billions of pounds.

Liverpool Post

• Liverpool city centre businesses voice fears over Central station closureCITY centre businesses could have their rates reviewed to help them cope with the impact of Central station’s closure.

London Evening Standard

• Variable rail fares ’will lead to big rise in penalty charges’ Rail passengers face a “bewildering array” of new fares under radical plans for tailored tickets being considered by the Government, ministers were warned
• Medics will patrol Tube system in bid to cut delays Boris Johnson unveiled the plan as he pledged to spend £20 million making the network 30 per cent more reliable by the middle of a second term. Transport for London aims to cut huge delays caused by passenger illness by employing a team of British Transport Police trained as medics who will be able to respond to emergencies quickly.

Sheffield Star

• Minister signs-off road projectWork on £14.7 million improvements to the A57 near Todwick could begin in late summer after Transport Secretary Justine Greening approved the scheme.

The York Press

• Rail ticket barriers would spark controversy YORK™S council leader said the Government will have work to do to œconvince rail passengers that ticket barriers at the city™s railway station will work if they form part of plans to roll out rail œsmart cards across the UK.

Wales Online

• Peak-time train passengers face increase in fares RAIL passengers could be asked to spend even more for “high-peak” fares at the heart of the rush-hour under Government proposals announced yesterday.

Plymouth Herald

• 'Devon Metro' proposal for rail franchise consultationThe new company running rail services in the Westcountry should create a "Devon Metro" system, the county council has said.

Bus and Coach.com

• Go-Ahead buys Hedingham OmnibusesGo-Ahead continues to buy small businesses with the purchase of well-known Essex operator Hedingham Omnibuses.

Global Rail News

• Autumn return for A4sTwo A4 class steam locomotives are returning to Britain to take part in celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of Mallard™s world record breaking 126mph run down Stoke Bank on 3 July 1938. The National Railway Museum has reached a formal agreement to temporarily repatriate A4s, 60008 Dwight D Eisenhower, from Wisconsin, and 60010 Dominion of Canada, [...]
• Locomotives of Scotland appear on new stampsClassic Locomotives of Scotland are featuring on Royal Mail’s latest stamp issue. The collection, issued on 8 March, is the second in a series of four celebrating the country™s illustrious rail history. The £1 stamp in this issue shows the Bon Accord in its later years working along Aberdeen™s Miller Street in June 1962. The [...]
• Keltbray Rail awarded £46m Network Rail contractKeltbray Rail has been awarded a contract to provide Power Supply Upgrade Phase 3A Along Track Works by Network Rail. Work on the two year contract, which is valued at £46 million, is commencing this month as part of Network Rail™s 10 year investment programme. The work involved will include the construction of Overhead Line [...]
• New branding at Heathrow ExpressIn a year when the eyes of the World will be on London, Heathrow Express unveiled the results of a £16 million investment in their business which has taken 3 years to bring to fruition. On Wednesday evening the operator unveiled its new branding, corporate colours, staff uniforms and a significant refurbishment programme to improve [...]
• Easy like a Sunday MorningThe signalling upgrade on the Camden Town to High Barnet/Mill Hill East branch of the Northern line is currently ahead of schedule. TfL says the Sunday late start ups planned for the next few months have been cancelled. The decision to withdraw the closures was made after receiving the news from Tube Lines that the [...]
• Rail Delivery Group to ˜lead rail industry™ in driving efficiencyThe Rail Delivery Group has welcomed the Government™s support for the RDG contained in the Command Paper ˜Reforming our Railways: Putting the Customer First™, which was published yesterday. The Paper calls on the Group to provide leadership to the industry and to respond to the Government™s strategic challenges. The Chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, [...]

Aviation Industry

• ICAO: Passenger traffic up 6.4% in 2011, to rise 4.5% annually going forwardThe world's airlines' passenger traffic increased by 6.4% in 2011 on a 6.5% rise in capacity, according to ICAO, which predicted the annual rate of growth going forward won't be as robust.

Other News Sources

• Eurostar sees decline in corporate travelTrain operator blames eurozone financial crisis for drop in business travellers