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

Tuesday, 19 February 2013

BBC News

• How much bigger can container ships get? The world's cargo ships are getting big, really big. No surprise, perhaps, given the volume of goods produced in Asia and consumed in Europe and the US. But are these giant symbols of the world's trade imbalance growing beyond all reason?
• Heathrow airport has busiest yearRevenues up at Heathrow, but the UK's busiest airport is operating at close to capacity
• Bridgestone shares get profit boostShares of Bridgestone, the world's biggest tyre-maker, surge after it reports a 67% jump in net profit for 2012.

Department for Transport

• Data release provides platform for rail fare web apps Rail passengers can access free up-to-date information on the best ticket deals following the publication of comprehensive fare data, Transport Minister Norman Baker announced today.

Financial Times

• Heathrow chief is open to westward moveColin Matthews looks at all options for extra runways as airport operator reports higher revenues due to increased fees rather than passenger numbers
• SNCF chief seeks route to serve commutersGuillaime Pépy says the real growth prospects lie in mass transit services as the French rail operator aims to modernise at home and expand abroad
• Bolivia nationalises airport operatorPresident Evo Morales says Abertis™ local subsidiary Sabsa, partly owned by Madrid-based Aena, had failed to fulfil investment promises
• SNCF turns focus on ˜neglected™ networkChairman declares an ˜emergency™ on France™s rail commuter lines with a big increase in investment needed after being overlooked in favour of the TGV

The Guardian

• Heathrow chief defends steep rise in landing charges despite revenue leap Heathrow boss Colin Matthews says investors, who have spent £11bn on the airport since 2003, need to see 'a fair and market return'

The Herald

• New cost 'will lead to more coal lorries'UP to 150,000 more coal lorries a year will be forced on to Scotland's roads, risking a repeat of last week's crash that left a woman dead in her home, the industry has warned.
• Extra trains for Six Nations clashScotRail is laying on an extra 222 train carriages for rugby fans travelling to Edinburgh to watch Scotland's Six Nations rugby clash against Ireland on Sunday.
• Moves to bolster tug cover attackedCoastal communities in the west of Scotland have branded as unfair moves to bolster emergency tug cover around the northern isles but nowhere else.

The Independent

• Heathrow chief backs soaring charges as it moves into the black The boss of Heathrow today staunchly defended the airport’s planned hike in landing and take-off charges that will see passenger fares rise, saying they provided a “crucial return for shareholders”.
• James Moore: Heathrow's bid to charge the airlines more is just increasing turbulence Outlook. Plus: It doesn't look as if bank bonus cap is going to fit; It could be time to can those Carlsberg shares

The Telegraph

• Heathrow profits boosted by record passengers Heathrow has reported a rise in profits after a record 70 million passenger used the country's largest airport in 2012, despite the Olympics dampening numbers.
• Make runway decision as soon as possible, says Heathrow chief Colin Matthews A decision on airport expansion needs to be fast-tracked, with the Davies Commission on the subject reporting ahead of its post-2015 election target, according to the chief executive of Heathrow.
• Walkers urged to help repairs to the South West Coast PathWalkers using the South West Coast Path have been advised to take care after rainfall caused chunks of cliff to fall and slide away.
• Striking Iberia staff clash with police in Spain [video]Protesters clashed with police on Monday in Madrid as workers from the loss-making Spanish carrier Iberia began a five day strike over job cuts.
• First Capital Connect voted worst train operator First Capital Connect has been voted the worst train operator by commuters, according to a survey conducted by Which?

Mail Online

• Airports deserted as Iberia strike grounds Spanish planes worldwide¿ and even three British Airways jets are cancelledMore than 400 flights have been cancelled and 70,000 passengers affected by the action which is to last five days.

ATOC

• ATOC responds to Which? surveyResponding to a survey by Which? on customer satisfaction with train companies, a spokesperson for the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC),...

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Rail services into Bradford disrupted by vandalism Trains in and out of Bradford Interchange have been hit by delays after a train crashed into two bikes near Batley.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• More than half of Arriva passengers not happy with serviceMORE than half of Arriva’s rail passengers are not happy with the service – but most using Virgin’s West Coast line have given it the thumbs-up.

Derby Telegraph

• Criticism over trains made by Bombardier rival Siemens Read more: http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/story-18190530-detail/story.html?%23axzz2LKkk7L6q#ixzz2LLLfEwdg Follow us: @DerbyshireNews on Twitter | thisisderbyshirenews on FacebookA GERMAN train-maker which beat Derby's Bombardier to a major government contract is reportedly facing a fine over problems with a fleet of trains it is supplying to Belgium.

Journal Live

• Newcastle city leaders extend Alive After Five parking schemeA FLAGSHIP scheme designed to drive business into Newcastle’s retail outlets and pour millions into the city’s economy has been given a six-year extension.

London Evening Standard

• The Shepherd's Bush bus lane which raked in £1m with 'confusing' signsA council is facing calls to pay back £1 million in œunfair fines after signs warning motorists about a bus lane were attacked as confusing and unlawful.
• Train station ticket machines 'are confusing and poor value'Ticket machines at mainline London rail stations don™t give value for money or proper service, an investigation reveals today.
• Down Underground: New job for Tube boss Howard CollinsThe Tube boss credited with making the trains run on time during the Olympics is leaving to run an Australian rail network.
• 'Euston can't cope with HS2 influx'London™s public transport will not be able to cope with the extra passengers arriving on the High Speed 2 link from the North, the boss of the Tube warned today.

Metro

• Red signal from train passengers as overpriced and unsatisfactory services slammedTrain passengers are trapped into using overpriced rail services which most believe are not good enough, new research has shown.

The York Press

• Rail delays in York after vehicle hits bridge RAIL services between York and Middlesbrough have been disrupted this afternoon after a road vehicle hit a railway bridge.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• End of the line as late engineer™s rail dream dismantledA VOLUNTEER-RUN railway, which was once the pride and joy of a late Leeds engineer, is being dismantled and moved just months after his death.

Carlisle News & Star

• FIGHT TO IMPROVE WEST COAST MAINLINE ROUTE NOT FINISHED YET Railway campaigners say they will maintain pressure to improve links on Cumbria’s West Coast Mainline. The call was made at a meeting to celebrate more than two decades of campaigning for improvements on the line.

Reading Evening Post

• All change for Friar Street bus stops Bus passengers who normally hop on board in Friar Street will have to steer themselves to alternative bus stops this week.

Other Regional Press

• Heathrow noise insulation pilot scheme welcomedA PILOT scheme to cut noise for Heathrow's neighbours has been praised by council leaders.
• Radlett rail freight to make roads 'intolerable' says Elstree Greenbelt SocietyDrivers will be faced with “mammoth” traffic jams when a new freight terminal is built near Radlett, according to campaigners.
• City deal approved for Oxfordshire A œCITY deal which could unlock millions of pounds to fund major transport projects and create jobs in Oxfordshire has been approved.
• Weymouth Railway station security increases EFFORTS are being made at Weymouth railway station to deter crime and anti-social behaviour.

Bus and Coach.com

• MAN attacks review rumoursIn an unusual move Des Evans, chief executive officer of MAN Truck & Bus UK, has issued a statement to deny unspecified rumours about the company's future in the UK bus market as it reviews its bus and coach operations.
• Nexus backing off quality contracts?There are signs that Nexus, the Tyne and Wear PTE, may be following West Yorkshire in softening its hard line on bus quality contracts.
• Your Bus launches Red Arrow competitorYour Bus has this week started a Citylink service running between Nottingham and Derby in direct competition with Trent Barton's established Red Arrow service.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Rail: time to put communities in control18 February 2013: Today's report from Which? shows passenger frustration with our rail services. But it also shows how local control of franchises can restore confidence in delivering a better railway for passengers. read more

Global Rail News

• Railtex visitor registration now openThe countdown to Railtex 2013 is well underway, with just weeks to go before the show opens its doors at London’s Earls Court exhibition centre on 30 April. Visitor registration is now open via www.railtex.co.uk, providing free entry to all who sign up in advance to attend. Registering by this method also avoids a £20 [...]
• More than half of rail operators not meeting satisfaction standards “ Which?More than half of train operators received a satisfaction score of 50 per cent or lower in a passenger survey conducted by consumer advice agency Which? The organisation’s second annual train satisfaction survey, which questioned 7,500 regular train travellers, found that First Capital Connect customers were the least happy with their service, while Virgin Trains [...]
• Digging beneath Grand CentralNew pictures show engineers working on the East Side Access project in the man-made caverns beneath Grand Central Terminal in New York. A subterranean concourse is currently under construction to connect the Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) Main and Port Washington lines in Queens with the Manhattan station. New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has [...]
• Railway sleeper donation aids bushfire relief effortAustralia’s state-owned agency RailCorp is donating wooden railway sleepers to reconstruct fences destroyed by bushfires in New South Wales. About 1,800 sleepers will be used as fence posts, to help replace an estimated 3,500 kilometres of fencing that was lost in January™s fires. The wooden rail sleepers will be used by volunteers helping farmers in [...]
• Tunnels, railways, and the future for young engineersThe Permanent Way is a diverse concept. There is the traditional formation, cess and drainage; there are embankments and cuttings, bridges and viaducts and, when necessary, there is the option, albeit an expensive and always a challenging one, to create a pathway by constructing a tunnel. Very few tunnels are straightforward, each one having its [...]
• Costain/Skanska partnership awarded Bond Street station contractA joint venture partnership between Costain and Skanska will carry out the main works at Bond Street station after signing a £110 million contract with Crossrail. The project will involve the main construction, platform fit-out and mechanical and electrical services for the Western Ticket Hall in Davies Street and the Eastern Ticket Hall in Hanover [...]
• Mott MacDonald to design Hyderabad metro stationsBritish consultancy Mott MacDonald is to act as detailed design engineer for six new stations along the new Hyderabad metro system. The 71 km Hyderabad metro network – which is under construction in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India – will include three lines and 66 stations. Mott MacDonald will provide architectural, structural, and public [...]

London TravelWatch

• Walking and Interchange report publishedInterchange “ changing between stations or types of transport “ is key for those travelling in London, and it is vital that the interchanging is as easy and quick as possible for London™s travelling public, says London TravelWatch, the watchdog for transport users in London, in its report issued today, Walking and Interchange in London.
• Passenger watchdog™s campaign for step free access at Paddington is successfulLondon TravelWatch has welcomed the completion of work to make both sides of the road leading to Paddington station step free, work which is the direct result of a long campaign by the independent passenger watchdog.

Railnews

• Which? claims many rail passengers 'dissatisfied' Many rail passengers are dissatisfied with their journeys, according to a new survey by the consumer organisation Which? But the findings, which follow the questioning of about 7,000 people, contradict the results of the much larger surveys carried out by Passenger Focus, which reported recently that passenger satisfaction is at an average of 85 per cent.

Aviation Industry

• Iberia takes delivery of first A330-300Iberia has taken delivery of first of eight Airbus A330-300s on order.

Other News Sources

• Skanska/Costain joint venture wins £110M Crossrail Bond Street contract Crossrail has awarded the £110M Bond Street station works contract to a Skanska/Costain joint venture.
• Operational Note from Jenny Jones AM: London Assembly to debate increase in cycling budget 18 February 2013 On Monday, 25th February, the London Assembly will debate an amendment to the Mayor™s budget to prioritise cycling schemes worth £41m if there are unexpected savings identified by Transport for London in the coming year. This would raise the cycling budget to 2% of the annual TfL budget and match the 2% of journeys which are estimated to be made by bike. budget, cycling, amendment, TfL ...

Other Subscription Services

• DfT defends West Coast-only bid reimbursement Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has defended his controversial decision not to reimburse bid costs for the Great Western, Essex Thameside and Thameslink franchise competitions.McLoughlin...
• West Coast hiatus puts 500 supply jobs at risk Multinational train builder Alstom has warned that the two year hiatus before a new inter-city West Coast franchise is let is likely to lead to the loss of 500 jobs in its West Coast Main Line...
• Guided buses get too close in horse incident A bus has crashed into the back of another bus on the Cambridgeshire guided busway causing minor injuries to passengers.The incident occurred on Friday afternoon (15 February) between Swavesey and...
• Underground chief Collins heads down under London Underground chief operating officer Howard Collins is to leave London for a new job in Australia where he will be chief executive of Sydney Trains.Collins is one of LU's most well known and...