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

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

BBC News

• HS2 compensation row on deadlineA row breaks out over HS2 housing compensation on the deadline for comments on the exceptional hardship scheme.
• Airport has 'long-haul potential'Plans to attract long haul services from Cardiff Airport are submitted to a commission looking at air capacity in the UK.
• Airport grass used to help farmersMore than 200 acres of grass at Dublin Airport is being cut and given to Irish farmers to help tackle the Republic's severe shortage of animal fodder.
• Shifting arguments for the New BusThe shifting arguments for the New Bus
• Cruise ship runs aground in Oban BayA small cruise liner with 112 people on board runs aground in the waters of Oban Bay on the west coast of Scotland.
• Airport increases European flightsNew European scheduled flights to Amsterdam, Paris, Milan and Geneva are announced by Cambridge Airport.
• FirstGroup stock hit by rights issueTransport company FirstGroup has announced a £615m rights issue in a bid reduce its debt after its full year profit dropped by over a third.
• Ryanair profits at record highDiscount airline Ryanair reports record full-year profits and rising revenues despite soaring fuel costs, but hits out at

Financial Times

• Shipping: too much supplyWith overcapacity and weak demand, cutting supply would seem the obvious solution. But shipping groups seem to prefer to keep adding to it
• Chairman to step down from FirstGroupBus and rail operator expected to announce a board shake-up to placate investors and will unveil plans for a £600m rights issue and dividend cut
• Ryanair: options extraThe Irish airline’s shares have risen 85% over the past 12 months, leaving an obvious question for investors: how much upside remains?
• Ryanair seeks more growth as profit soarsEurope’s largest low-cost carrier says it will use a planned purchase of 175 Boeing passenger jets to expand in Germany, Scandinavia and central Europe
• Rights issue plan derails FirstGroupSome income funds offloaded shares because of the axing of the final dividend, while other investors sold because of the size of the rights issue

The Guardian

• FirstGroup shares plunge after rights issue and sharp fall in profitsTrain and bus operator turns to shareholders for £615m and scraps final dividend in effort to reduce debts
• The tube is a great public institution It was good to read Ian Jack's description of the London Underground as a "great public institution" (What's Ian seen, 18 May). In all the publicity surrounding the 150th anniversary of the tube, hardly a word has been said about another important date: the 80th anniversary of public ownership, inaugurated on 1 July 1933, when the underground became part of the London Passenger Transport Board.

The Herald

• Surge in cycling brings £4m boost to city's wealthA SURGE in commuters cycling to and from Glasgow is estimated to be benefitting the local economy by more than £4 million a year, public health experts say.
• Meet Amanda McMillan: the woman who runs Glasgow AirportAMANDA McMillan is recounting a lost in translation moment at airport security.
• Station reopens after delay to £11m rebuildTRAINS are using a railway station in Glasgow's East End again after a six-month delay to its £11 million upgrade.

The Scotsman

• FirstGroup’s Tim O’Toole admits ’hard slog’ FirstGroup chief executive Tim O’Toole has admitted that running the Aberdeen-based transport giant has been harder than he expected after he launched a £615 million fundraising to shore up its finances. Shares in the company plummeted 30 per cent, wiping £330m off its value.

The Telegraph

• Troubled FirstGroup announces rights issue as chairman Martin Gilbert steps downAlmost £330m was wiped off the value of FirstGroup as shareholders vented their fury at a deeply discounted £615m rights issue, launched to avoid a damaging downgrade in the company’s credit rating to “junk” status.
• Our railways are full to bursting - but futuristic cars are no replacement for the trainThe prospect of driverless cars on Britain's roads is thrilling. But it does not diminish the pressing need for High Speed Rail, writes Stephen Hammond.    
• easyJet reduces cabin baggage sizeTravellers on easyJet flights who want to take their luggage with them in the cabin will have to pack even lighter this summer after the airline announced new squeezed limits on luggage sizes.    

Mail Online

• Riyadh metro station: Luxurious rail hub King of Saudi Arabia has ordered to be built in just four yearsWith its marbled walkways, gold-plated walls and space-age design, the proposed new metro hub in Riyadh will be the envy of weary commuters around the world when it is completed in double-quick time under the orders of ruler King Abdullah.

The Mirror

• Transport giant FirstGroup in £615m cash call to shore up its finances The company is still reeling from the Government’s bungled handling of last year’s West Coast Main Line contract.

Belfast Telegraph

• Coach firm on road to more success with £3m upgradeA FAMILY-RUN coach company in Co Antrim is investing £3m on keeping its tour buses on the roads of Ireland and Scotland.Related StoriesJim Dobson, Dunbia managing directorCliff Kells, Tesco NI's commercial managerYears of high inflation lie aheadYahoo in billion dollar bid to make comebackSir Allen's first company is sold to the US for £5bn    

Edinburgh Evening News

• Bike shed rule to be axed to encourage cyclingRegulations which ban home owners from putting up bike sheds without planning permission are set to be scrapped in a bid to encourage more people to cycle.

London Evening Standard

• Mayor in new row over cost of ‘Boris buses’Boris Johnson today reignited the row over the cost of London’s new Routemaster-style buses, as he claimed they could turn out cheaper than the current hybrid vehicles.
• Gatwick Express 'veers towards Third World conditions' The Gatwick Express “at times veers towards Third World conditions” giving some business executives and tourists flying to London a poor first impression of Britain, an airport boss warned today.
• London Transport Museum revives tradition of designing a poster for the 100th RHS Chelsea Flower Show This May sees the 100th year of RHS Chelsea Flower Show, that enduring and incredibly popular hardy annual flower and gardening show that inspires gardeners, real and imaginary, all over London and across the length and breadth of Great Britain.

Manchester Evening News

• FirstGroup cancels dividend Bus and train operator FirstGroup has cancelled its dividend
• Profits up at Ryanair Budget airline Ryanair grew profits by 13 per cent last year

Northern Echo

• Northern Rail staff vote to strike RAILWAY passengers could face disruption over the next bank holiday after Northern Rail staff voted to strike over the firm’s use of agency workers.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• A9 flood defence work beginsLong-awaited flood prevention work on the A9 Inverness to Thurso road has been welcomed by a Sutherland woman whose home was deluged by water more than six years ago.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds drivers do hard yards as M62 project reaches milestoneThe hard shoulder along part of the M62 outside Leeds has opened as an extra lane to ease congestion at peak times.
• Walking and cycling paths to be extended along Leeds-Liverpool canalThe National Cycle Network along the Leeds-Liverpool canal could be extended with a new pathway between Shipley and Bradford.

Yorkshire Post

• Rail workers rescued from high platformA RAILWAY worker had a narrow escape in the early hours of yesterday after she became stranded on a hydraulic platform.

Blackpool Gazette

• Aircraft involved in runway incident over 20 years agoThe aircraft involved in the horror crash in Caernarfon had been involved in another runway incident more than 20 years ago.
• Residents urged to have say on PromMore than 500 people have already had their say on possible changes to Blackpool Promenade.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Airport deal to help bring Peterborough closer to Paris and MilanMonday, 2.15pm: Overseas holiday makers and businesspeople from Peterborough have been given a new departure point after nearby Cambridge Airport signed a major deal with a European airline.

Other Regional Press

• Rail is key to Stansted Airport's success, according to new owner STANSTED Airport’s new owner has called for faster train links to the airport to help the hub double traffic and solve the south east’s aviation capacity crisis.
• Transport powers 'must be devolved', says Cambridge Cycling Campaign Two powerful committees should be formed to control transport in Cambridgeshire, cycle activists say.
• Free school transport axed by Hull City Council FREE school transport has been axed by Hull City Council's cabinet. The new policy will come into force in September 2014 and will mean the council will only provide the free transport for pupils it is required to by law.

Bus and Coach.com

• Militant agenda strike loomsBarring any last-minute agreement, bus drivers on the Isle of Man are expected to start a 12-day strike on Saturday (25 May).
• No dividend from First as profits slumpProfits at FirstGroup for the year to 31 March have dropped, as the group announces its preliminary results and plans to raise £615million to “remove the constraints of the current balance sheet”.
• £3million fleet for Thanet LoopA fleet of 27 new ADL Enviro200s has been introduced to Stagecoach's Kent fleet to upgrade the Thanet Loop which serves Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• WHY LOGISTICS FIRMS SHOULD NOT GET CARRIED AWAY BY FALLING FUEL PRICES The average price of diesel has fallen by more than 3.5p a litre in the past month, but it is still far too early for logistics companies to get carried away.
• BUSINESSES 'SHOULD BE SERVED BY A NETWORK OF AIRPORTS' Leaders at Birmingham Airport believe that UK businesses should have access to a network of airports.
• ARRIVA INCREASES ITS INFLUENCE IN EUROPE Arriva has become the leading international transport provider in eastern and central Europe after parent company Deutsche Bahn successfully acquired Veolia Transport Central Europe (VTCE).
• 'BRITAIN HAS BEST RAILWAY IN EUROPE' New Institute President sets out Transport agenda for next 12 months. Britain is recognised by the European Commission as having the best railway in Europe, because it is a 'model' rail system that EU policy makers are urging other member states to follow and adapt in the running of their own networks.

Global Rail News

• What do they do? Rail Freight GroupRail freight has been experiencing a marked renaissance over the past 15 years, growing in popularity as consistently as its steady decline in the 1960s and 70s, Marc Johnson reports. More and more businesses continue to shift from road to rail, but motorways and HGVs are still moving most of the UK’s goods, with rail [...]
• Interfleet wins IEP roleInterfleet has landed an assessment and certification role for Hitachi’s new fleet of Super Express trains. Interfleet Certification has been named as the Notified Body (NoBo) and Designated Body (DeBo)[...]
• Major track replacement plan announced for Sheffield SupertramSheffield’s tram network is to undergo a £32 million track renewal programme to replace the system’s ageing infrastructure. The network’s operator, Stagecoach Supertram, and owner, South Yorkshire Transport Executive (SYPTE)[...]
• Spain considers massive cut to medium-distance train travelSpanish train operator Renfe is being forced to carry out a major cull of its underused mid-distance rail services. Following the publication of a report into the performance of Spain’s[...]
• Cleanup continues after Connecticut derailmentNew York’s transport authority has spent the weekend repairing a section of track which was damaged after two trains collided in Connecticut. More than 70 people are believed to have[...]
• Passenger numbers rise on Dubai MetroPassenger numbers have continued to rise on the Dubai Metro in 2013, with more than 33 million trips recorded in the first quarter of this year. The operator has seen[...]
• FirstGroup announces £615m rights issue to raise fundsFirstGroup has announced a rights issue worth £615 million to try and reduce debts of almost £2 billion. Announcing preliminary results for the year, FirstGroup said that although trading was[...]

London TravelWatch

• London TravelWatch casework secures ticketing success for Kent passengersLondon TravelWatch has helped secure a boost for Southeastern rail passengers on the high speed line (HS1) from Kent who had previously been forced to buy additional tickets at St Pancras International despite having tickets which enabled them to travel through the station to other London destinations such as London Bridge and Blackfriars. The independent passenger watchdog took up this case on behalf of passengers after it received complaints from passengers angry that they were being treated unfairly.

Railnews

• Northern staff vote for industrial action A strike ballot at Northern Rail organised by the RMT union has resulted in a majority voting in favour of action. The ballot follows a dispute over the use of agency staff, particularly on revenue protection duties. Northern said it was 'disappointed' at the outcome, and repeated its denials that it was intent on 'casualising the workforce’.
• New station opens in West Midlands Trains have started to call at a new station in the West Midlands, which opened yesterday (Sunday 19 May) with the launch of the summer timetables. Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway, between Wilmcote and Stratford, has a generally hourly service to Birmingham Snow Hill operated by London Midland.

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair's extra charges help lift profit to record highRyanair Ltd.'s chief executive Michael O'Leary speaks to the media in Vitrolles, southern France, Jan.
• Delta CEO plans to add jobs in NE MinnesotaThe chief executive of Delta Air Lines says he plans to add jobs at the carrier's reservation center in the northeastern Minnesota city of Chisholm.
• Boeing's Dreamliner Returns To U.S. Skies After GroundingBoeing's Dreamliner 787 has made its first U.S. flight since being grounded back in January after problems with its batteries.
• Ryanair eyes growth opportunities as European carriers contractMajor restructuring or contractions in the short-haul operations of several major European carriers will present low-cost carrier (LCC) Ryanair with considerable short-term opportunities, the airline’s deputy CEO said Monday. read more
• United Airlines operates its first commercial 787 flight since January A United Airlines Boeing 787 operated a commercial flight Monday for the first time since FAA grounded the Dreamliner Jan. 16. read more
• Ryanair surges to record profitsO’Leary hints that airline could start adding capacity at Stansted
• Gatwick Express ‘veers towards Third World conditions’New airport chairman says train service must be improved

Other News Sources

• Hub preference means capacity problems hit HeathrowIn its submission to the Airports Commission on making best use of airport capacity in the short to medium term, the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR UK) says that airlines are only experiencing capacity problems at Heathrow.