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

Tuesday, 06 August 2013

BBC News

• Camden Council calls for HS2 compensation audit Fears compensation to people living on the HS2 high-speed rail route will be inadequate have prompted a council to call for an audit of the scheme.
• VIDEO: Taking a taxi in London and KampalaTaxis are transport options in most cities around the world, but how do they vary in price around the globe?

Financial Times

• Flybe hires easyJet director in new roleBoard to be slimmed down as part of turnround strategy for struggling regional airline after losses rose sevenfold to £40m

The Herald

• Festival inadequacies highlight the compelling case for Crossrail ALISON Rowat's account of inadequacies in ScotRail's services during the Edinburgh Festival exposes a more formidable, 365-days a-year barrier to convenient east-west train travel across Scotland for the 500,000 residents south of the Clyde, still disadvantaged by the short "missing link" across central Glasgow ("Tale of two cities separated by more than mere distance", The Herald, August 2).

The Independent

• Fares to rise by more than 9% as rail pressure groups hit out at 'inflation-busting' increases Rail groups have hit out after it emerged that fares could rise by more than nine per cent next year for some train journeys.Related Stories'Close to meat':

The Telegraph

• Commuters face another round of above inflation risesCommuters face another round of above inflation fare rises which could see the cost of some season tickets go up by more than eight per cent.    

Mail Online

• Spain unveils the world¿s first travelling garden atop a public bus: Vehicles designed to bring the countryside to the cityA new range of buses adapted with gardens on their roofs are aiming to purify air in Spanish cities that have a lack of parks and other open spaces. The system uses condensation from the air conditioning units.

The Mirror

• Rail fares set to rise by 9% due to Government price increase formula Regulated prices – which include the cost of season tickets and off-peak intercity fares – are likely to go up by about 4.3% in 2014 depending on July’s inflation figures
• British Airways flight bound for Hong Kong has to return to Heathrow with technical problems The flight took off from the London airport but had to circle the English Channel and return to the UK

Birmingham Mail

• Eight out of ten cyclists feel unsafe on road A quarter say they have been road rage victims in last year
• Police stunned as drivers stop on hard shoulder to pick flowers, sleep and take photos Officers vow to tackle misuse of hard shoulder on Birmingham box motorways

Birmingham Post

• West Coast Main Line 'could reach crisis point', warns city council transport official Stark warning from transport officials who say new high speed rail line was “vital for growth and jobs”

Daily Post (North Wales)

• North Wales rail saga: Improvements to line still essential for economy despite delay The decision to hold off the £36m scheme has been met with anger as 'more cost effective' option are looked at

London Evening Standard

• Boris Bike staff to stage 48-hour strike over wagesThe Boris Bikes scheme is to be hit by a 48-hour strike — from 9pm on Sunday until the same time on Tuesday.
• EXCLUSIVE: Commuters will be hit by fare rises of up to nine per centMillions of commuters face  inflation-busting fare rises of up to nine per cent, the Evening Standard can reveal.
• British Airways Silent Picturehouse: Cinematic brilliance Hundreds of film-lovers were transported across the globe to exotic destinations through the magic of the movies at the British Airways Silent Picturehouse last week, which screened five travel-inspired films simultaneously on five screens over five days. The event proved so popular, an extra day was added to accommodate demand.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Fear of soaring costs in West Link rethink CRITICS of the Inverness West Link road claim plans for a raft of changes to the controversial project will send its cost soaring.

Wales Online

• Cardiff Airport could be "Heathrow's sixth terminal" - Sir Howard Davies The man leading a commission into the future for Britain's airports today said he would consider a plan to use Cardiff Airport as Heathrow's "sixth terminal".

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Delays as Leeds trains cancelledPASSENGERS faced major delays on the trains this afternoon with a swathe of cancellations on services in and out of Leeds.

Yorkshire Post

• Delays caused by broken railTRAIN passengers travelling between West Yorkshire and Manchester suffered major delays last night after a broken rail was reported on the line.

Other Regional Press

• Volk’s electric railway marks 130-year landmark anniversary Since it opened on August 4 in 1883 by inventor Magnus Volk, Volk’s Electric railway has been in almost continuous operation along the seafront.
• Essex County Council's Crossrail 2 response calls for train improvementsESSEX County Council (ECC) has thrown its weight behind the Crossrail 2 project, calling for enhanced train links to Stansted Airport.
• Bus passengers to get real-time trackerMissing the bus could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new online innovation.
• Aberdeen community set to lose bus serviceAN ABERDEEN community is set to lose a commuter route as a bus company plans to withdraw its service.
• Cycle parking facilities returns to Weymouth CYCLE parking compounds are springing up in Weymouth.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Shh...the Government's just published its national transport strategy5 August 2013: Last Friday, the Government slipped out what it effectively their national transport strategy. Big on the supply side, it misses out on influencing and managing demand. read more

Global Rail News

• Crossrail Thames TunnelsWhen Paul Baker of Hochtief Murphy Joint Venture (HMJV) was kind enough to invite me to visit the Plumstead portal of the Crossrail Thames Tunnels I was delighted. I spent most of my career maintaining Victorian rail tunnels, and have visited the interior of some more modern tunnels such as the Channel Tunnel, but I [...]

Middle East North Africa (MENA) Rail News

• Gulf Railway Expansion And Technology Summit 20134-5 November 2013 Doha, Qatar Visit Website Your Gateway to the Middle East Rail Market A key event in the rail industry’s calendar, GREATS 2013 offers an exceptional opportunity for companies in the railway industry Why GREATS – 2013 Speaking to more than 1500 industry professionals and government officials specifically from the railway and infrastructure […]The post Gulf Railway Expansion And Technology Summit 2013 appeared first on MENA Rail News.

Railnews

• Unions appeal for government to aid Railcare Business secretary Vince Cable is being told that he can't 'wash his hands' of rolling stock engineering company Railcare, after 152 redundancies were confirmed on Friday. Union representatives are due to meet representatives from Vince Cable's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to make their case for a short term cash injection of at least £1 million. Unite and the RMT said Railcare had a full order book from October, and that Vince Cable should intervene immediately to encourage the banks and rolling stock companies to provide short-term loans.

Aviation Industry

• Swiss International Air Lines 2Q operating profit jumps 48% Lufthansa Group subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines has reported a second-quarter operating profit of SFR96 million ($101.5 million), up 48% compared to SFR65 million in the year-ago period. read more
• European Commission clears American Airlines-US Airways merger The European Commission has approved the American Airlines-US Airways merger, the two airlines said in a statement. read more
• Hillgate Travel urges clients to join APD fightTMC will promote online campaign against high air taxes
• British Airways to go daily on Hyderabad routeCarrier will boost capacity on Indian route from October
• Flybe recruits Easyjet’s UK bossRegional airline poaches Simmons from rival carrier to work alongside new CEO
• Emirates unveils private jet serviceDubai airline aims to tap into the executive jet market with Airbus A319

Other News Sources

• First takes lead in helping the blind A BUS firm is giving its drivers specific training designed to help blind or partially-sighted passengers in Southampton.
• Death toll on county roads is falling year on yearA total of 18 people died in road accidents in 2012 and the number of fatalities is falling year on year
• Parking row in street in Brighton after new restrictions introduced A parking feud has erupted among neighbours after new parking restrictions flooded a road with cars.