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

Tuesday, 19 June 2012

BBC News

• London 2012: Businesses 'will cope with Games' Some 80% of companies in London say they are confident their businesses will be able to cope with travel disruption posed by the Olympics.
• Police probe rail track damageA police investigation is launched after a stretch of railway line in Aberdeenshire was damaged, causing disruption to services.
• Easyjet adds more Belfast flightsEasyjet is to add extra flights from Belfast International Airport on a number of its routes from October.
• Ford workers take strike actionFord workers begin a 24-hour strike in a dispute over pay and pensions, but the car giant says it is

Financial Times

• Private jets: clearing skiesOrders for up to 425 new aircraft would seem to indicate the industry is finally out of the murk of the recession, but the outlook is far from clear
• London Olympics bus dispute escalatesUnion threatens to add any pay lost as a result of strike action by its members to its claim for £500 for all members who work during the event
• Stobart enters car transport with £12.4m buyAutologic takeover would enable Stobart to enter the car transport and vehicle services markets ˜with immediate critical mass™

The Herald

• Subway strike off as union votes for new plan A DAMAGING strike by Glasgow Subway staff has been averted after members of the Unite union voted by a narrow margin to accept an overhaul of pay and conditions as well as the loss of 65 jobs.
• Subway strike off as union votes for new planA DAMAGING strike by Glasgow Subway staff has been averted after members of the Unite union voted by a narrow margin to accept an overhaul of pay and conditions as well as the loss of 65 jobs.

The Independent

• Pair jailed over 'Boris bike' scam

The Scotsman

• Changing of guardrail: Shared space plan to boost safety by removing barriers TRANSPORT chiefs are planning to improve road safety on Edinburgh’s streets – by taking away pedestrian barriers.
• Scotland™s airports see huge boost in passenger numbersSCOTLAND’S regional airports have seen a massive boost in passenger numbers - thanks to a whisky festival, a schools project, golf and increased oil-related traffic.

The Telegraph

• London's transport chiefs set for massive bonuses London’s transport bosses are likley to share a bonus pot in excess of £1 million if the network copes with the Olympics, the Daily Telegraph can disclose.
• Political timidity stops airport plans taking off In the next three years China will build 70 new airports, while Britain will produce only a strategy document
• Boris Johnson backs new runway at Stansted Boris Johnson has called for a second runway to be built at Stansted as the gulf between the London Mayor and David Cameron widened on aviation.

Mail Online

• Fraudsters swindled £42,000 from London 'Boris Bike' hire scheme by diverting fine refunds to friendsNana Boateng, from Enfield in north London and Jose Dias, pictured, from Hackney, in north London, admitted fraud by abuse of their position at Southwark Crown Court.
• Boris Johnson backs second runway at Stansted Airport as stop-gap before creation of Thames 'hub'Johnson launched an attack on the Government after David Cameron refused to rule out reconsidering expanding Heathrow following the next election in 2015.

Belfast Telegraph

• Belfast airport job loss warning as Aer Lingus plans move Northern Ireland airport chiefs have been urged to stop cutting each others’ throats as Aer Lingus prepares for its expected shift to George Best Airport. Related StoriesBelfast Airport will not close, says City chief

Birmingham Mail

• Business leaders insist: we do back high speed railBUSINESS leaders have insisted Birmingham needs a planned high speed rail network with a major station in Birmingham city centre, following reports that the scheme could be in jeopardy.

Bolton News

• New bus to hospital may be on way A NEW hourly bus service serving the Royal Bolton Hospital could be introduced if transport bosses give it the green light this week.

London Evening Standard

• Birmingham makes bid for longer runway A regional airport is launching an ambitious bid to quadruple its passenger numbers to tackle Britain’s aviation needs.
• We need a proper modern airport: get on with it Is the Government serious about producing an aviation policy for Britain? Britain is an island: most people get here and leave by air. British governments have usually found it convenient to forget this fact.
• Central line hit by rush hour signal failureTens of thousands of Tube commuters suffered a bad start to the week when signal failure crippled the Central line during the morning peak.
• Birmingham makes bid for longer runwayA regional airport is launching an ambitious bid to quadruple its passenger numbers to tackle Britain™s aviation needs.
• Bus staff want £100 more for each time they strikeBus staff are to raise their demand for a £500 Olympic Games bonus by £100 every time they go on the strike.
• Boris Johnson has given his support to plans to build a second runway at Stansted Airport, the Standard can reveal.The Mayor said another runway at the airport would be a œfantastic step in the right direction� to solving the South-East™s air capacity crisis before building a new hub in the Thames Estuary.
• The great Boris Bike scamTwo fraudsters were jailed today for swindling up to £42,000 from the "Boris bike" scheme.

Metro

• Pilots declare emergency because they were too tired to land planePilots flying a holiday jet declared an emergency because they were too exhausted to land the plane, it emerged. The crew issued a distress ˜pan pan™ message (Picture: Alamy) Their aircraft was 12 minutes from touching down when the crew issued a distress ˜pan pan™ message saying they could not complete the flight. Instead, they switched the Airbus A330 to autopilot which landed the aircraft without further incident. It is thought to be the first time pilot fatigue has been blamed for such an incident. However, unions say it will become more more frequent if proposed rules which will extend ...

Northern Echo

• Community transport plan unveiled for Sadberge A NEW plan to create a community transport service for a village set to lose all of its bus services later this year has been revealed to parish councillors.

Bucks Free Press

• 1,000 sign petition against train cuts in Seer GreenTRAIN passengers from Seer Green and Jordans are fighting Chiltern Railways after their off-peak services to and from London were cut by 50 per cent.

Plymouth Herald

• Plymouth train station undergoing £1.5million faceliftA £1.5MILLION train station revamp will bring an end to tired decor and tatty signs reading 'Velcome to Plym', its operators say.

Other Regional Press

• Transport Minister opens £700k Hove cycle lane The Old Shoreham Road cycle lane in Hove was officially opened this morning (Monday 18 June).
• Deadline to renew Metro bus cards approachesPENSIONERS and people with special needs will need to start renewing their five-year concessionary bus passes this year.
• Camera car snares 1,800 drivers in first yearMORE than 1,800 drivers have been caught out by Hartlepool’s camera car and given £80,000 of fines in its first year on the roads.
• Estate buses' return may hinge on new road layoutBuses could once again run through a residential estate as a council reconsiders plans to build a 60,000 roundabout within the area to allow the vehicles to turn.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• UK rail freight activity increases The volumes of rail freight moved in the UK jumped by ten per cent year on year over the 12 months to April 2012, new data show.
• Bus service Olympic logistics plans unveiled Plans to ensure London's bus services run smoothly during the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games have been announced.

Global Rail News

• Station master Trevor Francis awarded MBEA green-fingered ScotRail employee has been awarded an MBE for his efforts to brighten up Aberdour station. Trevor Francis, who has manned the station’s ticket office on the south coast of Fife since December 1993, has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his tireless services to the community. In his spare time, [...]
• High Speed wonNetwork Rail has retained the contract to maintain and operate High Speed 1 until 2025. HS1 Ltd, the owners of Britain™s first and only high speed railway, signed the new deal with Network Rail following the successful first five years of operation. HS1 and St Pancras International formally opened in 2007. Says Nicola Shaw, chief [...]
• NDC gain contractor approvalNDC Consultants have been awarded the Principal Contractors Licence (PCL) following the completion of the SPT Concentrator Renewals 11/12 project. The licence will enable NDC to provide its clients with a full turnkey solution comprising survey, design and build. The SPT Concentrator Renewals 11/12 project consisted of life extension works on the existing concentrator at [...]
• Centro win for Balfour BeattyRegional transport authority, Centro, has named Balfour Beatty as the preferred bidder to build the Midland Metro extension through Birmingham™s city centre. Says Centro chief executive Geoff Inskip, “This is a prestigious project in the heart of Birmingham and it demands a construction partner of exactly the pedigree and calibre of Balfour Beatty. We worked [...]
• Gibb to join Network Rail on secondmentNetwork Rail has announced that Virgin™s chief operating officer, Chris Gibb, is to join the company on a temporary basis in a bid to improve the West Coast Main Line. Virgin Trains has agreed to the secondment with Network Rail for the remainder of this year to work with the company on improving the performance [...]

RailNews.co.uk

• Scots want escape from 'perverse' railway laws THE present railway laws introduced by the government at Westminster since 1993 are unnecessarily restrictive and are hampering growth, according to the Scottish Government. It is also concerned about the prospect of the next ScotRail being operated by a foreign state-owned railway, particularly when Scottish public bodies are barred from competing. Now, just days before the vision for Scottish railways from 2014 is expected to be unveiled by Holyrood, Scottish ministers have staged an attack on existing railway legislation, and are calling for further devolution to allow Scotland to make mor...

Aviation Industry

• MPs targeted in new anti-APD campaignAlliance wants 100,000 people to contact MPs to protest against tax
• Easyjet to add more domestic flights from BelfastCarrier will increase frequencies on key business routes to UK cities
• Japan Airlines to cut fuel surchargesFall in price of oil leads to lower charges on UK-Japan flights

Other News Sources

• Vince Cable: Heathrow third runway will be considered Business secretary Vince Cable has insisted the government’s consultation on aviation capacity next month will consider “all options”, including a third runway at London Heathrow Airport.
• Rail nightmares ease for commuters after derailmentPASSENGER train delays to and from Reading Station were easing this evening after contractors shifted a derailed engine which had been causing havoc since the early hours.
• NEWS FROM JOHN BIGGS; Cable Car 'broken promise to Londoners 18 June, 2012 The new Cable Car crossing the Thames between the O2 and EdExcel is a "broken promise" to Londoners according to Labour London Assembly Member John Biggs. The Cable Car, which originally was supposed to cost the taxpayer nothing, will in fact cost the taxpayer millions of pounds. The sponsors will only pay £36million over 10 years of the total £60million cost. 360-house-thumb.jpg Yes read more
• News from Caroline Pidgeon - Questions over funding of the Thames Cable Car still remain 18 June, 2012 Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the announcement that the Thames Cable Car will open from midday on Thursday 28 June said: "It is welcome news that the Thames Cable Car will be open before the Olympic Games, as additional forms of transport will be helpful in dealing with the exceptional pressures the capital will face later this Summer,, and help spectators travel between the Excel and O2 venues. 360-house-thumb.jpg ...
• Assembly launches investigation into cyclist safety in LondonWith 16 deaths on the capital™s roads last year and injuries also on the rise, where is London going wrong on cyclist safety?  What more needs to be done to make Londoners safer on their bikes?  And what could the capital learn from cities with good cycling records?   The London Assembly Transport Committee today launches an investigation aimed at drawing together issues around cycling in the capital, assessing how effectively improvements are being delivered, and identifying furt...