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

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

BBC News

• Norwich to London trains cancelled: Gummer calls for resignationsThe Ipswich MP Ben Gummer has called for resignations after rush-hour trains were cancelled due to weekend engineering work overrunning again.
• The etiquette of reclining seats on flightsA US flight had to be diverted after one passenger prevented another from reclining her seat, according to reports. When is it acceptable to lean back at 30,000ft, asks Jon Kelly.
• East Coast Mainline rail commuters experienced severe delaysRail commuters going south on the East Coast Mainline experienced hours of delays due to overhead wire problems.
• New airport would bring 'jobs boost'A Thames Estuary airport would support 336,000 jobs and contribute £92.1bn to the economy each year, the Mayor of London says.
• Cyclists threat to London guide dogsA quarter of guide dogs working in London have been involved in a collision with a bike, a survey finds.
• Call for better regulation of busesBus services outside London need better regulation and competition, a centre-left think tank says.
• Bus passenger boost for StagecoachTransport giant Stagecoach says more people boarded its buses this summer as it posts a 4% rise in revenues from regional services.

Financial Times

• Stagecoach sales hurt by London trafficTransport group focusing on growing earnings from bus routes where earnings come from fare-paying passengers amid cutbacks to concessionary prices
• American Airlines pulls Orbitz fares in fee rowThe dispute, over fees being charged to customers, marks the second time that the airline has withdrawn ticket sales through the travel website

The Guardian

• Bus deregulation outside London has been a failure – thinktank reportBus passenger journeys outside London have fallen by 32.5% since 1986, but within the capital they have risen by 99%
• Stagecoach earnings rise after bus and train contract winsStagecoach and partner Virgin Trains won the right to run the west coast mainline service, a deal expected to triple their profits
• Commuters face delays on East Coast rail network into London King's CrossPassengers advised to postpone travel after overhead wire problems causes disruption to post-bank holiday train services
• Boris Johnson's Thames estuary airport hope could crash as early as next weekMayor submits report claiming hub would create thousands of jobs but commission may ditch plan no politician or airline wants
• Low-cost home-transport is 'a disaster waiting to happen'Cuts to a £1m specialist bus contract are putting disabled children's lives at risk, say parentsWhen Fiona Mylchreest stood up at a council meeting and described how she believed a disastrous,and avoidable, mix-up on a new, cut-price specialist school bus service had left her severely autistic teenage son Finn traumatised, bleeding and seriously ill, it crystallised the huge risks taken by local authorities as they juggle with extreme spending cuts.Mylchreest was one of several people at the meeting, last month, to raise serious concerns about the new home-transport service for children with s...
• Thames estuary airport: Boris Johnson makes final case for jobsMayor warns airport commission's Sir Howard Davies 'may feel daunted by ambition' of extra 67,000 jobs on Isle of Grain hub

The Telegraph

• Car tax discs end in six weeks but half the country has no ideaTax discs will be abolished on October 1 but of those aware change is ahead, half do not know the exact date

The Mirror

• Virgin Atlantic names new plane in honour of flight attendant killed in road accident Air steward Quinton Garrathy was hit by a car while in St Lucia on August 3 - a new Boeing 787 Dreamline will be named Olivia-Rae, after his daughter

Network Rail

• West Coast main line reopens after August closures help to build a better railwayThe West Coast main line reopened on time today (26 August) after Network Rail completed the third successive weekend of upgrade work at Watford.
• First trains operate on the newly upgraded Swindon to Kemble lineNetwork Rail’s £45m project to upgrade the line between Swindon and Kemble was successfully completed over the bank holiday weekend, paving the way for greater capacity, reduced journey times and a better experience for passengers.

Liverpool Echo

• Rail chiefs create massive 30-year strategy to expand regional networkThey are convinced these new rail links to towns around North West will lead to new business opportunities and stimulate trade

London Evening Standard

• Angry commuters in rush-hour chaos after East Coast line is hit Passengers today vented their anger after massive disruption on one Britain’s busiest train routes hit London commuters trying to get back to work after the Bank Holiday.
• Air rage row breaks out on flight after passenger uses banned Knee Defender device which stops seat from reclining A plane had to be diverted after two passengers started fighting over a device that stops seats from reclining.
• Mayor in 11th-hour plea to get 'Boris island' on airport shortlist Boris Johnson today launched an eleventh hour bid to keep alive his plans for a four-runway airport in the Thames Estuary.
• Train company takes more than a week to clear up 'smelly' dead bird carcass at Clapham Junction station A train company has taken more than a week to remove the decaying body of a dead bird at a major London railway which commuters complained was "starting to smell".

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• East coast bidder upbeat about rail prospectsEast coast intercity franchise bidder Stagecoach Group said yesterday it was confident about the future of its rail business.

East Anglian Daily Times

• East Anglia: Rail problems impact on business and commutersPolitical and business leaders are demanding improvements to the region’s rail management after another day of disruption for travellers.
• Suffolk/Essex: Rail bosses re-thinking engineering plans for the weekendRail bosses are today holding a summit meeting to decide whether to go ahead with more engineering work in Ipswich following the bank holiday disaster.
• UK: Bus demand boosts StagecoachStagecoach said more people got on board its buses this summer as the transport giant posted a 4% rise in revenues from regional services.
• Stansted: MAG and NATS agree 10-year air traffic control dealNational Air Traffic Service (NATS) has signed a 10-year deal with Manchester Airports Group (MAG) to provide air traffic control and engineering services at Manchester and London Stansted airports, which are owned by MAG.

Other Regional Press

• Showdown planned over signal box fightCampaigners fighting to save a 19th century railway signal box from the bulldozers are to go public boosted by the response to an online petition.
• ‘Unacceptable’ level crossing changesNormans Bay residents are angry at Network Rail’s decision to go full steam ahead with changes to how the level crossing operates and say lives will be put at risk.
• Winter bus timetables to come in to force from the end of September WINTER timetables will be running on Dorset’s buses from the end of September.

Aviation Industry

• Manchester Airport Group agrees 10-year air traffic dealDeal struck between Manchester Airport Group and NATS
• Lufthansa facing fresh strike actionPilots union arguing for higher pay and option of early retirement

Other News Sources

• Australian airlines allow in-flight electronic device useQantas and Virgin Australia granted approval from CASA
• Budget car rental plans European expansionGroup to have opened 175 locations by end of 2014