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

Wednesday, 03 December 2008

BBC News

• Crossrail delay?The cross-London rail plan may face funding issues
• Stagecoach reports strong profitsBus and rail group Stagecoach reportes 24% growth in profits but warns of challenging times for its rail businesses.

The Guardian

• BA in talks with Qantas to create 'global airline'British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh signalled the creation of a

The Herald

• BA is in talks over possible Qantas mergerBritish Airways could merge with Australian carrier Quantas to form one of the world's biggest airlines.

Times Online

• Ryanair turns up pressure on Aer Lingus shareholders after bid is rebuffed Ryanair wants to meet Aer Lingus shareholders after the Irish flag carrier's board rejected a new €750 million (£638 million) bid by its budget rival. Ryanair said that it was seeking meetings with the Irish Government and with other Aer Lingus shareholders.
• Cruise ship Britons in brush with Gulf pirates Twenty-nine British holiday-makers were on board a cruise ship targeted by pirates off the coast of Somalia at the weekend, it emerged last night.

The Sun

• B.A. and Qantas in merger talksBRITISH Airways is in talks with Australian carrier to create one of world’s biggest airlines

Daily Post (North Wales)

• New road and rail links for North and South WalesAMBITIOUS multi-million pound road and rail improvements to take Wales’ transport system into the 21st Century were unveiled yesterday.

Journal Live

• North business takes £1bn hitMore than three in five companies are losing business because of poor transport connections and 92% have reported increased costs.

London Evening Standard

• Thugs face jail over railway robbery spreeA gang who terrorised and robbed rail passengers across London during an eight-month period are facing jail

The York Press

• Weather chaos in York SNOW and ice brought chaos on the county's roads this morning and prompted a warning from police for drivers to take more care in wintry conditions.

Wales Online

• Assembly announces £350m funding packageA £350M funding package was announced this morning by the Assembly Government to support projects across Wales.
• North and south transport links plan unveiledA PLAN to unite north and south Wales with improved road and rail links was announced today.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Heavy sleet showers slows commutersHeavy sleet on the region's roads has triggered traffic jams on the M62.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Only public transport allowed at Grand PrixFormula One fans will only be able to attend the first British Grand Prix at Donington Park if they go by public transport.

International Herald Tribune

• The problem with piracy: it's just too easy

New Scientist

• Hands-free phones not risk-free for driversUsing a phone headset is more distracting to a driver than having a motormouth passenger in the car

Washington Post

• 'Awful' Month for Automakers Carmakers continued to load on the discounts in November, but American consumers continued to slam on the brakes.
• Auto Icons Ratchet Up Pleas for Help General Motors, an icon of American manufacturing and the world's largest automaker, yesterday threw itself at the mercy of Congress, saying it needed $4 billion to avert a cash crisis by the end of the month and as much as $18 billion in federal loans over the next year.

Railnews

• Opinion: Where there’s a want, there’s a way Heading up a ’new kid on the block’ train company means being adaptable, resourceful and very hands on – as Andy Hamilton, MD of Wrexham & Shropshire, can confirm. He talked to Rhodri Clark about how the fledgling company overcame the start-up stumbling blocks to build a much-needed service.
• News: Union clashes with train company over job cut plans NATIONAL Express East Anglia’s plans to close its Norwich Call Centre and replace restaurant car dining with improved buffet and at-seat services on London-Norwich trains have come under fire from the RMT union.
• News: West Coast modernisation: Counting the REAL cost of progress In his third book tracing the recent history of Britain’s rail system, Professor Terry Gourvish takes a close look at the £8.5 billion modernisation of the West Coast main line and the upheaval and controversy that dogged its 11-year journey. Alan Marshall reports
• News: North to South direct link starts off at speed WHEN the Welsh government said it wanted an express rail service between North and South Wales, it wasn’t just the train that had to be quick.
• News: It’s all change as new trains spark ’cascade’ A BIG reshuffle of existing rolling stock is taking place in parts of Britain as new builds start to come on stream.
• News: More speed, more services as new timetables go live THE countdown has started to faster and more frequent services as Virgin Trains takes advantage of the modernised West Coast main line in its Virgin High Frequency timetable starting 14 December.
• News: Wales RUS plan predicts massive future demand MORE trains, better connections and improved reliability are at the heart of a wide-ranging strategy to develop passenger and freight services in Wales to meet an estimated increase in demand of 31 per cent in the next 10 years.
• News: Engineering schedule relaxed over Christmas and New Year TRAIN services during the Christmas and New Year holiday will be less badly affected than last year as Network Rail undertakes a less intensive programme of engineering improvement work.
• News: Coucher hits back over hints of West Coast uncertainty NETWORK Rail chief executive Iain Coucher has hit back at critics who claim the modernisation of the West Coast main line will not be ready for the new winter timetable, which starts on 14 December.
• News: Darling fast tracks new carriages order TWO key announcements by the Government have started to turn the promise of hundreds of new rail carriages into reality.

Transport for London

• New hybrid buses unveiled for London fleetHybrid bus fleet to quadruple to 56, the largest in the UK, by early 2009.
• TfL encourages safer and more efficient driving through in-vehicle driver profiling and coachingFreight operators are now being provided with tools to analyse and improve their drivers' behaviour.
• Transport for London welcomes additional fundingTransport for London (TfL) welcomes the recent announcement by the Secretary of State for £54m in additional funding to upgrade a section of the London Overground network.

Other News Sources

• East Midlands Trains launches new online service for passengers (press release)East Midlands Trains has launched ’My Journeys' its new online journey planning tool available at eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/myjourneys
• Heathrow Express is the most environmentally friendly to travel to the airport (press release) Since its launch in 1998, Heathrow Express has not only established itself as the first choice for passengers seeking the quickest way to and from Heathrow Airport, but also over that decade has regenerated enough energy, to have boiled 400,000,000 kettles.   read more
• London Councils seeks to break down the barriers to cycling and walkingSecure cycle parks and the creation of an ˜Active Travel Strategy™ for London are just two ways to encourage more Londoners to take up a healthier and greener way of travelling across the capital, says London Councils.
• TomTom WORK launches truck navigation systemTomTom WORK has launched a truck navigation system that features route information on clearance heights and weight restrictions.
• BA in merger talks with QantasBritish Airways is in talks on a possible merger with Qantas that would leave both airlines listed on their respective stock markets but operating as a single business.

EIN News Subscription

• Airlines face more pressure to reveal hidden travel costs ... Airlines face more pressure to reveal hidden travel ... stepped up its attack on airlines misleading passengers over the real cost of travel ... airlines found to be persisting with misleading information. She is launching her own in-house Commission ...
• UPDATE 1-Ryanair seeks to meet Aer Lingus shareho... ... of its Irish rival rejected a new 750 million euro ($945.6 million) bid by Europe's biggest budget airline. Ryanair, which has already bought 29.82 percent of Aer Lingus shares at an average ...
• Drivers to be fined if passengers don't belt up ... their rear seat belts from Jan 1. Road Safety Department director Datuk Suret Singh said the ... said, adding this was the culture in European countries. "We have to emulate this to ...
• RSA 'blacklists' lorry drivers ... and abroad, is being compiled by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) as part of a process ... UK and 5 per cent from other EU member states. The RSA annual report said ...
• UK govt wants airlines in carbon trading scheme ... in which carbon emissions of air and road transport can be taken into account," Miliband said. ... ever, we need to secure a binding EU climate change deal." Miliband acknowledged the scepticism, ...
• Transport issue is lack of foresight ... REGARDING the lack of foresight for transport system...on reading YEP of November 25 regarding ... why didn't they? My guess is the EU Commission covering environment issues and interfering again. ... lot of wasted money. Jim Carder, Summerfield Road, Bridlington A week or two back someone ...
• EU nations agree on car emission cuts ... EU nations agree on car emission cuts BRUSSELS ... representatives of the 27 EU nations, the European parliament and the European Commission, following months ... Ferrari are given more leeway. Greenpeace EU transport policy campaigner, Franziska Achterberg, was unimpressed. "The car ...
• ATOC awards Fujitsu 13m contract to upgrade Rail Journey Information Service ... ATOC awards Fujitsu 13m contract to upgrade Rail Journey Information Service Fujitsu processes 1 million ... contract renewal with ATOC, the Association of Train Operating Companies, to continue running and maintaining ... The Chiltern Railway Company, West Coast Trains, Eurostar (UK) Limited, Rail Express Systems Limited. For ...
• Decision time nears for Heathrow third runway ... on the third runway. But Geoff Hoon, transport secretary, has argued strongly that the extra ... because of concerns that it will breach European directives on air quality and noise levels. ... the third runway in favour of fast rail links to the north, which has not ...