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

Thursday, 15 January 2009

BBC News

• Go-ahead for new Heathrow runwayTransport Secretary Geoff Hoon has told MPs the government has approved controversial plans to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
• MPs call for rethink on rail jobsPlans to cut 300 rail jobs are being challenged by five East Anglian MPs.
• Rail contract handling defendedTransport chiefs have defended themselves against criticism over the handling of a major contract to run train services in Scotland.
• Heathrow expansion: Local viewsThe government is set to confirm its decision to expand London's Heathrow Airport and, in the process, wipe out 700 surrounding homes including the entire village of Sipson.
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7829802.stmControversial plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport are to get the go-ahead.
• BA staff arrested over jet damageTwo British Airways ground staff are arrested after a passenger jet was damaged at Heathrow Airport.
• Heathrow runway 'approval is due'The government is expected to confirm approval for a third runway at Heathrow Airport later, the BBC understands.
• Greyhound bus affects FirstGroupShares in transport firm FirstGroup fall 12% after it says revenues at its North American Greyhound bus business have fallen.
• New factory for extra-wide planeAirbus builds a new factory in France to assemble the wide-bodied A350 - the wings of which will be made at Filton near Bristol.

Financial Times

• Hoon to approve third Heathrow runwayGeoff Hoon will give an official stamp of approval on Thursday to plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport, despite a hard-fought campaign against the project by environmentalists and many MPs

The Guardian

• High speed rail line to sweeten Heathrow runway dealA new electrified high speed rail line linking London, Birmingham and Heathrow will form the centrepiece of a major government transport initiative today that will include a third runway at Britain's largest airport.

The Herald

• Zoom Airlines back on radarZoom Airlines, the low-cost transatlantic carrier that collapsed last summer, may be resurrected by a Canadian venture capitalist – but the chances are that it will never fly again from Scotland.
• Economic slowdown puts the brakes on FirstGroup growthShares in Aberdeen-based FirstGroup plunged 14.8% yesterday and the transport company warned it was looking at job cuts after the economic slowdown put the brakes on previously rapid revenue growth.

The Independent

• BA pair arrested over 'hit-and-run with jet' Two British Airways ground staff workers have been arrested after an alleged "hit-and-run" involving a passenger jet at Heathrow airport, it was revealed today.
• Heathrow: go-ahead for third runwayThe Government will today give its formal approval for the construction of a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow. Its support for the project had been widely expected, but the final go-ahead will be subject to strict environmental conditions.

The Scotsman

• Third Heathrow runway gets go-aheadThe Government is set to give the go-ahead to a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

The Telegraph

• Boris Johnson announces half-price bus and tram travel for unemployed LondonersThousands of unemployed Londoners will be entitled to half-price bus and tram travel in a scheme designed to make it easier for them to find jobs during the recession, Boris Johnson announced today.
• Government to give Heathrow's third runway the goahead Gordon Brown and the Government will give the goahead to building a third runway at Heathrow igniting a row with environmentalists and some of his own backbench MPs.

Times Online

• Heathrow gets third runway and sixth terminal in £9bn deal The biggest airport expansion for 60 years will be approved today when the Government gives the go-ahead to a £9 billion third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow.

Reuters News

• Deutsche Bahn says interested in Eurostar stakeBERLIN, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bahn [DBN.UL] is interested in taking a stake in Eurostar, the high-speed passenger train service linking Britain to mainland Europe, the German railway operator said on Wednesday.
• Jaguar Land Rover to cut 450 jobsLONDON (Reuters) - Luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover announced 450 job losses Wednesday because of a
• Heathrow third runway verdict expectedLONDON (Reuters) - The government is expected to announce on Thursday that it has given the green light for a third runway to be built at Heathrow Airport, an airline industry source and campaigners said.
• London City airport to bid for GatwickLONDON (Reuters) - The owner of London City airport is to join the list of bidders for Gatwick airport, the Times reported in its Thursday edition, without citing sources.

Daily Record

• Ryanair launches new routes from Edinburgh Airport to continentBUDGET airline Ryanair has announced the launch of seven more routes from the Scottish capital.
• Two arrested after hit-and-run with Aberdeen-bound aircraftTWO British Airways ground staff workers have been arrested after an alleged "hit-and-run" involving a passenger jet heading for Aberdeen, it has emerged.

Network Rail

• PUBLIC ASKED: HELP US STOP THIEVES DISRUPTING YORKSHIRE TRAIN SERVICES
• PUBLIC ASKED: HELP US STOP THIEVES DISRUPTING NORTH EAST TRAIN SERVICES

Journal Live

• Free ride to school may endCONTROVERSIAL bus charges for A-level students could return because of Northumberland’s budget problems.
• New era will dawn in public transportLONDON-STYLE Oyster travel cards are to be introduced in the North East in a move designed to make public transport easier to use.

London Evening Standard

• Third runway for toffs: that idea won’t flyAmid the fury of the row over Heathrow expansion, the environmental debate gets increasingly eccentric. George Monbiot, in yesterday's Guardian, was keen to rebrand the green cause as a proletarian one: the third runway is about providing flights for toffs with second homes, he says.
• London's airports hit by passenger fallTHE number of people using London's airports has dropped over the year as a whole for the first time since 2001.
• Heathrow message returns to haunt PMGordon Brown has been challenged to live up to his word and allow a Commons vote on plans for a third runway at Heathrow

The York Press

• ftr bus forces street repairs in York HUNDREDS of pounds of damage have been caused to a York street by the ftr bus, The Press can reveal.
• North Yorkshire blitz on railway cable criminals THIEVES have stolen railway cables almost five times a week in North and West Yorkshire since last April “ causing massive disruption to passengers.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Transport firm FirstGroup reports good growthTRANSPORT operator FirstGroup said today it had seen further good growth during the third quarter period from October 1 o December 31 last year.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Road litter to cost council £50,000A litter hot spot could be given regular spruce-ups.

C.N.N.

• Pirate attack on Dutch ship thwarted by RussiansA Russian naval ship rescued a Dutch container vessel under attack by suspected Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the head of the International Maritime Bureau said Wednesday.

International Herald Tribune

• A bicycle advocate with the wind now at his backEarl Blumenauer, the founder and proprietor of the Congressional Bicycle Caucus, advocates cycling as a remedy for everything from climate change to obesity.

Washington Post

• Automakers' Fate Is on the Table On one side of the table, representing General Motors, is Diana Tremblay, 49, the daughter of a GM engineer who grew up in an Ohio company town and then rose through the ranks to the corporate suite.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Firstco Improve PA System at Heathrow Express Between the end of October and early December 2008, Firstco carried out improvement works to enhance the PA systems at Heathrow Central and Heathrow Terminal 4 stations. Heathrow Express were looking to increase the sound quality of their public address systems, which also work as emergency voice alarms, at its two original stations. Firstco identified existing issues and proposed new solutions. ...

Aviation Industry

• Guided Bus further delays are slammed as project runs into more problemsGeoff has slammed the latest fiasco surrounding more delays to the ill-fated Guided Bus scheme as absolutely shambolic - not only in terms of the transport aspects but the contract surrounding the building of this scheme, the delays to folk using Hills Road Bridge and whether in the end many people will actually use it.
• Optare appoints new coach sales managerUK-based bus manufacturer Optare has appointed Derek Brumpton as the company's coach sales manager.
• CBW and GTO to revive UK Coach AwardsGlittering event for operators to take place in London in March
• Southern Vectis’ festive experiment a succesOn the back of a couple of years of busy Boxing Day trade, Southern vectis opted to test the water on Christmas Day this year. Precious few operators run on Christmas Day, especially on ’normal’ services as opposed to airport routes and the like.
• VW Crafters launch new ShropshireLinkTEN Volkswagen Crafter minibuses have been delivered to Shropshire county council for an innovative demand-responsive rural bus service operating under the ShropshireLink name. ShropshireLink provides a local bus service in all rural areas of the county.
• Peterborough's £1m debtWe've learned that Peterborough City Council's (PCC) transport budget for the next financial year faces a shortfall to the tune of one million pounds.
• Ryanair continues expansion from capitalEdinburgh Airport has welcomed today™s announcement by Ryanair of a major expansion from the capital by the low cost airline...
• December traffic figures BAA's airportsFor the year 2008, a total of 145.8 million passengers travelled through BAA™s UK airports...
• American Airlines to recall 24 pilots in FebruaryAirline spokeswoman Tami McLallen said the additional pilots were needed to replace pilots who retired, including some who opted to retire early, and to fly new planes coming into the fleet.

Green Miscellany

• Britain needs 'tax changes for green cars'There needs to be regulation changes if more Britons are to turn to eco-friendly vehicles, the publisher of Clean Green Cars has claimed.

Other News Sources

• Improved Horsham bus serviceBUS USERS in the Horsham area are being promised improved services, thanks to a new agreement.
• Anger over Stagecoach 'monopoly'THE news that Stagecoach has taken over a second Eastbourne bus company has been met with anger from bus drivers who claim they were kept in the dark over the buyout.
• Decision due on station revampA long-awaited £5.4m revamp of Didcot’s railway station forecourt looks set to be given the thumbs-up.
• Greyhound Can Go ’Green,’ FirstGroup’s Chief Says FirstGroup Plc, the owner of Greyhound Lines, is pressing U.S. lawmakers to include bus purchases in the economic stimulus plan, Chief Executive Officer Moir Lockhead said.
• Beijing to spend $1.6 bn on subsidising public transportBeijing, Jan 14 (Xinhua) Eleven billion yuan ($1.6 billion) would be spent on public transport subsidies this year in Beijing to ensure continued low prices for commuters, an official said.
• Dauncey appointed new Highways Agency financial directorSteve Dauncey has been promoted to finance director for the Highways Agency.
• Government part-funding for M25 'under consideration'The government is examining plans to part-fund the £5bn M25 widening PFI scheme, should the Connect Plus consortium fail to secure all the money it needs from investors.
• Third Heathrow runway gets go-ahead
• Jaguar Land Rover to cut 450 jobs Jaguar Land Rover is to axe 450 jobs, including 300 managers, the car giant has announced.
• 'Go-ahead for Heathrow's third runway' The Government is set to give the go-ahead to a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
• Heathrow decision expected tomorrow: friends of the earth spokespeople availableAhead of tomorrow's decision on expanding Heathrow airport, Friends of the Earth warns that increasing flight capacity would seriously threaten the UK's ability to meet its targets for cutting emissions.
• Credit crunch may stall Daewoo salePLANS to sell South Korean shipbuilding giant Daewoo appear to flounder again as Korea Development Bank rejects successful bidder Hanwha™s request for a partial purchase of the stock.
• MEPs set to debate new biometric rules for passportsLater this year all European Union members and 3 other states will start issuing biometric passports which contain fingerprints and facial recognition features. These measures come in a bid to tackle terrorism, crime and illegal border migration. At 15:00 Tuesday MEPs will debate the new passports.
• Liverpool John Lennon Airport still making a lossLiverpool John Lennon Airport, owned by Manchester-based Peel Holdings, has reported a pre-tax loss of £549,000 for the year to last March.
• MAG names new board memberManchester Airports Group Plc has appointed Penny Coates to its main board.
• Ryanair "will raise its offer" say analysts Aer Lingus bid "clearly not high enough" read more
• New bus service provides direct link to Brussels Airport from the Netherlands (press release) Brussels Airport, 13 January 2009 - As of 1 March a new, attractively priced bus service will provide a direct link between Brussels Airport and the cities of Utrecht, Rotterdam and Breda in the Netherlands read more

EIN News Subscription

• Heathrow rail hub to sweeten third runway go-ahead ... major expansion of the electrification of Britain's railways also set to be announced later this ... third runway and instead build a 20bn TGV-style high speed rail link between London, Birmingham ... electrified, forcing many companies to use diesel-powered trains that emit double the carbon dioxide emissions ...