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

Friday, 20 February 2009

BBC News

• Saab requests creditor protectionThe board of the Swedish carmaker Saab files for reorganisation, seeking protection from its creditors.
• Sharp fall in UK car productionThe number of new UK-made cars fell dramatically in January, says the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
• Q&A: What lies behind UK rail fares?The cost of rail travel in the UK has come in for new criticism after a passenger watchdog report found fares were on average 50% higher in Britain than on the continent.
• Downsized rail network 'speedier'Northern Ireland is about to get one of the smallest publicly-run rail networks in Europe.
• Transport body in knit bid offerTransport Scotland said it wants to make sure an arts project that would see knitted items draped on the Skye Bridge does not disrupt traffic.
• Hi-tech boat 'crucial' in rescueA state-of-the-art rescue boat which played a crucial role in pulling 15 oil workers to safety in the North Sea was on its first "real life" mission.
• Hi-tech car model unveiled [video]Engineering students in Bristol have unveiled their design for a hi-tech cockpit for a car that is expected to travel at speeds of more than 1,000 mph.
• Ryanair allows mobile phone useBudget airline Ryanair becomes the first carrier to offer in-flight mobile phone services on regular UK routes.
• Motorway extension 'taking shape'The foundations are laid for a junction that will finally link the M74 to the M8 motorway in Glasgow.

Financial Times

• BMI cuts routes amid rising costsThe second-largest airline operating at Heathrow, is eliminating an important part of its UK network and is cutting capacity to continental Europe
• Ryanair opens skies to mobile phonesLow-cost Irish carrier launches full mobile service on more than 20 aircraft, with aim to equip the whole fleet within 18 months, says CEO Michael O'Leary
• Go-Ahead gains but aims to cut costsGo-Ahead continued to benefit as more people turn to public transport but said it would cut costs as it forecast slower growth
• Jet Airways parts ways with chief executiveRavi Chaturvedi resigns from the airline only four months after joining it as the Indian carrier implements stringent cost cutting measures to combat a drop in passenger numbers

The Guardian

• Stagecoach axes rail boss amid squeeze on franchisesStagecoach has axed the head of its rail business as the pressure builds on train operators tied into expensive franchises.
• Britain's broken railwaysAt last, it's official. Britain does have the highest rail fares in Europe and by a considerable margin. Unless you are one of those lucky people who know precisely when you are going to travel and have booked early enough, then you are probably paying about 50% more than you would on the continent.
• Rail boss defends UK's high faresThe boss of Britain's busiest rail operator has defended its fares after a study warned that Britain had the most expensive commuter network in Europe. Keith Ludeman, the chief executive of Go-Ahead group, said suburban rail services in Britain were more frequent and less heavily subsidised than their continental counterparts – and some French services were "very poor".
• Fares fairLike opera, or allotments, trains are minority interests funded partly by the taxpayer for the common good. People are 25 times more likely to drive than travel by tube or train, and more than twice as likely to take the bus.
• Ryanair starts in-flight mobile callsOne of the last refuges from the all-­pervasive trill of the mobile phone was wiped out yesterday as Ryanair, the Irish cheap fares airline, trumpeted its plans to allow mobile phones on all its flights.Passengers will be able to make and receive calls and send text messages and email on their mobiles, starting on flights to and from Dublin, and then over coming months across the company's fleet.Calls become operational once the aircraft reaches 10,000ft but at the moment not all providers have signed up.The new service was launched by Michael O'Leary, the company's chief executive, at Dublin ...

The Herald

• Rail chief’s job hits buffers at StagecoachThe scale of the problems affecting the UK’s rail industry was underlined yesterday when Stagecoach said the job of Ian Dobbs, the chief executive of its rail business, had been “discontinued”.

The Independent

• Ryanair: Upwardly mobile “ but at a price In its illustrious history of reshaping air travel, Ryanair has totted up many firsts. It proudly introduced the £9.50 airport check-in fee, bravely pioneered the £3 cup of no-frills instant coffee and recently dreamt up the brilliant wheeze of charging £30 if your duty-free fails to fit in your hand luggage.

The Scotsman

• Hands-on Stagecoach chief Souter grabs controls at South West TrainsBRIAN Souter, chief executive of Stagecoach, has dramatically taken personal control of Britain's biggest commuter train network amid gathering recessionary pressure on the rail industry.

The Telegraph

• Go-Ahead shrugs off troubles at airport unitTransport group Go-Ahead reported better-than-expected first-half results despite profits being hit by problems at its struggling aviation unit.
• Rail fares: we've gone from passengers to customers to mugsI knew train privatisation had gone wrong when they started referring to us as “customers” rather than passengers. One sign even used the term “guests”. What next? “Friends”? “Mates”? How about the announcers, in a new spirit of frankness, simply call us “mugs”?
• 4x4 car makers in for 'rough ride' in 2009 Makers of fourwheeldrive cars are in for a

Reuters News

• Stagecoach rail chief leaves as strikes loomLONDON (Reuters) - Rail and bus group Stagecoach axed the chief executive of its rail division in the latest move by train operating companies to cope with the economic downturn.

The Mirror

• CCTV 'will predict rail suicides'Security cameras will soon be so advanced they will be able to spot people's behaviour - not just their image, experts say.

Transport Briefing

• Bristol submits Ftr Streetcar rapid transit bus bidPlans to build a rapid transit route between Bristol and Ashton Vale in North Somerset have been submitted to the government by the West of England Partnership.

Belfast Telegraph

• City Airport to fine flights that breach curfew George Best Belfast City Airport has revealed that airlines which break its late night curfew will be fined — as it emerged there were more than 500 flights after the 9.30pm deadline last year.
• Ryanair blames duty rises for Liverpool cuts Ryanair yesterday announced plans to cut flights from Liverpool airport, with the loss of 50 jobs, blaming “high and rising” Government passenger duty as well as falling sterling exchange rates.

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham rail passengers get a rough deal on priceRail passengers in Birmingham are enjoying more train services than other European cities, but paying high prices according to a passenger watchdog group.

Derby Telegraph

• 'Your concerns over rail freight terminal will not be ignored'THE chief executive of South Derbyshire District Council last night urged more than 200 people at a meeting to make their views known on a planned rail freight terminal.
• Pop mogul Pete wants the UK to be number one choice for trainsPOP mogul Pete Waterman's enthusiasm for all things rail is almost as infectious as the hit singles he helped to produce. The former Pop Idol judge cares a great deal about the UK rail industry, which is why he has agreed to back the Evening Telegraph's Change Track campaign.

London Evening Standard

• London rail firms offer worst deal in EuropeRail passengers in London and the South-East endure the highest fares and the worst overcrowding in Europe, the Government's own watchdog reveals today.
• Rail commuters face major strikeLONDON's busiest rail commuter lines face shutdown in the biggest co-ordinated strike action since the early Nineties.They include routes operated by South West Trains, First Capital Connect (Thameslink), National Express East Anglia and London Overground.
• Second Stansted runway is put back again to 2017The opening of a second runway at Stansted airport is likely to be delayed by a further two years to 2017, it was revealed
• EasyJet: We'll sue over snowBudget airline easyJet is threatening legal action against Luton council and Luton Airport over £500,000 losses caused by closures during heavy snow this month
• Busiest trains carrying 40 per cent above their capacityLondon's overground rail network is struggling to cope with growing passenger numbers and is set to get worse, a report warns

Metro

• In-flight calls arrive ... at up to £3 a minRyanair became the first European airline to allow passengers to use mobile phones on its fleet.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Transport minister in the firing lineSCOTTISH Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson will be in the firing line at a question-and-answer session in the north-east next week.
• Push for unofficial road safety lines to be replaced at schoolCOMMUNITY leaders are pushing for official road safety markings outside an Inverness primary school after its janitor™s DIY attempts were thwarted by Highland Council.
• Aberdeen is North Sea transportation hubABERDEEN is universally recognised as the oil capital of Europe and Bristow, Bond Offshore and CHC Scotia Helicopters are a regular fixture on the city skyline as they ferry crews back and forward to the many installations dotted around the North Sea.

The York Press

• Prince Charles visits York for Tornado's official launchRAIL enthusiasts and Royalists lined the platforms of York Station, as Britain’s first steam locomotive for almost 50 years was officially named by Prince Charles.
• York considers gas guzzler taxA TAX on gas guzzlers could be introduced in York if councillors give the green light to a radical overhaul of residents’ parking charges.
• Flights between Leeds Bradford airport and Heathrow axedAn airline is to stop operating flights from Leeds Bradford to London’s Heathrow – a well travelled route for York residents.
• National Express and transport union in row over new uniform UNION chiefs have blasted National Express after the train operator accused them of œmischief making over an argument about new uniforms.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Air-conditioning and leather seats to tempt bus travellersPOSH buses boasting ultra-comfortable leather seats and air-conditioning will be officially announced today by the Otley Town Crier who is a guest of honour at a launch event in the town.
• 'Target transport on poor areas of the city' TRANSPORT bosses in Leeds should prioritise poor areas of the city over more affluent suburbs when planning bus routes, Labour's deputy leader Labour said today.
• Last remaining air route from Yorkshire to London is axedTHE last remaining air route between Yorkshire and London was axed today as airline bmi announced it would stop operating flights from Leeds Bradford to Heathrow.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Residents campaign to improve Corby roadsResidents in Corby have launched a campaign to get streets on their estate adopted so that they can be improved.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Airline in legal threat over snow disruptionBudget airline easyJet is threatening legal action against Luton Borough Council and Luton Airport for losses caused by closures during heavy snowfall.
• Stansted runway faces further delayThe opening of a second runway at Stansted Airport is likely to have slipped a further two years - to 2017, it has been revealed.

The Shields Gazette

• Pilots put new port through its pacesPILOTS have been putting a new multi-million pound port project through its paces “ from the comfort of a classroom.

International Herald Tribune

• Its muscle car glory faded, Pontiac shrivels upThe story of Pontiac is a case study of the missteps that helped put General Motors in its precarious state.
• Slice of U.S. stimulus package will go to faster trainsThe funds for high-speed rail in the stimulus package will nonetheless not be enough to pay for a single bullet train.

New Scientist

• Why the Survival Car died an early deathIn 1957, automobiles' poor safety record prompted an engineer to design a futuristic car that would protect its driver and passengers in a crash. So why did it never go into production?

The Economist

• Railways: Hitting the buffers The strain on the train from the economic painSTANDING at the railway station on a weekday morning in St Albans, a cathedral city in London’s commuter belt, rail passengers have plenty to feel miserable about. Their fares are the highest in Europe, according to a report on February 19th from the rail-consumer watchdog. Despite the recession, the platforms are still packed, and commuters’ chances of getting a seat on the services into the capital seem as minuscule as ever. Despite the crammed carriages, the deteriorating economy has train companies worried, for two reasons. Historic...

Aviation Industry

• Rail link levy spread urgedLondon mayor Boris Johnson should seek Crossrail contributions from sites on the line outside the city, London Councils has urged.
• Fast rail link trial to startHigh-speed domestic rail services linking Ashford and Ebbsfleet with St Pancras International are likely to start early, it has been revealed.
• Ryanair launches in-flight mobile phone calls Passengers on selected Ryanair flights can now make phone calls and send texts or emails from mobile phones and PDAs. read more
• bmi makes short-haul cuts Bmi has announced it is cutting several domestic and short-haul European services, including the scrapping of flights from Heathrow to Leeds and Durham, and the reduction of its Amsterdam service. read more
• Ryanair job losses expected Liverpool cut backs blamed on "idiotic" taxes read more

Other News Sources

• Boris puts the brakes on cycle bridgePLANS for a new foot and cycle bridge across the Thames are in doubt after London Mayor Boris Johnson said he was unwilling to stump up cash towards it.
• City rail services slower than in 1922Think of rail travel in the 1920s and it may conjure up images of quaint steam locomotives slowly chugging their way through every village and hamlet.
• Travellers force rail rethinkRail bosses could reinstate parts of their old timetable after pressure from furious commuters. In December Southern Railway controversially relaunched its Brighton to London service, slashing trains to London Bridge and connecting stations East Croydon and Clapham Junction.
• Greg Barker backs Tory plans for rail servicesMr Barker said the proposals include giving Rother and Wealden councils the power to work in partnership with train firms to help deliver local improvements, and also practical steps to increase investment in new trains and services.
• Campaigners angry as rail schemes are ditchedFIVE major rail projects in Notts have been ditched in favour of dualling the A46, the Evening Post can reveal.
• Rail announcement brings good news for ReadingREADING will get a new rail depot as part of a £7.5bn investment in new 'super express’ trains. Reading East Labour hopeful Anneliese Dodds said: “I’m delighted that Reading has been chosen as one of the locations for the maintenance of the new super express fleet. This development will help protect and maintain local jobs, and improve our local transport infrastructure.”
• HGV crime continues apace in FebruaryFebruary is proving no exception to the pattern of ongoing freight crime - so far, a driver has been threatened, almost £100,000 of children's medicine has been stolen and stowaways have been discovered in a load of sticky tape.
• The Economic and Environmental Impact of Fuel Prices on Driving HabitsWith the ever-present news of the United States' faltering economy, Americans have been looking for ways to save money. Simple changes in driving style, along with a reduction in the amount of driving, have helped numerous motorists ease the expense of driving.
• Norfolk Southern and Canadian National Join to Speed FreightThe two railroads will work together to more quickly move merchandise and coal between the Midwest and Southeast
• Shake up for Crossrail bossesIncoming Crossrail chief executive Rob Holden is planning a shakeup of key positions on the £16bn project in a bid to bring in

Other Subscription Services

• Rail Division Management ChangesStagecoach Group plc confirmed today (19 February 2009) that it is making changes to the senior management team at its UK rail division.