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

Thursday, 21 May 2009

BBC News

• Competition worry takes buses saga to next stageTHE SALE of Eastbourne Buses and Cavendish to Stagecoach earlier this year has run into more controversy as the Office of Fair Trading announced it is to refer the matter to the Competition Commission.
• Traffic officers for major routeOne of Wales' major corridor routes is to have dedicated traffic management officers to tackle congestion. The A55 corridor across north Wales is to trial patrols in marked vehicles by civilian staff with police powers to stop, control and direct traffic.
• Private £6.2bn deal on M25 agreedA private finance contract worth £6.2bn to maintain and widen the busiest motorway in the UK has been agreed.
• 'Risks' to aircraft over NorfolkAir traffic controllers at Norwich airport are warning of "unacceptable risks" to aircraft flying in the skies over Norfolk. The airport, which handles half a million passengers each year, admits it's having difficulties delivering "safe" air traffic control.
• Trams will be late says new bossEdinburgh's tram system will be completed late and over budget, the operating firm's new boss has admitted.
• Train restored to art deco gloryA train which has been restored to its 1930s splendour has gone on display at the National Railway Museum in York.
• Commuters warned over Tube strikeWorkers on one of London Underground's busiest Tube lines stage a 24-hour walkout in a dispute over alleged bullying.
• Three suitors submit Opel offersThree suitors have submitted bids to acquire or buy a stake in General Motors' Opel unit, the carmaker says.
• Rolls-Royce cars creates 150 jobsRolls-Royce Motor Cars creates 150 new manufacturing jobs to produce its latest model, the Ghost.

Financial Times

• Moller-Maersk's Sorensen to leaveDenmark's AP Moller-Maersk has lost one of its most senior executives in a surprise departure a week after the shipping and energy conglomerate announced its...
• Maersk moves to save shipyardFredericia Shipyard will move half its activities to the main Lindø site of Maersk's Odense Steel Shipyard at the start of 2011, while the remainder will move a year later
• Macquarie to sell stake in airport groupThe Australian bank is to sell its stake in Japan Airport Terminal at a loss after Japanese lawmakers threatened to impose a cap on foreign investments in the sector
• Air France-KLM signs Delta pactThe two airlines have formed a transatlantic joint venture, making them the most powerful presence in the world's biggest long-haul aviation market across the North Atlantic
• American Airlines sees thawing in credit marketsAmerican Airlines' chief believes the credit markets are starting to regain their interest in the aviation industry, a timely development for a capital-intensive business in the throes of a steep downturn
• Lufthansa faces court action over BMI stakeBMI's chairman is turning to the courts in an effort to force Lufthansa to take over his majority stake in the UK airline, following the German carrier's move to force him to inject more capital into BMI

The Guardian

• Hope for Cross River Tram?Tram campaigners have been given fresh hope after the Mayor's top transport advisor was reported as saying it would be "top of the list" when they next lobbied for Government funding.

The Independent

• Government to approve M25 road upgrade The government will approve a Private Finance Initiative scheme to widen and maintain London's M25 motorway despite a jump in the cost of the project, the Times newspaper reported without citing sources.

The Telegraph

• London to Birmingham train journeys 'to be cut to 40 minutes'Lord Adonis, the rail minister, will pave the way for Britain to run some of the fastest trains in the world, when he addresses an audience in Birmingham. He is expected to say that the debate over high speed rail has moved from whether it should be built in Britain to "when and how".
• BMI chairman Sir Michael Bishop goes to court to force Lufthansa to buy his stakeSir Michael, who owns 50pc plus one share of BMI through his BBW Partnership, exercised an option last year requiring Lufthansa to pay about £300m for his stake, but the deal has stalled amid the aviation downturn.
• Bondholders in fresh threat to BAA financesBAA's bondholders have hired investment banking advisers Reynolds Partners amid growing fears that the Government's proposed changes to regulation could cause the airport operator's finances to unravel.

Times Online

• PFI deal for M25 agreed despite price riseThe long-awaited M25 Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme will finally be approved today but the total cost has risen by more than £1 billion.
• Sir Michael Bishop in court bid to force Lufthansa mergerSir Michael Bishop, the controlling shareholder in bmi, has issued legal proceedings against Lufthansa to enforce a merger of the airlines.

Transport Briefing

• M25 Connect Plus £6bn deal achieves financial closeFinancial close on what looks set to be the largest transport contract of the year has been reached today (20 May) after months of last minute negotiations.
• Tube Lines needs more time as Jubilee runs lateTransport for London has granted Tube Lines a series of weekend engineering possessions of the Jubilee line as the Underground contractor struggles to complete upgrade work ahead of the December deadline.

Belfast Telegraph

• Translink faces rising costs, warns minister Translink is facing increased costs for fuel, currency exchange and pension costs, Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy has told the Assembly.

Derby Telegraph

• Strategic adviser joins InterfleetINTERFLEET Technology, Derby-based international rail consultancy, has recruited a new strategic adviser.
• Anger as station stops dropRAIL passengers are demanding that extra trains from Matlock to Nottingham stop at two stations not currently included in the timetable. Earlier this year, East Midlands Trains introduced an hourly service on the Derwent Valley line – but seven of the 17 trains do not stop at Cromford or Whatstandwell.

Liverpool Post

• New Mersey Gateway bridge ’worth £373m to region’THE new bridge across the Mersey will contribute £373m to the nation’s economy, an inquiry has heard. Predictions into how the Mersey Gateway Project will benefit the region show it will add £373m to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

London Evening Standard

• Disarming transport boss who won't be derailed by £1 billion crisisThere are some people I'd fancy my chances at poker with. Richard Bowker isn't one of them. The boss of National Express is in the midst of a crisis but he doesn't show it.

Manchester Evening News

• Airport May Day call goes out to companies in NWAN urgent call to action in the battle against climate change will be heard loud and clear across Britain tomorrow - and the north west will be at its heart. A group of environmentally-aware companies and organisations will gather in the Concorde Hangar, at Manchester Airport, for the Prince's May Day Summit.
• Counting transport plan's costTHE transport revolution will cost each council tax payer around £2 per year - or an average of £68.36 over 30 years.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Bridging the gap: Rail station path demo gathers steamDEMONSTATORS descended on Sheffield rail station yesterday as the campaign to keep open a through route for pedestrians gathered steam. Members of all parties at the Town Hall joined forces with community groups to challenge East Midlands Trains' strategy of trying to stop anybody without a ticket from going into the station.
• Cartoons to tackle behaviour on busesCARTOON characters have been unveiled as the latest weapon against anti-social behaviour on South Yorkshire's buses. Bus company First has launched a poster campaign on its vehicles, showing the types of behaviour passengers find most annoying.

The York Press

• York MP Hugh Bayley's Jarvis rail jobs plea to transport minister Geoff HoonTRANSPORT minister Geoff Hoon has been asked by the city’s MP, Hugh Bayley to help reduce the number of job losses at York-based rail and plant firm, Jarvis.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Anger over Leeds-Bradford airport's five-minute parking NEW parking charges at Leeds-Bradford Airport have been branded unfair and impossible.

Blackpool Gazette

• Extra speed trap sparks outrageMOTORISTS have claimed road chiefs put a mobile speed trap alongside a fixed camera in a bid to snare unsuspecting drivers.

New Scientist

• Ageing satellites to hit GPS accuracyDon't take your satnav for granted – existing satellites are ageing, while replacements are behind schedule and over budget, according to a report

Transport for London

• Tube Lines granted extra closures to complete Jubilee line upgrade on timeTube Lines, the company responsible for the Jubilee line's maintenance and renewal, has requested additional weekend closures to enable them to complete the upgrade of the line on time.

Aviation Industry

• Southeastern Rail launches new websiteSoutheastern Railway has launched a new interactive website, southeasternrailway.co.uk, which will help make finding out about services and promotions easier than ever. The new website contains new and innovative functions, providing a one-stop-shop for the 8,000 daily users.

Other News Sources

• Positive response to Wycombe-Oxford rail linkPLANS for a direct rail link between High Wycombe and Oxford have been met with an “extremely positive” reaction.
• Rail watchdog brands Sussex price hike "unfair"A rail watchdog has branded secret price increases on Sussex train tickets "unfair." Passenger Focus has vowed to investigate how many times Southern has increased prices without telling customers, after the price of journeys from Hove to Three Bridges leapt by almost a third.
• ’Plan B’ tram and rail planA MAJOR new £1.4bn transport plan will include extending the Metrolink into Rochdale town centre and improvements to Mills Hill rail station in Middleton.
• Crewe Labour Candidate Slams Tory Rail PlansLABOUR’S Parliamentary candidate for Crewe and Nantwich David Williams has challenged the Tories on their plans for investment in the rail industry.
• Rail chief opens station car parkCHILTERN Railways chairman Adrian Shooter drove his classic car down a ramp to cut a ribbon and officially open the operator’s first decked car park.
• Work progressing on schedule for Airdrie to Bathgate railway projectWORK is well under way to complete the ambitious Airdrie to Bathgate rail link by December next year. The Airdrie Local Area Partnership group were given a full update on the £300 million project by North Lanarkshire Council.
• Questions over Network Rail governanceTransport minister Lord Adonis has been questioned on whether the government will amend the corporate governance arrangements for Network Rail.
• Tunnel vision essentialTHE unannounced visit by Lord Adonis to Sheffield station on April 30, offers a glimmer of hope in respect of the reopening of the Woodhead line, thanks to his comments highlighting the 70mph speed limit applicable to the Hope Valley route, which is the main contributor to poor Sheffield-Manchester connectons.
• Views sought on electrifying of rail lineA CONSULTATION into electrifying the Midland Mainline rail service which runs through Loughborough has been launched by Network Rail.
• Second bridge revelation after Sheffield station protestA SECOND bridge could be opened to the public at Sheffield Station to solve the row over ticket barriers. Sheffield Central Labour Party candidate Paul Blomfield has revealed Transport Minister Lord Adonis, who visited the station last month, is seriously looking at ordering a feasibility study into opening the station's second service bridge as a public walkway.
• Buffet hits the buffersPASSENGERS can no longer get drinks and snacks on a long-distance rail journey through Nottingham. East Midlands Trains has axed the buffet service on the Norwich to Liverpool journey to reduce costs.
• New Thames Safety Code Launched
• M25 deal a The Campaign for Better Transport has slammed the decision to award the Connect Plus consortium a £6.2bn deal to widen the M25 as a œfarcical waste of money.
• Thameslink boss quits project for CrossrailNetwork Rail™s Thameslink project director Andrew Mitchell this week moved to Crossrail to take up the post of project director.Mitchell will be directly responsible for managing programme partner Transcend and delivery partner Bechtel.He will be Crossrail chief executive Rob Holden™s deputy and will sit on Crossrail™s board.œAndrew Mitchell™s appointment is a further significant step forward for Crossrail.Rob Holde
• £6.2bn M25 mega-PFI signed - officialThe long-delayed M25 widening PFI deal has finally been signed, as NCE predicted earlier today, with work expected to begin shortly but cost increasing from £5.5bn to £6.2bn.
• Crossrail gets high profile startLabour prime minister Gordon Brown and Conservative London mayor Boris Johnson last week united to signal the start of work on Londonís £15.9bn Crossrail scheme and play down concerns over its long-term future.Brown and Johnson were at Canary Wharf in east London to witness the driving of the first pile for the development™s Crossrail station, marking the start of full scale construction work on the mega-project.Brown said the start of work was a œsignal of fait
• Gardiner Richardson rebrands Tyne and Wear MetroNewcastle-based Gardiner Richardson™s new identity for the Tyne and Wear Metro transport system is set to roll out across the network.
• BMI majority owner launches legal action against LufthansaGerman Star Alliance member Lufthansa's takeover of BMI seems to be turning sour, after a company owned by BMI's major shareholder Sir Michael Bishop launched...
• Mayor invites the world to ˜plug in™ to London™s electric vehicle revolutionLondon announces its participation in an electric vehicle partnership with C40 group of large world cities to stimulate world market
• MAG in driving seat for Gatwick, says reportManchester Airport Group’s (MAG) bid to buy Gatwick Airport is the only one left on the table, according to reports.
• UK MPs warn on rail failuresBusiness travel under threatread more

News from Europe

• EU hesitates to finance high-speed railThe EU is hesitating to help fund Polish State Railways (PKP) to the tune of 340 million euros to build a high-speed rail link in time for Euro 2012.
• Siemens to install static frequency convertersSWEDEN: Infrastructure manager Banverket has awarded Siemens Mobility a €33m contract to install six Sitras SFC Plus compact and low-noise modular static frequency converters.