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

Wednesday, 27 May 2009

BBC News

• Confusion over UK road signs [video]New research has found an alarming number of people do not know the meaning of many common road signs.
• New cycle route could ride ferryA ferry could be used to help users of a new cycle route get from Campbeltown to Inverness. Sustainable transport charity Sustrans is promoting National Cycle Route 78 - which could end up being named The Caledonia Way.
• Speed issues for holiday trainsA new "fast train" is to begin taking holidaymakers from Nottingham to Skegness - but it can only run at the same speed as the usual service.
• Apology for disruption to trainsThe main train operator providing services linking Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex with London has apologised for disruption on Monday night.
• The recession's impact on consumersAirport traffic DOWN 8.0% Railway use UP 1.0% London congestion charge payments DOWN 9.8% Severn Bridge crossings DOWN 3.1%
• UK considering Vauxhall supportThe UK has

Department for Transport

• Transport Direct welcomes 50 millionth user Over 50 million users have now visited the Department for Transport's pioneering travel information and journey planning service, Transport Direct.

Financial Times

• BA eyes BMI's Heathrow slotsWalsh admits the attraction of the valuable slots at Europe's busiest international gateway might prove too tempting to ignore, in spite of the downturn
• UK rules help Virgin Atlantic profitUK long-haul airline Virgin Atlantic said its pre-tax profits had almost doubled last year “ but the results were helped by its status as a private company and the rules under which it reports its accounts.
• UK passenger trains achieve punctuality recordNetwork Rail says 93.5% of trains arrived on time in April, beating the best figures for any other month achieved under British Rail, in spite of delays caused by upgrade work in some routes

The Guardian

• Rise in on-time trains but Virgin complains of delayNetwork Rail's announcement of record punctuality figures was overshadowed yesterday by an official complaint from Virgin Trains about continued delays on the west coast mainline.
• BA was laden with bankers but Virgin's still flyVirgin Atlantic's financial performance last year was not quite as spectacular as the company's hype suggested. Yes, pre-tax profits did indeed almost double to £68.4m but there was, for example, a £15m contribution from the disposal of fixed assets. At the level of operating profits from continuing operations, Virgin was down 42% to £25.9m.
• Union fears Vauxhall 'stitch-up'¢ Preferred bidder expected to be selected tomorrow¢ One or both UK plants might close, warns UniteVauxhall's 5,000 British workers fear they will lose out to their German counterparts in the emergency sale of General Motors' European operations, union leaders and MPs said last night.With the German government expected to announce its preferred bidder for GM Europe today, Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of the Unite union, warned that if Italian carmaker Fiat was selected, one or both of GM's two Vauxhall plants in the UK would close.It has also emerged that as recently as the weekend, B...

The Herald

• More trains are running on time, says Network RailTrain punctuality and reliability in Scotland was at its highest level in 17 years last month as the railways recovered from disruption caused by signalling equipment and bad weather earlier in the year, Network Rail announced yesterday.
• Virgin Atlantic profits take offVirgin Atlantic, the long-haul airline majority owned by Sir Richard Branson, yesterday bucked sector turbulence and came close to doubling its latest profits – but the carrier also warned of a bumpy ride ahead.
• Who will foot £200m free bus pass bill?Ministers have defied warnings that the flagship scheme of national free bus ­travel for over-60s is over budget and may have to be restricted in the future, by moving to extend eligibility to young injured veterans.

The Scotsman

• Wounded war veterans to get free bus travel in face of funding fearsFREE bus travel for elderly and disabled people will receive long-term funding to secure its future despite an official report questioning affordability, the Scottish Government has pledged.
• Virgin trains come first – for poor punctualityVIRGIN trains have the worst punctuality of all British rail operators, according to a new survey. Virgin's punctuality figure slipped from 86.2 per cent in 2007-8 to 80 per cent in 2008-9. However, the company blamed the delays on Network Rail and continued problems with the west coast main line.

The Telegraph

• Rail passengers face increase in delays after funding shortfallTrain passengers face an increase in delays and disruptions because of a funding row between Network Rail and a Government quango.
• UK hints at financial support for Vauxhall as GM deadline loomsLord Mandelson considers support as deadline for sale of GM's European operations looms.

Times Online

• Record number of trains run on timeMore trains are running on time now than at any time since punctuality records began, Network Rail said yesterday. In contrast to anecdotal evidence from commuters left stranded on platforms across Britain, figures for the year ending in March showed that 90.6 per cent of trains ran on time.
• GM union agrees to 17.5% stake in carmakerGeneral Motors' (GM) union will get a 17.5 per cent stake in the restructured automaker under a deal revealed today.
• Richard Branson plays leading figure in a spot of BA-baitingSir Richard Branson has lost none of his touch when it comes to public relations. News that Virgin Atlantic almost doubled full-year pre-tax profits, to £68.4 million, came less than 100 hours after British Airways reported a record loss of £401 million. To rub it in, Virgin also claimed that the profits increase had been achieved on the back of rising numbers of premium passengers, a decline in which was blamed for BA™s poor results.
• Solar power should replace wind energy, says Jack SteinbergerEurope should scrap its support for wind energy as soon as possible to focus on far more efficient emerging forms of clean power generation including solar thermal energy, one of the world™s most distinguished scientists said yesterday.
• Linda Cook, Shell's top woman executive, is first casualty of boardroom shake-upLinda Cook, the head of Shell™s gas business, resigned abruptly yesterday, the first boardroom casualty at the hands of Peter Voser, the new chief executive of the oil company.
• Virgin Atlantic™s £68m profit casts a cloud over British AirwaysVirgin Atlantic™s annual profits almost doubled in the year to February as people continued to go on holidays abroad in spite of the recession.

Daily Express

• TRAINS RUNNING ON TIME? THAT’S JUST POPPYCOCKNETWORK RAIL was attacked yesterday for claiming punctuality is at “all-time record high”. It said that between April last year and March this year, 90.6 per cent of trainsran on time. But the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) union dismissed the figures as “poppycock” and claimed nationalised British
• Virgin profits up in turbulent time Virgin ATLANTIC doubled its profits last year but the airline's boss predicted yesterday that none of the world's embattled major airlines would make money this year.

Network Rail

• SUSSEX RAIL STRATEGY SIGNALS IMPROVED CAPACITY AND FACILITIES
• BLACKFRIARS STATION RE-DEVELOPMENT WORTH A BUNDLE
• TRAIN PUNCTUALITY REACHES ALL TIME RECORD HIGH IN EAST MIDLANDS

Transport Briefing

• Glasgow Airport Rail Link third line space clearedA seven-month programme to replace overhead power line equipment on a section of the existing two-track line between Glasgow and Paisley has been completed as part of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link project.
• Mayor and TfL witness lorry accident on cycle routeMayor of London Boris Johnson and senior members of Transport for London were only metres away from a road accident which happened during a fact-finding cycling trip to east London.
• Tube newspaper distribution deal up for grabs Transport for London has fired the starting gun in the competition to clinch the highly prized Tube morning newspaper distribution contract.
• Rail firms rewarded for health and safety cultureNorthern Rail has won the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accident's highest accolade for occupational safety and health in a year which saw more than 1,650 businesses and organisations honoured in RoSPA's annual awards scheme.

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham rail passengers waiting longest in countryVirgin Trains renewed its attack on Network Rail last night after it was revealed rail passengers in Birmingham must wait longer for services than anywhere else in the country.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Youth teams score with rail safety messageYOUTH football teams from across West Lothian took part in a tournament organised by transport bosses to promote safety on the railways.

Journal Live

• Business leaders plea to Government spending bosses for ring roadMOTORISTS from outside the region could be handed the bill for creating a Newcastle ring road.

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyside drivers trebling speed limits on our roadsDRIVERS are almost trebling the speed limit on Mersey- side’s roads, shock new figures reveal.
• Anger as disgraced councillor Steve Hurst given Merseyside Transport Authority postA LIBERAL Democrat councillor convicted of breaking election law has been given a £5,675 post on Merseyside’s transport organisation.

London Evening Standard

• Our personal profiles given to police, claim Heathrow activistsThousands of Heathrow campaigners fear government officials have handed over their personal details to police
• The trains now arriving... are a record 90% on timeRecord numbers of trains are now running on time, as Network Rail reveals 90% annual punctuality for the first time since records began in 1992

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• FirstBus boss quits in wake of plans to cut some servicesThe managing director of Aberdeen™s biggest bus company has resigned, after almost 40 years with the company.

The York Press

• New cycle lane at Water End to be changed TRANSPORT officials have spent yet more money on a troubled York cycling scheme, after it emerged more than two-thirds of cyclists were unhappy with it.

This Is Local London Network

• New police officers to keep Enfield bus passengers safeTWO new teams of transport police will be patrolling buses and bus stops from next week. The two teams of nine officers are to be based at Edmonton Green and Enfield Town transport hubs.

Wales Online

• Arriva trains Wales improves punctualityPUNCTUALITY on almost all Welsh rail services has improved in the past year, according to new figures. Arriva Trains Wales (ATW), the biggest operator here, has seen the punctuality of its services increase from 92.4% in 2007/804 to 93.1% in 2008/09.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• New road markings at Leeds 'hot-spot'WORK is to be carried out to improve road safety at a Pudsey accident hot-spot which has been the scene of six crashes in recent years.

Washington Post

• Chrysler heads to court for key bankruptcy hearing NEW YORK -- The future of Chrysler hangs in the balance as it heads to court Wednesday to ask a bankruptcy judge for permission to sell the bulk of its assets to a group headed by Italy's Fiat in hopes of saving itself from liquidation.
• US likely taking majority ownership of GM NEW YORK -- In the end, General Motors' massive cash needs likely trumped any chance of the automaker avoiding a bankruptcy court-supervised reorganization.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Aviation sector 'becoming more competitive'The global economic downturn has made the aviation industry more competitive, according to an expert.Although the sector has always been tough, David Beckerman, vice president of OAG Market Intelligence at UBM Aviation suggested that it has become more so as "revenues are in decline".Mr Beckerman was speaking after British Airways (BA) and American Airlines lodged an application to collaborate on setting fares, schedules and routes."One strategy we may see emerging is an expansion of routes and services to less congested airports," he predicted, adding that,...

Aviation Industry

• Soridis introduces SUPRA, their new Alarm Supervision Software featuring Perle I/O Device ServersSUPRA, Soridis’ new cutting-edge Alarm Supervision Software, allows railways to supervise all alerts on a rail network and monitor stations at both a local and regional level. SUPRA provides a complete graphic view of the network’s state and quicker troubleshooting through the setting of customised automatic alerts.
• Baker: Passengers mustn’t be hoodwinked by Network Rail figuresReaction to the Network Rail’s announcement that 90% of trains were ’punctual’ in the last year, Norman Baker warned passengers not to be hoodwinked.
• Aberdeen Airport expands it's training potentialA new pilot project is starting at the Dyce terminal this month, developing training opportunities for industry leaders.
• 787 Launch Customer ANA Selects SITA for Aircraft Communications Management As the initial flight of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner approaches, launch customer All Nippon Airways (ANA) today announced that it has selected aviation IT specialist SITA to provide a message processing solution to manage the configuration and distribution of the higher traffic volume and variety of aircraft cockpit messages required for the new aircraft. Takanori Yukishige, vice president of information technology services at ANA, said: "Traditionally, we have developed all our Datalink processing in-house; however, our existing mainframe system could not manage the requirement...
• Virgin Atlantic profit up 17 percent 11:28AM ETVirgin Atlantic Airways said Tuesday that full-year profit excluding exception charges rose nearly 17 percent despite volatile fuel costs.
• Airlines call on BAA to scrap Gatwick planseasyJet labels £1bn cost "extraordinary"read more

Other News Sources

• Bus users asked for favourite placesBUS users in Northumberland are being asked to recommend their favourite places in the local area to help update an online town guide.
• Bid for new cycle bridgeA PEDESTRIAN and cycle bridge could be built over the River Trent as part of a massive housing scheme.
• Bid to set up new cycle path between Thornbury and AlvestonCYCLING enthusiasts are soldiering on with plans to link Alveston and Thornbury. Thornbury Town Council says it is determined to see a cycle path between the village and the town to enable green-minded residents to hop on their bikes.
• Train punctuality improvesTrain punctuality has often been the bug bear of millions of passengers but according to new figures more than 90pc of journeys in the east of England were on time in the last year.
• Station signs leave rail passengers in the darkRAIL passengers are being left in the dark about train times and delays because station signs don’t work. Residents of Horwich claim the real time display boards at the local Parkway station have not worked for four years.
• Commuter misery but train operator praised for punctualityHUNDREDS of commuters faced rush hour chaos yesterday - the same day as train operator National Express East Anglia was praised for its punctuality figures.
• Record punctuality for East Midlands TrainsEAST Midlands Trains is the fifth most improved rail operator for punctuality over the past five years, Network Rail has revealed.
• Train operator records best punctuality improvementFirst Great Western, which operates train services from Oxford to London Paddington, has made the biggest improvements in rail punctuality in Britain.
• MP’s vow to bring rail crossing up to scratchLABOUR MP Angela Smith is backing action to improve safety at Stanford-le-Hope’s level crossing.
• Virgin trains come first – for poor punctualityVIRGIN trains have the worst punctuality of all British rail operators, according to a new survey. Virgin's punctuality figure slipped from 86.2 per cent in 2007-8 to 80 per cent in 2008-9. However, t...
• Oil prices down ahead of OPEC meetingOil prices eased below $60 a barrel as investors awaited the latest meeting of the Opec oil-producing cartel later this week
• Step up electric CV development, says eCourier.co.ukLondon-based same-day logistics firm eCourier.co.uk is calling on manufacturers to step up electric vehicle development.
• Network Rail bundles into BlackfriarsNetwork Rail started work on the £350M redevelopment of Blackfriars station today by dangling a bundle of hay from the bridge - the traditional signal to passing river traffic that headroom under the bridge may be restricted.
• Train punctuality reaches record levelsNetwork Rail has reported that more than nine out of 10 trains arrived on time last year - the best performance since records began in 1992.
• Mayor backs consolidation centres for LondonLondon will have more consolidation centres in the future, according to plans published by Mayor Boris Johnson.
• Stuck with pay-the-pirateSHIPPING has no option but to pay ransom to pirates, despite efforts by the US to stop such payments, a London seminar heard today.
• LNG movement data revealedA NEW TRADING tool for analysis of global LNG movements, LNGLive, has been unveiled by Lloyd™s Register-Fairplay and the energy trading software company Innovez.
• Pirates taken in double arrestSEVEN Somali suspects believed to have fired rocket-propelled grenades and small arms on a Greek bulk carrier were captured in the Gulf of Aden early today.
• East Manchester tram work starts at weekendWork on the new Metrolink line through East Manchester will begin next weekend, in the Holt Town area, as utilities are diverted to pave the way for construction work later this summer.

News from Europe

• Getting a grip with plastic sleepersA small number of plastic bearers have been installed on some turnouts in the Netherlands since creosoted timber was banned, but a different approach to sleeper design is now being taken by Lankhorst Mouldings, which has looked beyond the straight replacement of wood.
• Largest Hanze Line contract signedNETHERLANDS: The largest contract to be awarded under the €1bn Hanze Line project was signed by infrastructure manager ProRail and the HanzaRailTeam consortium on May 12.