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

Thursday, 18 June 2009

BBC News

• Javelin train speeds from LondonRail travellers have been whisked out of London at 140mph for the first time on a special preview trip on board a new Japanese-built "Javelin" train.
• Air India rescue package likelyThe Indian government is likely to announce a bail-out package to its struggling national carrier Air India, the federal aviation minister has said.
• Mayor faces 'naked road' protestA charity has protested at City Hall over plans to remove the kerbs from a west London street which is home to some of the UK's most famous museums.
• Tube cuts 'disastrous' says unionA union has warned of "potentially disastrous" safety risks over London Underground (LU) plans to cut its spending on maintenance by £60m.

Financial Times

• National Express permitted more debt flexibilityNational Express has confirmed a relaxation of the terms of its £1.2bn debt burden - but analysts warned more radical action was needed to tackle trouble at its struggling East Coast rail franchise.
• Continental to sell $390m in securitiesContinental Airlines plans to issue $390m in securities backed by new and older Boeing aircraft, the aviation industry's first securitised-debt sale of its kind in more than a year and the latest signal the credit markets are reopening to carriers hungry for capital.
• BA pilots to vote on pay cut and share plan BA pilots are to be balloted on a package of pay cuts and productivity improvements tied to a long-term share incentive scheme, in a breakthrough for the struggling airline's efforts to cut costs

The Guardian

• Boris Johnson must deal with pollution blindspot in cycling policyIf the mayor wants to make London safer for cyclists he must stop fiddling with mirrors and tackle the more serious but less visible matter of air pollution
• EU eyes more road tolls to curb transport emissionsRoad charging should play a bigger role in managing Europe's booming transport industry, European Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday as he outlined EU transport priorities for the next decade.
• National Express lightens load but still heads for buffers on east coastNational Express eased restrictions on its £1.2bn debt burden today but analysts warned that the deal had not resolved the dilemma over its onerous east coast rail franchise or the likely need for a £400m rights issue.
• Talks to avert new London tube strikes to begin on FridayEfforts are under way to avert further transport disruptions as a result of strike action in London, it emerged today, as Boris Johnson announced that talks are scheduled to resume this Friday.

The Herald

• Banks loosen covenants on National ExpressEast Coast Main Line train operator National Express has been given breathing space by its bankers, which loosened covenants governing its £1.2bn debt pile.

The Independent

• National Express agrees debt buffer with banksNational Express has struck a deal with banks to delay for six months a tightening of the terms governing its £1.2bn debt mountain.
• Airport runway public inquiry delayed again A public inquiry into whether a second runway should be built at Stansted Airport was today delayed for a second time, the Communities and Local Government Secretary revealed.

The Scotsman

• Pilots offered shares for pay cutsBritish Airways pilots are being urged to accept a "groundbreaking" deal under which they will receive shares in the company in return for a pay cut.

The Telegraph

• British airlines still amongst Europe's worst for losing luggage Two British airlines have emerged as among the worst in Europe for losing luggage according to new industry figures.
• Virgin Trains sets Network Rail deadline to sort West Coast Main LineVirgin Trains has set Network Rail a three month deadline to carry out major work on the troubled West Coast Main Line.

Times Online

• Stansted runway inquiry likely to be delayed until after electionThe public inquiry into a second runway at Stansted is to be delayed by at least nine months, increasing the chances that the project will eventually be scrapped.
• BA sees blue sky as pilots swap shares for pay cutsBritish Airways pilots have agreed to take a bet on the prosperity of their company by accepting shares worth £13 million as part of a deal to save the airline £26 million a year.

Press Association

• Adonis give cheap rail fare hopeNewly-appointed Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has held out the hope of reduced rail fares for season ticket holders next year.
• F1 driver launches rail projectThe Brazilian Formula One driver boarded a Virgin Pendolino "tilting" train to launch a new "pit stop" approach to train maintenance at transport company Alstom's depot in Wembley, north-west London.

Reuters News

• Go-Ahead profit on target as passengers increase British bus and train operator Go-Ahead Group Plc (GOG.L) said it was performing as expected and would meet internal hopes for full-year profit as passenger numbers continue to rise despite the recession.
• BA pilots offered shares for pay cutLONDON (Reuters) - British Airways pilots are set to vote on a deal under which they would receive shares in the company in return for a pay cut, the latest measure to help the airline through the economic downturn, a union said on Thursday.

Mail Online

• BA pilots agree to 'shares-for-pay-cuts' deal to help struggling airline

Transport Briefing

• Atkins rail profits up 43% as investment continuesEngineering and design consultant Atkins' rail division has reported a 43% increase in profits after securing a slew of new business during the past year.
• High speed rail Hitachi train service launchedDomestic high speed rail services from London to Kent using a new fleet of 140mph Hitachi trains will be launched on Thursday morning (18 June) at an event for journalists and invited stakeholders.

Airwise News

• Eurostar revamps fares structure with £35 ticketsCross-Channel train operator Eurostar has introduced a simplified fares structure which includes single fares to all its Continental destinations for £35.

Bristol Live

• Plan to ease jams at Bristol motorwayA car-share lane and new traffic lights could be introduced to try to ease congestion at a gridlock- prone motorway junction.

London Evening Standard

• Britain's fastest commuter train makes maiden journeyTHE country's fastest commuter train made its public debut today, travelling at 140mph between St Pancras International and Ashford.
• Cyclists beware, highly realistic painting of hole aheadA crevasse in the middle of the Regent's Canal towpath forces cyclists to take evasive action
• Tube chiefs in talks on job cuts to avert more strikesCrisis talks intended to prevent more strikes on the Underground are to take place later this week

Metro

• £60m Tube cut 'is a safety risk'A fresh safety row on London Underground has erupted as union leaders warned of ’potentially disastrous’ risks over a £60million cut in maintenance.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Transport Secretary calls for free Metro travelTRANSPORT Secretary Lord Adonis has promised to investigate whether free bus passes for pensioners and the disabled could be extended to the Metro.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Passengers' anger over proposed bus route cutsBUS passengers in the south west of Sheffield are queuing up to oppose the proposed dropping of one of the routes.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Transport Scotland to be questionedA Holyrood committee is to take Transport Scotland to task over evidence it produced to argue against the need for improvements at a north-east road junction.
• North Sea will not be sidelined in race for green energy “ ministerThe UK™s latest energy minister, the 12th under Labour since 1997, yesterday pledged not to allow the North Sea oil and gas industry to become a Cinderella in the push for renewable energy and a low-carbon economy.

The York Press

• York campaigners vow to carry on 20mph residential speed limit campaign DEFIANT campaigners have vowed œwe™re not giving up after hitting another roadblock in their battle to kill speed on York™s residential streets.
• Bike Week 2009: Cycle rides organised to get York families pedalling FAMILY cycle rides are being organised in and around York to encourage more parents and children to get pedalling.
• Selby District Council chairman to limit use of an official car THE chairman of Selby District Council might have to be putting his bicycle clips more often with the news that the council is limiting the use of an official car.

Wales Online

• Many bus lay-bys are disappearing – thanks to selfish motoristsBUS lay-bys are vanishing from Welsh roads because too many motorists refuse to let buses pull out. But motoring organisations say buses stopping in the main part of the road to pick up passengers delay everyone else and lead to accidents and extra pollution.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Go Ahead on track as passenger numbers growBUS and train operator Go-Ahead said today it was performing as expected after maintaining revenues growth at its three rail franchises.

Chester Standard

• MP calls on Government for cash support to back Vauxhall bidAN MP's call for Government cash to support jobs at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant has won cross-party support.

Daventry Express

• Saddle up for free bike ridePEOPLE across the Daventry area will be hitting the saddle as part of national Bike Week.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Letter: Rethink is needed [letter]I hope County Hall Conservatives rethink their decision not to fund the county's share of an expanded tram route.

The Economist

• Solar-powered manned flight: Flying for everA new solar-powered aircraft attempts to fly around the world with zero emissionsWHEN an airliner takes off for a transatlantic flight it needs to carry some 80 tonnes of fuel, which accounts for around one-fifth of its weight. On really long flights, fuel can account for 40% of a plane’s take-off weight, so that around 20% of the fuel is used to carry the rest of the fuel. Each tonne of fuel burned also produces 3.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Yet inside a hanger at a Swiss airfield is the prototype of an aircraft (illustrated above) that does not use any fuel at all. The wings of this ai...

Wall Street Journal

• UPDATE: National Express Group Agrees Relaxed Covenant TermsLONDON (Dow Jones)--National Express Group PLC (NEX.LN) Wednesday said it had agreed with banks to extend the terms of its banking covenants, which will provide the bus and rail group with more financial flexibility on its debt.
• LaHood Wants Delay in Highway BillTransportation Secretary LaHood said he wants Congress to extend the current transportation-funding formulas for an additional 18 months, putting himself at odds with some senior congressional Democrats.

Railnews

• Go Via will pay over £100m a year for South Central franchiseGO-VIA, the Go-Ahead Group's rail division, has agreed to pay the Government £677 million during the next six years — and to improve punctuality to 93.1 per cent by March 2014 — for its subsidiary company, Southern Railways Ltd, to continue to operate the South Central franchise.

Aviation Industry

• IBM sets up rail innovation centerIBM opened a new global rail innovation center in Beijing on June 11, to bring together the world's foremost industry leaders, researchers and universities to advance next-generation rail systems.
• New cycle link opensBristol's trailblazing Cycling City programme has delivered the first completed kilometre of a new off-road cycle route. The section of the new Northern Link route, from St Werburghs to Muller Road, features a sensitive, solar powered ’cats eye’ lighting scheme and a host of green features including fruit trees and a mini park.
• IT shakeup is just the ticket at Transport for LondonTransport for London (TfL) will complete an IT overhaul by September that has seen 15 outsourced contracts brought back in-house and desktop costs cut by more than 80 per cent. Outgoing chief information officer (CIO) Phil Pavitt told delegates at the GC Live conference in London last week that the programme means more “sexy” systems can now be insourced.
• Southampton Airport launches action plan to manage aircraft noiseSouthampton Airport has launched a 16 week public consultation on its proposed plans to continue managing aircraft noise impacts over the next five years.

Other News Sources

• Council backs bus high-speed routeGosport council has thrown its weight behind a £20m bus route, despite the admission that it won't solve the town's traffic problems.
• Buggy bus deal isn’t fare say angry mumsA COACH firm has bowed to parent pressure and reinstated a buggy bus service ... but mums are still furious.
• Go North East and Scarlet Band lose out to ArrivaTWO bus companies were considering their next moves last night, after missing out on a flagship park-and-ride contract.
• Threatened bus services receive temporary reprieveTHREATENED bus services have received a temporary reprieve. Passenger executive Metro has agreed to subsidise First services which the operator has deemed unprofitab
• NOW GUIDED BUS IS NEARLY OUT OF THE WAY, CAN COUNTY HELP DELIVER FEN RAIL LINK?DON'T hold your breath, don't start checking the price of a return ticket, and most certainly don't even begin to think its going to happen soon. That aside, however, there is a glimmer of hope in the prospects for the re-opening of the Wisbech to March rail line.
• Hopes for a bus route solutionA solution to the travel problems left by the shock closure of the Liphook/Bordon rail-bus link will be announced very soon. East Hampshire District Council and Hampshire County Council have been working hard behind the scenes to find an answer and an EHDC spokesman said they were "on the cusp" of revealing a solution.
• Bus lane branded a joke by motoristsA new 700-yard, £1 million bus lane aimed at easing congestion on a commuter route into Bath from the Norton-Radstock area has again come under fire. Motorists claim not only is it an expensive waste of money, but that it is not even being used by buses
• More and more people are taking the busMORE and more people are jumping aboard public buses and leaving their cars at home, a study has revealed.
• Praise for rail plansPLANS for a new Oxford-to-London rail route, which would include improvements to the Bicester-to-Oxford line, have been welcomed by Cherwell District Council’s executive.
• Praise for rail plansPLANS for a new Oxford-to-London rail route, which would include improvements to the Bicester-to-Oxford line, have been welcomed by Cherwell District Council’s executive.
• Cycling City completes first stage of off-road routeBristol - Britain's designated Cycling City - has opened the first completed kilometre of a new off-road cycle path.
• Train firms face unhappiness finesUnhappy passengers on Lancashire's busiest rail line have been told they will soon no longer have to suffer in silence.
• EU transportation plan disappoints criticsBRUSSELS, June 17 (UPI) -- A 10-year transportation plan to be released by the European Commission focuses on efficiency but contains few climate change-related measures, critics say.
• BAA denies T5 subsidence reportsHeathrow airport operator BAA last week denied that cracks in floor tiles at Terminal 5 were caused by subsidence.
• High speed rail plans are ˜too slow™New high speed railway lines must be designed to run trains at up to 300km/h if they are to take traffic from the roads, supporters of the proposed High Speed 2 link between London and the north said this week.
• South Africa to fast track high speed lineSouth Africa™s Gautrain high speed rail line between Johannesberg and Pretoria could be fasttracked for the 2010 football World Cup, according to Bombela, the company building the project.
• Stobart performing 'satisfactorily'Stobart Group says the economic environment
• Singapore bunker fee slashedBUNKER surveyors in Singapore will be pressed to adhere to strict accreditation norms despite the recession, warned the Maritime & Port Authority, which also unveiled a 30% waiver on the assessment fee.
• Sea France bid ends in tearsLOUIS Dreyfus Armateurs told Fairplay today it has thrown in the towel on acquiring Sea France.
• Fragmented drybulk predictedDRYBULK consolidation is not possible in a recession even though prices are low, Precious Shipping™s managing director Khalid Hashim said today.
• CrossCountry launches first TV ad campaignThe Arriva-run CrossCountry rail network is to appear in its first ever television campaign in an attempt to get people out of their cars and onto trains.

Other Subscription Services

• Galbraith's picks Nick Hubbard as managing directorSHIPBROKER says settlement of its litigation with Novoship has cleared the way for the company’s plans to grow.