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Friday, 17 July 2009

BBC News

• BA announces plan to raise £600m British Airways plans to raise £600m to help it get through difficult trading conditions, the airline has said.
• Network Rail fined for derailment Network Rail has been fined £70,000 after a train travelling at 90mph derailed in Norfolk because of a poorly maintained level crossing.
• MP calls for bridge toll decision An MP is calling on the government to make an immediate decision on the level of tolls on the Humber Bridge.
• Cyclists warned of killer lorries A campaign launched by Transport for London (TfL) will warn cyclists about lorries - which caused more than half the city's bicycle deaths in 2008.
• Go-ahead for city bypass scheme A £176m long-awaited scheme to ease congestion in Carlisle has been given the go-ahead.
• Station barriers plan thrown out Controversial plans to install ticket barriers at York railway station have been rejected by councillors.
• GP campaign against transit route A group of GPs in east Belfast have asked Transport Minister Conor Murphy to reconsider developing a rapid bus transit line along the Comber Greenway.
• Transport challenge for new towns [video]To qualify to become an eco town, every new home will need to be within a 10-minute walk of frequent public transport.
• Failures to 'join-up' transport Important transport projects such as high speed rail and road links between Wales and England are not being given enough priority, MPs say.
• Railway station plans on display Part of a £400m plan by Network Rail to transform Reading Railway Station is to go on display.
• UK rail inquiries moving to IndiaAll calls to the UK's National Rail Enquiries Service will be handled by Indian call centres from next March, the BBC learns.

Financial Times

• Gatwick airport bidders raise pressure on Ferrovial Brinkmanship surrounding the sale of Gatwick, the second-largest UK airport, by Spain's Ferrovial, has intensified amid the apparent withdrawal of the last bidder from the contest.
• FirstGroup revenue sales growth slowsPressure on the big five public transport operators intensifies after figures from Britain's biggest bus operator show that revenue growth from bus ticket sales is slowing
• Lufthansa improves offer for AustrianGerman airline offers new concessions to the European Commission in the hope of finally winning approval from the Brussels competition watchdog for its takeover of Austrian Airlines
• Continental chief to leave for private equityLarry Kellner, widely praised for keeping the airline out of bankruptcy protection in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, is to step down at the end of the year and will be succeeded by his longtime top deputy
• Lufthansa in job cuts to staunch lossesThe German airline is being forced to cut jobs in its main airline division and to defer deliveries of new aircraft as part of emergency measures to staunch rising losses

The Guardian

• Turn green words into green deeds Despite government talk, transport emissions are rising because carbon-generating schemes are being given the go-ahead
• BAA debt repayment plans at risk after potential Gatwick buyer pulls out BAA fights to keep debt reduction strategy on track after planned airport sale left with only one potential buyer
• Green light given for four ecotownsTowns to tackle Britain's housing shortage while minimising damage to the environment by showcasing energy efficient homes and green transportThe government today gave the go-ahead for the construction of four eco-towns, offering 10,000 homes overall, which, it hopes, will showcase environmentally friendly living in the UK.The settlements, to be built by 2016, will include the latest in energy efficiency measures, streets with charging points for electric cars and numerous cycle routes as well as easy access to public transport.The locations are Whitehill Borden in Hampshire, the China Clay C...

The Herald

• Ministers urged to ensure rail route will still run to Glasgow Pressure is mounting on the UK Government to ensure that, whichever company wins the east coast rail franchise, the route continues to run through to Glasgow and does not stop at Edinburgh.

The Independent

• £6m bill for ministerial cars The cost of running the Government's cars to ferry around ministers was more than £6 million last year, figures revealed today.

The Scotsman

• Gatwick offer is withdrawn THE LAST bidder for the sale of Gatwick Airport by Spain's Ferrovial has apparently withdrawn from the contest.

The Telegraph

• Cost of ministerial car fleet increasesOne in seven Labour MPs now have access to an official car according to figures released by the Government.

Times Online

• National Rail to outsource all calls to India Call centre staff in India already handle about two thirds of the calls to the train times hotline, with the remaining enquires fielded in South Yorkshire by employees of Ventura, a UK business.
• BA raids pension pledge to help raise £600m British Airways (BA), the struggling UK flag carrier, today announced that it will take back £300 million pledged to its pension fund to pay retirement benefits if the company goes bust as part of a plan to boost its liquidity by £600 million.

Transport Briefing

• Balfour Beatty seals 30-year Carlisle road PFI deal Carlisle's north-west bypass has been granted Full Approval by the government after financial close was reached on the £176m private finance initiative being used to deliver the scheme.
• Eco-town decision triggers transport study work Detailed transport planning to support the construction of four eco-towns can get underway after the government named the locations for the first-wave settlements that will support 10,000 new homes by 2016.

Derby Telegraph

• New ring road hospital bus service to be considered DERBY councillors have demanded that the city's ruling Liberal Democrat group consider creating a bus service to transport people from across the city to the new Royal Derby Hospital.
• Toyota wins international race to build eco-friendly car THE 3,900-strong workforce at Toyota's Burnaston factory were celebrating today after winning the race to become the first plant in the country to produce eco-friendly hybrid cars.

Liverpool Echo

• Transport Secretary tells owner of Liverpool John Lennon Airport to stop whingeing about “green” taxesTHE Transport Secretary has told the owner of John Lennon Airport to stop whingeing about “green” taxes, adding: “You're doomed if you don't pay your fair share”.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Tram operator seeks talks ahead of strike NOTTINGHAM Tram Consortium is seeking further talks with the GMB union after receiving official notification of a strike.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Report ˜shows A9 Corridor plan shambles™Planning watchdogs have œwelcomed the publication of a Highland Council report which, they claim, proves its A96 Corridor development proposals are a shambles.
• Report ˜shows A9 Corridor plan shambles™Planning watchdogs have œwelcomed the publication of a Highland Council report which, they claim, proves its A96 Corridor development proposals are a shambles.
• Pensioners™ group brands bus strike ˜a bad day for community™A pensioners™ group has branded today™s bus strike in Aberdeen by First drivers a bad day for senior citizens and a bad day for the community.

The York Press

• Network Rail reveals plans for more services and shorter journey times RAIL chiefs have unveiled plans for extra services, shorter journey times and longer trains with more seats on key routes including York to Leeds and Manchester.
• City of York Council to look at reducing pay and display parking charges TRANSPORT leaders in York have vowed to look into ways of reducing the cost of parking, after opposition parties forced a rethink.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Keep East Coast Rail Line nationalised for 15 years, says MPA YORKSHIRE MP is tabling a parliamentary motion to keep the collapsed East Coast Main Line nationalised for up to 15 years.

Blackpool Gazette

• 'No U-turn' as vital bus service savedA VITAL bus service for the elderly and disabled will continue to run.

The Shields Gazette

• Electric cars could spark Nissan jobs boostNISSAN is to make its Wearside plant the biggest electric car factory in Europe, securing thousands of jobs.

Railnews

• News: £70,000 fine for Network Rail after train derailment caused by lack of maintenance Network Rail was today fined £70,000 and ordered to pay costs of £25,000 after its failure to properly maintain a level crossing led to the derailment of a 90mph train.

Transport for London

• TfL premieres new film to improve cycle safetyMore than 140,000 cyclists in the Capital are being sent a link to a new cycle safety training film for cyclists and lorry drivers as part of work by Transport for London (TfL) to reduce the number of cyclists killed and seriously injured in the Capital.
• TfL appoints new Chief Operating Officer and DirectorGarrett Emmerson appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Streets and Traffic following retirement of Peter Brown, Ben Plowden appointed to new role as Director of Integrated Programme Delivery.

Other News Sources

• Stagecoach first bus company to join ECO scheme Stagecoach has become the first bus and coach operator to sign up to the ECO - Efficient and Cleaner Operations - Stars Fleet Recognition Scheme.
• Rail firm fined £70,000 over train derailment A rail firm has been forced to pay more than £90,000 following the derailment of a train in Norfolk where only “pure good fortune” prevented the deaths and serious injury of passengers and crew.
• A pathway linking Queen's Road railway station and Walthamstow Central looks set to go ahead RAIL users look set to get a much-awaited pathway linking two stations in Walthamstow.
• Transport for London to launch new river transport projectTransport for London is planning a tender to find designers to help it with a new river transport project. ˜We are working on a new programme to increase ridership of the London River Services,™ says TfL™s new head of design Jon Hunter, adding, ˜There is a whole package of work for this project, including wayfinding and looking at services.™
• MAG pulls out of Gatwick bidManchester Airports Group has reportedly pulled out of the race for Gatwick airport after refusing to budge on its offer.

News from Europe

• German rail watchdog plans mass safety check All goods wagons operating on German railways should be subjected to additional checks in the light of a recent series of accidents and breakdowns, the country's railway supervisory authority said on Thursday.