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

Friday, 14 August 2009

BBC News

• Rail crime rise during holidays Railway crime committed by young people in south Wales increased dramatically at the start of the school holidays, says Network Rail.
• Tuk Tuks help people get around [video]One man is tackling a rural transport problem in a Worcestershire village by using Tuk Tuks to drive villagers around.
• Pledge Watch: More trains on time Politicians love announcing initiatives. In this series we pluck a pledge from the archives. And see what happened next... It was a grim time for commuters back in January 2002.
• New row threatens trams projectEdinburgh City Council begins legal action against a contractor as a new dispute threatens to delay the city's tram system.
• VW agrees Porsche merger detailsVolkswagen and Porsche agree the details under which VW will merge with its German carmaking compatriot by 2011.
• Tourists face car hire shortageEuropean holidaymakers are facing bigger bills for hire cars - or risk not getting one at all - due to a shortage of vehicles.

Financial Times

• Tui results hit by Hapag-Lloyd loansTUI, owner of Europe's largest travel company revealed the impact of loans to its ex-shipping unit Hapag-Lloyd

The Guardian

• Rail strike called off as unions claim major victory Strike action left thousands stranded today on busy commuter services to and from East Anglia

The Herald

• Fear new bus rules could put firms out of businessBus companies in Glasgow are facing tough new rules in a bid to improve services for ­passengers and cut pollution. The move follows an Evening Times campaign launched earlier this year.

The Independent

• Off-peak fares on busy route to rise 20% Some off-peak fares on a busy rail route are to go up by 20 per cent, it was revealed today. The increases, from September 6, are being brought in by First Great Western (FGW) and were criticised today by rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus.
• East Anglia rail strike action called off Strike action on the busy National Express East Anglia (NXEA) rail line was called off by the RMT tonight.

The Telegraph

• Teenager given 'council certificate for getting on bus in Greater Manchester' A teenage boy, Bobby McHale, has been awarded a certificate from a holiday scheme in Bury, Greater Manchester - for getting the bus.
• Millions of passengers face 20 per cent fare riseFirst Great Western overhauled its ticket pricing, reducing the availability of off-peak fares. The move comes ahead of train operators being ordered to cut commuter fares at the end of the year by the Government.

Reuters News

• JetBlue offers one month of unlimited jettingJetBlue Airways (JBLU.O) is offering a $599 one-month pass for unlimited travel on Wednesday in a bid to get more passengers airborne and jump-start a sluggish summer for the airline industry.

Mail Online

• Eurostar bosses swapping seatsEurostar is about to appoint Frenchman Nicolas Petrovic to head the high-speed train service, just as Paris has agreed to cede some of its stake to Britain. A coincidence? When were such delicate matters of state, like national pride, ever left to mere fortune?

The Sun

• He'll go far A TEENAGER, 15, was gobsmacked when he received a certificate for catching the BUS

Transport Briefing

• Network Rail and Metro ready Leeds station bid A planning application to build a £16m new southern entrance at Leeds railway station is to be submitted to the local council next month [September].

Bristol Live

• First's off-peak Bristol to London rip-off First Great Western is forcing Bristol passengers to wait another hour before they can buy the cheapest fare on the company's trains to London.

London Evening Standard

• All change at Eurostar as it prepares to face competitionEurostar is set to appoint a Frenchman to replace the current British chief executive Richard Brown.
• IT expert forged rail tickets worth £12,000A computer expert could be jailed after forging a ticket to commute free to London for more than two years.
• 10 ways to avoid penalty fares on trains The horror stories are many. The pensioner physically dragged, crying, off a crowded train by two "revenue protection" goons because she had forgotten her senior citizens railcard. The passengers stung for £20 because there was a queue at the ticket office and they had to hop on without paying or miss the train.
• Off-peak fares soar on First Great WesternRail fares on some London routes are to rise by up to 20per cent next month. First Great Western - owned by transport giant FirstGroup - is to introduce new restrictions on its cheapest off-peak tickets. The price of a cheap off-peak return ticket between Swindon and Paddington will go up £8 to £48.
• Missing ship 'was hijacked for secret cargo'Ship reported to have been hijacked in the Baltic Sea may have been targeted for its secret cargo, it was claimed
• Rail strike called off as unions agree pay dealThe National Express East Anglia strike was dramatically called off this afternoon, meaning the company will be able to run more trains helping commuters get home

Manchester Evening News

• Plans for 'Oyster' paying card scheme GREATER Manchester could get its own 'smartcard' - letting residents pay for public transport, theatre tickets or even shopping with a single swipe.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Mandelson: I will not reverse work place parking levyTHE Government will not reverse plans for the city's workplace parking levy – despite continued opposition.

Sheffield Star

• High speed rail 'scandal' THE leader of Sheffield Council has dubbed the city's lack of high-speed rail link to London a "scandal" – and thrown his weight behind plans for a £15 billion new line. Coun Paul Scriven is urging the Government to invest in a route with 150mph trains linking Yorkshire to London in just over an hour.

Yorkshire Post

• £15m plans unveiled to create new entrance for Leeds Station A £15M scheme to create a new entrance to Leeds City Station as passenger numbers rise will be unveiled today. Transport chiefs say a new entrance at Granary Wharf is needed to cope with increasing passenger numbers, but admit it will save people only a four-minute walk to the riverside and canal basin.

Doncaster Free Press

• Airport bosses 'not worried' by rival's expansion AIRPORT bosses say business will not be affected after an airline which cut services from Doncaster announced an £84 million expansion at a rival site.

Railnews

• News: East Anglia rail strikes called off after pay agreement reached NATIONAL Express East Anglia services will be returning to normal from tomorrow morning following suspension of further industrial action by drivers’ union Aslef after agreement was reached today on the pay award.

Transport for London

• Extra eyes and ears will ensure Overground feels even safer TfL trials Travel Safe Officers to make London Overground passengers feel even safer on the trains and stations.
• TfL begins move into new greener, cheaper Greenwich Peninsula offices14 Pier Walk boasts environmental benefits and will contribute to £100m in savings on TfL offices over the next 10 years.

Other News Sources

• Swift rail proposals win mixed reactionEnvironmental campaigners have backed a proposed second high-speed rail (HSR) link but voiced concerns that alternative routes are not being considered.
• Russia Railways orders 200 rail wagons from SiemensThe Russian Railways AG has ordered 200 modern sleeping cars from Siemens and the local coach builder Tverskoy Vagonostroitelny Zavod AG. The Siemens scope of supply has an order value of about EUR 320 million. The new coaches can be operated in the Russian and standard gauge European railway networks. They are thus suitable for cross-border service as operated by RZD as well as for operation across Central and Western Europe.
• Campaign to halt Airtrack A campaign saying a proposed high-speed rail link between Wokingham and Heathrow Airport would bring chaos to the town’s roads has urged people to voice their opinions before it is too late
• High speed trains to leave Ramsgate earlier than expected HIGH speed trains will run from Thanet to London from September, rail company Southeastern has announced. Preview services of the new train, which will shave 49 minutes off the average commute from Ramsgate, will start from September 7. The full service is still due to start from December 13.
• Planning policies must support HSRHigh-speed rail could increase the current dominance of the Greater South East region within the UK if introduced without a package of well-thought-out complementary measures, according to a report for high-speed rail campaign group Greengauge 21.
• Adonis to get rail role with Tories?Speculation is growing that transport secretary Lord Adonis could be given a transport role in the next Government even if the Conservatives win the Election.
• Big cities to add their weight to growing high-speed rail lobbyThe eight ’core cities’ in England, together with Edinburgh and Glasgow, will launch the yet-to-be-named group at the High-Speed Rail ’summit’ organised by consultant Steer Davies Gleave in London on 9 September. The eight core cities are: Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield and Nottingham.
• Rail fares 'are legalised mugging' A TRAIN operator has been accused of "legalised mugging" after it unveiled plans to increase some fares by up to 20 per cent.
• Bollard crashes could lead to prosecutions Motorists could be prosecuted if they are "speared" by Preston's new rising bollards, it has been revealed.
• St Aldate's pollution will get worse after bus changes ST ALDATE’S in Oxford is the ninth most polluted street in England and the problem will get worse before it gets better.
• Bus stop gap is too narrow says neighbour A ROAD improvement scheme near a school will create problems for bus passengers, a local resident has claimed.
• UK shipping logs 25% growthUK SHIPPING turnover grew in 2008 to £11.9Bn ($19.7Bn), from £9.5Bn ($15.7Bn) in 2007, the UK Chamber of Shipping told Fairplay today.