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

Friday, 04 September 2009

BBC News

• Town quizzed over bypass options Businesses and residents in the Powys town of Newtown are being asked for their views on plans for a bypass.
• No Sunday London Midland trains Rail passengers have been warned to expect delays after all of London Midland's services across England this Sunday were cancelled.
• Council plan to stop free parkingFree street parking could be scrapped in all coastal resorts and market towns in Devon. At the moment, charges for street parking only apply in main shopping areas, including Exeter, Torbay and Plymouth.
• Bridge celebrates 45th birthday The opening of the Forth Road Bridge exactly 45 years ago is being marked by the release of dramatic footage of the giant structure.
• Inquiry into 'bus war' buy-out The Competition Commission is investigating the merger of Stagecoach with its
• National Express gets £765m bidA group seeking to buy transport group National Express makes an improved offer of £765m for the company.
• Jobs at risk in Easyjet cutbacksBudget airline Easyjet says jobs are at risk as it cuts flights out of Luton airport amid a dispute over landing charges.

Financial Times

• DfT assurances key for StagecoachThe statement from the bus and rail operator that wants to take over National Express's UK rail and local bus businesses contains two commitments from the Department for Transport
• BA data show drift to economy classShift from premium to economy-class air travel is reconfirmed by British Airways as it registers another month of falling first- and business-class sales
• Wincanton secures £275m contracts from M&SThe logistics provider's chief says the group's approach to environmental issues helped it to win the deals from the retailer
• Go-Ahead predicts 'modest' rail growthThe bus and rail operator's forecast reflects the relative robustness of UK demand in the face of the economic downturn
• Consortium lifts National Express offerThe consortium bidding for the bus and rail operator has raised its offer to 500p, which represents an increase of 11 per cent on an earlier approach and values the equity at £765m

The Guardian

• Go-Ahead warns of more job losses as rail passenger numbers drop Britain's busiest train operator, Go-Ahead Group, has warned that further job cuts are likely at its rail division as the recession hits passenger numbers.
• Made in Gwent with £10,000: the road safety video taking YouTube by storm It was made for just a few thousand pounds, stars unpaid student actors and was designed to warn youngsters in a corner of south Wales about the perils of texting while driving.

The Herald

• Stagecoach facing forced sell-off of town bus operationsStagecoach could be forced to sell major bus operations in Preston after the Competition Commission declared yesterday that the Perth-based company’s acquisition of a rival in the Lancashire town would reduce competition and could harm passengers’ interests.
• Cosmen and CVC beef up bid for National ExpressStagecoach has lined up a deal to secure National Express’s bus and rail businesses as part of a beefed up £765m bid for the beleaguered company by Spain’s Cosmen family and private equity firm CVC Capital Partners.

The Telegraph

• Go-Ahead chief executive Keith Ludeman relaxed over Office of Fair Trading bus probe The chief executive of transport group Go-Ahead said he was "relaxed" about the Office of Fair Trading investigation into the bus market as he predicted a year of resilient trading despite the downturn.

Times Online

• Go-Ahead beats expectations despite fall in Gatwick traffic Go-Ahead, the British rail and bus operator, said that its Gatwick Express franchise has suffered a fall in passenger numbers due to fewer people flying from the airport.
• Hundreds of jobs at risk as easyJet cuts flights EasyJet will cut up to one fifth of its flights from Luton as the budget carrier shifts its focus to Gatwick and continental airports.
• Paris bike scheme inspires pedal power across FrancePicture a Frenchman and what does he have? Onions? Stripey top? Bicycle? While the first two might not ring true these days, there™s every chance that he might just be on a bike, for nearly every major city now has its own bike-sharing scheme.

Daily Express

• Stagecoach books a new attack on rival BUS and train group Stagecoach is believed to be mulling over an improved bid for rival National Express after the long-distance coach operator snubbed an opening offer from its main investor.

Mail Online

• EasyJet pulls out of East Midlands

Network Rail

• NETWORK RAIL UNVEILS PLANS FOR NATIONAL CENTRE AT MILTON KEYNES
• REVEALED: NEW HIGH-TECH WEAPON IN FIGHT AGAINST CABLE THEFT

Birmingham Post

• London-Midland rail franchise owner warns of tough year aheadThe owner of the London-Midland rail franchise has warned of a tough year ahead as growth in passenger revenues grinds to a halt.
• Birmingham Airport favoured over New Street for high speed rail linkBirmingham International Airport’s case to be the home of a new high speed rail station has received a major boost.

Bolton News

• We can all make a difference to cut carbon emissions says MP BOLTON West MP Ruth Kelly has given her backing to the new 10:10 campaign which aims to cut the country’s carbon footprint.

Bristol Live

• Do Bristol cyclists need a £1m lift . . . to get them to Clifton? Transport campaigner Chris Hutt wants the city council to spend a million pounds installing a special lift to help cyclists to reach Clifton. Mr Hutt wants the bike lift put in the Trenchard Street multi-storey car park.

London Evening Standard

• Tube Lines says sorry for Jubilee disruption
• EasyJet takes off from Luton in charges row

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink bosses feel the heatMETROLINK bosses are under increasing pressure to hold a full investigation into the 'unforeseen circumstances' operators are blaming for letting passengers down for a third day. Part of the troubled Altrincham line was still closed on Thursday, a full 24 hours after services were suspended because a tram had reportedly snagged on overhead power cables.

Metro

• Easyjet cuts back on servicesBudget airline easyJet is to close its East Midlands base and reduce services at Luton airport by 20%, it announced today.

Nottingham Evening Post

• easyJet to pull out of East Midlands Airport LOW-cost airline easyJet has blamed the Government's rise in airport passenger duty for its decision to close its base at East Midlands Airport.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• MP hears of railway buffs™ plan to extend famous line to GrantownA North MP yesterday heard about plans to raise the £5million needed to extend a famous tourist railway line.

Yorkshire Post

• Optare share placing to fund green buses BUS manufacturer Optare is to raise around £8.6m through a share placing to fund the development of its low carbon buses. The group, which employs 300 people at its Leeds factory, said it sees a challenging 2009 for new bus sales.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Fresh call to ban lorries overtakingA business group has renewed its call to ban lorries from overtaking on a busy Essex road, despite congestion patrols being launched this week.
• EasyJet to cut back on servicesBudget airline easyJet is to reduce services at Luton Airport by 20%.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Wincanton secures M&S contractsMarks & Spencer (M&S) has selected Wincanton as its preferred supply chain solutions provider, agreeing three five-year contracts with the company.The deals, worth around £275 million, will see Wincanton manage the retailer's home delivery service for items such as furniture and other large goods, as well as overseeing merchandise distribution in the south of England.Chief executive of the supply chain company Graeme McFaull described the agreement as a "very significant expansion of our business".He added that it "creates a major new strateg...

Railnews

• News: Go-Ahead increases revenue by 6.7 per cent GO-AHEAD Group — which includes train companies London Midland, Southern and Southeastern in its Govia joint venture — has surprised the financial markets with a better-than-expected result for the past year.

Transport for London

• Better bus information on the wayTransport for London (TfL) today announced that within the next two years, Londoners will be able to find out exactly when their next bus is due by using their mobile phone or the internet.

Other News Sources

• Norman Baker MP, shadow transport secretary, Liberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats believe in public transport. We will work for a better, more-efficient, and more-sustainable transport system. Our philosophy is based on meeting two fundamental challenges: reducing carbon emissions, and becoming the passengers' champion by improving services.
• Yorkshire cites city benefits in retort to western fast rail planYorkshire transport chiefs will continue to lobby for the county to be included in a high-speed rail network despite Network Rail's proposal for a west coast route.
• High-speed veers west Network Rail has backed a west coast route up to Scotland for the second UK high-speed rail link although cities on the east coast line are pressing their case, discovers Susanna Gillman. The UK's second high-speed rail route is gathering pace. Political momentum has been building since earlier this year when transport secretary Lord Adonis set up company High Speed 2 (HS2) to explore options for the line.
• High speed rail hopes for Hebden HEBDEN Bridge rail commuters could benefit from a proposed new high speed inter-city service which would slash journey times to Leeds and Manchester. Under the proposals the service to Manchester from Hebden Bridge would be cut to just 26 minutes while the time to Leeds would be 35 minutes.
• Iain Coucher: Riding a new wave Network Rail’s championing of a new high speed line to Birmingham, Manchester and Scotland is an important step in its transformation from day to day route operator to forward thinking transport provider. Jackie Whitelaw speaks to chief executive Iain Coucher to find out more.
• BNSF Railway names new chief sourcing officerNEW YORK — BNSF Railway said Thursday that Paul Bischler has been named vice president and chief sourcing officer, effective Oct. 1.
• New delay to disabled access at Cupar railway station Councillor Margaret Kennedy said she was "furious" when it emerged that Network Rail had been asked once again to review its designs for step-free access to the station's southbound platform.
• Humber Bridge clerk speaks up over loan claims HUMBER Bridge Board clerk Kim Ryley has hit back at Department for Transport claims the managers of the board can still keep up loan repayments.
• Bmibaby announces schedule for Belfast in 2010Bmibaby has revealed its 2010 summer schedule from Belfast International airport. Some of the flights included are to major UK bases such as Birmingham, East Midlands, Manchester and Cardiff until October 30th 2010. 45 flights a week will operate out of the 4 bases. Cardiff will have services 6 times a week, Birmingham 15 times and East Midlands [...]
• EasyJet cuts Luton flights and axes East MidlandsAirline easyJet has announced proposals to cut its flights from Luton airport by 20% and close its East Midlands base
• Cosmens up National Express bid to £765mShares in National Express soared 14% today after its biggest shareholder raised its offer for the semi-expired transport group
• Wincanton wins £275m of M&S contractsWincanton has won three delivery contracts with Marks & Spencer worth a total of £275m. Chief executive Graeme McFaull says:
• Multi-Site Fuel Management Boosts Fuelling Cost Control of Rotherham Borough Council's Vehicle FleetFaced with an ageing and unserviceable fuel management system, Rotherham Borough Council has turned to Fueltek to provide a complete package of new hardware and support.
• Europcar Announces Green Partnership with FiatEuropcar and Fiat partnership allows Europcar to offer customers a new range of environmentally-friendly options
• Network Rail unveils plans for national centre at Milton KeynesNetwork Rail today unveiled the first images of its groundbreaking new national centre, which will bring up to 3,000 jobs to Milton Keynes.
• Virgin Atlantic names RKCR as global agencyVirgin Atlantic has appointed Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R and its affiliates to handle its global advertising account.
• London boroughs get cash to cut carbon London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced funding to set up low carbon neighbourhoods in ten of the city's boroughs.