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

Monday, 07 September 2009

BBC News

• Bus strike ballot to be counted Votes will be counted on Monday to find out if staff at First Bus in Aberdeen will accept a new pay deal.
• Railway graffiti risks warning An increase in graffiti on inaccessible parts of the railway and rail bridges in Wiltshire has led to a project to teach young people about the dangers.
• Rail bosses and unions to meet Rail company bosses will meet unions to discuss the cancellation of nearly all of its Sunday routes due to a lack of drivers.
• Congestion cut 'due to recession'Congestion has fallen by one third - the first drop in 20 years - due to unemployment during the recession, a report says.

Financial Times

• EU opens door to ending US trade rowBaroness Ashton, the EU™s trade commissioner, says the US and Europe needed to ensure they maintained competitive aircraft industries despite the Boeing-Airbus dispute before the WTO

The Guardian

• Recession brings shorter queues on Britain's busiest roads The recession has lengthened queues at the dole office but shortened them on Britain's busiest roads, according to a report showing a drop in congestion across the UK.

The Herald

• ’Make motorists pay to cut carbon’ The Scottish Government is being urged to introduce radical measures – including a slew of new charges on motorists – to achieve its ambitious climate-change targets.

The Independent

• Train firm criticised for Sunday service 'farce'Rail company London Midland came in for heavy criticism yesterday after it was forced to cancel all but one of its Sunday services because not enough staff volunteered to work.

The Scotsman

• Stagecoach set to pay £100m to government, insisting it's fair fee STAGECOACH is expected to pay the government about £100 million as a "change of control" payment to take over National Express's rail business even though many City analysts believe it is a high price to pay.

The Telegraph

• Rail penalty fares to soar under Government plans Fines imposed on rail passengers travelling with the wrong ticket are to more than double under plans drawn up by the Department for Transport.
• London Midland cancels train services through lack of volunteer workersA rail company is facing severe criticism after it was forced to cancel all but one of its Sunday services because no staff volunteered to work.

Times Online

• Rail chaos as London Midland cancels trainsThousands of passengers were stranded yesterday when drivers employed by the rail operator London Midland failed to volunteer for work following the end last week of an agreement to give them double pay for Sundays.

Reuters News

• Stagecoach to pay UK to push rail dealLONDON (Reuters) - British bus and rail group Stagecoach will give the government a 100 million pound
• British Airways in talks to buy bmi - reportLONDON (Reuters) - British Airways is considering a possible bid for rival UK airline bmi and talks between BA and bmi's German owner Lufthansa have already taken place, according to the Sunday Times.

Network Rail

• TRACK RENEWAL COMPLETES THE PICTURE AT NELSON

Birmingham Post

• Stagecoach to pay DfT £100m to smooth National Express rail purchase Transport giant Stagecoach is willing to pay the Government about £100 million to smooth over a deal to buy two rail franchises from troubled National Express.
• Talks set to start after Sunday overtime row prompts rail chaosRail bosses are today holding emergency talks with transport unions after a row over overtime pay caused chaos for thousands of passengers.
• Centro backs high-speed link into Birmingham city centreCentro has backed plans for a high-speed rail link to stop in Birmingham city centre - via a slower spur off the main high speed line.

Liverpool Echo

• Results of industrial action ballot by Virgin Trains catering staff posptoned after legal wrangleA BALLOT on possible strike action by Virgin Trains catering staff has been delayed by a legal wrangle with the company.

Metro

• No-show Sunday staff halt trainsTens of thousands of train passengers endured a day of travel misery today because rail staff decided they did not want to work on a Sunday.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Trains cancelled as staff refuse Sunday workingA rail company serving Bedfordshire has faced a barrage of criticism after it was forced to cancel all but one of its Sunday services because staff have failed to volunteer to

C.N.N.

• Weak economy drains the shipping industryAboard the Svend Maersk, the sound of the ship's five-story high engine permeates like a heartbeat through the four-football field length of ship.

International Herald Tribune

• Buguggiate Journal: An Italian Road That May Be Too ScenicAs Italy moves to replace traditional intersections with roundabouts for safety reasons, there are worries that artwork at the traffic circles could distract drivers.

Other News Sources

• High speed preview trains begin from east Kent Commuters to London from east Kent are getting their first taste of the new high speed rail service today.
• Railway line reopens after £20m subsidence scheme THE railway line between Doncaster and Cleethorpes reopened this morning after the completion of a £20-million improvement project by Network Rail.
• High speed rail plan provokes Northern Ire A storm has broken out following the publication of a plan for a high-speed rail line from London to Scotland via the North-West that would by-pass industrial heartlands in Yorkshire, the North-East and the East Midlands.
• Transport Info GooglesA "MONSTER" train depot which will boost transport links for the 2012 Olympics but bring misery to the lives of residents is set to divide Haringey Council. The 280-metre long railway shed is part of Network Rail's Thameslink Programme, much of which is set for completion in 2012 to "deliver better services before the Olympic Games".
• Darwen petition against bus cutsMORE than 200 residents in Spring Vale have signed a petition urging council bosses to help find a new provider for a popular bus route that is being axed.
• Campaign to reopen Blackford train station continues CAMPAIGNERS fighting to reopen a railway station which could ease parking problems in Dunblane say their case has been strengthened by transport studies.
• New camera system will target blindspotsCoventry-based technology company Alpine is developing a camera system to remove blind spots and stop accidents in which trucks move lanes and collide with other traffic.
• Credit crunch cuts road congestionCredit crunch cuts road congestion