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

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

BBC News

• Length of rail franchises increased by government Future rail franchises will run for a minimum of 10 years with the chance to extend them to up to 22 years, the government has said.
• Airports hit by controller action Irish airports will be brought to a standstill on Wednesday afternoon if a planned strike by air traffic controllers goes ahead.
• Tube staff to strike over rostersTube maintenance staff vote
• JAL bankruptcy filing confirmedJapan Airlines, Asia's biggest carrier, files for bankruptcy protection and is expected to lay off thousands of workers.
• Airline ticket firm in administrationE-Clear, the company responsible for online ticket sales at the failed airline FlyGlobespan, is placed into administration.

Department for Transport

• Longer franchises, more scope for innovation and new measures to penalise operators who walk away Future rail franchises will be let for a minimum of ten years - with even longer contracts of up to 22 years possible in return for additional investment. Train operators are also to get more scope for innovation, stronger incentives for performance and maximising passenger growth, and will face higher penalties if they decide to walk away from their contracts, Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis announced today as he set out the Government's proposed changes to rail franchising.

Financial Times

• Tube workers vote for actionSignal maintenance workers on much of the London Underground have voted for industrial action in a dispute over changing working practices, the Rail, Maritime and...
• Adonis tries to lock in train operatorsThe transport secretary said the next round of rail contracts will be lengthened to 10 years, and penalties will be increased if operators walk away from deals
• German shipyard dispute resolvedLaeisz & Co has given the go-ahead for final preparation work on one of two container ships it had ordered from Wadan Yards, which collapsed into insolvency last June
• Japan Airlines files for bankruptcyJapan Airlines files for bankruptcy protection in one of Japan's largest-ever corporate failures
• Airline succumbs to self-inflicted woundsReckless expansion in the1980s and fractious managment have combined with wider industry problems to push the carrier into bankruptcy protection

The Guardian

• Timeline: six years of arguments over Heathrow third runway December 2003 The then transport secretary, Alistair Darling, backs a third runway at Heathrow in the aviation white paper but sets targets on noise and air pollution. "It's essential we plan ahead to meet the pressures we know we'll face as a result of a growing economy," he says.
• BAA plans for third Heathrow runway delayed — but is it too late for Sipson? BAA will not take the next step towards building a third runway at Heathrow until after the general election, it has said.
• Train operators to get 22-year franchises New rail franchises will last up to 22 years and penalties on poorly performing companies will be increased under sweeping government changes announced today to improve the railways.

The Herald

• Rail franchise rules toughenedThe Government has proposed a major shake-up of the rail franchising system after repeated criticism that train companies are neither rewarded for innovation nor punished for failure by current post-privatisation rules.

The Telegraph

• Poor train operators face sack under Government plans They face being stripped of their licence for poor punctuality, too many cancellations or operating shorter trains than those agreed in the franchise.

Times Online

• Bmi cuts business class on domestic routes Airline will switch to single economy cabin as companies change their employee travel policies
• Heathrow ˜must become new rail hub™A conservative think-tank will call today for a new high-speed North-South rail link, with Heathrow as its main London terminal.

Press Association

• Call for more railway-airport links Former Conservative Cabinet minister Lord Heseltine has thrown his weight behind a report calling for any north-south, high-speed rail line to have direct links to major airports.
• Longer railway franchises on offer Train companies will be offered longer rail franchises but will have to meet stricter performance targets, the Government has announced.

Daily Express

• LONGER RAILWAY FRANCHISES ON OFFER Train companies will be offered longer rail franchises but will have to meet stricter performance targets, the Government has announced.

Airwise News

• Stagecoach signs £3.7m CCTV deal with LOOK Stagecoach, one of the UK's largest bus operators, has signed a new £3.7m contract for the supply and installation of CCTV on its new buses.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham Airport announces plans to merge two terminalsBirmingham Airport has announced plans to merge its two terminals as passenger numbers fell by more than five per cent compared to 2008.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Works blamed for bus timetable changesTRANSPORT firm First Bus says it is making changes to its timetable due to problems caused by Edinburgh's tram works.
• Reports say dispute with Tram contractors will push bill past £600mTRAM bosses today refused to be drawn on reports that the cost of the embattled project is set to soar past the £600 million mark.

Liverpool Echo

• Public transport use in Merseyside falls as recession bites and unemployment rises THE UK’s recession has caused the number of people using public transport in Merseyside to fall, it was claimed last night.

London Evening Standard

• Third Heathrow runway will mean more short flights, admit ministersA third runway at Heathrow could lead to more domestic flights, the Government has admitted.

Northern Echo

• Airport continues damages claim LAWYERS acting for Durham Tees Valley Airport will return to court next week as they seek to overturn a judge™s decision not to award the airport £12m damages for a claim against airline bmibaby.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Dump Crossrail for a fast rail link - Leeds MP London's hugely expensive Crossrail project should be dumped in favour of a high-speed rail link to Leeds, MPs will be told today.
• Train companies to be offered longer franchisesTrain companies will be offered longer rail franchises but will have to meet tougher performance targets under Government proposals announced today.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Government backs us on planning19 January: The Government has responded to the Committee on Climate Change's annual progress report and has strongly backed our call for much better integration of land use planning and transport. read more

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• London 'needs to do more to cut transport emissions'More work needs to be done to reduce the carbon footprint of London's transport network, it has been claimed.In a response to the mayor of London's draft Transport Strategy, the London Assembly Transport Committee claimed that a further cut in emissions of around two million tonnes of CO2 must be achieved to meet targets set for 2025.Commenting on Boris Johnson's proposals for the future of transport in the capital, chair of the group Caroline Pidgeon called for it to go further."The mayor will have to make some difficult decisions when it comes to choosing which infrastructure scheme...

Railnews

• 2010 – Year of High Speed Rail2010 will be the Year of High Speed Rail, says Transport Secretary, Andrew Adonis. Plans for Britain’s next high speed rail link, High Speed Two, are expected to be rushed through planning stages and parliament following a hybrid bill in March 2010. Lord Adonis plans to safeguard the project ahead of the coming general election.

Aviation Industry

• Glasgow Airport secures further capacity boost following Globespan demiseGlasgow Airport has secured further additional capacity following the demise of Globespan, as new operator Kiss Flights announces plans to fly to 12 popular sunspots this year from Glasgow
• Air France, KLM to charge obese for two seats.Obese people who are unable to squeeze into a single plane seat will have to pay nearly double to fly with Air France-KLM in future, the company says.

Other News Sources

• e-borders now tracking half of UK passengers The e-borders scheme is now tracking almost half of all passenger movements into and out of the UK, immigration minister Phil Woolas told the Commons yesterday.
• Boris Johnson hosts cycling summit with industry leaders Mayor of London Boris Johnson last week hosted a meeting at City Hall that brought together some of the UK’s leading bicycle manufacturers, distributors and retailers, with the agenda focusing on how the industry can contribute to what the his office described as “London’s cycling revolution.”
• Hague insists Tories would support high speed rail William Hague has said that the Conservative Party would support a high speed rail link shortening journey times between London and the northwest.
• MP calls for Crossrail to be dropped in favour of Leeds high speed link Labour MP for Leeds West John Battle has today called for Crossrail to be put off until the government gives its backing to a high speed rail link to Leeds.
• Plans for high speed train line to Scotland in danger Angus MacNeil MSP has said that lack of planning could lead to the high speed train link between England and Scotland terminating in Leeds
• Jenkins departs Merseytravel for Bank of America Merseytravel is on the hunt for a new head of media and communications, after Gary Jenkins left the role on Friday to take up a position with the Bank of America.
• MP's station request hits the buffers MINISTERS have been urged by a South Devon MP to act to bring down parking charges at railway stations to encourage use of train services.
• UK to Offer Rail Franchises Of Up to 22 Years - Report LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will offer train operators franchises of up to 22 years in three railway networks due to go out to tender shortly, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
• £229k cycle boost between Thorpe Bay and Leigh MORE cycle lanes will be created in Southend as part of a £2million plan by the council to improve transport in the town.

News from Europe

• Antwerpen tram order BELGIUM: Flemish transport operator De Lijn has placed a €32m order for an additional 13 HermeLijn low-floor light rail vehicles, Siemens Mobility announced on January 19.

Other Subscription Services

• Milford Haven announces new chief executiveAlec Don to take over from Ted Sangster when latter retires in April.
• Suez Canal to maintain toll freezeAuthority confirms it will freeze canal toll in 2010.