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

Tuesday, 23 February 2010

BBC News

• Barr to build new Ryanair hangarBarr Construction wins the contract to build a new £8m maintenance hangar for Ryanair at Prestwick Airport.
• Has cross-party support for high speed rail broken down? [Newsnight video]Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers has denied "playing politics" over the construction of a high-speed rail link from London to the Midlands.
• Festive passenger boost for Tyne and Wear Metro More people used the Tyne and Wear Metro service in the run-up to Christmas than at any time in the past 20 years.
• Minibus will take Suffolk youngsters to events A new minibus service taking youngsters to weekend and evening events has started in Suffolk.
• A76 set for £4m of improvements The A76 in Ayrshire is to undergo a £4m series of improvements.
• Heathrow third runway plans face legal challenge Environmental groups, local councils and residents opposed to a third runway at Heathrow are beginning a legal challenge to the government's plans.
• Eurostar passengers rescuedMore than 700 passengers are rescued after a Eurostar train from Paris to London breaks down in Kent due to a
• Heathrow expansion 'boost to UK'A third runway at Heathrow airport would provide a £21.7bn boost to the UK economy, says the British Chambers of Commerce.
• Fiat in two-week Italian shutdownItalian car firm Fiat is closing down six factories for two weeks because of a recent fall in car sales.
• France 'to avoid petrol shortage'The French government pledges to prevent any shortages of petrol and diesel supplies, as a strike by Total workers shows no signs of ending.
• Oil price reaches six-week highThe price of oil rises to a six-week high as reports of a rescue for debt-laden Greece lift the euro and push the dollar lower.
• Lufthansa pilots suspend strikeA strike by pilots at Germany's national airline Lufthansa is suspended with union officials agreeing to resume negotiations.
• BA cabin crew back strike actionBritish Airways passengers face the risk of fresh strikes after cabin crew backed a ballot for industrial action.

Financial Times

• Early boost for English cycling scheme A programme to encourage cycling in six English towns has led to an early rise in the number doing so similar to that seen in the first years of London’s cycling boom, the government body responsible for the initiative will say on Tuesday.
• 'We were left in darkness'Those of us unlucky enough to be travelling on Eurostar's Paris-to-London service on Sunday night faced chaos even before the train left the station, writes Charles...
• BA strike vote heralds long-term uncertaintyWhat a difference two months makes. Wild cheering from cabin crew gathered at the Sandown Park racecourse greeted last year's announcement of a successful Unite union...
• Forced sale of Gatwick airport contributes to heavy BAA lossesBAA, owner of Heathrow airport, suffered one of its worst ever pre-tax losses last year, in large part because BAA was forced to sell Gatwick airport during the...
• Looming strikes pile pressure on airlinesEurope's airline industry was gripped by fresh industrial action yesterday as British Airways cabin crew voted to strike and Germany's Lufthansa was forced to cancel...
• World's fastest container ships mothballedOne consultancy estimates that more than 10 per cent of worldwide container ship capacity is idle “ including the fastest modern vessels which have fallen victim to a doubling in fuel prices, slumping demand and changes in industry practice
• Citadel stalks stake in 'Lunatic Express'Private equity group seeks to become biggest shareholder in the operator of the line between Mobassa and Kampala
• Eurostar defends itself after new breakdownEurostar has defended its handling of the serious breakdown of a Paris to London train on Sunday evening after it left hundreds of passengers stranded in darkened carriages for two hours
• Ferrovial to reveal impact of Gatwick saleThe Spanish infrastructure group that controls BAA will report its first set of results since divesting Gatwick airport, once part of the UK airport operator's portfolio

The Guardian

• BA cabin crew vote to strikeBritish Airways faces lengthy walkout next month after 81% of cabin crew endorse industrial actionBritish Airways is facing a lengthy strike by cabin crew next month after employees voted strongly in favour of a walkout.The poll saw 81% of cabin crew backing strike action in a row over staffing cuts and proposed changes to working conditions, on a turnout of 79%. The Unite union did not announce any strike dates, but a walkout can be staged within 28 days.Unite officials and members of its cabin crew branch, Bassa, will meet tomorrow to discuss strike dates, although the two week Easter holida...

The Herald

• Tram company breached rules over contractsEdinburgh™s tram developers have breached Government guidelines on transparency by failing to advertise details of a significant contract.

The Scotsman

• Challenge to airport expansion planA coalition of local councils, "green" groups and residents will mount a legal challenge on Tuesday to Government plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

The Telegraph

• Travellers' plans in chaos as British Airways staff vote to strike British Airways crew have voted to strike and could throw the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers' into chaos as early as next week.

Mail Online

• Gridlock UK: New map reveals how potholes and roadworks are creating a nightmare for drivers

ATOC

• Train companies launch review of fares policyA review of future fares policy has been launched by ATOC

Birmingham Post

• Sustainable travel scheme sees reduction of car travel in Worcester A sustainable travel project in Worcester has seen a reduction in car trips and an increase in cycling and walking in the city.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Trams firm Bilfinger faces losing contract over talks stalemateTHE boss of Edinburgh's tram project has admitted there is "no sign of a breakthrough" in talks with contractor Bilfinger Berger, as reports today suggested the Ge

London Evening Standard

• Challenge to airport expansion planA coalition of local councils,

Sheffield Star

• '£674m road plans safe with us' - ToryA LONG-AWAITED scheme to invest £674 million in Sheffield's crumbling road network will be safe in Tory hands, a top Conservative figure has promised.
• BREAKING: Sheffield to London train users face more disruptionSHEFFIELD to London rail passengers were today warned to expect more disruptions and crowded carriages if they travel tomorrow - as work continues to repair damaged track.

Sheffield Telegraph

• £674m plans for Sheffield's crumbling roads are safe with us, say ToriesA LONG-AWAITED scheme to invest £674 million in Sheffield's crumbling road network will be safe in Tory hands, a top Conservative figure has promised.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Call for major transport projects to be prioritisedSpending on key road, rail and airport improvements including the new Forth Road Bridge should be prioritised after the general election despite fears over the UK™s public finances, research out today found.

The York Press

• Fast rail link ˜must include York™ ANY new high-speed rail service must include York, the city™s council leader has said.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Airport operator loses £822m in yearStansted Airport owner BAA lost £822 million last year, it has announced.

Railnews

• MPs urge DfT to be ’fairer’ over new tram schemes A REPORT to be published later today will urge the Department for Transport to be fairer when evaluating proposals for new tram lines. A cross-party Parliamentary inquiry has concluded that light rail schemes can help to transform urban transport systems, but that the present DfT methods are tending to discriminate against urban and street-running rail.
• News: Only three Eurostars a day to Belgium until next week Eurostar has launched a limited service of just three trains a day between London and Brussels, as disruption continues in Belgium following the train crash a week ago, in which eighteen people died.

Aviation Industry

• BAA annual results 2009Colin Matthews, Chief Executive Officer of BAA, said:
• Olympic, Aegean to create 'national airline champion'Unsuccessful in its bid to purchase Olympic Air from the Greek government last year, Aegean Airlines yesterday announced a merger designed to create
• Lufthansa pilots agree to suspend strike after first dayLufthansa yesterday reached a settlement with pilots represented by Vereinigung Cockpit, suspending the scheduled four-day strike that started at midnight Sunday/Monday until at least March 8.
• COMMENT: BA cabin crew living in the past?Of the 11,691 ballot papers returned, 78.7 per cent of British Airways' cabin crew yesterday (Monday, February 22) backed calls for industrial action. read more

Other News Sources

• Victorian-built station, in Durham City, had a £2.5m revampTHE restoration of a landmark North-East railway station has won an award from local conservationists. The Victorian-built station in Durham City, on the East Coast Main Line, underwent a £2.5m revamp.
• York Investors win contract for council HQ YORK'S historic railway station is to be transformed into new headquarters for City of York Council.
• Rail services welcomed by Calder Valley MPAN MP has welcomed plans for improved rail services in West Yorkshire. Chris McCafferty, MP for the Calder Valley, expressed her delight at plans by Network Rail and The Northern Way government initiative to invest £530m to transform rail travel in the north.
• Streatham passengers blast awards for Thameslink bosses Furious passengers have attacked the decision to hand a major award to the company behind the heavily criticised Thameslink rail service.
• Can Tories be trusted to deliver rail pledge? I WAS particularly intrigued by the comments of Karl McCartney (February 10) and the views of any prospective Conservative Government on longer train-company franchises, electrification and other rail improvements.
• Eyesore bridge will not be improvedAn eyesore bridge over a former railway line in Lancashire will not be improved “ despite calls for it to be made safer.
• Global piracy in 2009 exceeds 400 incidents 406 incidents of piracy and armed robbery were reported in the 2009 annual piracy report issued by the ICC International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC).  The last time piracy figures crossed the 400 mark was in 2003. read more
• Hinterport aims to stimulate intermodal transport Seventeen European partners and stakeholders kickstart the Hinterport project in an effort to stimulate intermodal transport. read more
• BAA to spend £1bn on upgrading UK airports despite big lossAirport operator BAA said it will be spending £1 billion on upgrading airports this year despite reporting an £821.9 million loss for 2009.
• Barr wins £8m Ryanair hangar at Glasgow PrestwickBarr Construction has won an £8 million contract to build a second second heavy maintenance hangar at Glasgow Prestwick Airport for Ryanair.
• Mansell wins 44 London Overground station upgradesBalfour Beatty subsidiary Mansell has won a contract to enhance 44 existing North London and Southern region station facilities for London Overground Rail Operations.
• Tories planning paper unveils high speed rail planThe Tories will use a hybrid or private bill to push though a high-speed rail plan to bypass complicated planning procedures, the party said today.
• December 2009 Passenger Airline Employment Down 3.3 Percent from December 2008 U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 3.3 percent fewer workers in December 2009 than in December 2008, the 18th consecutive decrease in full-time equivalent employee (FTE)...
• Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air agree on merger Greek carriers Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air have announced plans for a merger, to form a single national airline.
• Heathrow expansion would deliver £30.7bn to the UK economyThe British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has put its support behind a third runway at Heathrow, saying it could benefit the UK economy by £30.7bn.read more

News from Europe

• Caspian rail corridor funds agreed TURKMENISTAN: Two funding agreements have been signed for construction of sections of the 686 km north-south railway which will link Kazakhstan and Iran via Turkmenistan, running inland parallel to the Caspian Sea.