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

Monday, 22 March 2010

BBC News

• Gloucester Road bus lane 'will cut journey time' on A38 Work is due to start on a new bus lane on the A38 in South Gloucestershire in an attempt to improve punctuality.
• British Airways strike hits Scottish flights British Airways passengers travelling to and from Scotland face further disruption as the strike by its cabin crew enters its third and busiest day.
• Wheelchair user 'let down' by BA A paraplegic tennis player says he feels let down by British Airways after being "stranded" in north-east England because of the strike action.
• Air pollution 'early deaths link'More could be done to prevent up to 50,000 early deaths a year hastened by air pollution, says a report by MPs.
• Avalanches 'threat' to transportAvalanches should be considered a threat to Scotland's transport network, according to an avalanche expert.
• BA facing busiest day of strikeThousands more British Airways passengers face disruption as the cabin crew strike enters its third and busiest day.

Financial Times

• BA flies empty jets as action bitesAirline forced to fly empty jumbo jets to cities around the world after it re-instated flights to more than 20 destinations after two days of industrial action by cabin crew
• Forth Ports is keen to fend off Peel's advancesThe UK's last independently-listed port operator is determined to repel an offer from the Northstream Consortium as it tries to show its worth

The Guardian

• Rail link sell-off will raise £2bn for green energy projects Chancellor insists budget measures will be 'sensible and workmanlike' rather than pre-election giveawayAlastair Darling will use the proceeds from the state sell-off of the Channel Tunnel rail link to pay for a £2bn green infrastructure fund, in a budget designed to help business and tackle Britain's emerging energy crisis, Treasury sources said tonight.
• Unite calls on BA to return to talksAs cabin crews prepare for the third day of their walkout, the two sides disagree on how effective the strike has beenThe Unite trade union has urged British Airways to resume peace talks as cabin crews prepare toentertheir third day of strike action with both sides claiming to have landed blows in the dispute.Tony Woodley, the joint general secretary of Unite, Britain's largest union, called on BA's board to reopen negotiations over staffing cuts that broke up acrimoniously last week. BA is trying to restore a normal schedule when the strike ends at midnight tomorrow, but aircraft are now out...

The Independent

• Union urges BA chairman to intervene in dispute The chairman and board members of British Airways were tonight urged to
• Brown steps into BA strike to allay poll fear Gordon Brown is to make a fresh attempt today to resolve the bitter British Airways dispute as alarm grows in Labour high command over its impact on the party's electoral prospects.

The Scotsman

• Tram concession [letter]FURTHER to your recent article (19 March) concerning the possibility that senior citizens may not be allowed to travel on Edinburgh's trams for free as part of the concessionary travel scheme.

The Telegraph

• Unite urges British Airways board to intervene in strike Unite has appealed to the British Airways board to help settle the cabin crew dispute.

Times Online

• Union boss attacks BA ’spin’ of more than 1,000 staff breaking strike BA today insisted that more cabin crew than expected had turned out to defy the three-day strike.
• French gatecrash Arriva train bid FRANCE’s state railway group is planning to derail an attempted £1.4 billion takeover bid for Arriva, the British transport company that owns the Cross Country rail franchise.

Reuters News

• SNCF planning rival bid for Arriva French state railway group SNCF is planning to gatecrash its German counterpart Deutsche Bahn's takeover bid for British bus and train operator Arriva , the Sunday Times reported, without citing sources.

Network Rail

• £10,000 REWARD OFFERED AFTER RAIL VANDALS STIKE AGAIN AT WILNECOTE*****STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 5AM ON MONDAY, 22 MARCH*****

Birmingham Post

• MPs warn of major residential disruption by high speed rail plans High speed rail services linking London to Birmingham with 250mph trains will cause disruption for thousands of Midland residents, MPs have warned.

Bolton News

• New rail hub for North West may create 23,000 jobs IMPROVEMENTS to Bolton™s regional rail network could create 23,000 jobs, according to a new report.

Metro

• Major boost for City Region economy Welcoming the announcement that the Government has now agreed ’Programme Entry Approval’ and £235m funding for the proposed Leeds New Generation Transport (NGT) trolleybus network, and the new southern entrance for Leeds Station Metro Chairman Cllr Ryk Downes said,

Nottingham Evening Post

• High Speed Rail will have 'peripheral effect' on East Midlands A PUBLIC transport watchdog claims the Government's plans for a high speed rail network will only have a "peripheral effect" on the East Midlands.
• Council under fire over fare concession cuts PLANS to make £300,000 of cuts to concessionary travel fares have been branded "vicious" by a campaigner.

Sheffield Star

• £635,000 for train revamp MORE than half a million pounds was splashed out on rebranding the East Coast Mainline after the London to South Yorkshire train service was renationalised.

Yorkshire Post

• Leeds trolleybus gets go-ahead Ministers today gave the green light to a £250m trolleybus network for Leeds.

Other Regional Press

• Controlled parking zone one step away from approval COUNCIL officers have recommended a proposed £297,000 controlled parking zone (CPZ) in the Magdalen Road area of East Oxford should go ahead, despite opposition from residents.

Aviation Industry

• British Airways Strike Enters Third Day With No Deal In SightBritish Airways Plc and the union representing its 12,000 cabin crew are no closer to resolving a dispute on pay and staffing levels as a strike at the airline enters its third day.

Other News Sources

• Crossrail completion vital THE completion of Crossrail and tube upgrades should be the main priorities for the next government, according to members of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
• Oxford cyclists could be sent on coursesCyclists could be sent on cycle-awareness courses as part of a concerted effort to change attitudes among Oxford’s riders.
• Southend Airport expansion gets go-ahead from GovernmentTHE EXPANSION of Southend Airport has got the go-ahead from the Secretary of State. The extension of the runway to allow for 2 million passengers to use the aiport has been given approval by John Denham, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
• Trains must be ditched, survey says City council leaders have called for South West Trains to ditch rolling stock after a survey found customers hated them.

News from Europe

• Channel Tunnel working group investigates shorter trains EUROPE: Eurotunnel is in discussions with the Intergovernmental Commission over amendments to the safety regulations which restrict the types of train permitted to use the tunnel, notably the requirement that trains should be capable of being split in an emergency and driven out separately.