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

Saturday, 27 March 2010

BBC News

• Fire affects city's rail servicesTwelve crews are tackling a major fire near Cambridge railway station which is affecting services.
• Airline collapse affects patientsHospital appointments for 17 patients are cancelled following the collapse of Highland Airways, a health board reveals.
• Heathrow plan 'will not change'A High Court defeat will not change the government's plans to build a third runway at Heathrow, ministers say.
• Crash driver 'had no trousers'A man was driving with no trousers when he crashed into an oncoming car injuring two pensioners, a court has heard.
• Museum reopens after £3m revampA stationmaster's office and a bus simulator are among the new attractions at the reopened Bury Transport Museum.
• City call for faster rail travelThe time it takes to travel by train between Norwich and London should be cut by 30 minutes, a council report says.
• BA cancels flights before strikeBritish Airways cancels a total of 15 flights between Scotland and Heathrow ahead of strike action by staff.
• Heathrow opponents win caseCampaigners win a High Court battle for further consultation into plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
• Talks due over rail strike threatTalks between both sides in the threatened national railway strike will begin on Monday, the conciliation service Acas says.
• BA's second strike gets under wayFlights are cancelled as a second BA cabin crew strike starts - but the airline expects less disruption compared to last weekend.

Financial Times

• BA union launches second wave of walkoutsThousands of passengers face disruption to their travel plans before the busy Easter travelling season, after cabin crew launched their second phase of strike action
• McCall appointment draws divided reactionsCarolyn McCall's appointment as EasyJet chief executive, without any experience running an airline, prompts responses ranging from curiosity to astonishment

The Guardian

• Court orders Heathrow plans rethinkHigh court rules that decision to expand Heathrow airport must be reconsidered in respect to UK climate change policyThe government's plans for a third runway at Heathrow were dealt a blow today after a high court judge agreed with campaigners that climate change threats had not been taken seriously enough.In a complex judgment, Lord Justice Carnwath declined to quash the controversial planning proposal but branded the original position adopted in the government's authorisation as untenable.The judge ordered Whitehall officials to give a formal undertaking that they would carry out a further p...
• S Korean navy ship sinks after 'blast'¢ Seoul plays down reports of torpedo attack by North ¢ Scores of sailors missing and several reported deadA South Korean navy ship sank today leaving scores of sailors missing and several reported dead, following an apparent explosion as it patrolled the disputed sea border with the North.Seoul sought to play down suggestions the damage may have resulted from an attack by its neighbour, after claims that the ship may have been sunk by a North Korean torpedo. A presidential spokeswoman, Kim Eun-hye, said it was premature to say what caused the disaster, telling Reuters:
• BA told to hit union 'where it hurts'Union insiders say report amounted to blueprint for hardline approach to industrial relationsBritish Airways commissioned an adviser who told it to

The Herald

• BA challenged over strike impactBritish Airways was engaged in a fresh row with the Unite union over the effect strikes were having ahead of a further walk-out by cabin crew today.
• Cycling targets will be meaningless if the money doesn™t follow, ministers are toldMore money should be spent on encouraging Scots to walk and cycle to stop the country lagging behind its European counterparts when it comes to active travel.

The Independent

• Objectors claim Heathrow runway victory Objectors claimed the Government's policy over the expansion of London's Heathrow Airport was
• Fresh row as BA prepares for more strike action A fresh row between British Airways and the union representing its cabin crew flared tonight as the airline prepared for another strike in a bitter row over jobs and cost-cutting.
• Disruption to BA flights will drag on after strike ends The second strike by British Airways cabin crew, which begins this morning, is set to have a serious impact on the airline's operations even after industrial action ends on Tuesday.
• No third runway “ yet: judge wades into Heathrow battle The political arguments about a third runway for London's Heathrow airport broke out again fiercely last night after a High Court judge declined to quash the project but told the Government to get its aviation policy in order.
• BA 'will fly 75% of passengers' during strike British Airways cabin crew mounted picket lines outside airports for the second weekend in a row today as another wave of industrial action began in a bitter row over jobs and cost cutting.

The Scotsman

• Passengers set for BA strike chaosAir passengers faced four days of travel disruption after British Airways cabin crew began another strike in a bitter dispute over jobs and cost cutting.

The Telegraph

• Busiest commuter lines to be hit hardest by rail strike Passengers on Britain's busiest commuter lines will be worst hit by the four day rail strike because there will be no signallers to work scores of level crossings across the country.
• Britons warned about driving abroad Britons driving abroad have been warned that they are most their most vulnerable one hour into their visit.

Times Online

• Heathrow third runway plan in tatters after ruling, claim opponentsEnvironmental campaigners and local authorities opposed to Heathrow expansion popped champagne corks on the steps of the High Court yesterday to celebrate a ruling that they said left plans to build a third runway at Europe™s busiest airport œin tatters.
• The £6 gallon looms The £6 gallon could hit Britain later this year as higher oil prices and fuel duty relentlessly drive up prices.
• BA strike resumes as railways prepare for stoppageThe travel plans of thousands of passengers have been ruined this weekend as industrial unrest continues at Heathrow. A second phase of British Airways cabin crew strikes started at 12.01am, which will ground hundreds of flights over the next four days and leave at least 60,000 people without a seat on the airline.
• Cheap flights from Heathrow are not a God-given rightIt™s time to give up on expanding Heathrow, the world™s least-loved airport. The High Court ruling yesterday that there had been insufficient consultation on the third runway was the second kick in the teeth for the airport in the past couple of weeks.

Reuters News

• Judge deals blow to Heathrow expansionLONDON (Reuters) - The government's plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport were dealt a blow on Friday after a court ruled it must review the climate change and economic impact before the expansion can go ahead.
• LibDems pledge to cut rail faresLONDON (Reuters) - The Liberal Democrats said on Saturday their election campaign would include a pledge to cut rail fares in real terms, reversing current government policy of allowing ticket prices to rise faster than inflation.
• BA cabin crew set to strike againLONDON (Reuters) - British Airways cabin crew begin a four-day strike on Saturday, the second walkout this month that will cost the company millions of dollars and lead to more travel chaos before the busy Easter holiday period.

Daily Record

• British Airways warns Scottish travellers of disruption and cancelled flights ahead of second strike by cabin crew BRITISH Airways flights from Scotland to England were disrupted today ahead of another cabin crew strike.

The Sun

• Butchered by pack of 'wild dog' kids TWENTY savages in school uniform hacked a boy to death at one of UK's busiest stations
• BA to fly on as strikers 'crack' BA flies closer to victory over the unions - vowing to carry 100,000 Brits this weekend
• PM poll plans off the rails GORDON Brown's election plans have been thrown into chaos thanks to the rail strike

Belfast Telegraph

• ‘Cash for clunkers’ drove new car sales up by 50% The Government’s car scrappage scheme has been driving up sales of new cars in Northern Ireland, according to transport statistics from the Department for Regional Development. Related StoriesUpturn in high street sales not indicative of recoverySurvey shows cautious job optimismCampus project given cash injectionRussian billionaire purchases Independent titles from INMBailed-out Lloyds bank boss may earn £6.2m

Birmingham Mail

• A45 diversion plan for BIA runway extension to cost £32 million RADICAL plans to move a major trunk road so that the Birmingham International Airport runway extension can take place will cost £32 million, it has emerged.
• Birmingham roads to benefit from £2.7bn transformation plan A MULTI BILLION pound plan to transform all of Birmingham’s roads and pavements has finally won Government approval.
• Gordon Bown promises to consider Midland concerns over high-speed trains GORDON Brown has promised to consider the concerns of Midland residents and small business owners whose properties could be demolished to make way for high speed trains.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Air wars as jet firms go head-to-head Bradford holidaymakers look set to benefit from a price war between two major airline rivals at the region™s airport.
• Undercover bid to stop car crime A spate of satellite navigation and mobile phone thefts from cars in Bradford city centre have prompted extra ˜undercover™ police patrols.
• Fears over funding for Interchange upgrade Doubts have been raised about the funding for a major scheme to refurbish and upgrade the district™s busiest rail station.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Strike threat could halt 80% of trains in North Wales THOUSANDS of train passengers in North Wales will be hit by strike action by rail workers with up to 80% of services facing cancellation.
• Policeman claims unlit sign meant speed limit didn’t apply A POLICE officer yesterday insisted a 50mph speed limit didn’t apply as he did 98mph in a police car – because a road sign wasn’t lit.

Liverpool Post

• M62 terror crashes caused by rain storm COMMUTERS caught up in 22-car pile-up on the M62 escaped with only cuts and bruises – despite the motorway being littered with smashed-up vehicles.

London Evening Standard

• London road with 195 potholes 'worst in Britain'Branksome Road in Brixton has the equivalent of one pothole every 1.6 metres, one of the worst examples in the country
• Lewis Hamilton has sports car towed for stunts in front of policeFormula One star Lewis Hamilton had his car impounded in Australia for apparently performing a stunt in front of a police van

Metro

• Heathrow groups win runway battleObjectors claimed the Government's policy over the expansion of Heathrow Airport was
• PM hopeful of rail dispute talksPeace moves aimed at averting a crippling strike by thousands of rail workers were under way as the Prime Minister voiced optimism that a row over jobs could be resolved.
• Striking BA staff mount picketsBritish Airways cabin crew have mounted picket lines outside airports for the second weekend in a row as another wave of industrial action began in a bitter row over jobs and cost cutting.
• Rail dispute talks set to resumeTalks aimed at averting a crippling strike by thousands of rail workers will resume early next week as the Prime Minister voiced optimism that a row over jobs could be resolved.
• Tributes to station stabbing boyTributes have been paid to a 15-year-old boy murdered in a suspected gang fight in one of Britain's busiest railway stations during rush hour.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Passengers take train trip down memory lanePASSENGERS yesterday took a journey along a stretch of railway that has not been used since swingeing rail cuts in the 1960s.

The York Press

• Plan for more 20mph zones in York SPEED limits are set to be cut in four areas of York over the next year under plans drawn up by transport bosses.
• Jarvis administrators get to workAdministrators for troubled York rail giant Jarvis have begun assessing the company.

Bucks Free Press

• Bus involved in crash on London RoadTHE windscreen of a bus fell off and shattered on London Road this afternoon after a collision with the car in front.

Sunderland Echo

• Nissan favourite to build trio of new carsNissan's Sunderland plant is a favourite to build up to three more electric vehicles.

The Shields Gazette

• More car parking for Metro stationA CAR park offering 50 more free spaces is to be opened today.

Other Regional Press

• Leicester MP Patricia Hewitt set to join the board of EurotunnelPatricia Hewitt is to take up a fifth directorship, which could be worth up to £50,000-a-year. The Leicester West MP has been selected...
• ASBO for woman who kept running across motorway A YOUNG Hampshire woman is thought to be the first to be banned from setting foot on motorways across England and Wales after being handed a tough ASBO.
• Full steam ahead for Easter fun in Blaenavon STEAM trains will run along a historic railway in Torfaen as part of an Easter event.
• Audio: Families forced to choose between jobs or homes after rail changesCommuters are being forced to sell their homes and switch jobs because of cuts to train services from Maidstone and west Kent to London
• City Council wants its share of ˜pothole™ fundFinance Secretary John Swinney has been urged to hand over a share of a £10 million Budget windfall to Glasgow City Council to enable it to repair more of the city™s pothole-scarred roads.
• MSPs fail to back high-speed trainsScottish ministers failed to put forward proposals for a high-speed rail service, despite talking-up the benefits of the project.
• Weymouth 2012 transport scheme welcomed A TRANSPORT scheme to get Weymouth ready to welcome the world in 2012 is to start in June.

C.N.N.

• 11 killed in Kentucky wreckA Kentucky pastor said it was
• Search continues for South Korean sailors after sinkingSouth Korean rescuers furiously searched for missing sailors Saturday after a navy ship sank in tense Yellow Sea waters off the coast of North Korea.

International Herald Tribune

• U.S. and Europe Expand Open Skies AccordBRUSSELS — The European Union and the United States agreed Thursday to expand a three-year old accord that allows airlines to operate more freely across the Atlantic.
• Toyota Slows Production in Britain and France as Sales LagWith its European sales down sharply, Toyota said it would stop making cars for short periods at plants in France and Britain.
• British Airways Cabin Crews Set to Resume StrikeUnite, which represents cabin crew members, said they would walk out for four days beginning this weekend after a three-day strike that ended Tuesday.

New Scientist

• Electric cars jostle for position on the power gridWhen the surge of plug-in vehicles hits the streets over the next few years, how will our electricity grids cope?

Washington Post

• GM to add workers, boost output at Canadian plants DETROIT -- General Motors Co. will bring back 600 laid-off auto workers and add equipment at two Canadian factories in an effort make more midsize crossover vehicles that have been selling well in both the U.S. and Canada.
• New rule cuts ship pollution around US, Canada LOS ANGELES -- A United Nations agency that regulates the international shipping industry adopted a plan Friday to dramatically reduce air pollution from ships that sail within 200 nautical miles of the U.S. and Canadian coasts.
• 2nd pick for transportation security chief is out WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is back to square one - again - in finding a transportation security chief to shore up the nation's defenses against terrorist threats from the air, road and rail.
• Book review: 'Blood, Iron, and Gold: How the Railroads Transformed the World' by Christian Wolmar BLOOD, IRON, & GOLD

Campaign for Better Transport

• Campaigners rejoice as judge tears up case for Heathrow expansion26 March: In a historic verdict, the High Court has just torn the case for Heathrow to shreds, and ordered the Government to rewrite its aviation policy to take account of climate change. read more

Railway Gazette

• Amtrak launches high speed rail department USA: National inter-city passenger operator Amtrak has created a dedicated department to pursue opportunities for the development of high speed rail corridors. Announced on March 22, the department will begin with a programme to improve the existing Northeast Corridor between Washington, New York and Boston. Priorities include reducing journey times and increasing frequencies. The unit will examine the feasibility of increasing the maximum speed from 240 km/h to 355 km/h. It will also establish partnerships with states and other sections of the rail industry to develop federally-designated h...
• Scottish rebuild progress UK: Preliminary works have begun for the Borders Railway scheme to reopen the Edinburgh - Tweedbank section of the Waverley route to Carlisle, which closed in 1969. The 56 km of reinstated line will be designed, built, financed and maintained by a not-for-profit company backed by Transport Scotland. Prospects for the project had looked dim when funding for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link was dropped from the Scottish budget last September, but on March 3 Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson confirmed that tendering is underway with final submissions expected by May 2011 and the winner to be name...

Aviation Industry

• BAA statement on Heathrow third runway judicial review
• Heathrow third runway opponents win court challengeCampaigners and residents won a remarkable victory at the High Court today (26th March). A consortium of local authorities and non-governmental organisations had brought a Judicial Review against the government over its decision to build a third runway at Heathrow. But in the ruling today, Lord Justice Carnwath said the government™s position was œuntenable in law and [...]
• BA-Iberia merger nears as BA pension fears recedeThe proposed merger of British Airways and Spanish peer Iberia could move a step closer on Thursday when Iberia bosses were expected to sign an agreement, as fears over BA's pension deficit recede.
• Comment: SME focus in budget good for business travel Normal.dotm 0 0 1 345 1970 Panacea Publishing 16 3 2419 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-la...
• Highland Airways goes into administrationHighlands Airways has become the latest Scottish-based airline to go into administration. read more
• Criticism over EU-US Open Skies dealThe US and EU have agreed to make permanent the 2007 agreement allowing airlines to fly between any EU and US city, but failed to move forward the issue of airline ownership. read more

Green Miscellany

• The electric cars that talk to each other City cars of the future will need to be small, clean, energy-efficient and, given the increasing number of vehicles, able to communicate with each other to make best use of limited road space. read more

Other News Sources

• Potholed road needs resurfacing, says councillorPotholes caused by the cold weather are causing havoc for motorists.
• Row erupts over mobile police camera locationsMobile police cameras parking on daffodils on a grass verge along a busy Wigan road have sparked a row.
• BA to fly 75% of customers during next four-day strikeBritish Airways has claimed it will fly more than 75% of its customers during the next four-day strike which starts tomorrow.
• Pain down the line as rail workers plan strikeThe railways will be brought to a standstill next month by the first national strike in 16 years
• British Airways strike hits Scottish flightsVIDEO: Services from Glasgow and Edinburgh cancelled in new national walkout.
• Abnormal loads escort drivers defend YouTube clipsAbnormal load escort firms have defended their right to film jobs and post the footage onto the internet.
• Heathrow's third runway 'dead'A high court ruling has set back the third runway at Heathrow for years, with campaigners calling the project
• ...and lifts 'worst planning decision' awardLondon mayor Boris Johnson's permission to double the number of flights at City Airport has won the 2010
• Heathrow judgement: full detailsA High Court judge has ruled against the government's decision to back a third runway at Heathrow airport.
• London 'hydrogen network' plans unveiledPlans for a 'hydrogen network' in the London by 2012 have been unveiled by mayor Boris Johnson.
• £50M Pennine Reach transport scheme to go aheadTransport Minister Sadiq Khan has given initial approval for Pennine Reach, the £50M rapid transport scheme across Pennine Lancashire.
• Government announces low-carbon transport fundingLow-carbon buses are at the centre of a new government initiative to improve air quality and reduce transport emissions.
• Blackburn, Darwen and Hyndburn bus lane approved by ministers THE controversial £50million bus lane linking Blackburn, Darwen and Hyndburn has been given the go ahead by ministers.
• Catching a bus “there's an app for that Catching the bus in Lancashire... there's an app for that.
• Bus boost for under-used park-and-rideDirect buses look set to be introduced to finally link an under-used park-and-ride to Preston city centre.
• Tram system demo could be in place soonPlans to run a Preston tram demonstration could be on the move within a month, scheme bosses has said.
• Hamilton apologises for 'hoon driving' Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton has apologised after having his car impounded in Australia for
• BA says strike won't affect most customers BA says that it will fly more than 75 per cent of customers booked to travel during strike action which begin on Saturday.Related StoriesBritish Gas strike vote adds to Government's woesDarling faces Budget day picket linesStrike dates expected as rail talks continueRed Arrows crash video releasedCountdown to weekend of BA disruption
• Wincanton wins Best Buy Uk logistics contractWincanton has won a five-year warehousing and transportation contract with electronics retailer Best Buy UK.
• London™s ˜hydrogen network™ plans unveiled 26 March, 2010 London is set to create a ˜Hydrogen network™ by 2012, under plans unveiled today (Friday 26 March) to help accelerate the wider use of this zero-polluting, zero-carbon energy in the capital. fuelcellbus-60x60.jpg No
• Heathrow Airport runway plans receive setbackHeathrow Airport's plans to build a third runway have suffered a setback as a judge has ruled it must carry out another public consultation.Campaigners won a challenge to overturn the ruling last year which said that the airport would be allowed to add a third runway.It is thought that if the third runway was built an extra 400 flights would pass through the travel hub each day and passenger numbers would increase by 20 million per year.The original consultation was undertaken in 2003 but the judge said that its result was "untenable" due to issues relating to the environment and cli...
• SeaFrance cash injection approvedSEAFRANCE™S prospects for survival have been boosted by parent company SNCF's approval of a €100M ($132.9m) injection for the ferry operator.
• 25/03/2010 - Commission takes important step towards optimising the use of European airspace
• EU, US commit to opening up airline marketsEU and US negotiators have agreed to engage in negotiations that would allow European investors take majority control of US airlines in return for similar access to the EU market.
• EU biofuels target borderline sustainable, report findsGoing beyond a 5.6% share of biofuels in transport fuel could harm the environment, found a new report made public by the European Commission yesterday (25 March), suggesting that the EU's current target is only borderline sustainable.
• EU And Turkey Enters Into An Initial Civil Aviation AgreementThe European Union and the Turkish authorities have today initialled an aviation agreement which will remove nationality restrictions in the bilateral air services agreements between EU Member States and Turkey. This agreement will allow any EU airline to operate flights between any EU Member State and Turkey, where a bilateral agreement with Turkey exists and traffic rights are available.
• £27 million to ease town's traffic A £27 million scheme to ease congestion and improve public transport in the centre of Ipswich was today given the green light by the Department of Transport.
• Airport protesters welcome rulingSTANSTED Airport bosses have reacted angrily to claims that their chances of getting the go-ahead for a second runway are œextremely doubtful.
• Green rules block Heathrow expansion plansGovernment plans to expand the third runway at London's Heathrow airport have been sent back to the drawing board after a judge ruled the project's climate change and economic impact must be reviewed.
• Aeroflot and Air France sign code-sharing agreementThe CEO of JSC Aeroflot Russian Airlines Vitaly Savelyev and Air France President Pierre-Henry Gourgeon have signed a Code Sharing Agreement. The Agreement for joint flight operation will...

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