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

Friday, 09 April 2010

BBC News

• Airport runway inquiry criticisedRyanair's chief executive hits out at the decision to hold a public inquiry into a planned runway extension at Belfast City Airport.
• Two US airlines 'in merger talks'Two of the main airlines in the US, United and US Airways, are discussing a possible merger, reports say.
• BA-Iberia merger deal signedBritish Airways and Spanish airline Iberia have signed a deal to merge and create one of the world's biggest airline groups.
• Further increase in new car salesUK car sales in March increased by 26.6% compared with a year ago, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says.

Financial Times

• BA and Iberia sign merger agreementEuropean airlines announce a definitive merger agreement, ending nearly two years of often-strained negotiations
• EasyJet passenger numbers up 13.5%Europe's second-largest no-frills airline benefits from extra European flights and the fallout from the British Airways strike. It carried 3.96m passengers in March

The Guardian

• BA and Iberia sign merger agreementUK and Spanish airlines sign formal agreement to amalgamate operations “ although both will operate under their original brandsThe long-awaited merger of British Airways and Iberia moved a step closer today as the airlines signed a formal agreement to amalgamate their operations.Under the terms of the agreement, the UK and Spanish flag-carriers would be combined into a new company called International Airlines Group, although both would keep operating under their own brands.International Airlines Group will own 408 aircraft, fly to 200 destinations, and carry more than 58 million passengers a ...
• Petrol prices hit record highAn average all time high at 120p is a 'dark day for motorists' and looks set to accelerate even morePetrol prices have hit an average all-time high of 120p per litre, it emerged today, and there were predictions they could go even higher this summer to as much as 150p “ and fuel duty could become an electoral issue.The new high, which eclipses the previous peak of 119.7p in July 2008, comes just days after a fuel duty rise of 1p a litre.RAC motoring strategist Adrian Tink said:

The Herald

• Petrol prices hit record highMotorists have been warned they face a bleak future after average petrol prices hit an all-time high of 120p a litre.

The Telegraph

• Petrol prices hit record high Fuel prices have soared to an all-time high, with motorists paying an average of 120p a litre with further increases to come.
• Speed limits at deserted roadworks cause anger Speed restrictions which remain in place at deserted roadworks are making the highways more dangerous, a motoring organisation has claimed.

Times Online

• David Cameron banking on Thameslink Tories for election victoryA few minutes after 11.30am, at George Osborne™s first stop on the election trail, the Shadow Chancellor had a can of Red Stripe in his hand. He weighed it thoughtfully as photographers willed the man in charge of the Tory campaign to crack it open and take a refreshing draught. Politicians love using beer to enhance their man-of-the-people credentials.
• Britain poised to outpace European rivals on a rocky road to recovery The British economy is forecast to grow faster than its leading eurozone rivals but a new survey of business activity suggests that the road to recovery will be uneven.
• Use polluters™ cash to create a green bankAs motorists face the highest petrol prices yet at the pumps and oil prices hit an 18-month high, it™s a harsh reminder of how we have wasted our North Sea energy resources. We frittered away the opportunity that the bonanza of gas and oil wealth gave us to reshape our economy. Luckily, a new opportunity is coming our way.
• Business briefing: BA and Iberia aiming still higherBritish Airways and Iberia spelled out their ambition to lead a wave of consolidation in the aviation sector as they announced their long-awaited merger.
• Car sales up 26.6% in last month of scrappageThe final days of the Government™s scrappage scheme led to a 26.6 per cent rise in sales of new cars during March, although new registrations remain down on long-term comparisons.

Daily Express

• BA and Iberia deal poised for take off BRITISH Airways and Spanish flag carrier Iberia have sealed their long-awaited £5.3billion merger deal to create a new giant of the skies called International Airlines Group.

Belfast Telegraph

• New car sales continue to riseNew car sales will show another healthy rise when official figures for March 2010 are published.Related StoriesMotor giants team up in £1.8bn dealCost of Unite action against British Airways revealed in official figuresCillit Bang boss's pay hits £90mUK house prices bounce back after fallBA and Iberia sign tie-up agreement

Birmingham Post

• Complaints over Birmingham International railway station taken to Government A business group has stepped up the pressure for action to spruce up “shabby” Birmingham International Station.

The York Press

• Rail Industry National Archive to be housed in the National Railway Museum A chapter in the story of the railway is heading to York, where recent rail history is being preserved in a national archive.

Burnley Express

• 20,000 visitors flock to Gisburn Forest mountain bike trailsTHE Forestry Commission is celebrating its latest successful mountain bike venture on its estate at Gisburn Forest, near Clitheroe, having recorded over 20,000 visitors to its

Other Regional Press

• Fuel prices hit high of 127p a litre in LeicestershirePetrol prices have hit a record high of 127.9p a litre at Leicestershire's pumps – 8.2p higher than the national average. The last...
• £1.5bn eco town dream moves one step closerPeople have been given a chance to have their say over a new £1.5 billion ˜eco town™ planned for South Lanarkshire.
• Four more days of rail strikes aheadMore rail strikes will go ahead next week after new talks aimed at averting industrial action ended without agreement yesterday.

Washington Post

• Passengers may not love a big airline combination MINNEAPOLIS -- Bigger isn't necessarily better for airline customers.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• DHL secures new rail services agreementA new four-year contract has been awarded to DHL Supply Chain by Network Rail.Under the agreement, the operator will pay the logistics specialist over £40 million to provide it with road haulage services.DHL Supply Chain will create a new road transport planning centre at Network Rail's Milton Keynes offices to manage the deal, which relates to those supplies and materials that cannot currently be moved by train.It extends an existing relationship between the organisations and is expected to deliver environmental and cost savings."This contract will help us generate efficienc...

Railnews

• News: Scottish strikes to go ahead after talks break down Strikes on ScotRail are set to go ahead next week after talks with the RMT broke down. The union is opposing plans to use ticket examiners on the reopened Airdrie-Bathgate line in December, with drivers controlling the doors.

Aviation Industry

• American Airlines CEO says his company 'not threatened' by rumored mergers among rivalsThe CEO of American Airlines says his company isn't threatened by reported merger discussions among other airlines.

Other News Sources

• Lib Dems flag rail fundingThe Liberal Democrats have set out ambitious plans to improve and reopen rail lines and stations.
• Tories back port operators on rates billsParty shows support for firms facing demands for millions
• Record Low level of complaints on the UK Railway, new figures revealRecord Low level of complaints on the UK Railway, new figures reveal
• Strikes to go ahead by RMT members at Scotrail in safety disputeDUE TO First Scotrail management's intransigence and its refusal to comply with existing agreements on driver-only operation at recent talks RMT members will begin four days of rolling strike action from Monday April 12.
• Conference considers rail stations of the futureWhile the design of trains has come a long way since the steam locomotive, there has been little focus on making stations more technologically advanced and environmentally friendly.
• First drop in cars on the road since WarThe recession and car scrappage scheme led to a fall in the number of cars on the road for the first time since the Second World War, figures have shown
• New car sales soar 26% ahead in MarchThe recovery in the motor industry has gained pace, with the number of new cars sales in March soaring 26.6% ahead of the same period last year
• 1.1% more passengers used bus and rail transport in 2009 According to results of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the number of passengers using means of public regular road and rail transport in Germany increased by 1.1% in 2009 from the preceding year. The larger enterprises of public regular passenger transport (enterprises with a minimum of yearly 250,000 passengers) carried nearly 10.7 billion passengers, more than 10.5 billion passengers in regular short-distance transport and 125 million in regular long-distance transport.The number of passenger-kilometres in regular transport fell by 0.7% to 134.4 billion. Of that 98.7 billion wer...
• Hijacked Korea oil tanker 'anchors near Somalia' South Korea says a super-tanker hijacked by pirates...
• DHL awarded four-year distribution contract worth £40m with Network RailDHL Supply Chain has won a £40m, four-year haulage contract extension with Network Rail, which includes providing a road transport planning centre.
• London Gatwick Airport March 2010 traffic performance summaryAs summer approaches, London Gatwick Airport finishes winter with strong year on year passenger growth...
• London Mayor seeks views on Air Quality StrategyDraft Air Quality Strategy for London published for public consultation.
• Scottish Government Publishes Its Vision For Scotland's Marine And Coastal EnvironmentA vision document for Scotland's seas was today published by the Scottish Government.
• Bids invited for second phase of East London Line extensionTransport for London is inviting contractors to bid for Phase 2 of the East London Line extension project.