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

Tuesday, 20 April 2010

BBC News

• Extra ferry capacity is approved for ships out of Dover Ferry companies operating out of Dover will be allowed to take 10% more passengers on their larger ships to help ease the current transport crisis.
• Europe starts to resume flights The EU has moved to ease air travel curbs imposed after much of Europe's airspace was shut because of the spread of volcanic ash from Iceland.
• City airport could reopen TuesdayAirspace restrictions could be lifted over Wales on Tuesday, leading to the reopening of Cardiff Airport.
• Union bids to run railwayTrain drivers' union Aslef is planning to put in a bid to run the East Coast mainline as a not-for-profit business.
• Scottish airspace set to reopenScottish airspace and the country's mainland airports will reopen from 0700 BST on Tuesday, Nats announces.
• Pilots call for airline bail-outBritish pilots call for a banking-style rescue of the UK airline industry, which has been ground to a halt by a volcanic ash cloud.
• Arriva set for Deutsche Bahn saleUK transport group Arriva confirms it is close to being taken over by German national rail company Deutsche Bahn in a deal worth £1.5bn.
• 'Outrage' over flight price issueA passenger group is
• BA seeks chaos compensationBritish Airways asks the European Union and the UK government for compensation for the closure of airspace.

Financial Times

• Officials admit flaws in flight ban as new cloud threatens reopening of skiesFresh uncertainty over the resumption of flights at UK airports emerged last night after warnings that a new ash cloud was spreading towards Britain. The move came...
• China's rail wizards have the answerWhen China's rail authorities recently announced plans to build a high-speed rail link connecting Beijing with London I had to pause and wonder who would be booking...
• Airline industryVolcanic ash cloud chaos will affect European flag carriers more than low-cost carriers
• Chaos as travellers head for Rome With Rome's Fiumicino airport one of the main European hubs handling flights from the US, Italy's government has yet to respond to the crisis
• Airline rivals unite to demand bail-outChief executives of British airlines joined forces to demand the government bail them out of a crisis they said had become untenable as Europe suffered a fifth day of chaos because of the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland
• Deutsche Bahn nears Arriva takeoverGerman transport group Deutsche Bahn looks all but certain to win Arriva, as the British rail and bus operator said it was in

The Guardian

• Speed limits reduce deaths, but can they also cause more pollution? Do 20mph speed limits trigger unintended consequences, such as increased pollution from carbon dioxide and particulates?
• Deutsche Bahn close to Arriva dealTransport group confirms 775p a share cash offer by German giantThe UK transport group Arriva “ which runs most of London's red buses and two major rail franchises “ has confirmed that it is on the verge of takeover by the German transport operator Deutsche Bahn.Responding to speculation about a £1.5bn deal, the Sunderland-based firm acknowledged it was in
• New volcanic ash cloud threatens flight hopes¢ New volcanic ash cloud heading south and east¢ Hopes that Heathrow would open thrown into doubtPlans to repatriate an estimated 400,000 Britons stranded by the Icelandic volcano eruption were disrupted by a new ash cloud last night, forcing air traffic controllers to reconsider lifting a UK flight ban.Hopes that Heathrow airport would open from 7pm were thrown into doubt as a fresh plume of volcanic dust drifted towards Britain. Nats, the national air traffic controller, said Scottish airports should be open by 7am today, with airspace over England becoming available by midday but not as far...

The Herald

• Minister raises hopes that restrictions will be eased Strict restrictions on flights could be eased across Europe, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said yesterday.
• Minister raises hopes that restrictions will be eased Strict restrictions on flights could be eased across Europe, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said yesterday.
• Royal Navy ships deployed to help stranded passengersThe Government today called up the Royal Navy to help bring back stranded air passengers after the UK flights ban was extended to at least 1am tomorrow.
• BA: Test flight shows blanket restrictions are unnecessaryA successful British Airways test flight through parts of the œno-fly zone around the UK showed that œthe current blanket restrictions on airspace are unnecessary, the airline said today.
• Minister raises hopes that restrictions will be easedStrict restrictions on flights could be eased across Europe, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said yesterday.
• Lift-off for Scottish flightsScottish airports were due to resume flights today although a new cloud of volcanic ash was last night casting a fresh shadow over hopes of an immediate end to restrictions across the whole of the UK.

The Telegraph

• Volcanic ash restrictions could be lifted, Lord Adonis suggests The blanket ban on flying through volcanic ash could be lifted, Lord Adonis, the Transport Secretary, said.
• New speed cameras trap motorists from space A new type of speed cameras which can use satellites to measure average speed over long distances are being tested in Britain.

Times Online

• ˜Armada rescue™ by aircraft carrier is a wasteful gesture, say ferry companiesIt was dubbed œGordon™s Armada but the two Royal Navy warships ordered by the Prime Minister to evacuate holidaymakers from northern France ran into controversy last night.
• Airspace reopens as the dust settles and airlines argue their caseIntense lobbying from the airlines could still lead to the opening up of European airspace, closed since the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull first sent its debilitating cloud across the continent last week.
• Airlines and holiday firms count cost of volcano™s black cloud of ashThe blanket of ash lying over much of the Continent has cost the European economy at least £1.3 billion and the aviation industry a further £650 million.
• Live: new ash cloud spreads to UK06.50am: Newcastle International Airport confirmed it planned to reopen for flights to and from Aberdeen and the Isle of Man at 7am.
• BA seeks aid as daily volcano costs hit £20mBritish Airways has asked the Government for a bailout after losing nearly £80 million due to Iceland™s volcanic ash cloud that has closed Europe™s airspace.
• German rail group poised to clinch Arriva takeoverArriva is set to be taken over by Germany™s biggest state-owned railway company in a £1.54 billion deal. The CrossCountry train operator said yesterday that talks with Deutsche Bahn were at an advanced stage and were expected to lead to a recommended offer this week.

Daily Express

• Arriva in bid talks with Deutsche BahnARRIVA is in advanced talks with German state railway Deutsche Bahn (DB) about an increased £1.6billion bid for the UK's third biggest private bus and train operator.
• Bid hopes get buses movingSPECULATORS boarded bus and rail operators yesterday in search of the next bid target as Stagecoach signalled its readiness to make a big acquisition.

Mail Online

• Motorists spied on and filmed as police carry out secret trial on new high-tech speed camera

The Mirror

• Arriva set for German buyers Bus and train operator Arriva has confirmed it’s on the brink of being bought by a German firm.

The Sun

• Speed camera can track cars for miles A NEW satellite speed camera that can track a vehicle for several MILES is being tested

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham Airport hopeful flights will begin again on Tuesday It is hoped that flights from Birmingham Airport will finally start again on Tuesday after air traffic control company Nats lifted restrictions for Scotland and part of northern England.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Newcastle Airport shut by volcano till at least 7am NEWCASTLE Airport will remain closed until at least 7am on Tuesday due to the volcanic ash cloud, aviation authorities have said.

Sheffield Star

• Mend our roads plea by politicianCRUMBLING roads and footpaths have been highlighted as a concern in part of Barnsley.
• Easy boost for Robin Hood Airport flightsROBIN Hood Airport was expected to bounce back from the setbacks of last week with the launch of its new Easyjet services.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Train drivers’ union wants to run flagship railway line THE train drivers union is planning to bid to run a flagship railway line and run it as a not-for-profit business.
• School bus safety pilot cuts cars™ speedsAn innovative safety scheme being piloted in the north-east has reduced the speed of cars overtaking school buses.
• Flights from Highland airports grounded for fourth dayFlights from the 10 airports in the Highlands and islands were grounded for the fourth consecutive day yesterday.
• Passengers switch to rail and sea after cancellationsAberdeen harbour and railway station were busy with people looking for alternatives to their cancelled flights yesterday.

The York Press

• Train drivers’ union Aslef in rail franchise bid A TRAIN drivers’ union says it is planning a shock bid for the East Coast Main Line rail franchise – but only as a symbolic gesture.

Other Regional Press

• Train firm set for takeover Train operator CrossCountry, which serves Oxford and Banbury is set to be taken over by Chiltern Railways™ parent company, the German state Rail firm Deutsche Bahn.
• Eurotunnel tests misting safety systemCross-Channel operator Eurotunnel is one step closer to implementing a new firefighting and detection system for the tunnel.
• A final farewell for transport museumIt has welcomed 10 million visitors in its 22 years ¦ but over the weekend around 15 thousand people turned up to bid farewell to Glasgow™s Museum of Transport .

C.N.N.

• How will airlines deal with ash backlog?The thousands of travelers who have been stuck at airports around the world because of the volcanic ash cloud over Europe will need more patience when airliners are cleared to fly.

Washington Post

• Moving faster, Toyota recalls SUVs, agrees to fine WASHINGTON -- Toyota agreed on Monday to a record $16.4 million fine for its slow response to sticking gas pedals - the equivalent of a little more than $2 for every vehicle the company sold around the globe in 2009.

Railnews

• News: More trains run as aviation crisis continues More trains are running on the East and West Coast Main Lines, in a bid to help passengers immobilised by the continuing aviation crisis. Both Eurostar and Eurotunnel have boosted their services, but Eurostar is appealing to passengers not to attempt to travel unless they have confirmed reservations.

Aviation Industry

• ABTN readers say yes to foreign ownership of airlinesSome 72% of ABTN readers say aviation rules should be liberalised, to allow foreign ownership of airlines, against 28% who said no. read more

Green Miscellany

• Flight ban is a œblessing for millions The ban on flights may have left tens of thousands of holiday makers stranded and a scarcity of exotic fruits in supermarket aisles, but for the millions of people whose daily lives are blighted by noisy aircraft it is a blessing according to the Environmental Transport Association (ETA).read more

Other News Sources

• London Tube credited for CO2 efficiency London Underground (LU) has become one of the first public transport operators to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard.
• Rail campaigners go to Holyrood A GROUP campaigning for the re-opening of Blackford railway station in Perthshire will take their fight to the Scottish Parliament today.
• Campaigner group publishes blueprint for new Brighton railwayA campaign to build a second main rail line between Brighton and London has launched this week. The BML2 site, the brainchild of activist Brian Hart, says Thameslink should boost its service with new direct connections which avoided the need to stop at the bottleneck of East Croydon.
• Volcano Fallout Has Shipping Industry Looking for SolutionsThe passenger airline business isn't the only industry feeling the heat from the volcano eruption in Iceland.
• Scottish grant aims to slash lorry milesA special £3.2 million grant has been allocated by the Scottish Government to Montrose Port Authority to build a deep water berth.
• Hundreds of Pounds Spent on Train Tickets to get HomeAir passengers whose flights out of Aberdeen were cancelled spent hundreds of pounds on train tickets to avoid more disruption to their travel plans.
• Rail cable theft costs tens of thousandsTHIEVES are costing thousands of pounds in compensation after targeting railway cable.
• EU seeks to address air traffic chaosThe Spanish EU Presidency said on Sunday it was possible that 50% of flights in Europe could operate today (19 April) following disruption caused by clouds of volcanic ash from Iceland. EU transport ministers will assess the situation in a teleconference.
• ePolitix election focus: TransportAs airports across Britain are due to start reopening today, we examine the transport policies and priorities of the three main parties.
• Train services to be cut by stealth (press release)Politicians and train companies are opening the way for rail service cuts by stealth, transport experts said today.read more
• Eurostar sees rise in bookings of 50,000Cross-channel rail operator Eurostar saw 50,000 extra passengers between Thursday and Sunday, as people swap rail for air in a bid to get home. read more

Other Subscription Services

• Maersk slams Hamburg costs and productivityChief operating officer Morten Engelstoft says port too expensive despite being less efficient than its rivals
• US offers guidance over ransom talksWashington asks shipowners faced with hijackings and ransom demands to consult with Office of Foreign Assets Control