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

Saturday, 24 April 2010

BBC News

• Volunteers asked to miss flightsUK airlines are seeking volunteers to change flights so people stranded since the ash cloud disruption can return home.
• Self driveIs this the end of the road for human car drivers?
• M4 shut for 10 hours after crash Motorists were left facing long delays after police were forced to close the M4 near Cardiff for 10 hours on Friday.

Financial Times

• Bribe probe for Deutsche Bahn unitEurope's biggest railway company has called in auditors to investigate its international consulting arm after discovering evidence of payments of millions of euros in bribes

The Herald

• Travellers stranded by ash return to UK in styleAfter a desperate week of cancelled flights and disrupted travel plans, there was at least some consolation at the end of their ordeal.

The Observer

• Stranded Britons attack BA price hikeBA denies profiteering by selling seats at high premium, saying move is aimed at putting off new customersBA has increased the price of long-haul tickets from airports where customers remain stranded following the volcanic eruption in Iceland, placing them on sale to other travellers for as much as £4,700.Passengers stuck in India, China and the US said the earliest flights they have been offered leave more than two weeks from now even though the airline has put on sale tickets for flights that depart sooner. Many are furious the seats have been placed on the open market when they are desperat...

The Scotsman

• Brits still stuck despite flightsBritons still stranded abroad after Europe's skies reopened are facing the prospect that they could be stuck for another week.

The Telegraph

• General Election 2010: Gordon Brown refuses to apologise for Labour 'lies' Gordon Brown has refused to apologise for Labour campaign leaflets that suggested that the Tories were planning to withdraw benefits such as free bus travel from the elderly.
• British Airways crew 'to be balloted next week on possible further strike action' Despite BA and Unite "making considerable progress" during negotiations the parties are still arguing over two key points.

Times Online

• As airlines warn of weeks of delays, Brits find their own way homeArriving off the 2.10pm sailing from Calais to Dover, the Ajulo family were finally on the last leg of their epic journey home to Britain from Nigeria.
• Virgin and Cathay accused of price fixingThe Office of Fair Trading has accused Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific of breaching competition law by colluding to fix passenger fares.
• As airlines warn of weeks of delays, Brits find their own way homeArriving off the 2.10pm sailing from Calais to Dover, the Ajulo family were finally on the last leg of their epic journey home to Britain from Nigeria.

The Mirror

• Brits still stuck despite flights Britons still stranded abroad after Europe's skies reopened are facing the prospect that they could be stuck for another week.

The Sun

• BA faces election walkout BRITISH Airways faces a third crippling strike by thousands of cabin crew - in election week

Belfast Telegraph

• Virgin and Cathay deny price-fixing allegations on air faresVirgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific face allegations of illegal price-fixing on the London to Hong Kong route after the Hong Kong flagcarrier shopped its British counterpart to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).Related StoriesChange or we're doomed warns ObamaWarner Chilcott invests £6.6m to 'stay competitive'Randox Laboratories ready to extend recruitment driveBallymena business people told ‘yes you can’UK economy growth weaker than expected

Birmingham Post

• Concern over Birmingham's Metro and road schemes Concern is growing about the fate of two huge Birmingham public transport schemes given Whitehall approval just before the General Election was announced.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Transport watchdogs to monitor sale of Arriva to German firm Deutsche Bahn TRANSPORT watchdogs will be monitoring the sale of bus and rail firm Arriva to German operator Deutsche Bahn.

Metro

• AA strike plans axed as deal struckThe threat of a strike by AA patrol staff has been lifted as new proposals were put forward to end a row over pensions.

Sheffield Star

• Two men jailed for stealing rail cable TWO dealers from Rotherham who pinched stolen railway cabling worth £21,000 have been jailed after their actions helped cause delays on the train network costing the track ope

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Airport bosses in talks to reduce no-fly zone around ash cloudBosses at Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd are in talks about reducing the size of the no-fly zone imposed around the cloud of volcanic ash drifting down from Iceland.

Wales Online

• Car industry boosted by huge rise in production WALES’ car manufacturing sector was given a vital boost yesterday after new figures showed soaring production across the industry.

Blackpool Gazette

• Train times improvedVIRGIN Trains, which runs the West Coast main line through Lancashire, has improved its times.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Transport network set for shake-up? A town centre bus lane and a facelift for the rail station are just two of the transport developments planned for Wellingborough in the next 10 years.
• More than 130,000 trips on new Corby rail serviceCORBY railway station has seen more than 130,000 journeys made by passengers in its first year.

The Shields Gazette

• The new 'heartland' of UK car industryNORTH East England is set to become the centre of the UK's car industry within five years, it has been has predicted.

Other Regional Press

• Vow ash chaos won™t hit Aberdeen Airport planABERDEEN Airport today pledged improvement plans would not become a victim of the Icelandic volcano chaos.
• Over 200 flights affected by Exeter shutdown FOLLOWING a week of flight cancellations and disruption caused by the Icelandic volcano ash cloud, Exeter International Airport is now back to its normal schedule.

The Economist

• Car-sharing revs up: Teaming up with the JonesesTwo start-ups aim to get car owners to share their vehicles with strangersWHEN eBay, now the world’s biggest auction website, went online in 1995, many expected it to fail. Why would anyone buy used items from perfect strangers? Two new services—WhipCar, which was launched in London on April 21st, and RelayRides, which will start up in Boston, Massachusetts, early this summer—will face similar scepticism. Both aim to get car-owners to rent their vehicles to strangers when not using them themselves.At heart, both offerings are online exchanges. Car-owners and drivers register,...

Campaign for Better Transport

• Sneaky plan to encourage rail cuts23 April: We've spotted something very worrying. The Government wants to give train companies a financial incentive to cut services, and it's not even giving passengers a chance to have their say. read more

Railnews

• News: Union to bid for East Coast to show 'absurdities' The train drivers' union ASLEF has revealed that it intends to bid for the Intercity East Coast contract when the competition starts next year. But the union is philosophical about its chances, saying it's really a tactical gesture intended to 'demonstrate the absurdities' of the process.

Other News Sources

• Fundamental shift needed to meet UK climate targets The UK has set itself some of the toughest carbon reduction targets in the world, but we must make fundamental changes if those aspirations are going to be anything more than hot air.
• EU Transport Commissioner Sim Kallas Provides Update On Volcanic Ash CrisisI wanted to update you on the situation, one week after Europe was hit by this unprecedented volcanic crisis. First, the news on flights remains encouraging. For the second day in a row, we are expecting about 28,000 flights to take place in Europe. Europe™s airspace is getting back to normal operating capacity.
• TfL issues electric vehicle tenderNew electric vehicles will be put into service by TfL after it issued a new multi-million pound tender.
• France awaits clearer EU strategy on e-carsFrance's ambitious national strategy on electric cars is awaiting a clearer position from the European Union, EurActiv France reports.
• Would-be MP welcomes new action plans to combat noise pollution PRESSURE is being stepped up to force action over noise pollution from Hampshire™s roads and railways.
• Call for measures to end air transport crisisThe European Transport Workers’ Federation, the European arm of the ITF, has urged the European Commission to organise an urgent stakeholders’ meeting to minimise the impact of the volcano ash incident.
• Should we be looking beyond electricity in green car design?Now scientists are able to store hydrogen in smaller, lighter containers will it emerge as a contender in the quest to find an alternative fuel to petrol?
• Brits still stuck despite flightsBritons still stranded abroad after Europe's skies reopened are facing the prospect that they could be stuck for another week.
• Rail Service set to start on east London lineThe first phase of the East London Line extension was due to open this week.
• Thames Gateway bus initiative bids for government resourcesCouncils in south Essex have put together a £53 million bid to the government for a bus rapid transit system to form part of the Thames Gateway's regeneration.
• Road haulage falling behind with Driver CPC trainingThe road freight industry is in danger of falling behind schedule to get its 500,000 HGV drivers through the 35 hours training needed to obtain their Driver CPCs.
• Glasgow to London train hits rock left on trackBritish Transport Police have launched an inquiry after a large boulder left deliberately on the rails damaged a sleeper train.
• Air travel gets back to normalMinister thanks all those for efforts in helping stranded return home.
• Landslip hits train servicesA landslip is affecting trains on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway near Cheltenham.
• Virgin targeted in price fixing probeVirgin Atlantic is embroiled in a second price fixing case after the OFT accused it of colluding with Cathay Pacific to fix fares on the busy London to Hong Kong route
• Community car service gets council fundingA vital community car service in North Lincolnshire has received council support to ensure it is able to keep going.