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

Wednesday, 12 May 2010

BBC News

• Volunteers filmed for Sunderland station art Sixty volunteers are being filmed as part of a permanent artwork which will be seen by two million people a year at Sunderland railway station.
• Swindon bus route changes prompt 628 to sign petition A woman who is angry about changes to her local bus service is taking a petition with 628 names to the offices of bus company Stagecoach in Swindon.
• Parent anger at Carmarthen free school bus changes Parents have expressed anger at a decision that could force 11-year-old children to walk up to three miles to their school.
• Aberdeen bypass appeal lodged with court Campaigners against the controversial Aberdeen bypass have lodged an appeal with the Court of Session.
• Shrewsbury relief road project 'put on hold' A £100m relief road project in Shropshire has been put on hold because of a spending review at the Department for Transport (DfT), a council says.
• Anger in Chirk as Wrexham council approves bus 'cuts' Wrexham council will make controversial changes which could cut out-of-county school transport for some children.
• MSPs support new Forth crossingPlans to build a new Forth road bridge have been backed by a special committee of MSPs set up to scrutinise the plans.
• Unclear London road marking claimDrivers in London are paying out thousands of pounds in fines because of unclear road signs, a motorists group claims.
• SPT plans senior staff shake-upScotland's largest transport authority is considering a shake-up of senior staff in a move which is expected to see wider restructuring.
• Easyjet says ash cost up to £75mLow-cost airline Easyjet says the disruption caused by the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland will cost it between £50m and £75m.
• Union urges fresh BA strike talksThe Unite union urges British Airways to hold more talks in a bid to avoid 20 days of planned cabin crew strikes.

Financial Times

• Founder calls EasyJet chief 'over-rated'Andy Harrison, who is leaving the low-cost carrier to become chief executive of Whitbread, is 'over-rated', the airline's founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou tells colleagues

The Herald

• Extent of ash cloud disruption revealedPassenger numbers at BAA™s three airports in Scotland fell by 345,000 people last month after an ash cloud that spewed out of an Icelandic volcano led to a widespread cancellation of flights.

Times Online

• Babcock’s public service appeal Babcock International may have looked in danger of being stuck in limbo until the completion of its £1.3 billion merger with VT Group in July, but yesterday’s full-year results did much to reassure that the engineering services group, whose biggest customer is the Government, has a momentum all of its own.
• BA cabin crew accused of ˜insular thinking™ over planned strike actionBusinesses accused British Airways crew yesterday of œinsular thinking over their threats of extensive strikes, warning that it sent a worrying message about the state of the country.
• Aer Lingus criticises ash cloud closures as airlines warn of £165m lossesAer Lingus has criticised the decision to close European airspace because of the volcanic ash as œunjustified after Tui Travel and easyJet both warned that the disruption could reduce profits this year by a combined £165 million.
• Finding treatment for easyJet's growing painsIt is a safe bet that Sir Stelios will not be invited to Andy Harrison™s leaving do when the easyJet chief executive steps down next month.
• Toyota recovers from damaging global recall to record £1bn profitThe world™s biggest carmaker has shrugged off the problems that forced it to recall more than eight million vehicles to report a return to profit.

Press Association

• Rail bosses' new bid to end dispute Network Rail will make a fresh attempt to break a deadlocked dispute with its maintenance workers. The firm will outline how it intends to "simplify" planned changes during talks with the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.

The Mirror

• easyJet and Thomson want government money for volcanic ash chaos Holiday giants easyJet and Thomson want a government bail-out after being landed with a £165million bill from the volcanic ash cloud chaos.
• Rail bosses' new bid to end dispute Network Rail will make a fresh attempt to break a deadlocked dispute with its maintenance workers.

Network Rail

• VALLEY STATION TO GET A NEW HUMP

Birmingham Mail

• £2.7 billion Birmingham highways deal signed with Amey THE £2.7 BILLION deal which will see Birmingham’s road network revamped, replaced and repaired over the next 25 years has now been sealed.

Liverpool Post

• Liverpool's Bibby Distribution buys Taygroup as plans for growth are maintained LIVERPOOL-BASED logistics provider Bibby Distribution has purchased a £23m-turnover rival as it continues its aggressive growth plans.

London Evening Standard

• Rail bosses' new bid to end disputeNetwork Rail will make a fresh attempt to break a deadlocked dispute with its maintenance workers.

The News (Portsmouth)

• Council U-turn over residents' parking schemesMore roads in Portsmouth could be turned into residents-only parking areas after a city council U-turn.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Plans lodged for £13m park-and-ride scheme near airportA planning application has been lodged for a £13million park-and-ride site near Aberdeen Airport to help ease congestion for thousands of visitors and commuters.

This Is Local London Network

• Network Rail's Winchmore Hill tree felling programme begins again NETWORK Rail has been accused by residents of implementing a "scorched earth" policy on two banks of trees in Winchmore Hill.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Birstall truck firm launches safety cartoonA Birstall trucking firm is launching its own cartoon character to spread the message about road safety.

C.N.N.

• Pirates hijack chemical tanker in Gulf of AdenPirates in the Gulf of Aden hijacked a chemical tanker carrying a crew of 15 Bulgarians on Tuesday, the European Union Naval Force Somalia said.

Aviation Industry

• New bus service links Glasgow Airport with North Ayrshire (& vice versa!)A new bus service between Glasgow Airport and North Ayrshire has been launched. The 800 will initially run Monday to Saturday, with journey time around 1hr 20min.
• EasyJet narrows FY first-half loss, expects big volcano impact EasyJet narrowed its net loss for its fiscal year first half ended March 31 to £58.9 million ($87.9 million), a 31.4% improvement over an £85.9 million deficit in the year-ago period, but lowered its profit expectations for the full year ending Sept. 30 owing to volcanic ash-related airspace closures.

Other News Sources

• Detailed design process for High Speed 2 to Manchester and Leeds gets underway Consultants are being sought to draw up detailed designs for the High Speed 2 route from Birmingham to Manchester and Birmingham to Leeds.
• High Speed 2 should not impact on local routes in Birmingham THE proposed high-speed rail line linking Birmingham to London should not impact on local rail services, the city council’s transport watchdog committee has said.
• Tram supply chain jobs boom hopes A tram-building factory in the heart of Preston could create up to 1,000 jobs as part of a major supply chain. Stephen McManamon, managing director of Printing Press International Services (PPSI) on Sellers Street, Ribbleton, said he expected a deal signed last week to build trams which will run on a network through the city would be worth “tens of millions” to the company.
• Preston Bus could be sold off by summer Employees at Preston Bus could discover within the next month whether their bid to snatch the company back from Stagecoach has been successful.
• MP Hits Out At Council Over Disabled Ramp For Keynsham Train Station Keynsham’s MP has lamented “18 wasted months” caused by B&NES Council’s attitude towards disabled people as the town’s railway station finally gets the money for a ramp
• Network Rail releases Reading station blue print Network Rail, UK has unveiled the blue print of the modernized Reading station, expected to be one of the biggest railway investments in the country.
• Rail bosses' new bid to end dispute Network Rail will make a fresh attempt to break a deadlocked dispute with its maintenance workers.
• South Africa turns to Bus Rapid Transport for World CupSeveral South African cities have invested in building intelligent bus-based transport systems ahead of the soccer World Cup.
• South West Trains to equip 200 trains for regenerative brakingBritain's biggest commuter rail franchise is investing £2.2 million in a major regenerative braking project.
• Bicycle rickshaws coming to city BICYCLE driven rickshaw rides are set to come to Winchester within a matter of weeks.
• Chamber sets up carbon reduction group Greater Manchester Chamber has set up a new expert grouping to share best practice on carbon reduction.
• Rail bosses' new bid to end disputeRail bosses' new bid to end dispute

Other Subscription Services

• Brussels studying Norfolk Line takeover deal Commission calls for industry comment on proposed acquisition by DFDS