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

Friday, 21 May 2010

BBC News

• Bids presented for Nottingham's tram extension Two consortia bidding for the contract to take over the extension of Nottingham's tram network have handed in their bids.
• Opening of new £22m train depot in Derby East Midlands Trains' new £22m railway depot in Derby has been officially opened.
• Oxfordshire residents call for rail link compensation Oxfordshire residents have called for more compensation if a £16bn high-speed rail link is built through the county.
• Centro and London Midland announce extra train services Centro and London Midland have announced extra train services this summer.
• Groups unite against rail routeMore than 30 protest groups against a proposed high-speed rail link have joined forces to fight the plan.
• Helmet call after cyclist's deathThe sheriff who carried out the Jason MacIntyre inquiry urges all cyclists to wear a helmet and bright clothing.
• Transport boss pay-off criticisedThe decision to double a payment to a top civil servant when he left his job is criticised by a committee of MSPs.
• Ministers pressing rail plan caseHolyrood ministers say the UK government must include Scotland in any planned UK high-speed rail network.
• Air France-KLM makes record loss Air France-KLM says it suffered its worst year since the merger in 2004, as it reports a record loss of 1.55bn euros.
• BA facing record financial lossesBritish Airways is expected to announce record financial losses later to add to its industrial relations woes.

Financial Times

• Further travel chaos expectedBritish Airways passengers booked to fly from Heathrow any time between May 24 and June 9, especially on short-distance flights, should check to see whether they need...

The Guardian

• BA strike back on after court rulingIndustrial dispute to enter a newly destructive phase after the court of appeal reinstated 15 days of strikesThe most poisonous industrial dispute of recent years is ready to enter a newly destructive phase after the court of appeal reinstated 15 days of strikes by British Airways cabin crew, due to begin on Monday.Behind-the-scenes attempts were made to restart talks between BA and the Unite trade union tonight, the Guardian has learned, but the move came to nothing, as both sides refused to budge from their entrenched positions.Exasperated judges, overturning a high court injunction this wee...

The Herald

• Decline in number of children walking to schoolFewer than half of children are walking or cycling to school, despite Government attempts to promote active forms of travel, new figures show.
• £34,000 air bill for green prize judges billIt was set up as a prize for delivering one of the world™s most environmentally friendly developments in a bid to beat climate change.

The Independent

• Strikes to start in days as BA injunction is rejected British Airways staff who overturned a legal block on a series of five-day strikes are to walk out again within days, delaying tens of thousands of passengers.

The Scotsman

• Rail tickets set to rocket despite 'fair fares' pledge RAIL commuters face major price hikes next year as rising inflation appears set to limit the effects of the coalition government's "fair fares" commitment.
• BA expected to reveal £600m lossesBritish Airways is expected to reveal a £600 million slide into the red as the airline faces a fresh wave of strikes.

The Telegraph

• Quango boss payoff 'cannot be justified' A report by Holyrood's Public Audit committee concluded there was no reason for Dr Malcolm Reed to receive six months’ salary when his contract stipulated a three-month notice period.
• Commuters face threat of big fare rises Commuters face the threat of big fare rises at the end of the year as the new Government refused adopt to a Liberal Democrat election pledge to cut the cost of rail travel.

Times Online

• MSPs attack civil servant over Transport Scotland manager’s pay An influential committee of MSPs yesterday took the highly unusual step of criticising Scotland’s most senior civil servant, Sir John Elvidge, over a payout made to a departing public sector manager.
• BA strike starts on Monday on after court strikes down injunctionTens of thousands of British Airways passengers face flight cancellations over the Whitsun Bank Holiday and school half-term after the Court of Appeal overturned an injunction that was blocking a strike yesterday.
• Lawmakers criticise Toyota safety claimsUS lawmakers have attacked the credibility of safety claims made by the carmaker Toyota following a spate of accidents involving unintended acceleration in some of its most popular models that have been linked with more than 50 deaths in the US.
• Toyota to build electric cars with TeslaToyota Motor, still clawing its way back from a global quality debacle and under heavy fire for its attitude to safety, has announced a surprise joint venture with Tesla Motors to design and build electric cars.

Daily Express

• FURY AT TRANSPORT QUANGO CHIEF’S DOUBLE DEAL TO GO A SENIOR MSP has criticised the decision to give a quango boss a double pay-off.

Belfast Telegraph

• BA expected to reveal £600m lossesBritish Airways is expected to reveal a £600 million slide into the red as the airline faces a fresh wave of strikes.Related StoriesGerman short-sell ban sends markets tumblingEconomy uncertainty keeping interest rates lowChancellor must sort out deficit: AlexanderMaracycle challenge gets back on the roadWatch out for World Cup sickies

Derby Telegraph

• Calls for bus stop changeA TOWN councillor is calling for the drop-off point on a popular bus route to be changed to stop elderly passengers needing to cross a busy road to get to the local shops.

Journal Live

• Rail guards' strike threat over automatic ticket barriers RAIL travellers could face more misery after staff said they are considering strike action.

Liverpool Echo

• New easyJet link from Liverpool can open up options for Isle of Man, says airport chief BUDGET airline easyJet launches its latest route from Liverpool John Lennon airport (JLA) tomorrow when its daily link with the Isle of Man takes off.
• St Helens coach firm Hattons invests after clinching new rugby league transport deals HATTONS Travel, the St Helens family-owned coach firm, has bought a new £160,000 executive coach after winning transport deals with Warrington Wolves and Swinton Lions rugby league clubs.

Manchester Evening News

• Drivers face traffic chaos in Piccadilly City centre motorists are facing further disruption when a major junction closes as part of a huge water-pipe replacement scheme. United Utilities engineers will be working seven days a week, for seven weeks, on the junction of Portland Street, Newton Street and Piccadilly, from June 1, as part of their £8m project to replace the city's Victorian water mains.

Nottingham Evening Post

• An opportunity to be grasped [letter]THE Conservative and Lib Dems included in their election manifestos a commitment to put a halt to Labour's top-down planning process and hand back to local authorities and communities the power to plan for new housing developments.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Fresh attempt to ease traffic jams at rail stationCHANGES are being made to try to ease traffic congestion at Sheffield railway station.

Wales Online

• BA union wins strike appeal The union representing British Airways cabin crew won an appeal today against an injunction which blocked strike action.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• BA union wins strike appealThe union representing British Airways cabin crew won an appeal today against an injunction which blocked strike action.

Bucks Free Press

• Girl, 7, writes to PM over train plan A SEVEN-year-old girl was so upset to hear about plans for a high speed railway line through Buckinghamshire she wrote to the Prime Minister “ and ended up getting a reply.

Burnley Express

• Cyclists in Burnley town centre told: ˜off your bike™CYCLISTS are being told to get off their bikes and walk through pedestrianised areas in Burnley town centre.

Sunderland Echo

• Plea for railway bridge re-thinkTOWN chiefs are seeking legal advice as they fight against plans to close a popular rail crossing.
• Guards in threat of rail actionRail travellers could face misery as East Coast Mainline staff consider strike action.

Other Regional Press

• Campaign aims to cut teenage biker accident rate POLICE are working to cut the toll of deaths and injuries among teenage motorcyclists on Oxfordshire™s roads.
• Rail disruption throughout autumn on Sundays on Manchester Huddersfield line RAIL travellers heading to Huddersfield from Manchester will face big diversions on Sundays this autumn.
• Weymouth to Birmingham rail link 'in next two years' WEYMOUTH rail commuters could see a new line linking them to Birmingham in time for the 2012 Olympic games.
• Road rage at Weymouth Olympic transport plans ANGRY residents confronted engineers about Weymouth™s Olympic transport proposals yesterday.

Campaign for Better Transport

• A missed opportunity at Brent Cross20 May: We need to start thinking about car dependent developments in the same way that many people think about new road schemes:  both generate traffic. read more
• Coalition must cut train fares20 May: The new Coalition agreement includes a commitment to 'fair pricing for rail travel'. Will the 'greenest Government ever' give us affordable fares? read more

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Transport operators 'facing financial constraints'Issues such as financial constraints and supply bottlenecks, coupled with rising levels of demand, pose significant challenges over the next 20 years to transport operators, it has been claimed.A new study from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the Supply Chain Management Institute of the European Business School emphasises the growing problems within the industry, with shortages in supply expected to remain between now and 2030.The report is based on the views of 104 specialists in 29 nations and concludes that industralised countries will continue to dominate transport infrastructure during t...

Aviation Industry

• What next for Willie Walsh and BA?The news today that the British Airways strike is back on will certainly not go down well with Willie Walsh, the chief executive of the beleaguered airline.

Green Miscellany

• Bicycles to be monitored by roadside scanner Digital signs that scan cycle paths and display the number of cyclists that have passed by that day have been installed by Brighton & Hove City Council. The counter displays also keep a tally of how many cyclists have passed by since the beginning of the year. read more
• Nissan Leaf electric car to cost £10,000 more than a Golf Bluemotion The Nissan Leaf, the world’s first mass-market electric car, will offer significant environmental advantages over conventional vehicles, but is to cost £28,350 when it goes on sale in Britain early next year “ £10,000 more than a similarly-sized clean diesel such as the VW Golf Bluemotion.read more

Other News Sources

• Objectors to new high speed rail line meet at Kenilworth to fight plans OBJECTORS to a high speed railway line set to slice through Warwickshire have met at Kenilworth School to fight the plans.
• USE IT OR LOSE IT – RAIL PASSENGERS WARNED RESIDENTS in Millom are being warned they must support the town’s new railway ticket office or risk seeing it close.
• Passengers demand better Norfolk and Suffollk rail services Ministers must insist on a host of improvements to rail services in East Anglia if they are to win back the faith of passengers - according to an influential rail watchdog.
• FINAL WEEK FOR FREE TRAIN SERVICE IN WEST CUMBRIA TRAIN services in West Cumbria will revert to pre-flood schedules from the end of this month with free travel and shuttle services coming to an end.
• Deputy Minister opens access solution at Valley Station (Wales)Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Jocelyn Davies AM has opened an innovative, cost-effective access solution for disabled people and parents with small children at Valley railway station
• Virgin Trains unveils zombie campaign Virgin Trains is portraying car and plane travellers as zombies in its latest £6.3m campaign. The campaign is designed to demonstrate the superior service available on Virgin Trains and is a put down of other forms of transport. The cartoon imagery is meant to capture the potential hellishness of travelling by car and plane that turns regular people into frustrated zombies.
• Government seeks fast solutions to avoid future snow chaosThe government will by July identify œquick wins to improve transport resilience in preparation for the next winter, after prolonged cold weather this year caused widespread transport disruption.
• Birmingham Council appoints Glenn HowellsGlenn Howells Architects has been appointed to outline what effect a high-speed rail route through Birmingham would have on development plans for the city.
• Brussels to play down 'carbon leakage' threatA draft European Commission proposal, seen by EurActiv, plays down the risk of industries relocating outside Europe if the 27-member bloc were to step up its climate policies.