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

Thursday, 27 May 2010

BBC News

• Forth bridge passes first hurdlePlans to build the replacement Forth road bridge pass their first parliamentary hurdle.
• Tube upgrade 'to be delayed'The managing director of London Underground (LU) says it may miss deadlines to get Tube lines upgraded.
• Oh snow you don't: Eurotunnel weather claim bannedAn advert that claimed the Eurotunnel service could run
• BA talks adjourned until FridayBritish Airways and the Unite union have paused their latest talks until Friday as the cabin crew strike enters its fourth day.

Financial Times

• BA resumes talks with union leadersWillie Walsh, British Airways' chief executive, enters fresh talks with Unite union leaders in another effort to settle a row with striking cabin crew that has grounded hundreds of flights since Monday

The Guardian

• Unite and BA talks to resume on FridayNew strike vote imminent before holding talks with BA's chief executive, Willie WalshUnite pledged to ballot British Airways cabin crew for further industrial action today after talks about calling off a 15-day strike were adjourned until Friday.Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson, the joint general secretaries, warned that a new strike vote was imminent before holding talks with BA's chief executive, Willie Walsh, at an unspecified location. A source close to the talks described them as

The Independent

• Rail firms accused over missing 'first-class' seatsBritain's complex rail ticketing system excelled itself yesterday when it emerged that a train company is selling first-class tickets for trains without first-class seating.

Times Online

• Chris Huhne backs European plan to raise target for emission cutsThe Government promised yesterday to support a European plan to raise the target for cutting greenhouse gases this decade.
• Hewitt voted onto Eurotunnel boardPatricia Hewitt rounded off a bumper payday yesterday when she put the lobbygate scandal behind her to become a director of Eurotunnel.

Mail Online

• Rail firms' phantom first-class carriages: Passengers paying more for coaches that don't existRail companies have been accused of selling first-class tickets for services with no first-class coaches, with passengers being charged up to 63 per cent more for the tickets.

Network Rail

• HAVE YOUR SAY ON £35M IPSWICH RAIL UPGRADENetwork Rail is inviting people to have their say on plans for a £35m investment in Ipswich’s railway that will ultimately take up to 750,000 lorry journeys off the road every year.

Derby Telegraph

• Cable thieves cause rail chaos A £1,000 reward is on offer for information leading to the conviction of thieves who caused massive disruption to the rail network after setting fire to cables near to Dronfie

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tram given new paint jobTHE city's first tram has undergone a paint job to bring it into line with the project's new livery.

Journal Live

• North business chiefs in high-speed rail call BUSINESS chiefs and MPs have stressed the North East must be included in a national high-speed rail network to boost the economy.

Liverpool Post

• Mersey shipping lines see red over hike in UK light dues A LEADING Liverpool shipping line chief denounced the steep rise in UK lighthouse dues as “outrageous”.

Metro

• BA talks adjourned until FridayTalks aimed at resolving the bitter British Airways cabin crew dispute have been adjourned.

This Is Local London Network

• New East London Line connects Croydon to the City Hundreds of rail passengers celebrated Croydon taking its place on London’s iconic Tube map on Sunday, as the first trains made their inaugural trip from West Croydon to Dalston Junction.

Wales Online

• Rail passengers cut travel costs by ’splitting tickets’ RAIL firms are being urged to inform passengers of the cheapest possible tickets on offer after it emerged “split ticketing” between Swansea and London could cut the cost of the journey by more than £30.

Bucks Free Press

• Risborough's stand on High Speed 2 project PRINCES Risborough Town Council has spoken out in opposition to the High Speed Rail project although councillors had mixed views.

Doncaster Free Press

• Bus fall victim gets £10k for breaking back A GRANDMOTHER has won thousands of pounds in damages after breaking her back on a bus journey.

West Sussex Gazette

• Road scheme on holdWEST Sussex has already felt the impact of cuts, as the new Government aims to make £6 billion spending curbs to try to reduce Britain's level of borrowing.

Washington Post

• Nissan breaks ground on battery plant for Leaf car SMYRNA, Tenn. -- Nissan North America Inc. broke ground Wednesday for a lithium-ion battery plant as part of a plan to build a five-passenger all-electric car, the Leaf, and create up to 1,300 jobs in Tennessee.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Will the Conservatives support taxibuses?26 May: The successful Wiltshire Taxibuzz evening service is due to be cut this Friday unless campaigners can prevent it. read more

Aviation Industry

• Airlines call for 'reassessment' of flight restrictionsEurope remained a virtual no-fly zone for a fourth straight day on Sunday as airlines urged an immediate re-think of flight restrictions to ease pressure on nearly seven million passengers grounded by volcanic ash.
• Air France To Restart Plane Order TalksAir France-KLM plans to start negotiations later this year to buy 100-150 long-haul aircraft worth up to USD$38 billion at list prices, La Tribune newspaper reported on Wednesday.
• BA to boost flying during next Unite strike
• Ryanair to open sixth base in Spain Ryanair is increasing its footprint in Spain further and will open its 42nd base at Barcelona El Prat in September with five 737-800s and 20 new routes, a mix of domestic and international destinations. It already has five bases in Spain, at Alicante, Girona, Madrid, Malaga and Reus. The new BCN base represents an investment of more than $350 million, the LCC said.

Other News Sources

• £4m project underway to improve Hooton train station A £4M project to install lifts and a new overbridge at Hooton Railway Station is under way. The work, which will be carried out in three phases, is expected to be completed by May 2011.
• City unveils the design of airport Sky Train cars [Arizona, USA]Phoenix revealed the design of the train cars that will transport millions of passengers around Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.Under a $260 million contract, Canadian firm Bombardier Transportation Holdings USA will design and build 18 train cars and a maintenance facility, create the train-operating system and perform other duties.
• Signalling maintenance changes 'boost train reliability' The reliability of rail services has been improved by a new policy regarding the maintenance of signalling, Network Rail has announced. According to the operator, the tailored approach to fixing such systems has enabled engineers to "direct resources more effectively" and has now been rolled out to around 40 per cent of signalling assets, or over 100,000 individual items.
• Fears over new East London train service THE new East London line could hinder future development of the borough, a councillor has warned. The service, which connects Crystal Palace, Penge West and Anerley with Dalston Junction, was fully opened last Sunday.
• £700,000 traffic lights scrappedPLANS to replace a busy roundabout with crossing lights have been rejected by civic chiefs over fears it would slow down the flow of traffic.

News from Europe

• Electric mobility in PortugalThe Renault-Nissan Alliance and the Portuguese consortium MOBI.E Tech have partnered for the promotion of electric mobility in Portugal, one of the first countries to adopt a nationwide electric-vehicle policy.