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

Thursday, 10 June 2010

BBC News

• Cambridge controversial cycle scheme set to go aheadA controversial cycling safety scheme for Cambridge is set to be backed by councillors. Cambridgeshire County Council officers are recommending measures to stop cars parking on a cycle lane along the busy Gilbert Road in the city.
• Cambridge controversial cycle scheme set to go aheadA controversial cycling safety scheme for Cambridge is set to be backed by councillors. Cambridgeshire County Council officers are recommending measures to stop cars parking on a cycle lane along the busy Gilbert Road in the city.
• 'No guarantee' over funding for Kingkerswell bypass Funding for the £130m Kingskerswell bypass cannot be guaranteed, a government minister has said.
• Daily New York flight talks 'end'Hopes of establishing daily flights between Cardiff and New York City are dashed after talks reportedly broke down.
• Victoria station revamp to beginA £700m revamp of Victoria Tube station is to begin after a contractor is selected by Transport for London.
• Two 48-hour Tube strikes calledTube maintenance workers will stage two 48-hour strikes in a protest over pay and conditions, it is announced.
• Airbus secures huge A380 order Shares in EADS surge 5% after Dubai airline Emirates places a huge order for A380 super-jumbo jets.
• Social firms 'growing strongly'The UK's social enterprises - firms trading for social or environmental purposes - bucked the recent recession, a report says.

Financial Times

• Business set for Treasury reprieveApproval expected for other loans after £21m grant for Nissan to produce Leaf electric car in the North East is given the go-ahead
• Berlin rejects GM request for aidGerman economics minister Rainer Brüderle on Wednesday rejected a request by US carmaker GM for federal government assistance for its European unit Opel
• Economou backtracks on dealsShipowner vows to do no more deals between his Nasdaq-listed DryShips “ at one time the US's largest listed shipping company by market capitalisation “ and his private operations

The Guardian

• British Airways cabin crew dispute: still no sign of a happy landing Industrial action comes to temporary end with little hope of imminent deal over working conditions and travel perks
• Will an insider succeed Lockhead in the FirstGroup driving seat? With the chief executive thought to be close to retirement, his new deputy Tim O'Toole is the assumed successor
• Why are taxis king of the road when they carry so few passengers? 'Pampered' black cabs transport just 0.6% of commuters in London yet they have special privileges

The Independent

• BA staff face fresh ballotPlans for a fresh ballot of British Airways cabin crew are at an

The Telegraph

• First Group goes Underground to sort out successionTim O'Toole, the former London Underground boss, has been named deputy chief executive of FirstGroup – putting him in pole position to succeed Sir Moir Lockhead at the helm of the transport company.

Times Online

• Government to honour £20m Nissan grantThe Treasury is to honour a £20 million grant to Nissan paid out by Lord Mandelson this year to persuade the carmaker to make the world™s first mass-produced electric car in Britain.
• Business big shot: Tim O™TooleYesterday, it was revealed that Mr O’Toole has become FirstGroup’s chief executive-in-waiting. He has been appointed chief operating officer and deputy chief executive from next Monday. The appointment appears to end speculation on who would succeed Sir Moir Lockhead, 65. Sir Moir has yet to intimate when he might step down.

Reuters News

• Grant confirmed for Nissan electric car plantLONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday a grant for a Japanese-owned Nissan car plant in Sunderland would go ahead, after fears the money could be pulled as part of a review into spending.
• Tube workers to strike over pay and jobsLONDON (Reuters) - London Underground maintenance workers are set to stage two 48-hour strikes over pay, jobs and working conditions, a rail union said on Wednesday.

Network Rail

• REDRUTH STATION WELCOMES SUMMER WITH NEW LOOK

Belfast Telegraph

• Aer Lingus figures smoked by volcano Irish airline Aer Lingus has announced that passenger numbers dropped almost 10% in May. Related StoriesNew £7.5m research hub is unveiled at Queen’sDerided boss has taken responsibility for BP's actionsBA crews to vote in strike ballotCuts 'will increase unemployment'One in four 'work without a break'
• BA crews to vote in strike ballot Another strike ballot of British Airways cabin crew will be held although their leaders are trying “very hard” to reach a settlement with the airline as the final stage of industrial action ends, a union official said today. Related StoriesEx-Tesco head could aid our private sectorNew £7.5m research hub is unveiled at Queen’sDerided boss has taken responsibility for BP's actionsCuts 'will increase unemployment'One in four 'work without a break'

Birmingham Mail

• ICycle comes to Harborne BRUMMIES are invited to introduce some pedal power into their daily routine.

Birmingham Post

• Government to review route of Birmingham to London High Speed rail link Uncertainty surrounds plans for high speed rail services between London and the West Midlands as the Government said it would not be bound by the findings of an inquiry which recommended building a new station in Birmingham city centre.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Trams chief warns project 'definitely' going over budgetTHE true extent of the task facing Edinburgh's tram bosses was revealed today after it emerged that less than a fifth of construction work on the project has been complete

Liverpool Post

• Airbus wins largest civil aircraft order in history THE largest civil aircraft order in history is set to give a boost to aerospace workers on Deeside.
• Shipping line CMA CGM badly hit by effects of recession SHIPPING giant CMA CGM suffered a near £100m fall in sales at its Liverpool-based UK operation last year.

London Evening Standard

• Railway stations are worst locations for bicycle theftCroydon is the worst bicycle theft “hotspot” in London, new figures reveal. The research pinpoints many outer London boroughs as the most likely areas for bike theft. Key points include suburban railway stations such as Surbiton, Sutton and Harold Wood
• Former Tube boss Tim O’Toole back to take over FirstGroup Tim O'Toole, the former head of London Underground, was lured back to Britain from the US today after FirstGroup appointed him chief operating officer in preparation for the retirement of long-standing chief executive Sir Moir Lockhead.
• Plans for fresh BA vote 'advanced'Plans for a fresh ballot of British Airways cabin crew are at an "advanced stage", it was revealed as staff took part in the final phase of the current wave of industrial action.

Metro

• Tube staff to stage 48-hour strikesLondon Underground maintenance workers are to stage two 48-hour strikes in a row over jobs, pay and conditions.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Mull could be ferry sevices™ ˜land bridge™Mull could be used as a œland bridge in a shake-up of west coast ferry services, according to a new report.

The York Press

• Brakes put on York road toll plansProposals for a congestion charge in York look to have been shelved.

Wales Online

• Stuart Cole: Innovative bus schemes are returning a social dividend WE often think of high technology as our benchmark for innovation and for many aspects of travel this is the case particularly as more of us turn to public transport by land for our work and leisure journeys.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Free bikes for pupils labelled disgracefulA scheme to give young students in Northamptonshire free bikes instead of bus passes has been labelled 'disgraceful'.
• Hundreds make it a red dot day success on the trainsMore than 1,000 people took advantage of discount train tickets and packed the carriages on Red Dot Day.

Sunderland Echo

• Cameron confirms Nissan's £20million grant is safePrime Minister David Cameron has confirmed the £20million to support electric car production at Nissan is safe.

Other Regional Press

• 'We need more carriages - now'Extra capacity to meet current, not future demand, says Chairman
• Rose Hill gets long-awaited bus link to Cowley Centre Rose Hill residents are celebrating victory following an eight-year campaign to get a bus link to Cowley Centre.
• County goes to Cam over cash fears A PERSONAL appeal has been made to Prime Minister David Cameron to allow Oxfordshire to keep £88m for road and rail improvements promised under the last Government.
• Battle to spare Kent road plans from the axeMinisters are being pressed to spare key road improvement schemes in Kent from Government cuts.
• Work underway on controversial Bradley & Waterfront bus lanes WORK has started on two controversial road redevelopments which sparked opposition from residents.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Ferry travel 'may currently be more appealing than air'Many people may find that travelling by ferry is more appealing than flying at the moment because of the "ease, the value, the reliability and the convenience", it offers.This is according to the PR director of the Passenger Shipping Association, Penny Guy, who suggests the recent disruptions caused by the eruption of a volcano in southern Iceland means that people are "looking for alternative ways of travel".She explains ferries can offer reliability and the ability to "take everything with you", with a range of destinations on offer by bo...

Railway Gazette

• Pesa reveals details of low-floor EMU family POLAND: Bydgoszcz-based manufacturer Pesa has revealed its ELF low-floor EMU design ahead of the planned exhibition of a prototype at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin in September. Speaking at the Expo Ferroviaria event in Torino on June 9, a spokesman confirmed that two contracts had already been agreed to supply the 3 kV trainsets to Silesia for regional services and to Warszawa operator SKM for suburban operations. Initially offered as a four-car set, the articulated design will have a maximum speed of 160 km/h with seating for 200 passengers. Height above rail is 4 280 mm, and 760 mm ...
• Cutting track life-cycle costs EUROPE: With the four-year Innotrack research project now approaching completion, the project partners now estimate that the life-cycle cost of track could be cut by 25% in the coming years. ˜That™s a lot of savings when you consider the extent of the rail network™, said UIC Director General Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, during a webinar on April 28. Backed by the European Commission, the Inno­track project was jointly co-ordinated by UIC and Unife, who are keen to emphasise the integration of knowledge from operators and suppliers. Eight major track cost drivers were studied, combining results from ...

Aviation Industry

• Air India carefully evaluating future New Air India COO Gustav Baldauf told ATWOnline on the sidelines of the IATA AGM in Berlin that the carrier should return to profitability in 2-3 years. The merger between AI and Indian Airlines will be completed this year, he said, adding that the carrier will become a full member of the Star Alliance in 2011. AI units such as maintenance, catering and ground operations will be spun off as separate entities but will remain under the "Air India Group" umbrella, he said, explaining that "the system [will be] similar to Lufthansa."
• Etihad's Hogan maintains 2011 profitability target Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan remains "pretty bullish" about the airline's future "as long as the Icelandic volcano does not erupt again."
• BA, flight attendants stand firm as latest work action ends British Airways cabin crew represented by the Unite union ended their latest strike action yesterday but warned that more strikes could follow. 
• Unite confirms fresh ballotUnion Unite has said preparations for a new ballot of British Airways (BA) cabin crew members are "at an advanced stage".read more

Other News Sources

• Rival bus service will compete for same route BUS wars are about to start in Machynlleth after a local operator decided to launch a rival service against Arriva after they say they received complaints about the existing service.
• High Barnet branch of Northern Line will close from 9.30pm Monday to Thursday from July north of East Finchley A REVISED closure programme for Northern Line upgrade works has been agreed which will reduce disruption for passengers in Barnet.
• Transport chief says region must work to gain from high-speed London train plans Yorkshire must not be the poor relation to Manchester over a new high-speed rail link between London and the North, a transport boss has urged.
• Cycle routes opened in London The Mayor and Transport for London have announced improvements to alternative modes of transport in the capital city.
• Docklands snubbed by cycle hire scheme CYCLING around the capital is to be made easier - but not for those living and working in the Docklands.
• BBC testing EV practicality with road trip A BBC documentary team will attempt a European road trip using an all-electric car as transportation, the BBC announced this week.
• BHEL, Alstom to bid for Metro Rail Project jointlyState-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and France's Alstom on Wednesday announced that they had joined hands to bid for the prestigious Rs.14,000 crore Chennai Metro Rail Project.
• Westminster Hall Debate On High Speed Rail Link Through South Northants Today, 9 June 2010, Andrea Leadsom, the Member of Parliament for South Northamptonshire attended a debate in Westminster Hall on the proposals for High Speed Rail.
• Heathrow Express enhances train service to Heathrow’s Terminal Four Heathrow Express, the fastest way to travel between central London and Heathrow Airport, has now launched its improved service to Terminal 4.
• Assembly members back Boris bid to stop Crossrail cuts LONDON Assembly members are unanimously backing Boris Johnson in his fight to stop Crossrail cuts.
• London Assembly rejects any cuts to Crossrail plans THE entire £16 billion Crossrail 'super Tube' project must be completed on time without any cuts to guarantee London's future economic recovery, the London Assembly has insisted.
• RMT announces Tube Lines strike datesTUBE UNION RMT today announced strike dates on Tube Lines over the failure of TfL and the company to give concrete assurances on jobs, pay and working conditions.
• Second phase of Port Eglinton Viaduct launch underwayThe operation to complete the second and final launch of the largest bridge on the M74 Completion project has now begun in Glasgow.
• Crossrail posts £35M Liverpool Street advance works noticeCrossrail has issued an invitation for tenders for advance works and infrastructure at the Liverpool Street London Underground station.
• Blackburn bus maker announces surge in sales but £5m losses BUS maker Optare has announced a surge in sales but losses of almost £5million after a ˜challenging™ year.
• Pollock (Scotrans) remains steady through recessionPollock (Scotrans) has managed to stay in the black during its latest financial year, posting pre-tax profit of £138,925 on a flat turnover of £14.2m in the year to 29 August 2009.
• Metro schemes threatened as Treasury targets transportLeeds and other councils are expecting the Treasury to claw back hundreds of millions of pounds of transport spending allocated by the previous government
• Oxfordshire council reviews all schemes in £500m capital budgetDozens of education, transport and leisure projects are at risk in Oxfordshire after the county council announced a review of its £500 million capital budget.
• Crossrail advertises £35m Liverpool Street worksCrossrail has advertised a second package of works in as many days, with a £35 million contract for advanced works at Liverpool Street station now up for grabs.
• Angry BA cabin crew may strike againBA cabin crew tell business correspondent Siobhan Kennedy they will strike again - defying chief executive Willie Walsh as four weeks of Unite action end unresolved today.
• c2c passengers outline priorities for new rail deal (Press Release)Passengers travelling on c2c services want punctual trains, more frequent services and value for money when a new operator is appointed to take over the region's railway. However, Passenger Focus has found that personal security is also a top priority for improvement for passengers using current rail services.read more