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

Saturday, 12 June 2010

BBC News

• Honour for rail station announcerA woman who has been an announcer at a London railway station for 12 years is appointed an MBE.
• DLR strike is announcedRMT members on the Docklands Light Railway are to stage a three-day strike from 23 June in a pay row.

Financial Times

• Spirit Airlines braces for pilot strikeSpirit Airlines, the ultra low cost carrier, is bracing itself for a pilot strike that could begin as soon as Saturday morning, in an action that would be the first walkout at a US passenger carrier in almost five years
• EasyJet brand dispute upheaval loomsSir Stelios Haji-Ioannou begins his fight in the High Court with the airline, which he founded 15 years ago, in a case which could have far reaching implications for the carrier

The Herald

• Key ferry services face cuts and fare increasesLifeline ferry services are facing cuts and fare hikes over the next 12 years as the Scottish Government struggles to find the £784m it will cost to replace ageing vessels, ports and harbours.

Reuters News

• Somali pirates free UK-flagged ship after ransomSOFIA (Reuters) - Somali pirates have released a British-flagged ship they seized on January 1, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said on Friday, and the European Union Naval Force said the release came after a ransom was paid.

Daily Express

• BA waits on mergerEUROPEAN Union competition regulators will decide by July 15 whether to clear or block the planned £5.3billion merger between British Airways and Spanish rival Iberia, it was announced yesterday.

The Sun

• Porsche bike IT'S the car that gives a whole new meaning to the phrase: 'Push the pedal to the metal'

Network Rail

• TOWERS ROAD BRIDGE REOPENS AS WORK ON NEW RAIL LINK CONTINUESConstruction continues on Carlisle Road to allow for the double tracking of the line

London Evening Standard

• Railway workers to strike for three daysCommuters face an increased threat of travel chaos because of strikes by rail workers later this month, it was warned
• Willie Walsh: BA will favour Madrid over LondonBritish Airways boss Willie Walsh warns that the airline will favour Madrid over its Heathrow base following its merger with Iberia

Metro

• Police investigate overturned cars in SwindonTwo cars were overturned in Swindon in the early hours of Friday morning in incidents police described as

Sheffield Star

• Review puts brakes on £100 million transport plansMAJOR transport schemes around South Yorkshire worth more than £100 million have been put on hold by the Government - and £16 million of grants to the area's four councils

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Young car engineers in driving seat at contestTHE line-up and the atmosphere was electric at Grampian Transport Museum yesterday as talented teams of young car engineers launched the Scottish heat of the annual Greenpower Goblin challenge.

The York Press

• MP Hugh Bayley raises York rail workers plight at WhitehallThe plight of hundreds of York rail workers left with uncertain futures after their firm collapsed is to be taken up at Westminster next week.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Railway sleeper left over track near WellingboroughA police investigation has been launched after a train struck a four-foot sleeper suspended from a bridge by a washing line near Wellingborough.

Other Regional Press

• Penistone Line ticketing problems unresolved by Northern Rail TRAIN operator Northern Rail says it has no immediate plans to resolve ticketing problems on a popular train route into Huddersfield.
• Weymouth Transport Package: Dorset County Council view Dorset County Council strategic projects manager Matthew Piles said: œAlthough it might be taking people longer than usual to get into Weymouth from the Portland direction, I™m sure residents will continue to support local traders.

Railway Gazette

• News in BriefLast month the European Commission formally warned Bulgaria that it must implement First Railway Package legislation on track access charges. Operations have resumed on Tanzania™s Central line after US$11m of emergency repairs to flood damage caused by heavy rain in December. Reviving electric traction on the 300 km Dabuka “ Harare line will require nearly US$30m according to National Railways of Zimbabwe director Lewis Mukwada. Alternatives to copper cable are being explored in an effort to reduce theft. NRZ has begun installing a US$300000 satellite communication system along the Harare “ B...

Other News Sources

• Alert driver evade a major train mishap in Tamil NaduThe passengers of Chennai bound Tiruchirapalli-Chennai Rockfort Express had a narrow escape from a tragedy as the driver stopped the train after noticing major breaches in rail track in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram District on Saturday.
• Brighton seafront pothole update A seafront road remains partly closed off today (sat) after a sewer collapsed.
• Revealed: List of 62 transport schemes put on holdThe government has released a list of the 62 transport schemes which are on hold pending the outcome of the spending review.
• Motorcycle Accidents: Safety Reminders and Road HazardsEvery year, motorcycle riders are encouraged to review the challenges they face on the road and brush up on their riding skills to avoid accidents and serious injuries.
• British Airways Launches New Ibiza RouteBritish Airways has launched its new direct Ibiza route from London City.
• Woman loses Hampshire bus sheme appealA woman has lost an appeal against a £20million high-speed bus route from Gosport to Fareham.
• Birmingham students create posters for rail stationsDesign students from Birmingham City University are creating a series of posters that will appear at train stations across the West Midlands.
• Willie Walsh says BA brand will succeed if it stays œrelevantBritish Airways chief executive Willie Walsh believes that the airline and its brand has a solid future if it can œstay relevant to customers.
• Virgin America opens shop with debut of upgraded 'Red' IFE Virgin America plans to soon debut the newest upgrades to its ˜Red™ in-flight entertainment (IFE) system, including making SkyMall products available for purchase through the seat-back display for the first time, in a bid to continue substantially growing its ancillary revenue streams. Passengers will be able to acquire a range of products “ some unique to Virgin America - from ˜The Red Store™ via the touch-screen display or the Qwerty keyboard in the armrest. Higher-end items, such as a $329 Sony PlayStation Portable or even a $38,000 diamond-encrusted Apple iPhone, will also be available, ...
• Maritime Traffic Forecasts launches dynamic, more comprehensive model Maritime Traffic Forecasts has launched a unique forecasting service - Maricasts - that builds on forecast models developed over fifteen years to successfully forecast traffic volumes by cargo type at the port, national and regional level in a range of projects worldwide. read more
• Government to review £1.6 billion of transport projectsTransport projects worth a total of £1.6 billion are now under threat after transport secretary Philip Hammond announced he was suspending all schemes not already under contract.