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

Wednesday, 16 June 2010

BBC News

• Southern railway crime crackdown team makes 52 arrests A crime crackdown team which started patrolling rail firm Southern's network in April has made 52 arrests so far.
• Elderly bus users angered by cuts in Swindon service Plans to axe a bus service for elderly and disabled people in Wiltshire have been met with anger.
• New 12 tonne river bridge opens in Derbyshire A new 12 tonne bridge has opened over a Derbyshire river as part of a £180,000 improvement project.
• New group 'to improve' Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted A new group has been set up by the government to improve passengers' experience at South East airports. The group, to be chaired by Transport Minister Theresa Villiers, will attempt to reduce long queues and cut down the number of delayed flights.
• Grant to repair Devon's winter potholes Devon roads damaged by the harsh winter are to benefit from a £3.6m government repair grant.
• Catholics fight 'unfair' bus planParents in Staffordshire say they are being discriminated against by plans to stop running free buses to a Catholic school in Walsall.
• Government commits to CrossrailTransport Secretary Philip Hammond commits the Government to delivering the full £16bn Crossrail scheme.

Department for Transport

• Better not bigger - Hammond creates South East Airports taskforceA drive to reduce long queues and the number of delayed flights was announced today as Transport Secretary Philip Hammond unveiled a new group tasked with improving operations at the major South East airports.  It will be made up of key players from the aviation world and chaired by Aviation Minister Theresa Villiers, with the initial focus on Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.

Financial Times

• Airports welcome plan to cut delays Airlines and airports welcomed a government announcement yesterday of an industry group that will work on cutting passenger queues and flight delays at the UK's largest airports. The move comes days after Willie Walsh, British Airways chief executive, warned his airline would expand at other European airports, such as Madrid, now the government has scrapped extra runways at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.
• EasyJet warns over brand case interpretationThe case hinges on whether services such as baggage and speedy boarding, as well as food sold on board and charges for infants, should be classed as ancillary or core services

The Herald

• Big lift under way as giant crane goes to work on M74 missing linkEngineers are building one of the biggest structures in the M74 œmissing link this week, using the largest mobile crane in Europe to place seven 100-tonne steel beams across the River Clyde.

The Telegraph

• London transport data opened to app developers Transport for London has removed the restrictions on commercial use of its travel information, and has released several datasets for download. From today, developers won't have to ask for permission if they are making money from applications built on TfL data.
• Lamborghini is the least environmentally friendly car The Lamborghini has been named the least "green" car of the year by the Environmental Transport Association.

Press Association

• Rail electrification may be shelved The Government has appeared to indicate it will not go ahead with Labour's plans for further electrification of the UK's railway system in the near future.

Daily Express

• Aer Lingus to ground flightsIRISH carrier Aer Lingus is axing loss-making winter services between Shannon and the US but pledged to continue flying from the west of Ireland airport.

Derby Telegraph

• Anxious times for Bombardier as Government reviews spending WITH the new government saying that it intends to review the spending commitments of the previous administration, the likes of train-maker Bombardier are involved in a waiting game.

London Evening Standard

• New talks on increasing capacity at Heathrow Campaigners against Heathrow noise today reacted with suspicion as the Government announced a task force for “better not bigger” airports in the South-East.

Carlisle News & Star

• Cumbria told to give back £1.7m roads cash CUMBRIA has been told to hand back £1.7m “ a quarter of its budget for transport capital schemes “ as part of the Government™s bid to cut the national deficit.

Other Regional Press

• 11m passengers use Metro freebus service THEY have been an unqualified success.
• Kirklees Council weighs up £1.1m plan for roads in Slaithwaite and Paddock MORE than £1m could be committed to improving roads around Huddersfield.
• £4million deal to get Coventry Airport back in business COVENTRY Airport’s new owner Sir Peter Rigby has signed a £4 million contract with Serco for air traffic services.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Cut the right things - not just the easy things15 June: There's only one thing on politicians' minds at the moment - cutting the deficit. But there's a real danger that in their rush they'll make superficially easy cuts that are very damaging. We've published today how we think they can be smarter about cuts. read more

Aviation Industry

• Bombardier teams with Fokker Services to support out-of-production Dash 8s

Other News Sources

• Debate in Westminster after concerns Wightlink ferries could be destroying Lymington salt marshes Lymington: Debate in Westminster over whether vessels are damaging salt marshes Government has power to halt Island ferry provider THE Government has today warned ferry operator Wightlink that it has the power to stop the service if it is proved that they cause damage to Lymington salt marshes.
• Transport Secretary says government is committed to £16bn Crossrail during Canary Wharf visit TRANSPORT Secretary Philip Hammond reassured businesses that the government is committed to Crossrail when he visited the new station serving the high speed £16 billion scheme at Canary Wharf.
• RMT warns of Government plans to axe thousands of transport jobsTRANSPORT UNION RMT warned today that the new Government is planning to take an axe to transport budgets as the department is lined up as a soft touch for cuts, putting thousands of jobs on rail and the buses at risk.
• Huge changes to town centre road networkAN EIGHT-MONTH project making major changes to the town centre road network begins next week.
• MP hails faster Norwich trainsA Norwich MP has hailed moves by train operators to speed up trains between the city and London and to add extra carriages on services to and from Cambridge.
• Qantas announces appointment of Chief Financial OfficerThe Chief Executive Officer of Qantas Airways Limited, Mr Alan Joyce, today announced the appointment of Mr Gareth Evans as Chief Financial Officer of the company. Mr Evans has been acting...