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

Wednesday, 18 August 2010

BBC News

• Whisky 'petrol' for cars developed by university Edinburgh Napier University has developed a new biofuel made from whisky by-products.
• Suffolk train and lorry level crossing smash injures 21 Twenty-one people have been injured, two seriously, as a train derailed in a crash with a lorry on a level crossing in Suffolk.
• High-speed rail pay-outs outlinedA £50m compensation fund is started by the government for people affected by the planned high speed rail link.
• Isle's new ferry terminal openedA new £12m ferry terminal for the isle of Raasay off Skye is officially opened by Scotland's transport minister.
• Full steam aheadShipping giant Maersk's revival as global trade picks
• Airport sees 1m fewer passengersPassenger numbers for East Midlands Airport have dropped by almost one million in a year, managers confirm.
• New BAA pay offer backed by unionThe Unite union says it is recommending that its members accept a new 2% pay offer from BAA in an upcoming ballot.
• Air delay compensation suspendedThe right of UK air passengers to force airlines to pay for long flight delays is suspended by the High Court.
• Kiss Flights travel company foldsBudget travel firm Kiss Flights has ceased trading, the Civil Aviation Authority says.

Financial Times

• Airlines start lining up for Africa take-offAirlines increased the amount of flying capacity to and from Africa by 8.6 per cent over the year to the end of June compared to 2009, more than any other region except for the Middle East

The Guardian

• Rail fares could rise by 10% following latest inflation figures • Fares likely to increase 5.8% next year under RPI plus 1% rule • Passenger watchdog fears higher price hikes will be allowed
• Travel nightmare as group collapsesFailure of UK travel group, and trading arm Kiss Travel, comes amid warnings other firms could go bust before summer is outThousands of holidaymakers face the prospect of losing or having to rearrange their summer vacations after a third UK travel group in just over a month ceased trading.Aviation regulators were last night scrambling to ensure that all 13,000 holidaymakers already abroad when London-based Flight Options and its main trading arm Kiss Travel collapsed at 5pm yesterday got home as planned. But there were bleak warnings that other companies could go bust before the summer was out...
• Train and lorry collision injures 21Two suffer life-threatening injuries and 19 others hurt in incident at Suffolk rail crossing Two people suffered life-threatening injuries and 19 others were hurt when a train and a lorry collided at an unmanned rail crossing yesterday.An air ambulance was involved in the rescue as all were taken to one of three hospitals after the accident near the village of Little Cornard, near Sudbury, Suffolk.The driver of the lorry, a sewage tanker used for farm slurry, was arrested by police on suspicion of dangerous driving.Network Rail said the user-worked crossing had gates and a telephone but its si...

The Herald

• Fears as Scots rail passengers face fare increases up to 10% Scottish rail passengers could face steep increases to rail fares from next January after UK Transport Secretary Philip Hammond hinted that prices could soar above inflation.

The Independent

• Three people seriously hurt as train and lorry collideAt least 10 people were injured, three critically, today when a lorry and a train were in collision on an unmanned rail crossing.

The Scotsman

• 21 hurt in rail crossing collisionTwenty-one people were injured, one of them seriously, when a train collided with a sewage tanker on an unmanned rail crossing.

The Telegraph

• Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing considers bid for High Speed 1 rail link Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing is considering a bid for High Speed 1, the fast rail link being sold by the Government for £1.5bn to £2bn.
• Cost of commuting set to soar Philip Hammond, the Transport Secretary, is considering restoring train operators' flexibility to push up the cost of some season tickets even higher than others.
• BAA settles airport pay dispute on worse terms than BA Trade union Unite has hailed a strike-averting pay deal from airports operator BAA as a benchmark for the aviation industry - despite it being lower than the offer from British Airways to its disgruntled cabin crew.

Press Association

• Tube strike threat set to increase The threat of a strike by London Underground workers over jobs is expected to increase when the result of a union ballot is announced.

Reuters News

• BAA averts strike with 2 percent pay rise offerLONDON (Reuters) - Airport operator BAA offered ground staff a 2 percent pay rise plus a one-off payment of at least 500 pounds, averting strikes which had threatened to close major UK airports, the Unite union said.

Mail Online

• 400,000 cyclists face new bill for hundreds of pounds Up to 400,000 cyclists using a popular ’Cycle to work’ scheme could be forced to pay hundreds of pounds more than expected for their bargain bicycles.
• Ten people injured after train derails in lorry collision on level crossingNetwork Rail said the driver of the 5.31pm service from Sudbury to Marks Tey was among the critically injured. The two-carriage diesel train collided with the lorry in Little Cornard, Suffolk.

The Sun

• Cost of train travel set to rise RAIL fares could rocket by up to thirteen per cent next year after further jump in inflation

Network Rail

• SEWAGE TANKER LEVEL CROSSING INCIDENT IN SUFFOLK

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Rail price rises 'could increase traffic jams' in North Wales INFLATION-busting rises in rail fares could hit tourism trips to North Wales while increasing road congestion, it was claimed yesterday.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Rising fares 'turn people off railways' Massive rail fare increases are at odds with the Government's pledges to cut carbon emissions and will mean long-term financial losses, according to transport experts.
• Tram staff face wages freeze as project stallsSTAFF who work for tram firm TIE have been hit with a pay freeze and a ban on bonuses because of the lack of progress on the controversial project.

London Evening Standard

• Revealed: the bizarre objections to Boris bike docking stations As Borisbikers know only too well, 76 missing docking stations and 1,000 bikes languishing in a shed in Islington does not a happy cyclist make.
• Charging for every minute of roadworks delays ’can’t come too soon’London firms are losing more than £750 million a year because of chaos caused by roadworks, a report says today.
• Tube strike threat set to increase The threat of a strike by London Underground workers over jobs is expected to increase when the result of a union ballot is announced.
• 1,000 Boris bikes kept off roads as residents objectBizarre protests from residents leaves 1,000 “Boris bikes” stranded in an underground garage and unable to be used by cyclists

Yorkshire Post

• Rail passengers warned of more 'sardine' trainsRail passengers fed up with travelling on Yorkshire's so-called 'sardine specials' have been warned: "The big squeeze is going to get worse."

Campaign for Better Transport

• 8% rail fare hike? Not fair!16 August: Cries of outrage at the Government™s refusal to rule out 8% train fare rises went out across the airwaves today, and I joined passengers in expressing my disappointment. read more

Railnews

• News: Opposition to major fare increases as inflation climbs The latest inflation rate of 4.8 per cent could be set to trigger big rises in rail fares next January, but the watchdog Passenger Focus is urging train operators to be moderate.

Other News Sources

• Merseyrail tops national train operators’ reliability chart MERSEYRAIL has topped national performance figures, beating all the UK train companies for punctuality and reliability.
• Charities might lose out in Virgin Trains fares change Scheme launched with zero consultation, says the Directory of Social Change Virgin Trains has acknowledged that charities might lose out under its new charity rail fares system.
• Merger creates logistics firm giant THE country's largest logistics training firm, with a £16m turnover and 300 staff, has been created by the merger of a North West company with a Yorkshire firm.
• Drivers provided for Gatwick shuttle buses by Best Connection Group The Best Connection Group, has partnered with Airlinks, the airport division of National Express, to provide drivers and support staff for BAA’s temporary transport service operating between the North and South Terminals at Gatwick Airport.
• New rules for tax saving cycle schemeEmployees who buy a bike under the Cycle to work scheme may have to pay more following new guidelines from HMRC. Until recently, they could purchase the bike for a nominal 5% of its list price. This could now rise to 25%, considerably reducing potential savings.
• Battle over 2011 rail fares commencesToday’s announcement of an inflation figure of 4.8% for the UK for the month of July has started a war of words over rail fares next year.
• Transport official put on the spot over disabled bus access in Richmond after RTT highlights 21-year-old Clare Watson's story A senior transport official has been put on the spot over failings in bus access for wheelchair-users in Richmond.
• Cubic takes on Transport for London's Oyster card IT contract Transport for London's (TfL) new contract for the Oyster card came into effect today, with Cubic Transportation Systems taking over from the TranSys Consortium.
• Kent commuters will be spared worst fare hikes Kent's long-suffering rail passengers will escape the worst of predicted train fare hikes, it was revealed today.
• Crossrail to leave a ’skills legacy’ for building industry Crossrail has pledged that it will leave a “skills legacy” and defended its apprenticeship scheme against critics, who said the number of trainee places offered was too low.
• Services resume on Hammersmith & City and Circle lines after successful three-week upgrade closure Key Crossrail and London Underground (LU) station upgrade works at Paddington carried out during closure. Additional upgrade work carried out during closure to minimise future weekend closures.
• Rallying cry for A11 duallingA rallying cry urging people to come together in support of the dualling of Norfolk's A11 has been launched by a prominent campaign group.
• Ten hurt in Suffolk train crashTen people were injured today when a train hit a heavy goods vehicle on a rail crossing in Suffolk.
• Ryanair Announces Four New London Gatwick Routes Ryanair today (17 August) announced that it will open four new routes from London Gatwick - to Bologna, Faro, Milan Bergamo and Porto - and will increase the frequency of its London Gatwick to...
• EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS DRIVES GREENER TRAINS THROUGH NEW ENERGY SAVING MODELaunch of innovative new engine stand-by mode. New environmental initiative set to save 800,000 litres of fuel per year. Carbon reduction equivalent of taking more than 700 cars* off the road read more

News from Europe

• DB Systel and Huawei Test GSM-R SystemsThree months after DB Systel, a system partner of the German railway, Deutsche Bahn and Huawei won a contract to deliver an IP-based GSM-R system for testing purposes, have the companies have completed their first GSM-R-call in the test laboratory of DB Systel.

Other Subscription Services

• Stagecoach Interim Management StatementStagecoach Group plc ("the Group") is today publishing an interim management statement, covering available information for the period since 30 April 2010 to the date of this announcement.
• East Midlands Trains drives greener trains through new Energy Saving Mode East Midlands Trains has launched a brand new initiative designed to cut fuel consumption and reduce enough carbon to take the equivalent of 705 cars a year off the road. The new Energy Saving Mode initiative, which is being introduced on the company's 27 Meridian trains, allows selected engines to be turned off whilst the trains are sitting in stations, resulting in reduced noise and reduced emissions.