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

Wednesday, 22 December 2010

BBC News

• County Durham trains contract 'would save £100m'Building Intercity trains in County Durham would save the UK economy more than £100m a year, a report by the Northern TUC has found.
• Grit limit as more snow forecastOnly main roads in Pembrokeshire are being gritted in an attempt to save stocks as a fresh severe weather warning is issued.
• Cameron frustrated by snow delaysPrime Minister David Cameron says he is
• Bus passengers facing fare riseFares on National Express buses in Dundee will be rising by up to 38% in the new year, the company says.
• Keys to city's new transport museum handed overThe keys to Glasgow's new Riverside Museum are handed over to the city council now that construction work on the £74m venue is completed.
• Rail upset adds to travel miseryHundreds of rail travellers looking to board trains from Edinburgh to London are urged to delay their journeys.
• Transport affected by snowSnow and ice is continuing to cause delays for travellers on public transport in Greater Manchester.
• Airport helps passenger backlogSome passengers who have been stranded at Heathrow and Gatwick airports are due to fly out of Manchester.
• Loan firm's Tube deal 'shameful'A decision to accept sponsorship from a high interest loan firm for free travel on the Tube on New Year's Eve is branded
• Heathrow reopens southern runwayThe southern runway at Heathrow Airport reopens after four days, airport operator BAA says.
• Rail upset adds to travel miseryAir passengers in Scotland are hit by the knock-on effect of airport closures at major hubs in England.
• Air conditionHas Heathrow's reputation been damaged by snow disruption?
• Why BAA turned down help of the ArmyBAA has turned down the offer of help from the government for the Army to come in to clear snow from Heathrow.
• EU brands airports 'weak link'The EU has heavily criticised European airports for failing to deal with recent freezing weather, which has left thousands of travellers stranded.
• Toyota agrees record $32.4m fineToyota agrees to pay a record fine in the US of $32.4m over its handling of millions of car recalls.

Financial Times

• Aircraft financing deal reachedA new agreement has been reached on a groundbreaking deal that will significantly raise the cost of financing new passenger jets for many of the world's best-known airlines
• Eurotunnel threatens to sue over rulesThe company that operates the Channel tunnel says it would sue the French and UK governments for lost revenue if a safety rule dispute holds up the launch of new cross-Channel services
• Delays persist as Heathrow clears runwayProblems with the quantity of de-icer that can be stored at Heathrow airport have emerged as a critical factor in the travel chaos that has hit thousands of passengers days before Christmas
• Brussels to probe government aid for MalevEuropean Commission competition officials are to investigate the financing assistance given to Hungary's national carrier, listing specific concerns about measures taken

The Guardian

• Thousands still stranded after snowBoth runways at Heathrow open but many flights off, with big freeze set to continue beyond Boxing dayHeathrow airport opened both runways last night after four days of disruption, bringing some respite to frustrated travellers after another day of travel misery which left 130,000 airline passengers stranded while severe problems blighted the road and rail networks.David Cameron expressed frustration at the Heathrow chaos as it emerged that airport owner BAA had turned down the offer of army assistance to help clear snow.The chaos was widespread:¢ At Heathrow, many passengers were denied entry ...

The Independent

• Heathrow nightmare just gets worse and worse Another 100,000 passengers contemplated Christmases ruined and holidays wrecked by the partial closure of Heathrow, as snow and ice kept its second, southerly runway closed until 5.30pm yesterday. It brings the number of travellers to and from the airport with journeys disrupted by the airport's inability to deal with extreme weather to 600,000. Many of those camped out at the hub of world aviation will be obliged to spend Christmas in the unholy transience of an airport terminal.
• PM 'frustrated' by Heathrow disruption Prime Minister David Cameron said today he was
• Hundreds stranded as railways seize up too Hundreds of passengers had to be led to safety from stricken trains yesterday as again travellers faced the prospect of delays and cancellations.

The Scotsman

• Freeze keeps pressure on transportTransport operators are under severe pressure to get the Christmas getaway back on track after days of disruption caused by the snow.

The Telegraph

• Transport preview for the year 2011Rail commuters will begin the year digging ever deeper into their pockets as the latest tranche of rail fare increases kicks in.
• Britain 'may not have enough grit to cope with winter'Britain may run out of road salt this winter as the Government and local authorities struggle to cope with the early onset of bad weather.

Birmingham Post

• High Court blocks planned strike by London Midland train drivers A planned 24-hour strike by train drivers on London Midland on Thursday has been called off after the company obtained an injunction.

Journal Live

• 'Build trains in the North East to save £100m' BUILDING a fleet of new Intercity trains in the North East will save the country more than £100m rather than buying them from abroad, a new report argued yesterday.

London Evening Standard

• PM 'frustrated' by Heathrow chaosPrime Minister David Cameron has said he is
• Heathrow reopens second runwayStranded passengers at Heathrow airport have been warned not to expect normal service to resume immediately after the airport's second runway reopened on Tuesday afternoon.
• Freeze keeps pressure on transportTransport operators are under severe pressure to get the Christmas getaway back on track after days of disruption caused by the snow.

Manchester Evening News

• Revealed: How Manchester Airport beat the big freeze while Heathrow and Gatwick closed Dedicated teams of snow clearers are being praised for keeping Manchester Airport moving while Heathrow and Gatwick have closed. The airport spent £2m million on snow clearing vehicles since last January's snow caused delays and cancellations and used 606,500 litres of de-icing fluid since the cold snap began.

Northern Echo

• Taxpayers will benefit from Hitachi contractA DEAL to build the next generation of high-speed trains in the North-East would generate more than £100m a year towards the country’s economy, campaigners said last night.

The York Press

• Stranded passengers tell of East Coast miseryStranded passengers at York Station have been telling of their misery after all trains to London on the East Coast mainline were cancelled today.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• 'Boycott a bus' call from fares campaignersCAMPAIGNERS are calling for a Christmas bus boycott in West Yorkshire as a protest against rising ticket prices.

Bucks Free Press

• Campaigners: HS2 is 'next Great Train Robbery' ANGRY campaigners have slammed the news a controversial high speed rail link will be built through the Chiltern countryside, branding it 'the next Great Train Robbery'.
• Cash fund to fight 'once in a lifetime' HS2 battleA CASH fund is being set up for a 'once in a lifetime battle' to fight plans for the High Speed 2 rail line.
• Council road salt figures revealed COUNCIL transport chiefs spent more than £130,000 on emergency road salt to cope with last winter's big freeze, according to The Taxpayers' Alliance.
• Over 200 HS2 protesters in Wendover filmed by BBCA CAMPAIGNER spearheading the fight against High Speed 2 declared she would not be 'gagged', following a protest in Wendover this morning.

Doncaster Free Press

• East Coast Mainline disruption updateTRAIN operator East Coast is still advising passengers not to travel today due to severe disruption between Peterborough and London King's Cross.

Sunderland Echo

• East Coast rail line disrupted by weatherRAIL travellers are being urged to stay at home today, with weather damage bringing chaos to the main route between London and the North East.

Other Regional Press

• Mayor pledges multi-million pound transport upgrade for RichmondLondon Mayor Boris Johnson has pledged £2.7m for transport improvements in Richmond. The borough is expected to see £50,000 spent on shared routes and making parts of the Thames towpath suitable for both pedestrians and cyclists, and £240,000 to improve traffic flow and road safety on Sixth Cross Road and Staines Road.
• Cross-channel ferry plan for Portland A NEW high-speed cross-channel ferry could be coming to Portland.
• HS2 plan moves closer as government unveils rail route THE HS2 high-speed rail line set to cut through Warwickshire moved closer to reality yesterday when the line was confirmed in Parliament.

Railnews

• News: HS2 goes ahead with route changes to lessen impact There has been an enthusiastic welcome for the transport secretary's announcement about the route of HS2 between London and Birmingham, which includes a major interchange at Old Oak Common. But opponents to the scheme are continuing to protest.

Aviation Industry

• Airport Fire Service gives backAs 2010 draws to a close, staff at Aberdeen Airport Fire Service have been reflecting on a record year for community engagement.
• Southampton Airport offers help to stranded passengers across the southSouthampton Airport is offering to help stranded passengers across the south so that they can be with their families and friends for Christmas.

Other News Sources

• Cutting emissions from shipping: European report sets out optionsThe European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has published a report on emissions from shipping, setting out ways to measure and reduce the sector's carbon footprint.
• Virgin Blue Group of Airlines Announces the Resignation of Chief Financial Officer Keith NeateJohn Borghetti, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Virgin Blue Group of Airlines today announced the resignation of Chief Financial Officer Keith Neate. Keith has been with...
• Snow, ice or slippery conditions are not a problem at the Finnish airports Finavia has invested plenty of resources in winter maintenance. In Finland, the airports stay open in spite of snowfalls and sub-zero temperatures. The maintenance units, on call 24 for hours a...