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

Friday, 24 December 2010

Cogitamus

• The Transportinfo team would like to wish you all the very best of the seasonWe will be taking a little break over the holidays. TransportInfo will not be updated on 25, 26, 27 and 28 December, and also on 1 January 2011. Well, that's unless something epoch making happens and we can't stop ourselves... Thank you for your continued interest and support.

BBC News

• Extra grit on the way for roadsDrivers are told that more rock salt supplies should reach Wales soon in the fight to keep main routes clear.
• 40,000 face Dublin airport delaysThousands of travellers are stranded as Dublin airport closes due to heavy snowfall.
• Christmas rail services reducedTrain passengers taking trips for Christmas are warned about services being reduced.
• Boxing Day Tube strike goes aheadA strike by Tube drivers on Boxing Day is to go ahead after legal action by London Underground fails.
• Airlines 'ignoring travel rights'Some airlines' behaviour towards passengers during the snow-disrupted Christmas getaway was 'unacceptable', a watchdog says.
• Toyota pays $10m for fatal crashToyota has paid $10m to a family of four killed in runaway Lexus car, a case that lead to the recall of millions of Toyota vehicles.

Financial Times

• Heathrow rebuked for snow reactionThe airport's owners face hefty fines if there is a repeat of the debacle that caused travel chaos in the week before Christmas, the government has warned
• Expedia ups the ante with American AirlinesExpedia made American Airline's flights more difficult to find on its fare comparison website in an effort to dissuade the company from taking further steps to undermine online travel agencies

The Herald

• National Express route boostNational Express has had its franchise for a London commuter route extended by the Coalition Government despite giving up the East Coast Main Line.
• Grit levels four times above last year™s lowScotland still has four times the level of salt and grit stocks compared with the lowest ebb during the crisis last winter.
• Former airline staff claim £4m for redundancies without noticeFailed budget airline flyglobespan is facing a claim of almost £4 million as 500 former staff take employment tribunal action over a failure to consult on redundancies.
• National Express route boostNational Express has had its franchise for a London commuter route extended by the Coalition Government despite giving up the East Coast Main Line.

The Independent

• Cancelled trains and icy roads stall the mass getaway Freezing temperatures are forecast to continue for days, with Boxing Day blizzards likely in the West Country, Wales and Scotland.

The Scotsman

• Rap for railways over communicationPASSENGER watchdogs have accused train operators of providing poor information to travellers about weather disruption, after figures which showed ScotRail's train punctuality plummeted by nearly 20 per cent this month

The Telegraph

• National Express is running sweetly this Christmas – just ask the shareholdersSnow and ice may by be causing travel chaos for Britons battling to get home for Christmas, but the sun is shining on National Express's fortunes.
• National Express comes in from the political cold as top-rated rail operator wins C2C extension National Express, the company former transport secretary Lord Adonis tried to run off the railways, has won a two-year extension to its c2c franchise after achieving record-breaking punctuality.
• Christmas getaway derailed by lack of trains Passenger groups accused them of cancelling services to "massage" punctuality figures and avoid paying fines to the Government and compensation to travellers.

The Mirror

• BBC sorry for claiming transport minister gave passer-by 'the finger' BBC bosses apologised yesterday after claiming a transport minister gave “the finger” to a passer-by who questioned him about the big freeze chaos.
• Rail operators reduce services Train passengers trying to get home for Christmas will be hit by a reduced service after three rail operators were expected to cut their Friday timetables by a quarter.

Network Rail

• TRAIN PERFORMANCE HIT BY SEVERE WINTER WEATHER

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Rail strike called but Arriva Trains Wales bosses hope to run services ARRIVA Trains Wales (ATW) hope to run most services despite a strike being called.

London Evening Standard

• Rail operators reduce servicesTrain passengers trying to get home for Christmas will be hit by a reduced service after three rail operators were expected to cut their Friday timetables by a quarter.

Metro

• No Christmas train travel without seat reservations, warn rail firmsChristmas rail travellers have been warned they may be turned away if they have not reserved a seat.

Bucks Free Press

• Transport boss praises gritter drivers A COUNCIL transport boss headed to the gritting depot in High Wycombe on Wednesday morning to thank the drivers for their hard work during the snowy weather.

Other Regional Press

• UK & World News: Rail operators reduce services Train passengers trying to get home for Christmas will be hit by a reduced service after three rail operators were expected to cut their Friday timetables by a quarter.
• Calls to scrap coastal pathway scheme THE Country Land and Business Association is calling for a scheme to create five 20-mile pathways around the coast, including one between Minehead and Stert Point, to be scrapped.
• Gritters target bus routesCounty Council target bus routes after another night of gritting main roads.
• Salt levels low as top-up is refused by Department for TransportGritting may be limited to just major routes as salt levels decrease and Hertfordshire County Council's application for a top-up is refused by the Department for Transport, today.
• Bus talks to continue in January 2011 in West Yorkshire TALKS on plans for future bus services across West Yorkshire will continue in the New Year.
• Bus travellers forced to walk WITH more freezing temperatures on the way over the weekend travellers are being warned to plan ahead.

Aviation Industry

• London Heathrow returning to normal; BA scrambles to fly stranded passengersLondon Heathrow, hard hit by the severe winter weather that significantly disrupted air traffic in Europe this week, was open Thursday with
• BA charters planes to cope with backlogBritish Airways has been forced to hire four planes to cope with the backlog of passengers, after it was forced to cancel thousands of flights
• CAA to gain more powersHeathrow runs the risk of a hefty fine if a repeat performance of the snow chaos is seen next year, under new powers to be given to the Civil Aviation Authority

Green Miscellany

• The most popular cycling stories in 2010 Sit back, relax and enjoy the folowing hand picked selection of the most popular cycling-related stories from our website in 2010.read more

Other News Sources

• RMT rejects Network Rail pay offerThe RMT trade union this week rejected an offer from Network Rail of a 5.2% pay rise for the company™s operations and customer services staff next year.
• More rail services running through Christmas upgrade worksNetwork Rail has said it is planning to run more trains during the Christmas period than last year, with 10,000 more services operating.
• London Underground plans major improvements to Bank stationLondon Underground has begun consultation with the City of London over plans for major improvements to Bank station.