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

Thursday, 27 January 2011

BBC News

• Rail survey: Passenger Focus says satisfaction 'high' More than four out of five railway passengers are satisfied with their journey, a survey by Passenger Focus suggests.
• Cable vandals cause railway chaosEast Coast line trains are disrupted after vandals sever a live cable on the Forth Bridge in an apparent bid to steal copper.
• Ryanair's Manchester routesHundreds of jobs will be protected at Manchester Airport by four new Ryanair routes, the airline claims.
• Toyota recalls 1.7m cars globallyJapanese car manufacturer Toyota is to recall nearly 1.7 million vehicles worldwide over fuel leakage concerns, including 19,000 in the UK.
• Fewer plane deliveries hit BoeingBoeing reports a fall in profits for the final three months of 2010 as it delivered fewer planes than expected.
• Training for trains gets Pete in a steamMusic man Peter Waterman explains how he struggles to get apprentices who can properly work at his heritage railways business.
• Mind the Gap's mind your wallet travel tips! [blog]Getting around the capital on public transport is becoming more and more expensive and there's little end in sight to the rises.

Financial Times

• EU blocks on tie-ups to stay 'very rare'Joaquín Almunia, Brussels competition chief, says remedies have been suggested but no agreement could be reached to seal the merger between Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air
• Garuda listing priced at low end of rangeThe flotation of Indonesia's national airline will raise less than hoped and casts doubt on the number of companies that could be taken public in Jakarta this year
• Gatwick chief hits at UK aviation policySir David Rowlands, former permanent secretary at the transport department, says the government lacks 'evidence or analysis' in its opposition to new runways in the south-east

The Guardian

• FirstGroup's bus and rail boss Mary Grant steps down Chairman of Confederation of Passenger Transport, Giles Fearnley, takes on bus brief in shake-up by new chief executive The head of FirstGroup's bus and rail divisions is stepping down in the first big managerial shake-up by the public transport operator since the arrival of new chief executive Tim O'Toole.
• Wrexham & Shropshire rail franchise shuts after severe losses in profit Last Wrexham & Shropshire train to run on Friday after Deutsche Bahn pulls the plug

The Herald

• Rail safety risk due to ˜culture of fear™Safety standards at Network Rail were compromised by a œculture of fear as the company sought to drive down costs, resulting in hundreds of accidents not being reported, according to a new study.

The Scotsman

• FirstGroup's bus and rail group chief Grant set to leave Mary Grant, one of Scotland's best-known transport bosses, has decided to leave rail and bus company FirstGroup.
• East Coast is criticised over journey times MINISTERS have criticised Scotland-London train operator East Coast for failing to properly inform passengers it added up to 20 minutes to journeys to stay punctual during the big freeze.

Press Association

• Rail company to cease operations A rail company is to cease operations on Friday, ending its services between North Wales and London. Wrexham & Shropshire Railways said the move followed an investigation into all possible alternatives, citing the "unprecedented economic environment" as a contributing factor.
• 84% 'satisfied with rail journeys' More than four out of five railway passengers are satisfied with their journeys, but there are wide variations between routes, according to a new study.

Mail Online

• Toyota recalls 1.7m cars worldwide: 19k ordered off UK roads due to fuel leak faultThe company said hundreds of Toyota Avensis and Lexus IS 250 models could be at risk of fuel leaks and will need to be modified by mechanics.
• Speed cameras: Half don't work and 1 in 10 catch offendersThe chance of being caught speeding has more to do with your address than your driving habits, with 100 per cent of the roadside cameras working in certain areas.

ATOC

• Customer satisfaction with rail travel remains at record high level, new survey showsIn response to the publication of the latest National Passenger Survey showing record levels of customer satisfaction, Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies...

Birmingham Mail

• New Midland rail boss appointed A RAIL firm behind the £250 million upgrade of a key Birmingham passenger route has a new man at the helm – with a brief to cut journey times to London.

Birmingham Post

• Wrexham & Shropshire Railways to cease operations Wrexham & Shropshire Railways is to cease operations on Friday, ending its services between North Wales and London, it has been announced.

Bristol Live

• Ex-minister is bike charity's new patronLORD Chris Smith, former Culture Secretary and current chairman of the Environment Agency has become a patron of Bristol-based charity Sustrans. Lord Smith, a keen walker, will support the charity's Arts and Travelling Landscape programme. Sustrans is one of the largest commissioners of public art, with more than 2,000 original artworks along 12,600 miles of the National Cycle Network. Lord Smith who was welcomed as a patron by Sustrans' Chief Executive Malcolm Shepherd and Arts Director Katy Hallett, said:

Journal Live

• Bosses warn cuts could mean end of buses TRANSPORT bosses have issued dire warnings about the future of bus services in the wake of cuts imposed by the Government.

London Evening Standard

• Red tape delays Crossrail station at WoolwichPlans to build a £100 million Crossrail station at Woolwich have been hit by delays caused by red tape, it was claimed today

Manchester Evening News

• Transport chiefs: 'We don't want more trains to London, just longer ones' Transport chiefs may say ˜no thanks™ to four trains an hour from Manchester to London. Instead, they may press for longer trains to carry more passengers “ and lengthening at least one platform at Piccadilly Station to take them. The Department for Transport is asking Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) what it would like to see after Virgin™s franchise ends next April.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Metro passes for OAPs 'to double in price' METRO passes for pensioners look set to more than double in price as transport chiefs attempt to balance their books.

The York Press

• Watchdog™s rail anger at added minutes to journey times A RAIL watchdog has accused East Coast of œbad practice after it emerged the York-based train company had added minutes to its journey times as bad weather loomed.

Bucks Free Press

• £10k improvements for Marlow railway lineABOUT £10,000 worth of improvements to Marlow to Maidenhead railway line should be finished by March “ with CCTV also on the cards.

Carlisle News & Star

• Cumbria council declines option to extend Amey highways contract About 400 workers who look after Cumbria™s roads could be transferred to a new employer next year.

Doncaster Free Press

• Child bus fare increase planA VOTE will be cast on whether to increase child concessionary bus fares in Doncaster - which could mean the first increase in eight years.

East Anglian Daily Times

• National Express fails to satisfy passengersPASSENGERS using National Express trains in East Anglia feel they get the worse deal in Britain in terms of value for money.

Other Regional Press

• Regional airports the answer to overcrowding says government Transport minister Theresa Villiers has suggested regional airports are the solution to the overcrowding of UK’s aviation infrastructure not a new hub in the South East.
• Rail firm apologises over 'dude' insult CAMPAIGNER Sean Feeney was shocked to see himself referred to as “some dude” in evidence he gave to a major railway inquiry. Chiltern Railways gave him the moniker when listing online who had submitted evidence to the inquiry into the planned Oxford to Bicester Rail link upgrade.
• East Anglia: Train services under fire in new report OVERALL customer satisfaction with National Express East Anglia’s train services is at one of the lowest levels in the country, according to a new report out today.
• Merseyrail praised by passengers in new national survey More than 90% of Merseyrail passengers are happy with the service they receive, according to a new survey.
• Survey finds most passengers are satisfied with service provided by SoutheasternIt may come as a surprise to many commuters, but the majority of passengers say they are satisfied with the service provided by rail operator Southeasten.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Norfolk dumps walking, cycling and bus schemes to keep road alive25 January: Norfolk County Council is about to make 750 people redundant, and has decimated its budget for walking, cycling and bus improvements. But don't worry: it's found £1.7 million for modelling a link road. read more

Transport Focus

• Official Statistics National Passenger Survey ReleasePassenger Focus has published Official Statistics on passenger satisfaction with rail travel from the National Passenger Survey for Autumn 2010.
• COMMUTERS SPEAK OUT ABOUT OVERCROWDING IN THE NORTH OF ENGLANDPassengers commuting to cities in the north of England have spoken out about their overcrowded peak-hour trains in the National Passenger Survey (NPS) published today.
• PASSENGERS RATE RAIL SERVICES IN SCOTLAND Passengers continue to hold ScotRail’s trains and stations in high esteem with 86% satisfied with their overall journey.
• PASSENGERS RATE RAIL SERVICES IN WALESPassengers continue to score Arriva Trains Wales’ rail services highly with 87% satisfied with their overall journey.
• FIVE OUT OF SIX PASSENGERS HAPPY - BUT SURVEY REVEALS WIDE VARIATIONSPassenger Focus’s latest research shows 84% of passengers are satisfied with their journey but a breakdown of satisfaction scores reveals wide variations. On the best routes almost every passenger is satisfied compared with only 72% on the lowest scoring.

Aviation Industry

• US Airways' 2010 net income soars to $502 million US Airways posted net income of $502 million in 2010, reversed from a net loss of $205 million in 2009 and the second highest annual profit in its history. For the first time since 2006, it achieved a profitable fourth quarter, earning $28 million, turned around from a $79 million deficit in the prior-year period.
• Korean Air swings to $419 million 2010 profitKorean Air reported a 2010 net profit of KRW468.4 billion ($418.6 million), reversed from a net loss of KRW98.9 billion in 2009, marking its first profitable year since 2007.
• Cargolux, Cathay Pacific to appeal EC cargo price-fixing fines Cargolux confirmed on Tuesday it will appeal the European Commission’s penalty of €79.9 million ($109.4 million) for allegedly taking part in an international airfreight cartel. In 2010, the EC imposed fines totaling €799 million on 11 companies for their involvement in fixing fuel surcharges and security costs from 1996 to 2003 (ATW Daily News, Nov. 10, 2010).
• Virgin Blue expects fiscal first-half profit to fall more than 50% Virgin Blue Holdings said it expects its first-half net profit to be down more than 50% owing to the Queensland floods, a slowdown in consumer spending and disruptions to the airline's check-in system last September.
• Ryanair announces Manchester expansionManchester airport will see four new routes with Ryanair this summer, plus increased frequencies to Dublin
• Cathay to appeal EC fineCathay Pacific has filed an appeal against a European Commission (EC) fine of £57.1 million for being involved in an illegal cartel

Other News Sources

• Scrapping capital rail freight grants is counter-productive Responding to the coalition’s decision to scrap capital rail freight grants Philippa Edmunds, Freight on Rail Manager said, “Transport is the only sector with increasing emissions, so we urge the Coalition to reconsider this short-sighted decision which goes against its own policy to reduce carbon dioxide, road congestion, improve road safety and promote green transport."
• Transport minister and new BA chief to speak at Abta's Travel Matters Abta has announced new BA chief executive Keith Williams and transport secretary Philip Hammond will be the headline speakers at this year's one day Travel Matters conference in London.
• Deputy First Minister opens new Newport stationThe Welsh Assembly Government invested £8.5m in a £22m scheme with Network Rail to modernise the station.
• Virgin Trains Celebrates 250 Million Passengers as Satisfaction Figures Hit Record LevelsVirgin Trains has celebrated carrying 250 million passengers on its West Coast services - equivalent to the combined populations of the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany - by handing out free rail travel to 26 lucky passengers. The celebrations took place just days before Virgin Trains hit a new record level for Overall Satisfaction for long-distance train operators in the latest independent National Passenger Survey carried out by rail watchdog Passenger Focus.
• Passengers 'praise London Overground under TfL' Passengers in the capital have praised the London Overground.
• Work to improve M65 near Blackburn A £500,000 scheme to expand one of East Lancashire™s most congested motorway junctions has got underway.
• Fare dodgers caught out at Blackburn Railway Station FARE dodgers were caught out today in a crackdown at East Lancashire™s biggest railway station.
• Malév Ground Handling serves American AirlinesMalév Ground Handling, which possesses more than 60% market share of the ground handling business at Ferihegy Airport, has won the ground handling rights to serve aircraft of the American...