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

Saturday, 19 February 2011

BBC News

• East Coast call centre jobs to go in Newcastle A total of 196 jobs are to be axed at a call centre based in Newcastle for the government-owned train company East Coast.
• A silent, unnoticed end: RIP London Travelwatch [blog]It does seem the death knell is ringing loud and clear for London Travelwatch. For those of you that don't know according to its website:
• Railway pay warning over strikeArriva Trains Wales says it will not make an improved pay offer to its staff to avoid a strike later this month.
• More bus passengers lift Go-AheadMore people taking the bus helps lift half-year profits at train and bus operator Go-Ahead Group 7.7% to £45m.

Financial Times

• Go-Ahead warns on UK rail investment The transport group warns the UK government it may struggle to attract investors to the rail industry if train operator profitability is not improved

The Guardian

• Go-Ahead accelerates as it carries 1bn passengers a year and lifts profit outlook Record levels of bus passengers and a better than expected performance from its rail business has prompted Go-Ahead to raise its expectations for the full year.

The Herald

• Fury over potential monopoly on vital ferry path MINISTERS were told by civil servants last year that they would not be able to continue subsidising a Clyde vehicle ferry service but continued to state publicly that they were committed to doing so.
• Tram dispute could be settled by electionTHE former shipyard boss brought in to sort out Edinburgh™s tram debacle said he hoped work could be re-started ahead of May™s Holyrood election if a deal can be struck with warring contractors.

Press Association

• Punctuality problems hit rail firms The majority of train companies ran fewer services on time last month than in January 2010 despite milder conditions at the start of this year, according to the latest figures.
• High-speed rail plans 'laughable' The Government's proposed HS2 high-speed rail line relies on "laughable passenger forecasts" and is a "nonsense scheme driven by greed", the leader of a group opposing the project has said.

Daily Express

• BAA break-up is upheld by courtsHeathrow owner BAA will have to break up its airport empire after a court rejected its bid to overturn a sale order by the competition watchdog.

ATOC

• National Rail Enquiries takes top prize at prestigious awardsNational Rail Enquiries has won the top prize at this year’s Rail Business Awards, scooping the Rail Business of the Year Award, alongside the Supplier Excellence of the Year Award. The judges...

Network Rail

• TRAIN PERFORMANCE BOUNCES BACK

Birmingham Post

• First homes on High Speed Rail route sold to Government A Staffordshire couple are among the first to have sold their home to the Government under a scheme to compensate people living on the route of the proposed high speed rail line.

Journal Live

• North East train jobs sent to India ALMOST 200 jobs are set to leave the North East after a Government-supported train operator announced it is sending some work to India.
• Go-Ahead report better than expected results BUS and train giant Go-Ahead shrugged off the snow before Christmas to carry more passengers and report better than expected financial results.

London Evening Standard

• Boris Johnson drops plan to establish 2011 as 'the year of walking'Boris Johnson has angered green campaigners by dropping plans to make 2011 'the year of walking'
• 'Fagin' won't empty his pockets: Leader of Tube thieves jailed again for refusing to give back £90,000Gang leader jailed for four years for running a team of pickpockets on the Tube has received another 16 months for refusing to pay back more than £90,000 earned from his life of crime

Northern Echo

• Call centre staff facing uncertain future ALMOST 200 call centre staff are facing an uncertain future after National Express lost a contract with the Government backed organisation that took over the running of the East Coast Mainline.

The York Press

• Rail cable thefts putting lives at risk SOARING thefts of cables on the East Coast Main Line are putting lives at risk and worsening train delays for York passengers.
• Bus services pledge for rural services TRANSPORT bosses at North Yorkshire County Council have vowed to work with bus companies to try to save rural services.

Other Regional Press

• Hammond lends an ear to jet din protest A PUBLIC meeting to discuss the growing frustration at aircraft noise over Egham, Egham Hythe and Thorpe has been called by Transport Secretary and Runnymede and Weybridge MP Philip Hammond.
• London Overground the UK’s most reliable rail operator The service from Dalston Junction to New Cross opened last April as part of the revamped East London Line.
• South Northamptonshire Liberal Democrats Statement On HS2’The Liberal Democrat position on the proposed new HS2 rail link across the district has always been that we advocate the upgrading and investment in existing routes before implementing such a drastic step as a new line.’ said Chris Lofts, Towcester Town Councillor. ’Once the current network is at maximum efficiency we can then review the need for a new line.’ He added.
• OAP bus fare hikePENSIONERS in Wigan are to lose their early morning concessions after transport bosses voted to increase bus fares.
• Cleckheaton Bus Station U-turn A TOWN’S bus station has been saved from closure.

Global Rail News

• Train punctuality bounces backNetwork Rail has reported that train punctuality has bounced back to over 90% on time following the difficult winter conditions of December. The latest train performance results reported that 90.3% of trains arrived on time compared with 89.5% for the same period last year. A result achieved despite the lingering effects of the severe weather on both the infrastructure and some rolling stock. Period 11 (9 January to 5 February) saw train performance recover from ...
• Virgin submit application bid for West Coast Mainline franchiseVirgin Rail Group (VRG) has submitted its application to bid for the West Coast Mainline franchise, which is scheduled to start in April 2012. A bid team has been created under Paul Furze-Waddock, Business Development Director, as VRG aims to continue the massive success of recent years, which has seen the West Coast franchise operate the fastest-growing route in Britain. Under Virgin Rail Group, the West Coast franchise has doubled customer numbers to 28 million ...
• Network Rail awards Modular Signalling contract to Invensys RailInvensys Rail announced today that it has been awarded a multi-million pound contract by Network Rail to complete the Modular Signalling programme on the Shrewsbury to Crewe Pilot Line. The contract covers the GRIP 5 to 8 Stage Works and follows the successful completion of the development phase of the programme.  This included a number of demonstrations of the complete working Modular Signalling solution to Network Rail staff at the company™s Chippenham headquarters, as well ...
• Southern announce update on works at Victoria stationWork has begun to replace the escalators in the main booking hall at Victoria Underground station which will be completed by end of 2011. Further details of what this work entails and how your journey may be affected, can be found on the TfL website. Southern states that there has been a lot of inaccurate news coverage on how this work may affect your travel plans; Victoria rail and underground stations will remain open and ...
• DB Schenker Rail™s Dean Duthie is ˜Rail Freight Engineer of the Future™Dean Duthie, an engineer based at Toton in Nottinghamshire for DB Schenker Rail (UK) Ltd, has been named as Rail Freight Engineer of the Future at the Rail Business Awards, held in London on Thursday 17 February. Dean, who has a First Class Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering, has been working within DB Schenker Rail to develop business improvement techniques for locomotive maintenance. He has been instrumental in process development that has yielded a 40% ...
• Translink NI Railways announce Larne line delay “ repay schemeTranslink NI Railways are advising that monthly season ticket holders for the Larne rail line will receive a 10% discount off their next monthly ticket purchased from 20th February as part of the Customer Charter Compensation scheme. Mal McGreevy, General Manager, Rail Services explained, œUnfortunately, due to a number of mechanical engineering issues affecting mainly our older train fleet, a number of Larne line express services were cancelled during December and January. œWe want to ...

Aviation Industry

• Aviation Tax could cost Scotland over one million passengersA new report warns that the huge increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD) could cost the Scottish economy millions and result in a loss of 1.2 million passengers.
• One million passenger loss predictedA report into the effect of air passenger duty (APD) on Scottish airports has prompted calls for a route development fund
• Continental to adopt Economy Plus seatingContinental Airlines is following the ever more popular trend for œbetter than economy class seating
• Fledgling harmonyThe British Airways-Iberia merger appears to have gone through with minimal disruption. Sara Turner asks what the deal means for the aviation sector...

Other News Sources

• Passengers welcome new rail timetables RAIL campaigners in Northumberland have praised a train operator for responding to passenger demand in their new timetables.