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

Friday, 04 March 2011

BBC News

• No deal after Arriva rail talksTalks to end the Arriva Train Wales drivers' dispute end without agreement, with an overtime ban set to halt services on Sunday.
• GPS overlay 'ready for plane use'The European system that augments GPS signals to make them more accurate is judged ready for use in aviation.
• Car-free trips to hills promotedTrips to the mountains and remote areas of Scotland using public transport are being promoted.
• New boss for capital bus serviceA transport expert who was the former boss of easyJet is set to be the new chairman of Lothian Buses.
• Three new air routes for capitalEdinburgh Airport launches three new routes which will see about 8,000 new passengers use the already busy hub.

Financial Times

• Airlines lead Asian gains on oil™s retreatAsian shares extended gains, paced by airlines and shipping groups, as easing oil prices and positive US economic data refreshed optimism about the global economic recovery
• Air fares likely to face rise of up to €40The increase will depend on how airlines pass on extra costs under the emissions trading scheme, which are estimated to reach €1.1bn in the first year alone
• Air industry unites to fight tax risesAirlines, airports, tour and travel companies have united in a rare consensus to ask the chancellor not to raise air passenger taxes in this month's Budget

The Herald

• Anger over Borders rail link reroute The Scottish Government’s own transport agency has been accused of riding roughshod over Parliament by rerouting a railway line decided by MSPs.

The Scotsman

• Leader: New bus chairman is stretching it Few would doubt the credentials of Chris Walton to be the new chairman of Lothian Buses - one of the most contentious jobs in Scotland's capital. He is a former Australian commando and he heads the Kazakhstan state railways.

The Telegraph

• Cold weather airport fines plan delayedAirports, which faced being fined for failing to tackle delays caused by snow and ice, have been given a stay of execution.
• Flybe plane's wheel falls off sparking emergency landing dramaAn investigation was launched on Thursday night after a Flybe aircraft lost a wheel during take-off, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing.

Daily Express

• International Airlines Group see rising demandINTERNATIONAL Airlines Group, the aviation giant created from the merger of British Airways and Spain's Iberia, said rising demand for business and first-class travel drove higher passenger traffic numbers last month.

Belfast Telegraph

• Bombardier secures $2bn private jet orderSome of the world's wealthiest investors could soon be jetting around the globe in planes part-made in Belfast after Bombardier secured its biggest ever business craft order.Related StoriesRise in profits for banking firm offset by staff cost hikeWilliams F1 group shares stall on debut trading dayBank governor tells MPs economy is on reboundNow films can change to suit your emotionsSky News on table in Murdoch's BSkyB bid

Birmingham Mail

• YOUR bus questions answered by National Express West Midlands boss A BUS chief has issued a pledge to Birmingham Mail readers to invest £150 million in the network in the next year.

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham MPs oppose plans for high speed rail depot at Alstom site Plans to make a Birmingham neighbourhood the national train maintenance centre for a high speed rail line have been rejected by MPs.
• Region will be asked to pay costs for high speed rail Birmingham’s employers and council tax-payers face massive bills after the Government revealed they will have to help pay for the £44 billion high speed rail line.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bid for West Coast train link from Bradford rejected A train company™s bid to run direct services between London and Bradford along the West Coast Main Line has been refused by the rail regulator.

Derby Telegraph

• Rolls-Royce and Qantas working to solve new problem with enginesDERBY aero engine-maker Rolls-Royce is working with airline Qantas and air safety investigators to solve a new problem with its Trent 900 engines. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has launched an investigation after the pilot of an A380 superjumbo had to cut power to one of its four Rolls-Royce engines during a flight from Sydney to London last Thursday. The ATSB said the decision to cut thrust was amid crew concerns about

London Evening Standard

• Tube bosses apply to cut track safety inspections near depotsTube chiefs are set to reduce safety checks in a move that has sparked fears that disruption on the network will worsen
• London drivers who leave engines running face £120 fines under Boris Johnson planMotorists who leave their engines 'idling' will be hit by fines of up to £120 under plans drawn up by Boris Johnson

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Airports Group optimistic despite decline in profits Manchester Airports Group expects to return to profits growth next year as passenger numbers begin to climb again, chief executive Charlie Cornish said today. Mr Cornish, 51, who succeeded Geoff Muirhead as CEO in October, said operating profits for the 12 months to March 31 are likely to be flat because of factors including the Icelandic ash cloud, but predicted a modest increase next year.
• Fight for it or lose it: Transport secretary calls for Manchester to back £32bn high-speed rail linkThe government has called on Manchester to stick up for a planned £32bn high-speed rail link. Transport secretary Philip Hammond issued a stark 'fight for it or lose it' warning to the city - as opposition in southern counties mounts.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Sunday Robin Hood line services to be cut because of cash shortageSUNDAY Robin Hood Line rail services are to be cut because of a shortage of cash. The number of return trips from Nottingham to Mansfield Woodhouse will be reduced from ten to eight. Four of these services also run between Mansfield Woodhouse and Worksop, but this part of the journey will be axed completely. Sunday services were reintroduced on the route in December 2008 when Notts County Council agreed to pay 90 per cent of the £217,000-a- year costs until May 22 this year. It was hoped the Department for Transport (DfT) would take over the funding but it now has confirmed it won't given the ...

Wales Online

• Monorail planned for Cardiff An advanced railway could one day be whisking passengers from the centre of Cardiff to the Bay – over the heads of people walking below.
• Sunday train strike to go ahead as talks break down TALKS to resolve an industrial dispute between train drivers and Arriva Trains Wales have broken down.

Other Regional Press

• MP urges Network Rail to help First Capital Connect commuters In light of the findings St Albans MP Anne Main has today (Thursday) written to the chief executive, David Higgins, to urge him to do more to ensure much-needed improvements in train performance.
• Rail investment 'a slap in the face from Government' A £4.5 billion investment in new inter-city express trains on the Great Western line will only reach as far as Exeter, it has emerged.
• Busmen get new pay offer in Huddersfield to avoid strike BUS drivers are to vote on a new pay offer – after threatening to strike in Huddersfield on Monday.
• Scots parties unite to demand fuel price cutDemands for a planned hike in petrol prices to be dropped have been made at Holyrood.
• ˜We have waited too long for repair works™HOLES that could threaten the safety of cyclists on a busy main road have not been repaired by a water company, a councillor claimed this week.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Shiny new green trains, but at what cost?3 March: At long last, it™s been confirmed that new inter-city trains will be ordered and the West Coast Main Line will be electrified through to Cardiff. read more

Global Rail News

• Passenger Focus welcomes investment in new trains and rail electrificationPassenger Focus has welcomed the Government’s announcement of investment in new trains, electrification of the railway line to Cardiff and plans to study electrification of the ...
• Opening of East London Line marks a milestone for Mott MacDonaldThe opening on Monday 28 February of London Overground’s Dalston Junction to Highbury & Islington link – the final stage of phase 1 – marks seven ...
• Wabtec™s Xorail unit signs $165m contract to design & install train control for MRS In BrazilXorail Inc., a subsidiary of Wabtec Corporation,has signed a $165 million contract to design and install Communications-Based Train Control for MRS Logistica, which operates the Southeastern Federal ...
• RMT warns of more tube ˜chaos™ as LU cut safety inspectionsTube Union RMT warned of more tube chaos for passengers as it emerged that as part of the TfL cuts programme the frequency of safety-critical inspections ...
• Preston station delivers a brighter welcome for record numbers of passengersAn increasingly busy Lancashire railway station has received more than £1 million of improvements to help provide a better welcome for record numbers of passengers. New ...
• Balfour Beatty plc releases full-year results 2010Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, reports its full-year results for the year ended 31 December 2010. Highlights include: Record order book up 8% at £15.2 ...
• Masabi ticket app now supports almost any mobileMasabi, the developer of mobile ticketing technology for the transport sector, today announced that the mobile rail ticket purchase application it developed for thetrainline.com, now supports ...
• Virgin Trains mark World Book DayToday (3 March 2011) is World Book Day and it saw the launch of Frank Cottrell Boyce™s brand new book, The Unforgotten Coat, in the very ...
• Japan reveals new ˜Hayabusa™ bullet trainJapan’s new bullet train, named the ‘Hayabusa’ is set to be rolled out for service on Saturday March 5th. The new high speed Shinkansen service will ...
• East Coast launch £1 fares between Lincoln and LondonEast Coast will tomorrow Friday 4 March launch an introductory £1 one way fare for customers travelling during the first week of its new service between ...
• Passengers pick up a free paperback at Lichfield City station to mark World Book DayPassengers at Lichfield City station picked up a free paperback from a Midlands author to mark World Book Day. The event was organised today by Staffordshire ...
• New Network Rail chief sets sights on Northern Hub rail investmentRail investment will pave the way for the economic growth of the north of England, say Greater Manchester transport leaders. Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) ...

Transport for London

• Staff recognised at Dial-a-Ride Awards 2011The excellence and hard work of London Dial-a-Ride's drivers, call centre staff and support teams has been celebrated in the Dial-a-Ride Awards 2011 hosted by Transport for London (TfL).

Aviation Industry

• AirTran traffic rises 2.7% in FebruaryAirTran Airways Inc. 's traffic was up 2.7 percent in February. The Orlando, Fla.-based airline said its traffic increased to more than 1.3 billion revenue passenger miles on a 0.3 percent rise in available seat miles.
• CAA to get more powers to prevent airport weather delaysThe CAA is to be given new powers to force Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted to prepare better for events like severe winters following the fiasco in December

Green Miscellany

• A camera tripod for your bicycle handlebars or helmet Cyclists who film their rides, including those urban commuters who want the reassurance of film evidence in the event of a road traffic collision with a vehicle, are being offered an increasing number of camera and mounting options for their bikes. read more
• SUV redefined: Range Rover unveils one-wheel-drive, single-seater Range Rovers are evolving, and in a direction that few would have predicted. Less than a year after the luxury car maker announced plans to produce a 2WD version of its iconic SUV, it has gone a step further by producing an emissions-free, one-wheel drive bicycle. And whilst one might expect the maker of heavy four-wheel drive cars to have built a mountain bike, Range Rover has instead opted for a lightweight carbon fibre road bike. read more