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

Wednesday, 04 May 2011

BBC News

• Leamington Spa railway's 1930s waiting rooms restored Two refurbished waiting rooms have been unveiled as part of a £395,000 upgrade at Leamington Spa railway station.
• Failure leads to free train ridesRail passengers across north-west England enjoy free morning commutes after Northern Rail's ticketing system crashes.
• Network Rail delays record shownNetwork Rail was responsible for 58% of delays on First Capital Connect services, new figures show.
• Estuary airport 'absolutely nuts'Ryanair's boss Michael O'Leary calls for new runways at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick, instead of a new airport in the South East.

Financial Times

• Japan quake slows airline industry's recovery Iata says quake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear catastrophe in Japan, combined with political unrest in Arab countries, have cut air traffic by 2 percentage points in March

The Guardian

• First-class fare on the East Coast lineThe East Coast line's dining cars have long pampered travellers. Now they are being withdrawn, Patrick Barkham joins the 16.30 from King's CrossOn a white tablecloth before me is a venison and pistachio terrine, two slabs of medium- rare ribeye and a plate of British cheeses. A gentle tinkle of silver cutlery, and unsurpassed views of the British countryside “ May blossom, a paddock of horses, children on BMXs “ unfurl under a setting sun.If this was the opening of a new restaurant, critics would be salivating. But this unique dining experience is, in fact, closing in three weeks. The east co...
• Second Air France black box foundDiscovery of audio recorder two days after flight data recorder brings investigators closer to cause of June 2009 crashSearch parties scouring the seabed off Brazil's north-east coast have recovered the second of two flight recorders from the Air France aircraft that crashed into the Atlantic in June 2009, investigators have said.The discovery of the audio recorder, two days after the flight data recorder was fished up, brings investigators even closer to the cause of the crash as it should hold recordings of cockpit conversations during the flight's final moments.

The Herald

• Ryanair cuts send passenger numbers down at PrestwickPRESTWICK Airport suffered an 11% annual fall in passenger numbers after no-frills carrier Ryanair slashed capacity last year at the Ayrshire hub, it emerged yesterday.
• Stagecoach shares slide after analyst downgradeSHARES in rail and transport group Stagecoach shed 3.4% yesterday after analysts signalled that the company™s valuation was starting to look rich.

The Independent

• A trucker's view of life in the cycle lane If Britain's roads are becoming a battleground, then Lee Ruggles is on the frontline, waging war from behind the controls of a 32-ton killing machine. When he offers a ham-thick arm from the cab of his tipper truck, I decide not to reveal my preferred mode of transport lest he crush my weedy cyclist's hand.

The Telegraph

• Stobarts' buyback plans no transport of delight for confused investors It is a valuation that would make even a dotcom investment banker turn a brighter shade of pink.

Network Rail

• NEW LANDMARK BRIDGE LAUNCHED INTO PLACE
• YOUR CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT BLACKBURN STATION IMPROVEMENTS
• Devolution Today for Scotland and Wessex Routes as Network Rail Announces More ChangesNetwork Rail's devolved route structure went live today in Scotland and Wessex. David Simpson (Scotland) and Richard O’Brien (Wessex) have been confirmed as the new route managing directors following the completion of the assessment process and safety validation.

Birmingham Mail

• Anger over 25 per cent budget fare hike for Brummies A BUDGET rail ticket popular with passengers wanting cheap days out to London is to rocket in price by more than a quarter.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Trams 'must be full route'EDINBURGH'S tram line must go all the way to the waterfront, the city's chamber of commerce has said.

Journal Live

• Hopes rising again over A1 dualling plan A LEADING A1 campaigner says she is “very optimistic” that progress is being made towards dualling north Northumberland’s principal road.

London Evening Standard

• Tax chief attacks George Osborne over £2bn raid on fuel firmsGeorge Osborne under attack from his tax czar over his decision to raid North Sea oil and gas companies to fund cuts in petrol duty

Nottingham Evening Post

• Drivers go back to school to learn green road rulesA COACH company is sending up to 100 of its drivers back to school to learn green rules of the road. The course being introduced by Skills Holidays, of Belgrave Road, Bulwell, teaches drivers how to make the most of every drop of fuel. They are given tips such as how to identify sharp corners well in advance so they can approach them at the right speed and how to spot hazards and keep the vehicle rolling so they don't have to step on the accelerator too much. Skills' rigorous test involves a 40-minute journey from Bulwell, through Hucknall and the countryside to the M1 motorway. Tank levels ar...

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• First minister gives pledge to A82 campaigners on upgrading roadSNP leader Alex Salmond visited Fort William yesterday for a last-minute meeting with campaigners fighting for safety improvements to Lochaber™s artery route, the A82.

The York Press

• Campaign to save No 42 bus to York and Selby THE people™s campaign to keep a North Yorkshire weekend bus service moved into top gear as leaflets were delivered to villages along its route.
• East Coast locomotive name ideas HE was born in York and one of his best known poems was Night Mail. Now a reader, Gail Winton, has suggested a railway loco should be named W H Auden in recognition of the poet™s achievements.

Burnley Express

• New bus service connects Dales and BurnleyBURNLEY and Pendle residents can now enjoy the walks and countryside around the Yorkshire Dales without taking the car after a new bus service was launched.

Other Regional Press

• All aboard the DLR - for St Pancras, Victoria and Dagenham?The map, part of the long-term Mayor’s Transport Strategy, was released on TfL’s website over the long weekend.
• Thameslink railway bridge installed above Borough High Street A new railway bridge has been moved into place across Brorough High Street during the Bank Holiday weekend.
• Winchester bus group finds new home A Winchester transport charity has secured a vital new base for its unique collection of 14 local buses.
• Parliament to hear concerns about Somerset bus cuts CAMPAIGNER David Redgewell, from the South-West Transport Network, is due to speak in Parliament this afternoon about cuts to Somerset’s bus services.
• Boris Island is 'absolutely nuts'Plans for an airport in the Thames Estuary have been branded
• Bus giant loses thousands after ticket fare chaosGlasgow™s biggest bus company today lost tens of thousands of pounds in fares after its computerised ticketing system crashed.
• Commuters 'helpless' after rail vandals escape justice in Coventry and Warwickshire JUST a handful of people have been charged with vandalising railway lines in Coventry and Warwickshire despite commuters enduring months of misery on delayed trains.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Transport one year on since the election3 May: On Friday this week, it will be one year from the general election. So how much has changed for transport since Labour left office and the coalition parties took over? read more

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Fleet insurance crackdown planned Vehicles in fleets that are not insured by late spring this year will face prosecution, companies have been warned. The Department for Transport is planning a crackdown on cars without cover as Continuous Insurance Enforcement regulations come into effect.
• Increase in UK commercial vehicle traffic in 2010 The number of commercial vehicles operating on roads in the UK climbed during 2010 compared with the previous year, it has been revealed.

Aviation Industry

• EU relies on “miraculous” technology advances to address climate changeThe Commission has published its long awaited white paper on the future of the common transport policy. Instead of being a policy outline for the next decade, it is presented more as a strategy for transport in 2050. T&E criticised it as “a manifesto for inaction”, while Greenpeace said it “blatantly passes the buck to [...]
• Thames Estuary airport plan dismissed as 'nuts'A LEADING airline boss has called plans for an airport in the Thames Estuary
• American tests in-flight video streamingAmerican Airlines is testing a new entertainment system that enables passengers to wirelessly stream video content from an in-flight library to their personal mobile device.
• Bin Laden death prompts call for change in securityThe general secretary of the British Airline Pilots™ Association (BALPA) has called for a œfundamental review of airport security
• Air traffic growth slows - IATANatural disasters in Japan and civil upheaval in the Middle East and North Africa prompted the growth in global passenger demand to slacken in March

Other News Sources

• Cops in six month electric bike trial Cops in Manchester are taking an environmentally friendly approach to crime fighting by getting on electric cycles.
• Statement by Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, CEO of AIR FRANCE KLM
• Virgin Australia launches major advertising campaignVirgin Australia today launched a major national advertising campaign aimed at all sectors of the market. The campaign is designed to help reposition the airline, by encapsulating the new...