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

Friday, 06 May 2011

BBC News

• BA-Iberia's International Airlines Group cuts losses International Airlines Group has seen its losses narrow on rising revenues in the company's first results since the British Airways-Iberia merger.
• Cardiff Civic Society in congestion charge plan Plans for an integrated transport system in Cardiff, which could include a congestion charge by 2026, have received a mixed reception.
• EU in push to standardise rail bookings European rail operators will have to use standard ticket and timetabling systems in future to make cross-border train journeys easier for the public, the European Commission says.
• Rail line closure for bypass workA section of the Cambrian Coast railway is to close for the weekend as part of the construction work on the £35m Porthmadog bypass.
• Airport bus service tender haltedA judge halts the tendering process for a bus service linking Edinburgh Airport to the city centre.
• New Thameslink bridge for BoroughThe Borough viaduct is nearly complete but not everyone will be impressed, says Tom Edwards
• Passengers stranded by rail faultSoutheastern trains apologies after hundreds of commuters were stranded for nearly two hours because of a fault on a line in Kent.
• Heathrow Airport villages 'dying'Villages near the west London airport are dying as properties bought up by BAA stand empty, an MP claims.

Financial Times

• Aer Lingus' quarterly losses widenIrish airline said full-year profits will be 'much lower' than previous expectations after industrial action and soaring fuel prices contributed to a widening of first-quarter losses
• European budget airlines: not to be underestimatedHigher oil prices should in theory erode budget airlines' competitive advantage over network carriers, but worried investors should not underestimate them
• Abertis results rise on sell-offsSpanish toll road operator, which was last year the target of a failed €25bn leveraged buy-out, reported a rise in first-quarter profits as a result of asset disposals
• Flybe shares dive on profit warning The UK airline, which floated at the end of last year, blames high oil prices and weak leisure traffic for a 45 per cent cut in guidance, sending the stock down by a quarter
• Nat Express in truce talks with ElliottThe UK bus and rail operator, locked in a row with its largest shareholder, is engaged in talks over a possible ceasefire ahead of a critical vote on Tuesday

The Guardian

• National Express shortlists rebel candidate for boardroom Hopes of peace deal at National Express after one of activist investor Elliott Advisors' candidates makes it on to the list for next week's annual general meeting

The Herald

• New rules for free bus tickets saves millionsA CRACKDOWN on companies allegedly defrauding the Scottish Government™s concessionary bus travel scheme has succeeded in saving millions of pounds every year, figures obtained by The Herald show.
• Railways in copper thefts rise BRITAIN™S railways underwent a massive increase in incidents of cable theft last year, driven by the high price of copper.

The Independent

• National Express bows to pressure and considers Elliott candidate for board National Express sought to neutralise the dispute with its dissident investor Elliott Advisors yesterday by saying it was considering putting one of the activist hedge fund's nominees on its board.
• Bid to improve European rail travel Moves to streamline rail travel across Europe were announced by the European Commission today.
• Minister attacks latest Tube strikes A planned six-day strike on London Underground was condemned by Transport Secretary Philip Hammond in Parliament today.

The Telegraph

• British Airways to launch first 2012 Olympic ads Airline's London Games campaign will shun TV and use national print media and online advertising instead
• London 2012 Olympics: sponsors take up the running British Airways has this week unveiled multi-million pound plans to publicly promote its sponsorship of London 2012 for the first time.
• National Express tells activist shareholder Elliott Advisors: 'you will lose' National Express has given activist shareholder Elliott Advisors a Sunday night deadline to reach a compromise over its demands for new non-executive directors or face defeat at Tuesday's AGM.
• Barking madness does not infect the Transport Secretary Philip Hammond is the least memorable member of the Cabinet. If Mr Hammond was an airline pilot, he would soothe nervous passengers by making announcements of such unimpeachable dullness that before long everyone dropped off to sleep.
• David Cameron to consider tougher anti-strike laws David Cameron will bring in tougher anti-strike laws if the country is hit with irresponsible industrial action this summer.
• General Motors powers ahead as customers ditch gas-guzzlers for 'crossover' cars General Motors' profits trebled in the first three months of the year as the car maker accelerated its fightback from bankruptcy.

Daily Express

• National Expres buses beat challengeBUS and rail operator National Express rebuffed a rebel investor's call for a shake-up as its recovery drive boosted profits.

Mail Online

• Sky-high petrol prices boost public transport firm Go-Ahead Public transport firm Go-Ahead has reported a surge in passengers numbers as high petrol prices have forced motorists to ditch their cars.
• All flights from Israel grounded over 'contaminated fuel' fearsIsrael Airports Authority spokesman Adar Avisar says dozens of flights have been stalled at the country's main airport near Tel Aviv.
• London 2012 Olympics: Transport unions to be 'bribed' not to strikeThe Government yesterday stepped up its rhetoric against the hardline Rail Maritime and Transport union after it ordered six walkouts that are set to cripple the capital’s Tube network.

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham must show its support for high speed rail link, urges campaign leader The high speed rail line will be “dead in the water” if Birmingham and the West Midlands doesn’t come out fighting in favour, the man responsible for promoting the £17 billion scheme has warned.

Journal Live

• Fuel prices push people on to buses, says Go-Ahead HIGH fuel prices are persuading people to leave their cars at home and take the bus or train instead, public transport giant Go-Ahead said today.

Liverpool Echo

• Vandals jailed for Liverpool and Crewe train crime spree VANDALS were jailed for eight months after a six-year crime spree targeting trains and railway stations.

Liverpool Post

• Flybe introduces £3 fuel surcharge FLYBE is introducing a £3 surcharge today on flights after September 1, to recoup high fuel charges.
• Vauxhall parent GM unveils strong first quarter profits CAR maker General Motors (GM) has announced a more than tripling of first quarter profits, beating expectations, on the back of a recovery in the US market and strong sales in Asia.

London Evening Standard

• Go-Ahead lifted by capital's rally and petrol price pain The spiralling price of petrol and London's economic recovery pushed more Britons onto buses and trains this year, helping Go-Ahead today raise its profit expectations for the year.

Metro

• British Airways striker's YouTube rant lands him the sackA British Airways employee who allegedly said cabin crew consider pilots to be 'glorified bus drivers' was sacked after threatening a strike-breaking pilot, an employment tribunal has heard.

Western Daily Press

• Open top bus falls victim to transport cutsCoalition Government cuts are causing damaging reductions to bus services across the West, MPs have been told. The impacts include the withdrawal of evening buses to Cheddar Gorge – one of Britain's top tourist attractions – and a scramble to get onto the last services out of Bristol, the Commons Transport Committee heard. In the final evidence session of an inquiry into bus services following the coalition's spending review, the MPs heard that cuts were hitting the economy, with the renowned Cheddar Gorge given as one example. West transport campaigner David Redgewell told...

Other Regional Press

• Most train delays not caused by rail company - St Albans MP Anne Main MORE than half of the delays suffered by rail commuters were caused by track problems, it has been revealed.
• Protest at charges prompts bus u-turnPARENTS with disabled children over the age of 16 will now pay a maximum of £600 a year for school transport after a policy u-turn by Northamptonshire County Council.
• Rail action plan on trackA major countywide commuter plan has been presented to Whitehall.

Global Rail News

• TfL announces ˜final set of Jubilee line closures™Transport for London has announced a final set of weekend closures on the Jubilee line in order to complete the upgrade of the line and ‘deliver ...
• New passenger bridge takes shape at Cheadle HulmeA significant milestone was reached over the bank holiday weekend at Cheadle Hulme railway station with the installation of the first span the new passenger bridge ...
• Next phase of work on Cow Lane bridges beginsThe next phase of work to widen the two rail bridges on Cow Lane to provide more space for Reading™s road and rail users begins this ...
• New project engineer boosts Hima-Sella™s rail sector teamIntegrated safety, control and automation systems specialist Hima-Sella has appointed a new Project Engineer, Richard Verity, to further strengthen its telecommunications expertise in the rail sector. ...
• Depot integration puts Arriva™s LNWR on track for future growthLeading train maintenance specialist LNWR is on track to grow its business after expanding operations to include four new depots. Four Axiom Rail depots have been ...
• Spring clean for Northern Rail train stationsNorthern Rail has teamed up with environmental charities BTCV and Keep Britain Tidy to take on the job of tidying up railway stations across the north ...
• Stadler Rail expands presence in North AmericaStadler Rail Group is opening a U.S. subsidiary in order to better serve the growing North American rail passenger market. Stadler Rail AG, passenger rail vehicle ...
• St Pancras Renaissance Hotel restored to former glorySt Pancras Renaissance Hotel London officially opens today, following the extensive renovation of the grade I-listed building 138 years after the original opening. The £150m development ...
• European project aims to step up rail securityThe rail industry and security operators throughout Europe are to work together to ‘enhance’ security on public transport. The launch of the SECUR-ED project marks the ...
• ˜Scottish commuters fare better™ than the rest of Britain as train fares riseRail fares are set to rise faster in England and Wales than in Scotland from next year, saving Scottish commuters up to £750 over the next ...
• Arriva ˜strongly positioned for future growth™Following the publication of parent group Deutsche Bahn™s annual results on 31 March, Arriva published a review of 2010 and an update on its operating position ...
• Alstom to supply track works for Chennai metro, IndiaChennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has signed Alstom, in consortium with Larsen & Toubro, a €73 million contract for the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning ...
• Track worker safety “ what™s the problem?David Shirres reports Two types of railway safety At Quintishill on 22nd May 1915, signalman George Meakin forgot the location of a local train and accepted ...
• Go-Ahead Group reports ˜strong growth™The Go-Ahead Group plc has announced its Interim Management Statement for the period from 2 January 2011 to 4 May 2011. Overall, the Group™s third quarter trading, ...

Railnews

• HS2 campaigners combat 'ten myths' from opposition Campaigners supporting the construction of HS2 have named 'ten myths' published by opponents of the plans. The move has been supported by around 170 business leaders, including many from Chambers of Commerce.
• London faces two weeks of Underground strikes London Underground passengers are facing two weeks of disruption this month and next, after the RMT union stepped up its dispute with Transport for London over the dismissal of two train drivers.

Aviation Industry

• Heathrow team grab a gong for Commuter campaignThe Heathrow Commuter team have scooped the 2011 London Transport Award for Excellence in Travel Information and Marketing for their campaign to promote staff usage of the Heathrow Connect rail service.
• Air France launches new mobile serviceClaims new mobile offering is œthe most extensive in the world

Green Miscellany

• Police use DNA to nab bicycle thief The recent use of bait bikes, GPS tracking and online registers by British police to snare bicycle thieves is certainly high-tech compared to the lacklustre response that has often met those that report their bike as stolen, but top marks for a proactive response goes to River police in Illinois.read more

Other News Sources

• New logistics gateway set to open in UK North-westModern container facility and feeder service will link Workington with Rotterdam
• Idle containership fleet at its lowest for 30 monthsNumber of laid-up vessels falls to pre-financial crisis levels
• Hammond condemns tube strikesThe transport secretary has condemned a series of planned strikes on the London Underground due to start in less than two weeks.
• Eurostar improves business travel offeringExtended opening hours for its agent support team and guaranteed boarding service for Business Premier passengers