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

Thursday, 12 May 2011

BBC News

• Transport group warns of outlookAberdeen-based transport company FirstGroup reports a 27% drop in pre-tax profits and warns of uncertainty in the future.
• Tram works close centre to busesEdinburgh City Council has announced it is to close Princes Street from July until next spring to allow works on the tram line to be repaired.
• Change in tone on Tube disputes?Why a good relationship between the mayor and Tube unions is vital ahead of the 2012 Games
• Airport alert over computer checkAn island airport was evacuated after a passenger's computer tested positive during an explosives security test.
• Bus depot fire 'was deliberate'A massive fire which destroyed 50 buses at a storage depot in North Lanarkshire was started deliberately, police say.
• VIDEO: Toyota feels impact of disasterThe BBC's Roland Buerk reports on the impact that March's earthquake and tsunami have had on the world's largest carmaker, Toyota.
• First to bid for longer rail dealRail operator First Great Western says it does not want to extend its current franchise beyond March 2013 - in the hope of securing a longer-term deal.
• MPs say UK needs 'snow supremo'The UK should appoint a "snow supremo" to try to avoid another winter of chaos at airports, MPs have recommended. The Transport Select Committee examined the impact of heavy snow last December which shut Heathrow, Gatwick and major train lines, and left roads impassable.
• Union considers BA dispute offerUnion members are due to meet to consider an offer which could end the long-running dispute between British Airways and some cabin crew.

Department for Transport

• Better enforcement and education to cut road deathsPlans to improve road safety education while taking tough action against the small minority of dangerous drivers were set out by Transport Secretary Philip Hammond today.

Financial Times

• Maersk warns of short-term 'pressure'The Danish operator of the largest container ship fleet warned that rates earned per container would remain 'under pressure' in the short term
• Train operator to pioneer ticket appChiltern Railways has become the first operator to adopt a new national standard for mobile ticketing, which will allow train travellers to leave behind ticket queues and pay for their journeys by mobile phone
• Container shipping recovery continuesFigures from DP World and AP Møller-Maersk, two of the largest companies handling marine container trade, provided evidence of the sector's continuing recovery from recession
• FirstGroup to hand back rail franchiseThe bus and rail group will hand back the £1.1bn First Great Western rail contract three years ahead of schedule after admitting that the downturn has made the terms unsustainable
• Unite to vote on deal to end BA disputeMembers of the Unite union are to vote on a deal that could resolve the British Airways cabin crew dispute that began more than 18 months ago and led to 22 days of strikes
• FirstGroup profits hit by chargesFirstGroup will not take up an option to extend its First Great Western rail franchise for three years beyond March 2013, but will target a longer contract for the line

The Guardian

• FirstGroup to quit Great Western rail deal early FirstGroup to end £1.1bn franchise three years ahead of schedule and join bidding for a longer deal expected to follow it
• Boris Johnson: his road excavation charge is on its way [blog]t looks like the Mayor is at last to be given the lane rental scheme he's been hankering for. It will apply to the roads Transport for London is in charge of - the big ones, which carry about 30% of London's traffic. The idea is that when Thames Water or EDF want to dig up a your road, make your motoring life a living hell and so on, they'll first have to ask TfL's permission and become subject to what is called "a targetted and avoidable charge".
• BA and Unite union move closer to ending cabin crew disputeAgreement comes after nearly 18 months of hostilities, including 22 days of walkouts, and will be debated by BA crew at Unite meeting near Heathrow airportBritish Airways and the Unite trade union have taken a significant step towards ending a long-running dispute with cabin crew after agreeing a peace deal on Wednesday.The agreement comes after nearly 18 months of hostilities, including 22 days of walkouts, and will be debated by BA crew at a Unite meeting near Heathrow airport on Thursday.Bassa, Unite's main cabin crew branch, said in email to members:

The Herald

• FirstGroup™s relief over report on competition Tim O™Toole, the former London Underground boss recently appointed chief executive of FirstGroup, yesterday expressed relief that the œmore draconian measures feared by the industry ahead of a key Competition Commission report now appeared unlikely to materialise.

The Independent

• BA dispute close to being resolvedThe bitter British Airways cabin crew dispute was last night on the verge of being resolved following a breakthrough in crucial talks aimed at ending the long-running row. Members of Unite will meet today to hear details of a proposed deal and decide whether it should go out to a ballot to finally end the row.

The Scotsman

• Hopes rise for end of BA disputeThe bitter British Airways cabin crew dispute is on the verge of being resolved following a breakthrough in crucial talks aimed at ending the long-running row.

The Telegraph

• FirstGroup gives up First Great Western rail franchise early, saves £800m in payments to the government FirstGroup is handing back its First Great Western rail franchise three years early in a move that, under the original April 2006 contract, saves the company £800m in payments to the taxpayer.
• Speeding fines to soar Speeding motorists fines are set to rise by up to 40 per cent under plans being considered by ministers.
• Hopes of deal in long BA cabin crew disputeBritish Airways cabin crew are to hold a mass meeting today amid rising hopes that their long-running dispute with the airline is close to being resolved.

Mail Online

• Bob Crow: Crush this blackmailing union bullyFew workers in the private or public sectors can look forward to significant pay increases this year or next. Unless you are lucky enough to work for Network Rail.
• Jet struck by lightning as it lands at HeathrowAs this flight came into London's Heathrow, a jagged bolt of lightning smashed into the roof, right above the pilots' heads.

Network Rail

• NETWORK RAIL SEEKS DEVELOPMENT PARTNER FOR LEEDS STATION

Birmingham Mail

• Edward given free travel for life after 50,000 miles of journeys on Birmingham's buses A RECENTLY-retired council worker received a surprise gift from National Express after clocking up nearly 50,000 miles on Birmingham buses to get to work.
• Birmingham Airport faces closure threat BIRMINGHAM Airport would be forced to close completely if angry firefighters opposing changes to their pensions take industrial action, it was revealed today.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Officials lift works ban on tram route for vital repairsA BAN on roadworks along the route of the tram project is set to be lifted to allow emergency repairs to be carried out on the Capital's crumbling roads.

Journal Live

• Rail group relinquishes First Great Western TRANSPORT giant FirstGroup has revealed that it is giving up its First Great Western rail contract three years ahead of schedule.

London Evening Standard

• Operator FirstGroup holds out for longer route franchise FirstGroup today refused to sign a three-year extension to run the First Great Western route into Paddington, forcing the Government to tender the franchise as a long-term contract much earlier than it had planned.
• Hopes rise for end of BA disputeThe bitter British Airways cabin crew dispute is on the verge of being resolved following a breakthrough in crucial talks aimed at ending the long-running row.

Northern Echo

• Firms rush to sign up for Hitachi showcase MORE than 1,000 business people have registered interest in the massive opportunities on offer to supply a multi-million pound train assembly project in the region, it emerged last night. Organisers have been forced to lay-on extra sessions to cope with unprecedented demand from firms wishing to attend a supply chain event when details of the contracts up for grabs from the construction of Hitachi's factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham will be unveiled. Delegates representing over 600 businesses will attend an open day, being organised by County Durham Development Company (CDDC), that will also offer an insight into the opportunities on offer when manufacturing of the next generation of Hitachi "super express" trains begins at the Amazon Park site.

Wales Online

• First gambling on winning Greater Western TRANSPORT giant FirstGroup has confirmed it is giving up its First Great Western rail contract three years ahead of schedule. The company has an option to extend the franchise beyond March 2013 but said it would rather re-bid for a longer-term contract under the new Greater Western franchise which will accompany investment in the region’s network

Yorkshire Post

• MPs want rail firms fined for winter failures RAIL companies should be fined if they fail to keep passengers better informed about delays when winter weather kicks in, according to a committee of MPs which says Britain should be better prepared.

Carlisle News & Star

• Cumbria cable thieves prompt payouts to rail passengers Network Rail has paid out thousands of pounds in compensation to passengers for delays caused by cable thieves in Cumbria.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Rail cable theft hits Peterborough commutersTHOUSANDS of rail passengers from Peterborough have suffered large-scale disruption at the hands of metal thieves.

Plymouth Herald

• End of the line for Westcountry rail operator First Great Western Westcountry rail passengers face fresh "uncertainty" after FirstGroup decided to pull the plug on its £1.2 billion Great Western rail franchise three years ahead of schedule.
• Coastguards 'gagged' over station inquiry as minister instructed staff not to testify COASTGUARDS at Brixham have been 'gagged' from giving evidence to a Westminster inquiry into controversial closure plans, it has been claimed.
• Loss of our transport links is embarrassing [letter]I JUST can't believe what is happening to Plymouth Airport, as Plymouth is more than double the size of Exeter. Look at a map of Devon and Cornwall and Plymouth is located right in the middle of the two counties' tourist area.
• Rail firm First Great Western pulls plug on £1.2billion franchise PLYMOUTH rail passengers face fresh 'uncertainty' after FirstGroup decided to pull the plug on its £1.2billion Great Western rail franchise three years ahead of schedule.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Local authority bus cuts could be unlawful May 11: A Cambridgeshire bus user is taking legal action to hold her council to account over bus cuts. Her message is clear; with budgets tightening across the country it™s more important than ever that impact assessments and consultations don™t end up as an afterthought or a hollow tick box exercise.  read more

Global Rail News

• Chiltern Railways summer engineering work plansChiltern Railways have outlined the engineering work taking place between now and September to enable the creation of the Chiltern Mainline which will ‘reduce journey times’. ...
• DB Schenker Rail links Tata Steel works in Wales and the NetherlandsOn behalf of the worldwide operating steel producer Tata Steel, DB Schenker Rail has set up a shuttle service connecting the company’s steel works in IJmuiden, ...
• ASLEF: Rail passengers up “ McNulty ˜unhappy™Rail passenger journeys increased by almost 5% in the first three months of 2011 compared with 2010, totalling 316 million journeys. Yet in spite of this ...
• FirstGroup aims for longer-term First Great Western franchiseFirstGroup has said it will not take up the option to extend its First Great Western franchise for three years beyond 2013 so it can bid ...
• One week to go until the Rail Safety SummitThe Rail Health & Safety Summit is a 1 Day Conference run by Rail Media, the parent company of rail.co. It gives you an opportunity to ...
• $403m to upgrade Victoria™s rail networkNew trains and a massive increase in basic maintenance are the focus of a $403 million Victorian Coalition Government boost for public transport to help to ...
• Olympics rail pay deal ˜groundbreaking™Rail union RMT has secured a ‘groundbreaking pay and rewards package offer’ to prevent strikes taking place during the Olympics. Over fears strikes by union members could ...
• Network Rail seeks development partner for Leeds stationNetwork Rail today launched the search for a development partner to undertake a commercial development on land at Princes Square in Leeds, adjacent to Leeds station. ...
• Watchdog: First Great Western franchise needs to ˜improve™First Group has announced that it will not be taking up the option to extend the First Great Western franchise for a further three years. Commenting ...
• US ˜applauds $2bn high speed rail investments™The American Public Transportation Association,  an organisation which serves as an advocate for the advancement of public transportation programs and initiatives in the United States has ...
• Passengers say Midland Metro is on the right trackPassengers using the Midland Metro have given the service their thumbs up – a survey from transport authority Centro has revealed. The tram line, which connects ...

Aviation Industry

• BAA response to transport select committee report on the impact on transport of the winter weather in December 2010BAA welcomes the Committee™s conclusion that the Government should play a greater role in providing investment and coordination during weather-related disruption to the UK transport network...
• April record month for HeathrowMore passengers travelled through Heathrow last month than any other April in the airport™s history