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

Tuesday, 17 May 2011

BBC News

• Revisiting the old Weymouth Quay railway A Dorset railway line, included in a BBC social history project in 1986, is being revisited to explore how life in the area has changed.
• Rural bus services in Devon are 'under threat' Rural bus services could be lost because decision-makers in London do not understand country life, the leader of Devon County Council has said.
• New air route to link Inverness and Amsterdam A new service linking a Scottish airport with one of Europe's busiest airports will be launched later this year, it has been announced.
• Deputy wants road injury compensation A Jersey politician has said people injured on poorly maintained roads should be able to claim compensation.
• 'Community is key' to Dover port sale, says government Ports like Dover should only be sold if their new owners bring "a significant level of community participation", the government has said.
• Saab obtains new Chinese partnerTroubled Swedish carmaker Saab agrees a distribution deal with China's Pang Da only days after a previous deal fell through.
• Virgin pilots plan strike ballotVirgin Atlantic pilots are to be balloted for their first strike action after year-long pay talks break down.
• Toyota to face economic claimsToyota Motor car owners in the US can pursue claims that the carmaker caused the value of their vehicle to fall, a federal judge rules.
• Emergency landing sparks inquiryRolls-Royce launches an investigation after a plane carrying 136 people makes emergency landing in Singapore.

Financial Times

• Rolls-Royce to investigate Singapore engine fire A Cathay Pacific aircraft carrying 136 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing at Singapore after one of its Rolls-Royce engines caught fire shortly after taking off for Jakarta
• Saudi Landbridge rail project loses momentumFunding for the 950km line between Jeddah and Riyadh likely to fall on the government after lack of bankability and sluggish debt markets slow its progress
• West Coast rail faces return to state handsVirgin Trains is due to hand back the contract to run the lucrative London to Glasgow route in May 2012 but government has postponed the start of the new contract until January 2013
• Virgin Atlantic faces pilot strike threatA balloting of members is set to start next week after talks with Acas, the government conciliation service, failed to broker an agreement over a dispute over pay

The Guardian

• Our crazy approach to our crazy loss-making railways Unions, passengers and politicians will all find fault with Sir Roy McNulty's review this week – and it will change little
• In praise of … the people's port In Dover, a Tory MP and the Unite union are working together to fight the sell-off of the port originally proposed by the last Labour government

The Herald

• It may cost more to scrap tram project than finish itSCRAPPING Edinburgh™s ill-fated tram project could cost more than completing even a shortened section of the route, a senior council figure has claimed.

The Independent

• Train operators may be handed job of repairing their own track Money-saving plan to urge a return towards the days when British Rail did everything. Private train companies could be handed responsibility for trackrepairs in a move that campaigners warn will put profit before safety

The Telegraph

• Virgin pilots call strike ballotVirgin Atlantic is facing the threat of a pilots' strike over the summer because of a long-running pay dispute.

Journal Live

• Brakes put on drive for new bus shelter in Rothbury A ROW is brewing between two councils in Northumberland over who is responsible for providing a village bus shelter.

Liverpool Post

• Road safety plans backed by specialist barrister but Government urged not to criminalise driving public A SPECIALIST motoring barrister based in Liverpool gave a cautious welcome to new road safety plans. Read More http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/05/17/road-safety-plans-backed-by-specialist-barrister-but-government-urged-not-to-criminalise-driving-public-92534-28705202/#ixzz1MaWP52gS

London Evening Standard

• TFL pays £2 compensation to passengers struck by delays of up to four hoursMayor Boris Johnson faces calls to overhall compensation policy after people were refunded less than the prioce of a zone one and two ticket
• Rail chiefs 'ignored alerts over deaths crossing,' says transport unionTransport Secretary Philip Hammond has been urged to hold a public inquiry into the deaths of two schoolgirls on a level crossing.

Metro

• Lost Collection showcases art left behind on London transportDrawings and paintings that have been left on London transport have been turned them into an exhibition for the public for the first time.

Wales Online

• Welcome for more say in port’s future PORTS like Milford Haven should only be sold if their new owners bring “a significant level of community participation”, the government has said.

Bucks Free Press

• Rail campaigners gather at 'white elephant day' WHITE elephants went marching into Amersham today as residents protested against the proposed high speed rail route they fear will blight their town.

Carlisle News & Star

• Money found to retain Cumbrian rural bus services Protests over threats to bus services in Cumbria have led to a rethink on a dozen routes across the county.

Other Regional Press

• Call for rethink over Norfolk bus fare times Angry campaigners are urging council bosses to think again over changes on the buses which mean hundreds of blind people can no longer get free breakfast-time travel.
• Shadow minister warns of Norfolk rail franchising ’shambles’ Train users in East Anglia are set for chaos and confusion because of the government’s handling of the refranchising of the region’s rail services, a shadow minister has warned.
• £8.5 million makeover for Aberdeen HarbourABERDEEN Harbour bosses have taken a step forward in a multi-million pound project to transform the port.

Global Rail News

• April™s passenger rail performance at 93%Punctuality on the railways reached 92.9% during April, according to monthly performance data released by Network Rail. The data for Britain™s train services covers the period ...
• New Virgin Pendolino on track for service this summerA new 125mph Pendolino train will enter service with Virgin Trains this summer, giving customers another boost as record numbers of passengers flock to the West ...
• Arriva Trains Wales to introduce faster journey timesFrom 22nd May, Arriva Trains Wales will be introducing their exciting new timetable on routes from West and South Wales through to North Wales and the ...
• Bombardier awarded contract for INNOVIA automated system in Saudi ArabiaBombardier Transportation has signed a contract to design, build, operate and maintain a BOMBARDIER INNOVIA APM 300 automated people mover system for the King Abdulaziz International Airport ...
• UK™s only Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy ˜topped out™Crossrail™s commitment to building a lasting skills legacy has taken a major step forward with the completion of structural building work on the UK Tunnelling and ...
• Manufacture of Crossrail™s tunnel boring machines to get underwayCrossrail today announced that six of the tunnel boring machines (TBMs) required to deliver the new rail tunnels will be manufactured by Herrenknecht AG, Germany. The ...
• School pupils™ ˜Stay Safe on the Railways™ artwork on displayPupils from Nutgrove Primary School in St Helens, Merseyside are celebrating their artistic efforts on display at Thatto Heath station. The initiative was run in conjunction ...
• Attempted rail cable thefts cause 66 hours of delaysBritish Transport Police (BTP) is appealing for information after three incidents of attempted cable theft in the areas surrounding Chelmsford caused severe disruption on the rail ...
• Tube upgrades this weekend (21/22 May)The Tube is still undergoing major works to improve infrastructure to ‘increase capacity by around 30%.’ TfL have advised that the weekend of 21/22nd May will ...

Railnews

• Punctuality slips, but underlying trend is 'improving' Network Rail has revealed that average railway punctuality reached almost 93 per cent in April. The announcement follows recent criticism of the company by East Coast, which has suffered more than one major disruption recently. The operator had warned that Network Rail's performance on the East Coast Main Line must improve.
• East Coast Pendolino plan scrapped as Virgin gives in A new Pendolino which might have run on East Coast for a while because of contractual arguments between the DfT and Virgin is to run on the West Coast after all – before the present Virgin franchise expires.

Aviation Industry

• Etihad™s independent streakWhile a growing number of airlines are signing up to airline alliances, Etihad is intent on flying solo