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

Saturday, 16 July 2011

BBC News

• Great Western train line electrification work begins Work has begun on a £5bn investment programme of rail electrification and inter-city service improvements on the Great Western rail route.
• Volkswagen sets 4m sales recordStrong demand in Asia drives robust performance at Europe's largest carmaker

Financial Times

• Avianova fires British chief executiveThe Russian budget airline says Andrew Pyne had been unwilling to comply with local laws and had caused 'unreasonable' flight cancellations
• FirstGroup lifted by Greyhound ExpressThe owner of the US coach operator posts a second quarter of improving revenues growth after offering direct point-to-point routes

The Guardian

• FirstGroup CEO suffers shareholder rebuke over bonus package Transport group chief, Tim O'Toole, sees 42% of shareholders take exception to 'retention' share award worth around £760,000

The Herald

• Trams chief blames Tie™s failures for spiralling costsEDINBURGH™S tram developers have left taxpayers with a multi-million pound headache because they failed to grasp the scale of work involved in diverting underground utility pipes and cables, a senior official has finally admitted.

The Telegraph

• Stobart Group braces for Carlisle Airport property crash Stobart Group is bracing itself for a planning decision that could significantly affect the valuation of Carlisle Airport, which the transport company bought as a related party transaction two years ago.
• FirstGroup revolt over director payout Bus and rail operator FirstGroup has seen a massive shareholder revolt over director pay with investors angry over a "retention" share award worth around £760,000.
• First biofuel passenger flightLufthansa has become the first airline to use biofuels on a scheduled fight.

Daily Express

• FirstGroup rail gainsCASH-STRAPPED drivers boosted FirstGroup by -letting the train take the strain but high-street gloom put the brakes on its buses.

Network Rail

• THAMESLINK PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS COMPLETE AT WEST HAMPSTEAD

Derby Telegraph

• Does Government have political will to find way out of rail mess? WE MAKE no apologies for once again returning to the subject of Bombardier within this column.
• Expert's hope of Bombardier getting work on Thameslink THERE may be a way for Bombardier to be given work from the £1.4bn Thameslink rail deal without the Government putting itself at risk of being taken to court, an expert has claimed.
• MESSAGES OF SUPPORT FROM UNIONS THE leader of one of the unions that represent Bombardier workers has pledged to fight "every step of the way" to keep rail jobs in Derby.
• City is again waiting on answers after urging No 10 to rethink over meeting DERBY City Council is once again awaiting the response of the Prime Minister after sending another letter to Downing Street, renewing a call for a face-to-face meeting.
• Last chance to join thousands signing petition for Bombardier NOT since the Rolls-Royce crash of 1971 has a petition attracted such wide-scale support in Derby.
• Our MPs must stick together to overturn Thameslink decision IN her mind's eye, Margaret Beckett had just leapt over the mahogany desk in front of her, bounded across the hall and planted her fist in Transport Minister Theresa Villiers' gob.

London Evening Standard

• Are Boris's Thames Estuary plans a fantasy worth realising?Boris Johnson could never be accused of lacking ambition when it comes to London's transport system. From Boris bikes to his new Routemaster-style bus, the Mayor is a man determined to leave a mark on the capital.

Manchester Evening News

• Delays across Metrolink network after power failureCommuters faced delays this morning when a power failure hit the Metrolink network. The problem started when a electricity sub-station failed at Metrolink's main depot at Queens Road in Cheetham Hill at about 5am. It meant there was no electricity in the overhead power lines within the depot, leaving trams stranded inside.
• Bury Metrolink line hit by delays after tram failure at Heaton Park causeTram passengers faced delays on the Bury Line today after a tram broke down. It happened at Heaton Park stop at about 1.30pm. Services between Bury and Victoria Station had to be suspended.

Blackpool Gazette

• Airport may lose homes block bidA DESPERATE plea to turn down housing estate plans amid fears it could halt Blackpool Airport’s expansion plans looks to have failed.

Bucks Free Press

• Time running out to tell Govt your views on HS2TIME is running out for you to tell the Government what you think about High Speed 2.

Carlisle News & Star

• Carlisle council delays decision on Stobart Group's city airport plan Stobart Group has been given more time to prove that its proposals to bring scheduled passenger flights and air freight to Carlisle Airport are realistic.

Other Regional Press

• Bristol to London rail line set to be best in UK Train passengers in Bristol could reach London Paddington in one hour 20 minutes within five years after Transport Secretary Philip Hammond officially launched a project to make the Great Western Main Line the best in the UK.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• New trial launched to reduce Heathrow delaysDelays from airports in the UK could be reduced if a pilot scheme being launched at Heathrow Airport is successful.A new trial has been unveiled by the aviation minister at the facility, which aims to cut down on unscheduled night flights and stacking.Theresa Villiers explained that new measures are being put in place in case of disruption to operations by poor weather and other incidents to allow for both runways to be used simultaneously for departures or arrivals in exceptional circumstances.She added: "Trialling these changes will allow their benefits and impacts to be assessed an...

Global Rail News

• Translink welcomes representatives to preview new trainsTranslink has welcomed a group of East Antrim assembly members along with Carrickfergus, Larne and Newtownabbey council representatives to a special new trains preview. The group ...
• First Capital Connect holds ˜Meet the Manager™ event at Stevenage stationIn a drive to engage more with its customers First Capital Connect held a Meet the Manager session on Tuesday at Stevenage Station. FCC Managers and ...
• Network Rail™s Charity Cricket Tournament raises £17,000The annual Rail Building and Civil Engineering Charity Cricket Tournament took place at The Walkers Ground, Southgate Cricket Club yesterday, hosted by Network Rail. The matches ...
• New public art at Hampstead Heath stationPassengers using Hampstead Heath station will now be greeted by the second artwork commissioned through the London Overground Public Art Programme – Evenings’ Hill, created by ...
• Philip Hammond announces £5bn rail investmentTransport secretary Philip Hammond announced a 10 year £5bn rail investment programme for the Great Western Main Line at Paddington station yesterday. The investment will be the ...
• Spain to receive EU co-funding for its high speed rail networkSpain is set to receive €2.24 million to help conduct studies into implementing a new high speed rail line between Bobadilla and Granada. The EU contribution will ...
• DB Schenker Rail UK awarded SQAS safety certificateSafety systems and processes for the transportation by rail freight of chemicals and petrol at DB Schenker Rail (UK) Ltd have been recognised by the award ...
• New Commercial Vice President for Invensys RailInvensys Rail has announced the appointment of Will Wilson to the position of Vice President, Commercial. Mr Wilson joins the company™s newly formed Executive team in ...
• Rotterdam port conducts study to build new railway yardA study to build a new railway yard in the outskirts of the Dutch city of Rotterdam has been selected by the EU for co-financing under ...
• Increased capacity for the Dutch rail networkA study to build a third railway track between Zevenaar in the Netherlands and the German border, will benefit from EU co-financing to the tune of ...
• Rail revenue sees growth at FirstGroupFirstGroup has provided an update on trading as part of its preliminary results announcement on 11 May 2011. Since then overall trading for the Group, during ...
• Centro introduces online ticketingCommuters in the West Midlands can now save money on their travel tickets – without leaving the house. A new scheme from transport authority Centro means ...

Aviation Industry

• After pause, airlines seeking to raise fares againSome of the nation's largest airlines said Friday they raised fares by up to $10 per round trip, the first broad increase in three months.
• Heathrow proposals fail to solve œchronic congestionThe DfT plans to help Heathrow recover after disruption do not go far enough, according to Mike Carrivick, CEO of BAR UK

Other News Sources

• New Crossrail Board appointments Former Arup Chairman Terry Hill CBE will join the Board on 1 September 2011. Current Non-Executive Board member, Heather Rabbatts CBE, has been re-appointed for a further three-year term from 13 August 2011.
• Bombardier fight gathers strength Solidarity was sent out to Bombardier workers at a meeting to fuel the campaign against the loss of more than 1,400 jobs at the train firm.