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

Friday, 12 August 2011

BBC News

• Police warning after planks placed on Derby rail track Transport police have issued a warning after children placed planks of wood on a stretch of railway line in Derby.
• England 'isolated' by bus service cuts [audio - Today Programme]Big cuts to bus services in England are holding vulnerable people back, especially the elderly, young or disabled, from working, being educated, or getting sufficient health care, according to the Transport Select Committee.
• Cheap and fast hydrogen for fuel An enzyme from a microbe has shown how to make hydrogen more quickly and more cheaply.
• Heathrow sees record passengersHeathrow saw a record 6.9 million passengers in July and had its busiest day in history as planes filled up for the summer holidays.
• Rail overcrowding 'getting worse'Rush-hour overcrowding on London and south-east England rail routes is worsening, statistics have shown.
• Rise in airport passenger numbersPassenger traffic rose at Scotland's three major airports last month with Edinburgh Airport recording 16 July as its busiest day ever.
• Roads and trains hit by floodingTrain operators work to fully restore services after heavy rain caused disruption in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Department for Transport

• 8800 extra spaces for busy trains on key routesSpace for up to an extra 8,800 rail passengers is being created on key commuter services in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle, Rail Minister Theresa Villiers announced today.

Financial Times

• Calls for action after rise in rail overcrowdingTrain operators are cramming in up to 20 per cent more commuters in the morning peak than their trains were designed to carry, according to official figures
• China suspends new high speed rail plansBeijing has suspended plans for new high speed rail lines in an effort to restore confidence in the system following last month's fatal crash
• American Eagle closer to spin-off from AMRParent company of American Airlines files key paperwork with regulators in move to spin off regional jet unit

The Guardian

• Rural transport cuts put essential services out of reach Cuts to countryside buses put jobs, education and healthcare out of rural-dwellers' reach – and reduce air quality
• London Paddington station worst for overcrowded trainsTransport poll shows up First Great Western services with one Reading train cramming in 610 commuters, double its capacityTwo into one will go “ just. Commuters piling on to the 6.37am First Great Western service from Reading last autumn probably did not need telling they were on the most overcrowded train into London Paddington.For parts of their 67-minute journey, there were 610 passengers in the three standard class carriages, double the official capacity.Other commuters from down the Thames Valley were not much luckier, according to a snapshot survey released by the Department for Transpo...

The Herald

• Scots airports see rise in passengersSCOTLAND™S biggest three airports saw an increase in passenger numbers last month, with Edinburgh enjoying its busiest month on record.
• New bypass to top £400mTHE cost of building a controversial 28-mile bypass around Aberdeen could exceed previous estimates of £400 million, its backers have admitted, after a legal challenge to the route was swept aside.

The Telegraph

• BAA traffic boosted by Heathrow holidaymakers BAA, the airport operator, reported increased passenger levels at its airports last month after the number of people flying out of Heathrow soared to a record 6.87m in July.
• British Airways to recruit 800 pilots British Airways is turning to YouTube to boost its biggest pilot recruitment campaign.
• Rail overcrowding worsensCommuters faced worse overcrowding last year with passengers travelling to Leeds and Paddington most likely to find themselves standing during the rush hour.

Daily Express

• GROWING SCANDAL OF OUR CROWDED TRAINS OVERCROWDING on Britain’s trains is getting worse, according to Government figures released yesterday.
• Virgin Atlantic flies back into the blackVIRGIN Atlantic soared back into the black last year helped by a recovery in business travel and strong demand for Caribbean holidays.
• British cars lift TataSoaring demand for Land Rovers and Jaguars in China and Russia has helped drive sales at parent company Tata Motors of India.
• BAA's long-haul gainPASSENGER numbers at airports operator BAA hit 11million last month as strong demand for North America and other long-haul destinations offset a sharp fall in domestic traffic.

Mail Online

• Record over-crowding on trains as up to 60 per cent of peak services are standingMorning rush-hour overcrowding is at its worst on services into London's Paddington station, according to statistics from the Office of Rail Regulation.

ATOC

• Train companies respond to latest overcrowding figuresResponding to the latest figures on overcrowded train services,...

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham trains most overcrowded during afternoon rush hour, new figures reveal Rush-hour overcrowding on some of England’s busiest rail routes is worsening.

Derby Telegraph

• MP ANGRY OVER RESPONSE TO LETTER DERBY North MP Chris Williamson has reacted angrily to a response he received from Transport Minister Theresa Villiers over Siemens' ability to deliver lightweight bogies for the Thameslink rail contract.
• Former official demands release of £1.4bn Thameslink deal documents A FORMER Government adviser has called on Transport Secretary Philip Hammond to reveal whether his department took corruption charges against Siemens into account when it awarded the firm the £1.4 billion Thameslink rail contract.
• Bombardier still rewards its long-serving workers [letter]FRANK Dunne is wrong in saying long-service awards are no longer given (Sad times if we lose our skilled train workers, August 5).
• Derby Telegraph commented Pressure is on to lower price of dieselArticle

Journal Live

• MPs warn bus service cuts damage employment prospects CUTS to bus services are damaging people’s employment prospects and even worse reductions are to come, MPs have warned.

Liverpool Post

• Jaguar Land Rover continues on road to recovery with better quarterly sales and profits SALES of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) models continue to rise, new figures from Indian parent company Tata Motors reveal.
• Bus funding cuts slammed by Liverpool MP and Government committee HARSH cuts to bus services are preventing people from taking up jobs, visiting sick relatives, shopping and going to college, a stinging report by MPs warns today.

Manchester Evening News

• Big bus firms need more competition, says ’value’ probeBus firms in Greater Manchester face little competition for services, according to a major inquiry. The Competition Commission is investigating ways of improving rivalry between bus operators. It has already found that too many face little or no competition “ leaving passengers facing less frequent services and higher fares.

Metro

• BA uses YouTube for biggest recruitment drive in ten yearsBritish Airways is expanding its horizons by using YouTube as a commercial tool to entice potential aviators to its latest pilot recruitment launch.
• Train overcrowding getting worse, says reportRush-hour trains are getting more crowded, with some services into London carrying up to double the number of standard-class passengers they have room for, a report has warned.

Northern Echo

• Major changes planned for Durham's taxis ACCESS to a main road is to be restricted and three new taxi ranks created, under plans aimed at easing congestion in a city centre.

Other Regional Press

• Tide of anger over £1m bill for roadside ˜waves™Angry residents have slammed a council for spending almost £1 million on an œugly roadside art project.

Global Rail News

• Train companies respond to latest rail overcrowding figuresResponding to the latest figures on overcrowded train services, a spokesperson for the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) said: œFaster trains and better services are ...
• ORR publishes latest rail crowding statisticsNew rail passenger crowding statistics have been published today by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). The latest rail crowding statistics, published in the ‘Peak crowding ...
• ATOC responds to ˜low passenger satisfaction™ reportPassenger Focus recently published a report on how rail passengers travel to the station which revealed low passenger satisfaction with car parking facilities at stations. Passengers ...
• First Great Western adds 900 seats to Bristol routesFirst Great Western has welcomed the Department for Transport’s announcement confirming provision of additional train carriages for the Bristol area. The news will see more than ...
• China™s high speed rail crash “ What really happened?On 1st July 2011, the flagship project of China™s high speed rail programme, the Beijing to Shanghai route, began operations. Premier Wen Jiabao opened the line ...
• NXEA to provide extra services for Cromer CarnivalNational Express East Anglia is providing extra train services to the Cromer Carnival on Wednesday 17 August. Extra train services will run between Norwich and Cromer ...
• Network Rail™s new project partnerships cut delivery timesNetwork Rail today announced the next stage of its plans to reform project delivery to save money in the rail industry. Projects will be delivered more ...
• Rail fares campaign to stage demonstration over ticket pricesRail fare campaigners, environmental groups and trade unions are staging a demonstration at Waterloo Station on Tuesday 16 August on the day commuters find out how ...
• Amtrak launches iPhone ticketing appAmtrak passengers can now plan trips, purchase tickets, modify existing reservations, check train schedules and view station information from the convenience of an iPhone with the ...

Aviation Industry

• Virgin to invest £100m in product innovationFollowing pre-tax profits of £18.5m over the last year

Other News Sources

• Invertec Delivers complete ceiling system to Viseon Trolley BusInvertec Have delivered a complete ceiling system to Viseon Bus in Pilsting for their new LT20 low floor Trolley bus.
• CTTC calls for new transport philosophy Ireland’s Coach Tourism & Travel Council has called on the country’s Department of Transport to change its philosophy to one that “throws off the dead weight of the CIE companies, and one that will facilitate the better service and lower costs of the private sector”.
• Bus service cuts threaten most vulnerable Bus passengers are facing above inflation fare rises and loss of services because of government spending cuts, according to a report by MPs.