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

Wednesday, 17 August 2011

BBC News

• Belfast city centre bus stops to change There will be changes to some bus services and stops in Belfast from 1 September.
• Town £60m revamp bus station openA new bus station which will form part of a £60m redevelopment of Llanelli town centre opens.
• Cross-border rail fare to rise 8%Some rail fares for passengers crossing the Welsh border will rise by an average of 8%, but ticket prices inside Wales have yet to be set.
• Safety fears hit famed rail routeThe BBC learns that passengers using the Belfast to Londonderry railway line are to be taken by bus between Coleraine and Derry for up to two years because of concerns over safety.

The Guardian

• Rail users aren't rich. They can't take these fare rises We are evolving towards a £10,000 season ticket for some commuters. Passengers are bearing the brunt of privatisation

The Herald

• Public being railroaded into new train fare rises Even for Margaret Thatcher, the privatisation of railways was a step too far.
• North Sea oil leak continues as Shell under fireOIL was continuing to spill from a pipe below a platform in the North Sea last night, days after operator Shell said the problem was under control.
• This is a genuine war on rail travelPeople want affordable, reliable public transport.
• Commuters angry as cost of train tickets to rise 6% RAIL commuters in Scotland reacted with horror yesterday to the prospect of a major hike in fares in the new year.
• ˜I think it™s pretty cheeky™Rail passengers have reacted with anger at the prospect of having to pay more for their journeys from the New Year.

The Independent

• If the future lies in train travel, it needs to be affordable The rail network clearly needs major investment, but slapping on huge fare rises is not the answer. In the wake of the train fare increases announced yesterday, the Rail Minister, Theresa Villiers, made what has become the Government's stock response: investment in the rail network is desperately needed, and deficit reduction is the overwhelming priority. Therefore the burden of paying for train services must be shifted away from the taxpayer and on to passengers
• Letter from the editor: Pining for British Rail Where are you reading your copy of i today? Perhaps you are picking us up for the first time boarding a BA plane to somewhere exotic. If so, welcome.
• Age of the pain as commuters face 8 per cent rise in ticket prices Rail passengers are set to see ticket-price rises of around 8 per cent after an increase in the amount operators can raise fares over the rate of inflation came into effect. The changes mean that a monthly season ticket between Oxford and London is likely to increase by £31.52 to £425.52 per month.

The Telegraph

• Transport minister appeals for hush on buses and trains The incessant stream of announcements on trains and buses are a daily irritant for passengers across the country. At last a transport minister has said enough is enough and made a plea for the travelling public to be left in peace. Norman Baker intends to have a word with transport providers to bring an end to what he dismissed as “confetti commentary.”

Mail Online

• Rail ticket prices: Misery for travellers as fares to soar by up to 13% as inflation risesRail fare rises of up to 30 per cent over the next four years have been denounced as a 'national scandal' that will price millions of people off trains.

The Mirror

• Unions write to Transport Secretary demanding answers after Bombardier missed out on Thameslink deal THE ConDems are being urged to follow the example of Germany and defend staff at Britain’s last train maker.
• Inflation-busting 8% average rail fares increase from January RAIL passengers face an inflation-busting 8% fares rise next year, it emerged yesterday.

Bristol Live

• Rail fares to rocket across city RAIL fares in Bristol will rocket in the new year – and there is no let-up for passengers with more steep hikes on the way.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Commuters face 8% rail fare hike - with video Commuters will have to fork out an average of 8% more for their rail tickets in the new year following the announcement today of last month’s inflation figures.

Journal Live

• Prudhoe road repairs ruined after torrential rain TORRENTIAL rain closed a stretch of Northumberland road – just days after it had been resurfaced.

Manchester Evening News

• Rail travellers face 8 per cent fare hikes in New YearHard-hit rail commuters face average fare hikes of 8 per cent in the new year, official figures revealed today, as the wider consumer spending squeeze tightens its grip.

Morning Star

• Unions want Bombardier bid answers Transport unions have written a scathing letter to the government demanding to know why it excluded a British train builder from a £1.5 billion Thameslink contract.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post commented End of bus-only route welcomed as 'brilliant news' for ...Article

The York Press

• Bus cuts reduce village services PASSENGERS in villages near York will lose out when a number of changes to bus services are made later this month.

Yorkshire Post

• Region on track for £150m boost with new rail link to London Millions of people in Yorkshire could be set to benefit from new train services to London within three years, bringing up to £150m of economic benefit to the region.
• Video: Outrage as rail season tickets set to rise by 8%COMMUTERS will have to fork out an average of 8% more for their rail season tickets in the new year - with prices in West Yorkshire set to rise by ten per cent.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Council leader pays back First Class rail claimMORE than £2,000 was claimed on travel expenses by Peterborough councillors for trips outside of the local authority area.
• Have your say: Rail commuters facing season ticket price hike2.40pm: Rail commuters to and from Peterborough are facing a price rise on season tickets from next year.

Other Regional Press

• Sounds familiar..? Eight per cent fare increase is same percentage who end up standing because there aren’t enough seats on some trains from NorfolkRegular commuters between Norfolk and London will shoulder the cost of improvements to the county’s rail network, train companies said last night.
• Rail fares to rise by 8% in 2012 COMMUTERS will have to fork out an average of 8% more for their rail tickets in the new year following the announcement today of last month’s inflation figures.
• £5m bus station revamp set to be given the green lightPlans to develop a £5million bus interchange are expected to be approved by councillors later this week.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Race held to determine transport speedsA truck and a train have completed a race to see which is able to deliver freight fastest.The Euro 5 Mercedes-Benz Actros 1860 MegaSpace 4x2 tractor unit beat the train by travelling in the shortest time from Daventry International rail freight terminal to the Coatbridge container terminal in Glasgow.The latest £2 million GM Class 66 train model was pitted against the lorry and both simultaneously set off from the start line in order to test them in real-life operating conditions.Run by magazine Commercial Motor, the freight head-to-head saw both forms of transport run relatively smo...

Global Rail News

• Strachan to oversee major transport projects for DfTPeter Strachan has been appointed by the DfT to a new role overseeing major transport projects. The one time head of Wales and Borders has been ...
• March unites industry in DerbyEven the local football club has come down on the side of railway workers at Litchurch Lane in Derby – threatened with closure when the Thameslink ...
• Litchurch flyer for ChilternAnother show-stopping train built at Litchurch Lane, Derby, England, has arrived at Chiltern Railways. The latest train to roll off Bombardier’s production line in Derby has ...
• Minister for Employment visits Southend AirportChris Grayling MP, Minister for Employment, joined local MPs James Duddridge and Mark Francois at London Southend airport to meet new recruits at the airport. Airport ...
• Top team success for Unipart RailUnipart Rail has appointed George Tillier as General Manager (T&RS) in Doncaster. He will report directly into John Clayton, Unipart Group Director. George has been with ...
• New chairman for Severn Valley RailwayThe Severn Valley Railway has appointed Nick Paul as chairman of its operating company, Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) plc. Mr Paul has previously headed the regional ...
• Watchdog warns of up to 13% rail fare increase in 2012Rail passengers will face the first of three years of ‘inflation-busting fare rises’ in January 2012. The RPI figure released today, confirms that the new formula ...
• Acts of Kindness on the UndergroundAs part of the Art on the Underground project TfL is running an exhibition of stories which tell of the innumerable acts of kindness that play ...
• David Franks joins KeolisDavid Franks has joined Keolis as managing director for New Franchises. Mr Franks will be based in Keolis UK™s London office and will report directly to ...
• Garry Gilby becomes President of SOEA former London Transport apprentice is the new president of the SOE. Garry Gilby became President of the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE) during the organisation™s ...
• Green light for Altrincham Interchange refurbishmentA major redevelopment of Altrincham Interchange has been approved by Trafford Council. Transport for Greater Manchester™s proposals were given the seal of approval at a meeting ...
• National Express East Anglia provides extra trains for V Festival 2011National Express East Anglia is providing extra train services for the ˜V Festival™ 2011. Festival-goers travelling to the ˜V Festival™ in Chelmsford, on Saturday 20 and ...
• Train companies respond to rail fares increaseIn response to the news that regulated fares will rise by an average of 8% in January, David Mapp, Commercial Director at the Association of Train Operating ...
• Gatwick Express introduces e-ticket and m-ticket options onlineGatwick Express, the non-stop rail-air link between central London and Gatwick Airport, has introduced e-ticket and m-ticket options online. The e-ticket option allows customers to print ...
• Passengers join rail demo at Waterloo Station to ˜demand fair fares™Campaign for Better Transport staged a demonstration at Waterloo Station this morning as part of their Fair Fares Now campaign on the day commuters found out ...
• Thameslink works continue around London Bridge stationContinuing works by Network Rail in the London Bridge area will mean that London Bridge bus station will be closed to buses and taxis this weekend. ...
• How will rail fare increases affect you?Following this morning’s announcement that regulated train fares will rise by an average of 8% in January 2012, the Association of Train Operating Companies has outlined ...
• First Transpennine Express staff vote for strike action over payMembers of Britain™s biggest rail union at First Transpennine Express have voted for strike action after the company ‘refused to budge from a 2.2% pay offer that would amount ...

Aviation Industry

• More services from Southampton to Europe's oil capitalEastern Airways is introducing even more choice of services to benefit south coast travellers with additional non-stop direct flights from Southampton Airport to Aberdeen...
• No. 1 Traveller opens first Heathrow loungeA new lounge featuring a cinema, games room and spa has opened at Heathrow™s Terminal 3

Other News Sources

• First Transpennine staff vote for action over pay and conditionsMEMBERS OF Britain's biggest rail union at First Transpennine have voted for strike action after the company refused to budge from a 2.2 per cent pay offer that would amount to a substantial pay cut.
• TfL to trap pollution on road surfacesTransport for London (TfL) has today announced plans to use its Clean Air Fund to increase the use of dust suppressant on roads and construction sites, and install vertical planters to trap pollution in the capital.