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

Thursday, 17 November 2011

BBC News

• Aberystwyth bus and train access in £2.5m facelift Aberystwyth is to receive a £2.5m facelift which will improve access to the town's railway station and an area for buses.
• Highland anger over rail plan [video]Scotland's national transport agency has raised the possibility of scrapping or franchising off the cross-border overnight sleeper train services.
• New electric car charging points for Brighton drivers The number of on-street charging points for Brighton and Hove's 22 registered electric car users has been doubled.
• Airlines call for Air Passenger Duty to be scrapped Four airlines from the UK and Irish Republic are calling for the UK government to scrap Air Passenger Duty.
• Airline probes '£20k fuel demand'An airline is to launch an investigation after reports it asked passengers stranded in Austria to pay £20,000 towards the cost of fuel to fly back to the UK.
• £2.5m for bus and railway linksAberystwyth is to receive a £2.5m facelift which will improve access to the town's railway station and an area for buses.
• Council warns on road conditionsA total of £11m is needed to put Conwy county's roads in good condition, but the council says they are deteriorating faster than they can be fixed.
• EU to test airport body scannersBody scanners in use at Manchester Airport are to be tested by the European Commission over concerns they carry health risks.
• Commuters hit by Tube suspensionThousands of passengers face disruption after the London Underground service on the Central Line was partially suspended for more than six hours.
• Dubai Airshow: Emirates eyes new routesDubai™s flagship carrier Emirates pushes ahead
• Qatar flexes its muscle in Airbus dealBig order highlights Qatar Airway's growth plans

Financial Times

• US airlines fight Air-India financingA lobby group has sued to stop the US Export-Import Bank from providing credit guarantees to back the sale of Boeing aircraft
• Row over second Chinese ship company's paymentsGrand China withholds payments on charter vessels after the rates for dry bulk ships dropped sharply
• SeaFrance under liquidation threatA French court has rejected takeover offers for the cross-Channel ferry operator but extended the deadline for bids until the middle of December

The Herald

• Government lays groundwork for U-turn over rail reformsTHE Scottish Government has laid the groundwork for an embarrassing U-turn on rail reform following a furore over proposals to hike fares, increase some journey times and force passengers to stand for longer periods.

The Independent

• Bitter airline rivals fly the same flag to fight tax rise Osborne's plan to raise air passenger duty faces an unusually united front of opposition

The Telegraph

• SeaFrance placed into liquidation Seafrance, the troubled French ferry company, was put into liquidation by a Paris commercial court which rejected two bids to save the cross-Channel operator.

Press Association

• Minister defends rail consultation A leading Scottish Government minister has insisted a consultation on rail services was aimed at making them "fit for purpose".

Daily Express

• EasyJet pays dividend as profits go sky highNO-FRILLS airline easyJet signalled a potential end to the scramble for seats on budget flights as cost cuts and more business travel boosted profits.

Mail Online

• Comtel Air passengers forced to have £20k whip-round to pay for fuelMore than 180 were left stranded on their Boeing 757 when cabin crew announced during a refuelling stop that the Austrian carrier Comtel Air had ‘run out of money’.

The Mirror

• Air passengers 'held to ransom'Authorities are seeking reassurances from an airline after passengers claimed they were forced into a whip-round to fund the remainder of their trip back to Britain.

Network Rail

• THAMESLINK PLATFORM EXTENSIONS COMPLETE: LONGER TRAINS TO FOLLOW

Birmingham Mail

• Midland passengers held to 'ransom' by airlineFURIOUS plane passengers were forced to hand over 23,400 euros (around £20,000) in cash to get back to Birmingham last night after enduring a four-day delay

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Speed limits to be reviewed on Flintshire roadsSPEED limits in Flintshire are set to be reviewed.

Journal Live

• Newcastle Airport technology helps to make travel less stressfulFLYING can be stressful for some travellers - but a North East airport is hoping their latest technological solution will really take off.

Liverpool Post

• Liverpool John Lennon Airport private jet passengers 'waved through' security checksPASSENGERS in private jets are “waved through” John Lennon Airport without passport checks, it was claimed yesterday, in a fresh row over border security.

London Evening Standard

• EasyJet to charge extra for seats with more legroomEasyjet is to surcharge customers who want to sit in premium seats such as the front rows and on the wings.
• Air passengers 'held to ransom'Authorities are seeking reassurances from an airline after passengers claimed they were forced into a whip-round to fund the remainder of their trip back to Britain.

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Airport chiefs 'in the dark over relaxed security’ Manchester Airport bosses had ˜no idea™ that passport controls were allegedly relaxed under their noses, the M.E.N. can reveal. It is understood they only found out they were embroiled in a national security row yesterday “ 10 days after news of the potential scandal first emerged.
• Major train disruption between Manchester and Sheffield after derailmentCommuters on trains across Greater Manchester are being hit by delays after a derailment in Derbyshire. Trains between Sheffield and Manchester Airport are being hit by 20-minute delays after a freight train derailed in Edale. Replacement buses are being used.

Metro

• Central Line delays from 'melted rail track' cause chaos for LondonersA problem with an area of track in the Shepherd's Bush area has caused severe delays to Central Line services on London's Underground system, with speculation the rail itself 'melted'.
• Comtel air passengers 'forced to stump up £20,000 to get off flight'Gobsmacked travellers were forced to stage a whip-round to get home after their airline ran out of money.
• EU bans 'naked' airport security scanners after cancer fearsX-ray body scanners at airports have been banned by Brussels amid fears they could cause cancer.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post commented Call for buses' seatbelts as girl is scarred for lifeArticle

The York Press

• North York Moors Railway celebrate lottery funding RADIO 1 DJ Sara Cox and comedian Rufus Hound have climbed on board the cab of a steam train on the North York Moors Railway as part of a lottery celebration.

Bucks Free Press

• Anger at train cancellation as platform is too small A GROUP of rail users has been left fuming after one of the busiest morning trains to London has been cancelled from Saunderton because the platform is too small.
• Gritters get more manpower to cope with snowA COUNCIL has increased its manpower to grit Buckinghamshire's roads this winter “ with up to 60 drivers ready to be called in if it snows.

Crewe Chronicle

• UK & World News: Air passengers 'held to ransom'Authorities are seeking reassurances from an airline after passengers claimed they were forced into a whip-round to fund the remainder of their trip back to Britain.

Other Regional Press

• Derbyshire business group’s call over airports DERBYSHIRE and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce has called on the Government to create additional capacity at UK airports, including East Midlands, and scrap the proposed increase in Air Passenger Duty.
• Plan could spark rail passenger miseryRAIL passengers could face fare increases soaring ahead of inflation, longer journeys and be forced to stand for lengthy periods.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Secretary of state for transport vows to improve rail networkThe secretary of state for transport Justine Greening has pledged to improve the UK's rail network for passengers.In a written statement, Ms Greening said the recent McNulty report showing how rail fares could be cut by one-third show that action can and must be taken.She revealed that the UK's railways are the most expensive in Europe and outlined plans to publish a Command Paper that will set out proposals to deliver a sustainable rail system."My department is committed to working with the rail industry to develop a strategy to deliver a better value railway for the ...

Global Rail News

• Cupar station named ˜Best Adopted Station 2011²Cupar Station in Fife has been named as Scotland™s ˜Best Adopted Station 2011™ by Passenger Focus, the independent passenger watchdog. The award follows the creation of a ...
• Sittingbourne station footbridge lifted into placePassengers at Sittingbourne station were recently greeted with their new station footbridge, which was lifted into place over the weekend. Together with the installation of two new ...
• Kirby Cross station blossomsNational Express East Anglia, Parker™s Garden Company and local station adopter Tim Ward have worked together to transform the station garden at Kirby Cross, Essex. Parkers ...
• Alex Hynes appointed Go-Ahead™s new Managing Director of Rail DevelopmentAlex Hynes, Commercial Director of London Midland has been appointed Go-Ahead™s Managing Director – Rail Development. Alex succeeds Patrick Verwer, who has been appointed Managing Director ...
• Chris clocks off after 33 years on the railsChris Hopkins of National Express East Anglia (NXEA) has just retired after completing over 33 years on the railway. Friends and colleagues were on hand to ...
• Merseyrail takes top honour at Excellence AwardsA passenger train operator has been named as the overall winner of the North of England Excellence Awards 2011. Merseyrail, which provides rail services within Liverpool ...
• VTG continues on its path of growthWith its third-quarter results, the Hamburg based wagon hire and rail logistics company VTG Aktiengesellschaft saw the positive trend of the first six months of 2011 ...
• The National Engineering & Construction Recruitment ExhibitionThe National Engineering & Construction Recruitment Exhibition will be held on 25 and 26 November 2011 at the NEC in Birmingham. Located in Hall 11, the ...
• New Western route opens for businessNetwork Rail has set out its vision and priorities for the railway in South West of England as it launches a new independent business unit based ...
• Leicester station to be ˜lighter and brighter™Leicester is getting a freshen up and a lighter, brighter entrance to the station. Listed building consent was recently received to complete the works inside the ...
• Railfest 2012 celebration in YorkThe National Railway Museum in York is planning a nine day celebration of Britain’s railways next year. The festival will bring together over 30 record-breaking locomotives ...

Railnews

• Sleepers, through trains and alcohol all in the balance Proposals for ScotRail after the present franchise expires in 2014 include suggestions that trains from England should not travel further north than Edinburgh, and that alcohol should be banned on all trains. Some fares could rise, while sleeper services are also set to be reduced and possibly run by a separate franchise.

Aviation Industry

• Addressing airport operators at the AOA conferenceAfter a busy time with consultation responses and presentations, in the last fortnight we™ve been catching up on news items for the web (see our Latest News), preparing for our members™ AGM and dealing with casework inquiries. Tim spoke at the Airport Operators Association™s annual conference in London (the event at which Maria Eagle set [...]
• Buyers call for improved securityThe majority of business travel buyers think airports in Europe should improve their security processes for frequent travellers

Other News Sources

• Scotrail to be busted apart to increase scope for private profitRAIL UNION RMT today slammed plans that would see the current Scotrail franchise broken up in to five separate fragments - increasing the scope for profiteering, higher fares and duplication of efforts.
• News from John Biggs: Mayor Forgets Barking & Dagenham as Transport Crime Rises 16 November, 2011 According to figures releases by TfL today, between Apr-Sep 2010/11 and Apr “ Sep 2011/12, crime on the transport network in Barking & Dagenham went up by 4.5%.   The figures are even worse on the bus network with an 11% rise in crime, including 17% increase in drug offences and 25% increase in theft. 360-house-thumb.jpg Yes read more
• Crime on London's transport network falls again 16 November, 2011   The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has welcomed new figures that reveal crime on the capital's transport network is continuing to fall. Crime on the bus network is now at its lowest rate in over seven years, with just 9.3 crimes per million passenger journeys in the first half of 2011/12.   360-house-thumb.jpg Yes read more
• Government must act on fuel dutyThe government must heed the advice of its own MPs and overhaul its fuel duty policy to avoid doing further damage to the industry and the ...
• Road lighting trials reviewed by DefraA report published by Defra today reviews local authority lighting initiatives aimed at reducing costs, minimising light pollution & cutting carbon emissions.
• Government u-turn in face of legal challenge to London's air pollution planGovernment to consult on London's air quality plan
• MPs accuse Government of inaction on air pollution health crisisThe House of Commons Environmental Audit Select Committee accuse Government of inaction on resolving dangerous levels of air pollution in the UK.
• Crossrail inviting tenders for £35 million stationCrossrail has issued an OJEU notice for the £35 million design and build of Custom House station.