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

Wednesday, 21 December 2011

BBC News

• Rail fare rises 'jeopardise growth', says campaigner [video]Train fares will rise by an average of 5.9% in January 2012, the Association of Train Operating Companies has said.
• Extra police patrols on festive East Midlands trains A campaign is under way by British Transport Police (BTP) to combat anti-social behaviour in railway stations and on trains.
• Drunk conductor was left on Dundee platform A drunken conductor who was left behind on the platform after his train left without him has been fined £1,000.
• Work may cause one-hour M8 delaysEssential maintenance work on the M8 White Cart Viaduct near Glasgow Airport could cause one-hour delays, drivers are warned.
• Travel advice over Christmas and New Year in London The London transport network will be running a reduced service over the nine-day Christmas and New Year period so here is a guide to what is running and when.

Financial Times

• Airport noise focus must change, says CAA˜Policy should give consideration to mitigating the effects of noise and finding ways for residents and airport owners to engage™
• Thrifty customers keep NatExpress on trackConsumers opting to take public transport have bus and rail group heading towards meeting 2011 revenue expectations

The Guardian

• National Express dips on bus competition fears despite upbeat trading news Transport group says it will be profitable in all its division, but plans to encourage new entrants into bus market hit shares

The Independent

• Rail costs shift to passengers with ticket price hikeTrain companies were yesterday accused of attempting to

The Scotsman

• Growth in all directions for National Express National Express has finished the year in “excellent shape”, the transport group’s chief executive said yesterday as he pointed to sales growth across all divisions.
• Conductor who lost train fined £1,000 A DRUNK train conductor who was left standing on a station platform after his train left without him was fined £1,000 yesterday. Simon Stansfield was due to take over from another conductor on the Edinburgh to Inverurie train at Dundee on 19 November. But after stepping off to check all the doors were closed, he got left behind when the driver pulled out of the station.

The Telegraph

• Rail fares to soar next yearCommuters are facing fare rises of up to eight per cent next year, with many season tickets in the South East breaking the £4,000 barrier.
• Passengers face longer bus waits because of lack of competitionPassengers are having to wait longer for buses because of a lack of competition between operators, an investigation has found.

Daily Record

• Train passengers across Scotland to face inflation-busting 5.9% rise in fares from January 2TRAIN passengers will be paying more for their journeys from next month as fares are set to increase by almost 6.0 per cent in Scotland.

Mail Online

• National Express on track with 2011 forecasts Bus and rail operator National Express said it is on track to report 2011 results in line with forecasts.
• UK rail fare increase: Train ticket prices to soar by up to 11% in New YearCommuter groups were furious that while the average rise from January 2 will be 5.9 per cent, some passengers could see fares go up by far more.

The Mirror

• Bus passengers £300million out of pocket by lack of competition MILLIONS of bus passengers are being taken for a ride as five firms run 70% of services, an investigation has found.

ATOC

• Rail fares for 2012 now availableTrain fares will rise by an average of 5.9% in January 2012, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) said today. From today, fares valid from 2nd January 2012 can be found at National...

Network Rail

• NETWORK RAIL AWARDS £55m EGIP CONTRACTSMorgan Sindall to build new £25m Haymarket station BamNuttall awarded £27m bridgeworks contractCarillion to deliver £3m of track alterations

Birmingham Post

• Rail fares to rise by average 5.9%, say train operatorsTrain fares will rise by an average of 5.9% in January, the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc) has said.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented Bombardier's rival 'should be booted out of rail-deal race'Article
• Derby Telegraph commented Bus company set to increase its faresArticle

Liverpool Post

• Liverpool John Lennon airport bosses pledge to cope with any strikes over ChristmasLIVERPOOL John Lennon airport bosses last night insisted they were ready to cope with the huge Christmas rush – despite the prospect of staff strikes blighting the festive period.

London Evening Standard

• New cable theft brings chaos to London trainsCable thieves have struck again causing major disruption for tens of thousands of commuters into Liverpool Street station

Manchester Evening News

• Video: Rail fares to rise by average of 6pc in new yearRail travellers will return to work in the new year to face inflation-busting fare rises on a network where punctuality is worsening on some routes, it was revealed today. Just a day after rail regulators highlighted failings in getting trains to run on time, companies announced that fares would rise on January 2 by an average of 5.9%. Regulated fares, which include season tickets, will go up by an average of 6%.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Scots rail travellers on track for 6% fare rises in new yearRAIL fares across Scotland are increasing by an inflation-busting 6% in two weeks.

Yorkshire Post

• National Express benefits from the switch to public transport transport group National Express has finished the year in “excellent shape”, said its boss, as the company reported sales growth across all its divisions.
• lack of rivalry between busesPASSENGERS suffer from a lack of healthy rivalry between bus companies, competition chiefs have said.
• Video: As punctuality plummets, your Metro season ticket is going up 8% next month.RAIL travellers will return to work in the new year to face inflation-busting fare rises on a network where punctuality is worsening on some routes, it was revealed today.
• Rail travellers facing new year fare rises of 5.9pc or even moreHARD-PRESSED train passengers face average fare rises of 5.9 per cent from January 2, but some tickets will go up by more.

Bucks Free Press

• 800 responses over parents paying for school bus travelRESPONSES to cost cutting plans to make parents pay for school bus travel have been flooding in to council chiefs.
• Bucks rail commuters hit with 6% fare increaseBUCKS rail commuters will have to swallow fare increases of about six per cent next year.

Burnley Express

• Could bus station electronic timetables be saved?BUS users are campaigning to keep electronic timetable displays at Burnley Bus Station.

Other Regional Press

• Rail cops to be trained in fighting sectarianismPOLICE officers working on Scotland™s rail network are to be specially trained in dealing with trouble linked to sectarianism.
• Fury as Scottish train fares increase by 6%TRAIN travellers are facing a big rise in fares after ScotRail today announced the cost of all journeys would go up by 6%.

Global Rail News

• Rail fares to rise 5.9% in JanuaryTrain fares will rise by an average of 5.9% in January 2012, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) said today. From today, fares valid from ...
• Boxing Day Tube strike faces legal actionLondon Underground (LU) has commenced legal action challenging the validity of the strike called by the Aslef union’s leadership over its claims for additional Boxing Day ...
• Giant Olympic Rings unveiled at entrance of Channel TunnelA giant set of Olympic Rings has today been unveiled on the entrance to Channel Tunnel in France to celebrate 20/12 Day. The Rings have been ...
• Major construction complete on King™s Cross Western concourseOver 600 people “ from engineers, electricians and builders to carpenters, stone masons and abseilers “ who are working to transform King™s Cross station got into ...
• Russian Railways orders high speed trains from SiemensThe Russian rail operator RZD has placed an order for another eight ‘Velaro RUS’ high speed trains plus a maintenance contract extending over 30 years. The ...
• East Coast and Premier Models choose winners of model searchTrain operator East Coast and Premier Model Management “ stars of Channel 4™s The Model Agency programme “ unveiled the winners of the East Coast Premier ...
• Rail freight companies present requirements for European CorridorYesterday in Berlin the CEOs of four rail freight companies “ DB Schenker Rail (Germany), TX Logistik (Germany), SBB Cargo (Switzerland) and BLS Cargo (Switzerland) “ ...
• Access improvement works at Pitsea station completePassengers at Pitsea station have step-free access between the station entrance and all platforms for the first time, following the completion of a major improvement scheme ...
• ScotRail launches new mobile phone appTrain operator ScotRail has launched a new “ free – mobile phone app that provides ˜real time™ train running information throughout the UK combined with an ...
• Siemens to install ETCS technology in RomaniaSiemens is to install the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 on the rail link between Chitila and Crivina in Romania. Romanian Railways has placed ...
• Train engineer competes in World Solar ChallengeA Chiltern Railways engineer designed, built and ran a solar car in one of the most difficult environments on the planet. Richard Flint, 27 years old ...

Railnews

• 2012 rail fare rise is 5.9% after government rethink Train operators say rail fares will rise by an average of 5.9 per cent next month, which is about 2 per cent less than had been expected before the Chancellor's Autumn Spending Statement.
• Transport for London refuses to accept more new trains Transport for London has refused to accept any more new S-Stock subsurface trains from Bombardier in Derby for the time being, because of 'reliability issues'. The suspension of deliveries will allow more time for testing the new trains, which are set to replace all the current London Underground subsurface fleets.

Aviation Industry

• The interview: United's Charles DuncanABTN discusses sustainable aviation with Charles Duncan, United™s VP of sales “ Transatlantic, Middle East and India

Green Miscellany

• Transformer bicycle can triple its height The challenge of how to remain visible on a bicycle in winter can involve flashing LED lights, high-viz jackets, defensive riding techniques – perhaps even the odd Santa hat “ but the following riders had lofty ideas about how to stand out on the road.read more

Other News Sources

• News from Mike Tuffrey - Mayor should reconsider his advice that exposure to current levels of 'tube dust' is unequivocally safe for staff and passengers 21 December, 2011 Mike Tuffrey, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly environment spokesperson and long time campaigner for cleaner air in London, commenting on new evidence of high levels of ˜tube dust™ in the London Underground, which far exceed levels measured underground in cities such as Barcelona, Milan, Paris, Rome, Stockholm and San Francisco, said: "The latest evidence from the Campaign for Clean Air in London confirms, above all, that air pollution is all around us.  There is no ˜safe level™ for exposure to fine ai...
• Train fare hike unlikely to hit transactionsFares to rise by 5.9% from January but increase will not hit business travel
• Eurostar faces Belgian strike disruptionServices will run as far as Lille on Thursday, with a "limited coach service" to take passengers on to Brussels