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

Friday, 23 December 2011

Cogitamus

• The TransportInfo team would like to wish all of you the very best for the season.We will be taking a little break over the holidays. TransportInfo will be updated tomorrow, Christmas Eve, but will not be updated on 25, 26, and 27 December, and also on 1 and 2 January 2012. Thank you for your continued interest and support.

BBC News

• Plymouth MP ask minister for help to keep airport open A Plymouth MP has written to the government in a "last-ditch attempt" to save the city's airport.
• London Underground: "Some trains will still run over Christmas" [video clip]London is set for severe transport disruption over the Christmas period, after a High Court judge refused to stop a planned strike by Tube drivers on Boxing Day.
• Rail station £1.2m upgrade agreedAccess to Chirk railway station is to be improved with a £1.2m upgrade, says Wrexham council.
• BA boss in air links reassuranceBritish Airways boss Willie Walsh seeks to dampen fears over Scottish air links to Heathrow after owner IAG agrees to buy BMI.
• BMI deal: Belfast-Heathrow secureBMI Belfast to Heathrow flights will continue after the sale of the airline says International Airlines Group chief executive Willie Walsh.
• Airport 'set for Christmas rush'About 40,000 passengers are expected to pass Belfast International Airport in the next two days as the Christmas rush reaches its peak.
• Motorcyclists to get bus lane useMotorcyclists are set to be given permanent access to bus lanes on the red routes in central London.
• Review set for King's Cross roadsThe road network across King's Cross in London is to be reviewed by Transport for London following the death of a cyclist.
• Tube strike on as case thrown outA planned Boxing Day strike by Tube drivers is set to go ahead after a High Court judge refused to halt it.
• British Airways owner IAG buys BMI from Lufthansa British Airways owner IAG agrees a binding deal to buy BMI from Lufthansa for £172.5m, but warns the deal could lead to job losses.
• 'Excessive' card surcharges to goSurcharges for using a debit or credit card to pay for travel, theatre or cinema tickets will be banned by the end of 2012, the government plans.

Department for Transport

• Have your say on the new Great Western rail franchiseRail passengers in the Thames Valley, the South West and South Wales are being asked for their views on how their rail services should be run, Rail Minister Theresa Villiers has announced.
• Andrew Haines reappointed as Chief Executive of the Civil Aviation AuthorityThe Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening, has reappointed Andrew Haines as Chief Executive of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for a further five years.

Financial Times

• Lufthansa: shedding excess baggageThe German airline has made a small start to much-needed consolidation
• IAG wins BMI with £172.5m cash dealVirgin calls on European regulators to block proposed takeover, which ˜cuts consumer choice and screws the travelling public™
• Walsh reignites air supremacy debateThe chief executive of International Airlines Group unveils a £172.5m deal to buy BMI British Midland, Lufthansa™s lossmaking UK subsidiary
• ˜Excessive™ surcharges on card purchases to be bannedTreasury minister is to announce that excessive charges on all forms of payments will be banned by the end of 2012 and will extend across most retail sectors

The Independent

• High Court judge refuses to halt Tube strike A High Court judge today refused to halt a planned Boxing Day strike by Tube drivers embroiled in a pay row.
• British Airways owner IAG agrees to buy BMI for £172.5m The owners of British Airways today announced a deal to buy ailing airline BMI for £172.5 million amid fears that jobs will be lost following the acquisition.
• Crackdown on the great credit card fees rip-off Air fares, train tickets, concerts and car insurance will soon be cheaper as the Government cracks down on excessive credit card surcharges.

The Telegraph

• Mild weather will see an extra two million people driving home for Christmas Two million more people will take to the roads this year than 12 months ago, when the Christmas getaway slithered to a halt as the country was blanketed by snow.
• Rail unions threaten a national strike Unions have threatened a national rail strike in a row over plans to cut jobs in control centres.

Press Association

• Transport 'affecting job prospects' Many people in Scotland are missing out on job opportunities and have limited access to health services because they find public transport a problem, a survey has revealed.

Daily Express

• BA's owner takes BMI under wingTHE owner of British Airways snapped up struggling rival airline BMI yester- day, prompting failed bidder Sir Richard Branson to slam the deal for
• Sales soar for ToyotaTOYOTA could reclaim its position as the world's biggest carmaker after it forecasted a 20 per cent leap in sales to a record 8.48million vehicles in 2012.

ATOC

• ATOC responds to government call for a smooth Christmas getawayResponding to the Transport Secretary’s call for a smooth Christmas getaway for passengers, Tom Smith, chairman of the Association of Train Operating Companies,...

Network Rail

• NATIONAL TRAIN PERFORMANCE FOR PERIOD 9 IS 88.4%

Airwise News

• Transport leaders’ wish-list for the gifts that keep on giving Transport leaders in Greater Manchester have drawn up a Christmas wish-list of projects that, if approved, would keep on giving for generations.
• Transport leaders’ wish-list for the gifts that keep on giving Transport leaders in Greater Manchester have drawn up a Christmas wish-list of projects that, if approved, would keep on giving for generations.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham City Council erects 'no cycling' sign on city cycling routeCONFUSING ’no cycling’ signs have been bizarrely erected by the city council along a Birmingham section of the National Cycle Network.
• Birmingham bus fares hike is "disappointing", says campaign groupA PUBLIC transport campaign group has described the decision to put up bus fares “an unwelcome start to 2012”.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• SNP pledges £50m to save Inverness sleeper service The future of the œvital cross-border rail sleeper service looked secure last night thanks to a £50million cash injection from the Scottish Government.

The York Press

• Temporary East Yorkshire bus service extended until 2013 A VITAL bus service from Pocklington to York has been extended for more than a year.

Wales Online

• Cardiff council’s £30m cross-city tram-bus rapid transit planCardiff council’s £30m cross-city tram-bus rapid transit plan

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Seasonal Leeds train service spreads festive cheer to thousandsSanta’s festive preparations are going full steam ahead at a historic Leeds railway.

Yorkshire Post

• Authorities criticised on lack of reaction to Tube bombingsThe Government has failed to implement recommendations made in the wake of the July 7 inquests, and passengers on the London Underground are still unable to “find a plaster on the Tube”, a lawyer has said.

Bucks Free Press

• Bucks band hope to hit charts with HS2 protest song A BAND from south Bucks are hoping to follow the county's X Factor star Leigh-Anne Pinnock into the festive charts with a protest song against the High Speed 2 rail project.

Other Regional Press

• UK & World News: BMI buyout 'will lead to monopoly'The owners of British Airways have announced a deal to buy ailing airline BMI for £172.5 million amid fears that jobs will be lost following the acquisition.

Bus and Coach.com

• Arriva forms King Long linkIn a move that looks like a kick in the teeth for the UK™s bus builders, Arriva™s UK Bus and Mainland Europe divisions are entering a partnership with King Long, China™s largest bus exporter.

Global Rail News

• RIA welcomes call for train procurement strategyThe Railway Industry Association has welcomed the call by the Transport Select Committee for a clear strategy in the future procurement of new trains. RIA Director ...
• Unite sets up hardship fund for Bombardier workersUnite the union has set-up a hardship fund for Bombardier workers being made redundant ‘because of the Government’s decision not to award the company the Thameslink ...
• East Midlands Trains confirms Christmas & New Year servicesTrain operator East Midlands Trains has confirmed timetable arrangements for passengers travelling over the Christmas and New Year holiday. East Midlands Trains will operate a normal ...
• Plans to ˜put passengers at the heart of rail regulation™Plans for the rail regulator to be given more powers to protect passengers™ interests were announced today in a joint consultation published by the Department for ...
• National train performance falls to 88.4%Punctuality on the railways fell to 88.4% during Period 9, according to monthly performance data released today by Network Rail. The data for Britain’s train services ...
• New bridge for Tees rail passengersPassengers travelling over the river Tees will be using a slightly new route after Christmas as Network Rail engineers use the holiday to move track and ...
• Rail improvements to deliver ˜more efficient™ railway in LeicesterRail passengers in Leicester will be travelling on a more efficient and reliable railway after Network Rail replaces systems used to control trains on the route ...
• Volunteers remember 50th anniversary of Keighly & Worth Valley Railway line™s closureFriday 30th December 2011 will be a special day for both volunteers and visitors at the famous Keighley & Worth Valley Railway as they recall the ...
• c2c named most punctual train operator in 2011Pop tribute band ‘Poprokits’ will play 70s Hits at London Fenchurch Street today as National Express train operator c2c celebrate their own ‘Christmas Number 1′ in ...
• EIB to loan £110m for Nottingham tram extensionThe European Investment Bank has agreed to provide £110 million for two new lines of the Nottingham tram network. The long-term funding over 19 years will ...
• Boxing Day Tube strike to go ahead after High Court rulingThe High Court has refused London Underground an interim injunction to stop a strike by ASLEF driver members on Boxing Day. The union said it would strike ...
• TSSA claims ATOC is ˜burying bad news™ on rail faresManuel Cortes, leader of the TSSA rail union, accused the private train companies of trying to ‘bury bad news’ on New Year rail fare rises by ...
• TfL plans ˜major engineering works™ for Christmas DayThis year, the annual Christmas Day closure of the Tube, DLR, London Overground, Tramlink and London Buses is being used by Transport for London to get ...
• Alstom to install track for Toulouse tram Garonne lineThe Greater Toulouse Public Transport Authority has selected the consortium composed of Alstom Transport, Egenie and Guintoli to construct sectors 1 and 2 of the Toulouse ...

Rail Technology Magazine

• MBB Palfinger-Wheelchair Access Ramps and Lifts MBB Palfinger are widely acknowledged as the international market leaders for reliable and safe wheelchair access ramps and lifts for trains, trams and buses.

The Business Desk

• Optare borrows £1.5m from investor BUS company Optare has announced that it has agreed a deal to borrow £1.5m from "a major shareholder" which it will use for working capital.
• Optare borrows £1.5m from investor BUS company Optare has announced that it has agreed a deal to borrow £1.5m from "a major shareholder" which it will use for working capital.

Aviation Industry

• AMR Allowed to Buy 32 Boeings, Reject Some Aircraft LeasesAMR Corp., the bankrupt parent of American Airlines, won permission to pursue a deal to buy 32 planes from Boeing Co.
• Bmi sale finalisedLufthansa Group agrees £172.5 m cash deal with BA parent IAG

Other News Sources

• RMT declares national dispute over threat to rail control centre jobsRAIL UNION RMT, along with sister unions TSSA and Unite, have declared a national dispute with Network Rail over the threat to Electrical Control Room jobs.
• Bored tunnel resurrected as Fehmarnbelt crossing optionPromoter Femern has decided to resurrect the possibility of a bored tunnel for its Fehmarnbelt road and rail crossing between Denmark and Germany following a public consultation.