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

Tuesday, 03 April 2012

BBC News

• London 2012: British Airways Olympics dove plane unveiled British Airways has repainted the first of nine A319s with a dove design to mark the London 2012 Olympics.
• Rail guard 'degraded' disabled man The first quadriplegic sailor to sail solo across the Atlantic was told by a guard he could not board a train because his electric wheelchair would damage the floor.
• Jobs risk as bus firm plans cutsUp to 200 jobs are under threat as bus operator First Scotland East announces it plans to discontinue some of its services.
• Petrol station owners want talksThe chairman of the body representing 5,000 petrol stations writes to the Energy Secretary calling for urgent talks over the fuel
• Cable theft hits commuter trainsOverhead cables stolen during the night on a rail line hits commuter services.
• DeLorean to get electric revivalThe DeLorean gets a new life as an electric car
• VIDEO: Will sales of flying car take off?A Dutch company is launching a vehicle which can be driven on land, or flown in the air.
• Airport plans £100m redevelopmentProposals for a £100m redevelopment of Aberdeen Airport over the next 30 years are unveiled.

Financial Times

• Dubai Drydocks takes $2.2bn debt to tribunalShip overhaul company has applied for insolvency protection as it seeks to push through irestructuring proposals over minority objections
• Court battles loom over high-speed rail linkHS2 Action Alliance puts forward two cases based on environmental concerns and insufficient compensation information
• Pinnacle files for bankruptcy protectionShort haul regional airline plans to restructure and cut costs while in Chapter 11 after acquisition struggles and operating costs add to problems
• Iberia urges court to ban pilots™ strikesThe Spanish airline is suing unions protesting the launch of its low-cost carrier and is seeking damages for previous industrial action

The Guardian

• Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone live hustings – plus experts debate transport in London • 9am: Boris and Ken go head to head on LBC radio • 1pm: Join guests Tony Travers of the LSE, Lib Dem mayoral candidate Caroline Pidgeon, Rachel Holdsworth of the Londonist and Annie Mole of Going Underground blog to discuss transport policy in the capital

The Herald

• CalMac warning over bid to split up networkTHE publicly owned company Caledonian MacBrayne has warned ministers that some fragile island communities could be left without any lifeline ferry service if they break up the existing network.

The Independent

• German railway fears flood of lawsuits over Holocaust trains The German railway company Deutsche Bahn has engaged a New York law firm to fight off compensation claims that it might face under proposed legislation enabling Holocaust victims and their relatives to sue for damages in US courts.
• Bus workers vote on Olympic strikeThousands of London bus workers are to be balloted for strikes in a row over payment for working during the Olympic Games.Related StoriesUK forced marriage victims much younger than previously thoughtGas blast demolishes houseTrending: Is that a pound in your pocket, or have you been ripped off?Falklands anniversary: Thirty years on, no reconciliationFamily of military hero locked in battle over sale of treasures

The Telegraph

• Councils launch bid to block high speed railCouncils opposed to plans to run a high speed rail line from London to Birmingham have fired the latest salvo in their campaign to block the scheme.

Reuters News

• Talks on fuel trucker dispute start WednesdayLONDON (Reuters) - Talks to head off a threatened strike by fuel tanker drivers will take place on Wednesday, a mediation body said, over a dispute which has led to criticism of the government and already prompted panic-buying by motorists.

The Mirror

• Petrol crisis: Truckers threaten crippling blockades to support tanker drivers if they strikeThousands of truckers are vowing to blockade refineries and gridlock motorways should the Unite union call a walkout

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• ’Disgrace’ of rush hour rail turmoil Thousands of commuters travelling into Bradford faced rush hour chaos this morning when a train broke down in Bingley causing widespread disruption to services.

Journal Live

• Plan hatched to give North East a rail franchiseA BID to seize control of Northern Rail train services by groups from within the North East is to be worked up and taken to the Secretary of State.

Nottingham Evening Post

• City hope on high-speed railPLANS for the second phase of the HS2 high-speed rail project will be announced in the autumn – and could include stations in Notts and the rest of the East Midlands.

Plymouth Herald

• Plymouth companies invited to meet rail franchise biddersPLYMOUTH businesses are being invited to meet the organisations bidding to run train services to the West Country.

Other Regional Press

• Kirkheaton residents win bus service battlePEOPLE power has saved a village bus service.
• Aberdeen Airport reveals £100 million plan for futureA MULTI-MILLION plan to develop Aberdeen Airport including space for further runway expansion was to be launched today.
• Central Beds produces plan for area's transportA new plan to improve travel for people in and around Ampthill and Flitwick has been agreed. The Local Area Transport Plan sets out how Central Bedfordshire Council will improve journeys for

Global Rail News

• Redevelopment of London Bridge station gets planning consentNetwork Rail™s proposal for a major redevelopment of London Bridge station has been awarded formal planning consent. The decision means that from 2018 over 90m passengers a year – a 35m increase – will be able to travel through a brand new, state-of-the-art railway station. The plans are part of the second stage of the [...]
• Delays on London Underground at ˜lowest since 2003²Delays on the London Underground are ‘at their lowest’ since 2003/4, Transport for London has said. The latest figures on London Underground’s performance were published last week. The figures, covering the period 8 January to 4 February, show that the percentage of scheduled services was 97.1%. Average delays for the financial year to date – [...]
• Fhoss Technology launch new PPETrackside railway workers could be kept safer while they work thanks to the recent global launch of a new product that brings protective clothing into the 21st century. Fhoss Technology® Ltd, based in Somerset, unveiled a new illuminated clothing system that helps equipment operators see other workers in poorly lit conditions and the dark. Andy [...]
• Tube map gets Olympic makeoverThe iconic London Underground map has had a makeover in time for this summer’s Olympics. A new, Games-inspired Tube map is the latest addition to Transport for London’s (TfL) online shop. The Olympic Legends Map replaces station names with legendary Olympians and each underground line is dedicated to a sports discipline, such as track and [...]
• We ask the rail safety experts¦ Part 6In preparation for this year™s Rail Safety Summit, we sat down with leading figures from the rail safety industry and asked them a series of pressing questions about safety practices within the rail industry. Today™s question is: To improve safety performance do we now need new forms of contract in the rail industry? Answers: Willie [...]
• Bombardier wins New York subway car orderNew York City’s Governor Andrew Cuomo announced last week that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has awarded a $600 million contract to supply 300 new subway cars to Bombardier Transportation. The cars will be built at Bombardier™s facility in Plattsburgh, New York. The new cars are scheduled for delivery in 2016. “We are one state and [...]
• Bridgezone named Specialist Consultant of the YearBridge Inspection & Rope Access specialist Bridgezone Ltd, has been awarded the NCE/ACE Specialist Consultant of the Year Award. The awards took place on Friday 30th March at Claridges, in London. Managing Director, Paul Marshall, said: “This accolade is a measure of the team™s performance and successes over the past twelve months, both in respect [...]

Aviation Industry

• Virgin Atlantic hits out at EU over Bmi approvalAirline is reviewing 'all available options' after IAG deal is approved by regulators
• Kingfisher promises to pay staffStruggling Indian airline says its bank accounts have been unfrozen as it fights for survival
• Easyjet begins Southend servicesNo-frills carrier will offer flights to 10 destinations from Essex airport

Other News Sources

• BAA outlines vibrant travel retail vision for Heathrow T2 UK. Airports company BAA has launched its drive for commercial tenants to populate London Heathrow Airport’s new Terminal 2. The terminal, which will open in 2014 with capacity for 20 million passengers, will feature 52 retail outlets and 17 food & beverage outlets totalling around 12,500sq m of space.
• EXCLUSIVE - CityJet to axe half it’s staff.*Update 16.12 pm CityJet have confirmed voluntary redundancies and are currently putting together a response to me. It’s parent company is Air France and not KLM as I previously stated.
• Heathrow third runway: Was Ed Miliband right all along? Would the UK and the planet be better off with a third runway at Heathrow and a Labour government with Ed Miliband still at Department of Energy and Climate Change?