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

Tuesday, 24 April 2012

BBC News

• Bus and rail fares may rise again as Translink faces huge loss Significant rises in rail and bus fares could be on the cards because Translink is expected to head towards a multi-million pound loss in the coming years.
• Which workers are really key?Tanker drivers, teachers, Tube drivers - 2012 has been dominated by the threat of key workers striking. But who's the
• Air links 'crucial for economy'Strong air transport links are essential to help grow Northern Ireland's economy, according to the chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.
• RMT 'to sue over mayor's poster'The RMT says it has commenced legal action against Boris Johnson over a poster that allegedly portrays Bob Crow as
• Scottish airport sold for £807mA deal is struck to sell Edinburgh Airport to the owner of Gatwick and London City airports for £807m.
• IAG says BMI Baby sale 'doubtful'The owner of British Airways and Iberia doubts it will be able to sell two loss-making units of BMI, which it recently bought from Lufthansa.

Financial Times

• Gridlock fears push May to meet airlinesHome secretary agrees to talks over long queues at Heathrow™s passport control amid concern that staff shortages are causing chaos
• Lord Jones on board at FlybeThe former director-general of the CBI signs on as a director at the Exeter-based regional airline almost a year after the group™s London listing
• BAA sells Edinburgh Airport for £807.2mGlobal Infrastructure Partners, which owns Gatwick airport, beats investors including a consortium led by JPMorgan

The Herald

• Firm has been quick to ring the changes elsewhereGIP, the new owners of Edinburgh Airport, already have an impressive track record from their recent purchase of London Gatwick Airport.
• Gatwick owner in £807m deal for Scottish airportPASSENGERS flying in and out of Scotland's busiest airport are likely to see quicker boarding times, improved security checks and more long-haul destinations after the airport's sale in a £807 million deal.

The Telegraph

• More immigration chaos at Heathorw Passengers at Heathrow faced yet more immigration chaos yesterday triggering fears that worse is to come during the Olympics.
• Council to refund £1.3 million bus lane finesFines imposed on more than 30,000 motorists for straying into a bus lane are to be repaid.
• More immigration chaos at HeathorwPassengers at Heathrow faced yet more immigration chaos yesterday triggering fears that worse is to come during the Olympics.

Press Association

• Stagecoach sales move down a gear Transport group Stagecoach has said profits over the coming year will at least hold steady despite a slight slowdown in UK sales growth.

Daily Express

• Boeing Dreamliner makes UK touchdownBRITISH airline bosses yesterday saw the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner close up as they prepare to take delivery of the eco-friendly aircraft that its American makers boast will transform air travel.
• Stagecoach on trackTRANSPORT group Stagecoach is in line to post good annual profits, it said yesterday despite a slight sales slowdown in the past two months.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Shipley bus stop 'a risk to children's safety' Residents claim a new bus shelter installed on a quiet cul-de-sac poses a health and safety risk to children living nearby.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Fines for use of bus lanesDRIVERS in the Capital caught using bus lanes will be fined up to £60 under new rules which come into force today.

Liverpool Echo

• Liverpool Central Station London bus replacement service beginsPASSENGERS boarded the first rail replacement London bus services brought in to cope with the impact of Liverpool Central Station’s closure.

London Evening Standard

• New Dreamliner plane on show at Heathrow today Bosses of UK airlines due to take delivery of Boeing's new "green" Dreamliner passenger plane will be at Heathrow Airport today to inspect one of the new aircraft.

Sheffield Star

• MP speaks out on loss of busesA NORTH Derbyshire MP has called on the Government to help people in small rural communities left without bus services.

Wales Online

• Extra rail services needed from the South Wales to England, says Welsh transport body New cross-border rail services from Wales to Bristol and Worcester should be introduced as part of the next Great Western franchise due to begin next year, according to a Welsh transport consortium.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Call for bus lanes to be shutBus lanes in front of Dudley Zoo and the Black Country Living Museum could be permanently axed under new plans, it emerged today.

Burnley Express

• Burnley firm ˜adopts™ stretch of Leeds & Liverpool CanalA BURNLEY firm has adopted a mile-long stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool canal. Futaba-Tenneco has linked up with British Waterways to take over part of the canal between Rosegrove and the Network 65 industrial estate.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Electric car charging points will be freeFREE electric charging points for eco-friendly cars could usher in a new era for transport in Peterborough.

Other Regional Press

• Airline deal could save 300 Aberdeen jobsA MOVE to take over BMI™s regional division could secure 300 Aberdeen jobs.

Global Rail News

• Crossrail plans approved for Tottenham Court Road & West EndWestminster City Council has given its approval for the regeneration of Tottenham Court Road and the east end of Oxford Street, including the former Astoria site. The development plans, submitted in conjunction with Derwent London, are for two above ground developments located over each ticket hall of the integrated Tottenham Court Road station that will [...]
• TfL announces rail & Tube hotspots for London 2012Transport for London and Olympics organisers have announced where Tube and rail ‘hotspots’ will be during the London 2012 Games. Organisers said ‘lots of work has been done to ensure the transport system operates effectively at Games-time’ but delays will be inevitable. The information includes advice on places to avoid for those living and working [...]
• Brian Christie joins First Hull TrainsFirst Hull Trains has appointed Brian Christie as new operations manager. Brian Christie, from Scotland, has extensive experience in the rail industry, in both the passenger and the freight field. Says Brian, ˜This is the first time that I have worked for an open access rail operator. It is this rewarding challenge which makes me [...]
• York office for VitalVital Rail, part of the Vital Services Group, has reopened a regional office in York to cope with growth in the rail sector. Increased orders from clients in the area are behind the development. Says Nick Baxter, Regional Director of Vital Rail North, ˜Despite the cost reductions which are flowing through the industry following the [...]
• Infrarail seminars: Electrification Plans for the FutureOn Tuesday 1 May at 15:10, Peter Dearman, Head of Network Electrification at Network Rail will be presenting the seminar ‘Electrifying The Network – Electrification Plans for the Future’ at Inrafrail. Network Rail™s electrification programmes will provide work for a large part of the industry over the next few years. Electrification of the Great Western [...]
• Infrarail seminars: Making London™s railways fit for the challenge of major growthOn Wednesday 2 May at 10:30, Howard Smith, Chief Operating Officer at London Rail will be presenting ‘Making London™s railways fit for the challenge of major growth’. In this keynote speech, London Rail™s chief operating officer Howard Smith with talk about the £2.8bn upgrading of the Light Rail and Overground rail networks ready for London [...]
• Bidding opens for US passenger rail carsRail car manufacturers across the country will have an opportunity to submit bids to produce the first American-made, standardized passenger rail cars, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today. The $551 million Request for Proposals (RFP) to manufacture approximately 130 new bi-level passenger rail cars in America comes from a groundbreaking multi-state effort to jointly [...]
• A project for peopleThe new western concourse at King’s Cross is causing a stir among press and public alike. The 1,300 tonne steel dome ranks among the largest single-span station structures in Europe. Says Architect John McAslan, ˜The challenge was: How do we take this historic and cramped station and enlarge it for the future? It might not [...]
• Discussing DevolutionNigel Wordsworth reports Devolution is defined as the transfer of powers from a central organisation to local units. It was also the name given to a programme rolled out during last year by Network Rail which divided the country up into ten Routes, each with its own Managing Director. As part of the plan, each [...]
• ˜Network, Collaborate, Innovate, Thrive™Andy Milne talks to Colin Flack, chief executive of the Rail Alliance. From a standing start four years ago the Rail Alliance now has upwards of 200 members stretching from Scotland to Denmark. Based on the old military railway base at Long Marston in Warwickshire the Rail Alliance runs networking meetings, exhibitions and seminars all [...]

Aviation Industry

• American Airlines fires opening shot in court battle with workersAmerican Airlines on Monday kicked off a week-long court hearing on its bid to abandon union contracts, telling a judge that its bankrupt parent, AMR Corp, cannot survive without major concessions from its labor force.
• Virgin America CEO David Cush Chats Candidly About Airline's Website Meltdown, Future of WiFiWe sat down with Virgin America President and CEO David Cush to chat about the airline's recent IT meltdown, their reputation for raucous route launches and how many people really use in-flight WiFi.
• Lufthansa aims for flat capacity in 2012; will phase out 737s by 2016Lufthansa (LH) is planning to keep capacity flat this year and will phase out its Boeing 737 fleet by 2016 as part of its €1.5 billion cost-cutting measures, Deutsche Lufthansa AG executive board member Carsten Spohr told employees in an internal letter.
• American CEO deflects US Airways™ merger interestAmerican Airlines (AA) chairman, president and CEO Tom Horton pushed back against US Airways™ (US) efforts to bring about a merger of the two carriers, telling employees in a Monday letter that œwe must be mindful of other parties who don™t have our best interests at heart.
• American Airlines' unions want US Airways mergerThree major unions agree terms with rival carrier ahead of key court hearing
• Edinburgh Airport sold to Gatwick ownerBAA agrees £807 million deal to sell Scottish airport to GIP

Other News Sources

• Piracy in West Africa in 'dangerous territory'The latest figures published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau's (IMB) piracy reporting centre covering Q1 12 show that ...