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

Friday, 11 May 2012

BBC News

• Row over plans to restore rail line in Suffolk The restoration of a former railway line would "destroy" a Suffolk village, residents say.
• Clapham Junction power cut sees station close Trains were unable to stop at Clapham Junction station in south London for nearly three hours because of a power cut which left the station in darkness.
• Swansea rail electrification: New push by campaigners Campaigners hope to increase pressure on the UK government to extend a £1bn rail electrification scheme to Swansea.
• Efforts to clear derailed trainHeavy lifting cranes are being brought in to clear a freight train which came off the line in the north east of Scotland severely disrupting services.
• Taxi clocks £1,800 Greenway finesA private hire taxi driver has clocked up £1,800 in fines after being caught by the new bus lane cameras in Edinburgh.
• Report criticises Heathrow queuesLong queues at Heathrow airport were caused by organisational changes and a lack of planning, an inspector says.

Financial Times

• Bus drivers to vote on Olympic walkoutLondon bus drivers will vote on whether to strike during the Olympics unless they secure a bonus like those agreed for other transport staff
• Superjet crash deals blow to Russian sectorThe test flight disaster will do nothing to help orders for the Sukhoi model at a time when parent company UAC aims to boost civilian aircraft output
• IAG sells BMI Regional for £8m cashSector Aviation Holdings takes on unit with the aim of consolidating the business and developing the network

The Herald

• Heathrow queues blamed on staff changesLONG queues at the UK's busiest airport have been caused by a lack of effective planning amid job cuts, with border staff signing off at the start of busy periods, inspectors said.

The Independent

• Train drivers pensions row to continue with more strikesTalks aimed at resolving a row over pensions which has led to strikes by train drivers ended without agreement today. Related Stories'Heathrow growth is finished', says GreeningNearly 10,000 homes repossessed in first three months of 2012Heathrow growth is finished, insists ministerSixteen saved after helicopter ditches700 riot victims still waiting for compensation
• Heathrow growth is finished, insists ministerHeathrow's growth is finished - and the airport faces as a future only as a base for upmarket holiday flights. That was the damning verdict on Europe’s busiest airport at a travel conference in London today.

Press Association

• 'Late train' payments to be probed The rail regulator is to review the compensation regime between train operators and Network Rail (NR) amid claims that firms are "pocketing" tens of millions of pounds due to passengers for delays and cancellations.
• More train services running on time Train punctuality improved last month, with more than 93% of services arriving on time. The better figures came despite the East Coast company achieving a trains-on-time figure of only 84.3%.

Daily Express

• BMI Regional is sold for £8mBRITISH Airways owner IAG has agreed to sell the regional business of newly acquired BMI for £8million to an Aberdeen-based consortium.

The Mirror

• Yorkie pies: Station on promotional film for London Games is actually York Mayor Boris Johnson has been caught out using a shot of York in a new video promoting London™s transport systems

ATOC

• Latest figures show that over 93% of trains arrived on timeResponding to the latest rail performance figures for Period 1 (1 April 2012 - 28 April 2012),...
• Train companies respond to union claims over compensationResponding to claims by the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) that operators are not passing delay compensation money on to passengers,...

Belfast Telegraph

• Recuperating easyJet opts to stick with InternationalBudget airline easyJet said it will stay at Belfast International Airport as it announced an improvement in its six-month losses.Related StoriesHundreds of jobs at risk after card chain's collapseFirms to put wheels of success in motion at Enterprise WeekProject creates 11 posts for long-term unemployedKainos to create 50 IT jobs for LondonderryJPMorgan Chase in 2bn trading loss

Birmingham Post

• HS2 'will still go ahead' despite Queen's Speech omission, insists DfTA planned high speed rail network with Birmingham at its heart will go ahead as planned despite reports that the project has been delayed, the Department for Transport has insisted.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Driver caught on bus lanes 30 times in two weeksA DRIVER has been hit with £1800 worth of fines after being snapped by new bus lane cameras 30 times in just two weeks.
• Safety fear as wheel comes off school busA COACH firm still being used to transport school children in the Capital has been suspended from two similar contracts in the Borders after a wheel fell off one of its buses while pupils were on board.

Journal Live

• Lawyer quizzed over two Newcastle Airport bonusesA LAWYER involved in drafting the contract that awarded multi-million pound bonuses to two Newcastle Airport directors told London’s High Court he had acted fully in accordance with his code of practice, a court heard.

Liverpool Post

• Cities Minister Greg Clark: Transport powers are on the table if new Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson can make the case KEY transport powers – including to run bus services – are up for grabs if Liverpool’s new elected mayor can make the case, the government has pledged.
• District auditor warning over possible broken contract laws by MerseytravelMerseyside’s transport authority is in chaos over possible broken contract laws, reports City Editor David Bartlett reports

Manchester Evening News

• Your views wanted on busy A55 commuter and tourist road in North WalesManchester™s commuters and holidaymakers will be familiar with the A55, which meanders all the way from Chester to Holyhead. Take our survey on what need to be done to improve the road ...
• British Airways and Manchester airport unable to fix Concorde's cracked windowThe Concorde at Manchester Airport has a cracked windscreen “ and it might never be fixed. The supersonic jet has been on display at a £1m purpose-built hangar since it retired from service in October 2003.

Metro

• Heathrow queues result of insufficient staff, says border inspectorLong queues at London's Heathrow Airport are the result of there being too few border staff to cope with demand during busy periods, an inspector has said.Organisational changes and poor planning left Terminal Three short of staff, threatening their ability to enforce effective and efficient controls, according to chief inspector of borders and immigration John Vine. Staff cuts blamed for Heathrow queues Changes introduced across the UK Border Agency (UKBA) occurred at one of the busiest times of the year, with disruption linked to adjustments to team structures, rosters and shift patterns.Sta...
• Unclaimed refunds for train delays hand rail operators £169m bonusTrain companies are cashing in to the tune of tens of millions of pounds because commuters are failing to claim compensation for delays. Missing out: Rail commuters (Picture: PA) Operators receive £184million a year from Network Rail in damages for disruption, yet just £15million is paid out to passengers whose journeys are affected. Watchdogs at the Office of the Rail Regulator have launched two reviews into when and how much compensation is paid, amid fears millions of passengers are failing to claim payments they are entitled to. Transport unions have accused train companies of benefiting...

The York Press

• Rail event reaches milestone ORGANISERS of Britain’s biggest rail celebration at York’s National Railway Museum have passed a major milestone.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Trains hit by cable faultTrains were cancelled and passengers delayed after an overhead cable fault caused disruptions on the Midlands rail network.

Yorkshire Post

• Rail firms probed over delay payoutsThe rail regulator is to review the compensation regime between train operators and Network Rail amid claims that firms are “pocketing” tens of millions of pounds due to passengers for delays and cancellations.

Blackpool Gazette

• Don™t keep us in dark on rail bidA BUSINESS leader has pleaded with rail bosses not to keep shops in the dark about plans to “isolate” a town.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Poll: Rail punctuality still below average on Greater Anglia servicesTRAIN punctuality across the region last month was below the national average, new figures have revealed.

Plymouth Herald

• Cross party councillors from Plymouth seek support for quicker train journeys to HeathrowLABOUR and Conservative city councillors have joined forces to lobby a Government minister for a faster rail link to Heathrow Airport.

Other Regional Press

• Action promised on airport queue issueLUTON Airport says it has asked the Border Agency to help it reduce waiting times at immigration, where ’unacceptable’ queues have been building up.
• Upgrade to railway crossingRoad users are being reminded that a level crossing is due to be upgraded by Network Rail.
• Boris: Estuary airport plan is 'moment for greatness'Days after being re-elected London mayor, Boris Johnson has renewed his call for a new airport in the Thames Estuary.
• Protesters fight Boris Island plansCampaigners are to descend on London's City Hall today to protest against multi-billion pounds airport plans off Kent's coast.

Global Rail News

• Were you an apprentice at the British Rail Swindon Works Training School?This year marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the British Rail Works Training School in Swindon, which opened in 1962 and survived until 1993. The School was designed to cater for 150 apprentices for their first year of railway experience and was fully opened on the 17th September 1962. The School took apprentices [...]
• Northern Rail granted franchise continuationThe Department for Transport (DfT) has granted a continuation of Northern Rail’s Northern Franchise. Northern will continue to operate local and regional rail services across the north of England until 1 April 2014. Ian Bevan, Managing Director, Northern Rail said: œWe are delighted that the Department for Transport has chosen to confirm this continuation. Since [...]
• ScotRail to bring back Club 55ScotRail is bringing back its most popular ticket offer “ Club 55. The offer will return from 14 May 2012, with prices held for the third time in a row. Customers aged 55 and over can travel anywhere in Scotland “ plus Berwick-upon-Tweed and Carlisle “ for £19 return. Customers can also upgrade to First [...]
• Oyster partnership wins Transport Achievement AwardTransport for London (TfL), the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and Cubic Transportation Systems have picked up top honours at the 2012 International Transport Forum for their joint work on introducing Oyster onto the National Rail network in London. The international awards, held in Leipzig, Germany, recognise achievements that demonstrate progress and excellence towards [...]
• Rail providers facing ˜skills gap challenge™Businesses offering rail transport services are facing an ‘impending crisis’ when it comes to finding staff with skills to meet increasing customer expectations and technology changes that are taking place within the sector, a new report claims. According to the State of the Nation Passenger Transport 2012 research report released by sector skills council, People 1st, [...]
• Night mail from ParisHigh speed mail trains could soon be operating between London and Paris carrying letters and express parcels overnight. A trial run, from Lyon Saint-Exupéry and Paris Charles-de-Gaulle airports, went well and the train arrived at London St. Pancras International safely. The train, which left Lyon Saint-Exupéry at 16.42 on 20th March and arrived in London in the early [...]
• East Coast madnessThousands of passengers helped raise £10,000 in just one day to make a difference to children living on the streets. More than 40 directors and senior managers at East Coast joined crews on board train services. The day was part of a series of ˜Go MAD™ “ or ˜Make A Difference™ “ events staged to [...]
• SKM “ Profile: UK RailHow much should it cost to maintain the railway? This question is exercising the industry and government in the current Periodic Review which will determine the level public funding for the railways over next five years. SKM have been assisting Network Rail with their work on strategic asset management. The rail engineer talked to Sam [...]
• Rail regulator to probe ˜delayed train™ paymentsThe Office of Rail Regulation is launching an inquiry into ‘excessive profiteering by rail firms’ after allegations that they have ‘pocketed tens of millions of pounds’ for delayed and cancelled trains, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association has said. The TSSA rail union recently claimed that ‘less than 10% of the £184 million paid out to the [...]
• New Nottingham tram design unveiledNottingham Express Transit has revealed a new design for the 22 new trams which will help to modernise Nottingham™s fleet when the expanded network goes live in 2014. The new vehicles are being manufactured by Alstom, as part of their scope within the Taylor Woodrow Alstom Joint Venture and member of the Tramlink Nottingham consortium [...]

Railnews

• Drivers walk out again, but peace talks begin A strike by East Midlands Trains drivers is taking place today, while talks aimed at settling the dispute -- over pensions -- are also due to begin. EMT has said it expects to run more trains than during previous walkouts, but extensive disruption is still likely.
• Infrarail update: Waterman attacks training policies Pete Waterman has launched a swingeing attack on the Government's approach to training and the effect of its policies on youth unemployment. He told the audience at a Railnews-sponsored presentation at Infrarail that Britain has fallen badly hehind foreign competitors because youth unemployment is rising here through official timidity.
• Driver, passengers unhurt after cattle collision A collision between a CrossCountry train and a herd of cows on the line near Oxford left 200 passengers stranded for about four hours last night.

Aviation Industry

• British Airways begins integrating Bmi flightsBA also transfers all new Bmi bookings to its own website and call centres
• Bmi Regional sold to Sector Aviation for £8 millionIAG says deal will secure 330 jobs at Aberdeen-based subsidiary
• Air Berlin 'disappointed' by airport delay Airline will have to contact one million passengers following postponement of Berllin airport opening
• Emirates' profits fall on 'crippling' fuel costsDubai airline sees profits hit by 44 per cent increase in fuel bill

Green Miscellany

• Pedal-powered Ferrari is slow, but green It™s the supercar that will turn heads for all the right reasons; with blood red Ferrari-style bodywork, a superlight chassis and gull-wing doors the pedal-powered Fahrradi may not be fast, but it is zero-emissions.read more

Other News Sources

• U.K. transport minister to visit Taiwan Taipei, May 10 (CNA) Britain's transport minister is scheduled to arrive in Taiwan Thursday to boost Taiwan-U.K. bilateral links in transport and infrastructure, the British Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei said that day.
• U.K. transport minister to visit Taiwan Taipei, May 10 (CNA) Britain's transport minister is scheduled to arrive in Taiwan Thursday to boost Taiwan-U.K. bilateral links in transport and infrastructure, the British Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei said that day.
• U.K. transport minister to visit Taiwan Taipei, May 10 (CNA) Britain's transport minister is scheduled to arrive in Taiwan Thursday to boost Taiwan-U.K. bilateral links in transport and infrastructure, the British Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei said that day.
• Bosses blamed for borders fiasco Poor management decisions have been blamed for border control problems at Heathrow.
• Hauliers urged to prepare for French breathalyser rulesFrom 1 July anyone driving a motorised vehicle in or through France will be required to carry a single-use disposable breathalyser kit, although the enforcement and fines for not carrying one will not commence until 1 November. This measure is intended to reduce drink-driving problems in the country, which were responsible for around 4,000 deaths in 2011, by enabling drivers to test themselves before beginning their journey. The Freight Transport Association (FTA) understands that the police will use their own, more sophisticated alcohol testing devices if a driver is suspected of being over t...