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

Monday, 27 August 2012

BBC News

• Virgin 'would run rail line free' - videoRichard Branson urges delay to for West Coast Mainline decision
• Labour seeks rail franchise delayLabour urges ministers to delay signing a new contract for the West Coast Mainline franchise until Parliament can review the £10bn deal next week.

Financial Times

• Branson™s West Coast offer rejectedThe comments triggered an angry response from FirstGroup, which said it showed that Virgin Group could have bid to operate the line more cheaply
• HK Airlines ambitions hit turbulenceStruggles of six-year-old privately held Hong Kong Airlines illustrate the difficulty of breaking flag carrier Cathay Pacific™s hold on the market

The Guardian

• Richard Branson makes last-ditch bid to keep west coast rail franchise Virgin Trains offers to run service on not-for-profit basis in bid to overturn award of contract to FirstGroup

The Herald

• Fifty years since the Glasgow trams hit the buffersFOR the best part of 90 years they were a Glasgow institution, a leveller among social classes as refined little old ladies, shipyard workers in their grubby overalls, and city gents in bowler hats sat shoulder-to-shoulder aboard the city's famous trams.
• Branson offers to run West Coast rail line 'free'Sir Richard Branson yesterday offered to run the West Coast Main Line

The Independent

• Paralympics creates 'new and unique challenges' for London's transport system The public transport system, which coped well with the Olympics, will face "some new and unique challenges" from the Paralympics.
• Sir Richard Branson offers to run trains for free Sir Richard Branson has offered to run the West Coast Main Line for free to allow Parliament time to scrutinise an "outrageous" decision to award the franchise to rival FirstGroup.

The Scotsman

• Comment: Keeping rail franchises on track can be tricky BRITAIN’S railways have courted controversy since the rush to lay down lines in the 1840s sparked “Railway Mania” and the subsequent bursting of a multi-million-pound speculative bubble. Fast forward more than a century and a half, and another debacle is hurtling down the tracks.
• West Coast rail row: Sir Richard Branson offers to run the line ’for free’ Sir Richard Branson has offered to run the West Coast Main Line for free to allow parliament time to scrutinise an “outrageous” decision to award the franchise to rival FirstGroup.
• Council forced to flatten roundabout A COUNCIL has been forced to flatten a newly completed roundabout which was part 
of a £6.5 million road improvement scheme.

The Telegraph

• Pressure on Miliband to back third runway Ed Miliband yesterday came under pressure from the former Labour Chancellor to support a third runway at Heathrow as the Government considers launching a consultation on the issue.
• New wave of fines threatens motoristsMotorists face a new wave of fines for traffic offences under plans to transfer powers from police to local authorities, as campaign groups warn of 'over-zealous' councils using new powers as a 'revenue raiser'.
• World's legacy airlines come under pressure "Qantas has been through an exceptional period in its history over the past 12 months." When Alan Joyce, the Australian airlines's chief executive uttered the sober statement last week, there were few in the global aviation industry who didn't feel a degree of empathy.
• Labour presses for delay of West Coast contract signing Labour is pressing Justine Greening, the Transport Secretary, to delay signing off the contentious contract for the West Coast rail line until MPs have debated the deal.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Twice as many drivers abusing disabled blue badges The number of people caught while misusing or fraudulently using disabled blue badge permits in Bradford has more than doubled, according to new figures obtained by the Telegraph & Argus.

Journal Live

• Blyth bus station £650,000 upgrade plans unveiled MULTI-MILLION pound efforts to regenerate Northumberland’s biggest town are continuing with a £650,000 investment in revamping its aging bus station.

Liverpool Echo

• Mersey Ferries notch up annual £1m lossesTHE famous Mersey Ferries are notching up an annual £1m loss, a transport report revealed.

Manchester Evening News

• Hundreds of cyclists to receive free trainingHundreds of cyclists are set to get free training to help them get on the road.

Sheffield Telegraph

• News In Brief: Parking plans hit buffers at stationA PROPOSAL to extend car parking at a booming railway station is set for rejection by North East Derbyshire District Council.
• Joy as bus route spared the axePROTESTERS have welcomed a U-turn from bus bosses on a decision to axe a Sheffield service.

Wales Online

• Could electrification herald an expansion of the Valleys Lines trains?The electrification of Wales’ major commuter rail network could lead to a cut-price expansion of the network.

Yorkshire Post

• Branson offers to run West Coast line for free in fight over franchiseSir Richard Branson is offering to run the West Coast main line for free to allow Parliament time to scrutinise an “outrageous” decision to award the franchise to rival FirstGroup.

Blackpool Gazette

• Battle rages over rail link to LondonA CAMPAIGN for a government re-think over rail operators who plan to open a direct Blackpool to London line is gathering pace.

Bucks Free Press

• Chesham and Amersham MP Cheryl Gillan calms residents' fears over HS2 consultation ALL the responses from Amersham and Chesham residents to the HS2 consultation were properly analysed by the firm in charge of the scheme, MP Cheryl Gillan said this week.

Other Regional Press

• UK & World News: Branson offer amid rail line rowSir Richard Branson has offered to run the West Coast Main Line for free to allow Parliament time to scrutinise an

Railnews

• Branson offers to run 'free' West Coast The growing controversy over the award of the Intercity West Coast franchise to FirstGroup has taken a remarkable new turn. Richard Branson has suggested that Virgin and Stagecoach should run the service on a not for profit basis for a while, so that the proposed contract can be investigated. The idea of postponement has already been greeted coolly by the Department for Transport, which is also facing a separate call from the Commons Transport Committee to put the process on hold.

Other News Sources

• Labour Demands Review Of West Coast Deal The shadow transport minister urges MPs to delay the signing of the new rail franchise contract until a review is carried out.