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

Friday, 05 October 2012

BBC News

• Mersey Ferries to remove one of three services One of three Mersey ferries is to be taken out of service from January, Merseytravel has confirmed.
• Oxfordshire bus operator RH Transport to cease business An Oxfordshire coach and bus operator has announced it will cease to operate ahead of an expected move into administration.
• Bombardier contract review demanded by MPs Six MPs are calling for a review of a contract which snubbed Derby trainmaker Bombardier.
• Assurances made over rail serviceScottish Transport Secretary Keith Brown tells MSPs it is not yet clear who will manage the west coast train service post-December but says it will continue to run to the current timetable.
• Scottish new car sales up by 15%New car sales jumped in Scotland last month, raising industry hopes that consumer confidence is on the rise.
• Boris: Get on with airport reviewMayor of London Boris Johnson calls on the debate over Heathrow's future and alternative airport capacity to be resolved by the end of 2013.
• Rail dig 'Bronze Age path' findWood found during excavations for Crossrail may be from a 3,500-year-old Bronze Age transport route through London, experts say.
• Minister 'not aware' of rail flawThe former transport secretary did not know about the problem which led to the collapse of the West Coast Main Line franchise, the Department for Transport says.
• New car sales beat expectationsThe new 62 number plate cars sold unexpectedly well last month, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says.
• Strong cycling sales for HalfordsHalfords says its sales of bicycles and accessories were boosted by British successes in the Tour de France and Olympic cycling.
• Airlines to pay for strike delaysAir passengers delayed by more than a day after a strike must be compensated by their airlines, says the European Court of Justice.
• Electric cars 'pose green threat'Electric cars might pollute much more than petrol or diesel powered cars, according to a report.

Financial Times

• MUFG unit buys US aircraft leasing groupDeal highlights appetite among Japanese financial institutions for the attractive market, with cash-strapped airlines increasingly turning to lessors
• West Coast fiasco exposes skills gapLord Gus O™Donnell says the civil service suffers from a shortage of skills that are essential for the move towards more privatisation and outsourcing
• Rail francising system seen as brokenNearly 20 years ago, the cost per bid was up to £500,000. Now, under the more complex system, the cost of each bid has risen to £5m or more
• Civil servants furious at ˜scapegoating™Ministers have been accused of leaving mandarins ˜angry and demotivated™ with public criticism of the civil service and its role in the rail franchise fiasco
• Kingfisher fleet to remain groundedAirline™s chief is flying to key cities to meet striking staff as he seeks to bring an end to a dispute and avoid protracted shutdown
• Ins and outs of the rail bidding businessWhen bidding to run a profitable route, train operators promise to pay the government an annual fee, or premium

The Guardian

• West coast rail fiasco: union says civil servants are being used as scapegoatsPCS, which represents one of three suspended Department for Transport workers, says move shows disdain for civil servantsBlaming civil servants for the west coast rail fiasco is
• West coast mainline fiasco may claim further victimsCivil servants at transport department braced for more suspensions amid warnings over true cost of reversalCivil servants at the crisis-ridden Department for Transport (DfT) are bracing themselves for further suspensions as the investigation into the west coast mainline franchising fiasco unfolds, amid fresh warnings that the true cost of the reversal could make the £40m compensation bill so far look like

The Herald

• Call to nationalise railwaysNATIONALISATION of Scotland's railways should be considered as part of a review ordered after the
• Rail network in crisis after franchise debacleBRITAIN'S railway system has been plunged into one of its worst crises since privatisation after a

The Independent

• Transport official suspended over rail fiasco is ex-Goldman banker A former Goldman Sachs banker in charge of private contracts for the Department for Transport was named yesterday as one of the officials suspended for their alleged role in the West Coast rail franchise fiasco. Kate Mingay, head of commercial at the DfT, is believed to be the most senior of three staff suspended on Wednesday.Related Stories'Expenses saint' who backed Cameron is star in the makingPoll of polls shows Tory support dropping awayForum to discuss virtual ID systemAlmost 1.2m low paid people could see benefits reduced under new government schemeExclusive: Tory chairman rocked by 'g...

The Telegraph

• Boris Johnson: Heathrow is failing as a transport hub Mayor of London Boris Johnson confirms that studies will go ahead to attempt to find a viable alternative to a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
• Ryanair offers concessions in attempt to snare Aer Lingus Ryanair has held out fresh concessions to win approval to take over Aer Lingus, offering to move some of its rival's planes to continental Europe to operate non-Irish routes and allay concerns about a near monopoly in the domestic market.
• Car industry boosts economy in September with jump in registrations Britain's car industry provided a welcome boost to the economy as vehicle registrations rose more than expected last month in a sign that consumer confidence is slowly improving.
• Europa report alerted Government to West Coast flaws The Department for Transport was handed an independent report highlighting the flaws in the West Coast rail franchise bid process five days before it awarded the contract to FirstGroup.
• HS2 rail link gets 'Hitler parody'The Government's controversial high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham has been given the 'Hitler parody' treatment on the internet.
• Open weekend at the London Transport Museum Depot in ActonOpen weekend at the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton.

Mail Online

• Pendleton effect sees surge in bike sales as number sold rise by 15%The UK’s biggest bike retailer, Halfords, revealed the number of bikes sold in the three months to September was up by almost 15per cent on a year ago.
• Let L-drivers start driving on the road from age 16 to cut crash rates, say insurersThe Association of British Insurers (ABI) say the age at which young people can start learning to drive on a provisional licence should be lowered to 16 and a half, rather than the current 17.
• West Coast Main Line: Rail-bid civil servants 'exchanged derogatory emails about Virgin boss Richard Branson'The emails were allegedly sent between those responsible for overseeing the West Coast mainline franchise bidding and other decision-makers connected with the route.
• Bungling officials who oversaw West Coast rail fiasco deserve a pay rise, says former Cabinet SecretaryOne of Whitehall’s most senior figures, former Cabinet Secretary Lord O’Donnell (pictured), led demands for a pay cap imposed on senior officials by the coalition to be lifted.

The Mirror

• New car sales soar as buyers drive a hard bargainThe new ˜62™ number plate change triggered a surge in sales, with 359,612 new cars registered in September

This is Money

• West Coast Main Line: Ministers dodge the blame as it emerges rail line shambles will cost us £100mIn an embarrassing U-turn – announced one minute after midnight yesterday – Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin (pictured) scrapped the 15-month bidding process to run trains between London and Glasgow.
• Gus O'Donnell looks to claim Mervyn King's throne at the Bank of EnglandFormer top civil servant Gus O’Donnell, who threw his weight this week into the row over the West Coast rail franchise, calling on ministers to stop attacking civil servants, is gunning for Sir Mervyn King’s job.

Network Rail

• SIX MONTH COUNTDOWN TO NEW STREET™S HALF TIME SWITCHOVER
• NETWORK RAIL TO TURN FORMER PEUGEOT CAR PLANT INTO NEW LOGISTICS CENTRE

Daily Post (North Wales)

• North Wales must not suffer over rail ’fiasco’RAIL services in North Wales must not suffer over the West Coast Main Line fiasco, MPs warned yesterday.

Journal Live

• Newcastle Airport counts the cost of court battleLEGAL fees for Newcastle Airport could rise further as experts go over the case for an appeal in its battle with a North East law business.

Liverpool Post

• Merseytravel puts its Beatles Story tourist attraction under financial spotlightTRANSPORT authority Merseytravel has launched a review of The Beatles Story attraction it bought four years ago at a cost of £8m.
• Botched West Coast bidding process could see Liverpool to London train services run under government controlLIVERPOOL’S main West Coast line to London could be renationalised for up to 18 months after the government dramatically scrapped plans to hand the franchise to FirstGroup.

London Evening Standard

• So did that lunch really work? Boris Johnson says airport decision delays set course for 'economic catastrophe'London Mayor Boris Johnson today launched his strongest attack yet on Government aviation policy, saying delays making firm decisions set a course for "economic catastrophe".
• Freight breakdown causes major disruption on railA broken down freight train near Gatwick Airport caused major disruption to commuter services this morning.
• Hodge demands civil service changesA senior MP has demanded sweeping changes to the civil service amid the West Coast main line rail fiasco.
• UK needs four-runway airport: studyThe UK needs a four-runway airport either at Heathrow or Luton if it wants to compete with other European hubs such as Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, a report by a think tank has said.

Metro

• The £450m franchise farce: 50% of rail firms™ cash gets handed back to themAlmost half of what train companies pay the government for rail contracts is paid straight back to them in the form of taxpayer ˜bailouts™, Metro can reveal.Eight of Britain™s 17 rail franchises are receiving hundreds of millions of pounds in public subsidies, the Department for Transport admitted yesterday. Firms received ˜corporate welfare™ worth £451million in the past year alone after their revenue projections turned out to be over-inflated. The revelation comes in the week the contract for the West Coast main line was scrapped owing to civil servants™ and ministers™ blunders, at a cost ...

Sheffield Star

• Supertram could face legal action over mobility scooter rule change SUPERTRAM operator Stagecoach could face legal action over rule changes which have seen many mobility scooters banned from trams.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Island filling station boss explains price cutAn island filling station operator who stunned drivers by slashing 9p off a litre of road fuel yesterday spelled out how it happened.

The York Press

• Escalating fuel prices forcing motorists off roads THE cost of fuel at York filling stations is running close to record levels, as new evidence emerges that escalating prices are driving motorists off the roads.

Wales Online

• UK Government urged to act over Wales' rail franchisesThe UK Government has been urged to consider transferring Great Western train services to its own rail operator, instead of letting First Great Western benefit from tearing up its existing franchise agreement.

Blackpool Gazette

• Counting the cost of ˜shambles™WITH the announcement of the scrapping of the West Coast Main Line deal, Reporter SHELAGH PARKINSON looks at the next step for Blackpool’s link to London.

Carlisle News & Star

• Cumbrian politicians want 'clarity' over West Coast Mainline services Senior Cumbrian politicians are demanding assurances about rail services in the wake of the Government™s U-turn on the West Coast Mainline.

Other Regional Press

• EXCLUSIVE: Hundreds of thousands of counterfeit coins from Mersey tunnel booths could be turned into a public sculpture FAKE coins used by drivers at Mersey Tunnel toll booths could be made into a giant sculpture if plans are given the seal of approval.
• UK & World News: UK needs four-runway airport: studyThe UK needs a four-runway airport either at Heathrow or Luton if it wants to compete with other European hubs such as Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, a report by a think tank has said.
• Bus stops are ˜Labour red™Red-faced council bosses today made a U-turn over ’Labour red’ bus shelters in Chorley.
• MP calls for halt in Kent rail franchise processA Kent MP has urged the government to put on hold the awarding of a new contract to run Kent's rail services - following the shock decision to pull another franchise.
• Estuary airport still a Boris favouriteBoris Johnson has said he still wants a hub airport in the Thames... even though he'd consider extending Stansted.
• Picture of the week: Huddersfield station gets the Technicolor treatmentIT IS one of the most photographed buildings in Huddersfield but Ian Kennedy has still managed to give the town’s railway station a fresh and colourful new look.
• New bus servicesCOUNCIL bosses have awarded bus contracts worth £3.3m that will see new services.
• Aberdeen bus lane bandits rise to 10,000 a monthTHE number of drivers cutting into Aberdeen bus lanes has soared to 10,000 a month.
• Cubbington selected for HS2 'construction compound'A WARWICKSHIRE village has been selected for a construction compound to help build the planned HS2 rail line – to the fury of campaigners.
• Update: FirstGroup tells of shock at scrapping of deal to run West Coast Main Line service through CoventryFIRSTGROUP has told of its shock at the scrapping of the deal to run the West Coast Main Line through Coventry.

Global Rail News

• Balfour Beatty awarded £15m London Bridge contractNetwork Rail has awarded a £15 million signalling contract to Balfour Beatty. The framework for the London Bridge Area Signalling-Related Civils Minor Works is worth around £15 million and covers the lineside civil engineering elements of the signalling scope for Thameslink Key Output 2 programme. Balfour Beatty Rail will be responsible for the procurement, design, [...]
• Twenty-year infrastructure plan set out for New South WalesAustralian infrastructure bosses have set out a 20-year plan which includes 70 key projects to improve transport links in New South Wales. Australasian Railway Association (ARA) CEO Bryan Nye has welcomed Infrastructure NSW’s State Infrastructure Strategy 2012-2032 for acknowledging the significant role of passenger rail and the need to preserve a rail corridor for the Western [...]
• West Coast fiasco questions more than just the franchise systemThree suspended officials, a bill for around £40 million and an uncertain future for the West Coast Mainline has raised serious doubts about the UK’s already highly-debated franchise system. But by admitting to “significant technical flaws” in handling bids for the West Coast how many more awkward questions has the government let itself in for. [...]

London TravelWatch

• London TravelWatch backs TfL™s ˜Safer Travel at Night™ campaignLondon TravelWatch has warned passengers, particularly students starting university in the capital to avoid using unbooked mini-cabs, in support of TfL™s ˜Safer Travel at Night™ campaign, which highlights the dangers of using unbooked mini-cabs.

Aviation Industry

• AA says it knows why seats came loose on planesAirline officials said late Thursday that they had come up with a fix for the seats, and they began pulling 48 Boeing 757s out of service to make repairs.
• Wizz Air to roll out new onboard baggage feesAirline will begin charging for bigger cabin bags across its network following trial period
• Boris launches new attack over airportsJohnson warns of 'economic catastrophe' because government is going too slowly

Other News Sources

• More rail privatisation chaos on key commuter routePerformance standards collapse on 'deep alliance' pilot for Government's McNulty rail policy as privatisation shambles continues
• BAA capital director Steve Morgan steps downBAA capital director Steve Morgan has stepped down to be replaced by current commercial director John Holland-Kaye.
• Boris slams ˜glacial™ airport processThe mayor of London says he feels like he is œknocking my head against a brick wall when it comes to Heathrow expansion and south-eastern air capacity.
• HS2 appoints new commercial directorConstruction News has learned that Beth West, formerly of Transport for London, Tube Lines and Thames Tunnel, has been appointed as the new commercial director for HS2.